bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Isozyme and Quantitative Genetic Variation in Pinus contorta ssp. latifolia by FST
Authors: Yang Rong-Cai , Yeh Francis C , Yanchuk Alvin D 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
We employed F-statistics to analyze quantitative and isozyme variation among five populations of Pinus contorta ssp. latifolia, a wind-pollinated outcrossing conifer with wide and continuous distribution in west North America. Estimates of population differentiation (FST) for six quantitative traits were compared with the overall estimate of the differentiation (FST∗) from 19 isozymes that tested neutral to examine whether similar evolutionary processes were involved in morphological and isozyme differentiation. While the FST estimates for specific gravity, stem diameter, stem height and branch length were significantly greater than the FST∗ estimate, as judged from the 95% confidence intervals by bootstrapping, the FST estimates for branch angle and branch diameter were indistinguishable from the FST∗ estimate. Differentiation in stem height and stem diameter might reflect the inherent adaptation of the populations for rapid growth to escape suppression by neighboring plants during establishment and to regional differences in photoperiod, precipitation and temperature. In contrast, divergences in wood specific gravity and branch length might be correlated responses to population differentiation in stem growth. Possible bias in the estimation of FST due to Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium (FIS ≠ 0), linkage disequilibrium, maternal effects and nonadditive genetic effects was discussed with special reference to P. contorta ssp. latifolia.
Analysis of the 5′ Junctions of R2 Insertions With the 28S Gene: Implications for Non-LTR Retrotransposition
Authors: George Janet A , Burke William D , Eickbush Thomas H 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
R2 elements are non-long terminal repeat retrotransposable elements that insert into 28S rRNA genes of most insect species. The single open reading frame of R2 encodes a protein with both endonuclease activity, which cleaves the target site, and reverse transcriptase activity, which uses this cleavage to prime reverse transcription. This target-primed reverse transcription mechanism is also used by group II introns. Little is known of the mechanism by which the 5′ end of R2 is integrated after reverse transcription. We have determined the 5′ junction sequence of 94 R2 elements from 14 different species of Drosophila. Only 37% of the full-length elements contained precise 5′ junctions; the remainder contained deletions of the 28S gene and/or insertions of additional sequences. Because the 5′ junctions of truncated copies were similar to full-length elements, no sequences at the 5′ end of R2 appear to be required for element integration. A model in which the R2 reverse transcriptase is capable of switching templates from the R2 RNA transcript to the upstream 28S gene can best explain the observed 5′ junction sequences. This template jumping is analogous to the template switching of retroviral reverse transcriptases during formation of the double-stranded integration products.
Bioassaying Putative RNA-Binding Motifs in a Protein Encoded by a Gene That Influences Courtship and Visually Mediated Behavior in Drosophila: In Vitro Mutagenesis of nonA
Authors: Stanewsky Ralf , Fry Thomas A , Reim Ingolf , Saumwebert Harald , Hall Jeffrey C 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The no-on-transient-A (nonA) gene of Drosophila melanogaster influences vision, courtship song, and viability. The nod-encoded polypeptide is inferred to bind single-stranded nucleic acids. Although sequence-analysis of NONA implies that it belongs to a special interspecific family of this protein type, it does contain two classical RNA recognition motifs (RRM). Their behavioral significance was assayed by generating transgenic strains that were singly or multiply mutated within the relatively N-terminal motif (RRM1) or within RRM2. Neither class of mutation affected NONA binding to polytene chromcsomes. The former mutations led to extremely low viability, accompanied by diminished adult longevities that were much worse than for a nod-null mutant, implying that faulty interpolypeptide interactions might accompany the effects of the amino-acid substitutions within RRM1. All in vitro-mutated types caused optomotor blindness and an absence of transient spikes in the electroretinogram. Courtship analysis discriminated between the effects of the mutations: the RRM2-mutated type generated song pulses and trains that tended to be mildly mutant. These phenotypic abnormalities reinforce the notion that nonA' s ubiquitous expression has its most important consequences in the optic lobes, the thoracic ganglia, or both, depending in part on the nonA allele.
Genetic Analysis of Metabolic Crosstalk and Its Impact on Thiamine Synthesis in Salmonella typhimurium
Authors: Petersen Leslie , Enos-Berlage Jodi , Downs Diana M 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The first five steps in de novo purine biosynthesis are involved in the formation of the 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl pyrimidine (HMP) moiety of thiamine. We show here that the first enzyme in de novo purine biosynthesis, PurF, is required for thiamine synthesis during aerobic growth on some but not other carbon sources. We show that PurF-independent thiamine synthesis depends on the recently described alternative pyrimidine biosynthetic (APB) pathway. Null mutations in zwf (encoding glucose-6-P dehydogenase), gnd (encoding gluconate-6-P dehydrogenase), purE (encoding aminoimidazole ribonucleotide carboxylase), and purR (encoding a regulator of gene expression) were found to affect the function of the APB pathway. A model is presented to account for the involvement of these gene products in thiamine biosynthesis via the APB pathway. Results presented herein demonstrate that function of the APB pathway can be prevented either by blocking intermediate formation or by diverting intermediate(s) from the pathway. Strong genetic evidence supports the conclusion that aminoimidazole ribotide (AIR) is an intermediate in the APB pathway.
Dynamics of Repeat Polymorphisms Under a Forward-Backward Mutation Model: Within- and Between-Population Variability at Microsatellite Loci
Authors: Kimmel Marek , Chakraborty Ranajit , Stivers David N , Deka Ranjan 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Suggested molecular mechanisms for the generation of new tandem repeats of simple sequences indicate that the microsatellite loci evolve via some form of forward-backward mutation. We provide a mathematical basis for suggesting a measure of genetic distance between populations based on microsatellite variation. Our results indicate that such a genetic distance measure can remain proportional to the divergence time of populations even when the forward-backward mutations produce variable and/or directionally biased alleles size changes. If the population size and the rate of mutation remain constant, then the measure will be proportional to the time of divergence of populations. This genetic distance is expressed in terms of a ratio of components of variance of allele sizes, based on expressions developed for studying population dynamics of quantitative traits. Application of this measure to data on 18 microsatellite loci in nine human populations leads to evolutionary trees consistent with the known ethnohistory of the populations.
Identification of Novel Genes Required for Yeast Pre-mRNA Splicing by Means of Cold-Sensitive Mutations
Authors: Noble Suzanne M , Guthrie Christine 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Genetic approaches in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have identified 38 genes required for efficient RNA splicing. The majority have been found by screening (high) temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants for those defective in splicing, an approach limited by the presence of ts hotspots and by the fact that many essential genes rarely mutate to the ts phenotype. To identify novel genes, we screened a collection of 340 cold-sensitive (cs) mutants for those that exhibited diminished splicing of several pre-mRNAs. We isolated 12 mutants in nine complementation groups. Four of these affected known genes (PRP8, PRP16, PRP22, PRP28), three of which encode RNA helicase homologues. Five genes are novel (BRR1, BRR2, BRR3, BRR4, BRR5; Bad Response to Refrigeration); mutations in these genes inhibited splicing before the first chemical step of the reaction. Analysis of BRR2 revealed it to encode an essential member of a new class of RNA helicase-like proteins that includes the yeast antiviral protein Ski2. These data validate the use of cs mutants in genetic screens and raise the possibility that RNA helicase family members are particularly prone to mutation to cold sensitivity.
Genetic Divergence and Fitness Convergence Under Uniform Selection in Experimental Populations of Bacteria
Authors: Korona Ryszard 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Replicate populations of bacteria were propagated for 1000 generations in the laboratory. The growth substrate was periodically renewed, so that during most generations (cell doublings) it was not limiting. The final clones demonstrated about a 40% fitness increase when competed against their common ancestor. This increase was uniform both among and within populations despite extensive differentiation in correlated traits: cell size, resistance to starvation and dry mass of culture. It is suggested that genetic diversity developed because selection promoted any changes directing cell activity toward a higher maximum growth rate. Evolution of this trait halted at a similar level when some basic constraints on bacterial metabolism were met. The selective values of emerging mutations must have depended on the genetic background. They would be beneficial early in evolution but ineffective near the limit of adaptation. This hypothesis was tested for one mutation that affected both fitness and colony morphology. In some clones it was the first adaptive mutation and provided a third of the total fitness increase, but it was not assimilated by the clones that reached the adaptive ceiling in some other way. Near the limit of adaptation, epistasis levels off the fitnesses of genetically variable clones.
A Novel Drosophila Minute Locus Encodes Ribosomal Protein S13
Authors: Saeboe-Larssen Stein , Lambertsson Andrew 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Minutes comprise &gt;50 phenotypically similar Drosophila mutations believed to affect ribosomal protein genes. Common traits of the Minute phenotype are short and thin bristles, slow development, and recessive lethality. To further investigate the proposed Minute to ribosomal protein correspondence, loss-of-function Minute mutations were induced by P-element mutagenesis. Here, we report a previously undescribed Minute locus that maps to 32A on chromosome 2L; this Minute allele is named P{lac-W}M(2)32A1 and the gene M(2)32A. Flies heterozygous for P{lacW}M(2)32A1 have a medium Minute phenotype. The gene interrupted by the P-element insertion was cloned. Sequence analyses revealed that it encodes the Drosophila homologue of eukaryotic ribosomal protein S13. It is a singlecopy gene and the level of RPS13 transcript is reduced to ~50% in P{lacW}M(2)32A1 heterozygotes. Both transcript level and phenotype are restored to wild type by remobilizing the P element, demonstrating that the mutation is caused by insertion of the P-element construct. These results further strengthen the notion that Minutes encode ribosomal proteins and demonstrate that P-element mutagenesis is a fruitful approach to use in these studies.
The Om(1E) Mutation in Drosophila ananassae Causes Compound Eye Overgrowth due to tom Retrotransposon-Driven Overexpression of a Novel Gene
Authors: Juni Naoto , Awasaki Takeshi , Yoshida Kiyohito , Hori Samuel H 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Optic morphology (Om) mutations in Drosophila ananassae are a group of retrotransposon (tom)-induced gain-of-function mutations that map to at least 22 independent loci and exclusively affect the compound eye morphology. In marked contrast to other Om mutations, which are characterized by fewer-than-normal and disorganized ommatidia, the Om(1E) mutation exhibits a peculiar phenotype as enlarged eyes with regularly arrayed normal ommatidia. To characterize the Om(1E) mutation, we have carried out molecular analyses. A putative Om(1E) locus cloned by tom tagging and chromosome walking contained two transcribed regions in the vicinity of tom insertion sites of the Om(1E) mutant alleles, and one of these regions was shown to be the Om(1E) gene by Pelement-mediated transformation experiments with D. melanogaster. The Om(1E) gene encodes a novel protein having potential transmembrane domain(s). In situ hybridization analyses demonstrated that the Om(1E) gene is expressed ubiquitously in embryonic cells, imaginal discs, and the cortex of the central nervous system of third instar larvae, and specifically in lamina precursor cells. Artificially induced ubiquitous overexpression of Om(1E) affected morphogenesis of wing imaginal disc derivatives or large bristle formation. These findings suggest that the Om(1E) gene is involved in a variety of developmental processes.
The hobo Transposable Element Excises and Has Related Elements in Tephritid Species
Authors: Handler Alfred M , Gomez Sheilachu P 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Function of the Drosophila melanogaster hobo transposon in tephritid species was tested in transient embryonic excision assays. Wild-type and mutant strains of Anastrepha suspensa, Bactrocera dorsalis, B. cucurbitae, Ceratitis capitata, and Toxotrypana curvicauda all supported hobo excision or deletion both in the presence and absence of co-injected hobo transposase, indicating a permissive state for hobo mobility and the existence of endogenous systems capable of mobilizing hobo. In several strains hobo helper reduced excision. Excision depended on hobo sequences in the indicator plasmid, though almost all excisions were imprecise and the mobilizing systems appear mechanistically different from hobo. hobe-related sequences were identified in all species except T. curvicauda. Parsimony analysis yielded a subgroup including the B. cucurbitae and C. capitata sequences along with hobo and Hermes, and a separate, more divergent subgroup including the A. suspensa and B. dorsalis sequences. All of the sequences exist as multiple genomic elements, and a deleted form of the B. cucurbitae element exists in B. dorsalis. The hobo-related sequences are probably members of the hAT transposon family with some evolving from distant ancestor elements, while others may have originated from more recent horizontal transfers.
Doing the Conjugative Two-step: Evidence of Recipient Autonomy in Retrotransfer
Authors: Heinemann Jack A , Scott Heidi E , Williams Meredith 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Bidirectional exchange of genetic information, called retrotransfer, during bouts of bacterial conjugation has drawn the interest of those concerned with the risk of releasing genetically engineered microbes, the fluidity of genes among species, and the mechanism of DNA transport between cells. The phenomenon has generated two models in explanation, both of which yield highly testable predictions. The first model, called the one-step, predicts that the flow of genes from recipient bacteria to donor bacteria is mechanistically distinct from, but dependent on, conjugation between donors and recipients. The second model, called the two-step, predicts that the same genetic requirements and mechanistic constraints apply to the process of gene flow from recipients to donors as for gene flow from donors to recipients. The requirement for expression of at least 10 plasmid-encoded genes in recipients, sensitivity of the reverse flow (recipient to donor) to restriction of DNA transferring from the donor, and the requirement of an additional 30–90 min for DNA to flow from recipients back to donors are predictions of the two-step model and directly refute the one-step model. Retrotransfer of genes to donors during conjugation remains genetically and physically indistinguishable from two successive rounds of conjugation between neighbors.
Mutations in the SPT4, SPT5, and SPT6 Genes Alter Transcription of a Subset of Histone Genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Compagnone-Post Patricia A , Osley Mary Ann 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The SPT4, SPT5, and SPT6 gene products define a class of transcriptional repressors in Saccharomyces cermisiae that are thought to function through their effects on chromatin assembly or stability. Mutations in these genes confer a similar range of phenotypes to mutations in HIR genes, which encode transcriptional repressors that regulate expression of many of the core histone genes. Here we show that mutations in the three SPTgenes also affect transcription of the histone genes that reside at the HTA1-HTB1 locus. HTA1-lacZ transcription was reduced in each spt mutant background, an effect that required a negative site in the HTA1 promoter. The transcriptional effect could be reversed by the overproduction of histones H2A and H2B in an spt4 mutant and histones H3 and H4 in all three spt mutants. Suppression of the spt4 transcriptional defect was dependent on the overproduction of both histones H2A and H2B, and required the presence of N-terminal amino acids in both histones. The results are consistent with the idea that the effects of the spt mutations on nucleosome assembly and/or stability activate repressors of HTA1 transcription.
Timing of Expression of a Gene in the Adult Drosophila Is Regulated by Mechanisms Independent of Temperature and Metabolic Rate
Authors: Rogina Blanka , Helfand Stephen L 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The examination of β-galactosidase (β-gal) expression in the third segment of the antenna of the 2216 enhancer trap line in Drosophila melanogaster reveals two distinct spatial and temporal regulatory patterns of expression during adult life. Type I expression is characterized by a decline in the level of β-gal expression with increasing age. Starting from a maximal level of expression at the time of adult emergence, there is a decrease in the number of cells that express β-gal so that by 40-50 days of adult life few cells express β-gal. Varying the ambient temperature and using hyperactivity mutants (Hyperkznetic1, Shaker5) demonstrates that the rate of this decline is independent of temperature and metabolic rate. Type II expression is distinctly different in spatial distribution and temporal regulation from the first pattern. Type II expression is restricted in the antenna to a small (&lt;20–30) set of cells whose level of expression changes in a periodic manner with time. The regulation of this periodicity appears to be linked to ambient temperature.
Genetics of a Difference in Male Cuticular Hydrocarbons Between Two Sibling Species, Drosophila simulans and D. sechellia
Authors: Coyne Jerry A 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
In seven of the eight species of the Drosophila melanogaster group, the predominant cuticular hydrocarbon of males is Ftricosene, but in the island endemic species D. sechellia it is 6-tricosene. The phylogeny of the group implies that the novel hydrocarbon profile of D. sechellia is a derived character. Genetic analysis of hybrids between D. sechellia and its close relative D. simulans show that each of the five major chromosome arms carries at least one gene affecting the ratio of the two tricosene isomers, with the right arm of the third chromosome having the largest effect. The species difference in this character is therefore polygenic with the effects of the different chromosome arms generally additive, although there is some epistasis among third-chromosome genes. Observations of courtship by males who have been coated with foreign hydrocarbons suggest that a male's hydrocarbon profile may slightly affect the degree of sexual isolation in one of the reciprocal hybridizations between these species, but that this role is small compared to that played by hydrocarbon differences between females.
Characterization of a Meiotic Crossover in Maize Identified by a Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism-Based Method
Authors: Timmermans Marja C P , Das O Prem , Messing Joachim 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Genetic map lengths do not correlate directly with genome size, suggesting that meiotic recombination is not uniform throughout the genome. Further, the abundance of repeated sequences in plant genomes requires that crossing over is restricted to particular genomic regions. We used a physical mapping approach to identify these regions without the bias introduced by phenotypic selection. This approach is based on the detection of nonparental polymorphisms formed by recombination between polymorphic alleles. In an F2 population of 48 maize plants, we identified a crossover at two of the seven restriction fragment length polymorphism loci tested. Characterization of one recombination event revealed that the crossover mapped within a 534bp region of perfect homology between the parental alleles embedded in a 2773-bp unique sequence. No transcripts from this region could be detected. Sequences immediately surrounding the crossover site were not detectably methylated, except for an SstI site probably methylated via non-CpG or CpXpG cytosine methylation. Parental methylation patterns at this SstI site and at the flanking repetitive sequences were faithfully inherited by the recombinant allele. Our observations suggest that meiotic recombination in maize occurs between perfectly homologous sequences, within unmethylated, nonrepetitive regions of the genome.
Genetic Markers and Quantitative Genetic Variation in Medicago truncatula (Leguminosae): A Comparative Analysis of Population Structure
Authors: Bonnin Isabelle , Prosperi Jean-Marie , Olivieri Isabelle 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Two populations of the selfing annual Medicago truncatula Gaertn. (Leguminoseae), each subdivided into three subpopulations, were studied for both metric traits (quantitative characters) and genetic markers (random amplified polymorphic DNA and one morphological, single-locus marker). Hierarchical analyses of variance components show that (1) populations are more differentiated for quantitative characters than for marker loci, (2) the contribution of both within and among subpopulations components of variance to overall genetic variance of these characters is reduced as compared to markers, and (3) at the population level, within population structure is slightly but not significantly larger for markers than for quantitative traits. Under the hypothesis that most markers are neutral, such comparisons may be used to make hypotheses about the strength and heterogeneity of natural selection in the face of genetic drift and gene flow. We thus suggest that in these populations, quantitative characters are under strong divergent selection among populations, and that gene flow is restricted among populations and subpopulations.