bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of a regulatory transposon that controls the Mutator transposable element system in maize.
Authors: Chomet P , Lisch D , Hardeman K J , Chandler V L , Freeling M 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The Mutator system of maize consists of more than eight different classes of transposable elements each of which can be found in multiple copies. All Mu elements share the approximately 220-bp terminal inverted repeats, whereas each distinct element class is defined by its unique internal sequences. The regulation of instability of this system has been difficult to elucidate due to its multigenic inheritance. Here we present genetic experiments which demonstrate that there is a single locus, MuR1, which can regulate the transposition of Mu1 elements. We describe the cloning of members of a novel class of Mu elements, MuR, and demonstrate that a member of the class is the regulator of Mutator activity, MuR1. This conclusion is based on several criteria: MuR1 activity and a MuR-homologous restriction fragment cosegregate; when MuR1 undergoes a duplicative transposition, an additional MuR restriction fragment is observed, and MuR1 activity and the cosegregating MuR fragment are simultaneously lost within clonal somatic sectors. In addition, the MuR element hybridizes to transcripts in plants with Mutator activity. Our genetic experiments demonstrate that the MuR1 transposon is necessary to specify Mutator activity in our lines.
Genetic analysis of the morphological differences between maize and teosinte.
Authors: Doebley J , Stec A 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Molecular marker loci were used to investigate the inheritance of morphological traits that distinguish maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) from a closely related wild relative, teosinte (Z. mays ssp. mexicana). Regression and interval mapping analyses gave largely congruent results concerning the numbers of loci controlling the morphological traits and the magnitudes of their effects; however, interval mapping tended to give larger estimates for the magnitudes of the effects of the morphological trait loci. This tendency was exaggerated for traits that were non-normally distributed. Variation for most inflorescence traits is controlled by one or two regions of the genome with large effects plus several other regions with relatively small effects. As such, the data are congruent with a mode of inheritance for most traits involving one or two major loci plus several minor loci. Regions of the genome with large effects on one trait consistently had smaller effects on several other traits, possibly as a result of pleiotropy. Most of the variation for the dramatic differences in inflorescence morphology between maize and teosinte is explained by five restricted regions of the genome. One of these regions encompasses a previously described gene, tb1 (teosinte branched), and the effects of this region on inflorescence architecture are similar to the known effects of tb1. Implications of this work for the genetic basis of morphological evolution in plants are discussed.
Use of in vitro mutagenesis to analyze the molecular basis of the difference in Adh expression associated with the allozyme polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster.
Authors: Choudhary M , Laurie C C 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
In natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster, the alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) locus is polymorphic for two allozymes, designated Slow and Fast. Fast homozygotes generally have a two- to threefold higher ADH activity level than Slow homozygotes for two reasons: they have a higher concentration of ADH protein and the Fast protein has a higher catalytic efficiency. DNA sequencing studies have shown that the two allozymes generally differ by only a single amino acid at residue 192, which must therefore be the cause of the catalytic efficiency difference. A previous P element-transformation experiment mapped the difference in ADH protein level to a 2.3-kb HpaI/ClaI restriction fragment; which contains all of the Adh coding sequences but excludes all of the 5' flanking region of the distal transcriptional unit. Here we report the results of a site-directed in vitro mutagenesis experiment designed to investigate the effects of the amino acid replacement. This replacement has the expected effect on catalytic efficiency, but there is no detectable effect on the concentration of ADH protein estimated immunologically. This result shows that the average difference in ADH protein level between the allozymic classes is due to linkage disequilibrium between the amino acid replacement and one or more other polymorphisms within the HpaI/ClaI fragment. Sequence analysis of several Fast and Slow alleles suggested that the other polymorphism might be a silent substitution at nucleotide 1443, but another in vitro mutagenesis experiment reported here shows that this is not the case. Therefore, the molecular basis of the difference in ADH protein concentration between the allozymic classes remains an open question.
Genetic structure and the search for genotype-phenotype relationships: an example from disequilibrium in the Apo B gene region.
Authors: Zerba K E , Kessling A M , Davignon J , Sing C F 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
We analyzed allelic associations (disequilibria) for four restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in the region of the 43-kb Apo B gene in a sample of 233 unrelated individuals from Montreal, Canada, sampled for health. This total sample (T) included 160 individuals of known French Canadian (FC) ancestry. We present a rigorous application of current methodology to these samples, including estimation of type II error probabilities and correlations between markers for estimates of disequilibria. We then consider the utility of these estimates of allelic disequilibria for the interpretation of genotype-phenotype relations. Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were not predicted by proximity to other markers in disequilibrium. We found significant quadri-allelic disequilibrium for two marker pairs despite absence of significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for either marker or tri-allelic disequilibrium, respectively. Altogether these results underscore the complexity of the genotypic structure of the data. A combination of nonevolutionary factors, including sampling for health, small sample size and data exclusion due to methodological constraints of not successfully typing all members of the sample for every RFLP, is a likely explanation for this complexity. These types of factors are common to many RFLP studies. Patterns of composite di-allelic disequilibrium indicated that some RFLP allele pairs may have a longer shared evolutionary history than others and that disequilibrium is not predicted by distance between RFLPs. Type II error probabilities were generally much higher than those for type I errors. Correlations between marker pairs for disequilibria were generally not high. We show from a review of 14 published studies of association between the XbaI RFLP and variation in a total of 15 lipid traits that deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can cause substantial differences in the estimation of variability associated with phenotypic differences among marker genotypes relative to Hardy-Weinberg conditions.
Chain bias in Chi-stimulated heteroduplex patches in the lambda ren gene is determined by the orientation of lambda cos.
Authors: Hagemann A T , Rosenberg S M 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Heteroduplex patch recombinants have received information in one DNA chain but have not recombined flanking markers. Evidence regarding which chain is exchanged bears on the structure of recombination intermediates. The direction of travel along DNA of RecBCD recombinase, the central enzyme in the Escherichia coli RecBCD pathway of homologous recombination, is determined in phage lambda by the orientation of the packaging origin, cos. cos is a double-chain cut site which serves as a preferred entry site for RecBCD. Using partially denaturing gels to resolve heteroduplex molecules, we have examined patch recombinants at the lambda ren gene. We report that the transferred information in Chi-stimulated patches at ren can occur on either chain, but is biased to the chain ending 5' at the right of the lambda map (the lambda r chain) in phage carrying cos in its normal orientation. The chain bias switches in favor of the chain that ends 3' at the right (the lambda l chain) when RecBCD travel direction is reversed by inverting cos. We entertain models that accommodate these and other results pertaining to the structure of RecBCD-mediated recombinants.
Seven-base-pair inverted repeats in DNA form stable hairpins in vivo in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Authors: Nag D K , Petes T D 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Palindromic sequences in single-stranded DNA and RNA have the potential for intrastrand base pairing, resulting in formation of "hairpin" structures. We previously reported a genetic method for detecting such structures in vivo in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Below, we describe evidence indicating that a 14-base-pair palindrome (7 bp per inverted repeat) is sufficient for formation of a hairpin in vivo.
Selection, hitchhiking and disequilibrium analysis at three linked loci with application to HLA data.
Authors: Robinson W P , Cambon-Thomsen A , Borot N , Klitz W , Thomson G 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The HLA system has been extensively studied from an evolutionary perspective. Although it is clear that selection has acted on the genes in the HLA complex, the nature of this selection has yet to be fully clarified. A study of constrained disequilibrium values is presented that is applicable to HLA and other less polymorphic systems with three or more linked loci, with the purpose of identifying selection events. The method uses the fact that three locus systems impose additional constraints on the range of possible disequilibrium values for any pair of loci. We have thus examined the behavior of the normalized pairwise disequilibrium measures using two locus (D'), and also three locus (D"), constraints on pairwise disequilibria in a three locus system when one of the three loci is under positive selection. The difference between these measures, delta = magnitude of D' - magnitude of D", has a distribution for the two unselected loci differing from that for the selected locus with either of the unselected loci (the hallmark is a high positive value of delta for the two unselected loci). An examination of genetic drift indicates that positive delta values are unlikely to be found in human populations in the absence of selection when recombination is greater than about 0.1%. This measure can thus provide insight into which allele of several linked loci might have been subject to selection. Application of this method to HLA haplotypes from a large French population study (Provinces Francaise) identifies selected alleles on particular haplotypes. Application of a complementary method, disequilibrium pattern analysis also confirms the action of selection on these haplotypes.
Germline selection: population genetic aspects of the sexual/asexual life cycle.
Authors: Hastings I M 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Population geneticists make a distinction between sexual and asexual organisms depending on whether individuals inherit genes from one or two parents. When individual genes are considered, this distinction becomes less satisfactory for multicellular sexual organisms. Individual genes pass through numerous asexual mitotic cell divisions in the germline prior to meiosis and sexual recombination. The processes of mitotic mutation, mitotic crossing over, and mitotic gene conversion create genotypic diversity between diploid cells in the germline. Genes expressed in the germline whose products affect cell viability (such as many "housekeeping" enzymes) may be subjected to natural selection acting on this variability resulting in a non-Mendelian output of gametes. Such genes will be governed by the population genetics of the sexual/asexual life cycle rather than the conventional sexual/Mendelian life cycle. A model is developed to investigate some properties of the sexual/asexual life cycle. When appropriate parameter values were included in the model, it was found that mutation rates per locus per gamete may vary by a factor of up to 100 if selection acts in the germline. Sexual/asexual populations appear able to evolve to a genotype of higher fitness despite intervening genotypes of lower fitness, reducing the problems of underdominance and Wright's adaptive landscape encountered by purely sexual populations. As might be expected this ability is chiefly determined by the number of asexual mitotic cell divisions within the germline. The evolutionary consequences of "housekeeping" loci being governed by the dynamics of the sexual/asexual life cycle are considered.
Comparing evolvability and variability of quantitative traits.
Authors: Houle D 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
There are two distinct reasons for making comparisons of genetic variation for quantitative characters. The first is to compare evolvabilities, or ability to respond to selection, and the second is to make inferences about the forces that maintain genetic variability. Measures of variation that are standardized by the trait mean, such as the additive genetic coefficient of variation, are appropriate for both purposes. Variation has usually been compared as narrow sense heritabilities, but this is almost always an inappropriate comparative measure of evolvability and variability. Coefficients of variation were calculated from 842 estimates of trait means, variances and heritabilities in the literature. Traits closely related to fitness have higher additive genetic and nongenetic variability by the coefficient of variation criterion than characters under weak selection. This is the reverse of the accepted conclusion based on comparisons of heritability. The low heritability of fitness components is best explained by their high residual variation. The high additive genetic and residual variability of fitness traits might be explained by the great number of genetic and environmental events they are affected by, or by a lack of stabilizing selection to reduce their phenotypic variance. Over one-third of the quantitative genetics papers reviewed did not report trait means or variances. Researchers should always report these statistics, so that measures of variation appropriate to a variety of situations may be calculated.
Yeast KRE2 defines a new gene family encoding probable secretory proteins, and is required for the correct N-glycosylation of proteins.
Authors: Hill K , Boone C , Goebl M , Puccia R , Sdicu A M , Bussey H 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
We have cloned, sequenced and disrupted the KRE2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, identified by killer-resistant mutants with a defective cell wall receptor for the toxin. The KRE2 gene is close to PHO8 on chromosome 4, and encodes a predicted 49-kD protein, Kre2p, that probably enters the secretory pathway. Haploid cells carrying a disruption of the KRE2 locus grow more slowly than wild-type cells at 30 degrees, and fail to grow at 37 degrees. At 30 degrees, kre2 mutants showed altered N-linked glycosylation of proteins, as the average size of N-linked outer chains was reduced. We identified two other genes, YUR1 on chromosome 10, and KTR1 on chromosome 15, whose predicted products share 36% identity with Kre2p over more than 300 amino acid residues. Yur1p has an N-terminal signal sequence like Kre2p, while Ktr1p has a predicted topology consistent with a type 2 membrane protein. In all cases the conserved regions of these proteins appear to be on the lumenal side of secretory compartments, suggesting related function. KRE2, KTR1 and YUR1 define a new yeast gene family.
Molecular analysis of the maize wx-B3 allele indicates that precise excision of the transposable Ac element is rare.
Authors: Baran G , Echt C , Bureau T , Wessler S 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The somatic and germinal behavior of the maize wx-B3 mutation indicates that this Ac allele rarely reverts. Endosperms containing wx-B3 display tiny and infrequent Wx revertant sectors while no significant reversion is detected when wx-B3 pollen is stained with I/KI. Previous studies of other transposable element alleles that revert infrequently have implicated low levels of element excision. Unlike these other alleles, the wx-B3 Ac element is indistinguishable from fully active Ac elements with respect to its structure, and its ability to transpose from the Wx gene or to trans-activate a Ds element. Characterization of somatic and germinal excision events lead us to conclude that excision of the wx-B3 Ac element almost always produces null alleles. Furthermore, the excellent correlation between the position of the wx-B3 mutation on the physical and genetic maps indicates that the Ac insertion is the only lesion of wx-B3. As a result, precise excision of this Ac should restore Wx function. The fact that revertant sectors and pollen grains are rare indicates that precise excision of Ac is also rare. The finding that the wx-B3 reversion frequency is comparable whether wx-B3 is hemizygous or over a wx allele with a wild-type insertion site illustrates a fundamental difference between the excision mechanisms of Ac and Drosophila P elements.
The mitochondrial genomes of two nematodes, Caenorhabditis elegans and Ascaris suum.
Authors: Okimoto R , Macfarlane J L , Clary D O , Wolstenholme D R 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecules of two nematodes, Caenorhabditis elegans [13,794 nucleotide pairs (ntp)], and Ascaris suum (14,284 ntp) are presented and compared. Each molecule contains the genes for two ribosomal RNAs (s-rRNA and l-rRNA), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and 12 proteins, all of which are transcribed in the same direction. The protein genes are the same as 12 of the 13 protein genes found in other metazoan mtDNAs: Cyt b, cytochrome b; COI-III, cytochrome c oxidase subunits I-III; ATPase6, Fo ATPase subunit 6; ND1-6 and 4L, NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1-6 and 4L: a gene for ATPase subunit 8, common to other metazoan mtDNAs, has not been identified in nematode mtDNAs. The C. elegans and A. suum mtDNA molecules both include an apparently noncoding sequence that contains runs of AT dinucleotides, and direct and inverted repeats (the AT region: 466 and 886 ntp, respectively). A second, apparently noncoding sequence in the C. elegans and A. suum mtDNA molecules (109 and 117 ntp, respectively) includes a single, hairpin-forming structure. There are only 38 and 89 other intergenic nucleotides in the C. elegans and A. suum mtDNAs, and no introns. Gene arrangements are identical in the C. elegans and A. suum mtDNA molecules except that the AT regions have different relative locations. However, the arrangement of genes in the two nematode mtDNAs differs extensively from gene arrangements in all other sequenced metazoan mtDNAs. Unusual features regarding nematode mitochondrial tRNA genes and mitochondrial protein gene initiation codons, previously described by us, are reviewed. In the C. elegans and A. suum mt-genetic codes, AGA and AGG specify serine, TGA specifies tryptophan and ATA specifies methionine. From considerations of amino acid and nucleotide sequence similarities it appears likely that the C. elegans and A. suum ancestral lines diverged close to the time of divergence of the cow and human ancestral lines, about 80 million years ago.
Evolution of the mouse H-2K region: a hot spot of mutation associated with genes transcribed in embryos and/or germ cells.
Authors: Yeom Y I , Abe K , Artzt K 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Active gene transcription is known to promote genetic change in neighboring DNA. We reasoned that the change would be readily heritable if transcription was occurring in germ cells or early embryonic cells before the germ cells are set aside. The H-2K region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) provides a good vehicle for testing this hypothesis because it is replete with such genes. We have compared the amount of polymorphism in 240 kb of DNA contiguous with H-2K and 150 kb of DNA flanking a homologous duplicated region in t-haplotypes and inbred strains. Using 90 probes and three restriction enzymes, we find a staggering difference in the amount of polymorphism in the H-2K region vs. the duplicated region (26% vs. 0%) of t-haplotypes. The disparity in the rate of divergence between the two regions indicates that the spatial distribution of genes and their expression pattern might be important factors in sequence evolution. Since t-haplotypes normally show extremely limited variability among themselves due to their recent divergence from a single ancestor, these results imply that the mutation rate in the H-2K region is unusually high. This is in apparent contradiction to the current view that the MHC loci have evolved at the same rate as other loci. The implications for the evolution of the H-2K gene are discussed.
Use of gene replacement transformation to elucidate gene function in the qa gene cluster of Neurospora crassa.
Authors: Case M E , Geever R F , Asch D K 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Gene replacement by transformation, employing selective genetic recombination techniques, has been used to delete or disrupt the qa-x, qa-y and qa-1S genes of the qa gene cluster of Neurospora crassa. The growth characteristics of the strain carrying the deletion of the qa-y gene support earlier evidence that this gene encodes a quinic acid permease. The strain containing the deletion of the qa-1S gene (delta qa-1S) was examined with respect to quinic acid induction and carbon catabolite repression. The delta qa-1S strain exhibits constitutive expression of the qa genes supporting earlier evidence that the qa-1S gene codes for a repressor. Several of the qa genes continued to be expressed at high levels even in the presence of glucose in the delta qa-1S strain, which indicates that transcription of these genes is not being affected directly by a repressor molecule in the presence of glucose.
Intracellular selection, conversion bias, and the expected substitution rate of organelle genes.
Authors: Walsh J B 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
A key step in the substitution of a new organelle mutant throughout a population is the generation of germ-line cells homoplasmic for that mutant. Given that each cell typically contains multiple copies of organelles, each of which in turn contains multiple copies of the organelle genome, processes akin to drift and selection in a population are responsible for producing homoplasmic cells. This paper examines the expected substitution rate of new mutants by obtaining the probability that a new mutant is fixed throughout a cell, allowing for arbitrary rates of genome turnover within an organelle and organelle turnover within the cell, as well as (possibly biased) gene conversion and genetic differences in genome and/or organelle replication rates. Analysis is based on a variation of Moran's model for drift in a haploid population. One interesting result is that if the rate of unbiased conversion is sufficiently strong, it creates enough intracellular drift to overcome even strong differences in the replication rates of wild-type and mutant genomes. Thus, organelles with very high conversion rates are more resistant to intracellular selection based on differences in genome replication and/or degradation rates. It is found that the amount of genetic exchange between organelles within the cell greatly influences the probability of fixation. In the absence of exchange, biased gene conversion and/or differences in genome replication rates do not influence the probability of fixation beyond the initial fixation within a single organelle. With exchange, both these processes influence the probability of fixation throughout the entire cell. Generally speaking, exchange between organelles accentuates the effects of directional intracellular forces.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)