The mnd2 mutation on mouse chromosome 6 produces a progressive neuromuscular disorder. To determine the gene content of the 400-kb mnd2 nonrecombinant region, we sequenced 108 kb of mouse genomic DNA and 92 kb of human genomic sequence from the corresponding region of chromosome 2p13.3. Three genes with the indicated sizes and intergenic distances were identified: D6Mm5e (>/=81 kb)-787 bp-DOK (2 kb)-845 bp-LOR2 (>/=6 kb). D6Mm5e is expressed in many tissues at very low abundance and the predicted 526-residue protein contains no known functional domains. DOK encodes the p62(dok) rasGAP binding protein involved in signal transduction. LOR2 encodes a novel lysyl oxidase-related protein of 757 amino acid residues. We describe a simple search protocol for identification of conserved internal exons in genomic sequence. Evolutionary conservation proved to be a useful criterion for distinguishing between authentic exons and artifactual products obtained by exon amplification, RT-PCR, and 5' RACE. Conserved noncoding sequence elements longer than 80 bp with >/=75% nucleotide sequence identity comprise approximately 1% of the genomic sequence in this region. Comparative analysis of this human and mouse genomic DNA sequence was an efficient method for gene identification and is independent of developmental stage or quantitative level of gene expression. [The sequence data described in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank data library under the following accession numbers: AC003061, mouse BAC clone 245c12; AC003065, human BAC clone h173(E10); AF053368, mouse Lor2 cDNA; AF084363, 108-kb contig from mouse BAC 245c12; AF084364, mouse D6Mm5e cDNA.]
Each monoclonal antibody light chain associated with AL amyloidosis has a unique sequence. Defining how these sequences lead to amyloid deposition could facilitate faster diagnosis and lead to new treatments.
Knowledge of the complete genomic DNA sequence of an organism allows a systematic approach to defining its genetic components. The genomic sequence provides access to the complete structures of all genes, including those without known function, their control elements, and, by inference, the proteins they encode, as well as all other biologically important sequences. Furthermore, the sequence is a rich and permanent source of information for the design of further biological studies of the organism and for the study of evolution through cross-species sequence comparison. The power of this approach has been amply demonstrated by the determination of the sequences of a number of microbial and model organisms. The next step is to obtain the complete sequence of the entire human genome. Here we report the sequence of the euchromatic part of human chromosome 22. The sequence obtained consists of 12 contiguous segments spanning 33.4 megabases, contains at least 545 genes and 134 pseudogenes, and provides the first view of the complex chromosomal landscapes that will be found in the rest of the genome.
The order and orientation (arrangement) of all 91 sequenced scaffolds in the 12 pseudomolecules of the recently published tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, 2n = 2x = 24) genome sequence were positioned based on marker order in a high-density linkage map. Here, we report the arrangement of these scaffolds determined by two independent physical methods, bacterial artificial chromosome-fluorescence in situ hybridization (BAC-FISH) and optical mapping. By localizing BACs at the ends of scaffolds to spreads of tomato synaptonemal complexes (pachytene chromosomes), we showed that 45 scaffolds, representing one-third of the tomato genome, were arranged differently than predicted by the linkage map. These scaffolds occur mostly in pericentric heterochromatin where 77% of the tomato genome is located and where linkage mapping is less accurate due to reduced crossing over. Although useful for only part of the genome, optical mapping results were in complete agreement with scaffold arrangement by FISH but often disagreed with scaffold arrangement based on the linkage map. The scaffold arrangement based on FISH and optical mapping changes the positions of hundreds of markers in the linkage map, especially in heterochromatin. These results suggest that similar errors exist in pseudomolecules from other large genomes that have been assembled using only linkage maps to predict scaffold arrangement, and these errors can be corrected using FISH and/or optical mapping. Of note, BAC-FISH also permits estimates of the sizes of gaps between scaffolds, and unanchored BACs are often visualized by FISH in gaps between scaffolds and thus represent starting points for filling these gaps.
Generating large-scale, high-fidelity sequencing data is challenging and, furthermore, not much has been done to characterize adjuvants' effects at the repertoire level. Thus, we introduced an IgSeq pipeline that standardized library prep protocols and data analysis functions for accurate repertoire profiling. We then studied systemically effects of CpG and Alum on the Ig heavy chain repertoire using the ovalbumin (OVA) murine model. Ig repertoires of different tissues (spleen and bone marrow) and isotypes (IgG and IgM) were examined and compared in IGHV mutation, gene usage, CDR3 length, clonal diversity, and clonal selection. We found Ig repertoires of different compartments exhibited distinguishable profiles at the non-immunized steady state, and distinctions became more pronounced upon adjuvanted immunizations. Notably, Alum and CpG effects exhibited different tissue- and isotype-preferences. The former led to increased diversity of abundant clones in bone marrow, and the latter promoted the selection of IgG clones in both tissues.
The smallest region of deletion overlap in the patients we have studied defines a DIGeorge syndrome/velocardiofacial syndrome (DGS/VCFS) minimal critical region (MDGCR) of approximately 250 kb within 22q11. A de novo constitutional balanced translocation has been identified within the MDGCR. The patient has some features which have been reported in individuals with DGS/VCFS, including: facial dysmorphia, mental retardation, long slender digits and genital anomalies. We have cloned the breakpoint of his translocation and shown that it interrupts the clathrin heavy chain-like gene (CLTCL) within the MDGCR. The breakpoint of the translocation partner is in a repeated region telomeric to the rDNA cluster on chromosome 21p. Therefore, it is unlikely that the patient's findings are caused by interruption of sequences on 21p. The chromosome 22 breakpoint disrupts the 3' coding region of the CLTCL gene and leads to a truncated transcript, strongly suggesting a role for this gene in the features found in this patient. Further, the patient's partial DGS/VCFS phenotype suggests that additional features of DGS/VCFS may be attributed to other genes in the MDGCR. Thus, haploinsufficiency for more than one gene in the MDGCR may be etiologic for DGS/VCFS.
ABSTRACT High-throughput immunoglobulin sequencing (IgSeq) has been developed and applied to study the adaptive immune response extensively for more than a decade. However, generating large-scale, high-fidelity sequencing data is still challenging, and furthermore, not much has been done to characterize adjuvants’ effects at the repertoire level. Thus, we developed an improved library prep protocol and standardized the data analysis pipeline for accurate repertoire profiling. In addition, two metrics were implemented to assess repertoire clone properties. We then studied systemically the effects of two adjuvants, CpG and Alum, on the Ig heavy chain repertoire using the ovalbumin (OVA) challenged mouse model. Ig repertoires of different tissues (spleen and bone marrow) and isotypes (IgG and IgM) were examined and compared in terms of sequence mutation frequency, IGHV gene usage, CDR3 length, rescaled Hill numbers for clonal diversity, and clone selection strength. As a result, Ig repertoires of different tissues or isotypes exhibited distinguishable profiles at the non-immunized steady state. Adjuvanted immunizations further resulted in statistically significant alterations in Ig repertoire compared with PBS or OVA alone immunized groups. Lastly, we applied unsupervised machine learning techniques – multiple factor analysis and clustering – to identify Ig repertoire signatures in different compartments and under varying immunizations. We found that the IGH repertoires of distinct tissue-isotype compartments or under varying immunizations differed in unique sets of properties. Notably, Alum and CpG effects on the Ig repertoire exhibited different tissue and isotype preferences. The former led to increased diversity of abundant clones of both isotypes in BM only, and the latter promoted the selection of IgG clones only but in both tissues. The patterns of Ig repertoire changes likely reflected possible action mechanisms of these two adjuvants.