0000000000054102
AUTHOR
Rosa De Frutos
Molecular Structure of a Gypsy Element of Drosophila Subobscura (Gypsyds) Constituting a Degenerate Form of Insect Retroviruses
We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a 7.5 kb full-size gypsy element from Drosophila subobscura strain H-271. Comparative analyses were carried out on the sequence and molecular structure of gypsy elements of D.subobscura (gypsyDs), D.melanogaster (gypsyDm) and D.virilis (gypsyDv). The three elements show a structure that maintains a common mechanism of expression. ORF1 and ORF2 show typical motifs of gag and pol genes respectively in the three gypsy elements and could encode functional proteins necessary for intracellular expansion. In the three ORF1 proteins an arginine-rich region was found which could constitute a RNA binding motif. The main differences among the gypsy element…
Evolution of gypsy Endogenous Retrovirus in the Drosophila obscura Species Group
The Ty3/gypsy family of retroelements is closely related to retroviruses, and some of their members have an open reading frame resembling the retroviral gene env. Sequences homologous to the gypsy element from Drosophila melanogaster are widely distributed among Drosophila species. In this work, we report a phylogenetic study based mainly on the analysis of the 5' region of the env gene from several species of the obscura group, and also from sequences already reported of D. melanogaster, Drosophila virilis, and Drosophila hydei. Our results indicate that the gypsy elements from species of the obscura group constitute a monophyletic group which has strongly diverged from the prototypic D. m…
Mapping of Friedreich's ataxia locus by identification of recombination events in patients homozygous by descent
The Friedreich's ataxia locus (FRDA) maps on chromosome 9q13. Genetic data, obtained from a small number of recombination events, indicated that the FRDA locus might be located centromeric to the D9S15/D9S5 linkage group, the most probable order being cen-FRDA-D9S5-D9S111-D9S15-D9S110-qter. Recently, new centromeric markers have been reported. Analysis of these markers allowed us to localize the recombination breakpoint in some of the recombinant families. However, only one proximal recombination has been found with these markers. To increase the genetic information from FRDA families, we have analyzed the centromeric markers FR1, FR2, FR7, FR8, and FR5 in patients homozygous by descent. Th…
Phenotype Correlation and Intergenerational Dynamics of the Friedreich Ataxia GAA Trinucleotide Repeat
Summary The Friedreich ataxia (FA) mutation has recently been identified as an unstable trinucleotide GAA repeat present 7–22 times in the normal population but amplified as many as > 1, 000 times in FA. Since it is an autosomal recessive disease, FA does not show typical features observed in other dynamic mutation disorders, such as genetic anticipation. We have analyzed the GAA repeat in 104 FA patients and 163 carrier relatives previously defined by linkage analysis. The GAA expansion was detected in all patients, most (94%) of them being ho-mozygous for the mutation. We have demonstrated that clinical variability in FA is related to the size of the expanded alleles: milder forms of the …
Gypsy endogenous retrovirus maintains potential infectivity in several species of Drosophilids.
Abstract Background Sequences homologous to the gypsy retroelement from Drosophila melanogaster are widely distributed among drosophilids. The structure of gypsy includes an open reading frame resembling the retroviral gene env, which is responsible for the infectious properties of retroviruses. Results In this study we report molecular and phylogeny analysis of the complete env gene from ten species of the obscura group of the genus Drosophila and one species from the genus Scaptomyza. Conclusion The results indicate that in most cases env sequences could produce a functional Env protein and therefore maintain the infectious capability of gypsy in these species.
Structure and expression of clustered P element homologues in Drosophila subobscura and Drosophila guanche
Abstract Sequence relationships and functional aspects were analysed in the P element homologues of Drosophila subobscura (Ds) and D. guanche (Dg) . In both species, the P homologues are clustered at a single genomic position. They lack the characteristic terminal structures of actively transposing P elements, but they have the coding capacity for a 66-kDa ‘repressor-like’ protein. Two different types of cluster units (G-type and A-type) can be distinguished. The A-type unit, which is present in multiple copies, is transcribed in adult flies. In contrast, the G-type unit has a much lower copy number and is apparently not expressed. In Dg , the isolated G-type sequence carries a 420-bp inser…
Gene arrangement phylogeny of the E element in Drosophila species of the Obscura group
Friedreich's Ataxia: Autosomal Recessive Disease Caused by an Intronic GAA Triplet Repeat Expansion
International audience; Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive, degenerative disease that involves the central and peripheral nervous systems and the heart. A gene, X25, was identified in the critical region for the FRDA locus on chromosome 9q13. This gene encodes a 210-amino acid protein, frataxin, that has homologs in distant species such as Caenorhabditis elegans and yeast. A few FRDA patients were found to have point mutations in X25, but the majority were homozygous for an unstable GAA trinucleotide expansion in the first X25 intron.
Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and emotional response to auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia
The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) has a crucial function in the regulation of serotonin (5-HT) reuptake in presynaptic neurons. 5-HT is a major modulator of emotional behaviour and circadian rhythms. In addition to its neurotransmitter role, it is also an important regulator of morphogenetic activities during early brain development as well as during adult neurogenesis and plasticity (Murphy et al., 2001).
Molecular characterization of the zerknüllt region of the Antennapedia complex of D. subobscura.
We have characterized at the molecular level the zerknullt (zen) region of the Drosophila subobscura Antennapedia complex. The sequence comparison between D. subobscura and D. melanogaster shows an irregular distribution of the conserved and diverged regions, with the homeobox and a putative activating domain completely conserved. Comparisons of the promoter sequence and pattern of expression of the gene during development suggest that the regulation of zen has been conserved during evolution. The conservation of zen expression in a subpopulation of the polar cells indicates the existence of an important role in such cells. We describe a transitory segmented pattern of expression of zen in …
P sequences ofDrosophilla Subobscuralack exon 3 and may encode a 66 kd repressor-like protein
Abstract Several P homologous sequences have been cloned and sequenced from Drosophila subobscura. These sequences are located at the 85DE region of the O chromosome and at least three of them are organized in tandem. We have identified four copies which exhibit strong similarity between them. All of the isolated elements are truncated at the 5' and 3' ends. They have lost the inverted terminal repeats and exon 3, but maintain exons 0, 1 and 2. They are transcribed producing a polyadenylated RNA. The structure of these transcripts suggests that they are able to encode a 66 kd repressor-like protein, but not a functional transposase. We ask about the biological role of a potential repressor …
PATTERNS OF PUFFING ACTIVITY AND CHROMOSOMAL POLYMORPHISM IN DROSOPHILA SUBOBSCURA . IV. EFFECT OF INVERSIONS ON GENE EXPRESSION
We have observed that, contrary to a common assumption, the puffing patterns manifest in the salivary chromosomes of Drosophila subobscura are modified by chromosomal inversions as well as by genic content. An inversion effect is apparent in the E and A chromosomes of five strains coming from four different natural populations. An effect due to the geographical location of the populations is also detected in the J and O chromosomes. The chromosomal and geographic effects are distinguishable but not contradictory. Indeed, a statistical test using the DK2 coefficient of distance shows that, for a given chromosomal arrangement, strains of different geographic origin exhibit puffing patterns si…
FOXP2 polymorphisms in patients with schizophrenia.
Abstract Background FOXP2 was described as the first gene involved in our ability to acquire spoken language. The main objective of this study was to compare the distribution of FOXP2 gene polymorphisms between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Methods Two FOXP2 polymorphisms, Intron3a and SNP 923875, and the G→A transition in exon 14 were analysed in 149 patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders according to DSM-IV, as well as in 137 controls. All the patients showed a history of auditory hallucinations. Results The transition G→A at exon 14, detected in all the affected members in KE family, was not found in any of the analyzed samples from patients or cont…
FOXP2 gene and language impairment in schizophrenia: association and epigenetic studies
Abstract Background Schizophrenia is considered a language related human specific disease. Previous studies have reported evidence of positive selection for schizophrenia-associated genes specific to the human lineage. FOXP2 shows two important features as a convincing candidate gene for schizophrenia vulnerability: FOXP2 is the first gene related to a language disorder, and it has been subject to positive selection in the human lineage. Methods Twenty-seven SNPs of FOXP2 were genotyped in a cohort of 293 patients with schizophrenia and 340 controls. We analyzed in particular the association with the poverty of speech and the intensity of auditory hallucinations. Potential expansion of thre…
Structural and evolutionary analysis of the copia-like elements in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome.
The analysis of 460 kb of genomic sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome III allowed us to identify two new transposable elements named AtC1 and AtC2. AtC1 shows identical long terminal repeats (LTRs) and all the structural features characteristic of the copia-like active elements. AtC2 is also a full copia-like element, but a putative stop codon in the open reading frame (ORF) would produce a truncated protein. In order to identify the copia-like fraction of the A. thaliana genome, a careful computer-based analysis of the available sequences (which correspond to 92% of the genome) was performed. Approximately 300 nonredundant copia-like sequences homologous to AtC1 and AtC2 were detec…
Stress response in Drosophila subobscura. II. Puff activity during anoxia and recovery from anoxia.
When individuals of Drosophila subobscura at 0 hr prepupa are submitted to anoxia (4 hr and 24 hr, respectively), their puffing pattern is very similar to that shown by individuals at the moment of development in which treatment began. The same expression of genes (the same puffing pattern and the same protein pattern) is induced in this species by recovery from anoxia as well as by heat shock treatment at 31 degrees C.
Molecular evolution of P transposable elements in the Genus drosophila. II. The obscura species group.
A phylogenetic analysis of P transposable elements in the Drosophila obscura species group is described. Multiple P sequences from each of 10 species were obtained using PCR primers that flank a conserved region of exon 2 of the transposase gene. In general, the P element phylogeny is congruent with the species phylogeny, indicating that the dominant mode of transmission has been vertical, from generation to generation. One manifestation of this is the distinction of P elements from the Old World obscura and subobscura subgroups from those of the New World affinis subgroup. However, the overall distribution of elements within the obscura species group is not congruent with the phylogenetic …
Association between CCK-AR gene and schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations
[Objective]: Previous studies on a possible association between CCK-AR polymorphisms and schizophrenia have been controversial. The aim of the present study was to assess a potential association between schizophrenic patients with auditory hallucinations and polymorphisms of the CCK-AR gene.