Title of Invention

"PROCESS FOR GENERATING AND DETECTING RECOMBINANT DNA SEQUENCES IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE"

Abstract The present invention relates to methods for generating and detecting recombinant DNA sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and plasmids and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells used for conducting the inventive methods.
Full Text The present invention relates to process for generating and detecting recombinant dna sequences in saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Description
The present invention relates in general to methods for generating and detecting recombinant DNA sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and plasmids and S. cerevisiae cells used for conducting the inventive methods.
DNA sequences for which these methods are relevant include protein-encoding and non-coding sequences; they may also consist of larger continuous stretches that contain more than a single coding sequence with intervening non-coding sequences, such as those that as may belong to a biosynthetic pathway.
The microbiaf and enzymatic production of substances such as enzymes and other proteins is an important economical topic. Enzymes are bioeatalytically active proteins not only responsible for the metabolism of natural compounds and organisms, but also utilized for the industrial production of natural and non-natural compounds. Enzymes or those compounds produced by the help of enzymes can be used for the production of drugs, cosmetics, foodstuffs, etc. However, the industrial use of enzymes has been greatly hindered by their target specifity and the specific conditions under which they can function. Other, proteins have therapeutic applications in the fields of human and animal health. Important classes of medically important proteins include cytokines and growth factors.
Proteins, enzymes, and pathways with novel or improved 'functions and properties can be obtained either by searching among largely unknown natural species or by improving upon currently known natu-

proteins or enzymes. The latter approach may be more suitable
for creating properties for which natural evolutionary processes are
unlikely to have been selected.
One promising strategy to create such novel desirable properties
and to redesign enzymes other proteins non-coding sequences or
pathways is by directed molecular evolution. Conventionally as direct
evolution of DMA sequences has been achieved with such techniques
as site-directed mutagenesis multi-site or cassette
mutagenesis random mutagenesis and error prone PCR. Recently
gene shuffling approaches to optimize or fine-tune the properties of
enzymes or proteins have attracted much attention. These directed
evolutionary techniques can produce enzymes that can improve existing
technology produce novel products and expand the capabilities
of synthetic chemistry.
A number of different mutagenesis methods exist such as random
mutagenesis site-directed mutagenesis oligonucleotide cassette
mutagenesis or point mutagenesis by error-prone PCR. Random
mutagenesis for example entails the generation of a large number
of randomly distributed nucleotide substitution mutations in cloned
DNA fragments by treatment with chemicals such as nitrous acid
hydrazine etc. Error-prone PCR has been developed to introduce
random point mutations into cloned genes. Modifications that decrease
the fidelity of the PCR reaction include increasing the concentration
of MgCI2l adding MnCI2ll or altering the relative concentrations
of the four dNTPs.
These traditional mutagenesis methods focus on the optimization of
individual genes having discrete and selectable phenotypes. The
general strategy is to clone a gene identify a discrete function for
the gene establish an assay by which it can be monitored mutate
selected positions in the gene and select variants of the gene for
improvement in the known function of the gene. A variant having improved
function can then be expressed in a desired cell type.
Repetitive cycles of mutagenesis methods can be carried out to obtain
desirable enzyme properties.
Each of these conventional approaches has an implicit sequence
search strategy. The strategies employed in the above techniques of
sequence searching are very different. Performing a saturating sitedirected
mutagenesis search involves a process of installing every
possible permutation at a site of interest. For a protein this procedure
consists of replacing an amino acid at a site of interest with all
19 other amino acids and searching the resultant library for improved
mutants. In sequence space terms this means that a very small region
has been searched very thoroughly. In comparison cassette- .
mutagenesis inserts a random peptide sequence in a specific region
of a protein giving a less thorough sampling of a larger defined region
of sequence space. Error-prone PCR involves repeated copying
of a sequence with the introduction of a low but significant number
of errors. In this case a sparse sampling of a less defined region of
sequence space is achieved. In each of these strategies the best
mutant obtained in each round of selection is used to initiate the next
round.
However traditional mutagenesis approaches for evolving new properties
in enzymes have a number of limitations. First they are only
applicable to genes or sequences that have been cloned and funcfunctionally
characterized. Second these approaches are usually
applicable only to genes that have a discrete function. Therefore
multiple genes that cooperatively confer a single phenotype usually
cannot be optimized in this manner. Finally these approaches can
only explore a very limited number of the total number of permutations
even for a single gene. In view of these limitations conventional
mutagenesis approaches are inadequate for improving cellular
genomes with respect to many useful properties. For example
improvements in the capacity of a cell to express a protein might require
alterations in transcriptional efficiency translation and posttranslational
modifications secretion or proteolytic degradation of a
gene product. It therefore might be necessary to modify additional
genes having a role in one or more of these cellular mechanisms in
order to express a protein with new properties. Attempting to individually
optimize all of the genes having such function would be a
virtually impossible task.
Most of the problems associated with conventional mutagenesis approaches
can be overcome by gene shuffling approaches. Gene
shuffling entails randomly recombining different sequences of functional
genes enabling the molecular mixing of naturally similar or
randomly mutated genes. DNA or gene shuffling or variations of
these techniques have been used to improve the activity stability
folding and substrate recognition properties of enzymes. In comparison
to conventional mutagenesis approaches with gene shuffling
the probability of obtaining mutants with improved phenotype is
significantly higher. Gene shuffling is fundamentally different from
conventional strategies in that it recombines favorable mutations in a
combinatorial fashion. It therefore will search much larger regions of
sequence space much more sparsely and with a bias towards producing
functional sequences. It also allows more beneficial mutations
from each round of selection to be retained in the next round
because it allows sequence information to be contributed from more
than one source. Whereas conventional strategies also allow for the
fixation of negative mutations this is not the case for gene shuffling
approaches. Therefore it is not surprising that gene shuffling strategies
have yielded much more dramatic results.
DMA or gene shuffling approaches are based on recombination
events between regions with a certain homology or between
stretches of identity. A key organism used in experiments to examine
genetic recombination in eukaryotes has been the budding yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The study of these processes in a simple
unicellular organism has the obvious advantage of the ease of
manipulation of DMA sequences and the possibility of studying specific
recombination events induced synchronously in a large proportion
of cells. Furthermore over the last few decades a wealth of expertise
has been accumulated both in the fermentation technology
and the basic genetics of this organism which is at present the best
studied eukaryote at the molecular level. Due to its non-pathogenic
character its secretion proficiency and its glycosylation potential S.
cerevisiae is a preferred host organism for gene cloning and gene
expression. Therefore the technical problem underlying the present
invention is to provide methods and means for the generation of recombinant
mosaic genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
The present invention solves this underlying technical problem by
providing a process for generating and detecting recombinant DNA
sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae comprising the steps of:
a) generating first diploid S. cerevisiae cells bearing in a defined
locus of their genome a first recombination cassette comprising
a first DNA sequence to be recombined which is flanked
by at least a first and a second marker sequence in an allelic
position a second recombination cassette comprising a second
DNA sequence to be recombined which is flanked by at
least a third and a fourth marker sequence
b) inducing the sporulation of the first diploid cells obtained in a)
and
c) isolating haploid cells containing recombination cassettes in
which first recombined DNA sequences are flanked by the
first and fourth marker sequences and haploid cells containing
recombination cassettes in which second recombined
DNA sequences are flanked by the second and the third
marker sequences.
The present invention provides a yeast-based system to screen for
recombination events between at least two diverging DNA sequences.
The system is based on the sexual reproductive cycle of S.
cerevisiae which alternates between a haploid phase and a diploid
phase. In the first step of the inventive process diploid S. cereivisiae
cells are generated which are heterozygous for these recombination
substrates. The DNA sequences to be recombined are integrated in
the genome of the diploid S. cerevisiae cells at allelic positions.
Each DNA sequence to be recombined is integrated in the form of a
recombination cassette which comprises besides this DNA sequence
at least two marker sequences that flank the DNA sequence
whereby the two recombination cassettes comprise at least four different
marker sequences.
The heterozygous diploid cells thus obtained are then grown under
conditions which induce the processes of meiosis and spore formation.
Meiosis is generally characterized by elevated frequencies of
genetic recombination which is initiated via the formation and subsequent
repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced early in
meiosis I prophase. Yeast meiotic cells are therefore of particular
interest because they experience high levels of recombination as a
result of the genome-wide induction of DSBs. Thus the products of a
first round of meiosis which are haploid cells or spores for each
meiosis event four produced by a parental diploid cell can contain
recombined DNA sequences due to recombination between the two
diverged DNA sequences.
Recombination between the two diverging DNA sequences during
meiosis can also lead to an exchange of the flanking marker sequences.
Therefore the present process allows a rapid and simple
identification of recombined DNA sequences by the selection of individual
cells or molecules in which an exchange of marker sequences
flanking a recombination substrate has taken place. The recombinants
obtained after the first round of meiosis are therefore characterized
in that they contain and/or express at least one marker sequence
of the first recombination cassette and at least one marker
sequence of the second recombination cassette. In particular recombinant
spores can contain the first marker sequence of the first
recombination cassette and the fourth marker sequence of the second
recombination cassette or the second marker sequence of the
first recombination cassette and the third marker sequence of the
second recombination cassette whereby both types of recombinant
spores contain besides this different marker combination also different
recombinant DNA sequences. Both types of spores containing
recombinant sequences can easily be selected and distinguished
under conditions that permit selection for the new recombinant
marker configurations produced by recombination during meiosis.
The inventive process can be conducted either in wild-type or mismatch
repair-defective S. cerevisiae cells. The processes by which
damaged DNA is repaired and the mechanisms of genetic recombination
are intimately related and it is known that the mismatch repair
machinery has inhibitory effects on the recombination frequency between
divergent sequences i.e. homeologous recombination. Mutations
of the mismatch repair system therefore greatly enhance the
overall frequency of recombination events in yeast. On the other
hand it is known that wild-type S. cerevisiae cells have a mismatch
repair-dependent recombination mechanism which is based on distantly
spaced mismatches in two recombination substrates. Depending
on the DNA sequences to be recombined either wild-type or
mismatch repair-defective S. cerevisiae cells can be used to obtain
recombined sequences.
The inventive process has the advantage that it is iterative i.e. it
allows further rounds of recombination. The products of the first
round of meiosis i.e. haploid cells of opposite mating types which
comprise different recombined DNA sequences are mated again to
obtain diploid cells which are heterozygous for recombined DNA sequences.
In the diploid cells thus obtained meiosis is again induced
whereby the recombined DNA sequences are once again recombined
leading again to an exchange of the two markers flanking
each recombination substrate. The new haploid recombinants obtained
after the second meiosis can now be easily identified by the
joint expression of either those marker genes which flanked the first
DNA sequence in the original first recombination cassette or those
marker genes which flanked the second DNA sequence in the original
second recombination cassette.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention therefore haploid cells
containing a recombination cassette with the first recombined DNA
sequences obtained in the first round of the inventive process are
mated with haploid cells containing recombination cassettes with the
second recombined DNA sequences obtained in the first round of
the inventive process in order to generate second diploid cells. In
the thus obtained second diploid cell sporulation is induced resulting
in the generation of haploid cells. In the next steps haploid cells
containing recombination cassettes in which third recombined DNA
sequences are flanked by at least the first and second marker sequences
and haploid cells containing recombination cassettes in
which fourth recombined DNA sequences are flanked by at least the
third and fourth marker sequences are isolated.
Further recombined DNA sequences can be generated by subjecting
the haploid cells containing third and fourth recombined DNA sequences
to one or more further cycles of mating and meio10
sis/sporulation. After each round of recombination recombinants are
either identified by the joint presence of at least one marker sequence
that flanked the first recombination substrate and at least
one marker sequence that flanked the second recombination substrate
or by the joint presence of the two markers that flanked the
first or the second DNA sequence in the starting recombination substrates.
Therefore an advantageous feature of the present process is that it
is iterative: recombinant haploid progeny is selected individually or
en masse and mated to one another the resulting diploids are
sporulated anew and their progeny spores are subjected to appropriate
selection conditions to identify new recombination events.
With the inventive process a large library of recombined mutated
sequences can be easily generated and variants that have acquired
a desired function can then be identified by using an appropriate
selection or screening system.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first diploid S. cerevisiae
cell is generated by simultaneously or sequentially transforming
a diploid S. cerevisiae cell with a DNA molecule comprising the
first recombination cassette and a DNA molecule comprising the
second recombination cassette and optionally allowing the integration
of the two recombination cassettes into allelic positions on natural
chromosomes of the S. cerevisiae genome. The DNA molecules
used can also be for example yeast artificial chromosomes (YAC).
YACs are characterized in that they are linear DNA molecules that
contain all the sequences necessary for stable maintenance in the
yeast cell such as a centromere DNA replication origin and te11
lomeres as well as yeast selectable markers. Upon introduction into
a yeast cell YACs behave similar to natural chromosomes and therefore
can be considered as part of the yeast genome. In the context of
the present invention the term "genome" includes the whole of all
hereditary components present within a cell which are stably maintained
and inherited. In case YACs are used as DMA molecules for
introduction the first and second recombination cassettes into diploid
S. cerevisiae cells it is not necessary to integrate the two recombination
cassettes into allelic positions in natural chromosomes. In the
case in which recombination cassettes are introduced into natural
chromosomes it is possible to use a cloning vehicle for example a
plasmid from which a fragment bearing the recombination cassettes
can be liberated. Preferably the two respective marker sequences of
the two recombination cassettes are flanked by targeting sequences
which are homologous to a defined locus of the S. cerevisiae genome.
Alternatively a DMA molecule can be used which does not
contain a replication origin. In this case the DNA molecules must be
able to integrate into a component of the genome and therefore contain
targeting sequences which are homologous to a defined locus of
the S. cerevisiae genome.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention the first diploid S.
cerevisiae cells are generated by fusing haploid cells bearing in a
locus of their genome the first recombination cassette with S. cerevisiae
haploid cells bearing in an allelic position of their genome the
second recombination cassette.
In still another preferred embodiment of the invention the first diploid
S. cerevisiae cells are generated by mating haploid cells bearing in
a locus of their genome the first recombination cassette with S. cerevisiae
haploid cells of opposite mating type bearing in an allelic position
of their genome the second recombination cassette.
In the context of the present invention the terms "mating" and "fusing"
denote either the purposeful or the random combination of two
haploid cells containing different recombination cassettes. A purposeful
mating or fusing of two haploid cells occurs when two selected
and//or isolated haploid cells of opposite mating type with desired
properties are brought into contact under conditions stimulating
mating and fusing respectively. The two haploid cells can be derived
from the same library of cells which for example contain DMA
sequences to be recombined or already recombined DMA sequences
or from different libraries of cells which for example contain
DNA sequences to be recombined or already recombined DNA
sequences.
A random mating or fusing of two haploid cells can occur when a
plurality of different haploid cells are brought into contact under conditions
stimulating mating and fusing respectively. The plurality of
haploid cells can be derived from the same library of cells which for
example contain DNA sequences to be recombined or already recombined
DNA sequences or from different libraries of cells which
for example contain DNA sequences to be recombined or already
recombined DNA sequences.
The inventive process for generating and detecting recombined DNA
sequences has the advantage that more than two diverging sequences
can be recombined. If for example four diverging DNA sequences
shall be recombined then in the first step of the present
process two different sets of diploid S. cerevisiae cells can be generated.
For example a first set of diploid cells can be generated by
mating or fusing haploid cells comprising a first and a second DNA
sequence to be recombined and a second set of diploid cells can be
generated by mating or fusing haploid cells comprising a third and a
fourth DNA sequence to be recombined. After sporulation of the two
sets of diploid cells haploid cells obtained from the first diploid cell
set that contain recombined DNA sequences due to recombination
between the first and the second DNA sequence are mated with
appropriate haploid cells obtained from the second diploid cell set
that contain recombined DNA sequences due to recombination between
the third and the fourth DNA sequences. The products of this
mating are diploid cells which after sporulation give rise to haploid
cells bearing recombined DNA sequences which comprise regions of
the first DNA sequence the second DNA sequence the third DNA
sequence and the fourth DNA sequence. If for example three diverging
DNA sequences shall be recombined in the first step of the
present process diploid S. cerevisiae cells are generated by for example
mating or fusing haploid cells comprising a first and a second
DNA sequence to be recombined. After sporulation of these diploid
cells the haploid cells thus obtained which contain recombined
DNA sequences due to recombination between the first and the second
DNA sequences can be fused or mated with haploid cells comprising
a third DNA sequence to be recombined. The products of this
mating are diploid cells which after sporulation give rise to haploid
cells bearing recombined DNA sequences which comprise regions of
the first DNA sequence the second DNA sequence and the third
DNA sequence. In this way five six or more diverging DNA sequences
can also be recombined.
In a preferred embodiment haploid S. cerevisiae cells bearing the
first or second recombination cassette are generated by:
a) inserting the first DNA sequence to be recombined between
the first and the second marker sequence located adjacently
on a first cloning vehicle and inserting the second DNA sequence
to be recombined between the third and the fourth
marker sequence located adjacently on a second cloning vehicle
whereby the respective two marker sequences are
flanked by targeting sequences which are homologous to a
defined locus of the S. cerevisiae genome
b) excising from the cloning vehicles obtained in a) the first recombination
cassette and the second recombination cassette
with flanking targeting sequences respectively whereby each
excised fragment comprises the DNA sequence to be recombined
which is flanked by the respective two marker
sequences and by targeting sequences
c) transforming the excised fragments obtained in b) separately
into S. cerevisiae diploid cells whereby the targeting sequences
direct the integration of the cassettes into that locus
to which they are homologous in order to obtain diploid cells
heterozygous for the first cassette or the second cassette
d) inducing separately the sporulation of the heterozygous diploid
cells obtained in c) and
e) isolating haploid cells containing the first cassette flanked by
the first and second marker sequences and separately hap15
loid cells containing the second cassette flanked by the third
and the fourth marker sequences.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the respective two marker
sequences in the first or second cloning vehicle are flanked by targeting
sequences which are homologous to the BUD31-HCM1 locus
on chromosome III of the S. cerevisiae genome and which direct the
integration of the excised cassettes into that locus.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the cloning vehicle used
for cloning the recombination cassettes is a plasmid. "Plasmid"
means an extrachromosomal element which can autonomously replicate.
The plasmid is physically unlinked to the genome of the cell
wherein it is contained. Most plasmids are double-stranded circular
DNA molecules. In another embodiment the cloning vehicle is an
YAC.
In particular it is preferred to use as the first cloning vehicle in which
the first recombination cassette is cloned plasmid pMXY9. Plasmid
pMXYS comprises the URA3 marker gene and the CAN1 marker
gene. In this plasmid the two marker genes are adjacently located.
Between the two marker genes are arranged several restriction sites
in particular recognition sites for the restriction enzymes Smal Xbal
Bgl\\ and Pad for inserting a DNA sequence to be recombined. The
two marker sequences are flanked by targeting sequences homologous
to the BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome III of the S. cerevisiae
genome.
Furthermore it is preferred to use as the second cloning vehicle in
which the second recombination cassette is cloned plasmid
16
pMXY12. Plasmid pMXY12 comprises the TRP1 marker gene and
the CYH2 marker gene. In this plasmid the two marker genes are
adjacently located. Between the two genes are arranged several restriction
sites in particular recognition sites for the restriction enzymes
Spel Smal and Pad for inserting a DNA sequence to be recombined.
The two marker sequences are flanked] by targeting sequences
homologous to the BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome ill
of the S. cerevisiae genome.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the diploid cells used for
transformation of the excised recombination cassette are auxotrophic
for at least two nutritional factors and resistant to at least two
antibiotics. Preferably the diploid cells are homozygous for the ura3-
1 allele and the trp1-1 allele which renders the cells auxotrophic for
uracil and tryptophan respectively. Furthermore it is preferred that
the diploid cells used for transformation are homozygous for the
can1-100 allele and the cyh2R allele which renders them resistant
to canavanine and cycloheximide respectively.
In particular it is preferred that diploid cells of the S. cerevisiae
strain MXY47 are used for transformation which are homozygous for
the alleles ura3-1 trp1-1 can1-100 and cyh2R and heterozygous for
the msh2::KanMX mutation. When diploid cells of the strain MXY47
are used for the transformation with the excised first or second fragments
bearing recombination cassettes and their flanking targeting
sequences then transformants obtained can be sporulated to yield
haploid wild type or msh2 segregants that bear the respective recombination
cassette.
According to the invention it may be preferred to use S. cerevisiae
cells which have a functional mismatch repair system for the inventive
process. The mismatch repair system belongs to the largest contributors
to avoidance of mutations due to DNA polymerise errors in
replication. Mismatch repair also promotes genetic stability by editing
the fidelity of genetic recombination. It is known that therefore
the mismatch repair machinery has a somewhat inhibitory effect on
recombination between diverged sequence. However in a normal S.
cerevisiae diploid another aspect of mismatch repair termed mismatch
repair-dependent recombination was detected (Borts and
Haber Science 237 (1987) 1459-1465). It is thought that the mismatch
repair of widely spaced mismatches such as in diverged sequences
leads to new double-strand breaks that can in turn stimulate
a second round of (mismatch repair-dependent) recombination.
In certain circumstances in particular when it is known that the two
recombination substrates used have widely spaced base differences
it is therefore useful to employ S. cerevisiae cells with a functional
mismatch repair system for conducting the inventive process.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention S. cerevisiae cells
that are deficient in the mismatch repair system are used. In S. cerevisiae
several genes have been identified whose products share
homology with bacterial mismatch repair proteins including six
homologues of the MutS protein i.e. Msh1 Msh2p MshSp Msh4
Msh5 and MshGp and four homologues of the MutL protein i.e.
Mlhlp Mlh2p MlhSp and Pmsl It is known that in particular the
PMS1 and MSH2 genes set up a barrier to the recombination of diverged
sequences. Therefore in msh2 and pmsl .mutants meiotic
recombination between diverged sequences is increased relative to
the frequency of recombination in wild type cells.
In the context of the present invention the term "deficient in the mismatch
repair system" means that the mismatch repair system (MMR)
of a cell is transiently or permanently impaired. MMR deficiency of a
cell or an organism can be achieved by any strategy that transiently
or permanently impairs the mismatch repair including but not limited
to a mutation of one or more genes involved in mismatch repair
treatment with an agent like UV light which results in a global impairment
of MMR treatment with an agent like 2-aminopurin or a
heteroduplex containing an excessive amount of mismatches to
transiently saturate and inactivate the MMR system and inducible
expression or repression of one or more genes involved in the mismatch
repair for example via regulatable promoters which would
allow for transient inactivation i.e. during meiosis but not during
vegetative growth.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the mismatch repair deficiency
of the S. cerevisiae cell is due to a mutation of at least one
gene involved in the MMR. In a preferred embodiment the S. cerevisiae
cells are deficient in the MSH2 gene. Preferably diploid cells
are homozygous for the msh2 allele in which the MSH2 coding sequences
are replaced by the KanMX construct.
In the context of the present invention the term "recombfnation cassette"
refers to a DMA sequence comprising at least one recombination
substrate or one DNA sequence to be recombined which is
flanked by at least two different marker sequences. The first and the
second recombination cassette differ in the DNA sequences to be
recombined and in the flanking marker sequences such that any
pair of recombination cassettes comprises two different DMA sequences
to be recombined and at least four different flanking marker
sequences.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention both the first and the
second recombination cassettes are generated by inserting the respective
DMA sequences to be recombined between two marker sequences
that are closely located on a cloning vehicle and which in
turn are surrounded by targeting sequences that are homologous to
a defined locus of the S. cerevisiae genome. The targeting sequences
therefore can direct the integration of an excised fragment
containing a recombination cassette into this defined locus. The insertion
of the DMA to be recombined between the two marker sequences
is preferably effected by genetic engineering methods. In a
preferred embodiment of the invention the two marker sequences in
the cloning vehicle are flanked by targeting sequences which are
homologous to the BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome II! of the S.
cerevisiae genome. Therefore the targeting sequences direct the
integration of the excised fragments containing a recombination cassettes
into that locus.
In the context of the present invention the terms "DNA sequences to
be recombined" and "recombination substrate" mean any two DNA
sequences that can be recombined as a result of meiotic recombination
processes whereby recombination between these sequences
can be due to homologous or non-homologous recombination.
Homologous recombination events of several types are characterized
by the base pairing of a damaged DNA strand with a homolo20
gous partner where the extent of interaction can involve hundreds of
nearly perfectly matched base pairs. The term "homology" denotes
the degree of identity existing between the sequence of two nucleic
acid molecules. In contrast illegitimate or non-homologous recombination
is characterized by the pining of ends of DMA that share no
or only a few complementary base pairs. In yeast non-homologous
repair and recombination events occur at significantly lower frequencies
than homologous recombination events.
The first and second DMA sequences to be recombined are diverging
sequences i.e. sequences which are not identical but show a
certain degree of homology. This means that the DNA sequences to
be recombined diverge by at least one nucleotide. Preferably the
DNA sequences to be recombined are sequences that share at least
one or more homologous regions which can be very short. The homologous
regions should comprise at least 5-10 nucleotides preferably
more than 20-30 nucleotides more preferred more than 30-40
nucleotides and most preferred more than 50 nucleotides. In a preferred
embodiment of the invention the first and the second DNA
sequences to be recombined diverge by at least one nucleotide in
particular more than 01 % preferably more than 5 % to more than
50 %. This means that the first and second DNA sequences to be
recombined can also diverge by 55% 60% 65 % or even more.
Recombination substrates or DNA sequences to be recombined can
have a natural or synthetic origin. DNA sequences to be recombined
therefore can be derived from any natural source including viruses
bacteria fungi including S. cerevisiae animals plants and humans.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first and the second
DNA sequences to be recombined are derived from organisms other
than S. cerevisiae.
In a preferred embodiment of the i nvention DNA sequences to t>e
recombined are protein-encoding sequences for example sequences
encoding enzymes which can be utilized for the industrial
production of natural and non-natural compounds. Enzymes or those
compounds produced by the help of enzymes can be used for the
production of drugs cosmetics foodstuffs etc. Protein-encoding sequences
can also be sequences which encode proteins that have
therapeutic applications in the fields of human and animal health.
Important classes of medically important proteins include cytokines
and growth factors. The recombination of protein coding sequences
allows for the generation of new mutated sequences which code for
proteins with altered preferably improved functions and/or newly
acquired functions. In this way it is possible for example to achieve
improvements in the thermostability of a protein to change the substrate
specificity of a protein to improve its activity to evolve new
catalytic sites and/or to fuse domains from two different enzymes.
Protein coding DNA sequences to be recombined can include sequences
from different species which code for the same or similar
proteins that have in their natural context similar or identical functions.
Protein coding DNA sequences to be recombined can include
sequences from the same protein o»r enzyme family. Protein coding
sequences to be recombined can also be sequences which code for
proteins with different functions - for example sequences that cod©
for enzymes which catalyse different steps of a given metabolic
pathway. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first and the
22
second DMA sequences to be recombined are selected from the
group of gene sequences of the Oxa superfamily of B-lactamases.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention DMA sequences to
be recombined are non-coding sequences such as sequences
which for example are involved within their natural cellular context
in the regulation of the expression of a protein-coding sequence.
Examples for non-coding sequences include but are not limited to
promoter sequences sequences containing ribosome binding sites
intron sequences polyadenylation sequences etc. By recombining
such non-coding sequences it is possible to evolve mutated sequences
which in a cellular environment result in an altered regulation
of a cellular process - for example an altered expression of a
gene.
According to the invention a recombination substrate or DMA sequence
to be recombined can of course comprise more than one
protein coding sequence and/or more than one non-coding sequence.
For example a recombination substrate can comprise one
protein coding sequence plus one non-coding sequence or a combination
of different protein coding sequences and different noncoding
sequences. In another embodiment of the invention DNA sequences
to be recombined therefore can consist of one or more
stretches of coding sequences with intervening and/or flanking noncoding
sequences. That means the DNA sequence to be recombined
can be for example a gene sequence with regulatory sequences
at its 5'-terminus and/or an untranslated S'-region or an
mammalian gene sequence with an exon/intron structure. In still another
embodiment of the invention DNA sequences to be recom23
bined can consist of larger continuous stretches that contain more
than a single coding sequence with intervening non-coding sequences
such as those that as may belong to a biosynthetic pathway
or an operon. DNA sequences to be recombined can be sequences
which have already experienced one or more recombination
events for example homologous and/or non-homologous recombination
events.
The recombination substrates can comprise non-mutated wild-type
DNA sequences and/or mutated DNA sequences in a preferred embodiment
therefore it is possible to recombine wild-type sequences
with already existing mutated sequences in order to evolve new mutated
sequences.
In the context of the present invention the term "marker sequences"
refers to unique DNA sequences that are positioned upstream or
downstream of a recombination substrate or an already recombined
DNA sequence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. The presence of
a marker sequence on the same molecule of DNA as the recombination
substrate or already recombined DNA sequence preferably in
combination with another marker sequence positioned on the other
side of the recombination substrate allows that recombination substrate
or already recombined DNA sequence to be recognized and
selected for whether by molecular or genetic methods. Therefore in
one preferred embodiment of the invention there must be one or
more marker sequences upstream of each recombination substrate
and one or more marker sequences downstream of each recombination
substrate such that in a cell heterozygous for two different recombination
substrates there are at least four different marker se24
quences altogether. This arrangement allows for the selection of
crossovers involving recombination substrates. It also allows further
rounds of recombination to be carried out in a iterative fashion. In
another preferred embodiment of the invention more than one
marker can be situated on each side of the recombination substrate.
For example additional markers can be introduced to increase the
stringency of selection.
Marker sequences may comprise protein-encoding or non-coding
DMA sequences. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the protein-
encoding marker sequences are selected from the group consisting
of nutritional markers pigment markers antibiotic resistance
markers antibiotic sensitivity markers and sequences that encode
different subunits of an enzyme which functions only if both or more
subunits are expressed in the same cell. In a further preferred embodiment
of the invention the molecular non-coding marker sequences
include but are not limited to primer recognition sites i.e.
sequences to which PCR primers anneal and which allow an amplification
of recombinants intron/exon boundaries promoter sequences
downstream regulated gene sequences or restriction enzyme
sites.
A "nutritional marker" is a marker sequence that encodes a gene
product that can compensate an auxotrophy of an organism or cell
and thus can confer prototrophy on that auxotrophic organism or
cell. In the context of the present invention the term "auxotrophy"
means that an organism or cell must be grown in a medium containing
an essential nutrient which cannot be synthesized by the
auxotrophic organism itself. The gene product of the nutritional
25
marker gene promotes the synthesis of this essential nutrient missing
in the auxotrophic cell. Therefore upon expression of the nutritional
marker gene it is not necessary to add this essential nutrient to
the medium in which the organism or cell is grown since the organism
or cell has acquired prototrophy.
A "pigment marker" is a marker gene wherein the gene product is
involved in the synthesis of a pigment which upon expression will
stain that cell in which the pigment marker is expressed. A cell without
the pigment marker does not synthesize the pigment and is
therefore not stained. The pigment marker therefore allows a rapid
phenotypical detection of that cell containing the pigment marker.
An "antibiotic resistance marker" is a marker gene wherein the gene
product confers upon expression to a cell in which the expression of
the antibiotic marker gene takes place the ability to grow in the
presence of a given antibiotic at a given concentration whereas a
cell without the antibiotic resistance marker cannot.
An "antibiotic sensitivity marker" is a marker gene wherein the gene
product destroys upon expression the ability of a cell to grow in the
presence of a given antibiotic at a given concentration.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention each of the gene products
of the first and third marker sequences can compensate an
auxotrophy of a S. cerevisiae cell. Preferably the first marker sequence
is URA3 the gene product of which can confer uracil prototrophy
to a uracil auxotrophic S. cerevisiae cell. Preferably the third
marker sequence is TRP1 the gene product of which can confer
tryptophan prototrophy to an tryptophan auxotrophic S. cerevisiae
cell.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention the gene products
of the second and fourth marker sequences confer sensitivity to an
antibiotic to a S. cerevisiae cell which is resistant to that antibiotic.
Preferably the second marker sequence is CAN1 the gene product
of which can confer to a canavanine resistant S. cerevisiae cell sensitivity
to canavanine. Preferably the fourth marker sequence is
CYH2 the gene product of which can confer to a cycloheximide resistant
S. cerevisiae cell sensitivity to cycloheximide.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention the marker sequences
comprise annealing sites for PCR primers. Preferably the
first second third and fourth marker sequences are recognized by
the primers KNS11 KNS28 KNS16 and KNS29.
In a preferred embodiment of the inventive process haploid cells
containing recombination cassettes with either first second third or
fourth recombined DNA sequences can be identified by PCR processes
in order to detect the presence of the respective marker combination.
In another preferred embodiment of the inventive process haploid
cells containing recombination cassettes with either first second
third or fourth recombined DNA sequences are identified by plating
the haploid cells on media that select for the presence on the same
DNA molecule of the respective marker combination. This means
that tiaploid cells containing first recombined DNA sequences are
plated on a medium that selects for the presence of the first and the
27
fourth marker sequences. Haploid cells containing second recombined
DMA sequences are plated on a medium that selects for the
presence of the second and the third marker sequences. Haploid
cells containing third recombined DMA sequences are plated on a
medium that selects for the presence of the first and the second
marker sequences. Haploid cells containing fourth recombined DMA
sequences are plated on a medium that selects for the presence of
the third and the fourth marker sequences.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a process of generating
novel proteins enzymes pathways and non-coding sequences
with novel or improved functions and properties whereby
known protein-coding sequences or known non-coding sequences
are subjected one or more recombination rounds by using the inventive
process for generating and detecting recombinant DNA sequences
in S. cerevisiae.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to plasmid pMXY9.
Plasmid pMXY9 comprises the URA3 marker gene and the CAN1
marker gene which are located adjacently. Between the two marker
gene a polylinker sequence comprising several restriction sites for
inserting a DNA sequence to be recombined is arranged. The two
markers are flanked by targeting sequences homologous to the
BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome III of the S. cerevisiae genome.
The polylinker sequence between the two marker genes comprises
restriction sites for the restriction enzymes Smal Xba\ Bgl\\ and
Pad.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to plasmid pMXY12.
Plasmid pMXY12 comprises the TRP1 marker gene and the CYH2
marker gene. Between the two marker genes a polylinker sequence
comprising several restriction sites for inserting a DMA sequence to
be recombined is arranged. The two markers are flanked by targeting
sequences homologous to the BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome
III of the S. cerevisiae genome. The polylinker sequence comprises
restriction sites for the restriction enzymes Spel Smal and
Pacl.
The present invention relates also to the S. cerevisiae strain MXY47
characterized in that diploid cells thereof are homozygous for the
alleles ura3-1 trp1-1 can1-100 and cyh2R and heterozygous for the
msh2::KanMX mutation.
The present invention also relates to the E. coli strain JM101 containing
plasmid pMXY9 and to E. coli strainDHSa containing plasmid
pMXY12.
Plasmids pMXYQ and pMXY12 and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae
strain MXY47 were deposited on the 3rd of January 2005 at the
DSMZ (Deutsche Sammlung fur Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen
GmbH Mascheroderweg 1b 38124 Braunschweig Germany) under
accession numbers DSM 1701O DSM 17011 and DSM 17026 respectively.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a kit which can be
used for conducting the inventive process for generating and detecting
recombined DMA sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In a
first embodiment the kit comprises at least a first container which
contains cells of S. cerevisiae strain MXY47 a second container
which contains cells of E. coli strain JM101 bearing plasmid pMXY9
and a third container containing cells of E. coli strain DH5a bearing
plasmid pMXY12.
In a second embodiment the kit comprises at least a first container
containing cells of S. cerevisiae strain MXY47 a second container
containing DMA of plasmid pMXY9 and a third container containing
DMA of plasmid pMXY12.
29
The present invention is illustrated by the following sequence listing
figures and example.
Figure 1 shows a schematic of the selection system for the selection
of recombinants on defined media. Diploid parental cells heterozygous
for recombination cassettes - here recombination substrate A
flanked by the URA3 and CAN1 genes and recombination substrate
B flanked by the TRP1 and CYH2 genes - are induced to undergo
meiosis. Spores are plated on medium lacking uracil and containing
canavanine (-Ura+Can) and on medium lacking tryptophan and containing
cycloheximide (-Trp+Cyh) to select for recombinant cells 3
and 4 in which a crossover involving the recombination substrates A
and B has taken place as indicated by (+). Parental diploids and
non-recombinant haploids 1 and 2 cannot grow on either of these
media as indicated by (-}. A subsequent round of meiosis may use
recombinants 3 and 4 to construct a new diploid which when
sporulated yields new recombinant cells bearing the same flanking
marker configurations as those shown in cells 1 and 2. Recombinant
spore colonies with these configurations can be selected on medium
lacking uracil and containing cycloheximide (-Ura+Cyh) and on medium
lacking tryptophan and containing canavanine(-Trp+Can) respectively.
Figure 2 shows the plasmids pMXYS and pMXY12 (above) which
are vectors used for the targeting of recombination cassettes to the
BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome ill of the yeast genome. Both
plasmids bear sequences homologous to this locus (indicated as 5'
and 3') which flank the URA3 and CAN1 markers (pMXY9) or TRP1
and CYH2 (pMXY12) markers. A short sequence bearing restriction
sites that allow for cloning recombination substrates is located between
each pair of marker sequences. Below integration of recombination
cassettes into the BUD31-HCM1 locus. A pMXY9 derivative
bearing recombination substrate A is digested with Not\ to liberate
the recombination cassette flanked by 5' and 3' targeting sequences
and digestion products are transformed into MXY47 cells. Ura+ derivatives
that contain a correctly targeted insert are identified for
subsequent use in constructing strains heterozygous for recombination
cassettes. Recombination cassettes bearing the TRP1 and
CYH2 markers are similarly constructed in pMXY12 and transformed
into MXY47 followed by selection for tryptophan prototrophy.
Figure 3 shows the frequency of recombination between Oxa genes
as a function of sequence identity in wild type and msh2 strains.
Above the mean ± standard deviation of (n) independent experiments
is provided. Below graphical representation of these data.
The following strains were used: MXY60 MXY62 MXY64 MXY66
MXY99andMXY102.
Figure 4 shows the msh2 hyper-recombination effect. A msh2Nvt ratio
was calculated for each independent experiment (total number =
n) for pairs of strains with the given percent of shared Oxa homology
and for each selection condition and the the mean ± standard deviation
of these summed values are shown. The data are represented
graphically below. The following pairs of strains were used: MXY60
and MXY62 MXY64 and MXY66 MXY99 and MXY102.
Figure 5 shows a PCR analysis of recombination between Oxa sequences
sharing 78% homology. Spore colonies were derived from
31
wild type (MXY99) and msh2 (MXY102) diploids by selection on medium
lacking uracil and containing canavanine or on medium lacking
tryptophan and containing cycloheximide. Colony PCR was performed
on selected spore colonies that exhibited phenotypes consistent
with those expected for crossover recombinants. Above two
reactions were carried out for each wild type and msh2 Ura+CanR
candidate one with a parental-specific primer pair (KNS16 + KNS28
products shown in the first of each pair of lanes for each candidate)
and the other with a recombinant-specific- primer pair (KNS16 +
KNS29 second lane). Below similar reactions were carried out for
each wild type and msh2 Trp+CyhR candidate one with a parentalspecific
primer pair (KNS11 + KNS29 first lane) and the other with a
recornbinant-specific primer pair (KNS11 + KNS28 second lane).
Control reactions were carried out on appropriate genomic DNA
templates containing known configurations of flanking marker sequences
either parental (P) or recombinant (R). (-) no DNA control.
Figure 6 shows the frequencies of recombination for second-round
recombination. Wild type and msh2 haploids obtained after a first
round of recombination with MXY64 and MXCY66 were mated to produce
wild type (MXY81 MXY82 and MXY83) and msh2 (MXY86
MXY87 and MXY88) diploids with mosaic Oxa7-0xa11 recombination
cassettes. Wild type (MXY90) and msh2 (MXY92) diploids homozygous
for the Oxa11 recombination substrate were also constructed
from recombinant progeny of MXY60 and MXY62. All diploids
were sporulated and spores were plated on media to select for
Ura+CanR and Trp+CyhR recombinants.
32
The sequence listing comprises the following sequences:
SEQ ID No. 1 and 2 show the sequences of the primers MSH2UP
and MSH2DN respectively for the amplification of MSH2.
SEQ ID No. 3 to SEQ ID No. 6 show the sequences of the primers
MSH2A1 MSH2A2 MSH2A3 and MSH2A4 respectively which are
MSW2-specific analytical primers.
SEQ ID No. 7 and SEQ ID No. 8 show the sequences of the primers
K2KANMX and K3KANMX respectively which are KanMX-specific
analytical primers.
SEQ ID No. 9 and SEQ ID No. 10 show the sequences of the primers
LEU2UP and LEU2DN respectively which are used for the amplification
of LEU2.
SEQ ID No. 11 and SEQ ID No. 12 show the sequences of the primers
HIS3UP and HIS3DN respectively which are used for the amplification
of HIS3.
SEQ ID No. 13 and SEQ ID No. 14 show the sequences of the primers
KNS1 and KNS2 respectively which are used for the amplification
of the 3' targeting sequence.
SEQ ID No. 15 to SEQ ID No. 17 show the sequences of the primers
KNS3 KNS4 and KNS6 respectively which are used for the amplification
of a 5' targeting sequence.
SEQ ID No. 18 and SEQ ID No. 19 show the sequences of the primers
KNS7 and KNS8 respectively which are used for the amplification
of Oxa7.
SEQ ID No. 20 and SEQ ID No. 21 show the sequences of the primers
KNS9 and KNS10 respectively which are used for the amplification
of Oxa11.
SEQ ID No. 22 shows the sequence of the primer KNS12 which is a
BUD31 downstream analytical primer.
SEQ ID No. 23 shows the sequence of the primer KNS13 which is a
BUD31 upstream analytical primer.
SEQ ID No. 24 shows the sequence of the primer KNS14 which is a
TRPf-specific analytical primer.
SEQ ID No. 25 shows the sequence of the primer KNS15 which is a
l/R>43-specific analytical primer.
SEQ ID No. 26 and SEQ ID No. 27 show the sequences of the primers
KNS17 and KNS18 respectively which are used for the amplification
of CYH2.
SEQ ID No. 28 shows the sequence of the primer KNS30 which is a
TRP1 -specific forward primer used as sequencing primer.
SEQ ID No. 29 shows the sequence of the primer KNS31 which is a
CyA/Vf-specific reverse primer used as sequencing primer.
34
SEQ ID No. 30 shows the sequence of the primer KNS33 which is a
CYH2-specific reverse primer used as sequencing primer.
SEQ ID No. 31 and SEQ ID No. 32 show the sequences of the primers
KNS36 and KNS37 respectively which are used for the amplification
of OxaS.
SEQ ID No. 33 shows the sequence of the primer KNS38 which is a
L/R/43-specific forward primer used as sequencing primer.
Example - Generation of mosaic genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
mismatch repair mutants
1. Materials and methods
1.1 Media
Standard rich medium YPD (Bio101) was used for routine growth
and synthetic dropout media (Bio101) were used to monitor genetic
markers and for selection of recombinants. For sporulation cells were
precultured overnight in SPS (50 mM potassium phthalate pH
5.0 0.5% yeast extract (Difco) 1% Bactopeptone (Difco) 0.17%
yeast nitrogen base 1% potassium acetate 0.5% ammonium sulfate)
plus required nutritional supplements washed resuspended in
1 % potassium acetate plus supplements and incubated with shaking
for two days. All manipulations were carried out at 30°C. For tetrad
analysis asci were digested with Helix pomatia B-glucuronidase
(Sigma) and dissected using a Nikon Eclipse E400 microscope fitted
with a TDM400 micromanipulator (Micro Video Instruments Inc.).
Other genetic methods were conducted as described by Ausubel et
al. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology (1998) John Wiley and
Sons Inc. New York. All yeast transformations were performed using
the LiAc method according to Agatep et al. Technical Tips Online
(http://tto.trends.com).
1.2. Yeast strains
All yeast strains used or created in this study are listed in Table 1
and Table 2. All yeast strains are isogenic derivatives of the readily
sporulating W303 background. The diploid MXY47 which serves as
a host for transformation with recombination cassettes was constructed
by transformation and genetic crosses as follows. The haploid
D184-1B (a gift of S. Gangloff CEA France) was transformed
with a LEU2 fragment (obtained by preparatory PCR of the W303
strain U474 with the primer pair LEU2UP/LEU2DN which are listed in
the sequence listing to yield the Leu+ haploid MXY13. The haploid
D184-1C (a gift of S. Gangloff) was transformed with a HI S3 fragment
(obtained by preparatory PCR of ORD4369-25D with the
primer pair HIS3UP/HIS3DN) to yield the His+ haploid MXY25. The
haploids MXY18 and MXY22 are recessive cycloheximide-resistant
(cyh2R) derivatives of D184-1B and D184-1C respectively selected
on 10 jj.g/ml cycloheximide; the presence of mutations mapping to
the CYH2 locus that confer cycloheximide resistance was confirmed
by sequencing (two different nucleotide alterations resulting in a
change of glutamine 38 to lysine) and segregation analysis. MX7Y18
and MXY25 were crossed to obtain the diploid MXY29; MXY13 and
MXY22 were crossed to obtain the diploid MXY33. The haploid segregants
MXY29-6D and MXY33-8C were crossed to obtain MXY38
which is heterozygous for the Ieu2-3112 and his3-1115 markers
and homozygous for the cyh2Fi mutation. MXY38 was transformed
with the msh2::KanMX cassette ampli-fied by PCR from RBT348 (a
gift of R. Sorts University of Leicester) with the primers MSH2UP
and MSH2DN to yield MXY47. Transformants were selected on 200
jig/ml G418 (Invitrogen) and confirmed by colony PCR (see below)
with the primers MSH2A1 MSH2A2 MSH2A3 and MSH2A4 and by
tetrad analysis i.e. analysis of the four spores to confirm marker
segregation.
1.3 Plasmid construction
The bacteria! strains XL1-B!ue MRF(AmcrA)183(mcrCB-hsdSMRmrr)
173 endA1 supE44 thi-1 recA1 gyrA96 relA1 lac /F proAB
IacPZkM15 Tn10 (Tef)]) and JM110 (rpsL [Stf] thr leu thi-1 lacY
galK galT era tonA tsx dam dcm supE44 k[lac-proAB] IF' traD36
proAB laclqZA.M15]) were used as hosts for cloning. Standard methods
were used for plasmid construction (Ausubel et al.). All plasmids
used or created in this study are listed in Table 3. Restriction enzymes
T4 DMA ligase and other enzymes used in cloning were purchased
from New England BioLabs. DNA fragments and plasmids
were purified using kits supplied by Qiagen and Macherey-Nagel.
Upstream ("51 target") sequences corresponding to the BUD31 locus
were amplified by preparatory PCR from W303 genomic DNA with
the primer pair KNS3/KNS4 and cloned as a Kpn1/X/7o1 fragment
into Kp/?1/X/7o1 -digested pKSII(+) (Stratagene) to create pMXY1;
downstream ("31 target") targeting sequences were similarly amplified
with the primer pair KNS1/KNS2 and cloned as a XbaMNott
fragment into X6a1/A/ott -digested pKSII(+) (Stratagene) to create
pMXY2. The TRP1 marker was excised from pJH53 (a gift of R.
Sorts) as a Bglll/EcoRl fragment and ligated to Ba/nHI/EcoRIdigested
pMXY1 to create pMXY3 and the URA3 marker was excised
from X/70l/H//?DIII-digested pRED316 (a gift of R. Sorts) and
ligated to Xhol/HinDIll-digested pMXY1 to create pMXY4. The CAM
marker was isolated from pRED316 as a Sma1 fragment and ligated
to Hpa1-digested pMXY2 to create pMXYS. The 5' targeting sequences
in pMXYS and pMXY4 were replaced with sequences reamplified
from genomic DNA with the primer pair KNS4/KNS6 and
ligated as Kp/?1/X/?o1 fragments into the respective KpnVXholdigested
plasmids to produce pMXY7 and pMXYG. This step was
undertaken to correct the absence from the primer KNS3 of restriction
sites required in later phases of cloning. The Kpnl-Smal ment of pMXYS containing the 5' target and the URA3 marker were
I [gated to Kpnl/Smal-digested pMXYS to produce the URA3-CAN1
recombination cassette vector pMXY9. The Kpnl/Spel fragment of
pMXYT containing the 5' target and TRP1 marker were ligated to
Kpnl/Spel-digested pMXY2 to produce pMXY11. Finally the CYH2
marker was amplified by preparatory PCR from W303 genomia DNA
with the primer pair KNS17/KNS18 digested with SamHI and Pvul
and ligated to Bg/ll/Pad-digested pMXY11 to create the TRP1-CYH2
recombination cassette vector pMXY12. All plasmid constructs were
introduced into bacterial hosts by electroporation and verified by restriction
analysis and pMXYS and pMXY12 were further verified by
sequencing of all cloning junctions.
B-lactamase recombination substrates were amplified by preparatory
PCR from host plasmids (provided by W. Schoenfeld) using the
primer pairs KNS36/KNS37 for Oxa5 (accession X58272)
KNS7/KNS8 for Oxa7 (accession X75562) and KNS9/KNS1 O for
Oxa11 (accession Z22590). Oxa7 and Oxa11 PCR products were
digested with Pad and ligated to S/wal/Pacl-digested pMXY9 to create
pMXY13 and pMXY14 respectively and the Oxa11 PCR product
was also digested with Spel and Pad and ligated to Spelf/^acldigested
pMXY12 to create pMXY22. The OxaS PCR products were
digested with SamHI and Pad and iigated to Sg/ll/Pacl-digested
pMXY9 to create pMXY24. All constructs were verified by restriction
analysis.
1.4 Recombinant selection and characterization
For first round recombination plasmids bearing recombination cassettes
were digested with A/of1 and total digestion products were
used to transform MXY47. Uracil (for pMXY9 derivatives) or tryptophan
(for pMXY12 derivatives) prototrophs were selected and targeting
of one of the two chromosomal copies of the BUD31-HCM1
locus by the introduced construct was confirmed by colony PCR us43
ing the primers KNS12/KNS13/KNS15 for URA3-CAN1 derivatives
and the primers KNS12/KNS13/KNS14 for TRP1-CYH2 derivatives
which allow fragments from the intact and from the disrupted BUD31-
HCM1 loci to be amplified. Transformed heterozygotes were
speculated and tetrad analysis was carried out to identify wild type or
msh2 haploids bearing recombination cassettes. Appropriate haploids
of opposite mating type were patched on YPD plates allowed
to grow overnight mixed together on the same YPD plate and allowed
to mate overnight. The mating plate was replica plated to -
Ura-Trp medium to select for diploids which were inoculated the following
day in bulk into SPS plus supplements and cultured overnight.
The preculture was spun down and washed and the cells
were resuspended in 1 % K acetate plus supplements and incubated
for two days.
Sporulated cells were harvested quantified and in some cases dissected
to confirm appropriate segregation of ail markers. Asci were
digested with zymolyase-20T (ICN Biomedicals) to liberate spores
the spore suspension was sonicated (Branson Model 250 Digital
Sonifier) and appropriate dilutions were plated on YPD to determine
cell viability on uracil dropout media containing 60 ug/ml canavanine
(Sigma) to select Ura+CanR recombinants and on tryptophan
dropout media containing 3 ug/ml cycloheximide (Sigma) to
select Trp+CyhR recombinants. Spore colonies arising on each medium
were counted and subjected to phenotypic and molecular tests
to determine whether they represented true recombinants. For
phenotypic analysis a representative number of candidate
recombinants was restreaked to the same medium used for selection
and then replica plated to -Ura -Trp cycloheximide (10 ^g/ml)
canavanine (60 pg/ml) and mating type tester plates.
Spores were also plated on -
Ura-Trp media to determine the frequency of diploids for each spore
preparation which in all cases was lower than 4% of total viable
cells. For molecular analysis total genomic DMA was subjected to
analytical PCR (see below) using appropriate primer pairs that specifically
amplify parental or recombinant fragments. The frequencies
of recombination for a given selection are expressed as the frequency
of viable cells on a given selection medium corrected for the
presence of non-recombinants exhibiting a false positive phenotype.
In most cases such false positives arose by mutational inactivation
of the CAN1 or CYH2 marker as suggested by analytical PCR.
For second round recombination appropriate recombinants derived
from the first round of recombination were mated and Ura+Trp+ diploids
were selected. The same sporulation procedure as for first
round recombination was followed except that spores were plated
on YPD on uracil dropout media containing cycloheximide to select
Ura+CyhR recombinants and on tryptophan dropout media containing
canavanine to select Trp+CanR recombinants. Candidate recombinants
were similarly subjected to phenotypic and molecular
analysis.
1.5 Molecular methods
Genomic DNA used as a template for preparatory or analytical PCR
was prepared from overnight YPD cultures by a standard miniprep
procedure according to Ausubel et al. Preparatory PCR of fragments
used in cloning or for sequencing was performed with Oxa plasmid
DNA (approximately 50 pg) or yeast genomic DNA (approximately
0.5 fig) as a template in 50 pi reactions containing 2.5 U Herculase
polymerase (Stratagene) 1x Herculase reaction buffer 0.2 mM each
dNTP and 100 ng each primer. Amplification was carried out as follows:
94° C 2 min; 30 cycles of 94°C 10s 55°C 30 s 72°C 30s; 68°C
10 min. A modified colony PCR procedure was employed to confirm
integration of recombination cassettes at the BUD31 locus
(http://www.fhcrc.ora/labs/hahn/methods/mol bio meth/pcr veast c
olonv.html). with the following amplification conditions: 95°C 5 min;
35 cycles of 95°C 1 min 55°C 1 min 68°C 1 min; 72°C 10 min. Analytical
PCR to characterize Oxa inserts was carried out in 100 \i\ reaction
volumes containing approximately 0.5 ng genomic DNA prepared
from candidate recombinants and control strains 1.5 U Taq
polymerase (Roche) 1 x reaction buffer 0.2 mM each dNTP and
100 ng each primer with the same amplification conditions as for
colony PCR except that extension was carried out at 68°C for 2 min.
All amplification reactions were performed with a Mastercycler gradient
5331 (Eppendorf).
For sequence analysis of recombinant Oxa inserts preparatory PCR
was carried out with the primer pairs KNS16/KNS29 (for Ura+CanR
recombinants) or KNS11/KNS28 (for Trp+CyhR) followed by purification
with the Qiaquick PCR kit (Qiagen). PCR products were sequenced
by Genome Express (Meylan FR) with the primers KNS30
KNS31 KNS33 or KNS38 as appropriate. Recombinant sequences
were aligned and analyzed using Clone Manager software (Sci Ed
Central). Oligonucleotides used in PCR and sequencing (Table 3)
were purchased from Proligo France.
2. Results
2.1 Development of a yeast meiotic homeologous recombination
system
A strategy that makes use of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to
promote in vivo recombination between diverged DNA sequences
has been developed. Critical features of the strategy include the use
of meiotic cells in which high levels of genome-wide recombination
take place and inactivation of the mismatch repair (MMR) system
which normally restricts recombination between diverged sequences.
Sequences to be recombined i.e. the recombination substrates are
introduced into one of two vectors that also bears flanking marker
sequences so as to create recombination cassettes. The recombination
cassettes are introduced into the yeast genome at a locus on
chromosome III (the BUD31-HCM1 interval) which is in a region
known to be recombinationally active in meiosis. Diploids heterozygous
for recombination cassettes are sporulated and spores are
plated on media that select for cells with specific configurations of
flanking markers thereby allowing for the selection of recombinants
in which a crossover involving recombination substrates has taken
place (Figure 1).
Two general recombination cassette vectors were constructed
pMXY9 and pMXY12 which contain the URA3 and CAN1 and the
TRP1 and CYH2 markers respectively flanking restriction sites that
can be used for the introduction of recombination substrates (Figure
2). The URA3 marker confers uracil prototrophy and the CAN1
marker confers canavanine sensitivity. In the absence of this marker
cells are resistant to the drug. The TRP1 marker confers tryptophan
prototrophy and the CYH2 marker confers cycloheximide sensitivity.
In the absence of this marker cells are resistant to the drug. Each of
the two recombination cassettes is in turn flanked by sequences that
allow targeting of the entire insert to the BUD31-HCM1 locus by
transformation of competent cells (Figure 2). A strain that serves as
a primary host for transformation MXY47 was also constructed (Table
2). This diploid is heterozygous for the msh2::KanMX mutation
and is phenotypically wild type with respect to MMR. It is also homozygous
for the ura3-1 trp1-1 can1-100 and cyh2R markers which
allows the presence of recombination cassette markers to be monitored
and heterozygous for the his3-1115 and Ieu2-3112 markers.
MXY47 is transformed with fragments bearing recombination cassettes
primary transformants are selected as Ura+ or Trp+ prototrophs
(for MXY9 and MXY12 derivatives respectively) and targeting
Is confirmed by analytic PCR using primers that recognize sequences
within and external to the introduced construct. Primary
transformants are sporulated and tetrads are dissected and replica
plated to identify wild type or msh2 segregants that bear the recombination
cassette. Suitable haploids are mated to one another to
generate MSH2/MSH2 (wild type) and msh2/msh2 diploids heterozygous
for recombination substrates. In a first round of meiotic
recombination to generate recombinants these diploids are
sporulated and free spores are plated on media lacking uracil and
containing canavanine to select for recombinants with the URA3-
CYH2 configuration of flanking markers (Ura+CanR spore colonies)
or on media lacking tryptophan and containing cycloheximide to select
for the TRP1-CAN1 configuration (Trp+CyhR spore colonies).
Parental diploids and non-recombinant haploid progeny cannot grow
on these media. The frequency of spore colonies arising on selective
media is determined candidate recombinant spore colonies are
characterized phenotypically by replica plating on test media and
molecularly by PCR with appropriate primer pairs and a sample of
confirmed recombinants is selected for sequencing.
The strategy is iterative in that cells bearing recombinant inserts can
be identified and subjected to further rounds of meiotic recombination
to increase diversity. In a second round Ura+CanR and
Trp+CyhR haploids are mated and the speculation and selection
process is repeated except that new recombinants are selected on
media lacking uracil and containing cycloheximide to select for recombinants
with the URA3-CAN1 configuration of flanking markers
(Ura+CyhR spore colonies) or on media lacking tryptophan and containing
canavanine to select for the TRP1-CYH2 configuration
(Trp+CanR spore colonies). The strategy detailed here can also be
modified to include additional markers to increase the stringency of
selection. Furthermore recombinants can also be directly selected
by PCR using primers specific to flanking sequences.
2.2 Phenotvpic selection for recombination between Oxa gene
pairs of varying sequence divergence
Genes belonging to the Oxa superfamily of beta-lactamases were
chosen as substrates to test the feasibility of the system for the selection
of recombinants. Recombination between the following Oxa
pairs was assessed in the wild type and msh2 backgrounds: Oxa11-
Oxa11 which share 100% homology throughout the 800 bp ORF;
Oxa7-0xa11 95%; Oxa5-Oxa11 78%. Diploids generated by
crosses between appropriate haploids were induced to enter meiosis.
Spores were prepared from meiotic cultures and serial dilutions
were plated on YPD to determine cell viability and on medium lacking
uracil and containing canavanine (-Ura+Can) and on medium
lacking tryptophan and containing cycloheximide (-Trp+Cyh) to select
for recombinants.
2.3 Frequencies of recombination between Oxa genes of varying
sequence homoloav
The data shown in Figure 3 demonstrate that in the wild type background
increased sequence heterology has a strong inhibitory effect
on crossover recombination and that this effect is relieved but not
abolished by the msh2 mutation. In general the msh2 mutation
causes an increase in the frequency of recombination of about one
order of magnitude above that observed for wild type strains at the
two levels of divergence tested. However inactivation of MSH2
alone does not fully compensate for the inhibition of recombination
between recombination substrates with higher degrees of heterology.
For example the frequencies of recombination for a msh2 strain
with Oxa inserts sharing 78% homology (MXY102) are at least 10-
fold (Ura+CanR) and 25-fold (Trp+CyhR) below those found for a
wild type strain with Oxa inserts of 100% homology (MXY60) indicating
that factors other than MSH2-dependent mismatch repair prevent
crossover recombination between more diverged sequences. It
is noteworthy that the appearance of msh2 recombinants at the 78%
divergence level at frequencies of roughly 2 x 10"4 indicates that
recombination may be achieved between even more divergent substrates.
2.4 The msh2 hyper-recombination effect
The effect of msh2 on homologous and homeologous recombination
was quantified by first calculating the ratio of msh2 to wild type
recombinants for a given percent of homology for a given selection
for each experiment and then calculating the means and standard
deviations of the ensemble of ratios thus determined. The data are
shown in in Figure 4. The presence of the msh2 mutation increases
the frequency of homeologous recombination for sequences of 95%
and 78% homology and there is a less pronounced but still quantifiable
enhancement of recombination between 100% identical sequences.
Furthermore the extent of the msh2 enhancement of homeologous
recombination differs for the two selections: for strains
with homeologous Oxa inserts inactivation of MSH2 increases the
frequency of Trp+CyhR recombinants to a greater extent than it increases
the frequency of Ura+CanR recombinants. In principle the
frequencies of both types of recombinants (Ura+CanR and
Trp+CyhR) should be equivalent but these numbers indicate that
there are biases in the system that are provoked or enhanced by the
msh2 mutation in conjunction with variations in the extent of sequence
divergence. Experiments to test the relative influences of
inserts and flanking marker sequences on the types of recombinants
obtained indicate that this bias is a property of the flanking markers
but the influence of the recombination substrates in directing the outcomes
of meiotic recombination events cannot yet be accounted for
(data not shown).
2.5 PCR analysis of selected recombinants
An example of PCR analysis as applied to Ura+CanR and
Trp+CyhR spore colonies derived from wild type and msh2 diploids
containing Oxa genes of 22% divergence (MXY99 and MXY102
respectively) is shown in Figure 5. For each strain ten spore colonies
that exhibited each recombinant phenotype were analyzed.
Extracts from each colony were used as templates for amplification
with primer pairs that specifically amplify parental molecules and
with primer pairs that specifically amplify recombinant molecules.
In every case(s) only the predicted recombinant insert was amplified
indicating that the selected spore colonies contained sequences
produced by recombination between the parental Oxa recombination
substrates. These results also demonstrate that recombinant
molecules can be directly recovered from sporulated cultures
even without the imposition of a genetic selection step. Here the
primer recognition sites located in the URA3 CAN1 TRP1 and
CYH2 genes represent molecular marker sequences that flank each
recombination substrate.
2.6 Sequence analysis of first round rneiotic homeologous recombinants:
5% and 22% divergence
Oxa7-Oxa11 meiotic recombinants derived from wild type and msh2
diploids (MXY64 and MXY66 respectively) which contain recombination
substrates sharing 95% homology that satisfied phenotypic
and molecular (PCR) tests were subjected to sequence analysis.
Recombinant fragments were amplified with primers specific to flanking
markers and sequenced using primers close to the translational
start and stop sites. Overall 55 recombinant sequences derived from
haploid progeny of Oxa7-Oxa 11 diploids were analyzed: 14
Ura+CanR and 13 Trp+CyhR recombinants from MXY64 and 14
Ura+CanR and 14 Trp+CyhR recombinants from MXY66. The sequenced
sample size allows several observations to be made. 1) For
both wild type and msh2 recombinants the position at which the
crossover took place ranged throughout the full coding region with
no apparent preference for a specific interval. Crossovers that occurred
in the 5' region were as likely as those in the 3' region. Also
for a given strain there was no apparent difference in the distributions
of crossover sites for spore colonies obtained by -Ura+Can or
by -Trp+Cyh selection. 2) The length of uninterrupted homology in
the crossover interval was also unimportant: crossovers were detected
between two closely spaced polymorphisms (positions 543-
552 for MXY66 Trp+CyhR #7 #8 and #13 where position 1 represents
the adenosine residue of the ATG translational start site) as
well as between the two most widely spaced polymorphisms (positions
163-265 eg MXY66 Trp+CyhR #15). 3) The recombinant Oxa
inserts isolated from both wild type and msh2 backgrounds contained
full-length recombinant sequences potentially capable of encoding
new functional Oxa proteins. That is all crossovers occurred
in such a manner as to preserve an intact ORF without a net insertion
or deletion of nucleotides in the crossover interval or in any
other interval. 4) Although the structures of most recombinarit sequences
are consistent with a simple crossover between the two
Oxa sequences in local regions of homology several recombinants
isolated in the msh2 background exhibited greater complexity. Sequences
derived from four recombinants (MXY66 Ura+CanR #16
and #31 and MXY66 Trp+CyhR #5 and #9) exhibited a higher degree
of mosaicism as if they were produced by more than one
crossover event. Indeed analysis of two of these recombinants was
complicated because inspection of electropherograms revealed the
presence of two overlapping peaks at multiple sites within the sequenced
region each site corresponding to an Oxa 7-Oxa11 polymorphism.
This observation indicates that the population of molecules
that was sequenced was heterogeneous for which the most
likely explanation is the presence of unrepaired or partially repaired
heteroduplex DMA present in msh2 recombinant spores. This
interpretation is consistent with the known increased frequency of
post-meiotic segregation (PMS) caused by the msh2 mutation. In
these two cases MXY66 Ura+CanR #16 and #31 one or more
repaired sites was flanked by stretches of unrepaired heteroduplex
consistent with the unmasking of a short patch mismatch repair
activity in the msh2 background as suggested by CoTc Gluck and
Fabre (EMBO J. 19:3408). Several other cases of PMS unassociated
with short-patch mismatch repair were also observed for msh2
recombinant sequences indicating that this alternative mismatch
repair system may not be highly efficient at correcting mismatches in
heteroduplex DNA. Judging from sequence electropherograms the
extent of uncorrected heteroduplex varied from a short region of
about 50 nt to a region almost covering the entire ORF. No evidence
for PMS or short-patch mismatch repair was found for wild type
recombinant sequences. Overall these findings suggest that the
extent of diversity created is greater in msh2 meiosis than in wild
type meiosis.
Meiotic recombinants were also derived from wild type and msh2
diploids that contain recombination substrates sharing 78% homology
(MXY99 and MXY102 respectively). In total 24 recombinant
sequences derived from recombinant progeny of Oxa5-Oxa 11 diploids
were analyzed: five Ura+CanR and three Trp+CyhR recombinants
from MXY99 and nine Ura+CanR and seven Trp+CyhR recombinants
from MXY102. Inspection of these sequences suggests
several trends. 1) Recombinant Oxa sequences obtained In both
wild type and msh2 strains by selection on -Trp+CyhR exhibited
crossovers at different positions throughout the ORF with perhaps a
overall shared homology. In contrast recombinants obtained in both
wild type and msh2 strains by selection on -Ura+CanR exhibited a
pronounced bias in the positions of crossovers: in 3 of 5 wild type
and 8 of 9 msh2 sequences crossovers occurred within the last 80
nt of the region of shared homology ie the last 10% of the ORF. 2)
The intervals of absolute homology in which crossovers were identified
ranged from 11 to 20 nt for the -Trp+Cyh selection indicating a
preference for these relatively larger regions of sequence identity. In
contrast crossover intervals were shorter for the -Ura+Can selection
ranging from 3 to 17 nt (13/14 of these involved intervals 13 nt
and shorter). 3) As for recombination involving sequences sharing
95% homology the new sequences obtained also consisted of intact
ORFs and potentially encode novel Oxa proteins. 4) No cases of
PMS as judged by inspection of electropherograms were found for
wild type recombinants but very short patches of unrepaired heteroduplex
were found for a few msh2 recombinants including 3 of the 7
Trp+CyhR recombinants. These regions included at most 67 nt
shorter than some of the tracts observed for Oxa7-Oxa11 recombinants.
In sum these observations indicate that recombinant sequences
can be selected from input recombination substrates varying
by at least 22% and that these sequences encode novel proteins.
2.7 Sequence analysis of Oxa7-0xa11 second-round recombi-
' nants
The ability of the yeast system to increase sequence diversity in an
iterative manner was tested by. constructing diploids from Oxa7-
Oxa11 recombinant haploids generated in a first round of meiosis
and subjecting these new diploids to a second round of meiosis.
Among the sequenced Ura+CanR and Trp+CyhR progeny of MXY64
and MXY66 pairs of appropriate recombinants with crossovers in
the same interval were selected to construct new diploids in which
the overall level of sequence homology was again 95%. Three wild
type (MXY81 MXY82 and MXY83) and three msh2 (MXY86 MXY87
and MXY88) diploids were created. Control wild type and msh2 diploids
containing only Oxa11 sequence inserts were also constructed
from appropriate recombinant progeny of MXY60 and MXY62 yielding
MXY90 and MXY92. These diploids were sporulated and spores
were plated on medium lacking uracil and containing cycloheximide
(-Ura+Cyh) and on medium lacking tryptophan and containing canavanine
(-Trp+Can) to select for second-round recombinants. As
shown in Figure 6 the frequencies of -Ura+CyhR and Trp+CanR
spore colonies observed for all of these strains is consistent with the
anti-recombination effect of the MSH2 gene. Both types of colonies
were found among progeny of the wild type homozygote MXY90 at
frequencies above 10"3 whereas these frequencies were decreased
5- to 10-fold among progeny of wild type diploids with Oxa insert
heterology (MXY81 MXY82 and MXY83). Inactivation of the MSH2
gene in diploids with diverged Oxa inserts (MXY 86 MXY 87 and
MXY 88) led to a 2 to 6-fold increase in the frequency of Ura+CyhR
and Trp+CanR spore colonies similar to the levels seen for a msh2
diploid bearing identical Oxa inserts (MXY92). Although the media
used differ from those used for selection of first-round recombinants
the frequencies at which wild type and msh2 second-round recombinants
were selected are comparable to those for first-round recombinants.
Ura+CyhR and Trp+CanR spore colonies in both the wild type
(MXY81 and MXY83) and msh2 (MXY86) backgrounds were selected
for sequencing. In all 14 wild type and 7 msh2 Oxa inserts
were sequenced. In most cases a crossover occurred in a novel interval
during second round recombination again without apparent
bias with respect to position or interval size: crossovers involving
different intervals were found throughout the Oxa ORF and they occurred
in intervals as large as 101 nt and as small as 5 nt. In one
case (a MXY83 Trp+CyhR haploid) a second round crossover occurred
in the first round crossover interval thereby restoring a full
Oxa11 sequence. Recombinants recovered from msh2 diploids were
more diverse than those recovered from wild type strains. For the
msh2 diploid MXY86 several spore colonies exhibiting extensive
PMS and sequence mosaicism were observed consistent with the
formation of long tracts of heteroduplex in the recombinational intermediate.
Furthermore some mismatches were repaired in the heteroduplex
tract again consistent with a short-patch mismatch repair
activity. In sum second-round recombination in the msh2 background
is as efficient as first-round recombination both qualitatively
with respect to generating sequence diversity (eg. crossover interval
distribution and incidence of PMS) and quantitatively with respect
to increasing the overall frequency of homeologous (5% divergence)
recombination.





WE CLAIM
1. A process for generating and detecting recombinant DNA sequences in Saccharomyces
cerevisiae comprising the steps of:
a) inserting a first DNA sequence to be recombined between first and second marker sequences located adjacently on a first cloning vehicle;
b) excising from the first cloning vehicles obtained in a) a first fragments bearing the first recombination cassette, whereby the first recombination cassette comprises the first DNA sequence flanked by the first and second marker sequences, and the first recombination cassette in turn is flanked by targeting sequences,
c) inserting a second DNA sequence to be recombined between third and fourth marker sequences located adjacently on a second cloning vehicle;
d) excising from the second cloning vehicles obtained in c) a second fragments bearing the second recombination cassette, whereby the second recombination cassette comprises the second DNA sequence flanked by the third and fourth marker sequences, and the second recombination cassette in turn is flanked by targeting sequences,
e) transforming the first and second fragments bearing the recombination cassettes with flanking targeting sequences obtained in b) and d) separately into S. cerevisiae haploid cells, whereby the targeting sequences direct the integration of the cassettes into that locus to which they are homologous, in order to obtain a first haploid cell comprising the first cassette and a second haploid cell comprising the second cassette;
f) fusing the first haploid cell bearing in a locus of its genome the first recombination cassette with the second haploid cell bearing in an allelic position the second recombination cassette in order to produce a heterozygous diploid cell;
g) inducing the sporulation of the heterozygous diploid cell obtained in f) and
h) isolating haploid cells containing recombination cassettes in which first recombined DNA sequences are flanked by at least the first and fourth marker sequences, and haploid cells containing recombination cassettes in which second recombined DNA sequences are flanked by at least the second and the third marker sequences.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step after transformation optionally comprises:

i) mating the first haploid cell bearing in a locus of its genome the first recombination
cassette with the second haploid cell bearing in an allelic position the second recombination
cassette in order to produce a heterozygous diploid cell;
ii) inducing the sporulation of the heterozygous diploid cell obtained i) and
iii) isolating haploid cells containing recombination cassettes in which first recombined DNA
sequences are flanked by at least the first and fourth marker sequences, and haploid cells
containing recombination cassettes in which second recombined DNA sequences are flanked
by at least the second and the third marker sequences.
3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step after transformation excising optionally
comprises :
i) transforming the first and second fragments bearing the recombination cassettes with flanking targeting sequences obtained in b) and d) into S. cerevisiae diploid cells, whereby the targeting sequences direct the integration of the cassettes into that locus to which they are homologous, in order to obtain diploid cells heterozygous for the first cassette, or the second cassette ;
ii)inducing the sporulation of the heterozygous diploid cells obtained in c) and iii)isolating haploid cells containing the first cassette and expressing the first and fourth marker sequences and separately haploid cells containing the second cassette and expressing the second and the third marker sequences.
4. The process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first cloning vehicle is plasmid pMXY9 and the second cloning vehicle is plasmid pMXY12.
5. The process as claimed in claim 3, wherein the diploid S. cerevisiae cells used for transformation are auxotrophic for at least two nutritional factors.
6. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the diploid cells are homozygous for the ura3-l allele and the trpl-1 allele, which render them autotrophic for uracil and tryptophan, respectively.

7. The process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the diploid cells used for transformation are resistant to at least two antibiotics.
8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the diploid cells are homozygous for the canl-100 allele and the cyh2R allele, which render them resistant to canavanine and cycloheximide, respectively.
9. The process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein* diploid cells of the S. cerevisiae strain MXY47 are used for transformation, which are homozygous for the alleles ura3-l, trpl-1, canl-100 and cyh2R and heterozygous for the msh2: :KanMXmutation.
10. The process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the S. cerevisiae cells have a functional mismatch repair system.
11. The process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the first and the second recombination cassettes are integrated in the BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome III of the S. cerevisiae genome.
12. The process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 9 and 11, wherein the first and the second DNA sequences to be recombined diverge by at least 1 nucleotide.
13. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second DNA sequences to be recombined are derived from organisms other than and including S. cerevisiae.
14. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second DNA sequences to be recombined comprise one or more non-coding sequences and/or one or more protein-coding sequences.
15. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marker sequences are selected from the group consisting of nutritional markers, pigment markers, antibiotic resistance markers, antibiotic sensitivity markers, primer recognition sites, intron/exon boundaries, sequences encoding a

particular subunit of an enzyme, promoter sequences, downstream regulated gene sequences and restriction enzyme sites.
16. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and third marker sequences are nutritional markers, the gene products of which can compensate an auxotrophy of a S. cerevisiae cell.
17. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first marker sequence is URA3, the gene product of which can confer uracil prototrophy to an uracil auxotrophic S. cerevisiae cell.
18. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third marker sequence is TRP1, the gene product of which can confer tryptophan prototrophy to an tryptophan auxotrophic S. cerevisiae cell.
19. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second and fourth marker sequences are antibiotic sensitivity markers, the gene products of which can confer sensitivity to an antibiotic to a S. cerevisiae cell which is resistant to that antibiotic.
20. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second marker sequence is CAN1, the gene product of which can confer sensitivity to canavanine to a canavanine-resistant S. cerevisiae cell.
21. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fourth marker sequence is CYH2, the gene product of which can confer sensitivity to cycloheximide to a cycloheximide-resistant S. cerevisiae cell.
22. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein haploid cells containing recombination cassettes with either first, second, third or fourth recombined DNA sequences are identified by PCR processes in order to detect the presence of the respective marker combination.

23. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein haploid cells containing recombination cassettes with either first, second, third or fourth recombined DNA sequences are identified by plating the haploid cells on media that select for the molecular linkage on the same DNA molecule of the respective marker combination.
24. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein haploid cells containing first recombined DNA sequences are plated on a medium that selects for molecular linkage on the same DNA molecule of the first and the fourth marker sequences.
25. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein haploid cells containing second recombined DNA sequences are plated on a medium that selects for molecular linkage on the same DNA molecule of the second and the third marker sequences.
26. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein haploid cells containing third recombined DNA sequences are plated on a medium that selects for molecular linkage on the same DNA molecule of the first and the second marker sequences.
27. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein haploid cells containing fourth recombined DNA sequences are plated on a medium that selects for molecular linkage on the same DNA molecule of the third and the fourth marker sequences.
28. Plasmid pMXY9 used in claim 1, deposited as DSM 17010, comprising adjacently the URA3 marker gene and the CAN1 marker gene, whereby the two marker sequences flank a polylinker sequence for inserting a DNA sequence to be recombined and whereby the two markers are flanked by targeting sequences homologous to the BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome III of the S. cerevisiae genome.
29. Plasmid pMXY9 as claimed in claim 28, wherein the polylinker sequence comprises restriction sites for the restriction enzymes Smal, Xbal, Pad and Bg111.

30. Plasmid pMXY12 used in claim 1, deposited as DSM 17011, comprising adjacently the TRPI marker gene and the CYH2 marker gene, whereby the two marker sequences flank a polylinker sequence for inserting a DNA sequence to be recombined and whereby the two markers are flanked by targeting sequences homologous to the BUD31-HCM1 locus on chromosome III of the S. cerevisiae genome.
31. Plasmid pMXY12 as claimed in claim 30, wherein the polylinker sequence comprises restriction sites for the restriction enzymes Smal, Spel and Pacl.

32. S. cerevisiae strain MXY47 as used in claim 1, deposited as DSM 17026, wherein diploid cells thereof are homozygous for the alleles ura3-l, trpl-1, canl-100 and cyh2R and heterozygous for the msh2::KanMXmutation.
33. E. coli strain JM101, containing plasmid pMXY9 as claimed in claim 28.
34. E. coli strain DH5a, containing plasmid pMXY12 as claimed in claim 30.

Documents:

4057-DELNP-2006-Abstract-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-abstract.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Claims-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Claims-(31-05-2011).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-claims.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Correspondence Others-(31-05-2011).pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Correspondence-Others(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Correspondence-Others-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-correspondence-others.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Description (Complete)-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-description (complete).pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Drawings-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-drawings.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Form-1-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-form-1.pdf

4057-delnp-2006-form-18.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Form-2-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-form-2.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Form-3-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-form-3.pdf

4057-delnp-2006-form-5.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-GPA-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-gpa.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Others-Documents-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-pct-210.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-PCT-237-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-delnp-2006-pct-237.pdf

4057-delnp-2006-pct-304.pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-PCT-373-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Petition-137-(11-06-2009).pdf

4057-DELNP-2006-Petition-138-(11-06-2009).pdf


Patent Number 250960
Indian Patent Application Number 4057/DELNP/2006
PG Journal Number 07/2012
Publication Date 17-Feb-2012
Grant Date 13-Feb-2012
Date of Filing 14-Jul-2006
Name of Patentee MIXIS FRANCE S.A.
Applicant Address 166, BOULEVARD DU MONTPARNASSE, F-75014 PARIS, FRANCE.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 KATHLEEN SMITH 1, AVE DE LA PORTE BRANCION, F-75015 PARIS, FRANCE
2 RHONA BORTS RODHILL BARN, MAIN STREET, TILTON ON THE HILL, LEICESTER LE7 9LN, ENGLAND.
PCT International Classification Number C12N 15/81
PCT International Application Number PCT/EP05/000841
PCT International Filing date 2005-01-28
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 04360008.9 2004-01-30 EUROPEAN UNION