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Method Article
A strategy for generating mutations in histone genes at their endogenous location in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is presented.
We describe a PCR- and homologous recombination-based system for generating targeted mutations in histone genes in budding yeast cells. The resulting mutant alleles reside at their endogenous genomic sites and no exogenous DNA sequences are left in the genome following the procedure. Since in haploid yeast cells each of the four core histone proteins is encoded by two non-allelic genes with highly homologous open reading frames (ORFs), targeting mutagenesis specifically to one of two genes encoding a particular histone protein can be problematic. The strategy we describe here bypasses this problem by utilizing sequences outside, rather than within, the ORF of the target genes for the homologous recombination step. Another feature of this system is that the regions of DNA driving the homologous recombination steps can be made to be very extensive, thus increasing the likelihood of successful integration events. These features make this strategy particularly well-suited for histone gene mutagenesis, but can also be adapted for mutagenesis of other genes in the yeast genome.
The four core histone proteins H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 play central roles in the compaction, organization, and function of eukaryotic chromosomes. Two sets of each of these histones form the histone octamer, a molecular spool that directs the wrapping of ~147 base pairs of DNA around itself, ultimately resulting in the formation of a nucleosome1. Nucleosomes are active participants in a variety of chromosome-based processes, such as the regulation of gene transcription and the formation of euchromatin and heterochromatin across chromosomes, and as such have been the focus of intense research over the course of the past several decades. A number of mechanisms have been described by which nucleosomes can be manipulated in ways that can facilitate execution of specific processes – these mechanisms include posttranslational modification of histone residues, ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling, and ATP-independent nucleosome reorganization and assembly/disassembly2,3.
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a particularly powerful model organism for the understanding of histone function in eukaryotes. This can be largely attributed to the high degree of evolutionary conservation of the histone proteins throughout the domain eukarya and the amenability of yeast to a variety of genetic and biochemical experimental approaches4. Reverse-genetic approaches in yeast have been widely used to study the effects of specific histone mutations on various aspects of chromatin biology. For these types of experiments it is often preferable to use cells in which the mutant histones are expressed from their native genomic loci, as expression from autonomous plasmids can lead to abnormal intracellular levels of histone proteins (due to varying numbers of plasmids in cells) and concomitant alteration of chromatin environments, which can ultimately confound the interpretation of results.
Here, we describe a PCR-based technique that allows for targeted mutagenesis of histone genes at their native genomic locations that does not require a cloning step and results in the generation of the desired mutation(s) without leftover exogenous DNA sequences in the genome. This technique takes advantage of the efficient homologous recombination system in yeast and has several features in common with other similar techniques developed by other groups - most notably the Delitto Perfetto, site-specific genomic (SSG) mutagenesis, and cloning-free PCR-based allele replacement methods5,6,7. However, the technique we describe has an aspect that makes it particularly well-suited for mutagenesis of histone genes. In haploid yeast cells, each of the four core histones is encoded by two non-allelic and highly homologous genes: for example, histone H3 is encoded by the HHT1 and HHT2 genes, and the open reading frames (ORFs) of the two genes are over 90% identical in sequence. This high degree of homology can complicate experiments designed to specifically target one of the two histone-encoding genes for mutagenesis. Whereas the aforementioned methods often require the use of at least some sequences within the ORF of the target gene to drive homologous recombination, the technique we describe here makes use of sequences flanking the ORFs of the histone genes (which share much less sequence homology) for the recombination step, thus increasing the likelihood of successful targeting of mutagenesis to the desired locus. Moreover, the homologous regions that drive recombination can be very extensive, further contributing to efficient targeted homologous recombination.
NOTE: The experimental strategy for targeted in situ histone gene mutagenesis includes several steps (summarized in Figure 1). These steps include: (1) Replacement of the target histone gene with the URA3 gene, (2) Generation and purification of PCR products corresponding to two partially overlapping fragments of the target histone gene using primers harboring the desired mutation(s), (3) Fusion PCR of the two partially overlapping fragments to obtain full size PCR products for integration, (4) Co-transformation of full size PCR products and backbone plasmid, and selection for marker on plasmid, (5) Screen for 5-FOA-resistant transformants, (6) Purification of 5-FOA-resistant colonies and loss of backbone plasmid, and (7) Molecular analyses to assay for proper integration of the mutant allele.
Figure 1: Overview of the Strategy for Targeted in situ Mutagenesis of Histone Genes in Budding Yeast. In this example the targeted gene is HHT2, but any other core histone gene can also be mutagenized using this strategy. (A) Haploid yeast cells harbor two histone H3-encoding genes (HHT1 and HHT2) and two histone H4-encoding genes (HHF1 and HHF2) arranged as shown in the figure (the HHT1 and HHF1 genes are located on chromosome II and the HHT2 and HHF2 genes are located on chromosome XIV - in each case, the arrows point in the direction of transcription). In the first step of the procedure, the ORF of the HHT2 gene is replaced with the URA3 gene, giving rise to an hht2Δ::URA3 strain. (B) In part 1, a wild-type copy of the HHT2 gene from a genomic DNA sample is used as template for two PCR reactions to generate the two partially overlapping fragments of the gene. The reverse primer for the first reaction includes one or more mismatched nucleotides (indicated with a red circle) that correspond to the desired mutation(s) to be introduced into the genome. The forward primer for the second reaction has the equivalent mismatch in a reverse complementary configuration (also indicated with a red circle). The two PCR products generated in part 1 (products a and b) are then used as templates for fusion PCR using two primers that anneal to products a and b in the fashion shown in part 2. This results in the generation of full-size PCR products (product c in part 3) harboring the desired mutation(s). (C) The hht2Δ::URA3 strain is then co-transformed with the full-size PCR products and a backbone plasmid (a HIS3-marked plasmid in this example), and cells are selected for the presence of the plasmid (on media lacking histidine in this example). Transformants are then screened for 5-FOA resistance - resistant cells are candidates for having undergone a homologous recombination event leading to integration of the PCR product and excision of the URA3 gene, as shown. Subsequent loss of the backbone plasmid by mitotic cell division leads to the final desired histone mutant strain. We have found that selection of the backbone plasmid followed by screening for 5-FOA resistance results in a much higher frequency of identification of correct integration events compared to direct selection on 5-FOA plates, which mostly identifies cells that have acquired spontaneous URA3 mutations. (This figure has been modified from reference14). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
1. Replacement of the Target Histone Gene with the URA3 Gene
2. Generation and Purification of PCR Products Corresponding to Two Partially Overlapping Fragments of the Target Histone Gene using Primers Harboring the Desired Mutation(s)
3. Fusion PCR of the Two Partially Overlapping Fragments to Obtain Full Size PCR Products for Integration
4. Co-transformation of Full Size PCR Products and Backbone Plasmid, and Selection for Marker on Plasmid
5. Screen for 5-FOA-resistant Transformants
6. Purification of 5-FOA-resistant Colonies and Loss of Backbone Plasmid
7. Molecular Analyses to Assay for Proper Integration of the Mutant Allele
We describe the generation of an hht2 allele expressing a histone H3 mutant protein harboring a substitution at position 53 from an arginine to a glutamic acid (H3-R53E mutant) as a representative example of the targeted in situ mutagenesis strategy.
We generated a strain in which the entire ORF of HHT2 is replaced by the URA3 gene (see step 1 of the protocol). This strain, yAAD156, also harbo...
The high level of sequence homology between the two non-allelic genes that code for each of the four core histone proteins in haploid S. cerevisiae cells can represent a challenge for investigators who wish to specifically target one of the two genes for mutagenesis. Previously described yeast mutagenesis methodologies, including the Delitto Perfetto, site-specific genomic (SSG) mutagenesis, and cloning-free PCR-based allele replacement methods5,6
The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.
We thank Reine Protacio for helpful comments during the preparation of this manuscript. We express our gratitude to the National Science Foundation (grants nos. 1243680 and 1613754) and the Hendrix College Odyssey Program for funding support.
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
1 kb DNA Ladder (DNA standards) | New England BioLabs | N3232L | |
Agarose | Sigma | A5093-100G | |
Boric Acid | Sigma | B0394-500G | |
dNTP mix (10 mM each) | ThermoFisher Scientific | R0192 | |
EDTA solution (0.5 M, pH 8.0) | AmericanBio | AB00502-01000 | |
Ethanol (200 Proof) | Fisher Scientific | 16-100-824 | |
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt dihydrate (EDTA) | Sigma | E4884-500G | |
Lithium acetate dihydrate | Sigma | L6883-250G | |
MyCycler Thermal Cycler | BioRad | 170-9703 | |
Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) | Sigma | P3640-1KG | |
PrimeSTAR HS DNA Polymerase (high fidelity DNA polymerase) and 5x buffer | Fisher Scientific | 50-443-960 | |
Salmon sperm DNA solution | ThermoFisher Scientific | 15632-011 | |
Sigma 7-9 (Tris base, powder form) | Sigma | T1378-1KG | |
Sodium acetate trihydrate | Sigma | 236500-500G | |
Supra Sieve GPG Agarose (low metling temperature agarose) | AmericanBio | AB00985-00100 | |
Taq Polymerase and 10x Buffer | New England BioLabs | M0273X | |
Toothpicks | Fisher Scientific | S67859 | |
Tris-HCl (1 M, pH 8.0) | AmericanBio | AB14043-01000 | |
a-D(+)-Glucose | Fisher Scientific | AC170080025 | for yeast media |
Agar | Fisher Scientific | DF0140-01-0 | for yeast media |
Peptone | Fisher Scientific | DF0118-07-2 | for YPD medium |
Yeast Extract | Fisher Scientific | DF0127-17-9 | for YPD medium |
4-aminobenzoic acid | Sigma | A9878-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
Adenine | Sigma | A8626-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
Glycine hydrochloride | Sigma | G2879-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Alanine | Sigma | A7627-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Arginine monohydrochloride | Sigma | A5131-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Asparagine monohydrate | Sigma | A8381-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Aspartic acid sodium salt monohydrate | Sigma | A6683-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Cysteine hydrochloride monohydrate | Sigma | C7880-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Glutamic acid hydrochloride | Sigma | G2128-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Glutamine | Sigma | G3126-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Histidine monohydrochloride monohydrate | Sigma | H8125-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Isoleucine | Sigma | I2752-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Leucine | Sigma | L8000-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Lysine monohydrochloride | Sigma | L5626-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Methionine | Sigma | M9625-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Phenylalanine | Sigma | P2126-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Proline | Sigma | P0380-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Serine | Sigma | S4500-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Threonine | Sigma | T8625-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Tryptophan | Sigma | T0254-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Tyrosine | Sigma | T3754-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
L-Valine | Sigma | V0500-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
myo-Inositol | Sigma | I5125-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
Uracil | Sigma | U0750-100G | for complete minimal dropout medium |
Ammonium Sulfate | Fisher Scientific | A702-500 | for complete minimal dropout medium |
Yeast Nitrogen Base | Fisher Scientific | DF0919-07-3 | for complete minimal dropout medium |
5-Fluoroorotic acid (5-FOA) | AmericanBio | AB04067-00005 | for 5-FOA medium |
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