We describe here a new variant of transposon Tn10 especially adapted for transposon analysis of cloned yeast genes; it can equally well be used for analysis of prokaryotic genes. We have applied this element to analysis of the LEU2, RAD50, and CDC48 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This transposon, nicknamed mini-Tn10-LUK, contains a lacZ gene without efficient transcription or translation st...

DNA synthesis is considered a defining feature in the movement of transposable elements. In determining the mechanism of piggyBac transposition, an insect transposon that is being increasingly used for genome manipulation in a variety of systems including mammalian cells, we have found that DNA synthesis can be avoided during piggyBac transposition, both at the donor site following transposon e...

A number of different strategies have been used to identify genes for which genetic variation contributes to type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis. Genetic studies in humans have identified >40 loci that affect the risk for developing T1D, but the underlying causative alleles are often difficult to pinpoint or have subtle biological effects. A complementary strategy to identifying "natural" allele...

Transcription factors direct gene expression, so there is much interest in mapping their genome-wide binding locations. Current methods do not allow for the multiplexed analysis of TF binding, and this limits their throughput. We describe a novel method for determining the genomic target genes of multiple transcription factors simultaneously. DNA-binding proteins are endowed with the ability to...

Rhizobia are nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria that establish endosymbiosis with some leguminous plants. The completion of several rhizobial genome sequences provides opportunities for genome-wide functional studies of the physiological roles of many rhizobial genes. In order to carry out genome-wide phenotypic screenings, we have constructed a large mutant library of the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic ...

Retroviral and transposon-based mutagenesis screens in mice have been useful for identifying candidate cancer genes for some tumor types. However, many of the organs that exhibit the highest cancer rates in humans, including the prostate, have not previously been amenable to these approaches. This study shows for the first time that the Sleeping Beauty transposon system can be used to identify ...

Capreomycin, an important drug for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, is a macrocyclic peptide antibiotic produced by Saccharothrix mutabolis subspecies capreolus. The basis of resistance to this drug was investigated by isolating and characterizing capreomycin-resistant strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Colonies resistant to capreomycin were rec...

The Bacteroides mobilizable transposon Tn4555 is a 12.2-kb molecule that encodes resistance to cefoxitin. Conjugal transposition is hypothesized to occur via a circular intermediate and is stimulated by coresident tetracycline resistance elements and low levels of tetracycline. In this work, the ends of the transposon were identified and found to consist of 12-bp imperfect inverted repeats, wit...

We have developed a self-inactivating PiggyBac transposon system for tamoxifen inducible insertional mutagenesis from a stably integrated chromosomal donor. This system, which we have named 'Slingshot', utilizes a transposon carrying elements for both gain- and loss-of-function screens in vitro. We show that the Slingshot transposon can be efficiently mobilized from a range of chromosomal loci ...