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Biomedical subjects

A Carsana

Publications and source records attributed to A Carsana.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Protein-DNA interactions in the 5'-flanking region of the bovine pancreatic ribonuclease gene.

In the 5'-flanking region of the bovine pancreatic ribonuclease gene a sequence has been identified which specifically binds one or more factors present in nuclear protein extracts prepared from bovine pancreas. The binding site, as delineated by footprinting analysis, is located in a region extending from positions -113 to -146 relative to the transcription initiation site of the ribonuclease gene. This region contains consensus sequences for known control transcriptional elements. The observed pattern of protein-DNA interactions is likely to be pancreas-specific as it could not be detected with nuclear extracts prepared from HeLa or bovine aorta endothelium cells.

Animals

A pancreatic-like ribonuclease is synthesized in rat brain.

The distribution and cell localization of a pancreatic-like ribonuclease (RNAase) in the rat brain has been studied by RNA blot analysis and in situ hybridization using as a probe the cDNA coding for the rat pancreas RNAase, and by immunocytochemistry using an antiserum raised against the rat pancreas RNAase. RNA blot analysis and in situ hybridization experiments have shown that the RNAase mRNA is present in all the cerebral areas investigated and that neurons appeared to be actively expressing RNAase mRNA while glial cells were devoid of hybridization signals. In agreement with these results the immunocytochemical analysis has shown that neurons are specifically immunostained. These experiments demonstrate that a pancreatic-like ribonuclease is synthesized in the neurons of the rat brain.

Animals

Molecular cloning of the gene encoding the bovine brain ribonuclease and its expression in different regions of the brain.

In this paper we report the molecular cloning of the gene encoding the bovine brain ribonuclease. The nucleotide sequence determined in this work shows a high degree of identity to the homologous gene encoding the bovine pancreatic ribonuclease. Processing of the primary transcripts of these genes also follows a similar pathway, splicing of the unique intron in the 5' untranslated region occurs at corresponding positions. Expression of the bovine brain ribonuclease gene can be detected both at the transcriptional and translational levels in all the regions of the brain examined.

Amino Acid Sequence

Structure of the bovine pancreatic ribonuclease gene: the unique intervening sequence in the 5' untranslated region contains a promoter-like element.

Although pancreatic ribonucleases are extensively studied proteins, little information is available on nucleic acids coding for these enzymes. Here, for the first time, the structure of a gene coding for such an enzyme, the well known bovine pancreatic ribonuclease, is reported. The coding region of this gene is devoid of introns, whereas the 5' untranslated sequence of the pancreatic transcript contains an intron of 735 nucleotides. This intervening sequence is endowed with signals (CAAT and TATA boxes) which might act as regulatory elements. The structural organization of this gene suggests that the sequence coding for the bovine pancreatic ribonuclease might be expressed under the control of two different promoters.

Amino Acid Sequence

Expression of opioid genes in bovine seminal vesicles.

In seminal vesicles, the organ producing most of seminal plasma in the bovine species, the pro-opiomelanocortin and the proenkephalin genes are transcribed and translated, and their translation products processed into opioid peptides, which are secreted into the seminal plasma. By using a micro-organ preparation of seminal vesicles we found that, after 20 h of incubation with labelled methionine, a multiplicity of opioids was produced. Among these, [Met]enkephalin and beta-endorphin were positively identified, whereas in the newly formed secretion only [Met]enkephalin was detected. This may be correlated to the finding that the concentration of beta-endorphin in an extract of seminal plasma was one order of magnitude lower than that of [Leu]enkephalin and [Met]enkephalin. These findings expand the picture of the presence of opioid peptides in the male reproductive tract, indicating that they should have a role(s) in the physiology of reproduction, not only in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, determining the reproductive potential, but also in the so-termed sex accessory glands, determining the actual events leading to reproduction. To our knowledge this is also the first case studied of opioid peptides produced as exocrine hormones.

Animals

Molecular evolution of pancreatic-type ribonucleases.

Amino acid sequences of 39 mammalian ribonucleases have been used to construct trees by the maximum parsimony procedure. These trees are in fairly good agreement with the biological classification of the species involved. In the branching order of the six investigated eutherian mammalian orders, the edentates diverge first, followed, probably, by the primates. No definite conclusions can be drawn about the order of divergence of the perissodactyls, the rodents, and the group consisting of artiodactyls plus cetaceans. Nucleic acid sequences of part of the messenger RNAs of rat pancreatic and bovine seminal ribonuclease were compared. Both messengers have a second stop codon at position 129, which is in agreement with the addition of four residues at the C-terminus in several other ribonucleases. Turtle pancreatic ribonuclease and human angiogenin differ from each other and from the mammalian ribonucleases at 55%-70% of the amino acid positions; they share a number of structural features. Mammalian nonsecretory ribonucleases are homologous to the pancreatic ribonucleases in sequence regions where the active-site histidine residues are located.

Amino Acid Sequence

Sequence analysis of a cloned cDNA coding for bovine seminal ribonuclease.

The sequence of a cloned cDNA coding for bovine seminal ribonuclease, an enzyme secreted in the bull seminal vesicles, was determined. The cDNA starts at the amino acid residue 47 and terminates 12 nucleotides beyond the consensus sequence AAUAAA in the 3' non-coding region of the mRNA. Northern blotting analysis shows that the mRNA for bovine seminal ribonuclease consists of about 950 nucleotides, a value that is similar to that of other mRNAs coding for ribonucleases of the pancreatic type.

Amino Acid Sequence

In vitro synthesis of pig pancreas ribonuclease.

From studies on the in vitro synthesis of the heavily glycosylated pig pancreas ribonuclease (molecular weight of the protein moiety is 13 786, on the basis of the amino acid composition), the following points emerge: (1) the enzyme is synthesized as a precursor having an apparent molecular weight about 7000 higher than that of the mature non-glycosylated protein; (2) the mRNA coding for the enzyme protein consists of about 950 nucleotides.

Animals

Influence of protein net charge on the nucleic acid helix-destabilizing activity of various pancreatic ribonucleases.

Helix-destabilization of double-stranded poly[d(A-T)]induced by various homologous pancreatic ribonucleases which differ in their net charges has been studied under different ionic strength conditions. The response of the destabilizing activity of the various proteins to ionic strength is represented by bell-shaped curves, whose maxima are shifted to higher ionic strength values the higher the number of positive charges of the RNAase involved in the nucleic acid-protein complex. This observation is discussed, and a model proposed, that could explain the experimental results presented.

Animals

Nucleic acid-protein interactions. Degradation of double-stranded RNA by glycosylated ribonucleases.

1. Extensively glycosylated ribonucleases, like the enzymes from pig and horse pancreas, show a much higher activity on double-stranded RNAs than similarly charged, carbohydrate-free RNAases under stranded assay conditions (relatively high salt concentrations). Glycosylated pig and horse pancreas RNAases also show a larger destabilizing effect on double-stranded poly[d(A-T)] X poly[d(A-T)], than that displayed by bovine RNAase A under these conditions. Both activities show a similar dependence on the ionic strength of the medium. 2. A partial enzymic removal of the heterosaccharide side chains from pig and horse RNAases reduces but their degradative activity on double-stranded RNA and their destabilizing action on poly[d(A-T)] X poly[d(A-T)]. 3. These results are tentatively correlated with a modification of the microenvironment of the enzyme protein caused by its extensive glycosylation.

Animals

Ionic control of enzymic degradation of double-stranded RNA.

The pattern of the degradation of various double-stranded polyribonucleotides by several ribonucleases (bovine RNAase A and its cross-linked dimer, bovine seminal RNAase, and pike-whale pancreatic RNAase) has been studied as a function of ionic strength and pH. It appears that (1) there is no direct correlation between the secondary structure of double-stranded RNA and its resistance against enzymatic breakdown, i.e., the stability of the secondary structure of double-helical RNA is not the main variable in the process. (2) The acstivity responses of the enzymes examined to changes of ionic strength and pH suggest that enzymic degradation of double-stranded RNA is mainly controlled by ion concentration, and that the process may fall within the phenomena interpreted by the theory of the ionic control of biochemical reactions advanced by Douzou and Maurel (Douzou, P. and Maurel, P. (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 1013--1015). (3) The activity curves of the enzyme studied show, at a given pH, a shift toward higher ionic strengths as a function of the basicity of the enzyme protein. This finding explains the already observed correlation between number and/or density of positive charges of a ribonuclease molecule and its ability to attack double-stranded RNA in 0.15 M sodium chloride/0.015 M sodium citrate (SSC). (4) A careful analysis of the influence of ionic strength and pH on the reaction appears to be necessary in order to characterize a ribonuclease which shows activity towards double-stranded RNAs, and to allow a meaningful comparison between different enzymes capable of attacking these substrates.

Endonucleases

Double-stranded RNA.

High molecular weight, fully double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has been recognized as the genetic material of many plant, animal, fungal, and bacterial viruses (Diplornaviruses): virusspecific dsRNA is also found in cells infected with single-stranded RNA viruses. DsRNA has identified in a variety of apparently normal eucaryotic cells and is associated with the "killer" character of certain strains of Saccaromyces cerevisiae.

Animals

[DNA-protein interactions. Destabilizing activity of sheep pancreatic RNAase].

Evidence is presented that ovine pancreatic ribonuclease, a protein strictly homologous to bovine RNAase A but with one positive charge less, has a definite 'destabilizing' activity (quite similar to that of the bovine enzyme) on double-stranded DNA. This action of sheep pancreas RNAase has been measured by differential spectrophotometry and determining the thermal-transition profiles of the protein-DNA complexes.

Animals

Proteins with preferential affinity for single-stranded DNA in tissues of Octopus vulgaris lam.

An investigation was carried out to search for proteins with preferential affinity for single-stranded DNA in nuclei of testicles, white bodies and optic lobes of Octopus Vulgaris Lam, as examples of organs characterized by high meiotic, high mitotic, and no or low mitotic activity, respectively. The results obtained are the following. Single strand binding proteins are present in testicles nuclei and, in much lower amount, in white bodies nuclei. Testicles cells have at least three protein species with affinity for single-stranded DNA, which, on the basis of elution characteristics and electrophoretic mobility, appear to be specific of testicle tissue. No single strand binding proteins could be found in Octopus optic lobes nuclei.

Animals