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D M Burns

Publications and source records attributed to D M Burns.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Altered localisation of the precursor of a secreted protein in E. coli by a carboxyl-deletion.

The effect on protein localisation of a carboxy-terminal deletion of periplasmic UDP-glucose hydrolase (5'-nucleotidase) has been determined in vivo using immunoprecipitation. The processed form of the truncated protein was found in the periplasm; however, in contrast to the situation with the normal protein, the preprotein form of the truncated protein was also found in the periplasm. This result confirms previous semi-in vitro data and supports the suggestion that a conformational change in a membrane-bound intermediate is a normal part of the secretory pathway.

5'-Nucleotidase↗
PubMed1986

Identification and sequence analysis of a silent gene (ushA0) in Salmonella typhimurium.

The evolution of new or improved enzyme specificities in prokaryotes has been proposed to involve gene duplication, followed by silencing of one of the duplicates at the transcriptional or translational level. Such "silent gene intermediates" are distinct from "cryptic" genes, which are proposed to have a different role in evolution. We describe the identification in Salmonella typhimurium of a silent gene (ushA0) using the active (homologous) ushA gene (encoding UDP-sugar hydrolase) from Escherichia coli as a probe. The ushA0 gene has been cloned and, in the multicopy state, very weak expression can be detected; the gene product was shown to be immunologically and functionally related to the enzyme from E. coli. The sequence of the ushA0 gene was found to be highly homologous to the previously determined sequence of the ushA gene, and the respective promoter and ribosomal-binding sites are also very similar. However, a presumed strong rho-independent terminator in the ushA gene is absent from ushA0; although a weak stem-and-loop structure is present in the 3' region of ushA0, its structure is atypical of rho-independent terminators. The sequence analysis also revealed an insertion-sequence like sequence at the 3' end of ushA0 with a convergent open reading frame terminating 116 base-pairs from the ushA0 stop codon. A deletion of the 5' region of the open reading frame results in increased expression of ushA0, indicating that convergent transcription plays some role in the silencing of ushA0. S. typhimurium contains a UDP-sugar hydrolase, biochemically and genetically distinct from that in E. coli, encoded by the ushB gene. Our results indicate that ushB is not strongly sequence-related to ushA0, and its gene product is not immunologically related to the ushA gene product. ushB is hence a functional duplicate of ushA and provides a rationale for the silencing of ushA0. This situation, and the DNA sequence comparison of ushA and ushA0, strongly suggests that rather than being a cryptic gene, ushA0 has been silenced recently during the evolution of S. typhimurium.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Nucleotide sequence and transcriptional analysis of the E. coli ushA gene, encoding periplasmic UDP-sugar hydrolase (5'-nucleotidase): regulation of the ushA gene, and the signal sequence of its encoded protein product.

The DNA sequence of the ushA gene, encoding UDP-sugar hydrolase (5'-nucleotidase), has been determined. The amino-terminal sequence encodes a signal peptide whose predicted processing site is confirmed by N-terminal amino acid analysis of purified mature UshA protein. The signal sequence contains a concentration of rare codons in comparison with the mature sequence. The origins of transcription from the ushA promoter have been determined, using primer extension. Three transcripts, originating within a 6 bp region, were identified and might be related to three overlapping potential -10 hexamers in the ushA promoter region. There was a discernable change in the relative proportion of these transcripts during growth-phase regulation of the ushA gene.

5'-Nucleotidase↗
PubMed1986

Selection of a rat glutamine synthetase cDNA clone.

We have selected a glutamine synthetase clone (pGSRK-1) from a rat kidney cDNA library. A partial restriction map has been constructed for the 1.65 kilobase pair (kbp) glutamine synthetase cDNA. Northern hybridization analysis indicates that 1) GS-specific RNA increases many-fold during adipocyte differentiation and 2) dexamethasone increases and insulin decreases GS-specific RNA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1986

Glutamine synthetase mRNA in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Complexity, content and hormonal regulation.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) activity increases more than 100-fold during adipocyte differentiation of cultured 3T3-L1 cells. We now find that Northern hybridization analysis of RNA from 3T3-L1 adipocytes with a rat GS cDNA clone (pGSRK-1) yields two hybridizable GS RNAs of length 3.2 and 1.6 kilobases (kb). Densitometric analyses of autoradiographs of the Northern blots probed with pGSRK-1 indicate that the 3.2 kb GS-specific RNA is at least 4- to 5-fold more abundant than the 1.6 kb GS RNA. Analyses of both total and poly(A+)RNA from 3T3-L1 adipocytes yielded similar results. (It is noteworthy that an mRNA of 1.2 kb would be sufficient to encode the 42 500 Da GS subunit.) Quantitative dot-blot hybridization analysis indicates that dexamethasone increases GS mRNA while both insulin and dibutyryl cAMP decrease GS mRNA and/or prevent the dexamethasone-mediated increase. Our data suggest that there are at least two GS mRNAs in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and that they are regulated in parallel by dexamethasone, insulin and dibutyryl cAMP.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1986

Isolation and sequence analysis of the gene (cpdB) encoding periplasmic 2',3'-cyclic phosphodiesterase.

The cpdB gene encodes a periplasmic 2',3'-cyclic phosphodiesterase (3'-nucleotidase). This enzyme has been purified previously and the gene is located at 96 min on the Escherichia coli chromosome. In this study the cpdB gene was cloned from ClaI-cleaved DNA, and the gene product was identified. DNA blotting experiments showed that the recombinant plasmid contains a deletion with respect to the expected genomic fragment of approximately 4 kilobases, which extends into the vector. Furthermore, the gene was absent from three other recombinant libraries. Together, these findings suggest the presence in the genome of an adjacent gene whose product is lethal when it is present on a multicopy plasmid. The nucleotide sequence of the cpdB gene was also determined. The 5' and 3' untranslated sequences contain characteristic sequences that are involved in the initiation and termination of transcription, including two possible promoters, one of which may contain two overlapping -10 sequences. A strong Shine-Dalgarno sequence is followed by an open reading frame which corresponds to a protein having a molecular weight of 70,954. The first 19 amino acid residues have the characteristics of a signal peptide. The 3' untranslated sequence contains two putative rho-independent transcription terminators having low thermodynamic stability.

2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases↗
PubMed1986

L-asparaginase genes in Escherichia coli: isolation of mutants and characterization of the ansA gene and its protein product.

Mutants of Escherichia coli have been isolated which are resistant to beta-aspartyl hydroxamate, a lethal substrate of asparaginase II in fungi and a substrate for asparaginase II in E. coli. Among the many phenotypic classes observed, a single mutant (designated GU16) was found with multiple defects affecting asparaginases I and II and aspartase. Other asparaginase II-deficient mutants have also been derived from an asparaginase I-deficient mutant. The mutant strain, GU16, was unable to utilize asparagine and grew poorly on aspartate as the sole source of carbon; transformation of this strain with an E. coli recombinant plasmid library resulted in a large recombinant plasmid which complemented both these defects. Two subclones were isolated, designated pDK1 and pDK2; the former complemented the partial defect in the utilization of aspartate, although its exact function was not established. pDK2 encoded the asparaginase I gene (ansA), the coding region of which was further defined within a 1.7-kilobase fragment. The ansA gene specified a polypeptide, identified in maxicells, with a molecular weight of 43,000. Strains carrying recombinant plasmids encoding the ansA gene overproduced asparaginase I approximately 130-fold, suggesting that the ansA gene might normally be under negative regulation. Extracts from strains overproducing asparaginase I were electrophoresed, blotted, and probed with asparaginase II-specific antisera; no cross-reaction of the antisera with asparaginase I was observed, indicating that asparaginases I and II are not appreciably related immunologically. When a DNA fragment containing the ansA gene was used to probe Southern blots of restriction endonuclease-digested E. coli chromosomal DNA, no homologous sequences were revealed other than the expected ansA-containing fragments. Therefore, the genes encoding asparaginases I and II are highly sequence related.

Asparaginase↗
PubMed1985

Rare codons in E. coli and S. typhimurium signal sequences.

Codon usage has been examined in the signal sequences of 27 genes encoding proteins which possess leader peptides, and are inner-membrane located or exported. The results have been compared with codon usage in the corresponding coding sequences of most of the mature proteins. A bias is observed in the usage of rare codons for two of the three hydrophobic amino acids for which there are rare codons. Since hydrophobic residues are predominant in leader peptides, we suggest that a resulting concentration of rare codons in the signal sequence may play a role (or have played a role in the evolutionary past) in the secretion process by delaying translation.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Identification of procalcitonin in a rat medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line.

As a first step in studying the biosynthesis of the peptide hormone calcitonin, we have identified procalcitonin species in CA-77 cells, a newly developed rat medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line. mRNA extracted from the cells directed the synthesis of a putative procalcitonin in a reticulocyte lysate translation system containing microsomal membranes. Both this species and a radiolabeled form of immunoreactive calcitonin from intact cells had the same retention time during reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. The putative cellular procalcitonin was also immunoprecipitated by antiserum to a synthetic peptide whose sequence constitutes the COOH-terminal 16 residues of preprocalcitonin. The polypeptide had a Mr = 13,400, as estimated by gel filtration chromatography under denaturing conditions. Microsequencing of the [35S]methionine-labeled polypeptide indicated that residues 13, 32, and 34 of procalcitonin were methionine. Similar analysis of the peptide labeled with [3H]proline indicated that residues 2 and 11 of the precursor were proline. The positions of methionine and proline could be aligned in a unique manner with the NH2-terminal half of the preprocalcitonin sequence inferred from cDNA analyses. These results indicate that procalcitonin consists of 111 amino acids and suggest that a 25-residue signal sequence is cotranslationally cleaved from preprocalcitonin. From the procalcitonin sequence we can now predict the sequence of likely biosynthetic intermediates and mature secretory products derived from the NH2-terminal as well as COOH-terminal regions of the precursor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Positive selection vectors: a small plasmid vector useful for the direct selection of Sau3A-generated overlapping DNA fragments.

A positive selection plasmid vector ( pLA7 ), containing a unique BclI site, and its use in the facile selection of a library of overlapping DNA fragments, generated by a partial digest with Sau3A, is described. Selection depends on the 5-fluorouracil + 5' AMP resistance of upp- ush - [ pLA7ush ::cloned DNA] cells, whereas upp- ush - [ pLA7ush +] cells are sensitive under the same conditions.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1983

Prevalence of a non-A, non-B-associated antigen/antibody system detected by radioimmunoassay in acute and chronic liver disease.

An antigen/antibody system associated with one form of parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis has been identified by solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA). The antigen is found in 3% of normal subjects and in increased frequency in patients with haemophilia, renal homograft recipients, homosexual men, prostitutes, drug addicts, and patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The antigen was found in normal frequency in patients with acute hepatitis A and B, sporadic NANB hepatitis (nondrug addicts), autoimmune and alcohol-induced chronic liver disease, and primary biliary cirrhosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Characterization of the ush gene of Escherichia coli and its protein products.

The Escherichia coli ush gene has been subcloned and the coding sequence delineated using BAL31 nuclease digestion. Synthesis of proteins encoded by the ush gene have been examined in "maxicells"; two proteins are made, one of which corresponds in Mr (61000) to purified uridine diphosphoglucose hydrolase and the other, less abundant, has an Mr of 43 000. A deletion at the 3' end of the gene introduced by restriction endonuclease digestion, results in the synthesis of a truncated protein of the expected Mr of about 43 000. Precursors of all these proteins are observed in maxicells under conditions known to inhibit processing of secreted proteins. Whereas the precursor of the major ush-encoded protein is retained in the cytoplasm-plus-membrane fraction, unexpectedly the precursor of the truncated protein is secreted. The mature forms of both the normal and truncated proteins are secreted.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1982

Purification and characterization of glucosidase II, an endoplasmic reticulum hydrolase involved in glycoprotein biosynthesis.

Rat liver glucosidase II, an endoplasmic reticulum hydrolase involved in the biosynthesis of the N-linked class of glycoproteins, has been purified in good yield to a state approaching homogeneity. The purified enzyme hydrolyzes p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, maltose, and the precursor oligosaccharides glucose1-2mannose9N-acetylglucosamine, but it does not act on glucose3mannose9N-acetylglucosamine or p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside. The ratio of the rate at which glucose is released from p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside to that from glucose2mannose9N-acetylglucosamine or glucose1mannose9N-acetylglucosamine remains constant throughout the 8-step purification procedure; thus it appears that a single enzyme is responsible for the activities toward both the artificial and oligosaccharide substrates. The fact that the enzyme cleaves both of the inner 1,3-linked glucosyl residues from the precursor oligosaccharides supports the view that they are linked in the alpha-configuration. The pH dependence of enzymatic activity is quite similar for different substrates, showing a broad optimum between pH 6 and 7.5. Activity toward p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside is enhanced by 12 mM 2-deoxy-D-glucose (260-300% activation) and 25 mM mannose (150% activation), but these two compounds inhibit the action of the enzyme toward the precursor oligosaccharides. By isoelectrofocusing the purified enzyme exhibits one form, which has a pI of 3.5-3.8. Reductive polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate indicates that glucosidase II has a subunit molecular weight of 65,000. Ferguson plot analysis of the behavior of native enzyme in polyacrylamide gels indicates that it is a 262,000-dalton tetramer. Gel filtration gives a molecular weight of 288,000. Several lines of evidence indicate that the enzyme is a glycoprotein.

Animals↗