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Biomedical subjects

G D Pearson

Publications and source records attributed to G D Pearson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic studies of a wound-inducible proteinase inhibitor I gene in Lycopersicon species.

A gene coding for proteinase inhibitor I, whose expression is induced in tomato leaves (Lycopersicon esculentum L. var. Bonny Best) in response to wounding or insect attacks, was isolated from a genomic library and characterized. The nucleotide sequence revealed that the gene is complete and encodes the sequence of an inhibitor I cDNA that was previously isolated from a cDNA library prepared from wound-induced mRNA from tomato leaves. This gene is located 13.1 kilobase pairs (kbp) upstream from an inhibitor II gene. The wound-inducible gene is interrupted by two intervening sequences of 445 and 404 bp, situated within the codons of amino acids 17 and 47, respectively, of the open reading frame. In addition to the presence of putative regulatory sequences, TATAAA and CCACT, two copies of an imperfect direct repeat approximately 100 bp long were identified in the 5'-flanking region. Phylogenetic comparisons of wound-inducible inhibitor I genes within the genomes of various Lycopersicon species revealed that the repeat is found in seven ancestral species of tomato.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of the bovine prothrombin gene.

The bovine prothrombin gene was characterized by Southern blot analysis of bovine genomic DNA using bovine prothrombin cDNA fragments as hybridization probes. These analyses suggested that the bovine genome contains a single prothrombin gene that is at least 10 kilobase pairs (kbp) in size. To characterize the gene more thoroughly, two bovine genomic phage libraries were screened by using prothrombin cDNAs as hybridization probes. Heteroduplex analysis of the cloned genomic DNA and cDNA showed that the prothrombin gene is 14.9 kbp in size and contains at least 14 exons interrupted by 13 introns. The exons vary in size from 28 to 317 base pairs (bp), while the introns vary in size from less than 100 to 6940 bp. Regions of self-complementarity were observed within some of the introns, suggesting the presence of inverted repeat sequences. The bovine prothrombin gene shows similarities in structure to both the human prothrombin gene and the human factor IX gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Adenovirus sequences required for replication in vivo.

We have studied the in vivo replication properties of plasmids carrying deletion mutations within cloned adenovirus terminal sequences. Deletion mapping located the adenovirus DNA replication origin entirely within the first 67 bp of the adenovirus inverted terminal repeat. This region could be further subdivided into two functional domains: a minimal replication origin and an adjacent auxillary region which boosted the efficiency of replication by more than 100-fold. The minimal origin occupies the first 18 to 21 bp and includes sequences conserved between all adenovirus serotypes. The adjacent auxillary region extends past nucleotide 36 but not past nucleotide 67 and contains the binding site for nuclear factor I.

Adenoviridae↗

DNA homologies between the rainbow trout, chum salmon and coho salmon.

The thermal stabilities of hybrid duplexes between the DNAs from three salmonid fish species were monitored as measures of DNA homology. The chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, and coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, had more DNA homology with each other than either had with the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdnerii. Morphological, ecological and protein similarities between the coho salmon and the rainbow trout may be due to parallel or convergent evolution.

Animals↗

Adenovirus infection elevates levels of cellular topoisomerase I.

We have developed a specific, sensitive, and quantitative assay for topoisomerase I, which is based on the formation of a covalent enzyme-DNA intermediate. Our assay measures the quantitative transfer of 32P radioactivity from 32P-labeled DNA to topoisomerase I. Since 32P-labeled topoisomerase molecules are resolved by NaDodSO4/PAGE, HeLa topoisomerase I (100 kDa) and calf thymus topoisomerase I (82 kDa) can be quantitatively assayed in the same reaction mixture. The assay can detect at least 0.3 ng (3 fmol) of topoisomerase I. We have used our assay to measure the levels of topoisomerase I activity in crude extracts of nuclei prepared from uninfected, adenovirus-infected, and adenovirus-transformed human cells. The evidence suggests that an adenovirus early gene product, presumably a protein encoded in early region 1A (E1A), increases cellular topoisomerase I activity at least 10-fold. Immunoblotting analysis with antiserum against calf thymus topoisomerase I shows that the increase in activity is due to an increase in the amount of enzyme.

Adenoviridae↗

Molecular cloning of the six mRNA species of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, a fish rhabdovirus, and gene order determination by R-loop mapping.

Plasmids carrying cDNA sequences to the mRNA species of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus were constructed and cloned into Escherichia coli. Characterization of 21 cloned plasmids by hybridization to mRNA blots identified sets of plasmids with homology to each of the six viral mRNA species. R-loop mapping with these cDNA plasmids determined that the gene order on the infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus genome is (3')N-M1-M2-G-NV-L(5').

Animals↗

Site-specific nicking within the adenovirus inverted terminal repetition.

Site-specific nicking occurs on the l-strand, but not on the r-strand, of the adenovirus left inverted terminal repeat. Nicks are presumably introduced into double- or single-stranded DNA by a cellular endonuclease in an ATP-independent reaction. The consensus nick site has the sequence: (sequence in text).

Adenoviridae↗

In vitro replication directed by a cloned adenovirus origin.

A 5.7-kb recombinant plasmid, called XD-7, contains the terminal XbaI-E fragment from the left end of type 2 adenovirus cloned into the EcoRI site of pBR322. An average of 9% +/- 1% of input supercoiled, protein-free XD-7 DNA replicated as rolling circles with single-stranded tails ranging up to unit length and longer in reaction mixtures containing nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts from adenovirus-infected, but not uninfected, HeLa cells. The adenovirus origin was mapped on XD-7 by electron microscopy at the left boundary of the cloned adenovirus segment. Since replication proceeded rightwards, we conclude that the adenovirus l strand was displaced during replication. No origin was located at or near the EcoRI site on pBR322. Reversing the orientation of the adenovirus origin reversed the direction of replication, and deletion of the adenovirus origin abolished replication.

Adenoviridae↗

Mutational mapping of a cloned adenovirus origin.

We have developed a standardized, quantitative assay to study the function of a cloned adenovirus origin. We have shown that the adenovirus origin is located within the first 20 bp of the adenovirus inverted terminal repetition (ITR), a region containing a sequence conserved among human, simian, murine, and avian adenoviruses. Deletions removing or penetrating from either direction into the conserved sequence inactivated the cloned adenovirus origin. A point mutation within the conserved sequence impaired the adenovirus origin, but point mutations outside the conserved sequence had no effect. These results strongly suggest that the conserved sequence within the first 20 bp of the ITR alone constitutes the adenovirus origin (ori) signal.

Adenoviridae↗

Proteins tightly bound to HeLa cell DNA at nuclear matrix attachment sites.

DNA-protein complexes have been isolated from HeLa cell nuclei and nuclear matrix preparations. Two proteins, 55 and 66 kilodaltons in size, remain bound to HeLa DNA after treatment at 80 degrees C in 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate and purification by exclusion chromatography on Sepharose 2B-CL in the presence of 0.3% sodium dodecyl sulfate. These proteins appear to be tightly bound but not covalently linked to the DNA, and they are distributed over the DNA with an average spacing of 40 kilobase pairs. This spacing distribution remains essentially constant throughout the cell cycle. The proteins are bound to the residual 2% of HeLa cell DNA which remains attached to the nuclear matrix after extensive nuclease digestion, a condition which reduces the average size of the DNA to approximately 150 base pairs. Our results suggest that these tightly bound proteins are involved in anchoring cellular DNA to the nuclear matrix. These tightly bound proteins are identical by partial peptide mapping to proteins found tightly bound to the DNA of mammalian, plant, and bacterial cells (D. Werner and C. Petzelt, J. Mol. Biol. 150:297-302, 1981), implying that these proteins are involved in the organization of chromosomal domains and are highly conserved in both procaryotic and eucaryotic cells.

Binding Sites↗

Molecular cloning of Vibrio cholerae enterotoxin genes in Escherichia coli K-12.

Hybridization probes derived from the A and B subunit genes of the heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) of Escherichia coli were used to analyze DNA from Vibrio cholera strain 569B for cholera toxin gene sequences. Southern blot analysis indicated that the cholera toxin A and B subunit genes were each duplicated in the strain. One of the two toxin subunit gene pairs was cloned as a 5.1-kilobase DNA insert in plasmid pBR322. E. coli cells carrying the recombinant plasmid pJM17 were shown to produce cholera toxin, which was found to be largely cell associated. Protein chemical analysis indicated that the toxin was in its unnicked form and required additional proteolytic processing by trypsin to exhibit full toxicity in tissue culture. The alteration in E. coli of the secretion and proteolytic processing of cholera toxin parallels that previously observed for LT. An in vitro generated insertion mutation in the A subunit gene on pJM17 was shown to abolish production of the A chain but still allow production of the B chain. These observations, together with restriction mapping data, have demonstrated that the cholera toxin and LT genes are very similar in their genetic organization.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Cleavage of type 2 adenovirus DNA by HaeIII endonuclease. I. Catalog of HaeIII fragments.

Tye 2 adenovirus DNA was divided into 14 fragments by sequential use of BamI, HsuI, SmaI, anc EcoRI endonuclease. Each fragment was purified by gel electrophoresis and subsequently cleaved with HaeIII endonuclease. From the number of fragments produced, we could calculate the number of HaeIII cleavage sites: there are a total of 187 sites. HaeIII sites were not randomly distributed along the adenovirus chromosome. Most sites were clustered in the G + C-rich left half of the chromosome. The sum of the molecular weights of the HaeIII fragments is 22.4 . 10(6), within 2 % of the molecular weight of adenovirus DNA (22.9 . 10(6).

Adenoviridae↗

Filter-binding assay for covalent DNA-protein complexes: adenovirus DNA-terminal protein complex.

A rapid, simple, and quantitative filter-binding assay using glass fiber filters has been developed to detect the convalent adenovirus DNA-terminal protein complex. The assay is unusually sensitive because binding of protein-free DNA generally is less than 0.1%. Binding of the adenovirus complex to filters is mediated by terminal protein. We have found that: (i) the adenovirus complex binds maximally to filters in NaCl at concentrations higher than 0.2 M; (ii) noncovalent complexes between protein-free DNA and adenovirus proteins bind to filters in salt at concentrations lower than 0.4 M but not in concentrations higher than 0.7 M; and (iii) protein-free DNA alone binds to filters in guanidine.hydrochloride at concentrations higher than 0.8 M. By varying the ionic conditions, "all or none" modulation of these interactions can be achieved.

Adenoviridae↗