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Biomedical subjects

H D Robertson

Publications and source records attributed to H D Robertson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Tat-responsive region RNA of human immunodeficiency virus 1 can prevent activation of the double-stranded-RNA-activated protein kinase.

Transcription from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 promoter gives rise to short cytoplasmic transcripts of approximately 60 nucleotides as well as to longer mRNAs. These RNAs contain the Tat-responsive region sequence, which is capable of assuming a stem-loop structure and has been implicated in the regulation of both transcription and translation. It has been reported that Tat-responsive region RNA inhibits translation in vitro through activation of an interferon-induced protein kinase, the double-stranded-RNA-activated inhibitor, which phosphorylates eukaryotic initiation factor 2. We show that the activation property is due to double-stranded RNA that often contaminates RNA synthesized in vitro using bacteriophage RNA polymerases. After purification, high concentrations of Tat-responsive region RNA inhibit the activation of double-stranded RNA-activated inhibitor, suggesting that it may serve to protect human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection from a cellular defense mechanism.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1989

An ultraviolet-sensitive RNA structural element in a viroid-like domain of the hepatitis delta virus.

The RNA genome of the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) appears to be made up of two parts: a small domain with a high degree of sequence conservation and structural features likely to promote replication; plus a second, larger domain that is less conserved and encodes the delta antigen. This report focuses on one of the several sets of data that have led to the proposal of this model: the existence of a novel structural element in HDV genomic RNA. This structural element lies within the highly conserved domain of HDV RNA and may be related to the local tertiary structure previously mapped to the central conserved region of the plant viroid genome. Both elements occur in regions with no apparent coding capacity and are distinctively responsive to ultraviolet (UV) light. Transcripts containing partial and full-length genomic sequences of HDV readily undergo a UV-induced crosslinking reaction, which establishes a covalent bond between two noncontiguous segments. By locking two segments of the overall structure into place, this crosslink has permitted the unbranched, rodlike model of HDV RNA to be examined and confirmed in the portion of the RNA analyzed. The clustering of the novel tertiary structure and the recently discovered self-cleavage sites into a highly conserved, but apparently noncoding, portion of the genome defines a viroid-like domain in HDV RNA and raises questions about the possible events leading up to the association of free-living RNAs with messenger RNAs and other RNA molecules.

DNA↗
PubMed1989

Accurate processing of human pre-rRNA in vitro.

We report here that the mature 5' terminus of human 18S rRNA is generated in vitro by a two-step processing reaction. In the first step, SP6 transcripts were specifically cleaved in HeLa cell nucleolar extract at three positions near the external transcribed spacer (ETS)-18S boundary. Of these cleavage sites, two were major and the other was minor. RNase T1 fingerprint and secondary nuclease analyses placed the two major cleavage sites 3 and 8 bases upstream from the mature 5' end of 18S rRNA and the minor cleavage site 1 base into the 18S sequence. All three cleavages yielded 5'-hydroxyl, 2'-3'-cyclic phosphate termini and were 5' of adenosine residues in the sequence UACCU, which was repeated three times near the ETS-18S boundary. In the second step, the initial cleavage product containing 3 bases of ETS was converted to an RNA with a 5' terminus identical to that of mature 18S RNA by an activity found in HeLa cell cytoplasmic extracts.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Discontinuously synthesized mRNA from Trypanosoma brucei contains the highly methylated 5' cap structure, m7GpppA*A*C(2'-O)mU*A.

Trypanosoma brucei mRNA is discontinuously synthesized via the 5' addition of a "mini-exon" sequence. The mini-exon-specific cap structure was purified from a complete RNase T2 and phosphatase digest of in vivo 32P-labeled poly(A)+RNA. The purified cap structure was sequenced by a series of partial and complete enzymatic digests by nuclease P1 and venom phosphodiesterase. This approach demonstrated that the T. brucei mini-exon cap structure consists of N7-methylguanosine linked in a conventional 5'-5' triphosphate bond to five nucleotides, in the sequence A*A*C(2'-O)mU*A (asterisks denote modifications that were not fully characterized in this work). 2'-O-methylations and other modifications appear to be present in this novel cap structure, which could have a functional role in the metabolism of the mini-exon.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Accurate in vitro cleavage by RNase III of phosphorothioate-substituted RNA processing signals in bacteriophage T7 early mRNA.

To test the ability of an RNA processing enzyme to cleave chemically-modified RNA substrates, RNA transcripts containing RNase III cleavage sites were enzymatically synthesized in vitro to contain specific phosphorothioate diester internucleotide linkages. One transcript (R1.1 RNA) was generated using phage T7 RNA polymerase and a cloned segment of phage T7 DNA containing the R1.1 RNase III processing site. The second transcript was the phage T7 polycistronic early mRNA precursor, which was synthesized using E. coli RNA polymerase and T7 genomic DNA. The RNA transcripts contained phosphorothioate diester groups at positions including the scissile bonds. The modified RNAs were stable to incubation in Mg2+-containing buffer, and were specifically cleaved by RNase III. RNA oligonucleotide sequence analysis showed that the modified R1.1 RNA processing site was the same as the canonical site and contained a phosphorothioate bond. Furthermore, RNase III cleaved the phosphorothioate internucleotide bond with 5' polarity. RNase III cleavage of phosphorothioate substituted T7 polycistronic early mRNA precursor produced the same gel electrophoretic pattern as that obtained with the control transcript. Thus, RNase III cleavage specificity is not altered by phosphorothioate internucleotide linkages.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Interference between coinoculated viroids.

Experiments were carried out to seek evidence of an interaction between two viroid RNAs introduced to tomato plants in the same inoculum. At the level of symptom expression, the severe isolate of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV) dominated the mild isolate. Seventy-five percent of the plants inoculated with a 100-fold excess of the mild isolate developed unattenuated symptoms of severe disease. Other experiments revealed that infectious RNA molecules transcribed from cloned DNA templates containing PSTV sequences reduced the level of hop stunt viroid (HSV) RNA present in nucleic acid extracts of plants which had been inoculated with a mixture of dimeric plus-strand transcripts of these two viroids. Plants inoculated with dual transcripts--containing two copies of PSTV linked to two copies of HSV--developed characteristic symptoms of severe PSTV. Dot hybridization demonstrated that only PSTV replicated to detectable levels in these plants. A likely interpretation of these results is that the HSV portion of the dual transcripts failed to replicate because of interference from PSTV. These results raise questions about how the process of viroid replication is related to symptom expression, and lead to suggested models for the effect of viroid-like RNAs in cells under both normal and pathogenic circumstances.

Plant Diseases↗
PubMed1988

Evidence for a single rolling circle in the replication of potato spindle tuber viroid.

We analyzed in vivo-labeled RNA to determine which of the two proposed rolling-circle models is more likely to depict the replication cycle of potato spindle tuber viroid. A key feature distinguishing the two models is the presence of a circular monomeric minus strand in one and not the other. Chromatography on cellulose CF11 was used to purify a fraction containing the replication intermediates free from single-stranded progeny. Heat denaturation followed by gel electrophoresis was used to seek possible circular templates-species required for rolling-circle replication to take place. Upon heating, a (32)P-labeled RNA was released. Limited nuclease digestion ("nicking") revealed that this was a unitlength circular RNA. Fingerprinting identified it as a plus strand. No circular minus strands were detected in this population or in nuclease-treated samples containing RNase T1-resistant cores of the replication complex. Thus, potato spindle tuber viroid appears to use an asymmetric pathway in which minus strands are synthesized by rolling-circle copying, but plus strands are not. More details of the replication pathways used by various viroid-like RNAs are needed and will help to establish the evolutionary relationships among these infectious agents.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1988

Glucocorticoid regulation of enkephalins in cultured rat adrenal medulla.

The effect of dexamethasone on enkephalin-containing (EC) peptide levels and preproenkephalin mRNA levels was determined in adrenal medullary explants (glands) from sham and hypophysectomized (hypox) rats. Culture for 4 days in serum-free medium without dexamethasone resulted in a 13- and 4-fold increase in EC peptide levels in sham and hypox glands, respectively. The addition of dexamethasone (10(-5) M) produced a 20- to 26-fold increase in EC peptides in sham and hypox glands. In serum free medium, hypox glands showed a concentration dependent increase in EC peptides with the ED50 for dexamethasone equal to 5.7 x 10(-7) M. Since the glucocorticoid antagonist RU486 partially blocked the rise in EC peptides in sham glands, it appears that the increase in EC peptides in sham glands in the absence of dexamethasone is a result of a higher concentration of endogenous corticosterone in sham compared to hypox glands. Dexamethasone resulted in a 6-fold increase in preproenkephalin mRNA in hypox glands cultured for 2 days. This increase was approximately proportional to the increase in EC peptides seen at 4 days. In serum free medium progesterone, testosterone, and deoxycorticosterone failed to increase EC peptides in hypox glands. These results indicate that glucocorticoid treatment is required for maximal proenkephalin gene expression and EC peptide biosynthesis in cultured glands.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1987

Direct analysis of the mini-exon donor RNA of Trypanosoma brucei: detection of a novel cap structure also present in messenger RNA.

The mini-exon, a short segment found at the 5' end of trypanosome mRNAs, is contributed by a small RNA, the mini-exon donor (medRNA). In vivo 32P-labeled medRNA, a set of smaller RNAs related to it, and mRNA, were purified from Trypanosoma brucei by hybrid selection and gel electrophoresis. Using RNA fingerprinting and sequencing techniques, mini-exon oligonucleotides were identified and characterized. We detected a novel 5' terminal capped oligonucleotide present in both medRNA and mRNA. This structure contained m7G and at least four modified nucleotides, not identified previously. If the T. brucei mini-exon has exactly four transcribed nucleotides upstream from its originally designated 5' end, it would begin with the sequence: m7GpppA*A*C*U*AA*CG (asterisks denote modification) and medRNA would be 140 nucleotides long, excluding the m7G residue. The mini-exon contains, and retains during its transfer to mRNA, a novel 5' terminal structure whose presence could confer unique functional attributes.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Direct characterization of influenza viral NS1 mRNA and related sequences from infected HeLa cells and a cell-free transcription system.

The NS1 mRNA of the influenza A virus WSN (H0N1) strain was isolated from a cell-free transcription system, and from the cytoplasm of virus-infected HeLa cells. The 32P-labeled NS1 mRNA derived from the infected cell cytoplasm was characterized by the secondary enzymatic analysis of sixteen of its large or distinct RNAase T1-resistant oligonucleotides. Several WSN strain-specific nucleotide differences from the previously-determined sequence of NS1 mRNA from the PR8 (H0N1) strain of influenza A virus, were located within these sequences. The RNAase T1-resistant oligonucleotides were placed within the primary sequence of NS1 mRNA, using the PR8 strain sequence data. The resulting linear map was then used to identify NS2 mRNA isolated from the infected cell cytoplasm, and an NS-related RNA species generated from NS1 mRNA incubated in a HeLa cell-free extract.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Recurrent and chronic appendicitis.

The records of 205 patients who underwent appendectomy were reviewed to determine the incidence of recurrent and chronic appendicitis. Twenty-one patients (10 per cent) met the criteria for diagnosis of recurrent appendicitis. Three patients (1.5 per cent) had a diagnosis of chronic appendicitis based upon clinical history and pathologic findings of lymphocytic or eosinophilic infiltration of the appendiceal wall. The diagnosis of recurrent or chronic appendicitis should be considered in patients presenting with recurrent pain of the right lower abdominal quadrant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Unusual properties of two branched RNA's with circular and linear components.

Irradiation with ultraviolet light was used to create two nonlinear RNA molecules. Circular potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV) RNA was crosslinked at a single site to generate a figure eight-shaped molecule; 5S rRNA from HeLa cells was transformed into an alpha-shaped molecule with a small circular element and two arms (1). Crosslinked RNA's could be separated from their untreated counterparts by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels containing urea. The gel mobility of crosslinked PSTV was not altered by boiling, treatment with E. coli RNase III or glyoxalation. However, mild nuclease digestion ("nicking") produced derivatives which migrated more slowly than the starting material in gels of certain polyacrylamide concentrations, but not in others. Limited nuclease digestion of crosslinked 5S rRNA did not generate any detectable products with reduced mobility in the gels tested. Thus, the ability of the "nicking assay" to reveal circular elements within nonlinear RNA's can vary depending upon the composition of the gel chosen for analysis and on the size of the circular element relative to the rest of the molecule.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗