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J C Gray

Publications and source records attributed to J C Gray.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

An open reading frame encoding a putative haem-binding polypeptide is cotranscribed with the pea chloroplast gene for apocytochrome f.

The nucleotide sequence of a 1 kbp region of pea chloroplast DNA upstream from the gene petA encoding apocytochrome f has been determined. An open reading frame of 231 codons (ORF231) encoding a putative membrane-spanning polypeptide is separated by 205 bp from the coding region of petA. The open reading frame is homologous to open reading frames located in a similar position with respect to petA in chloroplast DNA from Marchantia polymorpha, tobacco, rice, wheat and Vicia faba. The sequence around a conserved histidine residue in a putative membrane-spanning region of the polypeptide resembles sequences present in cytochrome b from chromaffin granules and neutrophil membranes, suggesting that the open reading frame may encode a haem-binding polypeptide, possibly a b-type cytochrome. Northern hybridisation analysis indicates the presence in pea chloroplasts of a complex pattern of transcripts containing ORF231. Large transcripts of 5.5 kb, 4.3 kb, 3.4 kb and 2.7 kb encode both ORF231 and apocytochrome f, indicating that ORF231 and petA are co-transcribed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression of the wheat chloroplast gene for CF0 subunit IV of ATP synthase.

The nucleotide sequence of the wheat chloroplast atp I gene encoding CF0 subunit IV of ATP synthase has been determined. The gene encodes a polypeptide of 247 amino acid residues with high sequence similarity to subunit IV from other plant chloroplasts and from cyanobacteria. The polypeptide shows sequence homology to the C-terminus of the F0 alpha subunit of Escherichia coli ATP synthase and subunit 6 of mitochondrial ATP synthase. The atp I gene is co-transcribed with the atp H, atp F and atp A genes for other subunits of ATP synthase in wheat. A gene-fusion of most of the atp I coding region with cro'-lacI'-lacZ' has been constructed in pEX2 and the fusion-protein has been used to raise antibodies in rabbits. The antibodies react with a polypeptide of 17 kDa in wheat thylakoid membranes indicating that the wheat atp I gene is expressed at the protein level. A model for the organisation of the polypeptide in the thylakoid membrane with four membrane-spanning segments is proposed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A 10 kDa polypeptide associated with the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II has a putative C-terminal non-cleavable thylakoid transfer domain.

The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 10 kDa polypeptide associated with the oxygen-evolving complex of wheat photosystem II has been determined and shown to be homologous to the amino acid sequence of the product of the ST-LS1 gene from potato. The N-terminal sequence of the mature protein indicates that the polypeptide is synthesized with a 39 amino acid N-terminal presequence which is similar to chloroplast import sequences but which lacks a hydrophobic domain for transfer of the protein across the thylakoid membrane. The mature polypeptide has a C-terminal hydrophobic region which shows homology to the hydrophobic thylakoid transfer domain of other lumenal proteins and this hydrophobic region of the 10 kDa polypeptide is suggested to facilitate transfer of the protein across the thylakoid membrane.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of cDNA clones encoding the extrinsic 23 kDa polypeptide of the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II in pea.

The 23 kDa polypeptide of the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II has been extracted from pea photosystem II particles by washing with 1 M NaCl and purified by anion-exchange chromatography. The N-terminal amino acid sequence has been determined and specific antisera have been raised in rabbits and used to screen a pea-leaf cDNA library in lambda gt11. Determination of the nucleotide sequence of two clones provided the nucleotide sequence for the full 23 kDa polypeptide. The deduced amino acid sequence showed it to code for a mature protein of 186 amino acid residues with an N-terminal presequence of 73 amino acid residues showing a high degree of conservation with previously reported 23 kDa sequences from spinach and Chlamydomonas. Southern blots of genomic DNA from pea probed with the labelled cDNA gave rise to only one band suggesting that the protein is encoded by a single gene. Northern blots of RNA extracted from various organs indicated a message of approximately 1.1 kb, in good agreement with the size of the cDNA, in all chlorophyll-containing tissues. Western blots of protein extracted from the same organs indicated that the 23 kDa polypeptide was present in all major organs of the plant except the roots.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The plastid rpoA gene encoding a protein homologous to the bacterial RNA polymerase alpha subunit is expressed in pea chloroplasts.

The gene rpoA, encoding a protein homologous to the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli has been located in pea chloroplast DNA downstream of the petD gene for subunit IV of the cytochrome b-f complex. Nucleotide sequence analysis has revealed that rpoA encodes a polypeptide of 334 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 38916. Northern blot analysis has shown that rpoA is co-transcribed with the gene for ribosomal protein S11. A lacZ-rpoA gene-fusion has been constructed and expressed in E. coli. Antibodies raised against the fusion protein have been employed to demonstrate the synthesis of the rpoA gene product in isolated pea chloroplasts. Western blot analysis using these antibodies and antibodies against the RNA polymerase core enzyme from the cyanobacterium, Anabaena 7120, has revealed the presence of the gene product in a crude RNA polymerase preparation from pea chloroplasts.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Two small open reading frames are co-transcribed with the pea chloroplast genes for the polypeptides of cytochrome b-559.

The genes encoding the 9 kDa and 4 kDa polypeptides of cytochrome b-559 have been located in pea chloroplast DNA by coupled transcription-translation of cloned restriction fragments of chloroplast DNA in a cell-free extract of Escherichia coli and by nucleotide sequence analysis. The genes (psbE and psbF) are located approximately 1.0 kbp downstream of the gene for cytochrome f and are transcribed in the opposite direction, similar to the arrangement in the chloroplast genomes of other higher plants. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this region revealed four open reading frames encoding hydrophobic proteins of 83 (psbE), 39 (psbF), 38 and 40 amino acid residues, which are co-transcribed as a single major RNA of 1.1 kb. The 5' and 3' ends of this RNA have been located by primer extension and S1 nuclease mapping. The 5' end of the RNA is located 140 bp upstream of the initiating ATG codon of psbE and is preceded by typical chloroplast promoter sequences. The 3' end of the RNA is located approximately 515 bp downstream of the TAA stop codon of psbF close to a stable stem-loop structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

N.m.r., e.p.r. and magnetic-c.d. studies of cytochrome f. Identity of the haem axial ligands.

N.m.r.-, magnetic-c.d.- and e.p.r.-spectroscopic studies of oxidized and reduced cytochrome f from charlock, rape and woad are reported. Comparison of the spectra with corresponding spectra of other haem proteins, including horse and yeast cytochromes c, bovine cytochrome b5 and n-butylamine adduct of soya-bean leghaemoglobin support the hypothesis [Siedow, Vickery & Palmer (1980) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 203, 101-107] that lysine is the sixth ligand of native cytochrome f. Detailed analysis of the e.p.r. spectrum of ferricytochrome f indicates that its principle g-values are 3.51, 1.70 and less than 1.3, and not 3.48, 2.07 and 1.6 as previously suggested [Siedow, Vickery & Palmer (1980) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 203, 101-107]. The observation of a one-proton intensity resonance at -3.27 p.p.m. in the 1H-n.m.r. spectrum of ferrocytochrome f, coupled with the absence of a methionine methyl resonance from the spectral region to low frequency of -2 p.p.m., is suggested to be a general indicator of lysine co-ordination.

Animals↗

N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the subunits of pea photosystem I.

Six 'core' subunits of pea photosystem I have been isolated and their N-terminal amino acid sequences determined by gas-phase or solid-phase sequencing. On average more than thirty residues were determined from the N-terminus of each polypeptide. This sequence analysis has revealed three polypeptides with charged N-terminal regions (21, 17 and 11 kDa subunits), one polypeptide with a predominantly hydrophobic N-terminal region (9 kDa subunit), one polypeptide which is cysteine-rich (8 kDa subunit) and one which is alanine-rich (13 kDa subunit).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A sixth subunit of ATP synthase, an F(0) component, is encoded in the pea chloroplast genome.

DNA from pea and tobacco chloroplasts hybridizes specifically with probes derived from the gene for a membrane component, the a subunit of ATP synthase of the cyanobacterium, Synechococcus 6301. DNA sequence of the hybridizing region of the pea plastid DNA has revealed that it encodes a protein of 247 amino acids related in sequence to the a subunits of ATP synthase of Escherichia coli, Synechococcus and mitochondria. This is the sixth component of chloroplast ATP synthase that is plastid coded. The gene is located upstream from the genes for three other ATP synthase subunits and a transcript of 6 kb contains coding sequences from each of these genes. Thus the subunit a gene is part of a co-transcribed cluster of four ATP synthase genes arranged in the order a:c(or III):b(or I):alpha. Two other ATP synthase genes, those for beta and epsilon subunits, are known to form a separate cluster. These gene arrangements are most closely related to those found in the cyanobacterium, Synechococcus 6301. Hence, this finding provides strong evidence for a common origin for cyanobacteria and plant chloroplasts.

Journal Article↗