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M J Gait

Publications and source records attributed to M J Gait.

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

Effect of single amino acid changes in the region of the adenylylation site of T4 RNA ligase.

Preparation and analysis of a series of mutants of bacteriophage T4 RNA ligase that carry single amino acid changes at or near the site of covalent reaction with ATP (adenylylation) are described. The mutant proteins were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis of the gene for T4 RNA ligase (g63) cloned in M13 vectors, transfer of the mutant genes into a lambda pL-containing expression plasmid, and subsequent expression in Escherichia coli. The results give further evidence that Lys-99 is the adenylylation site and that the residue is also important to step 3 in the RNA ligase mechanism (ligation between acceptor and adenylylated donor). Mutations at Glu-100 or Asp-101 have no effect on adenylylation, but Asp-101 is shown to be crucial to both step 2 (transfer of adenylyl to donor) and step 3.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1986

Efficient methods for attaching non-radioactive labels to the 5' ends of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides.

The syntheses are described of two types of linker molecule useful for the specific attachment of non-radioactive labels such as biotin and fluorophores to the 5' terminus of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides. The linkers are designed such that they can be coupled to the oligonucleotide as a final step in solid-phase synthesis using commercial DNA synthesis machines. Increased sensitivity of biotin detection was possible using an anti-biotin hybridoma/peroxidase detection system.

Biotin↗
PubMed1986

The bacteriophage T4 gene for the small subunit of ribonucleotide reductase contains an intron.

The bacteriophage T4 gene nrdB codes for the small subunit of the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase. The T4 nrdB gene was localized between 136.1 kb and 137.8 kb in the T4 genetic map according to the deduced structural homology of the protein to the amino acid sequence of its bacterial counterpart, the B2 subunit of Escherichia coli. This positions the C-terminal end of the T4 nrdB gene approximately 2 kb closer to the T4 gene 63 than earlier anticipated from genetic recombinational analyses. The most surprising feature of the T4 nrdB gene is the presence of an approximately 625 bp intron which divides the structural gene into two parts. This is the second example of a prokaryotic structural gene with an intron. The first prokaryotic intron was reported in the nearby td gene, coding for the bacteriophage T4-specific thymidylate synthase enzyme. The nucleotide sequence at the exon-intron junctions of the T4 nrdB gene is similar to that of the junctions of the T4 td gene: the anticipated exon-intron boundary at the donor site ends with a TAA stop codon and there is an ATG start codon at the putative downstream intron-exon boundary of the acceptor site. In the course of this work the denA gene of T4 (endonuclease II) was also located.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Comparison of controlled pore glass and Kieselguhr-polydimethylacrylamide composite as supports for solid-phase synthesis of 23-residue oligodeoxyribonucleotides in milligram amounts.

Two 23-residue oligodeoxyribonucleotides, corresponding to both strands of a DNA duplex at the OR3 site of bacteriophage lambda, have been synthesized in good yields and in milligram quantities by a solid-phase phosphotriester method using two different supports, Kieselguhr-polydimethylacrylamide composite and controlled pore glass. Rapid purification was possible using high-performance liquid chromatography on radial compression ion-exchange columns. The results and utility of the two supports are compared.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1985

Chemical synthesis of a gene for somatomedin C.

A synthetic gene for somatomedin C, a human growth factor, has been assembled by a single ligation of 23 oligodeoxyribonucleotides, which were chemically synthesized by an improved solid phase phosphotriester method.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1985

Location of the adenylylation site in T4 RNA ligase.

The purification of the enzyme T4 RNA ligase is described from an Escherichia coli strain, KR54, in which the RNA ligase gene (g63) has been inserted into the plasmid pDR540 for inducible expression of g63 from the tac promoter. Adenylylation of the purified enzyme with [14C]rATP followed by digestion with chymotrypsin yielded an adenylylated peptide, the identity of which was determined by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometric analysis. The results show that the AMP residue is bound covalently to the lysine at position 99 of the RNA ligase protein sequence.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1984

Sequence and cloning of bacteriophage T4 gene 63 encoding RNA ligase and tail fibre attachment activities.

The sequence of gene 63 of bacteriophage T4 was determined by a shotgun approach. Small DNA fragments, derived by sonication of a restriction fragment that encompasses the region of gene 63, were cloned in M13 vectors and sequenced by the 'dideoxy' method. The position of the gene was established by comparison with the sequence of a gene 63 amber mutant. Knowledge of the DNA sequence of gene 63 and surrounding regions has allowed the construction of a clone of gene 63 in which RNA ligase production is under the control of the lac promoter of bacteriophage M13mp8. Infected E. coli cells can be induced to produce a protein indistinguishable from commercially available RNA ligase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Synthetic donor and acceptor splice sites function in an RNA polymerase B (II) transcription unit.

We have synthesised a 32-bp oligonucleotide containing sequences conforming to the consensus sequences for donor and acceptor splice sites. The oligonucleotide has been inserted into an RNA polymerase B (II) transcription unit and the resulting recombinant used to study the splicing mechanism. Our findings are as follows: (i) the synthetic sites function when separated by several different prokaryotic or eukaryotic DNA fragments providing bulk intron sequence, (ii) intron size need not be greater than 29 bp, (iii) an AG dinucleotide 11 bp upstream from the invariant AG of an acceptor splice site renders the latter non-functional, and (iv) sequence changes distant from splice sites can affect the efficiency of their utilisation.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

A new selective phage cloning vector, lambda 2001, with sites for XbaI, BamHI, HindIII, EcoRI, SstI and XhoI.

An improved bacteriophage lambda cloning vector, lambda 2001, has been constructed. The phage includes a 34-bp polylinker oligonucleotide which introduces cleavage sites for XbaI, SstI, XhoI, EcoRI, HindIII and BamHI, and can accommodate 10-kb to 23-kb fragments. Inserts that destroy the BamHI or XhoI cloning sites may be recovered by excision at flanking sites in the polylinker sequence. Insertion of foreign DNA into lambda 2001 generates phage with a Spi- phenotype. The recombinant phage are able to grow on P2 lysogens but the parental vector phages are not. In the course of this work, the polylinker sequence was also introduced into M13mp8. This produced a new vector, M13mp12, with cloning sites for EcoRI, SmaI, XbaI, SstI, XhoI, BamHI, and HindIII.

Bacteriophage lambda↗
PubMed1982

Rapid synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides. VII. Solid phase synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides by a continuous flow phosphotriester method on a kieselguhr-polyamide support.

A new kieselguhr-polydimethylacrylamide support has been used in a continuous flow, column system for solid phase synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides by a phosphotriester procedure. Using only protected mononucleotides a 14-mer, 20-mer and 27-mer were assembled in high repetitive yield using a simple manually operated, bench top apparatus.

Acrylamides↗
PubMed1982

The location of the first AUG codons in cowpea mosaic virus RNAs.

We have made use of the known sequence of the 5' ends of both CPMV RNAs to synthesise an oligodeoxynucleotide which can prime second-strand DNA synthesis on full-length cDNA copies of both RNAs. By priming synthesis in the presence of dideoxynucleoside triphosphates, we have determined the positions of the first AUG codons in each RNA. These occur at positions 115 and 207 on M and B RNA respectively. By using a cloned double-stranded DNA fragment derived from near the 5' end of M RNA as a primer additional sequence from the 5' terminal region of M RNA has been obtained.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1982

Chicken histone H5: selection of a cDNA recombinant using an extended synthetic primer.

We describe the use of a synthetic primer to select a cDNA recombinant clone containing H5 coding sequences. The strategy used was as follows: 1. Prepare oligo(dT) cellulose-bound mRNA from chicken reticulocytes and select 11S-18S material from sucrose gradients. 2. Use this RNA fraction both to prepare a cDNA library and as a template for H5-specific cDNA synthesis using a synthetic primer. 3. Screen out most globin cDNA recombinants with oligo(dT)-primed globin cDNA. 4. Search for H5 recombinants using H5 specific cDNA and verify the identity by DNA sequencing. Our screening suggests an H5 mRNA abundance of about two parts per thousand in chicken reticulocyte poly(A)-containing RNA. The isolation of an H5 cDNA recombinant clone is an initial step in the study of H5 genes and their relationship to H1 and core histone genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1982

Nucleotide sequence of tobacco mosaic virus RNA.

Oligonucleotide primers have been used to generate a cDNA library covering the entire tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) RNA sequence. Analysis of these clones has enabled us to complete the viral RNA sequence and to study its variability within a viral population. The positive strand coding sequence starts 69 nucleotides from the 5' end with a reading frame for a protein of Mr 125,941 and terminates with UAG. Readthrough of this terminator would give rise to a protein of Mr 183,253. Overlapping the terminal five codons of this readthrough reading frame is a second reading frame coding for a protein of Mr 29,987. This gene terminates two nucleotides before the initiator codon of the coat protein gene. Potential signal sequences responsible for the capping and synthesis of the coat protein and Mr 29,987 protein mRNAs have been identified. Similar sequences within these reading frames may be used in the expression of sets of proteins that share COOH-terminal sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1981

Complete sequence of an immunoglobulin mRNA using specific priming and the dideoxynucleotide method of RNA sequencing.

The complete sequence of the mouse immunoglobulin kappa light chain MOPC 21 messenger RNA has been determined using a chain termination method and chemically synthesised deoxyoligonucleotides to initiate the synthesis of a DNA molecule complementary to the mRNA template. Five such oligonucleotide primers have been used for the sequence analysis of this messenger RNA. The approach is excellent for comparative studies of mouse k-chain mRNAs because they can be made on impure mRNA preparations. The MOPC 21 light chain mRNA is 943 nucleotides in length excluding the poly(A) region. An unexpected finding was that there are only three bases in the 5' non-coding region and its significance in terms of ribosome binding is discussed; 87 code for the precursor or leader sequence of the protein, 642 for the mature protein and 211 for the 3' non-coding region. The codons for the precursor region allows the previously undetermined amino acid sequence to be predicted. In common with other precursor regions a high proportion of the predicted amino acids are hydrophobic.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Rapid synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides VI. Efficient, mechanised synthesis of heptadecadeoxyribonucleotides by an improved solid phase phosphotriester route.

Efficient mechanised synthesis of heptadecadeoxyribonucleotides has been achieved on an economically small scale by an improved solid phase phosphotriester method on a polydimethylacrylamide resin. Improvements were made in the preparation of dinucleotide building blocks, reaction conditions for oligonucleotide assembly and in purification of deprotected oligonucleotides by h.p.l.c. Several milligrams of pure heptadecamers were obtained. Two of the heptadecamers were designed for sequencing in opposite directions of DNA cloned in phage M13mp2.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1981

The use of synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide primers in cloning and sequencing segment of 8 influenza virus (A/PR/8/34).

Complete double-stranded DNA copies of the RNA genes of the human influenza virus A/PR/8/34 have been synthesized by using two synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide primers. The gene encoding the non-structural proteins NS1 and NS2, prepared with these primers, has been cloned into the bacteriophage M13mp7 and sequenced. The sequence is compared with that from another human strain and from an avian strain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1980

A short primer for sequencing DNA cloned in the single-stranded phage vector M13mp2.

In this paper we describe the synthesis and cloning of a short segment of DNA complementary to the region immediately adjacent to the EcoRI insertion site in the single-stranded bacteriophage vector M13mp2. This segment is useful as a "universal" primer for DNA sequencing by the dideoxynucleotide chain termination method; the template can be any DNA species cloned in M13mp2 or its derivatives. The primer has been cloned into the tetracycline resistance gene of plasmid pBR322 as one strand of a 26 bp EcoRI/BamHI fragment. This fragment may be readily prepared from an EcoRI + BamHI restriction digest of the parent plasmid (designated pSP14) by a simple size fractionation.

Base Sequence↗