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N Kalkkinen

Publications and source records attributed to N Kalkkinen.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Genome organization of membrane-containing bacteriophage PRD1.

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the late region (11 kbp) of the lipid-containing bacteriophage PRD1. Gene localization was carried out by complementing nonsense phage mutants with genomic clones containing specific reading frames. The localization was confirmed by sequencing the N-termini of isolated gene products as well as sequencing the N-termini of tryptic fragments of the phage membrane-associated proteins. This, with the previously obtained sequence of the early regions, allowed us to organize most of the phage genes in the phage genome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Rapid production of interferon-gamma in uninduced human leukocyte suspensions.

Human leukocytes produced interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) rapidly without induction during incubation at 37 degrees C. The intracellular level peaked at 3 h; the extracellular IFN-gamma reached its maximum at 7 h. Leukocytes purified by different methods, and whether from single donors or pooled from numerous donors, yielded similar amounts of IFN. The best yields were approximately 3 IU/10(6) cells. The highest titers were obtained at cell concentrations ranging between 30 and 100 X 10(6)/ml, and at these concentrations, the production of IFN-gamma was not affected by the presence or absence of serum. At lower cell concentrations, the yield of IFN per cell decreased markedly in the absence of serum. The cultural conditions and medium were not very critical; leukocytes incubated in various suspension and stationary cultures consistently produced IFN-gamma. We did not identify the mechanism responsible for the rapid production of IFN-gamma in vitro, but found no evidence of a role of calcium. Immunoaffinity-purified IFN-gamma from uninduced leukocytes and from leukocytes induced with lentil lectin behaved differently in gel filtration.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1991

RGD-dependent entry of coxsackievirus A9 into host cells and its bypass after cleavage of VP1 protein by intestinal proteases.

The recently reported nucleotide sequence of coxsackievirus A9 (CAV-9) showed that unlike other enteroviruses, CAV-9 has an insertion of about 17 amino acids at the C-terminal end of VP1 (K. H. Chang, P. Auvinen, T. Hyypiä, and G. Stanway, J. Gen. Virol. 70:3269-3280, 1989). This sequence includes the RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid) motif which is known to be important in certain protein-protein interactions. We studied the inhibitory effect of RGD-containing peptides in the attachment of CAV-9 to African green monkey kidney cells. A peptide corresponding to the RRGDM sequence derived from the inserted segment of CAV-9 was found to block virus attachment effectively, and the inhibition was dose dependent. Substitution of glutamic acid for the homologous aspartic acid completely abolished the inhibitory effect, indicating great specificity of the action. During replication in the gut, all enteroviruses are exposed to host proteolytic enzymes. Exposure of CAV-9 to purified trypsin or human intestinal fluid resulted in selective cleavage of the VP1 capsid protein. Intact and trypsin-cleaved VP1 proteins gave identical N-terminal sequences, indicating that cleavage of VP1 takes place near the C terminus. Attachment of proteolytically cleaved infectious CAV-9 to green monkey kidney cells was not prevented by RGD-containing peptides, indicating that cleaved CAV-9 is able to bypass RGD-dependent entry. The altered receptor specificity of proteolytically cleaved viruses may have important consequences in the pathogenesis of enteric infections.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Molecular cloning and characterization of rat liver catechol-O-methyltransferase.

The coding sequence of rat liver catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT; EC 2.1.1.6) was determined from rat cDNA and genomic libraries were screened with DNA probes and specific antiserum. The open reading frame consisted of 663 nucleotides coding for a 221-amino acid (aa) polypeptide with a deduced Mr of 24,747. No obvious hydrophobic signal sequence, membrane-spanning domains, or potential N-glycosylation sites were found in this sequence. The identity of the clone and the accuracy of the sequence was verified by direct aa sequencing of the tryptic peptides derived from the purified rat liver enzyme. Primer extension analysis showed that the transcription start point of the rat liver COMT mRNA was 450 bp upstream from the translation start codon. A putative polyadenylation signal (ATTAAA) was found in the 3'-noncoding region. The predicted size of the COMT transcript was 1.8-2.0 kb, which could be confirmed from Northern hybridization analyses of the isolated rat liver mRNA. One polypeptide of 25 kDa, could be immunoprecipitated with anti-COMT antibody from in vitro translation of rat liver mRNA. Employing the DNA blot analysis only one COMT-encoding gene was found in the rat genome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Purification and partial characterization of rat liver soluble catechol-O-methyltransferase.

The rat liver soluble catechol-O-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.6.) has been purified utilizing a combination of conventional chromatography and HPLC. The purified enzyme has a molecular mass of 25 kDa, a pI of 5.1, and exists in two forms which differ in the nature of their intramolecular disulfide bonds. This difference causes these two protein forms to behave differently in reversed phase chromatography.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Comparison of two glucoamylases from Hormoconis resinae.

Two extracellular glucoamylases (EC 3.2.1.3), glucoamylase P and glucoamylase S, were purified to homogeneity from the culture medium of Hormoconis resinae (ATCC 20495; formerly Cladosporium resinae) by a new method. Their apparent molecular masses (71 kDa glucoamylase P; 78 kDa glucoamylase S) and catalytic properties agreed well with those previously reported in the literature. Heat inactivation studies suggested that the high debranching (1,6-glycosidic) activity of glucoamylase P preparations (measured with pullulan) may reside in the same protein molecule as its 1,4-glycosidic activity (measured with soluble starch). Although glucoamylase S had virtually no debranching activity, it cross-reacted with polyclonal antibodies raised against glucoamylase P, and the two enzymes had very similar amino acid compositions. However, peptide mapping and amino-terminal sequencing studies of the peptides showed that the two enzymes have different sequences and must be encoded by different genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Structural analysis of the pehA gene and characterization of its protein product, endopolygalacturonase, of Erwinia carotovora subspecies carotovora.

A clone producing a polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15) in Escherichia coli was isolated from a genomic library of Erwinia carotovora subspecies carotovora constructed in PUC18. The DNA segment carrying the corresponding structural gene, named pehA, contained an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 402-amino-acid (aa) polypeptide with an Mr of 42,849. In E. carotovora the polygalacturonase was synthesized with a 26-aa cleavable signal peptide. The mature 376-aa PehA had a calculated Mr of 40,064 and a pl of 10.19. The pH optimum of the enzyme was about 5.5 and the temperature optimum was in the range 35-45 degrees C. Analysis of the reaction products of polygalacturonic acid hydrolysis indicated that the PehA protein is an endopolygalacturonase. No similarity was observed between the aa sequences of PehA and other pectic enzymes of erwinias. However, substantial similarity was detected within the C-terminal portions of PehA and a previously described tomato polygalacturonase, suggesting that the bacterial and eukaryotic polygalacturonases may have a common origin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Isolation of a human hepatic 60 kDa aspartylglucosaminidase consisting of three non-identical polypeptides.

We have characterized the properties of human aspartylglucosaminidase (EC 3.5.1.26), the lysosomal enzyme which is deficient in the human inherited disease aspartylglucosaminuria. The purification procedure from human liver included affinity chromatography, gel filtration, strong-anion- and strong-cation-exchange h.p.l.c., chromatofocusing and reverse-phase h.p.l.c. In a denaturing SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, the 6600-fold purified enzyme was shown to be composed of three non-identical inactive polypeptide chains of molecular masses 24, 18 and 17 kDa. In a native polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, these polypeptide chains ran as one active enzyme complex. As judged from the elution position of the native enzyme in a Biogel P-100 gel filtration, the approximate molecular mass of this complex was 60 kDa. The enzyme had a pI of 5.7, a pH optimum at 6, of 0.48 mM and a specific activity of 200,000 nkat for the substrate 2-acetamido-1-beta-(L-aspartamido)-1,2-dideoxy-D-glucose. The enzyme showed a 57% loss of activity at 60 degrees C after 45 h but was practically inactive after incubation at 72 degrees C for a few minutes. The molecular structure, Km and specific activity as well as the thermostability of the enzyme described here are different from those reported previously for human aspartylglucosaminidase.

Amidohydrolases↗
PubMed1989

The primary structure of Pseudomonas cytochrome c peroxidase.

The primary structure of Pseudomonas cytochrome c peroxidase is presented. The intact protein was fragmented with cyanogen bromide into five fragments; partial cleavage was observed at a Met-His bond of the protein. The primary structure was established partly by automatic Edman degradations, partly by manual sequencing of peptides obtained with trypsin, thermolysin, chymotrypsin, pepsin, subtilisin and Staphylococcus aureus V8 endopeptidase. The order of the cyanogen bromide fragments was further confirmed by overlapping peptides obtained by specific cleavage of the whole protein. Pseudomonas cytochrome c peroxidase consists of 302 amino acid residues giving a calculated Mr of 33690.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Nucleotide sequence of the middle dsRNA segment of bacteriophage phi 6: placement of the genes of membrane-associated proteins.

The genome of the lipid-containing bacteriophage phi 6 contains three segments of double-stranded RNA. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of cDNA derived from the middle-size RNA segment. The coding sequences of three proteins on this segment were identified on the basis of size and the correlation of predicted N-terminal amino acid sequences with those found through the analysis of isolated proteins. In contrast to our results with the small phi 6 dsRNA segment, the open reading frames are not tightly clustered. The homologous terminal noncoding regions between the middle and small dsRNA segments are found to be more extensive than RNA sequencing had previously indicated.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Nucleotide sequence of the rubella virus capsid protein gene reveals an unusually high G/C content.

The nucleotide sequence of the rubella virus capsid protein (C) gene has been determined from a cDNA clone derived from the 40S genomic RNA. The sequence covers the coding region of the C protein (831 nucleotides), 70 nucleotides of the 5' untranslated region, and the 5' end of the downstream E2 membrane protein gene. The capsid gene is unusually rich in C (41.6%) and G (31.2%) residues (G + C 72.8%), and poor in A (15.4%) and U residues (11.8%). There are regions with long runs of up to 45% C or 35% G residues. The codon usage is non-random, with a strong preference for C and G residues in the third position. Starting from two in-frame AUG codons (seven amino acid residues apart) an open reading frame (ORF) was identified that extended in frame into the ORF coding for the downstream E2 membrane protein gene. Since the amino terminus of the capsid protein is blocked, we could not determine which of the AUGs serve as the initiating codon. To verify that the deduced ORF was correct, we have determined the amino acid sequence of 13 tryptic peptides corresponding to one-third of the C protein. Our data show that the C protein is about 277 residues in length (Mr about 30750). It is very hydrophilic and rich in prolines (14.1%) and arginines (14.4%). Clusters of these amino acids are concentrated in the amino-terminal third of the C protein. No sequence homology to the capsid protein of several alphaviruses was observed. Together with our previous sequence data we have now completed the sequence of the genes coding for the structural proteins C, E2 and E1 of rubella virus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Semliki Forest virus-specific non-structural protein nsP3 is a phosphoprotein.

Antisera were raised in rabbits against fusion proteins consisting of beta-galactosidase and partial amino acid sequences of Semliki Forest virus (SFV)-specific non-structural proteins nsP1, nsP2, nsP3 and nsP4. The antisera were specific since each of them precipitated only one labelled protein of a size expected for nsP1, nsP2, nsP3 or nsP4 from lysates of [35S]methionine-labelled SFV-infected BHK-21 cells. The specific antisera also precipitated p220 (with sequences of nsP1, nsP2 and nsP3), p155 (nsP1 and nsP2) and p135 (nsP3 and nsP4) which have been previously shown to be cleavage products of the polyprotein precursor of the non-structural proteins. nsP1, nsP4 and most of nsP3, together with the virus-specific RNA polymerase activity, were in the mitochondrial pellet (P15) fraction of infected BHK-21 cells whereas nsP2 was evenly distributed between P15 and the supernatant fraction (S15). Only antisera directed against nsP3 sequences precipitated a labelled protein from cells incubated with [32P]orthophosphate during SFV infection. Treatment of the immunoprecipitate with calf alkaline intestinal phosphatase reduced the amount of labelled nsP3 considerably. Immunoprecipitated 32P-labelled nsP3, isolated by SDS-PAGE, was subjected to acid hydrolysis. Both phosphoserine and phosphothreonine but not phosphotyrosine could be identified in the hydrolysate. Approximately twice as much [32P]serine as [32P]threonine was detected in nsP3. P15 and S15 fractions were prepared from [35S]methionine- and 32P-labelled SFV-infected cells and the 35S/32P ratio of nsP3 was determined after immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE. The nsP3 in S15 was less heavily phosphorylated (about 50%) than P15-associated nsP3. Anti-nsP3 serum revealed large cytoplasmic vesicles in SFV-infected cells in indirect immunofluorescence microscopy.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMed1988

Nucleotide sequence of the large double-stranded RNA segment of bacteriophage phi 6: genes specifying the viral replicase and transcriptase.

The genome of the lipid-containing bacteriophage phi 6 contains three segments of double-stranded RNA. We determined the nucleotide sequence of cDNA derived from the largest RNA segment (L). This segment specifies the procapsid proteins necessary for transcription and replication of the phi 6 genome. The coding sequences of the four proteins on this segment were identified on the basis of size and the correlation of predicted N-terminal amino acid sequences with those found through analysis of isolated proteins. This report completes the sequence analysis of phi 6. This constitutes the first complete sequence of a double-stranded RNA genome virus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Nucleotide sequence of the genes coding for the membrane glycoproteins E1 and E2 of rubella virus.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the genes coding for the two membrane glycoproteins E1 and E2 of rubella virus has been determined from cloned cDNA derived from the 40S genomic RNA. A sequence of 2451 nucleotides extending from the poly(A) tract towards the 5' end is presented. Within one continuous open reading frame E2 is located amino-terminally followed by E1 and a 58 residue long untranslated 3' region preceding the poly(A) tract. The coding regions of E2 and E1 are unusually G/C rich, 71.4% and 66.4% respectively. At the carboxy-terminal end of the coding region of E1, there is an inverted complementary nucleotide sequence, which could form a 13 base pair hairpin structure. Mature E2 and E1 are both preceded by a stretch of uncharged mainly non-polar amino acids, 21 and 20 residues in length, respectively. These could serve as signal peptides that mediate the membrane translocation of the proteins. At the carboxy termini of both proteins there are stretches of hydrophobic amino acids, 19 and 27 residues in length, which probably represent the transmembrane anchors of the proteins. The size of mature E1 is 481 amino acids (mol. wt. 51,502), whereas the exact size of mature E2 could not be established as its carboxy-terminal end could not be located in the sequence. A maximum size of 262 amino acids (mol. wt. 28,277) is, however, suggested. Between the E2 and E1 genes, there is a stretch of seven amino acids, five of which are arginines, which may serve as cleavage sites for a trypsin-like protease. E1 contains three and E2 four potential sites for asparagine-linked glycosylation. Both proteins are cysteine-rich (5%). Comparison of the rubella virus amino acid sequence to those of several alphaviruses indicated no sequence homology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Characterization of type 1 and mannose-resistant fimbriae of Erwinia spp.

Type 1 fimbriae from Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora and mannose-resistant fimbriae from Erwinia rhapontici were purified and characterized. The type 1 fimbrillin had an apparent molecular weight of 16,500; that of the mannose-resistant fimbrillin was 18,000. The amino-terminal amino acid sequences of the two fimbrillins were related, but tryptic peptide maps showed significant differences between the proteins. No serological cross-reaction was found between the two fimbrial filaments, nor did they cross-react with type 1 or type 3 fimbriae purified from other enterobacterial species. Immunofluorescent staining of bacterial populations revealed that they were heterogeneous with respect to fimbriation.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1986

Amino-terminal heterogeneity of E. coli TEM-beta-lactamase secreted from Bacillus subtilis.

E. coli TEM-beta-lactamase, secreted from Bacillus subtilis after transformation with three different hybrid plasmids, was purified and subjected to direct amino-terminal sequence analysis. The results show that the signal sequence cleavage site varies depending on the hybrid plasmid construction and cannot be exactly predicted from the DNA sequences. The results are of general interest if recombinant DNA technology is used to synthesize, e.g. pharmaceutical products where the preservation of the authentic amino-terminal structure is highly desirable.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Human tumor cells synthesize and secrete alpha-2-macroglobulin in vitro.

In previous studies we showed that human sarcoma and melanoma cell lines synthesize and secrete into culture medium a glycoprotein, migrating in urea sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at Mr 140,000. It is not detected in cultures of the corresponding normal cells. Conditioned medium of the melanoma cell line HMB-2, producing among the cell lines tested the largest amounts of this glycoprotein, has now been used as a source for purification of the protein. NH2-terminal amino-acid sequence determination of the purified glycoprotein showed that it is identical to human alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M). Rabbit antibodies raised against the glycoprotein specifically reacted in immunoblotting and immunodiffusion tests with alpha 2M present in human plasma. Likewise, these antibodies immunoprecipitated from the conditioned media of 35S-methionine-labelled melanoma and osteosarcoma cell lines the protein which had a molecular weight corresponding to alpha 2M. alpha 2M was also synthesized and secreted by 2 strains of fetal lung fibroblasts but not by fetal skin fibroblasts or adult skin fibroblasts autologous to the osteosarcoma cell line.

Cells, Cultured↗