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N R Rice

Publications and source records attributed to N R Rice.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

p59v-rel, the transforming protein of reticuloendotheliosis virus, is complexed with at least four other proteins in transformed chicken lymphoid cells.

Previous studies have identified the protein product of v-rel, the oncogene carried by reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), as a 59,000-dalton phosphoprotein located predominantly in the cytosol of transformed chicken lymphoid cells. In immune precipitates of p59v-rel, there is a closely associated protein kinase activity. In chicken lymphoid cells that do not contain REV, p68c-rel is found free in the cytosol not associated with other proteins and not detectably phosphorylated. In this study, we found that immune precipitates of 59v-rel from REV-transformed cells contain at least four other proteins, of approximate molecular weights 124, 115, 68, and 36 kilodaltons (kDa). The 124-, 115-, and 36-kDa proteins are apparently unrelated to p59v-rel in sequence, and their coprecipitation suggests that they are complexed with p59v-rel. The coprecipitating 68-kDa protein was found to be p68c-rel, which, like the other three proteins, precipitates by virtue of its association with p59v-rel. Glycerol gradient analysis suggested the presence of more than one type of complex: one containing p115, p68c-rel, p59v-rel, and p36, and another containing p124, p115, p59v-rel, and possibly p68c-rel. In vitro kinase activity was found in all size classes, coinciding with the distribution of p115 and p59v-rel. The complex(es) was stable under a variety of conditions, including a wide range of ionic strengths, chelators, and detergents, and through multiple cycles of immune precipitation and elution. This suggests a specific and functionally significant interaction among the members that may be of direct relevance to the mechanism of REV-induced transformation.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Detection and characterization of the protein encoded by the chicken c-rel protooncogene.

We have identified the protein encoded by chicken c-rel, the cellular homolog of the v-rel oncogene carried by reticuloendotheliosis virus. The protein has been detected in two avian lymphoid cell lines and in chick embryo fibroblasts. It has a molecular weight of 68,000, suggesting that the viral gene (which encodes a protein of 59,000 molecular weight) is a truncated form of its cellular homolog. The c-rel protein is found in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction of chicken lymphoid cells and is not associated in any stable way with other cellular proteins. Unlike the viral protein, p68c-rel is not detectably phosphorylated.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1987

Characterization of equine infectious anemia virus long terminal repeat.

The long terminal repeats (LTRs) of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) were examined with respect to their ability to function as transcriptional promoters in various cellular environments. Nucleotide sequence analyses of the LTRs derived from two unique proviral clones revealed the requisite consensus transcription and processing signals. One of the proviruses possessed a duplication of a 16-base-pair sequence in the CCAAT box region of the LTR which was absent in the other provirus. To assess its functional activity, each LTR was coupled to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene and transfected onto various cell lines, including matched cultures of EIAV-infected and uninfected cells. The levels of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity directed by the EIAV LTRs were between 250 and 900 times greater in EIAV-infected cells compared with their uninfected counterparts. Thus, EIAV expression appears to be activated by a virus-induced trans-activation phenomenon analogous to that recently shown to amplify expression of certain other lentiviruses.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Expression of the bovine leukemia virus X region in virus-infected cells.

Bovine leukemia virus, like its closest relatives the human T-cell leukemia virus types I and II, contains a 1.8-kilobase X region between the env gene and the 3' long terminal repeat. In this communication, we report the detection and characterization of a subgenomic mRNA from which this X region is presumably translated. This mRNA was produced by a complex splicing mechanism which resulted in juxtaposition of the 5' end of the env gene and the two overlapping X-region open reading frames. Translation of this mRNA could yield at least two distinct proteins depending on which initiation codon is used. Detection of the protein encoded by the BLV X-region long open reading frame has been reported (N. Sagata, J. Tsuzuku-Kawamura, M. Nagayoshi-Aida, F. Shimizu, K.-I. Imagawa, and Y. Ikawa, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:7879-7883, 1985). Using synthetic peptide antisera, we detected a protein encoded by the short open reading frame in virus-infected cells. The protein migrated in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels with an apparent molecular weight of 19,000. It is a nuclear phosphoprotein.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Detection of c-rel-related transcripts in mouse hematopoietic tissues, fractionated lymphocyte populations, and cell lines.

A portion of the human cellular homolog of v-rel, the transforming gene of the leukemogenic retrovirus reticuloendotheliosis virus, strain T, was used to survey RNAs from several mouse tissues, selected lymphocyte populations, and hematopoietic cell lines for c-rel expression. Relatively high levels of a high-molecular-weight transcript were observed in peripheral B and T cells, whereas lower levels were detectable in functionally immature thymocytes. These results suggested that, unlike c-myb and c-ets, the c-rel proto-oncogene plays a role in later stages of lymphocyte differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Equine infectious anemia virus gag and pol genes: relatedness to visna and AIDS virus.

Comparison of HTLV-III, the putative AIDS virus, with other related viruses, may help to reveal more about the origin of AIDS in humans. In this study, the nucleotide sequence of the gag and pol genes of an equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) proviral DNA clone was determined. The sequence was compared with that of HTLV-III and of visna, a pathogenic lentivirus of sheep. The results show that these viruses constitute a family clearly distinct from that of the type C viruses or the BLV-HTLV-I and -II group. Within the family, EIAV, HTLV-III, and visna appear to be equally divergent from a common evolutionary ancestor.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Detection and characterization of the protein encoded by the v-rel oncogene.

To identify the protein encoded by v-rel, the oncogene of reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV-T), antisera have been raised to three synthetic peptides derived from the translation of our previously published v-rel DNA sequence [R.M. Stephens, N.R. Rice, R.R. Hiebsch, H.R. Bose, Jr., and R.V. Gilden, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 6229-6233 (1983)]. Sera to all three peptides precipitate a 59,000 Da protein from REV-T-transformed chicken lymphoid cells. This protein is not detectable in uninfected chick embryo fibroblasts, and its observed size is in good agreement with the 56,000 Da predicted by the DNA sequence. We conclude that this protein is the v-rel product and designate it p59rel. To search for evidence of post-translational processing of this protein, cells were grown in the presence of glycosylation inhibitors. These resulted in no detectable difference in the size of p59rel. Nor was its size detectably altered during the course of a pulse-chase experiment. Growth of cells in the presence of [32P] orthophosphate, however, revealed that p59rel is a phosphoprotein. It is also closely associated with a protein kinase activity, for precipitation with one of the peptide antisera (but not the other two) resulted in strong kinase activity in the immune complex pellet. During this reaction, p59rel itself becomes phosphorylated. Kinase activity was retained in the immune complex following detergent and high salt washes, leaving open the possibility that p59rel is itself a kinase.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1986

Myristylation site in Pr65gag is essential for virus particle formation by Moloney murine leukemia virus.

It was previously reported that the gag proteins of mammalian type C retroviruses are modified by the addition of myristate to the N-terminal glycine residue. We have performed oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to change this glycine codon in the Moloney murine leukemia virus genome to an alanine codon and also to specifically delete the glycine codon. Upon transfection into mammalian cells, these mutant genomes direct the synthesis of gag proteins, but these proteins are not myristylated. The mutants do not form virus particles or any recognizable virus-specific structures visible in thin sections with the electron microscope. Further, the mutant gag proteins appear to remain in the cytosol, whereas the wild type is found principally in particulate fractions of the cell. The results are consistent with the theory that myristate is required for the association of the gag protein with the plasma membrane and that this association is necessary for virus assembly.

Acylation↗
PubMed1986

Localization of the v-rel protein in reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T-transformed lymphoid cells.

The protein (p59rel) encoded by the transforming gene of reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (REV-T) has been identified in REV-T-transformed avian lymphoid cells by using antisera raised against synthetic peptides whose sequences were derived from three nonoverlapping regions of v-rel (N. R. Rice, T. D. Copeland, S. Simek, S. Oroszlan, and R. V. Gilden, Virology 149:217-229, 1986). To obtain polyclonal antibodies directed against a larger number of p59rel epitopes, a 262-amino acid segment was expressed in bacteria. Antisera raised against this fusion protein (v-delta-rel) precipitated p59rel from lysates of [35S]methionine-labeled REV-T-transformed cells, thus confirming previous results obtained with the peptide antisera. We used this new antiserum to localize p59rel in REV-T-transformed cells by subcellular fractionation using differential centrifugation and by indirect immune fluorescent staining. After fractionation and immune precipitation, the majority of p59rel was found in the cytosolic fraction. Indirect immunofluorescence experiments also gave results consistent with the cytoplasmic localization of the v-rel protein in transformed lymphoid cells. In previous studies (Rice et al., Virology 149:217-229, 1986) it was shown that immune precipitates formed with one of the three p59rel peptide antisera possessed in vitro protein kinase activity. Immune precipitates formed with the fusion protein antiserum also showed kinase activity in the in vitro assay. Most of this activity was found in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction, indicating that the kinase may be p59rel or a protein closely associated with it.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Comparative genetic mapping of cellular rel sequences in man, mouse, and the domestic cat.

We used in situ hybridization techniques to assign the human c-rel locus to the centromere-proximal portion of the short arm of chromosome 2 (2cent-2p13). We also determined the chromosomal location of c-rel sequences in the domestic cat and the laboratory mouse by using a human c-rel fragment to screen panels of rodent X cat and hamster X mouse somatic cell hybrid DNAs. The c-rel locus apparently maintains similar syntenic relationships with other known genetic markers in the human and cat, but displays different linkage relationships in the mouse.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

The gag and pol genes of bovine leukemia virus: nucleotide sequence and analysis.

The DNA sequence of the gag and pol regions of a provirus cloned from a bovine tumor is presented. In order to confirm these results the sequence of portions of a second clone, derived from a virus-producing cell line, was also determined. The gag gene was found to consist of 1179 nucleotides, which probably encode only three proteins: an N-terminal protein of 109 amino acids, a major core protein (p24) of 215 amino acids, and a nucleic acid binding protein (p12) of 69 residues. An open reading frame, whose translated product showed clear homology to the avian and murine proteases, was found beginning immediately upstream of the 3' end of gag. Following this protease region, a third long open reading frame, encoding 852 amino acids, showed clear homology to both avian and murine pol genes. The mechanism of translation of the protease and pol gene products cannot be predicted with certainty. Like Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV), BLV has a termination signal at the 3' end of gag, but unlike M-MuLV the protease is in a different reading frame. Like Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), BLV has a termination signal at the 3' end of the protease region and the reverse transcriptase is in a different (i.e., the third) reading frame. Possible translation mechanisms are discussed. Finally, the BLV gag and pol gene products are highly related to those of the human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV); relatedness varied from 37% amino acid identities within the N terminal gag protein to 54% within the nucleic acid binding protein. Highly significant homology with both murine and avian type-C proteins was found within p24, p12, and the putative protease, reverse transcriptase, and endonuclease. Based on this homology, the BLV-HTLV family of viruses appears about equally distantly related to murine and avian type-C viruses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

The nucleotide sequence of the env gene and post-env region of bovine leukemia virus.

The env gene of a bovine leukemia virus (BLV) tumor-derived proviral DNA clone has been located by comparison of the translated DNA sequence with amino acid sequence data on purified gp60 and p30env (A. M. Schultz, T. D. Copeland, and S. Oroszlan (1984) Virology 135, 417-427). There is a continuous open reading frame from the N terminus of gp60 for 1446 nucleotides; gp60 is predicted to contain 268 amino acids and p30env, 214. The predicted p30env shows structural features typical of type C viral transmembrane proteins. It is also clearly related to that of the human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV), as predicted from the DNA sequence of Seiki et al. (M. Seiki, S. Hattori, Y. Hirayama, and M. Yoshida (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 3618-3622) The two proteins show 36% identities in their amino acid sequence, in an alignment requiring six gaps. More distant relatedness is also seen between BLV p30env and both murine leukemia virus p15E and Rous sarcoma virus gp36. The gp60s of BLV and HTLV are more distantly related than their p30envs, but their homology is nonetheless statistically significant. Between the presumptive terminator of the env gene and the beginning of the 3'-long terminal repeat is a region of 1817 base pairs of unknown function. Just as in the HTLV post-envelope sequence, there are at least two reading frames which are open for a significant fraction of this region. In neither the tumor-derived clone nor a clone from a virus-producing cell line, however, is there a continuous open reading frame throughout the region. Comparison of the BLV and HTLV sequences within the post-envelope region revealed a very limited but possibly significant similarity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Structural and antigenic characterization of the proteins of human T-cell leukemia viruses and their relationships to the gene products of other retroviruses.

The primary structure analysis of the gag gene products of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV)-ICR has been nearly completed. A comparison of the amino acid sequences with the published nucleotide sequence of HTLV-IATK established that i) p19 which is known to share antigenic determinants with a protein present in normal thymic epithelium, is nevertheless virally coded. ii) The gene order and complete primary structure of the gag precursor (Pr55) which has been shown to be myristylated (My) at its N-terminus is My-p19-p24-p15-OH; and iii) the Pr55gag amino acid sequences of HTLV-ICR and HTLV-IATK are nearly identical showing only a single residue difference in the C-terminal region of p15. Antibodies to synthetic peptides inferred from the nucleotide sequence of the env gene of HTLV-IATK were also raised and used to identify and purify env precursor gPr62-68, surface glycoprotein gp46-51 and transmembrane protein p21. While most of the peptide sera were shown to be subgroup specific some of them detected antigenic determinants shared between protein homologs of viruses of subgroups I and II. Partial or complete amino acid sequences of both the gag and env gene coded proteins of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) structural proteins have also been determined. These extensive protein data together with nucleotide sequences confirm and extend our initial finding that HTLV and BLV are structurally and antigenically related and may have originated from common ancestor. The structural and immunological studies revealed also relationships between HTLV and a number of type C and type D retroviruses studied. One of the highly conserved sequences is shared by the transmembrane proteins of these retroviruses which have been implicated in immunosuppression. It is conceivable that these common regions have common biological function. Two previously unidentified proteins of BLV have also been purified and structurally characterized. Nucleotide sequences capable of coding for related products are present in HTLV. The nature and possible biological functions of these new BLV proteins and the putative HTLV gene products will be discussed. The size and complexity of the genome of the replication competent retroviruses are similar but not identical. The 35S RNA of all replication competent helper viruses is divided into three genes encoding the viral structural proteins: the gag (group-specific antigen) gene codes for the internal structural proteins, the pol (polymerase) gene codes for the enzymes protease, reverse transcriptase and endonuclease and the env (envelope) gene codes for the proteins of the viral envelope.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Nucleotide sequence of v-rel: the oncogene of reticuloendotheliosis virus.

The nucleotide sequence of v-rel, the oncogene carried by reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), has been determined. The defective transforming genome REV arose through the insertion of v-rel (1,415 nucleotides) into the env gene of the helper virus REV-A. The predicted rel protein (503 amino acids) employs the REV-A env initiator and terminates within the p20E region of env. Because there are no natural antisera that detect the REV transforming protein, this nucleotide sequence provides the first step toward its isolation and characterization. The predicted protein is clearly distinct from all other reported transforming proteins but may be very distantly related to members of the src family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Oncogenes.

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Animals↗
PubMed1982

Genome of reticuloendotheliosis virus: characterization by use of cloned proviral DNA.

Reticuloendotheliosis virus is an avian type C retrovirus that is capable of transforming fibroblasts and hematopoietic cells both in vivo and in vitro. This virus is highly related to the three other members of the reticuloendotheliosis virus group, including spleen necrosis virus, but it is apparently unrelated to the avian leukosis-sarcoma virus family. Previous studies have shown that it consists of a replication-competent helper virus (designated REV-A) and a defective component (designated REV) that is responsible for transformation. In this study we used restriction endonuclease mapping and heteroduplex analysis to characterize the proviral DNAs of REV-A and REV. Both producer and nonproducer transformed chicken spleen cells were used as sources of REV proviral DNA; this genome was mapped in detail, and fragments of it were cloned in lambdagtWES.lambdaB. The infected canine thymus line Cf2Th(REV-A) was used as a source of REV-A proviral DNA. The restriction maps and heteroduplexes of the REV and REV-A genomes showed that (proceeding from 5' to 3') (i) REV contains a large fraction of the REV-A gag gene (assuming a gene order of gag-pol-env and gene sizes similar to those of other type C viruses), for the two genomes are very similar over a distance of 2.1 kilobases beginning at their 5' termini; (ii) most or all of REV-A pol is deleted in REV; (iii) REV contains a 1.1 kilobase segment derived from the 3' end of REV-A pol or the 5' end of env or both; (iv) this env region in REV is followed by a 1.9-kilobase segment which is unrelated to REV-A; and (v) the helper-unrelated segment of REV extends essentially all of the way to the beginning of the 3' long terminal repeat. Therefore, like avian myeloblastosis virus but unlike the other avian acute leukemia viruses and most mammalian and avian sarcoma viruses, REV appears to be an env gene recombinant. We also found that the REV-specific segment is derived from avian DNA, for a cloned REV fragment was able to hybridize with the DNA from an uninfected chicken. Therefore, like the other acute transforming viruses, REV appears to be the product of recombination between a replication-competent virus and host DNA. Two other defective genomes in virus-producing chicken cells were also cloned and characterized. One was very similar to REV in its presumptive gag and env segments, but instead of a host-derived insertion it contained additional env sequences. The second was similar (but not identical) to the first in its gag and env regions and appeared to contain an additional 1-kilobase inversion of REV-A sequences.

Animals↗