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Biomedical subjects

T J Harris

Publications and source records attributed to T J Harris.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Molecular cloning of a human gastric lipase and expression of the enzyme in yeast.

The molecular cloning of a cDNA coding for human gastric lipase and its expression in yeast is described. A lipase present in human gastric aspirates was purified and its N-terminal amino-acid sequence was determined. This was found to be homologous with the N-terminal sequence of rat lingual lipase. A cDNA library was constructed from mRNA isolated from human stomach tissue and probed with cloned rat lingual lipase DNA. One clone, pGL17, consisting of approximately 1450 base-pairs, contained the entire coding sequence for a human gastric lipase. The amino-acid sequence from the isolated protein and the DNA sequence obtained from the cloned gene indicated that human gastric lipase consists of a 379 amino acid polypeptide with an unglycosylated Mr of 43,162. Human gastric lipase and rat lingual lipase amino-acid sequences were closely homologous but were unrelated to porcine pancreatic lipase apart from a 6 amino-acid sequence around the essential Ser-152 of porcine pancreatic lipase. A yeast expression plasmid containing the phosphoglycerate kinase promoter and terminator sequences together with the human gastric lipase gene was constructed. Yeast transformed with this vector synthesised the lipolytically active enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of primary amino acid sequence of human complement control protein factor I from an analysis of cDNA clones.

A cDNA clone of the mRNA coding for the human complement system control protein Factor I has been isolated. The predicted amino acid sequence obtained from the DNA sequence demonstrates a protein consisting of a heavy chain (Mr 35,400) linked to a light chain (Mr 27,600), both of which contain three sites for N-linked glycosylation. The light chain has clear homology with other serine proteinases, most notably in the region of the catalytically active and structurally important amino acids and shares some of the features characteristic of the plasminogen activators. The heavy chain has a clear 'mosaic' nature typical of the plasma serine proteinases; in particular it contains class A and class B LDL (low-density lipoprotein) receptor repeats with conserved cysteine residues similar to those found in other complement proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Sequence analysis of a cDNA clone encoding the C-terminal end of human complement factor H.

Peptide sequencing of the complement system regulatory protein, factor H, permitted the synthesis of a mixed sequence oligonucleotide probe. Human liver cDNA libraries were screened and factor H-specific clones selected. No full-length clone was obtained, but the largest available clone, R2a, was found to encode the C-terminal 657 amino acids of factor H. The derived amino acid sequence consists of 10 contiguous internally homologous segments, each about 60 amino acids long. Sequences homologous to these are found in several other complement and non-complement proteins. Such sequences are likely to represent a particular type of tertiary structure subunit.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of human stromelysin and collagenase by cloning and sequence analysis.

A comparison of the cDNA-derived amino acid sequences of human stromelysin and collagenase with the N-terminal sequences of purified enzymes reveals that these metalloproteinases are highly conserved and that they are secreted as proenzymes. A putative zinc-binding site was identified by its homology with the zinc-chelating sequence of thermolysin. These sequences permitted the identification of: transin, a protein induced in rat fibroblasts either exposed to growth factors or transformed by oncogenic viruses, as the rat homologue of stromelysin, and XHF1, a protein induced in human fibroblasts after treatment with tumourigenic agents, as collagenase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The cloning and nucleotide sequence of cDNA for an amplified glutamine synthetase gene from the Chinese hamster.

The nucleotide sequence for a glutamine synthetase (GS) mRNA from gene-amplified Chinese hamster (CHO) cells was determined from recombinant cDNA clones obtained from both pBR322 and lambda gt10 libraries and by primer extension. The sequence obtained contains about 1400 bp corresponding to a minor species of mRNA terminated by a poly A sequence. The mRNA contains 146 nucleotides of 5'-noncoding region, 1119 bp of coding sequence, and 108 bp of 3'-noncoding sequence with a 32 bp poly(A) tail. The polyadenylation site used shows little homology with efficient polyadenylation sites, but has considerable complementarity with U4 RNA. The predicted amino acid sequence, starting from an initiation codon with the preferred sequence surrounding it, indicates that Chinese hamster GS has high homology with published bovine brain GS peptides and enabled an ordering of these peptides. There is homology between the mammalian GS enzymes and glutamine synthetases obtained from plants and cyanobacteria but no obvious homology between the CHO cell GS sequence and that of other ATP hydrolysing enzymes.

Animals↗

Cloning of cDNA coding for human tissue-type plasminogen activator and its expression in Escherichia coli.

cDNA clones of the mRNA coding for tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) have been obtained and their nucleotide sequences compared to those reported previously. A gene coding for t-PA has been reconstructed and inserted into vectors for expression in prokaryotic cells. Relatively high levels of t-PA accumulated in inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli containing an optimized expression plasmid, but only a small proportion of the insoluble protein was recovered as active enzyme using a variety of solubilization procedures.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression of heterologous genes in E. coli.

The strategies for the expression of cloned foreign genes in E. coli are described, and some of the tactics that can be employed to ensure high levels of expression are identified. More fundamental problems associated with scale-up, such as plasmid stability and protein processing, are also addressed.

Animals↗

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of rat lingual lipase cDNA.

Purified rat lingual lipase (EC3113), a glycoprotein of approximate molecular weight 52,000, was used to generate polyclonal antibodies which were able to recognise the denatured and deglycosylated enzyme. These immunoglobulins were used to screen a cDNA library prepared from mRNA isolated from the serous glands of rat tongue cloned in E. coli expression vectors. An almost full length cDNA clone was isolated and the nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence obtained. Comparison with the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme confirmed the identity of the cDNA and indicated that there was a hydrophobic signal sequence of 18 residues. The amino acid sequence of mature rat lingual lipase consists of 377 residues and shares little homology with porcine pancreatic lipase apart from a short region containing a serine residue at an analogous position to the ser 152 of the porcine enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Analysis of the secondary structure of the poly(C) tract in foot-and-mouth disease virus RNAs.

Sodium bisulphite modification of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) RNA in solution indicates that the majority of the poly(C) tract in the RNA is single-stranded in concordance with previous results with encephalomyocarditis virus RNA. The reaction kinetics are biphasic; 60% of the cytidylic acid in the poly(C) tract reacts like synthetic poly(C), and the remainder with the kinetics of the cytidylic acid in the rest of the RNA. The reactivity of the poly(C) tract with poly(I) indicates that it is looped out and exposed in the RNA. The deamination reaction has also been used to investigate the structure of the replicative form (RF) and replicative intermediate (RI) isolated from infected cells. Analysis by gel electrophoresis of the long RNase A- and T1-resistant oligonucleotides of RI suggests that it has five single-stranded poly(C) tracts to every one which is base-paired. Bisulphite reactivity of the poly(C) tract and gel electrophoresis of the ribonuclease-resistant oligonucleotides of RF indicate that the poly(C) is base-paired to a poly(G) tract in this molecule. The presence of a poly(G) tract in RF and RI provides unequivocal evidence that the poly(C) is replicated via poly(G) in the negative strand.

Animals↗

Analysis and gene assignment of mRNAs of a paramyxovirus, simian virus 5.

Polypeptides synthesized by the paramyxovirus SV5 in infected CV-1 cells were readily identified when the host cell was treated with actinomycin D. The unglycosylated forms of HN and Fo synthesized in infected cells in the presence of tunicamycin and HN and Fo synthesized in vitro were identified by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies. Separation of SV5-specific poly(A)-containing RNAs on methyl-mercury agarose gels and in vitro translation of fractions, indicated that the viral polypeptides were translated from individual mRNAs except P (Mr approximately 44K) and the nonstructural polypeptide V (Mr approximately 24K) for which the mRNAs could not be separated. cDNA copies of SV5-specific mRNAs were synthesized and cloned in plasmid pBR322. Clones to NP, P + V, M, F, and HN were identified by hybrid-arrest and hybrid-selection translation of SV5 mRNAs. Tryptic peptide mapping of polypeptides P and V indicated that the peptides of V were a subset of those of P. Hybridization of cDNA probes to infected cell mRNAs separated on agarose gels permitted identification of the NP, P + V, M, F, and HN mRNAs and presumptive polycistronic mRNAs. The sizes and sequence homologies of these polycistronic mRNAs were used to derive a likely gene order on the SV5 50 S genome RNA.

Animals↗

RsrII--a novel restriction endonuclease with a heptanucleotide recognition site.

A sequence-specific endonuclease present in extracts of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides 630 has been purified and characterized. The enzyme, Rsr II, recognises and cleaves the palindromic heptanucleotide sequence: (sequence; see test) By virtue of its unusual specificity, RsrII cuts most DNA molecules very infrequently which should facilitate the physical mapping of large genomes.

Base Sequence↗

Fusion protein of the paramyxovirus simian virus 5: nucleotide sequence of mRNA predicts a highly hydrophobic glycoprotein.

The nucleotide sequence of the mRNA coding for the fusion glycoprotein (F) of the paramyxovirus, simian virus 5, has been obtained. There is a single large open reading frame on the mRNA that encodes a protein of 529 amino acids with a molecular weight of 56,531. The proteolytic cleavage/activation site of F, to yield F2 and F1, contains five arginine residues. Six potential glycosylation sites were identified in the protein, two on F2 and four on F1. The deduced amino acid sequence indicates that F is extensively hydrophobic over the length of the polypeptide chain. Three regions are very hydrophobic and could interact directly with membranes: these are the NH2-terminal putative signal peptide, the COOH-terminal putative membrane anchorage domain, and the NH2-terminal region of F1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Assignment of tissue-type plasminogen activator to chromosome 8 in man and identification of a common restriction length polymorphism within the gene.

The plasminogen activators (PAs) are serine proteinases which convert the inactive proenzyme plasminogen into plasmin, a proteinase associated with processes such as fibrinolysis and tissue remodelling. There are two immunologically distinct types of PA: tissue-type (t-PA), the main form involved in thrombolysis, and urokinase-type (u-PA), primarily involved in tissue degradation. Two or possibly more genes encode PA activity, and one locus has been provisionally assigned to chromosome 6 in man. We have isolated cDNA clones which encompass the entire coding sequence of the t-PA gene, and have used these to probe DNA on Southern blots isolated from 18 independent human-rodent somatic cell hybrid lines. The presence of the human gene for t-PA showed complete concordance with human chromosome 8 in the hybrids. In addition, the cDNA clones recognize a restriction fragment length polymorphism, where the two common alleles each have a frequency of approximately 0.5. t-PA and u-PA activities have been found in a wide variety of malignant cells, where they are thought to play a role in metastatic invasion of normal tissue. The results reported here will enable us to investigate whether genetic changes associated with the chromosome encoding t-PA are associated with altered t-PA expression in neoplasia.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Synthesis of calf prochymosin (prorennin) in Escherichia coli.

A gene for calf prochymosin (prorennin) has been reconstructed from chemically synthesized oligodeoxyribonucleotides and cloned DNA copies of preprochymosin mRNA. This gene has been inserted into a bacterial expression plasmid containing the Escherichia coli tryptophan promoter and a bacterial ribosome binding site. Induction of transcription from the tryptophan promoter results in prochymosin synthesis at a level of up to 5% of total protein. The enzyme has been purified from bacteria by extraction with urea and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and converted to enzymatically active chymosin by acidification and neutralization. Bacterially produced chymosin is as effective in clotting milk as the natural enzyme isolated from calf stomach.

Animals↗

Exsanguination in a Jehovah's Witness.

A case is reported in which death occurred after a patient's adamant refusal to accept blood transfusion, despite prompt control of blood loss. The management of this situation is discussed. Reconstitution of the circulating volume was followed by survival for 2 hours after surgery. The haemoglobin level fell to 1.8 g/dl.

Adult↗

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of cDNA coding for calf preprochymosin.

DNA complementary to calf stomach mRNA has been synthesised and inserted into the Pst1 site of pAT153 by G-C tailing. Clones containing sequences coding for prochymosin were recognised by colony hybridisation with cDNA extended from a chemically synthesised oligodeoxynucleotide primer, the sequence of which was predicted from the published amino acid sequence of calf prochymosin. Two clones were identified which together contained a complete copy of prochymosin mRNA. The nucleotide sequence is in substantial agreement with the reported amino acid sequence of prochymosin and shows that this protein has a mol.wt. of 40431 and chymosin a mol.wt. of 35612. The sequence also indicates that prochymosin is synthesised as a precursor molecule, preprochymosin, having a 16 amino acid hydrophobic leader sequence analogous to that reported for other secreted proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗