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Y Gluzman

Publications and source records attributed to Y Gluzman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Structure/activity relationships in basic FGF.

Although the FGFs have been subject to extensive biological studies, only limited progress has been made so far in determining the critical elements of structure-activity relationships in the FGFs. Among the recognized structural elements with potential to affect the biological activity of FGFs are the cysteine residues, and the heparin- and receptor-binding domains. These features have been studied using a variety of experimental approaches, but the available data are inconclusive. For example, ambiguity regarding the presence of a disulfide structure in FGFs was not resolved until the availability of x-ray crystal structure data. Furthermore, the functionally important heparin- and receptor-binding domains have been poorly characterized, with some interpretations being controversial. In this report, we describe a novel fragment of basic FGF (bFGF) with high biological activity [Ser78,96-bFGF(70-153)]. This fragment was generated by pronase treatment of heparin-bound recombinant Glu3,5Ser78,96-bFGF mutant and is active in vitro at an ED50 of about 100 ng/ml. The structure of the fragment and the manner by which it was generated provide additional insight into important aspects of structure-activity relationships in FGFs. Specifically, we conclude that (a) the cysteines in our bFGF mutant do not form a disulfide bond, (b) the high-affinity heparin binding of bFGF critically depends on an intact 3-dimensional structure of the growth factor rather than on specific heparin-binding sequence domains, and (c) the bFGF sequence between residues 70 and 122 is important for high biological activity.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1991

Molecular basis of tetracycline action: identification of analogs whose primary target is not the bacterial ribosome.

Tetracycline analogs fell into two classes on the basis of their mode of action. Tetracycline, chlortetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline, and 6-demethyl-6-deoxytetracycline inhibited cell-free translation directed by either Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis extracts. A second class of analogs tested, including chelocardin, anhydrotetracycline, 6-thiatetracycline, anhydrochlortetracycline, and 4-epi-anhydrochlortetracycline, failed to inhibit protein synthesis in vitro or were very poor inhibitors. Tetracyclines of the second class, however, rapidly inhibited the in vivo incorporation of precursors into DNA and RNA as well as protein. The class 2 compounds therefore have a mode of action that is entirely distinct from the class 1 compounds, such as tetracycline that are used clinically. Although tetracyclines of the second class entered the cytoplasm, the ability of these analogs to inhibit macromolecular synthesis suggests that the cytoplasmic membrane is their primary site of action. The interaction of class 1 and class 2 tetracyclines with ribosomes was studied by examining their effects on the chemical reactivity of bases in 16S rRNA to dimethyl sulfate. Class 1 analogs affected the reactivity of bases to dimethyl sulfate. The response with class 2 tetracyclines varied, with some analogs affecting reactivity and others (chelocardin and 4-epi-anhydrotetracycline) not.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1991

Replacement mutagenesis of the human cytomegalovirus genome: US10 and US11 gene products are nonessential.

The US6 gene family, located within the unique short region (US) of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genome, contains six open reading frames (US6 through US11) which may encode glycoproteins, such as gcII (D. Gretch, B. Kari, R. Gehrz, and M. Stinski, J. Virol. 62:1956-1962, 1988). By homologous recombination, several different recombinant HCMV were created which contain a marker gene, beta-glucuronidase, inserted within this gene family. It was demonstrated that beta-glucuronidase has utility as a marker gene for the identification of recombinants in this herpesvirus system, without the occurrence of deletions in other regions of the viral genome. DNA and RNA blot analyses attested to the fidelity of the recombination. Immunoprecipitation experiments using monospecific polyclonal antisera indicated that the US10 and/or US11 gene products were not expressed in the recombinants, as predicted. These results, along with single-cycle growth analyses, indicated that the US10 and US11 gene products are nonessential for virus replication and growth in tissue culture. HCMV recombinants expressing beta-glucuronidase seemed to be genetically stable.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1991

Cloning, characterization and developmental regulation of two members of a novel human gene family of neurite outgrowth-promoting proteins.

This report describes the cloning, expression and characterization of two members of a novel human gene family of proteins, HBNF and MK, which exhibit neurite outgrowth-promoting activity. The HBNF cDNA gene codes for a 168-residue protein which is a precursor for a previously described brain-derived heparin-binding protein of 136 amino acids. The second human gene identified in this study, called MK, codes for a 143-residue protein (including a 22-amino acid signal sequence) which is 46% homologous with HBNF. Complementary DNA constructs coding for the mature HBNF and MK proteins were expressed in bacteria and purified by heparin affinity chromatography. These recombinant proteins exhibited neurite-outgrowth promoting activity, but lacked mitogenic activity. The HBNF gene is expressed in the brain of adult mice and rats, but only minimal expression of MK was observed in this tissue. Different patterns of developmental expression were observed in the embryonic mouse, with MK expression peaking in the brain between days E12 and E14 and diminishing to minimal levels in the adult, while expression of HBNF mRNA was observed to gradually increase during embryogenesis, reaching a maximal level at birth and maintaining this level into adulthood. Expression of these genes was also observed in the human embryonal carcinoma cell line, NT2/D1. Retinoic acid induced the expression of HBNF and MK 6- and 11-fold, respectively, in this cell line. Our studies indicate that HBNF and MK are members of a new family of highly conserved, developmentally regulated genes that may play a role in nervous tissue development and/or maintenance.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Preferential integration of the Ad5/SV40 hybrid virus at the highly recombinogenic human chromosomal site 1p36.

Human fibroblasts transformed with an adenovirus-5/simian virus 40 recombinant construct (Ad5/SV40) were analyzed to determine the chromosomal site(s) of virus integration. This was firstly done by in situ hybridization using metaphase and prometaphase chromosomes and 125I-labeled Ad5 DNA. Out of seven transformed cell lines (six of clonal origin and one uncloned), six were proven to have integrated the viral genome at the short- or the long-subtelomeric regions of autosome 1, two regions known to include chromosomal modification sites induced by acute infection with Ad12. Characterization of the integration sites was carried out by restriction analysis. Transformed cell lines with the same major chromosomal integration site were found to have the viral genome inserted in restriction fragments of different size, indicating that viral integration has occurred at different sites within a relatively small chromosomal region. Molecular studies carried out on one of the transformed cell lines (H13.1) gave an independent confirmation of the viral integration at the subterminal region of autosome 1 short arm. Nucleotide sequencing at this cellular-viral junction has shown that the virus has integrated within tandemly repeated Alu-like elements and that the cellular flanking sequences have several homologies with variable number of tandem repeats core sequences. Many possible open reading frames were identified in the DNA segment adjacent to the Alu-like elements.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1990

Isolation of mutants of human immunodeficiency virus protease based on the toxicity of the enzyme in Escherichia coli.

The protease encoded by the pol gene of human immunodeficiency virus was expressed in Escherichia coli and found to be toxic to strain BL21(DE3). This toxicity provided a convenient selection for isolating mutants of the protease that are nontoxic and enzymatically inactive. This strong correlation between functional protease and toxicity resulted in rapid identification of several protease mutations, including mutations that exhibit temperature sensitivity. A total of 24 missense mutations and 7 nonsense mutations were identified. The described selection procedure may have wider applications for isolating mutants of other eukaryotic proteins that exhibit a toxic phenotype in E. coli.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1990

beta-Galactosidase containing a human immunodeficiency virus protease cleavage site is cleaved and inactivated by human immunodeficiency virus protease.

A "cleavage cassette" specifying a decapeptide human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease cleavage site was introduced into six different locations of beta-galactosidase (beta-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.23) in Escherichia coli. Four of these constructs retained beta-galactosidase activity despite the insertion of the cleavage cassette. Of these four constructs, one was cleaved by HIV protease, resulting in the inactivation of beta-galactosidase both in vivo and in vitro. This cleavage was inhibited by pepstatin A, a known inhibitor of HIV protease. Thus, beta-galactosidase has been converted into an easily assayed substrate for HIV protease. An analogous construct of beta-galactosidase containing a polio protease cleavage site was cleaved likewise by polio protease, suggesting that this system may be generic for monitoring cleavage by a variety of proteases.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Phosphorylation of large tumour antigen by cdc2 stimulates SV40 DNA replication.

Simian virus 40 large tumour antigen (T) is a replication origin binding protein required for viral DNA synthesis. Unphosphorylated T antigen is deficient in promoting DNA replication in vitro but can be activated by phosphorylation at residue threonine 124 by the cdc2 protein kinase. This observation demonstrates that T is regulated by phosphorylation and provides a model for cdc2 function in the control of DNA replication.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗
PubMed1989

Production of simian virus 40 large tumor antigen in bacteria: altered DNA-binding specificity and dna-replication activity of underphosphorylated large tumor antigen.

A bacterial expression system was used to produce simian virus 40 large tumor antigen (T antigen) in the absence of the extensive posttranslational modifications that occur in mammalian cells. Wild-type T antigen produced in bacteria retained a specific subset of the biochemical activities displayed by its mammalian counterpart. Escherichia coli T antigen functioned as a helicase and bound to DNA fragments containing either site I or the wild-type origin of replication in a manner identical to mammalian T antigen. However, T antigen purified from E. coli did not efficiently bind to site II, an essential cis element within the simian virus 40 origin of replication. It therefore could not unwind origin-containing plasmids or efficiently replicate simian virus 40 DNA in vitro. The ability of protein phosphorylation to modulate the intrinsic preference of full-length T antigen for either site I or site II is discussed.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗
PubMed1989

Purification and properties of poliovirus RNA polymerase expressed in Escherichia coli.

A cDNA clone encoding the RNA polymerase of poliovirus has been expressed in Escherichia coli under the transcriptional control of a T7 bacteriophage promoter. The poliovirus enzyme was designed to contain only a single additional amino acid, the N-terminal methionine. The recombinant enzyme has been purified to near homogeneity, and polyclonal antibodies have been prepared against it. The enzyme exhibits poly(A)-dependent oligo(U)-primed poly(U) polymerase activity as well as RNA polymerase activity. In the presence of an oligo(U) primer, the enzyme catalyzes the synthesis of a full-length copy of either poliovirus or globin RNA templates. In the absence of added primer, RNA products up to twice the length of the template are synthesized. When incubated in the presence of a single nucleoside triphosphate, [alpha-32P]UTP, the enzyme catalyzes the incorporation of radioactive label into template RNA. These results are discussed in light of previously proposed models of poliovirus RNA synthesis in vitro.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Large T-antigen mutants define multiple steps in the initiation of simian virus 40 DNA replication.

The biochemical activities of a series of transformation-competent, replication-defective large T-antigen point mutants were examined. The assays employed reflect partial reactions required for the in vitro replication of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA. Mutants which failed to bind specifically to SV40 origin sequences bound efficiently to single-stranded DNA and exhibited nearly wild-type levels of helicase activity. A mutation at proline 522, however, markedly reduced ATPase, helicase, and origin-specific unwinding activities. This mutant bound specifically to the SV40 origin of replication, but under certain conditions it was defective in binding to both single-stranded DNA and the partial duplex helicase substrate. This suggests that additional determinants outside the amino-terminal-specific DNA-binding domain may be involved in nonspecific binding of T antigen to single-stranded DNA and demonstrates that origin-specific DNA binding can be separated from binding to single-stranded DNA. A mutant containing a lesion at residue 224 retained nearly wild-type levels of helicase activity and recognized SV40 origin sequences, yet it failed to function in an origin-specific unwinding assay. This provides evidence that origin recognition and helicase activities are not sufficient for unwinding to occur. The distribution of mutant phenotypes reflects the complex nature of the initiation reaction and the multiplicity of functions provided by large T antigen.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗
PubMed1989

Properties of the DNA-binding domain of the simian virus 40 large T antigen.

T antigen (Tag) from simian virus 40 binds specifically to two distinct sites in the viral origin of replication and to single-stranded DNA. Analysis of the protein domain responsible for these activities revealed the following. (i) The C-terminal boundary of the origin-specific and single-strand-specific DNA-binding domain is at or near amino acid 246; furthermore, the maximum of these DNA-binding activities coincides with a narrow C-terminal boundary, spanning 4 amino acids (246 to 249) and declines sharply in proteins with C termini which differ by a few (4 to 10) amino acids; (ii) a polypeptide spanning residues 132 to 246 of Tag is an independent domain responsible for origin-specific DNA binding and presumably for single-stranded DNA binding; and (iii) a comparison of identical N-terminal fragments of Tag purified from mammalian and bacterial cells revealed differential specificity and levels of activity between the two sources of protein. A role for posttranslational modification (phosphorylation) in controlling the DNA-binding activity of Tag is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Regulation of SV40 DNA replication by phosphorylation of T antigen.

The role of phosphorylation in regulating the biochemical properties of SV40 large T antigen has been examined. Treatment of purified T antigen with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase resulted in the removal of 80% of the 32P label. This partially dephosphorylated T antigen displayed an increase in its ability to support DNA replication in vitro. This increase in replication activity was paralleled by an activation of specific DNA binding to site II, a necessary element within the origin of SV40 DNA replication. In contrast, the ATPase activity of dephosphorylated T antigen remained unchanged. These results demonstrate that DNA replication is regulated by phosphorylation of an origin specific DNA binding protein.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1987

Studies on the origin-specific DNA-binding domain of simian virus 40 large T antigen.

The origin-specific DNA-binding domain of simian virus 40 large T antigen was analyzed, and its C-terminal boundary was found to be at or before amino acid 259. This does not include the zinc finger structural motif located at amino acids 302 to 320 (J. M. Berg, Science 232:485-486, 1986). Interestingly, N-terminal fragments of 266 and 272 amino acids and larger displayed dramatically reduced origin-binding activity. In addition, the specific DNA-binding properties of truncated proteins purified from both bacterial and mammalian sources were compared. Truncated T antigens from mammalian cells bound specific DNA fragments more efficiently than did their bacterial counterparts. These results implicate posttranslational modification with a role in regulating the DNA-binding activity of large T antigen.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Analysis of nonpermissivity in mouse cells overexpressing simian virus 40 T antigen.

To analyze the nature of the nonpermissivity of mouse cells for simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication, we isolated mouse cells producing SV40 T antigen (Tag) at levels equal to or greater than that found in COS1 cells. These mouse cells were nonpermissive for the replication of exogenously added SV40 DNA, although purified Tag isolated from these cells was able to support SV40 DNA replication in vitro. Furthermore, when mouse cells expressing Tag were fused to monkey cells, SV40 DNA replication was observed. These results indicate that the mere production of large quantities of wild-type SV40 Tag does not overcome the block of nonpermissivity in mouse cells and that cellular factors must play a critical role.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Stable gene transfer and tissue-specific expression of a human globin gene using adenoviral vectors.

Helper-free double recombinant adenoviruses containing a genomic human globin gene and the neomycin resistance gene (neoR) have been constructed. The inserted globin and neoR genes are stable and transcription of two human globin genes (beta and a hybrid gamma-beta gene) is correctly initiated at the respective globin promoter during lytic infection in 293 cells. The neoR gene driven by the SV40 early promoter confers G418 resistance to human fibroblasts and K562 human erythro-leukemia cells transformed with these viruses. Most neoR clones contain the entire recombinant viral genome, including the inserted globin gene, integrated into their chromosomes. Normally, K562 cells express their gamma but not their beta globin genes. The transferred human beta globin gene was not expressed in either K562 cells or fibroblasts. However, the hybrid gamma-beta globin gene was expressed in all K562 clones that contained the gene whereas gamma-beta mRNA was barely detectable in the fibroblasts. This demonstrates tissue-specific expression of the adenovirus-transferred globin gene. Furthermore, the two transferred genes, globin and neoR, which are situated more than 20 kb apart in the viral genome appear to be independently regulated.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1986

Functional analysis of the role of the A + T-rich region and upstream flanking sequences in simian virus 40 DNA replication.

One boundary of the minimal origin of replication of simian virus 40 DNA lies within the A + T-rich region. Deletion of only a few bases into the adenine-thymine (AT) stretch results in a DNA template which is defective for replication both in vivo and in vitro (B. Stillman, R. D. Gerard, R. A. Guggenheimer, and Y. Gluzman, EMBO J. 4:2933-2939, 1985). In the present study, such deletion mutations have been reconstructed into a simian virus 40 genome containing an intact early promoter-enhancer region. The resulting mutants synthesized wild-type levels of T antigen, but were defective for replication and would not form plaques on CV-1 monkey cells. Replication-competent phenotypic revertants were selected after transfection of large quantities of the replication-defective viral DNAs into CV-1 cells. DNA sequence analysis showed that most of these revertants contained insertions or point mutations which partially regenerate the length of the AT stretch. These genotypic alterations were shown to be responsible for the revertant phenotype by replication analysis in vivo of subcloned revertant origin fragments. In general, our results emphasize the importance of the AT region to simian virus 40 origin function. However, one revertant retained the altered AT region but deleted six nucleotides upstream. Experiments using this mutant indicate that the 21-base-pair repeats identified as part of the early transcriptional promoter may compensate for defects in simian virus 40 DNA replication in vivo caused by mutations in the A + T-rich region when positioned at an appropriate distance from the core origin.

Adenine↗