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Attenuated and wild-type HIV-1 infections and long terminal repeat-mediated gene expression from plasmids delivered by gene gun to human skin ex vivo and macaques in vivo.

Gene expression from HIV-based gene therapy vectors or live-attenuated HIV-1 vaccines requires RNA transcription supported by the HIV-1 promoter, the long terminal repeat (LTR). Delivery of live-attenuated HIV-1 vaccines as plasmid DNA would overcome problems associated with production of attenuated HIV-1 strains. We investigated the expression of reporter plasmids and proviral HIV-1 constructs driven by either the HIV-1 LTR or LTRs with deletions in the U3 enhancer regions. LTR-driven plasmids were inoculated by gene gun into both human epidermis ex vivo and macaques in vivo. The HIV-1 LTR drove reporter gene expression in human and macaque skin, although with 15- to 20-fold less efficiency compared to the immediate-early cytomegalovirus promoter. A deleted LTR derived from a naturally attenuated HIV-1 strain infecting a member of the well-characterized Sydney Blood Bank Cohort of long-term nonprogressors was 5-fold less efficient in expression of the reporter gene compared to wild-type LTR. Delivery of proviral wild-type HIV-1 DNA constructs to human skin resulted in recovery of HIV-1 from cells emigrating from the epidermis, providing an ex vivo model of the infectivity of proviral HIV-1 DNA. However, delivery of proviral HIV-1 DNA containing deletions in either the LTR, Nef, or the secondary viral transcription activator,Vpr, significantly reduced HIV-1 replication in this model. The early coexpression of Tat from a second plasmid did not restore replication. Thus, although attenuated lentiviral vaccines might be deliverable as proviral DNA constructs in primate subjects, significant improvements are needed to enhance the efficiency of this method.

AIDS Vaccines↗

Posttranscriptional trans-activation in cauliflower mosaic virus.

The ability of plant cells to translate dicistronic mRNAs that mimic a segment of the polycistronic 35S RNA from cauliflower mosaic virus has been tested. The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and beta-glucuronidase open reading frames (ORFs) were fused in-frame to the second viral cistron (ORF I). Efficient reporter expression from the corresponding plasmids in plant protoplasts was observed only upon cotransfection with viral DNA. The trans-activating gene maps at ORF VI, which is expressed from a separate, monocistronic messenger (19S RNA). Deletion analysis shows that trans-activation selectively enhances downstream gene expression; the high expression of the upstream ORF is not further increased. The major reporter transcript remained bicistronic upon trans-activation, and its abundance varied only to a limited extent. Results indicate that trans-activation enhances the translation of downstream ORFs on polycistronic mRNAs derived from cauliflower mosaic virus.

Base Sequence↗

Recombinant expression and partial characterization of the human formyl peptide receptor.

FMLP-receptor DNA was expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed product could specifically bind FMLP. This is the first-reported expression of a functional FMLP receptor in Escherichia coli. We confirm that receptor glycosylation is not essential for ligand binding. A deletion mutant did not bind FMLP, suggesting that the deleted portion plays a role in ligand binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

In vivo effects of mutations in woodchuck hepatitis virus enhancer II.

Woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) enhancer II (EnII) is located upstream of the major pregenomic RNA promoter and is thought to play an important role in the insertional activation of the N-myc2 gene during WHV hepatocarcinogenesis. WHV EnII is recognized by at least three host transcription factors: HNF-1, HNF-4, and Oct-1. Here, the roles of these EnII-binding factors in viral transcription and replication have been further examined. In HepG2 cells transiently transfected with a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene whose expression is dependent upon EnII, mutations in either the HNF-1 or the HNF-4 site strongly reduced CAT activity, while ablation of the Oct-1 site decreased CAT expression only twofold. Mutations in more than one site completely abolished reporter expression. These same mutations were also tested in an overlength WHV genome for their impact on viral replication and gene expression. In transfected HepG2 cells, lesions in the HNF-1 site inactivated pregenomic RNA expression and viral reverse transcription, with only minimal effects on the expression of other viral mRNAs. By contrast, Oct-1 site lesions had no effect on either viral RNA synthesis or DNA replication, and HNF-4 site lesions produced a modest reduction of pregenomic RNA but had no impact on viral DNA synthesis. Testing of the mutants in susceptible woodchucks revealed that, as expected, viruses with lesions in the HNF-1 site were nearly noninfectious, while mutants with lesions at the Oct-1 site were fully replication competent. HNF-4 site mutants were replication competent but may display reduced levels of replication in the intact animal host. We conclude that (i) EnII is primarily devoted to the regulation of pregenomic RNA in WHV, (ii) HNF-1 is essential for EnII function in vivo, and (iii) HNF-4 plays a demonstrable but adjunctive role in EnII function.

Animals↗

A ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme is essential for developmental transitions in Dictyostelium.

We have identified a developmentally essential gene, UbcB, by insertional mutagenesis. The encoded protein (UBC1) shows very high amino acid sequence identity to ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes from other organisms, suggesting that UBC1 is involved in protein ubiquitination and possibly degradation during Dictyostelium development. Consistent with the homology of the UBC1 protein to UBCs, the developmental pattern of protein ubiquitination is altered in ubcB-null cells. ubcB-null cells are blocked in the ability to properly execute the developmental transition that occurs between the induction of postaggregative gene expression during mound formation and the induction of cell-type differentiation and subsequent morphogenesis. ubcB-null cells plated on agar form mounds with normal kinetics; however, they remain at this stage for approximately 10 h before forming multiple tips and fingers that then arrest. Under other conditions, some of the fingers form migrating slugs, but no culmination is observed. In ubcB-null cells, postaggregative gene transcripts accumulate to very high levels and do not decrease significantly with time as they do in wild-type cells. Expression of cell-type-specific genes is very delayed, with the level of prespore-specific gene expression being significantly reduced compared with that in wild-type cells. lacZ reporter studies using developmentally regulated and cell-type-specific promoters suggest that ubcB-null cells show an unusually elevated level of staining of lacZ reporters expressed in anterior-like cells, a regulatory cell population found scattered throughout the aggregate, and reduced staining of a prespore reporter. ubcB-null cells in a chimeric organism containing predominantly wild-type cells are able to undergo terminal differentiation but show altered spatial localization. In contrast, in chimeras containing only a small fraction of wild-type cells, the mature fruiting body is very small and composed almost exclusively of wild-type cells, with the ubcB-null cells being present as a mass of cells located in extreme posterior of the developing organism. The amino acid sequence analysis of the UbcB open reading frame (ORF) and the analysis of the developmental phenotypes suggest that tip formation and subsequent development requires specific protein ubiquitination, and possibly degradation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression of active thrombopoietin and identification of its key residues responsible for receptor binding.

In this report expression of the biologically active N-terminal half (amino acids 1-153) of thrombopoietin (TPO153) in Escherichia coli is described and the structure-function relationships in TPO are explored. TPO153 was chosen for expression because of its full biological activity. Since natural TPO153 cDNA expressed poorly, synthetic cDNA was constructed with a unique polymerase chain reaction to enhance the expression. In addition, the 5'-end codons of the synthetic cDNA were altered to maximize the expression. The expressed TPO153 was refolded and then purified to homogeneity. The protein is biologically active, and interestingly, the EC50 of this protein is 8-10-fold smaller in a TPO-dependent cell proliferation assay than that of full-length wild-type TPO. In order to identify the amino acid residues that are involved in the interaction between TPO and its receptor, all charged residues and some of the uncharged residues on the four putative helices of TPO were mutated and biological activities of the mutant proteins were examined. The mutagenesis studies suggest that there are at least two clusters of residues that are vital for TPO to be able to interact with its receptor. These residues are centred respectively around arginine 10 on helix 1 and around lysine 138 on helix IV. The successful expression of the protein in E. coli will greatly facilitate biochemical and crystallographic studies of TPO, and the structure-function relationship studies suggest that TPO has two binding sites which may interact with two individual receptors, resulting in dimerization of the receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression of the EVI1 gene in chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis.

The EVI1 gene encodes a nuclear, zinc finger, DNA binding protein expressed after provirus insertion into the Fim-3 or EVI1 loci in murine leukemia myeloid cells. EVI1 is also expressed by cells from AML patients with chromosome rearrangements involving band 3q26, the putative location of the EVI1 gene, but expression of this gene is not detected in normal bone marrow. We report expression of EVI1 by cells from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis (CML/BC) whose cells showed inv(3)(q22q26). In vitro culture of these cells resulted in macrophage differentiation and loss of EVI1 expression. Results in this patient suggest EVI1 expression played a role in CML blast transformation. Patients with CML/BC and other nonrandom chromosome abnormalities involving chromosome 3q26 should be evaluated for EVI1 expression.

Adult↗

Isolation, characterization, and expression of Le-msx, a maternally expressed member of the msx gene family from the glossiphoniid leech, Helobdella.

The msx gene family is one of the most highly conserved of the nonclustered homeobox-containing genes. We have isolated an msx homolog (Le-msx) from the glossiphoniid leech, Helobdella robusta, and characterized its pattern of expression by whole mount in situ hybridization. In situ expression and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) data results show that Le-msx is a maternal transcript initially uniformly distributed in the cortex of immature oocytes that becomes asymmetrically localized to the polar regions of the uncleaved zygote. This is the earliest reported expression for the msx gene family and the first maternally expressed homeodomain-containing transcription factor reported in annelids. During embryonic development, Le-msx is expressed in all 10 embryonic stem cells and their segmental founder cell descendants. At midembryonic stages, Le-msx is expressed in the expanding germinal plate. Le-msx is confined to the central nervous system and nephridia at late (stage 9) stages and subsequently disappears from nephridia. In addition, we present a phylogenetic hypothesis for the evolution of the msx gene family, including the identification of a putative C. elegans msx homolog and the realignment of the sponge msx homolog to the NK class of homeodomain genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The neural RNA-binding protein Musashi1 translationally regulates mammalian numb gene expression by interacting with its mRNA.

Musashi1 (Msi1) is an RNA-binding protein that is highly expressed in neural progenitor cells, including neural stem cells. In this study, the RNA-binding sequences for Msi1 were determined by in vitro selection using a pool of degenerate 50-mer sequences. All of the selected RNA species contained repeats of (G/A)U(n)AGU (n = 1 to 3) sequences which were essential for Msi1 binding. These consensus elements were identified in some neural mRNAs. One of these, mammalian numb (m-numb), which encodes a membrane-associated antagonist of Notch signaling, is a likely target of Msi1. Msi1 protein binds in vitro-transcribed m-numb RNA in its 3'-untranslated region (UTR) and binds endogenous m-numb mRNA in vivo, as shown by affinity precipitation followed by reverse transcription-PCR. Furthermore, adenovirus-induced Msi1 expression resulted in the down-regulation of endogenous m-Numb protein expression. Reporter assays using a chimeric mRNA that combined luciferase and the 3'-UTR of m-numb demonstrated that Msi1 decreased the reporter activity without altering the reporter mRNA level. Thus, our results suggested that Msi1 could regulate the expression of its target gene at the translational level. Furthermore, we found that Notch signaling activity was increased by Msi1 expression in connection with the posttranscriptional down-regulation of the m-numb gene.

3T3 Cells↗

Suppression of AAV-Delivered Transgene Expression Using Artificial MicroRNAs Delivered by an Alternative AAV Serotype.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene transfer vectors mediate long-term expression in nondividing cells, an advantage for treating chronic disorders. However, current platforms lack a way to selectively shut down transgene expression if adverse effects arise. To create an "off switch," we hypothesized that incorporating unique artificial microRNA (amiRNA) target sequences into an AAV expression cassette would allow subsequent suppression of transgene expression using a second AAV vector encoding the cognate amiRNA. We introduced 22-nt sequences absent from human and mouse transcriptomes into the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of a therapeutic AAV cassette. To identify optimal amiRNAs, two tandem copies of each amiRNA were cloned into the 3'UTR of an mCherry reporter gene. In vitro assessment of six amiRNA/target pairs using a dual luciferase assay identified four amiRNAs that efficiently suppressed reporter expression. Cells cotransfected with target site 3 (TS3) and amiRNA-T3B showed the greatest reduction in luciferase activity (80%, p < 0.0001) and were selected for further study. The "off-switch" system was then evaluated using an AAV5 therapeutic vector expressing a recombinant humanized anti-IgE monoclonal antibody (AAV5-TBG-anti-IgE-TS3), designed for long-term suppression of allergen-induced reactions. Co-transfection of HEK293T cells with anti-IgE-TS3 and amiRNA-T3B significantly reduced anti-IgE mRNA and protein levels relative to a control amiRNA (p < 0.0001). In vivo testing in Balb/c mice (n = 5) involved intravenous administration of AAV5-anti-IgE-TS3 (3.2 &#xd7; 1010 gc), followed 4 weeks later by an AAVrh.10 amiRNA vector (AAVrh.10-TBG-amiRNA-T3B; 1 &#xd7; 1011 gc). Control mice receiving only the therapeutic vector expressed 18.4 &#xb1; 13.8 &#xb5;g/mL serum anti-IgE at 10 weeks. In contrast, mice receiving the amiRNA "off" vector showed marked suppression of anti-IgE (0.3 &#xb1; 0.15 &#xb5;g/mL, p < 0.0001). These findings provide proof-of-concept that AAV-delivered amiRNAs can selectively switch off transgene expression, offering a strategy to improve the safety of AAV-mediated gene therapies.

Dependovirus↗

Candida albicans HEX1 gene, a reporter of gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The Candida albicans HEX1 gene was examined as a reporter of gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The galactose-inducible S. cerevisiae GAL1-GAL10 promoter was inserted upstream of the C. albicans HEX1 gene, which encodes N-acetylglucosaminidase. The gene was introduced into S. cerevisiae AH22, which has no background N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. Expression of HEX1 in transformed cells was induced significantly by galactose and was repressed by glucose. The HEX1 gene product was functional in S. cerevisiae cells and was targeted to the periplasm. Both untransformed S. cerevisiae cells and cells expressing HEX1 had similar growth curves and cell morphology indicating that expression of N-acetylglucosaminidase was not toxic to the host strain. These results demonstrate that the HEX1 gene can be a useful reporter of gene expression in S. cerevisiae.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

Expression of the putative Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene in differentiated myogenic cell cultures and in the brain.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a sex-linked degenerative disorder of the muscle, is one of the most common lethal genetic diseases in man. It affects about one male in 3,500, with an estimated one-third of cases being caused by new mutations. A less severe disease, Becker's muscular dystrophy (BMD), maps to the same chromosomal locus and is most probably an allelic form of DMD. Both diseases are sometimes associated with various degrees of mental retardation; the molecular basis of these phenotypes is unknown (for review, see ref. 1). The giant DMD gene spans approximately 2,000 kilobases (kb) (0.05% of the human genome) and encodes a 14-kb mRNA. The tissue-specificity of its expression has not been precisely determined. Monaco et al., using Northern blots, reported expression of the gene in human fetal skeletal muscle and small intestine but not in human fetal brain, or in human cultured myoblasts and transformed B and T cells. More recently, expression was detected in mouse skeletal and cardiac muscle, but not in mouse brain. Here we show, using a ribonuclease protection assay, that the DMD gene is developmentally regulated in rat and mouse myogenic cell cultures, and that it is expressed in rat and mouse striated muscle, in mouse smooth muscle and in rat, mouse and rabbit brain. We could not detect transcripts in other non-muscle tissues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Green fluorescent protein as a vital marker and reporter of gene expression in Drosophila.

We have used the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria as a vital marker/reporter in Drosophila melanogaster. Transgenic flies were generated in which GFP was expressed under the transcriptional control of the yeast upstream activating sequence that is recognized by GAL4. These flies were crossed to several GAL4 enhancer trap lines, and expression of GFP was monitored in a variety of tissues during development using confocal microscopy. Here, we show that GFP could be detected in freshly dissected ovaries, imaginal discs, and the larval nervous system without prior fixation or the addition of substrates or antibodies. We also show that expression of GFP could be monitored in intact living embryos and larvae and in cultured egg chambers, allowing us to visualize dynamic changes in gene expression during real time.

Animals↗

7-ketocholesterol is an endogenous modulator for the arylhydrocarbon receptor.

We have identified 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC) as an endogenous modulator that inhibits transactivation by the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR) through competitive binding against xenobiotic ligands. 7-KC binds AhR and displaces labeled dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo(p)dioxin (TCDD)). IC(50) is 5 x 10(-7) m in vivo and 7 x 10(-6) m in vitro. These figures are consistent with its concentration in human blood plasma and tissues. Association with 7-KC prevents AhR binding to DNA. 7-KC blocks the TCDD-mediated transactivation of stably expressed reporter gene constructs in T47-D cells as well as the expression of the endogenous CYP 1A1 gene in HepG2 cells and in primary porcine aortic endothelial cells. Injection of 7-KC to rats blocks the induction of CYP 1A1 messenger RNA and protein in endothelial cells from myocardial blood vessels. The differential sensitivity of mammalian species to toxic effects of AhR ligands, especially dioxin (TCDD), correlates with the expression of 7-hydroxycholesterol dehydrogenase, which synthesizes 7-KC from 7-hydroxycholesterol. The documented involvement of AhR ligands in cardiovascular diseases through lipid peroxidation and endothelium dysfunction can now be examined in the context of displacement of this protective modulator.

Animals↗

A fragment of the Neurogenin1 gene confers regulated expression of a reporter gene in vitro and in vivo.

The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor neurogenin1 is required for proper nervous system development in vertebrates. It is expressed in neuronal precursors during embryonic development and is thought to play a role in specifying neuronal fate. To investigate the regulation of neurogenin1 expression, the transcriptional start site of the gene was identified and a 2.7-kb fragment ending in the first exon was shown to possess basal promoter activity. This 2.7-kb fragment was able to promote expression of reporter genes in P19 cells under conditions in which expression of endogenous neurogenin1 was induced. Importantly, the 2.7-kb fragment was able to drive expression of a lacZ reporter gene in transgenic mice in most tissues in which neurogenin1 is normally expressed, including those peripheral ganglia that fail to develop in neurogenin1 "knockout" mice. These findings identify a regulatory region containing elements responsible for appropriate expression of a gene with a crucial role in generating the vertebrate nervous system.

Animals↗

Pairing-dependent mislocalization of a Drosophila brown gene reporter to a heterochromatic environment.

We describe the precise positioning of a reporter gene within heterochromatin where it may be silenced. A transposition of the 59E-60A region into pericentric heterochromatin ensnares distal 59E-60A via somatic pairing. The frequency with which a brown (bw) reporter gene in 59E is silenced is influenced by chromosomal configurations. Silencing occurs only when the bw+ reporter is unpaired due to heterozygosity with a deficiency, where the frequency of bw+ reporter expression is correlated with the extent of bw gene and flanking sequence present. Surprisingly, the frequency of pairing between the transposition in heterochromatin and distal 59E observed cytologically is indistinguishable from the frequency of pairing of homologous chromosomes at 59E in wild-type larval brains, regardless of configuration. Therefore, bringing a susceptible reporter gene into close proximity with heterochromatin does not necessarily affect its expression, but local pairing changes resulting from altered chromosomal configurations can lead to silencing. We also find that an ensnared distal copy of bw that is interrupted by a heterochromatic insertion enhances silencing. This demonstrates that bw can be simultaneously acted upon by pericentric and distal blocks of heterochromatin.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

The use of hipO, encoding benzoylglycine amidohydrolase (hippuricase), as a reporter of gene expression in Campylobacter coli.

A novel integrative promoter probe vector which utilizes the Campylobacter jejuni hipO gene as a reporter of gene expression was developed as a genetic tool in Campylobacter coli. The utility of the system was demonstrated by coupling expression of the hipO reporter to the promoters of flaA, flaB and katA. Subsequently, expression of these genes could be monitored accurately from chromosomally-borne transcriptional fusions using a simple non-destructive colorimetric assay. The system should serve as a useful tool for studying the response of Camp. coli to environmental stresses.

Amidohydrolases↗