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Structural diversity despite strong evolutionary conservation in the 5'-untranslated region of the P-type dystrophin transcript.

Analysis of the 5'-flanking regions of the Purkinje (P-) dystrophin genes and mRNAs in different species revealed strong sequence conservation but functional diversity. Multiple transcription initiation sites were identified in cerebella and muscles, tissues expressing P-dystrophin. The predominant initiation site was conserved, with another muscle-specific site located upstream. Despite sequence homology, significant tissue- and species-specific structural diversity in the P-type 5'-ends exists, including alternative splicing within the 5'-untranslated region combined with alternative splicing of intron 1. One amino terminus is conserved in mammals and, to a lesser extent, in chicken. However, alternative usage of ATG codons may result in a choice of N-termini or translation of short upstream ORFs in different species. Promoter activity of a fragment upstream of the cap site was shown by transient expression in myoblasts and in vivo following intramuscular injection. It is tissue- and developmentally regulated. Analysis of promoter deletions suggests the existence of negative regulatory elements in the proximal region.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Cloning and sequencing of the groESL homologue from Porphyromonas gingivalis.

The homologue of groESL from Porphyromonas gingivalis was cloned and sequenced. Nucleotide sequencing suggested an operon containing two open reading frames (ORFs) homologous to groESL operon of Escherichia coli. The upstream ORF consisted of 267 bp corresponding to 89 amino acid residues. The downstream ORF consisted of 1635 bp corresponding to 545 amino acid residues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Ribosome stalling regulates IRES-mediated translation in eukaryotes, a parallel to prokaryotic attenuation.

It was previously shown that the mRNA for the cat-1 Arg/Lys transporter is translated from an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that is regulated by cellular stress. Amino acid starvation stimulated cat-1 translation via a mechanism that requires translation of an ORF in the mRNA leader and remodeling of the leader to form an active IRES (the "zipper model" of translational control). It is shown here that slowing of the leader peptide elongation rate, either by cycloheximide or the introduction of rare codons, stimulated translation of the downstream ORF. These results suggest that ribosome stalling in the upstream ORF causes mRNA remodeling and formation of an active IRES. This control is reminiscent of translation attenuation in prokaryotic operons, where inhibition of translation elongation can regulate both mRNA translation and gene transcription by altering mRNA structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Novel genes coding for lithotrophic sulfur oxidation of Paracoccus pantotrophus GB17.

The gene region coding for lithotrophic sulfur oxidation of Paracoccus pantotrophus GB17 is located on a 13-kb insert of plasmid pEG12. Upstream of the previously described six open reading frames (ORFs) soxABCDEF with a partial sequence of soxA and soxF (C. Wodara, F. Bardischewsky, and C. G. Friedrich, J. Bacteriol. 179:5014-5023, 1997), 4,350 bp were sequenced. The sequence completed soxA, and uncovered six new ORFs upstream of soxA, designated ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3, and soxXYZ. ORF1 could encode a 275-amino-acid polypeptide of 29,332 Da with a 61 to 63% similarity to LysR transcriptional regulators. ORF2 could encode a 245-amino-acid polypeptide of 26,022 Da with the potential to form six transmembrane helices and with a 48 to 51% similarity to proteins involved in redox transport in cytochrome c biogenesis. ORF3 could encode a periplasmic polypeptide of 186 amino acids of 20,638 Da with a similarity to thioredoxin-like proteins and with a putative signal peptide of 21 amino acids. Purified SoxXA, SoxYZ, and SoxB are essential for thiosulfate or sulfite-dependent cytochrome c reduction in vitro. N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences identified SoxX, SoxY, SoxZ, and SoxA to be coded by the respective genes. The molecular masses of the mature proteins determined by electrospray ionization spectroscopy (SoxX, 14,834 Da; SoxY, 11,094 Da; SoxZ, 11,717 Da; and SoxA, 30,452 Da) were identical or close to those deduced from the nucleotide sequence with differences for the covalent heme moieties. SoxXA represents a novel type of periplasmic c-type cytochromes, with SoxX as a monoheme and SoxA as a hybrid diheme cytochrome c. SoxYZ is an as-yet-unprecedented soluble protein. SoxY has a putative signal peptide with a twin arginine motif and possibly cotransports SoxZ to the periplasm. SoxYZ neither contains a metal nor a complex redox center, as proposed for proteins likely to be transported via the Tat system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structure and coding content of CST (BART) family RNAs of Epstein-Barr virus.

CST (BART BARF0) family viral RNAs are expressed in several types of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, including EBV-associated cancers. Many different spliced forms of these RNAs have been described; here we have clarified the structures of some of the more abundant splicing patterns. We report the first cDNAs representing a full-length CST mRNA from a clone library and further characterize the transcription start. The relative abundance of splicing patterns and genomic analysis of the open reading frames (ORFs) suggest that, in addition to the much studied BARF0 ORF, there may be important products made from some of the upstream ORFs in the CST RNAs. Potential biological functions are identified for two of these. The product of the RPMS1 ORF is shown to be a nuclear protein that can bind to the CBF1 component of Notch signal transduction. RPMS1 can inhibit the transcription activation induced through CBF1 by NotchIC or EBNA-2. The protein product of another CST ORF, A73, is shown to be a cytoplasmic protein which can interact with the cell RACK1 protein. Since RACK1 modulates signaling from protein kinase C and Src tyrosine kinases, the results suggest a possible role for CST products in growth control, perhaps consistent with the abundant transcription of CST RNAs in cancers such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Role of the open reading frames of Rous sarcoma virus leader RNA in translation and genome packaging.

The Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) RNA leader sequence carries three open reading frames (uORFs) upstream of the AUG initiator of the gag gene. We studied, in vivo, the role of these uORFs by changing two or three nucleotides of the three AUGs or by deleting the first uORF. Our results show that (i) unlike most previously characterized uORFs, which decrease translation, the first uORF (AUG1) of RSV acts as an enhancer of translation, since absence of the first AUG decreased translation; AUG3 also modulates translation, probably by interfering with scanning ribosomes as described for other upstream ORFs, and mutation of AUG2 had no effect on translation. (ii) Mutation of each of the upstream AUGs lowered the infectivity of progeny virions. (iii) Unexpectedly, mutation of AUG1 and/or AUG3 dramatically reduced RNA packaging by 50-to 100-fold, unlike mutation of AUG2 which did not alter RNA packaging efficiency. Additional mutants in the vicinity of uORF1 and uORF3 were constructed in order to elucidate the mechanism by which uORFs affect RNA packaging: a translation model requiring uORFs 1 and 3, and involving ribosome pausing at AUG 3 is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

DNA sequencing and analysis of the low-Ca2+-response plasmid pCD1 of Yersinia pestis KIM5.

The low-Ca2+-response (LCR) plasmid pCD1 of the plague agent Yersinia pestis KIM5 was sequenced and analyzed for its genetic structure. pCD1 (70,509 bp) has an IncFIIA-like replicon and a SopABC-like partition region. We have assigned 60 apparently intact open reading frames (ORFs) that are not contained within transposable elements. Of these, 47 are proven or possible members of the LCR, a major virulence property of human-pathogenic Yersinia spp., that had been identified previously in one or more of Y. pestis or the enteropathogenic yersiniae Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Of these 47 LCR-related ORFs, 35 constitute a continuous LCR cluster. The other LCR-related ORFs are interspersed among three intact insertion sequence (IS) elements (IS100 and two new IS elements, IS1616 and IS1617) and numerous defective or partial transposable elements. Regional variations in percent GC content and among ORFs encoding effector proteins of the LCR are additional evidence of a complex history for this plasmid. Our analysis suggested the possible addition of a new Syc- and Yop-encoding operon to the LCR-related pCD1 genes and gave no support for the existence of YopL. YadA likely is not expressed, as was the case for Y. pestis EV76, and the gene for the lipoprotein YlpA found in Y. enterocolitica likely is a pseudogene in Y. pestis. The yopM gene is longer than previously thought (by a sequence encoding two leucine-rich repeats), the ORF upstream of ypkA-yopJ is discussed as a potential Syc gene, and a previously undescribed ORF downstream of yopE was identified as being potentially significant. Eight other ORFs not associated with IS elements were identified and deserve future investigation into their functions.

Calcium↗

Distance-dependent translational coupling and interference in Lactococcus lactis.

The possibility of raising the expression level of a heterologous gene in Lactococcus lactis by exploiting the principle of translational coupling was investigated. For this purpose, the Escherichia coli lacZ gene was transcriptionally fused to a short open reading frame (ORF) of lactococcal origin. A Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence was introduced at the boundary of the two ORFs. In a series of otherwise identical plasmids, the relative positions of the translational stop codon of the upstream ORF and the translational start codon of the downstream ORF (lacZ) were varied. The expression of lacZ gradually increased as the stop and start codons were placed in closer proximity. A concomitant switch from translational interference to translational coupling was observed. Best results were obtained with partially overlapping stop and start codons. It is concluded that the principle of translational coupling offers good possibilities to increase the level of heterologous gene expression in L. lactis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

TdeA, a TolC-like protein required for toxin and drug export in Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an oral bacterium that causes localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP) and extra-oral infections such as sub-acute infective endocarditis. As part of its array of virulence factors, A. actinomycetemcomitans produces leukotoxin (LtxA), a member of the RTX family of toxins. LtxA kills human leukocytes and we have recently shown that the toxin is required for beta-hemolysis by A. actinomycetemcomitans on solid medium. In other RTX toxin-producing bacteria, an outer membrane channel-forming protein, TolC, is required for toxin secretion and drug export. We have identified an ORF in A. actinomycetemcomitans that encodes a putative protein having predicted structural properties similar to TolC. Inactivation of this ORF resulted in a mutant that was no longer beta-hemolytic and did not secrete LtxA. This mutant was significantly more sensitive to antimicrobial agents compared to the wild type strain and was unable to export the antimicrobial agent berberine. Thus, this ORF was named tdeA for "toxin and drug export". Examination of the DNA sequence surrounding tdeA revealed two upstream ORFs that encode proteins similar to the drug efflux proteins, MacA and MacB. Inactivation of macB in A. actinomycetemcomitans did not alter the drug sensitivity profile or the hemolytic activity of the mutant. The genes macA, macB and tdeA are organized as an operon and are constitutively expressed as a single transcript. These results show that A. actinomycetemcomitans indeed requires a TolC-like protein for LtxA secretion and that this protein, TdeA, also functions as part of a drug efflux system.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans↗

The pivotal roles of the plant S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase 5' untranslated leader sequence in regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels.

S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC; EC 4.1.1.50) is a key rate-limiting enzyme located in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway. When compared with other organisms, the plant SAMDC genes possess some distinct features because they are devoid of introns in the main open reading frame (ORF) but have an intron(s) in their 5' untranslated leader sequences, in which two overlapping tiny and small upstream ORFs (uORFs) are present. Our results show that the presence of the 5' leader sequence plays important roles in transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of SAMDC expression. This sequence may help to keep the transcript of its downstream cistron at a relatively low level and function together with its own promoter in response to external stimuli or internal changes of spermidine and spermine to initiate and regulate SAMDC expression. Under stress and high spermidine or spermine conditions, the tiny uORF shows the same function as its overlapping small uORF, which is involved in translational repression and feedback controlled by polyamines. The presence of introns is necessary for the SAMDC up-regulation process when the internal spermidine level is low. Our results suggest that plants have evolved one network to adjust SAMDC activity through their 5' leader sequences, through which transcriptional regulation is combined with an extensive posttranscriptional control circuit.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Nucleotide sequence and transcript organization of a region of the vaccinia virus genome which encodes a constitutively expressed gene required for DNA replication.

A vaccinia virus (VV) gene required for DNA replication has been mapped to the left side of the 16-kilobase (kb) VV HindIII D DNA fragment by marker rescue of a DNA- temperature-sensitive mutant, ts17, using cloned fragments of the viral genome. The region of VV DNA containing the ts17 locus (3.6 kb) was sequenced. This nucleotide sequence contains one complete open reading frame (ORF) and two incomplete ORFs reading from left to right. Analysis of this region at early times revealed that transcription from the incomplete upstream ORF terminates coincidentally with the complete ORF encoding the ts17 gene product, which is directly downstream. The predicted proteins encoded by this region correlate well with polypeptides mapped by in vitro translation of hybrid-selected early mRNA. The nucleotide sequences of a 1.3-kb BglII fragment derived from ts17 and from two ts17 revertants were also determined, and the nature of the ts17 mutation was identified. S1 nuclease protection studies were carried out to determine the 5' and 3' ends of the transcripts and to examine the kinetics of expression of the ts17 gene during viral infection. The ts17 transcript is present at both early and late times postinfection, indicating that this gene is constitutively expressed. Surprisingly, the transcriptional start throughout infection occurs at the proposed late regulatory element TAA, which immediately precedes the putative initiation codon ATG. Although the biological activity of the ts17-encoded polypeptide was not identified, it was noted that in ts17-infected cells, expression of a nonlinked VV immediate-early gene (thymidine kinase) was deregulated at the nonpermissive temperature. This result may indicate that the ts17 gene product is functionally required at an early step of the VV replicative cycle.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

amiA is a negative regulator of acetamidase expression in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

BACKGROUND: The acetamidase of Mycobacterium smegmatis is a highly inducible enzyme. Expression of this enzyme is increased 100-fold when the substrate acetamide is present. The acetamidase gene is found immediately downstream of three open reading frames. Two of these are proposed to be involved in regulation. RESULTS: We constructed a deletion mutant in one of the upstream ORFs (amiA). This mutant (Mad1) showed a constitutively high level of acetamidase expression. We identified four promoters in the upstream region using a beta-galactosidase reporter gene. One of these (P2) was inducible in the wild-type, but was constitutively active in Mad1. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that amiA encodes a negative regulatory protein which interacts with P2. Since amiA has homology to DNA-binding proteins, it is likely that it exerts the regulatory effect by binding to the promoter to prevent transcription.

Amidohydrolases↗

Sequence of the Bacillus subtilis glutamine synthetase gene region.

The nucleotide sequence of the glutamine synthetase (GS) region of Bacillus subtilis has been determined and found to contain several unique features. An open reading frame (ORF) upstream of the GS structural gene is part of the same operon as GS and is involved in regulation. Two downstream ORFs are separated from glnA by an apparent Rho-independent termination site. One of the downstream ORFs encodes a very hydrophobic polypeptide and contains its own potential RNA polymerase and ribosome-binding sites. The derived amino acid (aa) sequence of B. subtilis GS is similar to that of several other prokaryotes, especially to the GS of Clostridium acetobutylicum. The B. subtilis and C. acetobutylicum enzymes differ from the others in the lack of a stretch of about 25 aa as well as the presence of extra cysteine residues in a region known to contain regulatory as well as catalytic mutations. The region around the tyrosine residue that is adenylylated in GS from many species is fairly similar in the B. subtilis GS despite its lack of adenylylation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Partial conservation of the 5' ndhE-psaC-ndhD 3' gene arrangement of chloroplasts in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: implications for NDH-D function in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts.

The psaC gene, which encodes the 8.9 kDa iron-sulfur containing subunit of Photosystem I, has been sequenced from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and shows greater similarity to reported plant sequences than other cyanobacterial psaC sequences. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by the Synechocystis psaC gene is identical to the tobacco PSA-C sequence. In plants psaC is located in the small single-copy region of the chloroplast genome between two genes (designated ndhE and ndhD) with similarity to genes encoding subunits of the mitochondrial NADH Dehydrogenase Complex I. The 5' ndhE-psaC-ndhD3' gene arrangement of higher plants is only partially conserved in Synechocystis. An open reading frame (ORF) upstream of the Synechocystis psaC gene has 85% identity to the tobacco ndhE gene. Downstream of psaC there is a 273 bp ORF with 48% identity to the 5' portion of the tobacco ndhD gene (1527 bp). psaC, ndhE and the region of similarity to ndhD are present in a single copy in the Synechocystis genome. Part of the wheat ndhD gene was sequenced and used as a probe for the presence of the 3' portion of the ndhD gene. The wheat ndhD probe did not hybridize to Synechocystis or Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 genomic DNA, but did hybridize to Oenothera chloroplast DNA. These results indicate the complete ndhD gene is absent in two cyanobacteria, and raises the question of what role, if any, the ndhD gene product plays in the facultative heterotroph Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of a region of genetic variability among Bacillus anthracis strains and related species.

The identification of a region of sequence variability among individual isolates of Bacillus anthracis as well as the two closely related species, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus mycoides, has made a sequence-based approach for the rapid differentiation among members of this group possible. We have identified this region of sequence divergence by comparison of arbitrarily primed (AP)-PCR "fingerprints" generated by an M13 bacteriophage-derived primer and sequencing the respective forms of the only polymorphic fragment observed. The 1,480-bp fragment derived from genomic DNA of the Sterne strain of B. anthracis contained four consecutive repeats of CAATATCAACAA. The same fragment from the Vollum strain was identical except that two of these repeats were deleted. The Ames strain of B. anthracis differed from the Sterne strain by a single-nucleotide deletion. More than 150 nucleotide differences separated B. cereus and B. mycoides from B. anthracis in pairwise comparisons. The nucleotide sequence of the variable fragment from each species contained one complete open reading frame (ORF) (designated vrrA, for variable region with repetitive sequence), encoding a potential 30-kDa protein located between the carboxy terminus of an upstream ORF (designated orf1) and the amino terminus of a downstream ORF (designated lytB). The sequence variation was primarily in vrrA, which was glutamine- and proline-rich (30% of total) and contained repetitive regions. A large proportion of the nucleotide substitutions between species were synonymous. vrrA has 35% identity with the microfilarial sheath protein shp2 of the parasitic worm Litomosoides carinii.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The precise structure and coding capacity of mRNAs from early region 2B of human adenovirus serotype 2.

Replication of human adenovirus (Ad) DNA requires three virus-encoded proteins that are coordinately transcribed from a single promoter at early times after infection. The mRNAs for two of these proteins, the precursor to the terminal protein (pTP) and the Ad DNA polymerase (Ad Pol), share several exons, including one encoded near Ad genome coordinate 39. The positions of the splice points of these mRNAs have been mapped by S1 nuclease mapping, by RNA sequencing, and by cDNA cloning. As a result of RNA splicing events, a short open reading frame (ORF) encoded at genome coordinate 39 is connected to the beginning of both the pTP and Ad Pol coding sequences; inclusion of this upstream ORF is essential for expression of functional pTP and Ad Pol proteins.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

The ns 4 gene of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), strain A 59 contains two ORFs and thus differs from ns 4 of the JHM and S strains.

The sequence of the MHV-A 59 non-structural gene 4 (ns 4) reveals two open reading frames. The upstream ORF potentially encodes a 19 amino acid (2.2 kDa) polypeptide and the downstream ORF potentially encodes a 106 amino acid (11.7 kDa) polypeptide. This is in contrast to MHV-JHM gene 4 which expresses a 15 kDa protein. Cell free translation of a synthetic mRNA containing both ORFs of MHV-A 59 ns 4 results in the synthesis of a 2.2 kDa polypeptide; the predicted 11.7 kDa product of the MHV-A 59 downstream ORF is not detected during cell free translation nor in infected cells. These results add to the recent data suggesting that expression of some of the ns proteins of MHV is not necessary for efficient growth in tissue culture.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification and characterization of the gltK gene encoding a membrane-associated glucose transport protein of pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa oprB gene encodes the carbohydrate-selective OprB porin, which translocates substrate molecules across the outer membrane to the periplasmic glucose-binding protein. We identified and cloned two open reading frames (ORFs) flanking the oprB gene but are not in operonic arrangement with the oprB gene. The downstream ORF encodes a putative polypeptide homologous to members of a family of transcriptional repressors, whereas the oprB gene is preceded by an ORF encoding a putative product, which exhibits strong homology to several carbohydrate transport ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins. The genomic copy of the upstream ORF was mutagenized by homologous recombination. Analysis of the deletion mutant in comparison with the wild type revealed a significant reduction in [14C] glucose transport activity in the mutant strain, suggesting that this ORF likely encodes the inner membrane component of the glucose ABC transporter. It is thus designated gltK gene to reflect its homology to the Pseudomona fluorescens mtlK and its involvement in the high-affinity glucose transport system. Multiple alignment analysis revealed that the P. aeruginosa gltK gene product is a member of the MalK subfamily of ABC proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗