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Cloning and characterization of the groESL operon from Bacillus subtilis.

The sequence of the 10 N-terminal amino acids of a Bacillus subtilis protein that cross-reacts with antibody to Escherichia coli GroEL was used to design a set of degenerate oligonucleotide probes. These probes identified a clone which carries almost the entire groESL operon from a B. subtilis subgenomic library. By chromosomal walking, an additional fragment carrying the 3' end of groESL and its flanking sequence was isolated. Sequence analysis revealed two open reading frames (ORFs) in the cloned DNA. The upstream ORF encodes a 10-kDa protein which has 47% amino acid identity with E. coli GroES. The downstream ORF encodes a 58-kDa protein which is 62% identical to E. coli GroEL. A 2.1-kb groESL mRNA from B. subtilis was detected independently by Northern (RNA) blot analyses with a groES- and a groEL-specific probe. This demonstrated that groES and groEL are in an operon. The groESL promoter was located by using a promoter-probing plasmid, and the apparent transcription start site was mapped by primer extension analysis. The same promoter is utilized under normal and heat shock conditions. This promoter has the same features as a typical sigma A promoter. A strain in which the groESL operon was under the control of the sucrose-inducible sacB promoter was created. With this strain, it was possible to show that both groES and groEL are essential genes under both normal and heat shock conditions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A 100-kilodalton polypeptide encoded by open reading frame (ORF) 1b of the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus is processed by ORF 1a products.

The genome-length mRNA (mRNA 1) of the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) contains two large open reading frames (ORFs), 1a and 1b, with the potential to encode polypeptides of 441 and 300 kDa, respectively. The downstream ORF, ORF 1b, is expressed by a ribosomal frameshifting mechanism. In an effort to detect viral polypeptides encoded by ORF 1b in virus-infected cells, immunoprecipitations were carried out with a panel of region-specific antisera. A polypeptide of approximately 100 kDa was precipitated from IBV-infected, but not mock-infected, Vero cells by one of these antisera (V58). Antiserum V58 was raised against a bacterially expressed fusion protein containing polypeptide sequences encoded by ORF 1b nucleotides 14492 to 15520; it recognizes specifically the corresponding in vitro-synthesized target protein. A polypeptide comigrating with the 100,000-molecular-weight protein (100K protein) identified in infected cells was also detected when the IBV sequence from nucleotides 8693 to 16980 was expressed in Vero cells by using a vaccinia virus-T7 expression system. Deletion analysis revealed that the sequence encoding the C terminus of the 100K polypeptide lies close to nucleotide 15120; it may therefore be generated by proteolysis at a potential QS cleavage site encoded by nucleotides 15129 to 15135. In contrast, expression of IBV sequences from nucleotides 10752 to 16980 generated two polypeptides of approximately 62 and 235 kDa, which represent the ORF 1a stop product and the 1a-1b fused product generated by a frameshifting mechanism, respectively, but no processed products were observed. Since the putative picornavirus 3C-like proteinase domain is located in ORF 1a between nucleotides 8937 and 9357, this observation suggests that deletion of the picornavirus 3C-like proteinase domain and surrounding regions abolishes processing of the 1b polyprotein. In addition, the in vitro translation and in vivo transfection studies also indicate that the ORF 1a region between nucleotides 8763 and 10720 contains elements that down-regulate the expression of ORF 1b.

Base Sequence↗

Nucleotide sequence and organization of ten open reading frames in the genome of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 and identification of three subgenomic RNAs.

The genome of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1) was cloned and the sequence of 12394 nts determined. It contains 10 major open reading frames (ORFs) and a 3'-non-coding region lacking a poly(A) tract. The first ORF (ORF 1a) encodes a putative RNA helicase at the C-terminal portion of an apparently larger protein. The downstream ORF, 1b, overlaps ORF 1a and lacks an initiation codon. This ORF encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of M(r) 59276. ORF 2 encodes a small hydrophobic protein of M(r) 6736, and ORF 3 encodes a homologue of the HSP70 family of heat shock proteins and has an M(r) of 59500. ORF 4 encodes a protein with an M(r) of 54648 that shows similarity to the corresponding proteins of other closteroviruses. ORF 5 encodes the viral coat protein (CP) with an M(r) of 35416. The identity of this ORF as the CP gene was confirmed by expression in Escherichia coli and testing with the viral antibody. ORFs 6 and 7 code for two CP-related products with M(r) of 55805 and 50164, respectively. ORFs 8 and 9 encode proteins of M(r) 21558 and 23771 with unknown functions. Using DNA probes to different regions of the GLRaV-1 sequence, three major 3'-coterminal subgenomic RNA species were identified and mapped on the GLRaV-1 genome. Phylogenetic analyses of the individual genes of GLRaV-1 demonstrated a closer relationship between GLRaV-1 and GLRaV-3 than with other closteroviruses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

An efficient ribosomal frame-shifting signal in the polymerase-encoding region of the coronavirus IBV.

The polymerase-encoding region of the genomic RNA of the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) contains two very large, briefly overlapping open reading frames (ORF), F1 and F2, and it has been suggested on the basis of sequence analysis that expression of the downstream ORF, F2, might be mediated through ribosomal frame-shifting. To examine this possibility a cDNA fragment containing the F1/F2 overlap region was cloned within a marker gene and placed under the control of the bacteriophage SP6 promoter in a recombinant plasmid. Messenger RNA transcribed from this plasmid, when translated in cell-free systems, specified the synthesis of polypeptides whose size was entirely consistent with the products predicted by an efficient ribosomal frame-shifting event within the overlap region. The nature of the products was confirmed by their reactivity with antisera raised against defined portions of the flanking marker gene. This is the first non-retroviral example of ribosomal frame-shifting in higher eukaryotes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Translational regulation of ornithine decarboxylase and other enzymes of the polyamine pathway.

It has long been known that polyamines play an essential role in the proliferation of mammalian cells, and the polyamine biosynthetic pathway may provide an important target for the development of agents that inhibit carcinogenesis and tumor growth. The rate-limiting enzymes of the polyamine pathway, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), are highly regulated in the cell, and much of this regulation occurs at the level of translation. Although the 5' leader sequences of ODC and AdoMetDC are both highly structured and contain small internal open reading frames (ORFs), the regulation of their translation appears to be quite different. The translational regulation of ODC is more dependent on secondary structure, and therefore responds to the intracellular availability of active eIF-4E, the cap-binding subunit of the eIF-4F complex, which mediates translation initiations. Cell-specific translation of AdoMetDC appears to be regulated exclusively through the internal ORF, which causes ribosome stalling that is independent of eIF-4E levels and decreases the efficiency with which the downstream ORF encoding AdoMetDC protein is translated. The translation of both ODC and AdoMetDC is negatively regulated by intracellular changes in the polyamines spermidine and spermine. Thus, when polyamine levels are low, the synthesis of both ODC and AdoMetDC is increased, and an increase in polyamine content causes a corresponding decrease in protein synthesis. However, an increase in active eIF-4E may allow for the synthesis of ODC even in the presence of polyamine levels that repress ODC translation in cells with lower levels of the initiation factor. In contrast, the amino acid sequence that is encoded by the upstream ORF is critical for polyamine regulation of AdoMetDC synthesis and polyamines may affect synthesis by interaction with the putative peptide, MAGDIS.

Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase↗

Genetic characterization of the unique short segment of phocid herpesvirus type 1 reveals close relationships among alphaherpesviruses of hosts of the order Carnivora.

To further characterize phocid herpesvirus type 1 (PhHV-1) at the molecular level, a cluster of genes comprising the complete unique short (Us) region of PhHV-1 has been cloned and sequenced. Within this region, ORFs were detected that code for the equivalent of the Us 2- protein of herpes simplex virus (HSV), a putative protein kinase, and for the glycoprotein equivalents gG, gD, gI and gE. In addition, two small ORFs downstream of gE, homologous to the Us 8.5 and Us 9 proteins of HSV were identified. Comparative analysis of the ORF encoding the gD equivalent of PhHV-1 identified the corresponding proteins of the alphaherpesviruses canine herpesvirus and, to lesser degree, feline herpesvirus as the closest relatives.

Alphaherpesvirinae↗

Structural and sequence diversity of the pathogenicity island of uropathogenic Escherichia coli which encodes the USP protein.

A total of 321 uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains and 12 strains of E. coli isolated from stool samples of healthy individuals, which were previously shown to be positive in colony hybridization test using the usp (encoding for the uropathogenic-specific protein) DNA probe, were examined by PCR amplification to determine the size of the usp gene and the pathogenicity island (PI). Three types of size variation were observed for the usp gene and four types for the PI. Sequencing analysis of the PIs from seven representative strains (six UPEC and one from a normal healthy individual) revealed that the usp genes can be classified into two groups, each having different sequences in the 3'-terminal region. The peptides encoded by the three open reading frames (ORFs) downstream of usp had identical 23 amino acid residues in the C-terminal region. The subregion encoding these small ORFs has a mosaic structure constituted of six segments. The positions of these segments vary from strain to strain, and in some strains, two to four segments are deleted. This indicates that rearrangements occur frequently in this region and the mosaic arrangement apparently contributes to the size variation observed in the PCR examination of the usp genes and PIs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Molecular cloning and characterization of comC, a late competence gene of Bacillus subtilis.

comC is a Bacillus subtilis gene required for the development of genetic competence. We have cloned a fragment from the B. subtilis chromosome that carries comC and contains all the information required to complement a Tn917lac insertion in comC. Genetic tests further localized comC to a 2.0-kilobase HindIII fragment. Northern (RNA) blotting experiments revealed that an 800-base-pair comC-specific transcript appeared at the time of transition from exponential to stationary phase during growth through the competence regimen. The DNA sequence of the comC region revealed two open reading frames (ORFs), transcribed in the same direction. The upstream ORF encoded a protein with apparent sequence similarity to the folC gene of Escherichia coli. Insertion of a chloramphenicol resistance determinant into this ORF and integration of the disrupted construct into the bacterial chromosome by replacement did not result in competence deficiency. The downstream ORF, which contained the Tn917lac insertion that resulted in a lack of competence, is therefore the comC gene. The predicted protein product of comC consisted of 248 amino acid residues and was quite hydrophobic. The comC gene product was not required for the expression of any other com genes tested, and this fact, together with the marked hydrophobicity of ComC, suggests that it may be a component of the DNA-processing apparatus of competent cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Biogenesis and regulation of the Vibrio cholerae toxin-coregulated pilus: analogies to other virulence factor secretory systems.

Biogenesis of the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) of Vibrio cholerae 01 is essential for successful bacterial colonization of the small intestine. Pilus assembly requires the products of at least seven genes located on the chromosome adjacent to the pilin-encoding gene, tcpA. Previously reported TnphoA insertions in the TCP-assembly-deficient V. cholerae strains, KP2.21 and KP4.2, were isolated from the chromosome for further analysis. Nucleotide sequencing of the tcpE::phoA and tcpF::phoA fusions and corresponding clones of the region containing the intact genes revealed the presence of two open reading frames (ORFs) of 340 and 338 amino acids, designated TcpE and TcpF, respectively. The partial sequence of an ORF downstream from the TcpF coding sequence was determined to correspond to the global virulence regulator, ToxT. Proteins corresponding to the observed ORFs were visualized with the T7 promoter/RNA polymerase expression system. Computer-generated alignment algorithms predict that a homology exists between TcpE and the Klebsiella pneumoniae pullulanase secretion proteins PulD and PulF, the Xanthomonas campestris extracellular enzyme secretion factor XpsF, the Bacillus subtilis DNA competence protein ComG-ORF2, and the Yersinia enterocolitica Yop secretion determinant YscC. These observations provide a model to investigate further the relationship between the secretion mechanisms utilized by these seemingly diverse virulence determinants. Additionally, an extreme C-terminal segment of TcpE shows striking homology to the transmembrane segment of the eukaryotic integrin beta-1 chain, which could imply a role for TcpE in not only TCP secretion, but also host cell interaction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Genetic and biochemical analyses of the tec operon suggest a route for evolution of chlorobenzene degradation genes.

The TecA broad-spectrum chlorobenzene dioxygenase of Burkholderia sp. strain PS12 catalyzes the first step in the mineralization of 1,2,4, 5-tetrachlorobenzene. The catabolic genes were localized on a small plasmid that belongs to the IncPbeta incompatibility group. PCR analysis of the genetic environment of the tec genes indicated high similarity to the transposon-organized catabolic tcb chlorobenzene degradation genes of Pseudomonas sp. strain P51. Sequence analysis of the regions flanking the tecA genes revealed an upstream open reading frame (ORF) with high similarity to the todF 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-2,4-heptadienoate hydrolase gene of Pseudomonas putida F1 and a discontinuous downstream ORF showing high similarity to the todE catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene of strain F1. Both homologues in strain P51 exist only as deletion remnants. We suggest that different genetic events thus led to inactivation of the perturbing meta-cleavage enzymes in strains P51 and PS12 during the evolution of efficient chlorobenzene degradation pathways. Biochemical characterization of TodF-like protein TlpF and a genetically refunctionalized TodE-like protein, TlpE, produced in Escherichia coli provided data consistent with the proposed relationships.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The plmS2-encoded cytochrome P450 monooxygenase mediates hydroxylation of phoslactomycin B in Streptomyces sp. strain HK803.

Streptomyces sp. strain HK803 produces six analogues of phoslactomycin (Plm A through Plm F). With the exception of Plm B, these analogues contain a C-18 hydroxyl substituent esterified with a range of short-alkyl-chain carboxylic acids. Deletion of the plmS(2) open reading frame (ORF), showing high sequence similarity to bacterial cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs), from the Plm biosynthetic gene cluster has previously resulted in an NP1 mutant producing only Plm B (N. Palaniappan, B. S. Kim, Y. Sekiyama, H. Osada, and K. A. Reynolds, J. Biol. Chem. 278:35552-35557, 2003). Herein, we report that a complementation experiment with an NP1 derivative (NP2), using a recombinant conjugative plasmid carrying the plmS(2) ORF downstream of the ermE* constitutive promoter (pMSG1), restored production of Plm A and Plm C through Plm F. The 1.2-kbp plmS(2) ORF was also expressed efficiently as an N-terminal polyhistidine-tagged protein in Streptomyces coelicolor. The recombinant PlmS(2) converted Plm B to C-18-hydroxy Plm B (Plm G). PlmS(2) was highly specific for Plm B and unable to process a series of derivatives in which either the lactone ring was hydrolyzed or the C-9 phosphate ester was converted to C-9/C-11 phosphorinane. This biochemical analysis and complementation experiment are consistent with a proposed Plm biosynthetic pathway in which the penultimate step is hydroxylation of the cyclohexanecarboxylic acid-derived side chain of Plm B by PlmS(2) (the resulting Plm G is then esterified to provide Plm A and Plm C through Plm F). Kinetic parameters for Plm B hydroxylation by PlmS(2) (K(m) of 45.3 +/- 9.0 microM and k(cat) of 0.27 +/- 0.04 s(-1)) are consistent with this step being a rate-limiting step in the biosynthetic pathway. The penultimate pathway intermediate Plm G has less antifungal activity than Plm A through Plm F and is not observed in fermentations of either the wild-type strain or NP2/pMSG1.

Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System↗

Rapid acquisition of entire DNA polymerase gene of a novel herpesvirus from green turtle fibropapilloma by a genomic walking technique.

A 4837-bp sequence of a newfound green turtle herpesvirus (GTHV), implicated in the etiology of green turtle fibropapilloma, was obtained from tumor tissues of a green turtle with fibropapilloma using a genomic walking method based on restriction enzyme digestion, self-ligation and inverse polymerase chain reaction (IPCR). The 4837-bp sequence was 56.23% G/C rich and contained three nonoverlapping open reading frames (ORF). The largest ORF (3507-bp) encoded the DNA polymerase gene (pol gene), which exhibited a high degree of homology at both amino acid and nucleotide levels with the DNA pol genes of human and animal herpesviruses, with a predicted protein of 1169 amino acids and molecular weight of 132.6 kilodaltons. The ATG at 518 to 520 was the first initiation codon in the ORF and was presumed to be the first methionine codon of the pol gene. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the amino acid sequence of the GTHV DNA pol gene and the corresponding regions of other known human and animal herpesviruses, indicated that GTHV belonged to the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily. The upstream ORF of the pol gene encoded the N-terminal region of the GTHV homologue of the DNA-binding protein gene, whereas the downstream ORF was the C-terminal region of a gene which was homologous to ORFs conserved in human and animal herpesviruses, i.e., herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) gene UL31, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) gene BFLF2, equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) gene 29, and alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AHV1) hypothetical protein 69 gene. The arrangement of these three genes in GTHV genome was identical to that seen in other alphaherpesviruses. The sequence and location of the DNA pol gene in the GTHV genome should greatly facilitate future studies of the viral life cycle.

Alphaherpesvirinae↗

Nucleotide sequence and genetic analysis of the nifB-nifQ region from Azotobacter vinelandii.

A 3.8-kilobase-pair EcoRI fragment which corrects the mutations carried by the NifB- Azotobacter vinelandii strains CA30 and UW45 was cloned, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. Four complete open reading frames (ORFs) and two partial ORFs were found. The translation product of the first partial ORF is the carboxy-terminal end of a protein homologous to the nifA gene product from Klebsiella pneumoniae. A 285-base-pair sequence containing a potential nif promoter and nif regulatory sites separates this nifA gene from the first complete ORF which encodes a protein homologous to nifB gene products from K. pneumoniae and Rhizobium species. The Tn5 insertion in strain CA30 and the nif-45 mutation of strain UW45 are located within this nifB gene. The ORF downstream from nifB predicts an amino acid sequence with a cysteine residue pattern that is characteristic of ferredoxins. No similarities were found between the translation product of the third complete ORF and those of nif genes from other organisms. At the carboxy-terminal end of the predicted translation product of the fourth complete ORF, 30 of 60 amino acid residues were identical with the sequence of the nifQ gene product from K. pneumoniae. The partial ORF located at the end of the fragment encodes the N-terminal part of a potential protein with an unknown function. Northern (RNA) blot analysis indicated that transcripts from the region containing the four complete ORFs were NH4+ repressible and that the transcription products were identical in cells derepressed under conditions of Mo sufficiency or Mo deficiency or in the presence of vanadium. In contrast to the NifB- strain CA30, which is Nif- under all conditions, mutants that carry mutations affecting the C-terminal end of nifB or genes located immediately downstream from nifB, grew under all N2-fixing conditions. However, in the presence of Mo, most of the strains required 1,000 times the amount of molybdate that is sufficient for maximal growth of the wild-type strain CA under N2-fixing conditions. Growth data from strain CA37, which carries a Kanr insertion in nifQ, indicate that nifQ in A. vinelandii is not required for N2 fixation in the presence of V2O5 or under Mo-deficient conditions. Growth studies and acetylene reduction assays performed on two nifEN deletion strains showed that nifE and nifN are required for N2 fixation under Mo sufficiency, as previously observed (K. E. Brigle, M. C. Weiss, W. E. Newton, and D. R. Dean, J. Bacteriol. 169:1547-1553, 1987), but not under conditions of Mo deficiency or in the presence of 50 nM V2O5.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A Drosophila gene encoding multiple splice variants of Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor-like proteins with potential destinations of mitochondria, cytosol and the secretory pathway.

A Drosophila gene (KAZ1), mapped to cytological position 61A1-2 on chromosome 3, has been cloned and found to encode multiple splice variants of Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor-like proteins. KAZ1 consists of five exons and four alternatively retained introns to produce six transcripts of type AB, C1, C2, C3, D and E. The AB transcript contains two ORFs, of which the upstream one produces a polypeptide alpha, which has a mitochondrial sorting signal. Localization to mitochondria was confirmed by expression in COS1 cells. The downstream ORF is shared partially with type C1, C2, C3, D and E transcripts and produces polypeptides beta, gamma, delta and epsilon when expressed in Drosophila cells. Type C1, C2 and C3 transcripts differ only in the 5'-noncoding sequence and thus all produce type gamma. Polypeptides gamma and epsilon have a signal sequence at their N-termini and are secreted into the medium while beta and delta lack this sequence and remain in the cytoplasm. Isoforms beta and epsilon share a common C-terminal sequence distinct from that shared by polypeptides gamma and delta. The N-terminal sequences of isoforms beta to epsilon contain a PEST region which could induce rapid intracellular degradation of isoforms beta and delta. Sequence analysis of the Kazal-type domain suggests a similar folding pattern as observed for rhodniin and SPARC/BM-40. Northern analysis and in situ hybridization showed that the type C3 transcript is predominant and the expression is highest in midgut at larval stage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Membrane association of the C-terminal half of the open reading frame 1a protein of lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus.

ORF 1a of lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus, strain P (LDV-P), encodes a protein of 2206 amino acids. Eisenberg hydrophobic moment analysis of the protein predicted the presence of eleven transmembrane segments in the C-terminal half of the molecule (amino acids 980-1852) that flank the serine protease domain. cDNAs encoding ORF 1a protein segments encompassing transmembrane segments 5 to 11 and its amphipathic C-terminal end as well as the N-terminal 80 amino acids of the downstream ORF 1b protein were transcribed and the transcripts in vitro translated in the absence and presence of microsomal membranes. The synthesis of the protein products with putative transmembrane segments was enhanced by the presence of the microsomal membranes and the proteins became membrane associated. When synthesized in the absence of membranes they were recovered in the supernatant upon ultracentrifugation of the translation reaction mixtures, whereas they were recovered in the membrane pellet when synthesized in the presence of membranes. Furthermore, the latter proteins were not released from the membranes by disruption of the membrane vesicles in carbonate buffer, pH 11.5, and large portions of the proteins were resistant to digestion by trypsin, chymotrypsin and proteinase K. No N-glycosylation was observed and only little, if any, processing of the protein by the putative serine protease. The results indicate that the C-terminal half of the ORF 1a protein represents a non-glycosylated integral membrane protein. Potential modes of synthesis and function of the protein are discussed. In addition, the results showed that the synthesis of the ORF 1a protein was generally terminated at its termination codon, but that read-through into the ORF 1b gene occurred with low frequency.

Animals↗

Organization and expression of a gene cluster involved in the biosynthesis of the lantibiotic lactocin S.

Some 8.8 kb of the Lactobacillus sake plasmid pCIM1 was sequenced, revealing eight tightly clustered open reading frames (ORFs) downstream from lasA, which encodes pre-lactocin S. Transcription analyses demonstrated that the genes are expressed as an operon, with transcription initiating upstream of lasA and terminating immediately 3' to the ninth ORF x lasA is also represented by two small RNAs (RNAI and RNAII) which differ in size by approximately 90 nucleotides, and primer extension experiments demonstrated a corresponding difference in the 5' termini. A palindromie sequence constitutes the 3' terminus of both RNAI and RNAII, and we propose that this sequence has a dual regulatory function in controlling the expression of las operon, acting both as a barrier to 3'-5' exonuclease degradation of the lasA-specific transcript(s), and as a "leaky" transcriptional terminator which limits the expression of down-stream genes. Three of the genes in the las operon have identifiable counterparts in other lantibiotic systems: lasM is likely to be involved in prepeptide modification, lasT, which encodes an ATP-dependent transport protein, is probably involved in the secretion of lactocin S, while lasP specifies a subtilisin-type serine protease which may be the lactocin S leader peptidase. Insertional mutation of either lasT or lasM by the resident transposable element IS1163 abolishes lactocin S production. The remaining five ORFs in the las operon are apparently unique, and their significance with respect to the lactocin S phenotype is presently not known.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Role of mRNA secondary structure in translational repression of the maize transcriptional activator Lc(1,2).

Lc, a member of the maize (Zea mays) R/B gene family, encodes a basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional activator of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. It was previously shown that translation of the Lc mRNA is repressed by a 38-codon upstream open reading frame (uORF) in the 5' leader. In this study, we report that a potential hairpin structure near the 5'end of the Lc mRNA also represses downstream translation in the rabbit reticulocyte in vitro translation system and in transient transformation assays. Base pairing of the hairpin is important for repression because its destabilization increases translation of the uORF and the downstream ORF. However, translation of the uORF is not required for the hairpin-mediated repression. Instead, the uORF and the 5'-proximal hairpin mediate two independent levels of repression. Although the uORF represses downstream translation due to inefficient reinitiation of ribosomes that translate uORF, the hairpin inhibits ribosome loading at the 5' end of the mRNA.

Base Sequence↗

The complete nucleotide sequence of prune dwarf ilarvirus RNA 3: implications for coat protein activation of genome replication in ilarviruses.

The complete nucleotide sequence of prune dwarf ilarvirus (PDV) RNA 3 has been determined from cloned viral cDNAs. The PDV RNA 3 is 2129 nucleotides and contains two large open reading frames (ORFs) separated by an intergenic region of 72 nucleotides. The 5' proximal ORF (ORF-1) is 882 nucleotides, encoding a gene product which shares homology with putative cell-to-cell movement proteins of related viruses, including tobacco streak virus (TSV) and alfalfa mosaic virus (AIMV). The downstream ORF (ORF-2) is 657 nucleotides and encodes a gene product which shares primary sequence homology and structural features with AIMV coat protein. Furthermore, when expressed in bacteria, this ORF produces a polypeptide which comigrates with authentic PDV coat protein and reacts with PDV coat protein antiserum. Hybridization data suggest that the genomic organization of PDV RNAs 3 and 4 is similar to that of TSV, the only other ilarvirus for which sequence information is published. The 3' untranslated region (UTR) of PDV RNA 3 is similar to that of TSV and AIMV, containing a potential stem-loop structure followed by the sequence AUGC, a structure which may signal binding of coat protein and activation of genome replication. However, a striking feature of the deduced PDV coat protein sequence is the absence of a "zinc-finger" motif thought to function in binding of the coat protein to the 3'-UTR in ilarviruses and AIMV. This result suggests that the zinc-finger motif is not a required aspect of coat protein activation of replication in ilarviruses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗