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An efficient cDNA-AFLP-based strategy for the identification of putative pathogenicity factors from the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis.

A new strategy has been designed to identify putative pathogenicity factors from the dorsal or subventral esophageal glands of the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis. Three independent criteria were used for selection. First, genes of interest should predominantly be expressed in infective second-stage juveniles, and not, or to a far lesser extent, in younger developmental stages. For this, gene expression profiles from five different developmental stages were generated with cDNA-AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism). Secondly, the mRNA corresponding to such a putative pathogenicity factor should predominantly be present in the esophageal glands of pre-parasitic juveniles. This was checked by in situ hybridization. As a third criterion, these proteinaceous factors should be preceded by a signal peptide for secretion. Expression profiles of more than 4,000 genes were generated and three up-regulated, dorsal gland-specific proteins preceded by signal peptide for secretion were identified. No dorsal gland genes have been cloned before from plant-parasitic nematodes. The partial sequence of these three factors, A4, A18, and A41, showed no significant homology to any known gene. Their presence in the dorsal glands of infective juveniles suggests that these proteins could be involved in feeding cell initiation, and not in migration in the plant root or in protection against plant defense responses. Finally, the applicability of this new strategy in other plant-microbe interactions is discussed.

Animals↗

Plasmid DNA encoding replicating foot-and-mouth disease virus genomes induces antiviral immune responses in swine.

DNA vaccine candidates for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were engineered to produce FMD virus (FMDV) particles that were noninfectious in cell culture or animals. The prototype plasmid, pWRM, contains a cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter-driven genome-length type A12 cDNA followed by the bovine growth hormone polyadenylation site. BHK cells transfected with this plasmid produced virus, but the specific infectivity of pWRM was much lower than that achieved with in vitro-generated RNA genomes. To improve the infectivity of the plasmid, a cDNA encoding the hepatitis delta virus ribozyme was added to the 3' end of the FMDV cDNA. The resulting plasmid, pWRMH, exhibited slightly increased infectivity in cell culture and produced virus when inoculated into suckling mice. A third plasmid, pWRMHX, was created by removal of the sequences encoding the cell binding site found in capsid protein VP1 of pWRMH. Although cells transfected with pWRMHX produced viral capsids, this plasmid was not lethal in suckling mice, indicating that particles lacking the cell binding site were not able to initiate secondary infectious cycles. Swine inoculated with pWRMHX did not show any signs of disease and produced neutralizing antibodies to FMDV, and 20% of the vaccinated animals were protected from challenge. A derivative of pWRMHX, pWRMHX-pol-, harboring a mutation designed to inactivate the viral polymerase was much less immunogenic, indicating that immunogenicity of pWRMHX resulted, in part, from amplification of the viral genome in the animal.

Animals↗

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor in anticancer drug discovery: friend or foe?

Binding of ligands such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to the Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) and the sequence of events leading to induction of xenobiotic-metabolising enzymes such as the cytochrome P450 isoform 1A1 and subsequent generation of DNA adducts is historically associated with the process of chemical carcinogenesis. Cancer chemopreventative agents, on the other hand, often exert their biological effect at least in part through antagonism of AhR-induced carcinogenesis. A third scenario associated with AhR binding could occur if the induction of xenobiotic enzymes and subsequent DNA damage causes apoptosis. If this occurs selectively in tumour cells whilst sparing normal tissue, the AhR ligand would have a therapeutic cytotoxic effect. In this review we survey for the first time the major classes of reported AhR ligands and discuss the biological consequences of AhR binding in each case. The use of AhR ligands as cancer chemotherapeutic agents, as illustrated by the case of the 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazole prodrug Phortress, is discussed as a therapeutic strategy.

Animals↗

[Mutation characteristic of STK].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the mutation characteristic of STK(11) gene in Chinese with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome(PJS) and establish the base of the gene diagnosis of PJS. METHODS: STK(11) germline mutation was analysed by DNA sequencing in 18 unrelation patients with PJS. RESULTS: Six novel mutations of STK (11) gene were detected in six unrelation patients. These mutations will lead to production of truncated protein. CONCLUSION: STK (11) gene mutation accounts for one third of the Chinese with PJS. The content of mutation includes single base substitution or deletion and one or two bases insertion. The mutations were widely found in different regions of the whole coding sequence, and 2/3 of those concentr ate in exon 1. Mutation frequency is 66.7% in the family suffering PJS in two or more generations, and 16.7% in the disseminated cases.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases↗

Precursor of the inactive 2S seed storage protein from the Indian mustard Brassica juncea is a novel trypsin inhibitor. Charaterization, post-translational processing studies, and transgenic expression to develop insect-resistant plants.

A number of trypsin inhibitor (TI) genes have been used to generate insect-resistant plants. Here we report a novel trypsin inhibitor from Indian mustard Brassica juncea (BjTI) that is unique in being the precursor of a 2S seed storage protein. The inhibitory activity is lost upon processing. The predicted amino acid sequence of the precursor based on the B. juncea 2S albumin (Bj2S) gene cloned and sequenced in this laboratory (Bj2Sc; GenBank(TM) accession number ) showed a soybean-TI active site-like motif GPFRI at the expected processing site. The BjTI was found to be a thermostable Kunitz type TI that inhibits trypsin at a molar ratio of 1:1. The 20-kDa BjTI was purified from midmature seeds and found to be processed in vitro to 9- and 4-kDa subunits upon incubation with seed extract. The Bj2Sc sequence was expressed in Escherichia coli pET systems as the inhibitor precursor. The radiolabeled gene product was expressed in vitro in a coupled transcription-translation system and showed the expected processing into subunits. Two in vitro expressed pre-2S proteins, mutated at Gly and Asp residues, were processed normally to mature subunits, showing thereby no absolute requirement of Gly and Asp residues for processing. Finally, the 2S gene was introduced into tobacco and tomato plants. Third generation transgenics expressing BjTI at 0.28-0.83% of soluble leaf proteins showed remarkable resistance against the tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura. This novel TI can be used in transforming seed crops for protection to their vegetative parts and early seed stages, when insect damage is maximal; as the seeds mature, the TI will be naturally processed to the inactive storage protein that is safe for consumption.

Brassica↗

A delta opioid receptor lacking the third cytoplasmic loop is generated by atypical mRNA processing in human malignomas.

delta Opioid receptors were identified in human melanomas by RT-PCR and radioligand binding. In all tumors an additional PCR amplificate was detected in which 144 bp within the third exon were deleted. This fragment corresponded to the third cytoplasmic domain of the receptor protein. The short variant resulted from atypical mRNA processing. There were no common splice recognition sequences around the deleted fragment; instead its excision resembled the removal of a transposon. The deletion was not detected in normal human melanocytes nor in human or rat brain. However, it was present in a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y). Thus, it appears that the occurrence of the short delta opioid receptor is correlated to malignancy.

Animals↗

The generation of antibody diversity.

By their nature, antibody molecules exhibit a wide range of binding specificities. The antigen-binding properties of the antibody reside entirely in the amino-terminal portion of the molecule, termed the variable domain. Structurally, the combining site specificity is determined by the amino-acid residues within 6 short lengths, 3 each in the heavy and light chains, of usually variable sequence. The hypervariability of 2 of these lengths arises from the somatic recombination of short gene segments into a single stretch of mRNA which encodes the entire variable region of 1 polypeptide chain. For example, a V gene segment that codes for most of the variable portion of a light chain, can combine with one of a number of much shorter J gene segments to create the complete variable region gene. In heavy chain genes, a third element, the D gene segment, increases the potential for diversity even further. A mechanism has been proposed by which variability occurs at the point where 2 gene segments join. Thus, a large part of the generation of antibody diversity occurs in the somatic recombination of small genetic elements.

Antibody Formation↗

Theoretical predictions of DNA hairpin loop conformations: correlations with thermodynamic and spectroscopic data.

A computational procedure for generating conformations of DNA hairpin loop structures from a broad range of low-energy starting states is described. The starting point of the modeling is the distribution of oligonucleotide chain conformations obtained from Monte Carlo simulations of feasible dinucleotide steps. Structures which meet the spatial criteria for hairpin loop formation are selected from the distributions and subsequently minimized using all-atom molecular mechanics. Both d(CTnG) and d(CAnG) oligomers, where n = 3, 4, or 5, are modeled. These sequences are chosen because of the large number of published NMR and thermodynamic studies on DNA hairpins containing thymine or adenine residues. The minimized three-dimensional hairpin loop structures are compared with one another as well as analyzed in terms of available experimental data. The computational approach provides the first detailed analysis of DNA hairpin loop structure in terms of a multistate conformational model. Investigation of the minimized conformations reveals several interesting structural features. First, hairpin loops of the same sequence adopt several distinctly different conformations, as opposed to minor variants of the same equilibrium structure, that could potentially interconvert in solution. Second, in contrast to double-helical nucleic acids, the hairpin loop models exhibit hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. The different disposition of hydrophobic groups in loops versus duplexes could modulate both protein-nucleic acid interactions and nucleic acid self-associations. Third, perpendicular aromatic interactions of loop residues are observed in many of the computed hairpins. This sort of interaction might be important in the stabilization of non-hydrogen-bonded nucleic acid secondary and tertiary structures. The predicted structural features in the models help, in addition, to account for the unusual thermodynamic properties of DNA hairpin loops. Comparison of the theoretically-generated NOEs in different structures further reveals that very different molecular structures and interactions can, in principle, produce the same NOEs. The multistate description suggested by this observation differs from the conventional interpretation of DNA solution structure in terms of the fluctuations about a single preferred chain conformation. There is not necessarily only one set of closely related structures consistent with the observed data.

Base Sequence↗

Alternative RNA splicing of the human endothelin-A receptor generates multiple transcripts.

In order to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of expression of the human endothelin-A receptor (hET-AR) gene, we characterized hET-AR transcripts using reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR analysis in a variety of human tissues. RT-PCR of lung mRNA using a set of primers from exons 2 and 5 showed two lower-molecular-mass transcripts in addition to the expected fragment. When RT-PCR with primers from exons 4 and 8 was performed, no transcripts other than the expected one were detected. PCR cloning utilizing a set of primers from exons 2 and 8 which covered the entire coding sequence revealed that the cDNA clones corresponding to the two novel transcripts contained deletions of 199 bp and 327 bp respectively compared with the previously described hET-AR cDNA. Comparison of their sequences with that of the hET-AR gene showed that the deleted sequences correspond exactly to exon 4 and exons 3 and 4 respectively, indicating that these lower-molecular-mass ET-AR transcripts results from alternative RNA splicing (designated ET-AR delta 4 and ET-AR delta 3,4 respectively). Alternative splicing of exon 4 results in a transcript which would be translated into a C-terminal truncated protein containing the first, second and third transmembrane domains, while the splicing out of exons 3 and 4 would produce a protein with five membrane-spanning domains but lacking the third and fourth domains present in the ET-AR protein. An RNase protection assay revealed that ET-AR delta 4 and ET-AR delta 3,4 as well as ET-AR, transcripts were observed in various human tissues, including the lung, aorta, atrium, kidney and placenta, which are known to express ET-AR abundantly. Thus we have isolated the cDNAs of novel transcripts of hET-AR which are generated by alternative RNA splicing, and these results suggest that this alternative RNA splicing might contribute to the regulation of ET-AR gene expression.

Alternative Splicing↗

Structure and organization of the human neuronatin gene.

Neuronatin is a brain-specific human gene that we recently isolated and observed to be selectively expressed during brain development. In this report, the genomic structure and organization of human neuronatin is described. The human gene spans 3973 bases and contains three exons and two introns. Based on primer extension analysis, a single cap site is located 124 bases upstream from the methionine (ATG) initiation codon, in good context, GAACCATGG. The promoter contains a modified TATA box, CATAAA (-27), and a modified CAAT box, GGCGAAT (-59). The 5'-flanking region contains putative transcription factor binding sites for SP-1, AP-2 (two sites), delta-subunit, SRE-2, NF-A1, and ETS. In addition, a 21-base sequence highly homologous to the neural restrictive silence element that governs neuron-specific gene expression is observed at -421. Furthermore, SP-1 and AP-3 binding sites are present in intron 1. All splice donor and acceptor sites conformed to the GT/AG rule. Exon 1 encodes 24 amino acids, exon 2 encodes 27 amino acids, and exon 3 encodes 30 amino acids. At the 3'-end of the gene, the poly(A) signal, AATAAA, poly(A) site, and GT cluster are observed. The neuronatin gene is expressed as two mRNA species, alpha and beta, generated by alternative splicing. The alpha-form contains all three exons, whereas in the beta-form, the middle exon has been spliced out. The third nucleotide of all frequently used codons, except threonine, of neuronatin is either G or C, consistent with codon usage expected for Homo sapiens. This information about the structure of the human neuronatin gene will help in understanding the significance of this gene in brain development and human disease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of a putative flexible loop in Arabidopsis glutathione synthetase.

Glutathione synthetase catalyses the ATP-dependent ligation of gamma-glutamylcystene with glycine to form glutathione. Amino acid sequence comparisons between the Arabidopsis and the Escherichia coli proteins suggested that a region, identified as a small flexible loop that covers the active site of the E. coli protein, might be conserved in the eukaryotic protein. Three site-directed mutations in the Arabidopsis protein were generated to test this hypothesis. Two mutations within the conserved region (Lys367/ Pro368-->Asn/Ser and Gly374-->Val) inactivated the enzyme in an in vivo assay based on cadmium resistance in S. pombe, and in an in vitro assay of the activity of the enzyme expressed in E. coli. A third mutation outside of this conserved region (Leu363-->Glu) had a smaller effect in both assays. These results are consistent with the idea that this glycine-rich loop in the Arabidopsis and E. coli proteins might serve the same function in covering the active site of the enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Extensive somatic mutation in the Ig heavy chain V genes in a late primary anti-hapten immune response.

Somatic mutations and cell lineage relationships were examined in a large panel of hybridomas derived from a single mouse 21 days after a primary immunization with NP-CGG. Among 21 lambda-bearing anti-NP hybridomas 18 distinct cell lineages were observed. Ten of the hybridomas used the V186-2 gene which is the most frequently utilized VH gene in the anti-NP response. Analysis of DNA sequence of the entire VH region of these antibodies revealed extensive somatic mutations. The selection for certain codon changes and the level of mutation observed is comparable to that observed in an early secondary anti-NP response. An unexpected observation was that one-third of the hybridomas produced IgM antibodies. Two IgM antibodies expressing the V186-2 gene contained extensive mutations in the VH region. These results indicate that once the somatic mutation process is initiated, it progresses rapidly and continues for at least two weeks during the development of the response. A highly mutated repertoire of memory B cells is formed by three weeks post-immunization that can be rapidly utilized to generate the secondary immune response.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nucleotide sequence of the wild-type RAD4 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and characterization of mutant rad4 alleles.

Shuttle plasmids carrying the wild-type RAD4 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot be propagated in Escherichia coli (R. Fleer, W. Siede, and E. C. Friedberg, J. Bacteriol. 169:4884-4892, 1987). In order to determine the nucleotide sequence of the cloned gene, we used a plasmid carrying a mutant allele that allows plasmid propagation in E. coli. The wild-type sequence in the region of this mutation was determined from a second plasmid carrying a different mutant rad4 allele. We established the locations and characteristics of a number of spontaneously generated plasmid-borne RAD4 mutations that alleviate the toxicity of the wild-type gene in E. coli and of several mutagen-induced chromosomal mutations that inactivate the excision repair function of RAD4. These mutations are situated in very close proximity to each other, and all are expected to result in the expression of truncated polypeptides missing the carboxy-terminal one-third of the Rad4 polypeptide. This region of the gene may be important both for the toxic effect of the Rad4 protein in E. coli and for its role in DNA repair in S. cerevisiae.

Alleles↗

Trans splicing involves a novel form of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles.

The trans-splicing reaction occurring in trypanosomes and related species as well as in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans involves the transfer of a 5' exon from a spliced leader transcript (SL RNA) to a precursor messenger RNA transcript with a 3' splice acceptor site. This seems to take place in the same nuclear compartment as normal cis splicing and proceeds through Y-branched intermediates analogous to the lariats formed in cis splicing. The cellular machinery catalysing cis and trans splicing might therefore be expected to share some components, particularly in the nematode where some mRNAs are produced by both cis and trans splicing. We generated possible secondary structures for the SL RNAs of several species and found they were remarkably similar although neither nucleotide sequence nor length is conserved. Each contained three stem-loops; strikingly the 5' splice site is adjacent to the turn of the most 5' loop and an Sm-binding consensus sequence is found between the second and third stem-loops. Sm is an antigen associated with small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs). When incubated in HeLa cell nuclear extracts, SL RNAs become immunoprecipitable by anti-Sm, but not by other autoantibodies directed against proteins of mammalian snRNPs. We propose that SL RNAs have a dual function in the trans splicing process: they consist of a 5' exon covalently linked to an snRNA-like sequence and seem likely to exist as Sm snRNP particles (SL snRNPs) within the cell. Just as the RNA in the U1 snRNP base-pairs with the 5' splice site, rendering it susceptible to attack in the cis-splicing reaction, so might the SL snRNP autonomously activate its own 5' splice site and thereby eliminate the need for a U1-like snRNP in the trans-splicing machinery.

Animals↗

Genes involved in the determination of the rate of inversions at short inverted repeats.

BACKGROUND: Not all of the enzymatic pathways involved in genetic rearrangements have been elucidated. While some rearrangements occur by recombination at areas of high homology, others are mediated by short, often interrupted homologies. We have previously constructed an Escherichia coli strain that allows us to examine inversions at microhomologies, and have shown that inversions can occur at short inverted repeats in a recB,C-dependent fashion. RESULTS: Here, we report on the use of this strain to define genetic loci involved in limiting rearrangements on an F' plasmid carrying the lac genes. Employing mini-Tn10 derivatives to generate insertions near or into genes of interest, we detected three loci (rmuA,B,C) that, when mutated, increase inversions. We have mapped, cloned and sequenced these mutator loci. In one case, inactivation of the sbcC gene leads to an increase in rearrangements, and in another, insertions near the recE gene lead to an even larger increase. The third gene involved in limiting inversions, rmuC, has been mapped at 86 min on the E. coli chromosome and encodes a protein of unknown function with a limited homology to myosins, and some of the SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) proteins. CONCLUSIONS: This work presents the first example of an anti-mutator role of the sbcC,D genes, and defines a new gene (rmuC) involved in DNA recombination.

Chromosome Inversion↗

Conserved extracellular cysteine pair in the M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor is essential for proper receptor cell surface localization but not for G protein coupling.

Most G protein-coupled receptors contain a conserved pair of extracellular cysteine residues that are predicted to form a disulfide bond linking the first and second extracellular loops. Previous studies have shown that this disulfide bond may be critical for ligand binding, receptor activation, and/or proper receptor folding. However, the potential importance of the two conserved cysteine residues for proper receptor cell surface localization has not been investigated systematically. To address this issue, we used the rat M3 muscarinic receptor as a model system. Most studies were carried out with a modified version of this receptor subtype (lacking potential N-glycosylation sites and the central portion of the third intracellular loop) that could be readily detected via western blot analysis. Cys-->Ala mutant receptors were generated, transiently expressed in COS-7 cells, and then examined for their subcellular distribution and functional properties. ELISA and immunofluorescence studies showed that the presence of both conserved cysteine residues (corresponding to C140 and C220 in the rat M3 muscarinic receptor sequence) is required for efficient expression of the M3 muscarinic receptor on the cell surface. On the other hand, these residues were found not to be essential for protein stability (determined via immunoblotting) and receptor-mediated G protein activation (studied in second messenger assays). These results shed new light on the functional role of the two extracellular cysteine residues present in most G protein-coupled receptors.

Alanine↗

Launching of the yeast 20 s RNA narnavirus by expressing the genomic or antigenomic viral RNA in vivo.

20 S RNA virus is a persistent positive strand RNA virus found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The viral genome encodes only its RNA polymerase, p91, and resides in the cytoplasm in the form of a ribonucleoprotein complex with p91. We succeeded in generating 20 S RNA virus in vivo by expressing, from a vector, genomic strands fused at the 3'-ends to the hepatitis delta virus antigenomic ribozyme. Using this launching system, we analyzed 3'-cis-signals present in the genomic strand for replication. The viral genome has five-nucleotide inverted repeats at both termini (5'-GGGGC... GCCCC-OH). The fifth G from the 3'-end was dispensable for replication, whereas the third and fourth Cs were essential. The 3'-terminal and penultimate Cs could be eliminated or modified to other nucleotides; however, the generated viruses recovered these terminal Cs. Furthermore, extra nucleotides added at the viral 3'-end were eliminated in the launched viruses. Therefore, 20 S RNA virus has a mechanism(s) to maintain the correct size and sequence of the viral 3'-end. This may contribute to its persistent infection in yeast. We also succeeded in generating 20 S RNA virus similarly from antigenomic strands provided active p91 was supplied from a second vector in trans. Again, a cluster of four Cs at the 3'-end in the antigenomic strand was essential for replication. In this work, we also present the first conclusive evidence that 20 S and 23 S RNA viruses are independent replicons.

DNA, Viral↗

Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies that distinguish three antigenic sites on human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein H have conformationally distinct binding sites.

Seven neutralizing murine monoclonal antibodies specific for the glycoprotein H of human cytomegalovirus were produced and used to construct a topological map of two nonoverlapping antigenic sites that are bridged by a third antigenic site. Neutralization assays with 15 laboratory or clinical human cytomegalovirus strains indicated that the monoclonal antibodies recognize three antigenically variable and three conserved epitopes within the three antigenic sites. The variable-domain genes encoding monoclonal antibodies representing each of the three antigenic sites were cloned and sequenced, and molecular models of their binding sites were generated. Conformational differences in the antibody-binding sites suggested a structural basis for experimentally observed differences in gH epitope recognition.

Amino Acid Sequence↗