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Comparison of the transcriptional properties of the Friend and Moloney retrovirus long terminal repeats: importance of tandem duplications and of the core enhancer sequence.

The effects of sequence differences within the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of various murine retroviruses on transcription are examined by linking genetically engineered recombinant LTRs to the protein coding region of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (TK) gene and assaying TK expression in tissue culture fibroblasts. The Goldberg/Hogness box region and the enhancer region are examined independently. We find that the Friend and Moloney Goldberg/Hogness boxes (TATAAAA and AATAAAA, respectively) give similar results in this assay, whereas differences between the sequences in the enhancer region have a marked effect. Tandem duplications increase the transcription level of the LTR. A single nucleotide transition in the core enhancer sequence has as large an effect on transcription as the presence of a tandem duplication: thymidine in the fifth position of the core enhancer (TCTGTGGTAAG) leads to a much higher transcriptional activity than cytidine. The LTRs have been implicated by others in the oncogenic potential of murine retroviruses, which is perhaps dependent on the transcriptional properties endowed in part by the core enhancer and tandem duplications.

Base Sequence↗

(3 + 1) Assembly of three human telomeric repeats into an asymmetric dimeric G-quadruplex.

We present an NMR study on the structure of a DNA fragment of the human telomere containing three guanine-tracts, d(GGGTTAGGGTTAGGGT). This sequence forms in Na(+) solution a unique asymmetric dimeric quadruplex, in which the G-tetrad core involves all three G-tracts of one strand and only the last 3'-end G-tract of the other strand. We show that a three-repeat human telomeric sequence can also associate with a single-repeat human telomeric sequence into a structure with the same topology that we name (3 + 1) quadruplex assembly. In this G-quadruplex assembly, there are one syn.syn.syn.anti and two anti.anti.anti.syn G-tetrads, two edgewise loops, three G-tracts oriented in one direction and the fourth oriented in the opposite direction. We discuss the possible implications of the new folding topology for understanding the structure of telomeric DNA, including t-loop formation, and for targeting G-quadruplexes in the telomeres.

Base Sequence↗

Characterization of a carbapenemase-producing clinical isolate of Bacteroides fragilis in Scandinavia: genetic analysis of a unique insertion sequence.

In 2003 a Bacteroides fragilis blood culture isolate (K2-28) was recovered from a 61-y-old male with severe general atherosclerosis during treatment with meropenem. K2-28 was shown to possess a functional metallo-beta-lactamase with a reduction in imipenem MIC from 256 to 3 mg/l in the presence of EDTA using the MBL E-test strip. PCR results were for positive for the cfiA gene. Analysis of the cfiA from K2-28 revealed it was 100% identical to previously described cfiA-1 genes. Analysis of the upstream region of cfiA revealed a novel insertion sequence (IS) element, being most similar (94% identity) to IS612 recently described from Japan designating the element within the IS4 family. The element possessed a perfect terminal inverted repeat sequence at the distal ends of the IS element and provided a putative promoter for transcription of the cfiA gene. The distance between the hybrid promoter and the cfiA start codon was 158 base pairs and inserted into a different DNA sequence upstream of cfiA to that previously reported. The -10 promoter region was most similar to that of IS613 (100%) and the -35 promoter region to IS612 (100%), demonstrating the plasticity of these genetic regions.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Characterization of IS1272, an insertion sequence-like element from Staphylococcus haemolyticus.

We have previously shown (G. L. Archer, D. M. Niemeyer, J. A. Thanassi, and M. J. Pucci, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 38:447-454, 1994) that some methicillin-resistant staphylococcal isolates contain a partial deletion of the genes (mecR1 and mecI) that regulate the transcription of the methicillin resistance structural gene (mecA). When a fragment of DNA inserted at the point of the mecR1 deletion was used as a probe, hybridization with multiple bands was detected for Staphylococcus haemolyticus genomic DNA. In the present study, DNA sequencing of four unique clones recovered from a lambda library of S. haemolyticus revealed identical 1,934-bp elements. Each element, designated IS1272, contained 16-bp terminal inverted repeats (sequence identity, 15 of 16 bp) and two open reading frames of 819 and 687 bp; there were no flanking target site duplications. Database searches yielded amino acid homology with proteins predicted to be encoded by open reading frames from a putative insertion sequence element from Enterococcus hirae. DNA probes from each end and the middle of IS1272 were hybridized with restriction endonuclease-digested genomic DNA from clinical S. haemolyticus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Each of the 20 or more copies of the element found in S. haemolyticus isolates was intact, and copies were found in most chromosomal SmaI fragments. S. aureus and S. epidermidis isolates contained mostly incomplete fragments of the element, and there were many more hybridizing fragments in methicillin-resistant than in methicillin-susceptible isolates. IS1272, which appears to be primarily resident in S. haemolyticus, has disseminated to multiple staphylococcal species and is prevalent in multiresistant isolates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The long terminal repeat-containing retrotransposon Tf1 possesses amino acids in gag that regulate nuclear localization and particle formation.

Tf1 is a long terminal repeat-containing retrotransposon of Schizosaccharomyces pombe that is studied to further our understanding of retrovirus propagation. One important application is to examine Tf1 as a model for how human immunodeficiency virus type 1 proteins enter the nucleus. The accumulation of Tf1 Gag in the nucleus requires an N-terminal nuclear localization signal (NLS) and the nuclear pore factor Nup124p. Here, we report that NLS activity is regulated by adjacent residues. Five mutant transposons were made, each with sequential tracts of four amino acids in Gag replaced by alanines. All five versions of Tf1 transposed with frequencies that were significantly lower than that of the wild type. Although all five made normal amounts of Gag, two of the mutations did not make cDNA, indicating that Gag contributed to reverse transcription. The localization of the Gag in the nucleus was significantly reduced by mutations A1, A2, and A3. These results identified residues in Gag that contribute to the function of the NLS. The Gags of A4 and A5 localized within the nucleus but exhibited severe defects in the formation of virus-like particles. Of particular interest was that the mutations in Gag-A4 and Gag-A5 caused their nuclear localization to become independent of Nup124p. These results suggested that Nup124p was only required for import of Tf1 Gag because of its extensive multimerization.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

Genomic structure, promoter characterisation and mutational analysis of the S100A7 gene: exclusion of a candidate for familial psoriasis susceptibility.

We have recently assigned a locus for familial psoriasis (PS) susceptibility to the region containing the epidermal differentiation complex gene cluster on chromosome 1q21. Gene S10OA7 maps within this cluster and is reported to be markedly over-expressed in the skin lesions of psoriatic patients. In order to analyse S100A7 as a candidate for PS susceptibility, we have determined its genomic structure regarding exon-intron boundaries and the transcription start site. The gene is organised in three exons and two introns, spanning 2.7 kb. The 5' flanking region contains AP1- and Sp1-binding motifs and a TATA box. We have performed functional assays by using the beta-galactosidase gene as a reporter and have confirmed that this region has strong promoter activity. To search for nucleotide variation within S100A7, we have designed a set of primers to amplify each exon and the gene promoter. Polymerase chain reaction products from 15 unrelated PS patients selected from 1q-linked pedigrees and 25 normal controls have been characterised by single-strand conformation polymorphism and direct sequencing techniques. These analyses have revealed the presence of two polymorphisms in the promoter region (-559G/A and -563 A/G), neither of which shows preferential association with the disease. Our results indicate that S100A7 can be excluded as a candidate for PS susceptibility.

Base Sequence↗

Once the circle has been broken: dynamics and evolution of Streptomyces chromosomes.

Chromosomal instability has been a hallmark of Streptomyces genetics. Deletions and circularization often occur in the less-conserved terminal sequences of the linear chromosomes, which contain swarms of transposable elements and other horizontally transferred elements. Intermolecular recombination involving these regions also generates gross exchanges, resulting in terminal inverted repeats of heterogeneous size and context. The structural instability is evidently related to evolution of the Streptomyces chromosomes, which is postulated to involve linearization of hypothetical circular progenitors via integration of a linear plasmid. This scenario is supported by several bioinformatic analyses.

Biological Evolution↗

The long terminal repeat of VL30 retrotransposons contains sequences that determine retinoic acid-induced transcription in cultured keratinocytes.

The characterization of retinoic acid (RA)-regulated gene transcription in keratinocytes has important implications as to the function of retinoids in epidermal homeostasis and to the central role retinoids play in the pharmaco-therapy of a variety of skin disorders. We show that cultured mouse keratinocytes (Balb/MK) responded to RA with induced expression of VL30 retrotransposons. The induction was rapid, was present at nanomolar concentrations of RA, was independent of new protein synthesis, and occurred both in proliferating and differentiated keratinocytes. The long terminal repeat of a VL30 retrotransposon, expressed in mouse epidermis in vivo, was found to contain two RA-responsive elements (RREs) that independently conferred RA responsiveness on a heterologous promoter in both cultured Balb/MK cells and normal human keratinocytes. Functional characterization and in vitro binding analysis showed that the sequence requirement for binding of retinoid X receptor alpha (RXR alpha) and retinoic acid receptor (RAR, either alpha, beta, or gamma) heterodimers, correlated with the sequence requirement for RA-induced transcription in keratinocytes. The VL30 RREs differed functionally from the RA response element present in the RAR-beta 2 promoter, in that the VL30 RREs were non-responsive in fibroblasts cultured from human skin. The non-responsiveness correlated with a reduced complex formation between a VL30 RRE and endogenously expressed nuclear factors present in skin fibroblasts. The data suggest that a direct repeat of two half-sites, spaced by two base pairs, with the consensus sequence T(A/G)AACTTTT(T/C)ACC(T/C), bound RAR-RXR heterodimers and mediated, at constitutive receptor levels, a primary RA response on gene transcription specifically in keratinocytes.

Animals↗

Strong sequence conservation among horizontally transmissible, minimally pathogenic feline leukemia viruses.

We report the first complete nucleotide sequence (8,440 base pairs) of a biologically active feline leukemia virus (FeLV), designated FeLV-61E (or F6A), and the molecular cloning, biological activity, and env-long terminal repeat (LTR) sequence of another FeLV isolate, FeLV-3281 (or F3A). F6A corresponds to the non-disease-specific common-form component of the immunodeficiency disease-inducing strain of FeLV, FeLV-FAIDS, and was isolated from tissue DNA of a cat following experimental transmission of naturally occurring feline acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. F3A clones were derived from a subgroup-A-virus-producing feline tumor cell line. Both are unusual relative to other molecularly cloned FeLVs studied to date in their ability to induce viremia in weanling (8-week-old) cats and in their failure to induce acute disease. The F6A provirus is organized into 5'-LTR-gag-pol-env-LTR-3' regions; the gag and pol open reading frames are separated by an amber codon, and env is in a different reading frame. The deduced extracellular glycoproteins of F6A, F3A, and the Glasgow-1 subgroup A isolate of FeLV (M. Stewart, M. Warnock, A. Wheeler, N. Wilkie, J. Mullins, D. Onions, and J. Neil, J. Virol. 58:825-834, 1986) are 98% homologous, despite having been isolated from naturally infected cats 6 to 13 years apart and from widely different geographic locations. As a group, their envelope gene sequences differ markedly from those of the disease-associated subgroup B and acutely pathogenic subgroup C viruses. Thus, F6A and F3A correspond to members of a highly conserved family and represent prototypes of the horizontally transmitted, minimally pathogenic FeLV present in all naturally occurring infections.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Insertion of tandem direct repeats consisting of avian leukosis virus LTR sequences into the inverted repeat region of Marek's disease virus type 1 DNA.

The BC-1 strain DNA of Marek's disease virus type 1 (MDV1) at high-passage in culture was found to contain tandem direct repeats of the complete long terminal repeat (LTR) sequence of avian leukosis virus RAV0 strain as the repeat unit within the short inverted repeats of the MDV1 DNA. Since the attenuated BC-1 strain grows well in cultured cells, the insertion site for retroviral DNA sequence within the short inverted repeat of MDV1 DNA is not essential for viral growth in culture.

Animals↗

Sequences within both the 5' untranslated region and the gag gene are important for efficient encapsidation of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus RNA.

It has previously been shown that the 5' untranslated leader region (UTR), including about 495 bp of the gag gene, is sufficient for the efficient encapsidation and propagation of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV) based retroviral vectors. In addition, a deletion upstream of the major splice donor, SD, has been shown to adversely affect MPMV RNA packaging. However, the precise sequence requirement for the encapsidation of MPMV genomic RNA within the 5' UTR and gag remains largely unknown. In this study, we have used a systematic deletion analysis of the 5' UTR and gag gene to define the cis-acting sequences responsible for efficient MPMV RNA packaging. Using an in vivo packaging and transduction assay, our results reveal that the MPMV packaging signal is primarily found within the first 30 bp immediately downstream of the primer binding site. However, its function is dependent upon the presence of the last 23 bp of the 5' UTR and approximately the first 100 bp of the gag gene. Thus, sequences that affect MPMV RNA packaging seem to reside both upstream and downstream of the major splice donor with the downstream region responsible for the efficient functioning of the upstream primary packaging determinant.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

An apparent case of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II)-associated neurological disease: a clinical, molecular, and phylogenetic characterisation.

Several studies have reported an association between HTLV-II and a neurological condition which has come to be called HTLV-II-associated myelopathy and is similar, in some cases, to HTLV-I-associated myelopathy. To further explore the establishment of an etiological link between this virus and neurological disease, we determined the HTLV status of three individuals, one of which presented with symptoms of progressive ataxia. Since the patient with neurological disease and her husband were HTLV-II positive, we had the potential to study one of few cases of an HTLV-II-associated neurological disorder, and the first case in Canada. However, although the individual with the neurological disease was HTLV-II positive, we discovered that her brother, who displays the same clinical symptoms, was not positive for either HTLV-II or HTLV-I. Thus, disease association with HTLV-II became unsupportable. We present here, nevertheless, the first sequence and phylogenetic analysis of an HTLV-II isolate in Canada. This study suggests that cases of HTLV-II and neurological disease must be carefully investigated before any etiological conclusions can be made.

Ataxia↗

Retroviral vectors produced in the cytoplasmic vaccinia virus system transduce intron-containing genes.

Introns and polyadenylation (pA) sites are known to improve transcript stability and nuclear-cytoplasmic transport and are normally present in efficient gene expression vectors. Standard retroviral vectors, however, do not allow the inclusion of such sequence elements, as mRNA processing at internal splice and pA sites interferes with the production of functional full-length vector genomes. In this report we examined the capability of hybrid vaccinia/retroviral vectors to transduce complex gene cassettes with nuclear RNA processing signals within the retroviral genome. A retroviral vector was constructed that contains a gene of interest (the human coagulation factor IX [FIX] cDNA), including an intron and an internal pA site. The modified proviral vector genome was cloned downstream of a vaccinia virus promoter and was inserted into the vaccinia virus genome. Infection of a packaging cell line with the recombinant vaccinia virus vector resulted in secretion of retroviral particles at average titers of 10(5) CFU per ml of cell culture supernatant. Due to the cytoplasmic transcription and the nonrecognition of nuclear transcription signals in the vaccinia virus system, full-length transcripts were obtained that still contained the intron. In the retrovirally transduced cell lines the FIX transcripts were terminated at the internal pA site. The transcripts were quantitatively spliced, and FIX was secreted. Recombinant cell lines with stable single-copy inserts containing sequence elements necessary for efficient gene function could be generated. Thus, a relatively simple cytoplasmic system for the generation of complex retroviral vectors is described. Retroviral vectors transducing intron-containing gene cassettes may play a further role in gene therapy applications.

3T3 Cells↗

Funky, not junky.

In many respects, the most intriguing part of the mouse genome sequence is what it has told us about so-called 'junk' DNA sequences.

Animals↗

Human foamy virus integrase fails to catalyse the integration of a circular DNA molecule containing an LTR junction sequence.

The presence of closed circular forms of the linear DNA genome of human foamy virus (HFV) has not been established. The ability of the HFV integrase (IN) to catalyse the integration of these circular forms (termed 2 long terminal repeat (LTR) circles) was investigated, with a view to producing a novel hybrid vector. To this end, a construct was made containing, in addition to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) marker gene, the last 27 bp of the 3' U5 LTR region of HFV fused to the first 28 bp of the 5' U3 LTR, the latter representing a 2LTR circle. Marker gene expression following transfection of both 293 and 293T cells indicated that the level of integration was not significantly increased by the HFV IN. Moreover, correctly integrated provirus-like forms of the input plasmid could not be detected by PCR. Taken together, these results show that the HFV IN is not able to integrate a circular molecule containing an LTR junction and, hence, the technique is not exploitable as a tool to produce hybrid vectors for gene therapy.

Catalysis↗

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat quasispecies differ in basal transcription and nuclear factor recruitment in human glial cells and lymphocytes.

The generation of genomic diversity during the course of infection has the potential to affect all aspects of HIV-1 replication, including expression of the proviral genome. To gain a better understanding of the impact of long terminal repeat (LTR) sequence diversity on LTR-directed gene expression in cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and immune system, we amplified and cloned LTRs from proviral DNA in HIV-1-infected peripheral blood. Sequence analysis of nineteen LTRs cloned from 2 adult and 3 pediatric patients revealed an average of 33 nucleotide changes (with respect to the sequence of the LAI LTR) within the 455-bp U3 region. Transient expression analyses in cells of neuroglial and lymphocytic origin demonstrated that some of these LTRs had activities which varied significantly from the LAI LTR in U-373 MG cells (an astrocytoma cell line) as well as in Jurkat cells (a CD4-positive lymphocyte cell line). While LTRs which demonstrated the highest activities in U-373 MG cells also yielded high activities in Jurkat cells, the LTRs were generally more active in Jurkat cells when compared to the LAI LTR. Differences in LTR sequence also resulted in differences in transcription factor recruitment to cis-acting sites within the U3 region of the LTR, as demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. In particular, naturally occurring sequence variation impacted transcription factor binding to an activating transcription factor/cAMP response element binding (ATF/CREB) binding site (located between the LEF-1 and distal NF-kappaB transcription factor binding sites) that we identified in previous studies of the HIV-1 LTR. These findings suggest that LTR sequence changes can significantly affect basal LTR function and transcription factor recruitment, which may, in turn, alter the course of viral replication in cells of CNS and immune system origin.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗