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Rice proteins that bind single-stranded G-rich telomere DNA.

In this work, we have identified and characterized proteins in rice nuclear extracts that specifically bind the single-stranded G-rich telomere sequence. Three types of specific DNA-protein complexes (I, II, and III) were identified by gel retardation assays using synthetic telomere substrates consisting of two or more single-stranded TTTAGGG repeats and rice nuclear extracts. Since each complex has a unique biochemical property and differs in electrophoretic mobility, at least three different proteins interact with the G-rich telomere sequences. These proteins are called rice G-rich telomere binding protein (RGBP) and none of them show binding affinity to double-stranded telomere repeats or single-stranded C-rich sequence. Changing one or two G's to C's in the TTTAGGG repeats abolishes binding activity. RGBPs have a greatly reduced affinity for human and Tetrahymena telomeric sequence and do not efficiently bind the cognate G-rich telomere RNA sequence UUUAGGG. Like other telomere binding proteins, RGBPs are resistant to high salt concentrations. RNase sensitivity of the DNA-protein interaction. In this assay, we observed a novel complex (complex III) in gel retardation assays which did not alter the mobilities or the band intensities of the two pre-existing complexes (I and II). The complex III, in addition to binding to telomeric sequences, has a binding affinity to rice nuclear RNA, whereas two other complexes have a binding affinity to only single-stranded G-rich telomere DNA. Taken together, these studies suggest that RGBPs are new types of telomere-binding proteins that bind in vitro to single-stranded G-rich telomere DNA in the angiosperms.

Animals↗

Structural flexibility in the Burkholderia mallei genome.

The complete genome sequence of Burkholderia mallei ATCC 23344 provides insight into this highly infectious bacterium's pathogenicity and evolutionary history. B. mallei, the etiologic agent of glanders, has come under renewed scientific investigation as a result of recent concerns about its past and potential future use as a biological weapon. Genome analysis identified a number of putative virulence factors whose function was supported by comparative genome hybridization and expression profiling of the bacterium in hamster liver in vivo. The genome contains numerous insertion sequence elements that have mediated extensive deletions and rearrangements of the genome relative to Burkholderia pseudomallei. The genome also contains a vast number (>12,000) of simple sequence repeats. Variation in simple sequence repeats in key genes can provide a mechanism for generating antigenic variation that may account for the mammalian host's inability to mount a durable adaptive immune response to a B. mallei infection.

Animals↗

cDNA structure of the mouse and rat subtilisin/kexin-like PC5: a candidate proprotein convertase expressed in endocrine and nonendocrine cells.

By using reverse transcriptase/PCR and oligonucleotide sequences derived from conserved segments (including the conserved RRGDL sequence) of the known proprotein convertases (PCs) PC1, PC2, furin, and PC4, we identified a subtilisin/kexin-like PC called PC5 in both mouse and rat tissues. The composite structure (2.85 kb) was deduced from the analysis of the reverse transcription/PCR products combined with the sequence from a clone isolated from a cDNA library made from corticotropin-activated mouse adrenocortical Y1 cells. The deduced cDNA structures of mouse PC5 and rat PC5 showed that the closest homologue is PACE4. Furthermore, like furin, Drosophila melanogaster (d) dfurin2, and PACE4, PC5 shows the presence of a C-terminal Cys-rich domain containing either 5 (PC5 and PACE4) or 10 (dfurin2) repeats of the consensus motif Cys-Xaa2-Cys-Xaa3-Cys-Xaa(5-7)-Cys-Xaa2-Cys-Xaa (8-15)-Cys-Xaa3-Cys-Xaa(9-16). The richest sources of rat PC5 mRNA (3.8 kb) are the adrenal and gut, but it can also be detected in many endocrine and nonendocrine tissues. Corticotropin-stimulated adrenocortical Y1 cells showed an increased expression of PC5 mRNA, suggesting an upregulation by cAMP. In situ hybridization of rat brain sections demonstrated a unique distribution of PC5 compared to PC1, PC2, and furin.

Adrenal Glands↗

NMR investigation of echinomycin binding to d(ACGTTAACGT)2: Hoogsteen versus Watson-Crick A.T base pairing between echinomycin binding sites.

The structure of the echinomycin complex with the self-complementary DNA decamer d(ACGTTAACGT)2 has been investigated in solution by proton NMR spectroscopy. Echinomycin binds as a bisintercalator at the CpG steps. An analysis of the intermolecular NOE patterns defined the position and orientation of the bound drug molecule. The terminal A.T base pairs are Hoogsteen base-paired, whereas the central four A.T base pairs are clearly Watson-Crick base-paired. Thus, the presence of the extra A.T base pairs between the binding sites appears to prevent the formation of Hoogsteen base pairs immediately adjacent to the binding site. All four central A.T base pairs are destabilized relative to those in the free DNA. Because there is no evidence for unwinding of the DNA duplex in the complex relative to the free DNA, we conclude that the hypersensitivity to DNA cleavage reagents distal to echinomycin binding sites might be due to the destabilization of DNA structure induced by the drug binding.

Adenine↗

A distinct octamer-binding protein present in malignant melanoma cells.

The octamer-binding proteins present in HeLa cells, B-cells and malignant melanoma cells were compared by a gel-electrophoresis DNA-binding assay. Using an extract from the malignant melanoma cells a complex was formed using a variety of octamer containing probes that was distinct from those found using either a HeLa or B-cell extract. DNAase 1 footprints and methylation interference patterns of the melanoma-specific octamer-binding protein were indistinguishable from those obtained with the HeLa factor NF-A1, except for preferential binding of the melanoma-specific factor to DNA methylated at two G residues 16 base-pairs 3' to the octamer motif. Competition analyses using a variety of wild-type and mutant probes showed that mutations affecting binding of NF-A1 similarly affected binding of the melanoma octamer-binding factor. These data also revealed the extreme flexibility of the octamer-binding site, with one probe sharing only 4 bases with the 8 base consensus sequence binding efficiently.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Formation of intramolecular triplex in homopurine-homopyrimidine mirror repeats with point substitutions.

We have used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to study the structural transition to the triplex H form of sequences 5'-AAGGGAGAAXGGGGTATAGGGGYAAGAGGGAA-3' where X and Y are any DNA bases. The transition was observed at acid pH under superhelical stress. For X = Y = A or X = Y = G the sequences corresponded to homopurine-homopyrimidine mirror repeats (H-palindrome) which are known to adopt the H form under acid pH and superhelical stress. We have shown that the H form is actually formed for all X and Y, though in cases other than X = Y = A and X = Y = G the transition requires larger negative superhelical stress. Different substitutions require different superhelicity levels for the transition to occur. Theoretical analysis of the data obtained made it possible to estimate the energy cost of triplex formation due to all possible mismatched base triads.

Base Composition↗

Effects of primer-template mismatches on the polymerase chain reaction: human immunodeficiency virus type 1 model studies.

We investigated the effects of various primer-template mismatches on DNA amplification of an HIV-1 gag region by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Single internal mismatches had no significant effect on PCR product yield while those at the 3'-terminal base had varied effects. A:G, G:A, and C:C mismatches reduced overall PCR product yield about 100-fold, A:A mismatches about 20-fold. All other 3'-terminal mismatches were efficiently amplified, although the G:G mismatches appeared to be more sensitive to sequence context and dNTP concentrations than other mismatches. It should be noted that mismatches of T with either G, C, or T had a minimal effect on PCR product yield. Double mismatches within the last four bases of a primer-template duplex where one of the mismatches is at the 3' terminal nucleotide, in general, reduced PCR product yield dramatically. The presence of a mismatched T at the 3'-terminus, however, allowed significant amplification even when coupled with an adjacent mismatch. Furthermore, even two mismatched Ts at the 3'-terminus allowed efficient amplification.

Base Composition↗

Triple helix formation with purine-rich phosphorothioate-containing oligonucleotides covalently linked to an acridine derivative.

Purine-rich (GA)- and (GT)-containing oligophosphorothioates were investigated for their triplex-forming potential on a 23 bp DNA duplex target. In our system, GA-containing oligophosphorothioates (23mer GA-PS) were capable of triplex formation with binding affinities lower than (GA)-containing oligophosphodiesters (23mer GA-PO). The orientation of the third strand 23mers GA-PS and GA-PO was antiparallel to the purine strand of the duplex DNA target. In contrast, (GT)-containing oligophosphorothioates (23mer GT-PS) did not support triplex formation in either orientation, whereas the 23mer GT-PO oligophosphodiester demonstrated triplex formation in the antiparallel orientation. GA-PS oligonucleotides, in contrast to GT-PS oligonucleotides, were capable of self-association, but these self-associated structures exhibited lower stabilities than those formed with GA-PO oligonucleotides, suggesting that homoduplex formation (previously described for the 23mer GA-PO sequence by Noonberg et al.) could not fully account for the decrease in triplex stability when phosphorothioate linkages were used. The 23mer GA-PS oligonucleotide was covalently linked via its 5'-end to an acridine derivative (23mer Acr-GA-PS). In the presence of potassium cations, this conjugate demonstrated triplex formation with higher binding affinity than the unmodified 23mer GA-PS oligonucleotide and even than the 23mer GA-PO oligonucleotide. A (GA)-containing oligophosphodiester with two phosphorothioate linkages at both the 5'- and 3'-ends exhibited similar binding affinity to duplex DNA compared with the unmodified GA-PO oligophosphodiester. This capped oligonucleotide was more resistant to nucleases than the GA-PO oligomer and thus represents a good alternative for ex vivo applications of (GA)-containing, triplex-forming oligonucleotides, allowing a higher binding affinity for its duplex target without rapid cellular degradation.

Acridines↗

Hairpin-dimer equilibrium of a parallel-stranded DNA hairpin: formation of a four-stranded complex.

The 24mer deoxyoligonucleotide 3'-d(T)10-5'-5'-d(C)4- d(A)10-3'(psC4) with an uncommon 5'-p-5'phosphodiester linkage was designed to enable the formation of a hairpin structure with unusual parallel-stranded stem. As reference hairpin structure with an antiparallel-stranded stem, the 24mer 5'-d(T)10-d(C)4-d(A)10-3'(apsC4) was chosen. The behaviour of these oligonucleotides at different temperatures, DNA and salt concentrations was characterised by a combination of UV melting, CD, CD melting, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, infrared melting and analytical ultracentrifugation. The parallel-stranded hairpin structure was found to be formed by psC4 only under conditions of low DNA concentration and low salt concentration. Increase of the NaCl concentration beyond the physiological level or high DNA concentration supports the formation of intermolecular multi-stranded structures. The experimental data are in agreement with a four-stranded complex formed by two molecules of psC4. The base pairing model of this asymmetric four-stranded complex is based on the pyrimidine motif of a triple helix with two bifurcated hydrogen bonds at the O4 of the thymine each directed towards one of the amino protons of both adenines. In contrast, the reference oligonucleotide apsC4 forms only an antiparallel-stranded hairpin under all experimental conditions.

Base Composition↗

Secondary structural characterization of oligonucleotide strands using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Differences in charge state distributions of hairpin versus linear strands of oligonucleotides are analyzed using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) in the negative ion detection mode. It is observed that the linear structures show lower charge state distribution than the hairpin strands of the same composition. The concentration of ammonium acetate and the cone voltage are major factors that cause the shift of the negative ions in the charge states. The ESI data presented here are supported by UV spectra of strands acquired at 260 nm wavelength in aqueous ammonium acetate solution. We will show that the strands that demonstrate a higher charge state distribution in the gas phase also have a higher melting temperature in solution.

Acetates↗

Single nucleotide extension technology for quantitative site-specific evaluation of metC/C in GC-rich regions.

The development and use of high throughput technologies for detailed mapping of methylated cytosines (metC) is becoming of increasing importance for the expanding field of epigenetics. The single nucleotide primer extension reaction used for genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms has been recently adapted to interrogate the bisulfite modification induced 'quantitative' C/T polymorphism that corresponds to metC/C in the native DNA. In this study, we explored the opportunity to investigate C/T (and G/A) ratios using the Applied Biosystems (ABI) SNaPshot technology. The main effort of this study was dedicated to addressing the complexities in the analysis of DNA methylation in GC-rich regions where interrogation of the target cytosine can be confounded by variable degrees of methylation in other cytosines (resulting in variable C/T or G/A ratios after treatment with bisulfite) in the annealing site of the interrogating primer. In our studies, the mismatches of the SNaPshot primer with the target DNA sequence resulted in a biasing effect of up to 70% while these effects decreased as the location of the polymorphic site moved upstream of the target cytosine. We demonstrated that the biasing effect can be corrected with the SNaPshot primers containing degenerative C/T and G/A nucleotides. A series of experiments using various permutations of quantitative C/T and G/A polymorphisms at various positions of the target DNA sequence demonstrated that SNaPshot is able to accurately report cytosine methylation levels with <5% average SD from the true values. Given the relative simplicity of the method and the possibility to multiplex C/T and G/A interrogations, the SNaPshot approach may become a useful tool for large-scale mapping of metC.

Base Composition↗

The influence of sequences adjacent to the recognition site on the cleavage of oligodeoxynucleotides by the EcoRI endonuclease.

We have investigated the influence of the nucleotide sequence adjacent to the recognition site on the rate of cleavage of DNA by the restriction endonuclease EcoRI. For this purpose two decadeoxynucleotides, d(G-G-G-A-A-T-T-C-T-T) (Ia) and d(A-A-G-A-A-T-T-C-C-C) (Ib) were synthesized. The duplex Ia X Ib is cleaved by EcoRI preferentially in the dA-rich strand (approximately 10 times over the dG-rich strand). The individual nucleotides Ia and Ib are also cleaved by EcoRI, Ib at a higher rate than Ia and both at a lower rate than Ia X Ib. The temperature dependence of the reaction rate shows that only double-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides are substrates for the EcoRI endonuclease. We have, furthermore, synthesized oligomers of d(G-G-A-A-T-T-C-C), which contain two, three and four EcoRI sites, respectively. These oligodeoxynucleotides are preferentially cleaved at the sites next to the 5' end, where the recognition site is only flanked by one dG X dC base pair, in contrast to the other sites which are flanked by three such pairs. These data indicate that sequences adjacent to the recognition site influence the rate of cleavage: dA X dT base pairs enhance and dG X dC base pairs slow down the hydrolytic activity of the EcoRI endonuclease.

Base Composition↗

Genome mosaicism is conserved but not unique in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from the airways of young children with cystic fibrosis.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from the chronic lung infections of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are phenotypically and genotypically diverse. Using strain PAO1 whole genome DNA microarrays, we assessed the genomic variation in P. aeruginosa strains isolated from young children with CF (6 months to 8 years of age) as well as from the environment. Eighty-nine to 97% of the PAO1 open reading frames were detected in 20 strains by microarray analysis, while subsets of 38 gene islands were absent or divergent. No specific pattern of genome mosaicism defined strains associated with CF. Many mosaic regions were distinguished by their low G + C content; their inclusion of phage related or pyocin genes; or by their linkage to a vgr gene or a tRNA gene. Microarray and phenotypic analysis of sequential isolates from individual patients revealed two deletions of greater than 100 kbp formed during evolution in the lung. The gene loss in these sequential isolates raises the possibility that acquisition of pyomelanin production and loss of pyoverdin uptake each may be of adaptive significance. Further characterization of P. aeruginosa diversity within the airways of individual CF patients may reveal common adaptations, perhaps mediated by gene loss, that suggest new opportunities for therapy.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Hot spots for growth hormone gene deletions in homologous regions outside of Alu repeats.

Familial growth hormone deficiency type 1A is an autosomal recessive disease caused by deletion of both growth hormone-1 (GH1) alleles. Ten patients from heterogeneous geographic origins showed differences in restriction fragment length polymorphism haplotypes in nondeleted regions that flanked GH1, suggesting that these deletions arose from independent unequal recombination events. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples from nine of ten patients showed that crossovers occurred within 99% homologous, 594-base pair (bp) segments that flanked GH1. A DNA sample from one patient indicated that the crossover occurred within 454-bp segments that flanked GH1 and contained 274-bp repeats that are 98% homologous. Although Alu repeats, which are frequent sites of recombination, are adjacent to GH1, they were not involved in any of the recombination events studied. These results suggest that length and degree of DNA sequence homology are important in defining recombination sites that resulted in GH1 deletions.

Alleles↗

Novel chemoautotrophic endosymbiosis between a member of the Epsilonproteobacteria and the hydrothermal-vent gastropod Alviniconcha aff. hessleri (Gastropoda: Provannidae) from the Indian Ocean.

The hydrothermal-vent gastropod Alviniconcha aff. hessleri from the Kairei hydrothermal field on the Central Indian Ridge houses bacterium-like cells internally in its greatly enlarged gill. A single 16S rRNA gene sequence was obtained from the DNA extract of the gill, and phylogenetic analysis placed the source organism within a lineage of the epsilon subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis with an oligonucleotide probe targeting the specific epsilonproteobacterial subgroup showed the bacterium densely colonizing the gill filaments. Carbon isotopic homogeneity among the gastropod tissue parts, regardless of the abundance of the endosymbiont cells, suggests that the carbon isotopic composition of the endosymbiont biomass is approximately the same as that of the gastropod. Compound-specific carbon isotopic analysis revealed that fatty acids from the gastropod tissues are all (13)C enriched relative to the gastropod biomass and that the monounsaturated C(16) fatty acid that originates from the endosymbiont is as (13)C enriched relative to the gastropod biomass as that of the epsilonproteobacterial cultures grown under chemoautotrophic conditions. This fractionation pattern is most likely due to chemoautotrophy based on the reductive tricarboxylic-acid (rTCA) cycle and subsequent fatty acid biosynthesis from (13)C-enriched acetyl coenzyme A. Enzymatic characterization revealed evident activity of several key enzymes of the rTCA cycle, as well as the absence of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity in the gill tissue. The results from anatomic, molecular phylogenetic, bulk and compound-specific carbon isotopic, and enzymatic analyses all support the inference that a novel nutritional strategy relying on chemoautotrophy in the epsilonproteobacterial endosymbiont is utilized by the hydrothermal-vent gastropod from the Indian Ocean. The discrepancies between the data of the present study and those of previous ones for Alviniconcha gastropods from the Pacific Ocean imply that at least two lineages of chemoautotrophic bacteria, phylogenetically distinct at the subdivision level, occur as the primary endosymbiont in one host animal type.

Animals↗

Thymine and guanine base specificity of human myeloma proteins with anti-DNA activity.

To further our understanding of the molecular basis of DNA-autoantibody interactions, we have characterized the specificities of three IgG human myeloma proteins that bind DNA. We measured their binding to synthetic single- and double-stranded homopolynucleotides, random and alternating copolymers, oligonucleotides, and nucleotides or nucleosides conjugated to non-nucleic acid carriers. All three antibodies bound single-stranded nucleic acids, including both polyribonucleotides and polydeoxyribonucleotides. They varied in relative affinities for polynucleotides of varying base composition. Polymers containing the purines guanine or hypoxanthine and/or the pyrimidine thymine were most reactive with all three proteins. A myeloma protein that reacted with poly(G), poly(I), or poly(dT) also bound to the corresponding nucleosides or nucleotides conjugated to bovine serum albumin. None of the antibodies reacted with base-paired double-helical polynucleotides (double-stranded RNA, RNA-DNA hybrid or double-stranded DNA). The results indicate that base specificity is prominent in their reactions and that the accessible epitopes in single-stranded polynucleotides become masked upon base pairing in double-stranded helices. These findings suggest a model in which positions N1 and O6 of guanine and hypoxanthine and N3 and O4 of thymine interact with amino acids of the antibody-combining site.

Autoantibodies↗