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Virion RNA species of the arenaviruses Pichinde, Tacaribe, and Tamiami.

The principal RNA species isolated from labeled preparations of the arenavirus Pichinde usually include a large viral RNA species L (apparent molecular weight = 3.2 X 10(6)), and a smaller viral RNA species S (apparent molecular weight = 1.6 X 10(6)). In addition, either little or considerable quantities of 28S rRNA as well as 18S rRNA can also be obtained in virus extracts, depending on the virus stock and growth conditions used to generate virus preparations. Similar RNA species have been identified in RNA extracted from Tacaribe and Tamiami arenavirus preparations. Oligonucleotide fingerprint analyses have confirmed the host ribosomal origin of the 28S and 18S species. Such analyses have also indicated that the Pichinde viral L and S RNA species each contain unique nucleotide sequences. Viral RNA preparations isolated by conventional phenol-sodium dodecyl sulfate extraction often have much of their L and S RNA species in the form of aggregates as visualized by either electron microscopy or oligonucleotide fingerprinting of material recovered from the top of gels (run by using undenatured RNA preparations). Circular and linear RNA forms have also been seen in electron micrographs of undenatured RNA preparations, although denatured viral RNA preparations have yielded mostly linear RNA species with few RNA aggregates or circular forms.

Arenaviridae↗

Measurement of dendritic mRNA transport using ribosomal markers.

mRNA is transported to the dendritic regions by forming RNA granules, an aggregate of mRNA, ribosomal proteins, rRNA, and RNA-binding proteins such as Staufen. In this study, the dendritic transport of RNA granules was measured using the individual antibodies to ribosome-specific markers such as ribosomal L4 or S6 protein, and Y10B, a monoclonal antibody specific to rRNA. All the markers showed significant immunoreactivity in the dendritic regions of the hippocampal neurons. In addition, a GFP-tagged Staufen, a marker protein of the RNA granules, was colocalized with the Y10B and S6 signals in the dendrites. The S6 signals were also colocalized with the Y10B signals in the dendrites. Consistent with previous studies, the depolarization induced by KCl stimulation increased the ribosomal level, revealed by the S6 or Y10B immunostaining in the distal dendrites. These results demonstrate the utility of ribosomal markers for detecting the RNA granules or mRNA transport in dendrites.

Animals↗

Comparison of hydrophobic and strongly hydrophilic cleavable crosslinking reagents in intermolecular bond formation in aggregates of proteins or protein-RNA.

Most of the bifunctional reagents in protein chemistry possess a strongly hydrophobic backbone, derived from aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons. Even bifunctionals of more than 30 A in length of this sort form intramolecular bridges preferentially. In recent years, the intermolecular crosslinking of physiological protein aggregates has gained in importance. As shown in the crosslinking of hemoglobin with two sets of hydrophobic and strongly hydrophilic reagents, derived from azo dyes and tartaric acid, respectively, in this case it is not primarily the length of the bifunctional, but the hydrophilic structure that will enhance intermolecular crosslinking. Artificial dimers of native structure may be obtained. For the crosslinking of RNA to protein, we have synthesized a new reagent, 3-(2-bromo-3-oxobutane-1-sulphonyl)-propionic acid p-nitrophenyl ester. In a two step reaction, it is attached to adenine and cytosine moieties at pH 6 first, and to lysine side chains at pH 7,5. The reagent has been applied to the poly-A sequence of globin messenger RNA nucleoprotein.

Adenosine↗

Defective interfering passages of Sindbis virus: nature of the defective virion RNA.

Defective interfering particles of Sindbis virus contain 20S RNA identical to that found in BHK cells co-infected with standard and defective virions. We have characterized these RNAs by their oligonucleotide fingerprints. Most of the oligonucleotides were identical to those found in the mRNA (26S RNA) that codes for the virion structural proteins. Three oligonucleotides found in 20S RNA were absent from the 26S RNA pattern and may represent sequences from the 5' end of the virion RNA. Previous difficulties in describing the nature of the defective virion RNA were due to the aggregated state of the RNA. Nucleocapsids obtained from standard and defective virions were essentially the same size and had about the same density, suggesting that defective particles contain more than a single molecule of 20S RNA.

Base Sequence↗

Ribonucleic acid synthesis in cells infected with influenza virus.

Virus-specific ribonucleic acid (RNA), synthesized in influenza virus-infected cells from 3.5 to 7.5 hr after infection, was studied. After velocity centrifugation in sucrose, three peaks of virus-specific RNA could be identified: 34S, 18S, and 11S. These RNA species are predominantly single-stranded and consist of 90% viral (plus) and 10% complementary (minus) RNA strands. Most (75%) of the complementary RNA is single-stranded, i.e., not part of RNA duplexes or replicative intermediates. The 34S RNA species is an aggregate of 18S and 14S RNA species. Both 18S and 11S RNA species are relatively heterogenous compared to 18S ribosomal RNA, and these species probably contain different RNA molecules having closely related sedimentation coefficients.

Animals↗

Neurofilament RNA causes neurodegeneration with accumulation of ubiquitinated aggregates in cultured motor neurons.

The mechanisms whereby mutant gene expression triggers neurodegeneration are poorly understood but have generally been attributed to translated gene products. We now demonstrate direct neuropathic effects of untranslated RNA on cultured motor neurons. We show that expression of untranslated light neurofilament (NF-L) RNA sequence in the 3'UTR of an EGFP transgene (pEGFP/NF-L RNA) or in a separate expression vector (pRc/NF-L RNA) causes dose-dependent, neuron-specific motor neuron degeneration. Neither unfused EGFP protein (pEGFP/wt) nor EGFP-tagged NF-L protein (pEGFP/NF-L protein) has similar neuropathic effects. The findings are the first demonstration of a direct RNA-mediated neurotoxic effect. Moreover, the resulting neuropathological changes show that untranslated RNA can lead to early degeneration of neuritic processes and accumulations of ubiquitinated aggregates in the perikarya and nuclei of degenerating motor neurons. The latter findings are hallmark neuropathological features of neurodegenerative diseases and their occurrence as a result of altered RNA expression raises the prospects of an RNA-mediated component in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative states.

Animals↗

Sequence of a specifically encapsidated RNA fragment originating from the tobacco-mosaic-virus coat-protein cistron.

When 25-S tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) protein aggregate and TMV RNA, which has been partially digested by T1 RNase, are mixed under conditions suitable for reconstitution, only a few RNA fragments are encapsidated. These fragments were isolated and purified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The sequence of the three main fragments, the longest of which (fragment 1) was estimated to contain 103 nucleotides, has been determined. The two smaller fragments are portions of the longer chain produced by an additional specific scission. Because of the great affinity of 25-S TMV protein for this nucleotide sequence, it will be referred to as the "specifically encapsidated RNA fragment". The occurrence of a "hidden break" in the sequence has been demonstrated: fragment 1, purified by electrophoresis on a polyacrylamide gel without 8 M urea, gives rise upon further electroporesis in the presence of urea to two new bands corresponding to the two halves of the molecule. A stable hair-pin secondary structure has been derived from the base sequence which can account for the specificity of action of the enzyme. Because of its properties, we have suggested elsewhere that the sequence of fragment 1 might correspond to the disk recognition site for reconstitution, which is known to be located at the 5' end of the intact RNA. But experiments with TMV RNA whose 5'-OH end has been radioactively phosphorylated with polynucleotide kinase show that this is not the case. Analysis of the amino acid coding capacity of the fragment has instead revealed that fragment 1 is a portion of the TMV coat protein cistron.

Base Sequence↗

Characterization of putative nuclear pre-messenger RNA of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Ehrlich ascites tumor cell putative nuclear pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) was isolated under conditions minimizing RNA degradation by ribonucleases, aggregation, and non-specific protein-RNA interaction. Isolated under these conditions, it sedimented 10 to 12 S; proteinase K, a powerful proteolytic enzyme with a broad action spectrum, gave similar sedimentation values and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the major component migrating ahead of 16S E. Coli rRNA marker. Cesium chloride buoyant density analysis of pre-mRNA revealed 2 components (1.51 and 1.68 g/cm3). Therefore, pre-mRNA appeared to be smaller than some previous reports.

Animals↗

Kinetics of net RNA degradation during development in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Based on dry weight, first-order kinetics adequately describe the net decrease of RNA in Dictyostelium discoideum NC-4 until culmination, when a cessation of RNA degradation occurs. Between aggregation and sorocarp formation, the cells lose 40% of their RNA, or 19 mM-glucose equivalents expressed in terms of cell volume at aggregation. In sorocarps the spores contain a disproportionately large amount of RNA. Net RNA contents in sorocarps and in spores are unaffected by the availability of exogenous glucose. The relationship of dry weight, cell number and packed cell volume during differentiation is given.

Dictyostelium↗

3' untranslated region in a light neurofilament (NF-L) mRNA triggers aggregation of NF-L and mutant superoxide dismutase 1 proteins in neuronal cells.

The pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases is believed to involve abnormal aggregation of proteins, but the mechanisms initiating protein aggregation are unclear. Here we report a novel phenomenon that could be instrumental in triggering protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases. We show that the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of a light neurofilament (NF-L) transcript enhances the reactivity of its own translated product and leads to loss of solubility and aggregation of NF-L protein and to coaggregation of mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) protein. Full-length mouse NF-L cDNAs, with and without NF-L 3'UTR, were fused to the C terminus of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene, and the GFP-tagged NF-L proteins were examined in transfected Neuro2a cells. The GFP-tagged NF-L protein expressed from the transgene containing NF-L 3'UTR, but not from the transgene lacking NF-L 3'UTR, colocalizes with endogenous heavy neurofilament protein and, at high-level expression, leads to loss of solubility and aggregation of GFP-tagged NF-L protein. Aggregation of GFP-tagged NF-L protein triggers coaggregation and loss of solubility of coexpressed DsRed-tagged mutant (G93A) SOD1 protein but not wild-type SOD1 protein. Deletional mutagenesis maps the RNA sequence causing aggregation of GFP-tagged NF-L protein to the proximal 45 nucleotides of NF-L 3'UTR. This is the site of a major destabilizing element in NF-L RNA and binding site for RNA-binding proteins. Our findings support a working model whereby NF-L RNA, or cognate RNA-binding factors, enhances the reactivity of NF-L protein and provides a triggering mechanism leading to aggregation of NF-L and other proteins in neurodegenerative diseases.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Thermodynamics of aminoglycoside-rRNA recognition: the binding of neomycin-class aminoglycosides to the A site of 16S rRNA.

We use spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques to characterize the binding of the aminoglycoside antibiotics neomycin, paromomycin, and ribostamycin to a RNA oligonucleotide that models the A-site of Escherichia coli 16S rRNA. Our results reveal the following significant features: (i) Aminoglycoside binding enhances the thermal stability of the A-site RNA duplex, with the extent of this thermal enhancement decreasing with increasing pH and/or Na(+) concentration. (ii) The RNA binding enthalpies of the aminoglycosides become more exothermic (favorable) with increasing pH, an observation consistent with binding-linked protonation of one or more drug amino groups. (iii) Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) studies conducted as a function of buffer reveal that aminoglycoside binding to the host RNA is linked to the uptake of protons, with the number of linked protons being dependent on pH. Specifically, increasing the pH results in a corresponding increase in the number of linked protons. (iv) ITC studies conducted at 25 and 37 degrees C reveal that aminoglycoside-RNA complexation is associated with a negative heat capacity change (Delta C(p)), the magnitude of which becomes greater with increasing pH. (v) The observed RNA binding affinities of the aminoglycosides decrease with increasing pH and/or Na(+) concentration. In addition, the thermodynamic forces underlying these RNA binding affinities also change as a function of pH. Specifically, with increasing pH, the enthalpic contribution to the observed RNA binding affinity increases, while the corresponding entropic contribution to binding decreases. (vi) The affinities of the aminoglycosides for the host RNA follow the hierarchy neomycin > paromomycin > ribostamycin. The enhanced affinity of neomycin relative to either paromomycin or ribostamycin is primarily, if not entirely, enthalpic in origin. (vii) The salt dependencies of the RNA binding affinities of neomycin and paromomycin are consistent with at least three drug NH(3)(+) groups participating in electrostatic interactions with the host RNA. In the aggregate, our results reveal the impact of specific alterations in aminoglycoside structure on the thermodynamics of binding to an A-site model RNA oligonucleotide. Such systematic comparative studies are critical first steps toward establishing the thermodynamic database required for enhancing our understanding of the molecular forces that dictate and control aminoglycoside recognition of RNA.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Infectivity and reconstitution of TMV RNA modified with N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene or benzol [a] pyrene 7,8-dihydrodiol 9,10 oxide.

TMV RNA was modified by two bulky carcinogens, N-acetoxy-2-acetylamino-fluorene (AAAF) and (+/-)-7beta, 8alpha- dihydroxy-9alpha, 10alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyrene (BPDE), and the effects of such substituents on biological and physical properties was studied. For both types of modification, the loss of infectivity was directly proportional to the number of chemical modifications indicating that all modifications are lethal. Neither AAAF nor BPDE produced measurable mutations. Reconstitution of modified RNA with TMV protein was partially inhibited, but such inhibition occurred to similar extents with either carcinogen and a varying levels of modification. The data suggest that both types of substitution of TMV RNA generally permit the TMV coat protein to aggregate normally around the RNA, but that AAAF and BPDE may induce some conformational change in the initiation region that inhibits the initiation step.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗

The RNA of the human syncytium-forming (foamy) virus.

Human syncytium-forming (foamy) virus was labeled with 3H-uridine and banded isopycnically in sucrose gradients (buoyant density = 1.16 to 1.18 g/cm3). Viral RNA extracted from the banded virus was analyzed either by rate zonal separation in sucrose gradients or by polyacrylamide-agarose gel electrophoresis. The results indicated that purified HSFV contains a 60S RNA component plus several smaller molecular weight RNA components. On dissociation with heat, smaller RNA structures were released from the 60S component. These results indicate that the genome of HSFV, like the other members of the Retroviridae family, is composed of an aggregate of several RNA species.

Centrifugation, Isopycnic↗

Molecular assembly of tobacco mosaic virus in vitro.

TMV assembly starts with a specific interaction between the assembly origin on the RNA and a disk aggregate of coat protein. The assembly origin is located in the 30K protein cistron for common and tomato strains of TMV and in the coat protein cistron for cowpea strain of TMV and for CGMMV. All the assembly origins have three essential structures: a long base-paired hairpin loop structure; a target sequence, GAPuGUUG, at the top of the hairpin loop structure; and a tract where every third base is a purine. The protein aggregate responsible for the initiation of TMV assembly is a 20S disk, a two-layered aggregate of 34 protein subunits. The two layers of a disk open apart onto the central hole and this structure may be critical for the disk to interact with the assembly origin on the RNA. The target sequence may bind specifically to this structure. Although only a low concentration of 20S disks exists in the usual assembly condition, one disk is enough to initiate TMV assembly. TMV elongation proceeds in two directions. Elongation to the 5'-end proceeds rapidly by preferential incorporation of protein subunits (or A protein) and in 5-7 min gives rise to 260 nm intermediate particles whose 5'-end is coated. A model of elongation toward the 5'-end is shown in Fig. 15. Protected RNAs from nuclease digestion during the assembly reaction produce a banding pattern on gels by electrophoresis. The banding pattern reflects features of the RNA rather than protein that are used in the assembly reaction, since the pattern was the same for assembly between TMV-RNA and CGMMV protein subunits as for assembly between TMV-RNA and TMV protein containing 20S aggregates. The 20S aggregate in the assembly solution has a helical structure with 39 protein subunits rather than the disk structure. Rapid addition of 20S helical aggregates to the top of the growing rod seems to be impossible because of its topological complexity. Elongation toward the 3'-end does not start for at least the first 4 min after initiation. It probably cannot begin until the 5'-end RNA tail disappears into the intermediate rod. Elongation toward the 3'-end favors 20S aggregates as the protein source and gives rise to the full-length rods in about 30 min after the initiation. There are no topological difficulties in adding 20S helical aggregates to the protruding RNA tail.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Genes, Viral↗

Effect of estrogen on gene expression in the chick oviduct. In vitro transcription of the ovalbumin gene.

Problems involved in using the Hg-nucleotide technique for in vitro chromatin transcription are 2-fold. First, Escherichia coli RNA polymerase can utilize endogenous RNA as template and synthesize complementary sequences which remain base-paired to the template, thereby allowing it to bind to the SH-Sepharose column and copurify with the newly synthesized Hg-RNA. Second, non-mercurated endogenous RNA can bind to the SH-Sepharose through aggregation with Hg-RNA and thus be retained in the final RNA preparation. These two problems associated with the Hg-nucleotide technique can be minimized by modifying the conditions for RNA synthesis and SH-Sepharose chromatography. Using the modified procedure the Hg-nucleotide and SH-Sepharose technique can remove more than 90% of endogenous RNA contaminants. In order to directly demonstrate that the mRNAov sequences detected in vitro result from de novo transcription of oviduct chromatin, experiments were carried out which show that the hybridizable RNA sequences contain the Hg element and that the synthesis of these RNA sequences is sensitive to low concentrations of actinomycin D. These combined results strongly suggest that the majority of mRNAov sequences detected by hybridization to cDNAov is indeed due to DNA-dependent RNA synthesis by E. coli RNA polymerase and not due to an artifact of endogenous RNA contamination. This observation was further supported by data obtained using a filter hybridization method which measures directly the mRNAov sequences present in [3H]RNA synthesized from chromatin. The 3H-labeled ovalbumin messenger RNA was assayed by hybridization to cloned pOV230 DNA containing the ovalbumin structural gene sequence. With this modified Hg-nucleotide-SH-Sepharose technique and filter hybridization technique, we have restudied the in vitro transcription of the ovalbumin gene from chromatins isolated at different stages of hormone-induced oviduct development. The results are in agreement with our previous findings which suggest that the primary regulation of ovalbumin synthesis by steroid hormones occurs at the transcriptional level.

Animals↗