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Immunoglobulin gene conversion: insights from bursal B cells and the DT40 cell line.

Chicken B cells diversify their immunoglobulin (Ig) light and heavy chain genes by pseudogene templated gene conversion within the bursa of Fabricius. Although Ig gene conversion was initially believed to occur only in birds, it is now clear that most farm animals also use this elegant mechanism to develop an immunoglobulin gene repertoire. The best model to study Ig gene conversion remains the chicken Ig light chain locus due to its compact size and the fact that all the pseudogene donors are sequenced. Furthermore, gene conversion continues in the bursa-derived DT40 cell line whose genome can be easily modified by targeted integration of transfected constructs. Disruption of the AID gene, which had been shown to control somatic hypermutation and switch recombination in mammals leads to a complete block of gene conversion in DT40 indicating that all B-cell specific repertoire formation is controlled by the same gene. Here, we review the genetics and the molecular mechanism of Ig gene conversion based on sequence analysis of bursal B cells and gene disruption studies in the DT40 cell line.

Animals↗

Protein sequence and gene structure for mouse leukosialin (CD43), a T lymphocyte mucin without introns in the coding sequence.

A partial cDNA clone for mouse leukosialin was isolated by use of a rat leukosialin cDNA probe. The mouse cDNA was then used to isolate genomic clones that corresponded to the two mouse genes detected in Southern blots. One gene encoded an open reading frame for the homologue of rat leukosialin and this gene was notable for the absence of introns within the coding sequence. A lack of introns has previously been observed for the human leukosialin gene (Shelley, C. S., Remold-O'Donnell, E., Rosen, F. S. and Whitehead, A. S., Biochem. J., submitted). The other mouse gene was an intronless pseudogene for a leukosialin-related sequence. The presence of only one functional gene that lacked coding-region introns established that molecular heterogeneity in mouse leukosialin could not arise from multiple genes or alternative splicing of exons. The sequence of mouse leukosialin suggested an extracellular segment with a high content of O-linked carbohydrate, as is the case in the rat and human. In addition the mouse molecule had one possible N-linked glycosylation site. The cytoplasmic domain of 124 amino acids was highly conserved between rodent and human leukosialins for the functional genes but not for the pseudogene. This suggests an important functional role for the cytoplasmic domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Determination of variants in the 3'-region of the tyrosinase gene requires locus specific amplification.

Mutations in the Tyrosinase gene (TYR, 11q14-q21) cause oculocutaneous albinism type 1 (OCA1). The 3'-region of the TYR shows 98.55% sequence identity with a pseudogene, known as Tyrosinase-Like Gene (TYRL, 11p11.2-cen). A large number of publicly available nucleotide variants of TYR in this region are same as the bases present in the identical locations in the pseudogene. PCR amplification of these regions using primers with sequences common to both loci may result in coamplification of TYR and TYRL, and may lead to misinterpretation of the results. We have resolved this potential problem using locus-specific amplification conditions that could be used to identify unequivocally mutations and SNPs in exon 4 and exon 5 of TYR and proximal flanking sequences.

3' Flanking Region↗

Mutational analysis of the class I beta-tubulin gene in human breast cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancers have a high incidence of somatic mutations of the beta-tubulin (class I) gene, suggesting involvement in the acquisition of resistance to taxanes, which exert their effects through binding to beta-tubulin. Since taxanes are often used in the treatment of breast cancer, we carried out a mutational analysis of the class I beta-tubulin (GenBank accession AF070600) gene in breast cancer. We paid special attention to the primer design so as not to amplify the pseudogenes. We identified 1 somatic mutation, codon 306 [Arg (CGC) to Cys (TGC)], and 2 genetic polymorphisms, codon 217 [Leu (CTG) to Leu (CTA)] and (C to T) at 57 bases downstream from exon 4. Our results suggest that acquisition of resistance to taxanes is unlikely to be explained by somatic mutations of the class I beta-tubulin gene in most breast cancers. In addition, the overestimation of the incidence of somatic mutations of the class I beta-tubulin gene due to the pseudogenes is discussed.

Base Sequence↗

Frequent monoallelic deletion of PTEN and its reciprocal associatioin with PIK3CA amplification in gastric carcinoma.

Mutational alterations of PTEN and PIK3CA, which negatively and positively regulate PI3-kinase activity, respectively, have been observed in many types of human cancer. To explore the implication of PTEN and PIK3CA mutations in gastric tumorigenesis, we characterized the expression and mutation status of the genes in 126 gastric tissues and 15 cell lines. Expression of PTEN transcript was abnormally low in 5 of 15 (33%) cell lines and 20 of 55 (36%) primary carcinomas, whereas 0 of 71 noncancerous tissues including 16 benign tumors showed altered expression. Allelotyping analysis using an intragenic polymorphism (IVS4+109) revealed that 14 of 30 (47%) informative cases carried LOH of the gene, which is closely linked to low expression. The LOH rate was significantly higher in advanced tumors [12 of 19 (63%)] compared to early-stage tumors [2 of 11 (18%)] and more frequent in poorly differentiated tumors [9 of 13 (69%)] than well- or moderately differentiated tumors [5 of 17 (29%)]. Interestingly, however, none of the LOH tumors carried mutational disruption of the remaining allele, suggesting haploinsufficiency of PTEN in gastric tumorigenesis. Methylation studies revealed that PTEN pseudogene, but not PTEN, is methylated in cell lines and primary tumors, indicating that PTEN is not a target of epigenetic silencing in gastric cancers and that the pseudogene should be considered more carefully in methylation analysis of the PTEN promoter. Genomic amplification of PIK3CA was found in 9 of 15 (60%) cell lines and 20 of 55 (36.4%) primary tumors but in no noncancerous tissues. Furthermore, PIK3CA amplification was predominantly detected in tumors with no PTEN alterations, suggesting that mutations of PTEN and PIK3CA are mutually exclusive events in gastric tumorigenesis. Amplification of PIK3CA was strongly associated with increased expression of PIK3CA transcript and elevated levels of phospho-AKT. Collectively, our data reveal that 13 of 15 (87%) gastric cell lines and 31 of 55 (56%) primary carcinomas harbored either amplification of PIK3CA or abnormal reduction of PTEN. Mutually exclusive alterations of PTEN and PIK3CA also suggest that mutations of either gene could activate the PI3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway, which is directly linked to the malignant progression of gastric tumor cells.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Genetic basis of the antibody repertoire in Xenopus: analysis of the Vh diversity.

The Xenopus IgH locus includes various variable (VH) families, several putative diversity (DH) and at least seven joining (JH) elements, but--although structurally very similar to the mammalian locus--it contributes to a restricted antibody repertoire. The largest three VH families contain 15-30 VH elements which are interspersed at the VHI-VHII and VHII-VHIII boundaries. Twenty-nine genomic and eight expressed VH regions have been sequenced. Each VH family has distinct promoter elements with up to three octamers (ATGCCTAAAT) in either orientation. The incidence of pseudogenes ranges from less than 15% in VHI and VHII to approximately 50% in VHIII, consistent with their relative expression. CDR1 and CDR2 show low overall diversity with nucleotide divergence limited to parts of the CDRs. Randomly selectedly VH elements share CDR1 and CDR2, in some cases also with expressed VH regions. Thus, the complexity of VH elements is not maximal. Patterns of sequence similarities or identities indicate recombination or gene conversion events; sets of direct and inverted repeats flank the sites of, or lie within FR or CDR sequences where these genetic events may occur. Restricted antibody diversity in Xenopus seems therefore to be at least partially related to low complexity of VH elements, frequence of pseudogenes and expression regulated by specific promoter elements; diversity may potentially be increased by (non)homologous recombination events.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Infectious rabies viruses from cloned cDNA.

The generation of infectious rabies virus (RV), a non-segmented negative-stranded RNA virus of the Rhabdoviridae family, entirely from cloned cDNA is described. Simultaneous intracellular expression of genetically marked full-length RV antigenome-like T7 RNA polymerase transcripts and RV N, P and L proteins from transfected plasmids resulted in formation of transcriptionally active nucleocapsids and subsequent assembly and budding of infectious rabies virions. In addition to authentic RV, two novel infectious RVs characterized by predicted transcription patterns were recovered from modified cDNA. Deletion of the entire non-translated pseudogene region, which is conserved in all naturally occurring RVs, did not impair propagation of the resulting virus in cell culture. This indicates that non-essential genetic material might be present in the genomes of non-segmented RNA viruses. The introduction of a functional extra cistron border into the genome of another virus resulted in the transcription of an additional polyadenylated mRNA containing pseudogene sequences. The possibility of manipulating the RV genome by recombinant DNA techniques using the described procedure--potentially applicable also for other negative-stranded viruses--greatly facilitates the investigation of RV genetics, virus-host interactions and rabies pathogenesis and provides a tool for the design of new generations of live vaccines.

Animals↗

Characterization of the mouse lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase (CYP51), a new member of the evolutionarily most conserved cytochrome P450 family.

Genes encoding sterol 14alpha-demethylases in eukaryotes and in Mycobacterium belong to the CYP51 family which is evolutionary the most conserved gene family within the cytochrome P450 superfamily. We have characterized a new member of this family, the mouse lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase, with the aim to study the in vivo role of this gene in spermatogenesis in mammals. The amino acid sequence of mouse Cyp51 is 96% identical to rat and 91% to human. Comparison of all known CYP51 proteins by the neighbor-joining method suggests that fungal and animal CYP51 genes arose from a common ancestral gene (98.3% probability) and interestingly, that plant and bacterial CYP51 genes share a common progenitor (88.8% probability). This suggests that the first CYP51 gene may have arisen in eukaryotes and has been transferred horizontally from plants to Mycobacterium. The mouse CYP51 gene is approximately 17-kb long and contains 10 exons. Transcription starts at several locations within the CpG island, which is characteristic for the TATA-less housekeeping genes. The mouse 5'-untranslated region (800 bp) contains putative cAMP-responsive elements (CRE), sterol regulatory elements (SRE) and GC-boxes at positions similar to human and rat, suggesting an evolutionary conserved mechanism of CYP51 transcriptional regulation in mammals. The mouse Cyp51 gene resides on chromosome 5, region A2, close to the centromere. No signals outside this region were detected as well as no evidence of processed pseudogenes using long PCR was found. This indicates that the mouse genome most likely lacks CYP51 processed pseudogenes.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Structure of the human hexokinase II gene.

Mutations in the gene encoding hexokinase II which catalyzes a key step in glycolysis could contribute to the development of peripheral insulin resistance and lead to non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. As a first step towards screening patients for mutations in this gene, we have determined its structure and the sequence of exon-intron junctions. The human HKII gene is composed of 18 exons that span at least 40 kb, and its organization is highly homologous to that of the rat gene. A hexokinase II processed pseudogene was discovered while screening a human genomic library. The coding sequence of this pseudogene is uninterrupted by introns and contains at least one premature stop codon.

Base Sequence↗

Detection of a new variant of the mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene in Spanish type 2 DM patients.

To evaluate if potential defects in the FAD-binding domain of the mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (mGPDH) gene could contribute to susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus, we have screened 151 type 2 DM patients for mutations using PCR single-strand conformational polymorphism. Both a single substitution (T to A) at position 18 and a 6-base-pair deletion (TTTTAA) at position 26 of intron 3 have been detected in five type 2 DM patients and in one control subject. The evolution time of diabetes was longer in patients with these mutations than in patients without (24.2 +/- 11.1 vs 12.6 +/- 8.7 years, p < 0.02). These mutations generate a cryptic site that may have functional significance in the correct mechanism of the FAD-binding domain. In the process of PCR amplification of the mGPDH gene we also unexpectedly amplified the mGPDH retropseudogene. Subsequently, we decided to further characterize and completely sequence 2213 bp of this mGPDH retropseudogene. Our results suggest that two previously reported mGPDH pseudogene partial sequences may be identical copies of the mGPDH gene inserted in two different genomic locations and provide information about the alternative 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions. The data obtained are also important in order to avoid artifactual amplification of the mGPDH pseudogene in the process of screening for mGPDH mutations in diabetic patients.

Base Sequence↗

Neuropeptide Y receptor gene y6: multiple deaths or resurrections?

The neuropeptide Y family of G-protein-coupled receptors consists of five cloned members in mammals. Four genes give rise to functional receptors in all mammals investigated. The y6 gene is a pseudogene in human and pig and is absent in rat, but generates a functional receptor in rabbit and mouse and probably in the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), a distant relative of the pig family. We report here that the guinea pig y6 gene has a highly distorted nucleotide sequence with multiple frame-shift mutations. One evolutionary scenario may suggest that y6 was inactivated before the divergence of the mammalian orders and subsequently resurrected in some lineages. However, the pseudogene mutations seem to be distinct in human, pig, and guinea pig, arguing for separate inactivation events. In either case, the y6 gene has a quite unusual evolutionary history with multiple independent deaths or resurrections.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Human Jk recombination signal binding protein gene (IGKJRB): comparison with its mouse homologue.

The mouse Igkjrb protein specifically binds to the immunoglobulin Jk recombination signal sequence. The IGKJRB gene is highly conserved among many species such as human, Xenopus, and Drosophila. Using cDNA fragments of the mouse Igkjrb gene, we isolated its human counterpart, IGKJRB. The human genome contains one functional IGKJRB gene and two types of processed pseudogenes. In situ chromosome hybridization analysis demonstrated that the functional gene is localized at chromosome 3q25, and the pseudogenes (IGKJRBP1 and IGKJRBP2, respectively) are located at chromosomes 9p13 and 9q13. The functional gene is composed of 13 exons spanning at least 67 kb. Three types of cDNA with different 5' sequences were isolated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends, suggesting, the presence of three proteins. The aPCR-1 protein, which possessed the exon 1 sequence, was the counterpart of the mouse RBP-2 type protein. The aPCR-2 and 3 proteins may be specific to human cells because the mouse counterparts were not detected. The amino acid sequences of the human and mouse IGKJRB genes were 98% homologous in exons 2-11, whereas the homology of the human and mouse exon 1 sequences was 75%.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mapping of aldose reductase gene sequences to human chromosomes 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, and 13.

Aldose reductase (alditol:NAD(P)+ 1-oxidoreductase; EC 1.1.1.21) (AR) catalyzes the reduction of several aldehydes, including that of glucose, to the corresponding sugar alcohol. Using a complementary DNA clone encoding human AR, we mapped the gene sequences to human chromosomes 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, and 18 by somatic cell hybridization. By in situ hybridization analysis, sequences were localized to human chromosomes 1q32-q42, 3p12, 7q31-q35, 9q22, 11p14-p15, and 13q14-q21. As a putative functional AR gene has been mapped to chromosome 7 and a putative pseudogene to chromosome 3, the sequences on the other seven chromosomes may represent other active genes, non-aldose reductase homologous sequences, or pseudogenes.

Aldehyde Reductase↗

Three human glutamate dehydrogenase genes (GLUD1, GLUDP2, and GLUDP3) are located on chromosome 10q, but are not closely physically linked.

Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) of 340 and 370 kb that contain the functional human glutamate dehydrogenase gene (GLUD1) and the pseudogene GLUDP2, respectively, were isolated. These genes were not physically linked to each other nor to any other sequences homologous to the exons of GLUD1. No additional GLUD sequences were found within at least 70 kb of the 5' and 175 kb of the 3' end of GLUD1 or 150 kb of either end of GLUDP2. By in situ hybridization, GLUD1 was located at 10q23.3, GLUDP2 at 10q11.2, and another pseudogene of the GLUD gene family, GLUDP3, at 10q22.1. DNA fragments of these three genes showed cross-hybridization to the loci assigned to the other two genes, but not to any other chromosomal locus. Thus, these three genes are located at distinct positions on chromosome 10q.

Base Sequence↗

Fixation times of retroposons in the ribosomal DNA spacer of human and other primates.

We have investigated the presence/absence of two types of retroposed sequences found in human ribosomal DNA in equivalent positions in chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, gibbon, and rhesus monkey rDNA. These sequences are one pseudogene derived from the single-copy cdc27hs gene and seven complete Alu elements. The 2-kb pseudogene is present in the apes but not in Old World monkeys, indicating fixation in an ape ancestor. Five of the Alu elements are shared by the whole set of primates studied, indicating insertion and fixation prior to the split of the ape and Old World monkey lineages. One is absent only from the rhesus monkey rDNA, and another is absent from both gibbon and rhesus rDNA, indicating fixation at different times in primate evolutionary history. Since branching times for the primate phylogenetic tree are known from a combination of the fossil record and multiple molecular data sets, it is possible to compare Alu fixation times determined from the phylogenetic information with those calculated from Alu element mutation rates.

Animals↗

The human T-cell receptor TCRAC/TCRDC (C alpha/C delta) region: organization, sequence, and evolution of 97.6 kb of DNA.

We sequenced and analyzed 97.6 kb of new DNA sequence containing the human TCRAC (C alpha) and TCRDC (C delta) genes as well as the TCRDV3 (V delta 3) and 61 different TCRAJ (J alpha) gene segments and compared its organization and structure to the previously described mouse T-cell receptor TCRAC/TCRDC (C alpha/C delta) region. A comprehensive nomenclature, consistent with the IUIS nomenclature committee recommendations, for both human and mouse TCRAJ gene segments is presented. In the human sequence, we identified 20 new TCRAJ gene segments and obtained the germline sequence for 23 additional TCRAJ gene segments known from cDNA clones. Using the sequence data obtained from the human TCRAC/TCRDC region, we have extended a polymerase chain reaction-based assay to test for the expression of the individual TCRAJ gene segments. At least five TCRAJ pseudogene segments were identified by sequence criteria. Like the murine TCRAC/TCRDC sequence, this sequence contains a high level of coding sequence, with over 6.6% of the total sequence being transcribed. Comparison of the human sequence with the previously reported mouse DNA sequence reveals homologous counterparts for the variable and joining (J) gene segments and both constant genes. Eleven new J pseudogene segments have been identified in the mouse TCRAC/TCRDC sequence through the use of human and mouse sequence comparisons. In terms of structure and organization, this region of the human and mouse genome appears to be remarkably conserved.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Sequence homologies and linkage group conservation of the human and mouse Cenpc genes.

Using a previously identified human CENPC cDNA fragment, we have isolated cDNA clones corresponding to the complete mouse Cenpc coding sequence. Using these cDNAs as probes to genomic libraries, we have isolated genomic clones corresponding to the mouse and human genes and also to a mouse pseudogene. In situ hybridization mapping of these genes reveals that the human gene maps to 4q12-q13.3 and the mouse gene to 5E2-E5. These sites are in a region of linkage group conservation between the two species. Secondary sites are present in man on chromosome 12q21.2-q21.33 and in mouse on chromosome 2B. This mouse secondary site is a pseudogene on the basis of DNA sequence. These secondary sites are not syntenic in the two species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structure of the human type-I interferon gene cluster determined from a YAC clone contig.

A map of the type-I interferon gene cluster located on the short arm of human chromosome 9 (9p) has been constructed using a contig of YAC clones. This map contains 26 interferon (IFN) genes and pseudogenes, and it accounts for all, except one, of the IFN sequences previously reported by other authors, plus a new IFNW pseudogene. The most distal gene on 9p is IFNB, and the most proximal one is IFNWP19. The direction of transcription for the 20 most distal IFN sequences is toward the telomere and for the 6 most proximal sequences, toward the centromere. Several regions of the cluster show evidence of ancestral duplication events. Some of these events may be explained by unequal crossing over between adjacent tandem genes. The location of several breakpoints within the cluster, from deletions associated with leukemias and gliomas, was also determined.

Base Sequence↗