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Cytomegalovirus transcripts in peripheral blood leukocytes of actively infected transplant patients detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

In an effort to examine human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections on the transcript level in vivo, a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the detection of CMV mRNA in human peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) was developed. Oligonucleotide primers were derived from the major immediate-early (MIE) and the pp150 genes of CMV, which allowed the exact differentiation between viral mRNA and DNA. With these primers, 8 renal transplant patients who revealed some evidence of active CMV infection were investigated. CMV-specific transcripts were found in 5 patients, all of them presenting MIE mRNA. pp150 transcripts were demonstrated in only one symptomatic patient who showed RNAemia for several weeks. These findings suggest that during active infection, CMV replicates in PBL and, furthermore, that a detailed analysis of mRNA patterns may make it possible to identify those patients at highest risk of developing symptomatic infection.

Antigens, Surface↗

Regulation of Vbeta germline transcription in RAG-deficient mice by the CD3epsilon-mediated signals: implication of Vbeta transcriptional regulation in TCR beta allelic exclusion.

During the thymic development of alphabeta lineage T cells, maturation of the CD4- CD8- double-negative (DN) cells into the CD4+ CD8+ double-positive cells is accompanied by the induction of TCR beta allelic exclusion. Recent studies have shown that these events are regulated by the signals through the pre-TCR complex which consists of the TCR beta, pre-TCR alpha and CD3 components. The Vbeta germline transcripts are detected prior to the TCR beta chain gene rearrangements in the DN thymocytes. To examine the effects of the pre-TCR-mediated signals on Vbeta germline transcription, we analyzed thymocytes from RAG-2-deficient mice treated with anti-CD3epsilon antibody. The germline transcripts of all Vbeta we examined, except for Vbeta14, were down-regulated by the anti-CD3epsilon antibody treatment. These data indicate that the regulation of Vbeta germline transcription by the signals through the pre-TCR complex may reflect the modulation of Vbeta accessibility to the VDJ recombinase, which contributes to TCR beta allelic exclusion.

Alleles↗

Cis elements for transporter associated with antigen-processing-2 transcription: two new promoters and an essential role of the IFN response factor binding element in IFN-gamma-mediated activation of the transcription initiator.

Expression of cell surface MHC class I:peptide complex requires coordinated expression of multiple genes such as MHC class I heavy chain, beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m), transporters associated with antigen-processing (TAP)-1 and TAP-2, and proteosomal components low-molecular weight polypeptide (LMP)-2 and LMP-7. All of these genes are expressed at defined and distinct levels in normal tissues, and are inducible by IFN-gamma. While the cis elements involved in transcription of the MHC class I heavy chain, beta(2)m, TAP-1 and LMP-2 have been analyzed extensively, those for TAP-2 and LMP-7 have not been well studied. Here we systematically analyzed the cis elements for TAP-2 transcription. We found at least two independent elements that are sufficient to activate transcription of a reporter gene. One (hereby called TAP-2 P1) is located 5' to the TAP-2 exon 1, while the other (hereby called TAP-2 P2) is a transcription initiator residing in intron 1. Analysis of the 5' sequence of TAP-2 mRNA indicates that both promoters are active. Moreover, while the TAP-2 promoter region contains cis elements that can mediate TAP-2 induction by IFN-gamma, such as gamma-activation site and IFN response factor binding element (IRFE), only the IRFE is required for IFN-gamma induction of TAP-2 promoter in vitro. The IRFE appears to work as an enhancer for the initiator (P2). Together with another promoter recently identified by others, TAP-2 therefore has three independent promoters that can be differentially regulated.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Eukaryotic ternary transcription complexes. II. An approach to the determination of chromatin conformation at the site of transcription.

Digestion of rat liver nuclei by endogenous nucleases or micrococcal nuclease releases a chromatin fraction containing RNA polymerases I and II bound to DNA fragments in ternary transcription complexes. To label the DNA in these transcription complexes, the polymerases were allowed to add radioactively labelled ribonucleotides in vitro to in vivo-initiated RNA chains. During this transcription step, nucleic acids were photochemically cross-linked using 8-methoxypsoralen. Nucleic acids in transcription complexes were then sized by gel electrophoresis. Under conditions where RNA polymerases I and II were active in vitro, most of the labelled DNA was found in a series of fragments of sizes which were multiples of approximately 200 base-pairs. When polymerase I alone was active, the smallest member of this series carried the bulk of the label; when polymerase II also was active, a significant proportion of the label was carried on the dimer and higher oligomers. Proteins other than polymerase alone are shown to be responsible for the pattern of DNA fragments protected from nucleases. Therefore active RNA polymerases I and II in vivo are in close proximity to structures protecting DNA fragments, the sizes of which are similar to those found in nucleosomes. We have yet to establish that these structures are composed of histones.

Animals↗

Transcription termination in the archaebacterium Sulfolobus: signal structures and linkage to transcription initiation.

The precise map positions were determined for the 3'-termini of five transcripts of the Sulfolobus virus-like particle SSV1. In all cases analyzed, these 3'-termini mapped immediately downstream of a sequence TTTTTYT which was part of a pyrimidine-rich region of 16-19 nucleotides length. No correlation was evident between the position of the 3'-termini and possible secondary structures within the RNA. In two cases, the 3'-termini of SSV1 transcripts mapped in the immediate vicinity of transcriptional initiation sites suggesting that transcription termination can be linked to the re-initiation of RNA synthesis.

Archaea↗

Promoter recognition in archaea is mediated by transcription factors: identification of transcription factor aTFB from Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus as archaeal TATA-binding protein.

At least two transcription factors, aTFB and aTFA, are required for accurate and faithful in vitro transcription of homologous templates in cell-free extracts from the methanogenic Archaeon Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus. We have recently shown that the function of aTFB can be replaced by eucaryal TATA-binding proteins. Here we demonstrate using template commitment experiments that promoter recognition in an Archaeon is mediated by transcription factors. The archaeal TATA box was identified as recognition site for binding of aTFB by gel shift analyses. aTFB binds also to the TATA box of adenovirus 2 major late promoter suggesting homology of eucaryal and archaeal TATA boxes. Our analyses provide evidence for a common molecular mechanism of transcription initiation by eucaryal RNA polymerases and archaeal RNA polymerase. They indicate also an evolutionary homology for aTFB and TBP.

Adenoviridae↗

The telomere binding protein of Euplotes crassus prevents non-specific transcription initiation but has no role in positioning transcription initiation complexes.

Model substrates mimicking the telomeric as well as the 5'-untranslated regions in front of a 5'-terminal part of a macronuclear gene of Euplotes crassus were transcribed in vitro using cellular extracts. The obtained transcripts were characterized by primer extension and shown to start at the natural initiation points. The situation changed in the absence of telomere binding protein or with substrates lacking functional telomeric sequences. In these cases non-specific transcription was observed. Since it had been previously found that transcription starts are frequently located at an apparently fixed distance from the telomere, a model substrate was constructed which carried a duplication of the non-transcribed region. This resulted in only one transcription start site, the position of which was conserved relative to the start of the open reading frame but moved away from the telomere by the distance of the duplication.

Animals↗

Nucleotides of transcription factor binding sites exert interdependent effects on the binding affinities of transcription factors.

We can determine the effects of many possible sequence variations in transcription factor binding sites using microarray binding experiments. Analysis of wild-type and mutant Zif268 (Egr1) zinc fingers bound to microarrays containing all possible central 3 bp triplet binding sites indicates that the nucleotides of transcription factor binding sites cannot be treated independently. This indicates that the current practice of characterizing transcription factor binding sites by mutating individual positions of binding sites one base pair at a time does not provide a true picture of the sequence specificity. Similarly, current bioinformatic practices using either just a consensus sequence, or even mononucleotide frequency weight matrices to provide more complete descriptions of transcription factor binding sites, are not accurate in depicting the true binding site specificities, since these methods rely upon the assumption that the nucleotides of binding sites exert independent effects on binding affinity. Our results stress the importance of complete reference tables of all possible binding sites for comparing protein binding preferences for various DNA sequences. We also show results suggesting that microarray binding data using particular subsets of all possible binding sites can be used to extrapolate the relative binding affinities of all possible full-length binding sites, given a known binding site for use as a starting sequence for site preference refinement.

Animals↗

Initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II in permeable, SV40-infected or noninfected, CVI cells; evidence for multiple promoters of SV40 late transcription.

CV1 cells were made permeable by treatment with lysolecithin and incubated in a transcription mixture containing ribonucleoside triphosphates including ATP or GTP 32P-labeled either in the alpha or beta position. 5'-terminal cap structures (7mGpgamma pbeta palpha X) on newly synthesized RNA were analyzed by digestion with nuclease P1 or with ribonuclease T2/bacterial alkaline phosphatase. Cap structures obtained after labeling with alpha-32P-GTP show that the 32P is found only adjacent to the 7mG residue (i.e., in the gamma position) and adjacent to the penultimate Gm or G nucleotide (i.e., in the alpha position). Analysis of RNA synthesized in the presence of beta-32P-ATP, however, shows GpppA cap structures which are labeled only in the beta position. In the presence of beta-32-p-GTP, only GpppG structures are labeled; these findings exclude the hypothesis that caps are synthesized from GTP and a monophosphate 5'-terminal RNA molecule. The results imply that the initial transcripts are used for cap formation, which indicates that the large majority (if not all) of capping sites correspond to initiation sites for transcription. In cells infected with wild-types SV40 the distribution of virus-specific caps is similar when labeled either with beta-32P-ATP or with alpha-32P-GTP or with 32p-phosphate. Thus, evidence is presented that heterogeneity of the cap structures in late SV40 is a consequence of independent initiation events and not of processing of a primary transcript followed by capping of the 5' ends generated.

Animals↗

Alternative splicing generates multiple SMRT transcripts encoding conserved repressor domains linked to variable transcription factor interaction domains.

Silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT) and nuclear receptor corepressor protein (NCoR) are corepressors that interact with a range of transcription factors. They both consist of N-terminal repressor domains that associate with histone deacetylases and C-terminal interaction domains (IDs) that contain CoRNR box motifs. These motifs mediate the interaction between corepressors and nuclear receptors (NRs), such as the retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors. However, whilst NCoR produces a single transcript during Xenopus development, xSMRT is subject to alternative splicing at four sites in the 3' part of the transcript, the region encoding the C-terminal IDs. Although this provides the potential to produce 16 different transcripts, only five isoforms are found in early embryos. The sites of alternative splicing predict that the resultant isoforms will differ in their ability to interact with NRs, as one site varies the number of CoRNR boxes, the second site changes the sequence flanking CoRNR box-1 and the other sites delete amino acid residues between CoRNR boxes 1 and 2 and so alter the critical spacing between these motifs. SMRT and NCoR therefore represent paralogues in which one form, SMRT, has evolved the ability to generate multiple isoforms whereas the other, NCoR, is invariant in Xenopus development.

Alternative Splicing↗

The Escherichia coli unc transcription terminator enhances expression of uncC, encoding the epsilon subunit of F1-ATPase, from plasmids by stabilizing the transcript.

The effect of the unc transcription terminator on expression of uncC, encoding the epsilon subunit of Escherichia coli F1-ATPase, from plasmids was studied. The cloned sequence in pTK1 included the uncC ribosome binding site, the uncC structural gene, and the unc transcription terminator. The cloned region in pSD37 was similar, but lacked the unc transcription terminator. Transformants carrying pTK1 produced the epsilon subunit of F1-ATPase, encoded by uncC, in 10-fold greater abundance than transformants carrying pSD37. Northern blots revealed similar differences in the steady-state uncC mRNA levels. The half-life of the message transcribed from pTK1 was 90-100 seconds, while that from pSD37 was 25-30 seconds. These studies indicate the importance of message stabilization through features at the 3' end of the transcript in ensuring adequate production of epsilon. We have exploited this stabilization to develop a simple, efficient, and gentle method of purifying the overproduced epsilon subunit.

Blotting, Northern↗

Post-transcriptional control of a sporulation regulatory gene encoding transcription factor sigma H in Bacillus subtilis.

The transcriptional regulatory gene spoOH encodes an RNA polymerase sigma factor called sigma H that directs gene expression at an early stage of sporulation in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. We now report that conditions that induce sporulation cause a rapid increase in the cellular concentration of sigma H. This increase could account for the stimulated transcription of certain sigma H-controlled genes at the onset of sporulation. Experiments in which the expression of spoOH was monitored by use of a spoOH-lacZ fusion and in which expression of spoOH was artificially manipulated by use of an isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalacto-side-inducible promoter indicate that sporulation-induced increases in the amount of sigma H are not controlled at the level of the transcription of its structural gene. Rather, we infer the existence of post-transcriptional control mechanisms that govern sigma H levels, and we present evidence suggesting that increases in the amount of sigma H at the start of sporulation are due to increased translation or stability of the spoOH mRNA and, to a lesser extent, decreased turnover of spoOH protein.

Adenosine↗

Transcriptional regulation of the redD transcriptional activator gene accounts for growth-phase-dependent production of the antibiotic undecylprodigiosin in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

Transcription of redD, the activator gene required for production of the red-pigmented antibiotic undecylprodigiosin by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), showed a dramatic increase during the transition from exponential to stationary phase. The increase in redD expression was followed by transcription of redX, a biosynthetic structural gene, and the appearance of the antibiotic in the mycelium, and coincided with the intracellular appearance of ppGpp. However, ppGpp production elicited either by nutritional shift-down of, or addition of serine hydroxamate to, exponentially growing cultures had no stimulatory effect on redD transcription. The presence of redD on a multicopy plasmid resulted in elevated levels of the redD transcript and production of redX and undecylprodigiosin during exponential growth; the normal growth-phase-dependent production of undecylprodigiosin appeared to be mediated entirely through the redD promoter, which shows limited similarity to the consensus sequence for the major class of eubacterial promoters.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Transcriptional regulation of basal cyclooxygenase-2 expression in murine lung tumor-derived cell lines by CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein and activating transcription factor/cAMP response element-binding protein.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is frequently expressed in cancer cells, contributing to tumor development. Most studies of COX-2 expression have examined artificially induced expression in noncancer cells rather than basal expression in cancer cells. Therefore, basal COX-2 expression and its regulation were examined in cell lines derived from a murine model of lung adenocarcinoma. The presence of COX-2 protein in these cells was demonstrated by Western analysis. COX-2 promoter activity was repressed by U0126 [1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(2-aminophenylthio)butadiene], a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor, as well as SB202190 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1H-imidazole], an inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, substantiating the involvement of these signal transduction pathways in the regulation of basal COX-2 expression. Retinoic acid also repressed promoter activity, yet increased activity significantly in one cell line after 18 and 30 h of treatment. Deletions of the murine COX-2 promoter revealed that the 5' transcription factor binding sites were not required for basal expression, including the only nuclear factor-kappaB sites of the promoter. Site-directed mutagenesis of the 3' C/EBP (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein) sites inhibited promoter activity by 20 to 55%, while mutation of the 3' ATF/CREB/AP-1 (activating transcription factor/cAMP response element-binding protein/activator protein-1) site inhibited activity by 70%. Mutation of the 3' upstream stimulatory factor site did not affect promoter activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays indicated that the AP-1 transcription factor does not bind to the 3' ATF/CREB/AP-1 site, leaving C/EBP and ATF/CREB as the major transcriptional regulators of basal expression of COX-2 in these lung tumor-derived cell lines and identifying new targets for the prevention/treatment of lung cancer through the modulation of COX-2 expression.

Animals↗

Transcript-assisted transcriptional proofreading.

Fidelity of template-dependent nucleic acid synthesis is the main determinant of stable heredity and error-free gene expression. The mechanism (or mechanisms) ensuring fidelity of transcription by DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RNAPs) is not fully understood. Here, we show that the 3' end-proximal nucleotide of the nascent transcript stimulates hydrolysis of the penultimate phosphodiester bond by providing active groups and coordination bonds to the RNAP active center. This stimulation is much higher in the case of misincorporated nucleotide. We show that during transcription elongation, the hydrolytic reaction stimulated by misincorporated nucleotides proofreads most of the misincorporation events and thus serves as an intrinsic mechanism of transcription fidelity.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Aspergillus nidulans catalase-peroxidase gene (cpeA) is transcriptionally induced during sexual development through the transcription factor StuA.

Catalases, peroxidases, and catalase-peroxidases are important enzymes to cope with reactive oxygen species in pro- and eukaryotic cells. In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans three monofunctional catalases have been described, and a fourth catalase activity was observed in native polyacrylamide gels. The latter activity is probably due to the bifunctional enzyme catalase-peroxidase, which we characterized here. The gene, named cpeA, encodes an 81-kDa polypeptide with a conserved motif for heme coordination. The enzyme comprises of two similar domains, suggesting gene duplication and fusion during evolution. The first 439 amino acids share 22% identical residues with the C terminus. Homologous proteins are found in several prokaryotes, such as Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (both with 61% identity). In fungi the enzyme has been noted in Penicillium simplicissimum, Septoria tritici, and Neurospora crassa (69% identical amino acids) but is absent from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Expression analysis in A. nidulans revealed that the gene is transcriptionally induced upon carbon starvation and during sexual development, but starvation is not sufficient to reach high levels of the transcript during development. Besides transcriptional activation, we present evidence for posttranscriptional regulation. A green fluorescent protein fusion protein localized to the cytoplasm of Hülle cells. The Hülle cell-specific expression was dependent on the developmental regulator StuA, suggesting an activating function of this helix-loop-helix transcription factor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Inhibitory effect of high-level transcription of the bacteriophage lambda nutL region on transcription of rRNA in Escherichia coli.

Transcription of the bacteriophage lambda nutL region from the PL promoter on a multicopy plasmid in Escherichia coli causes a reduction in growth rate and in transcription of rRNA relative both to total transcription and to transcription of tRNAs that are not encoded in rRNA operons. These observations support the hypothesis, previously based on nut site DNA sequence homology, that the phage lambda and rRNA antitermination systems are related.

Bacteriophage lambda↗

Transcription initiation at multiple promoters of the pfl gene by E sigma 70-dependent transcription in vitro and heterologous expression in Pseudomonas putida in vivo.

In vitro transcription experiments were used to provide further evidence that the gene encoding pyruvate formate-lyase (EC 2.3.1.54) from Escherichia coli is transcribed from seven promoters which cover a region of 1.2 kilobase pairs of DNA (G. Sawers and A. Böck, J. Bacteriol., 171:2485-2498, 1989). The results demonstrated that all promoters were recognized by the major RNA polymerase holoenzyme species E sigma 70 in vitro. Further corroboration for multiple functional promoters came from heterologous expression of the pfl operon in the obligate aerobe Pseudomonas putida. An immunological analysis indicated that the pyruvate formate-lyase protein was synthesized from a multicopy plasmid in P. putida, and S1 nuclease protection of RNA transcripts confirmed that all the pfl promoters on the plasmid were recognized by the host RNA polymerase. Transcription initiated at the same sites in P. putida and in E. coli for all the transcripts that were analyzed.

Acetyltransferases↗