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Biomedical subjects

A G Romashchenko

Publications and source records attributed to A G Romashchenko.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Transcription Regulatory Regions Database (TRRD):its status in 1999.

The Transcription Regulatory Regions Database (TRRD) is a curated database designed for accumulation of experimental data on extended regulatory regions of eukaryotic genes, the regulatory elements they contain, i.e., transcription factor binding sites, promoters, enhancers, silencers, etc., and expression patterns of the genes. Release 4.1 of TRRD offers a number of significant improvements, in particular, a more detailed description of transcription factor binding sites, transcription factors per se, and gene expression patterns in a computer-readable format. In addition, the new TRRD release provides considerably more references to other molecular biological databases. TRRD 4.1 is installed under SRS and is available through the WWW at http://www.bionet.nsc.ru/trrd/

Animals

GeneExpress: a computer system for description, analysis, and recognition of regulatory sequences in eukaryotic genome.

GeneExpress system has been designed to integrate description, analysis, and recognition of eukaryotic regulatory sequences. The system includes 5 basic units: (1) GeneNet contains an object-oriented database for accumulation of data on gene networks and signal transduction pathways and a Java-based viewer that allows an exploration and visualization of the GeneNet information; (2) Transcription Regulation combines the database on transcription regulatory regions of eukaryotic genes (TRRD) and TRRD Viewer; (3) Transcription Factor Binding Site Recognition contains a compilation of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSC) and programs for their analysis and recognition; (4) mRNA Translation is designed for analysis of structural and contextual features of mRNA 5'UTRs and prediction of their translation efficiency; and (5) ACTIVITY is the module for analysis and site activity prediction of a given nucleotide sequence. Integration of the databases in the GeneExpress is based on the Sequence Retrieval System (SRS) created in the European Bioinformatics Institute.

Artificial Intelligence

Eukaryotic promoter recognition by binding sites for transcription factors.

A method for identification of eukaryotic promoters by localization of binding sites for transcription factors has been suggested. The binding sites for a range of transcription factors have been found to be distributed unevenly. Based on these distributions, we have constructed a weight matrix of binding site localization. On the basis of the weight matrix we have, in turn, designed an algorithm for promoter recognition. To increase the accuracy of the method, we have developed a routine that breaks any promoter sample into subsamples. The method to be reported on allows much better recognition accuracy than does the approach based on detection of the TATA box. In particular, the overprediction error is three times lower following our method. The program FunSiteP recognizes promoters from newly uncovered sequences and tentatively identifies the functional class the promoters must belong to. We have introduced the notion of 'regulatory potential' for the degree to which any region of the sequences is similar to the real eukaryotic promoter. By making use of the potential, we have revealed putative transcription start sites and extended regions of transcription regulation.

Algorithms

[Features of interaction of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I and its Klenow fragment with dTTP gamma-p-azidoanilide].

gamma-p-Azidoanilidate of dTTP was used to study the photoaffinity modification of DNA polymerase I and Klenow fragment. The analog was found to be a mixed-type inhibitor with respect to dTTP of the polymerization reaction catalyzed by DNA polymerase I and Klenow fragment. In the absence of the reagent both UV-irradiated enzymes were rapidly inactivated. Substrates (dNTP and template-primer) protected the enzymes from inactivation by UV-light with different efficiency. In the presence of the template-primer UV-irradiation induced activation of DNA polymerase I. The effect of the analog on both enzyme forms under irradiation is different. At concentration of 10(-5)M gamma-p-anilidate of dTTP accelerated the activation of DNA polymerase I initiated by UV-irradiation and at 10(-4)M concentration it inactivated the enzyme by 20-25%. Under such conditions one enzyme molecule covalently bound two molecules of the analog. While the template-complementary substrate (dTTP) protected DNA polymerase I both from inactivation and modification, the non-complementary one (dCTP) worked only against modification. In contrast to DNA polymerase I Klenow fragment was not inactivated when exposed to UV-irradiation and gamma-p-anilidate of dTTP neither modified the protein nor exerted any significant effect on its polymerization activity. The data accumulated suggest the presence on the DNA polymerase I molecule of a regulatory region providing additional dNTP binding sites.

Azides

Species- and tissue-specific transcription of complex, highly repeated satellite-like Bsp elements in the fox genome.

We have studied the transcription of highly repeated satellite-like Bsp elements containing the potential promoter boxes for RNA polymerase III in the genomes of adult silver and arctic foxes. The Bsp repeat transcripts were abundant enough to be detected by Northern blot and semiquantitative dot blot hybridizations, and the majority were found in the nuclear RNA fraction from arctic fox kidneys. Weak hybridization signals were revealed with the cytoplasmic RNA preparation from silver fox kidneys and with the nuclear RNA fraction from arctic fox liver, and their intensity was intermediate with the total RNA from arctic fox brain. Taken together, the data suggest possible genomic interspersion of some Bsp repeats in these two representatives of Canidae. The observed species-and tissue-specificity of the transcription of Bsp repeats suggests that they may potentially accomplish regulatory functions in the fox genomes.

Animals

[Species-specific features of the distribution of restriction sites in Bsp-repeats of Canidae genome].

Differences and similarities of the Bsp-repeats' organization in fox, dog, polar fox and raccoon dog genomes were studied. Specificity of Bsp-repeats to the Canidae family was demonstrated. The repeats are mainly organized in large clusters in all species studied. The species-specific features in restriction patterns were revealed for all five genomes, in spite of high intragenomic polymorphism exhibited in each case. This suggests that certain unique sets of structural versions of Bsp-repeats were fixed in canid genomes by amplification during the process of speciation. Fox and polar fox exhibited the highest similarity in restriction patterns of Bsp-repeats. Raccoon dog pattern is most unusual among others: its distinguishable character is the absence of large multimeric series. The EcoRI hydrolysate of raccoon dog Bsp-repeats consists mainly of one band corresponding to 1600 bp. These are in accordance with phylogenetic relations between canids.

Animals

[Heterogeneity of the Canidae Bsp-repeats family: discovery of the EcoRI subfamily].

A 1600 bp EcoRI fragment was cloned from genome of raccoon dog. The structure obtained is homologous to the Canidae Bsp-repeats family. Comparative blot hybridization of the EcoRI fragment and BamHI repeat from fox genome with restricted hydrolysates of the total of raccoon dog and fox DNAs revealed differences both in structure and genomic organization between these two Bsp-repeats versions. Evidently, the EcoRI fragment contains a sequence lacking from the BamHI fragment of the fox Bsp-repeats. Quantitative differences in contents of two Bsp versions in various canid genomes were revealed as well. The EcoRI version is most abundant in raccoon dog genome, while the BamHI fox version is most representative in polar fox genome. With other species studied, quantitative differences in version contents are not so dramatic, and the EcoRI fragment is always present in lower copy numbers. The discovery of the EcoRI subfamily of the Bsp-repeats is in accordance with the "library hypothesis" advanced by Salser in 1976. Connection of the Bsp-repeats' evolution with centric fusions and breaks characteristic of karyotype evolution of canids is being discussed. Comparative study of cloned EcoRI and BamHI fragments of Bsp-repeats in cytogenetical and molecular aspects may be useful, when investigating the role of tandem repeats in large chromosome rearrangements.

Animals

[EcoRI- and BamHI-families of repeated sequences in mustelids].

The restriction enzymes EcoRI and BamHI digest the genomic DNAs from six mustelids species Mustela lutreola, M. vision, M. erminea, M. sibirica, Vormela peregusna, producing repeated fragments varying in length. Some fragments were hybridized to chromosomes and restriction digests of DNAs from some mustelids and other mammals. The 0.7 kb EcoRI repeats from DNA of M. erminea are dispersed over chromosomes of carnivors. The 1.35, 1.9 and 2.7 kb BamHI repeats from DNA of polecat M. putorius furo are specific for mustelids. These repeats demonstrate interspecific variation in length and the number of copies. All BamHI repeats have no strict tandem organization. The 1.9 kb BamHI repeats are concentrated in the heterochromatic pericentromeric regions and additional chromosome arms. The 1.35 kb BamHI repeats are only located in the centromeric regions of chromosomes of five species and are absent in Vormela peregusna.

Animals

[Organization of Bsp-repeats in the fox genome].

Bsp repeats comprise approximately 1% of silver for total DNA and are preferentially localized in centromeric regions. Two of Bsp fragments cloned earlier, such as non-homologous rsV1 and rsV3, make up together a Bsp unit (680 bp) and possess a set of sites known to have regulatory functions in eucaryotic genomes. In this work, tandem organization of Bsp repeats is demonstrated. A stretched Bsp sequence (approximately 1460 bp, dimeric form) flanked by BamHI sites was cloned and its restriction map was plotted. With use of rsV1 and rsV3 probes the new sequence exhibited linked structure: rsV1-rsV3-rsV1-rsV3-rsV1. Blot-hybridization with the restriction fragments of fox total DNA suggested hierarchical order of Bsp clustes in the genome. It is supposed that the processes of selective amplification of individual fragments had been of real importance during evolution of Bsp repeats.

Animals

[Chromosomal localization and evolutionary age of satellite DNAs of Mustelidae].

DNA reassociation kinetics were studied in the European mink (Mustela lutreola), the American mink (M. vison), the marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna). Variation in DNA quantity and heterochromatin amount occurs in connection with changes in the size of all kinetic fractions. Moderately repetitive genome component is the most variable in these three species. Cryptic CsCl satellite of the stoat (M. erminea), Ag+/Cs2SO4 satellites of the M. vison, V. peregusna were used for in situ homo- and heterologous hybridizations. Satellite DNAs revealed may be classified for the evolution age and chromosomal location type. More ancient satellite DNAs were dispersed in carnivors or mammalian genomes. Mustelids' specific satellites are concentrated in heterochromatic chromosome regions. The evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.

Animals

[Electron microscopic research on the extrachromosomal genetic elements of Escherichia coli].

The structural organization of extrachromosomal genetic elements were studied in a subfraction obtained after centrifugation of the lysate of E. coli spheroplasts. With this method of isolation, the tertiary structure of the extrachromosomal genetic elements was preserved. The majority of DNA macromolecules were released in the form of single and connected rosettes. Typical rosettes composed of radial loops of DNA clustered around the central dense core (the diameter is about 60 nm). The mean length of the rosette loops was 1.06 +/- 0.4 micron. Both relaxed folded and supercoiled folded forms of DNA were observed on the preparation. Sometimes the rosettes were connected with large aggregates of DNA (possibly the material of bacterial chromosomes) and had the appearance of thick fibers with numerous lateral loops. Linear, cyclic and various replicative forms of DNA have also been observed. It is assumed that rosettes of the extrachromosomal elements of E. coli reflect one of the levels of organization of prokaryotic genetic material.

DNA, Bacterial