Biomedical subjects
A Pay
Publications and source records attributed to A Pay.
Characterization of proteins that interact with the GTP-bound form of the regulatory GTPase Ran in Arabidopsis.
Ran, a small soluble GTP-binding protein, has been shown to be essential for the nuclear translocation of proteins and it is also thought to be involved in regulating cell cycle progression in mammalian and yeast cells. Genes encoding Ran-like proteins have been isolated from different higher plant species. Overexpression of plant Ran cDNAs, similarly to their mammalian/yeast homologues, suppresses the phenotype of the pim46-1 cell cycle mutant in yeast cells. The mammalian/yeast Ran proteins have been shown to interact with a battery of Ran-binding proteins, including the guanidine nucleotide exchange factor RCC1, the GTPase-activating Ran-GAP, nucleoporins and other Ran-binding proteins (RanBPs) specific for Ran-GTP. Here, the characterization of the first Ran-binding proteins from higher plants is reported. The yeast two-hybrid system was used to isolate cDNA clones encoding proteins of approximately 28 kDa (At-RanBP1a, At-RanBP1b) that interact with the GTP-bound forms of the Ran1, Ran2 and Ran3 proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana. The deduced amino acid sequences of the At-RanBP1s display high similarity (60%) to mammalian/yeast RanBP1 proteins and contain the characteristic Ran-binding domains. Furthermore, interaction of the plant Ran and RanBP1 proteins, is shown to require the acidic C-terminal domain (-DEDDDL) of Ran proteins in addition to the presence of an intact Ran-binding domain. In whole cell extracts, the GST-RanBP1a fusion protein binds specifically to GTP-Ran and will not interact with Rab/Ypt-type small GTP-binding proteins. Finally, in good agreement with their proposed biological function, the At-Ran and the At-RanBP genes are expressed coordinately and show the highest level of expression in meristematic tissues.
Cholera toxin elevates pathogen resistance and induces pathogenesis-related gene expression in tobacco.
In animals, plants and fungi, cholera toxin (CTX) can activate signalling pathways dependent on heterotrimeric GTP binding proteins (G-proteins). We transformed tobacco plants with a chimeric gene encoding the A1 subunit of CTX regulated by a light-inducible wheat Cab-1 promoter. Tissues of transgenic plants expressing CTX showed greatly reduced susceptibility to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas tabaci, accumulated high levels of salicylic acid (SA) and constitutively expressed pathogenesis-related (PR) protein genes encoding PR-1 and the class II isoforms of PR-2 and PR-3. In contrast, the class I isoforms of PR-2 and PR-3 known to be induced in tobacco by stress, by ethylene treatment and as part of the hypersensitive response to infection, were not induced and displayed normal regulation. In good agreement with these results, microinjection experiments demonstrated that CTX or GTP-gamma-S induced the expression of a PR1-GUS reporter gene but not that of a GLB-GUS reporter gene containing the promoter region of a gene encoding the class I isoform of PR-2. Microinjection and grafting experiments strongly suggest that CTX-sensitive G-proteins are important in inducing the expression of a subset of PR genes and that these G-proteins act locally rather than systemically upstream of SA induction.
Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the hand and review of the literature.
New cases of cancer amongst medical workers arising as a result of X-ray exposure are now rare. We record a case of a dentist who presented 11 years ago with a radiation induced squamous cell carcinoma of the ring finger of his left hand with massive axillary lymphadenopathy. Repeated exposure of his hands to diagnostic dental irradiation in his surgery had lead 16 years previously to a troublesome radiodermatitis which had been mistakenly diagnosed and had itself been treated with radiotherapy without effect. Management by amputation of the distal phalanx of the ring finger, debulking of the axillary lymphadenopathy with adjunctive radiotherapy to the axilla and chemotherapy, have been successful in achieving a prolonged disease free interval and satisfactory hand function.
Isolation and characterization of phosphoprotein phosphatase 1 from alfalfa.
Protein phosphatases are central regulatory components of diverse processes in eukaryotes and are among the most highly conserved proteins known. In this paper, we report the cloning and sequencing of a type 1 protein phosphatase (pp1Ms) cDNA from alfalfa. Southern analysis indicates the presence of a gene family of PP1 proteins in alfalfa. The pp1Ms open reading frame is very similar to one of five predicted Arabidopsis type 1 protein phosphatases, indicating that different subtypes are individually conserved. Expression of the alfalfa pp1Ms in a temperature-sensitive Schizosaccharomyces pombe PP1 mutant, dis2-11, revealed no complementation, suggesting that PP1Ms is not involved in mitotic regulation. In different plant organs, different pp1Ms transcript levels were observed; in contrast, mRNA levels remained constant in all phases of the cell cycle and in logarithmically growing cells. However, when cells entered stationary phase pp1Ms transcript levels decreased considerably.
Nucleotide sequence, genomic organization and synthesis of infectious transcripts from a full-length clone of artichoke mottle crinkle virus.
The complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of artichoke mottle crinkle virus (AMCV), a member of the tombusvirus group, has been determined. The genome is 4790 nucleotides (nt) in length. A full-length cDNA of the AMCV genome has been cloned in pUC9 downstream of the T7 RNA polymerase promoter. Transcripts were infective when inoculated onto Nicotiana clevelandii and N. benthamiana plants. The AMCV genome contains five open reading frames (ORFs). The first ORF from the 5' terminus (ORF1) encodes a protein with a predicted M(r) of 33K. ORF2 extends through the amber termination codon of ORF1 to yield a polypeptide of predicted M(r) 92K and which is the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. ORF3 codes for the coat protein (41K). Two nested ORFs in different reading frames (ORFs 4 and 5) code for a 22K and a 19K polypeptide respectively. Sequence homologies suggest that the 22K protein could be involved in cell-to-cell movement of virus. ORFs 3, 4 and 5 are translated from two 3' coterminal subgenomic (sg) RNAs, the 5' termini of which have been mapped. The two sg RNAs are 2155 (sg1) and 934 (sg2) nt in length. ORF3 is expressed from sg1 RNA whereas ORFs 4 and 5 are potentially expressed from sg2 RNA. Time course experiments with Cynara scolymus protoplasts indicate that during AMCV infection both positive and negative strands of genomic and sg RNAs are produced and that sg2 RNA is produced before and at a higher level than sg1 RNA.
The MsK family of alfalfa protein kinase genes encodes homologues of shaggy/glycogen synthase kinase-3 and shows differential expression patterns in plant organs and development.
This paper reports on the isolation of a novel class of plant serine/threonine protein kinase genes, MsK-1, MsK-2 and MsK-3. They belong to the superfamily of cdc2-like genes, but show highest identity to the Drosophila shaggy and rat GSK-3 proteins (65-70%). All of these kinases share a highly conserved catalytic protein kinase domain. Different amino-terminal extensions distinguish the different proteins. The different plant kinases do not originate from differential processing of the same gene as is found for shaggy, but are encoded by different members of a gene family. Similarly to the shaggy kinases, the plant kinases show different organ-specific and stage-specific developmental expression patterns. Since the shaggy kinases play an important role in intercellular communication in Drosophila development, the MsK kinases are expected to perform a similar function in plants.
An alfalfa cDNA encodes a protein with homology to translationally controlled human tumor protein.
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The mitochondrial genome of safflower: isolation and restriction fragment analysis of DNA from CMS and restorer lines.
Mitochondria were isolated and purified from paired lines of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) restorer and cytoplasmic male sterile plants using isopycnic gradient centrifugation in isoosmotic Percoll. Agarose gel electrophoresis of restriction endonuclease digested DNAs showed characteristic polymorphism. Restriction fragments representing about 75% of the mitochondrial genome were common to both the fertile and CMS plants, but differed significantly in stoichiometric amounts. The remaining 25% could be accounted for by unique restriction fragments observed in only one or the other plant types.
Isolation and sequence determination of the plant homologue of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4D cDNA from alfalfa, Medicago sativa.
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A 268 bp upstream sequence mediates the circadian clock-regulated transcription of the wheat Cab-1 gene in transgenic plants.
We previously reported that the expression of the wheat Cab-1 gene is regulated by an endogenous circadian rhythm and by the photoreceptor phytochrome both in wheat and in transgenic tobacco plants. To define regulatory elements necessary for the circadian rhythm-regulated Cab-1 gene expression, we now analysed the fluctuation of steady-state mRNA levels in a series of 5' deletion mutants in transgenic tobacco plants. We found that the expression of a deletion mutant containing 211 bp upstream sequence still exhibited circadian rhythm. Furthermore we show that an enhancer-like sequence of the Cab-1 promoter (from -357 to -90) can endow a chimaeric gene consisting of a truncated 35S promoter (from -90 to +8) and the bacterial beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene with circadian clock-regulated gene expression. Finally we demonstrate by nuclear run-off experiments that the transcription rates of the Cab genes in wheat oscillate in a rhythmic manner, with a periodicity of approximately 24 hours. Consistent with our previous findings these results (i) indicate that the expression of the wheat Cab-1 gene is regulated mainly at the transcription level and (ii) identify a short promoter region between -211 and -90 that is responsible for the circadian clock-regulated gene expression.