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C O Card

Publications and source records attributed to C O Card.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Cloning and characterization of the HpaII methylase gene.

The HpaII restriction-modification system from Haemophilus parainfluenzae recognizes the DNA sequence CCGG. The gene for the HpaII methylase has been cloned into E. coli and its nucleotide sequence has been determined. The DNA of the clones is fully protected against cleavage by the HpaII restriction enzyme in vitro, indicating that the methylase gene is active in E. coli. The clones were isolated in an McrA-strain of E. coli; attempts to isolate them in an McrA+ strain were unsuccessful. The clones do not express detectable HpaII restriction endonuclease activity, suggesting that either the endonuclease gene is not expressed well in E. coli, or that it is not present in its entirety in any of the clones that we have isolated. The derived amino acid sequence of the HpaII methylase shows overall similarity to other cytosine methylases. It bears a particularly close resemblance to the sequences of the HhaI, BsuFI and MspI methylases. When compared with three other methylases that recognize CCGG, the variable region of the HpaII methylase, which is believed to be responsible for sequence specific recognition, shows some similarity to the corresponding regions of the BsuFI and MspI methylases, but is rather dissimilar to that of the SPR methylase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cloning of the HhaI and HinPI restriction-modification systems.

The genes for the HhaI (Roberts et al., 1976) and HinPI (Roberts, 1987) restriction-modification (R-M) systems have been cloned in pBR322. The HhaI system was isolated on a 9-kb PstI fragment, and the HinPI system was isolated on two PstI fragments of 1.5 and 4.6 kb in length. The clones were isolated by selecting for recombinant molecules that had protectively modified themselves. The HhaI and HinPI R-M systems recognize the same sequence, GCGC, but hybridization between the DNA fragments encoding them does not take place.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Cloning type-II restriction and modification genes.

We have cloned into Escherichia coli the genes for 38 type-II bacterial modification methyltransferases. The clones were isolated by selecting in vitro for protectively modified recombinants. Most of the clones modify their DNA fully but a substantial number modify only partially. In approximately one-half of the clones, the genes for the corresponding endonucleases are also present. Some of these clones restrict infecting phages and others do not. Clones carrying endonuclease genes but lacking methyltransferase genes have been found, in several instances, to be viable.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Sea urchin small nuclear RNA genes are organized in distinct tandemly repeating units.

The genes coding for the two major small nuclear RNAs in the sea urchin are organized in independent tandem repeating units. The small nuclear RNAs, N1 and N2 were purified from gastrula embryos of Lytechinus variegatus. These RNAs are analogous to the U series of RNA in mammalian cells as judged by their identical 5' termini and the sequence homology of the N1 urchin RNA and U1 mouse RNA. These RNAs were polyadenylated with E. Coli adenylate transferase. A 32PO4 labeled copy of each RNA was made with RNA-dependent DNA polymerase. This copy was used to probe the gene organization of these RNAs by hybridizing to restriction enzyme digests of sperm DNA. Each of these RNAs is coded in a tandemly repeated cluster (at least 30 kb) with a repeat length of 1100-1400 bases. The N1 and N2 clusters are distinct. The N1 repeat has been cloned and the repeating organization confirmed with the cloned gene.

Animals↗