PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

F Keppel

Publications and source records attributed to F Keppel.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Mutational analysis of the phage T4 morphogenetic 31 gene, whose product interacts with the Escherichia coli GroEL protein.

The phage T4 morphogenetic gene 31 has been sequenced. Its deduced gene product is a polypeptide of 111 aa, with a predicted Mr of 12064 and a pI of 4.88. The proof that the assigned open reading frame (ORF) encodes Gp31 rests on the sequencing of two known gene 31 amber mutations, amN54 and NG71, demonstrating that these mutations result in translational termination within the assigned ORF. Furthermore, the sequencing of four different T4 epsilon mutations, isolated on the basis of allowing the phage to propagate on Escherichia coli groEL- hosts, showed that they are either missense mutations or 3-bp deletions in the gene 31 reading frame. The sequencing of neighboring DNA revealed the presence of five other ORFs, one of which overlaps gene 31 substantially, but in the opposite orientation.

Amino Acid Sequence

Transcribed human ribosomal RNA genes are attached to the nuclear matrix.

Nuclear matrices were prepared from HeLa nuclei in high or low-salt buffers. After digestion with restriction enzymes, the DNA associated with the nuclear matrix was analysed for its content of ribosomal DNA sequences (rDNA). In both salt conditions, the entire rDNA repeat unit was found to be enriched in the matrix DNA. No enrichment, however, was detected in the absence of rRNA transcription either due to treatment with actinomycin D or when cells arrested in the G0 stage were used to prepare matrices. rDNA was found to be linked to chromosomal scaffolding structures when similar experiments were performed on chromosomes. Moreover, a gradient of enrichment along the rDNA repeat unit was observed, in which the promoter-containing portion was the most highly enriched. I conclude from these experiments that the tandem repeats of rDNA are not randomly associated with matrix or scaffold structure but are probably attached at transcription complexes.

Autoradiography

Studies on the E. coli groNB (nusB) gene which affects bacteriophage lambda N gene function.

Escherichia coli mutants, called groNB, which block the growth of bacteriophage lambda at the level of action of the gene N product, have been isolated as survivors at 42 degrees C of bacteria carrying a) the defective prophage lambda bio11 i lambda cI857 delta H1 or b) the pcR1 plasmid containing the EcoRI immunity fragment of phage lambda cI857. In addition, groNB bacterial mutants have been isolated at 37 degrees C, as large colony formers in the presence of lambda i lambda cI h434, lambda i lambda cI h lambda, and lambda i lambda cI h80 phage. The groNB locus is located at 9 minute of the E. coli genetic map with the order of the neighboring loci being proC tsx groNB purE. Most groNB mutations isolated at 42 degrees C were found to interfere in addition with bacterial growth at low temperatures, since (a) the GroNB phenotypes of lambda growth inhibition and bacterial cold sensitivity cannot be separated by P1 transduction, and (b) some cold resistant revertants simultaneously become Gro+ for lambda growth. Lambda transducing phages carrying the groNB+ bacterial gene have been isolated. GroNB mutant bacteria lysogenized by the transducing phage acquire the Gro+ phenotype and simultaneously the cold resistant phenotype, suggesting that the groNB mutations are recessive to the wild-type gene.

Bacteriophage lambda

Biochemical properties and localization of the chromosomal protein IP25.

The protein IP25, which has previously been reported to accumulate in the chromatin during erythroid differentiation of Friend-virus-transformed erythroleukemia cells (FL cells), is shown to behave like histone H1 without being structurally related to it. Like H1, IP25 is not released by digestion of FL cells nuclei with DNAse I. After micrococcal digestion IP25 and H1 are differentially distributed in the nucleosome monomers and dimers. This distribution suggests an internucleosomal location for IP25 and H1. Different rates of digestion are observed between nuclei of differentiating and non-differentiating FL cells with both DNAse I and micrococcal nuclease. These differences could be due to the presence of IP25 in the chromatin of differentiating cells.

Cell Nucleus

Appearance of a chromatin protein during the erythroid differentiation of Friend virus-transformed cells.

Chromatin proteins from erythroleukemia cells transformed by Friend virus were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A new chromosomal protein, apparent molecular weight 25,000, was shown to appear during erythroid differentiation of the cells induced by dimethyl sulfoxide or hexamethylenebisacetamide. This protein is tightly bound to the chromatin and does not appear to be related to any of the known histones. It is also demonstrated that this protein is not induced in a dimethyl sulfoxide-resistant variant of these cells.

Cell Differentiation