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G F Gerard

Publications and source records attributed to G F Gerard.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Cloning and characterization of genes for the PvuI restriction and modification system.

The genes encoding the endonuclease and the methylase of the PvuI restriction and modification system were cloned in E.coli and characterized. The genes were adjacent in tandem orientation spanning a distance of 2200 bases. The PvuI endonuclease was a single polypeptide with a calculated molecular weight of 27,950 daltons. The endonuclease was easily detectable when the gene was expressed from its endogenous promotor and present on a low copy plasmid, but expression was considerably enhanced when the endonuclease gene was placed under the control of a strong promoter on a high copy plasmid. The methylase did not completely protect plasmid DNA from R.PvuI digestion until the methylase gene was placed under lac promotor control in a multicopy plasmid. In the absence of the M.PvuI methylase, expression of the R.PvuI endonuclease from the lac promotor on a multicopy plasmid was not lethal to wild type E.coli, but was lethal in a temperature-sensitive ligase mutant at the non-permissive temperature. Moreover, induction of the R.PvuI endonuclease under lambda pL promotor control resulted in complete digestion of the E.coli chromosome by R.PvuI.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Genetic organization of the KpnI restriction--modification system.

The KpnI restriction-modification (KpnI RM) system was previously cloned and expressed in E. coli. The nucleotide sequences of the KpnI endonuclease (R.KpnI) and methylase (M. KpnI) genes have now been determined. The sequence of the amino acid residues predicted from the endonuclease gene DNA sequence and the sequence of the first 12 NH2-terminal amino acids determined from the purified endonuclease protein were identical. The kpnIR gene specifies a protein of 218 amino acids (MW: 25,115), while the kpnIM gene codes for a protein of 417 amino acids (MW: 47,582). The two genes transcribe divergently with a intergeneic region of 167 nucleotides containing the putative promoter regions for both genes. No protein sequence similarity was detected between R.KpnI and M.KpnI. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of M.KpnI with sequences of various methylases revealed a significant homology to N6-adenine methylases, a partial homology to N4-cytosine methylases, and no homology to C5-methylases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Cloning and overexpression of the gene encoding bacteriophage T5 DNA polymerase.

T5 DNA polymerase (T5Pol), an essential enzyme for bacteriophage T5 DNA replication, is unusual because of its high processivity and strand-displacing ability. These two properties in a single polypeptide make T5Pol an ideal candidate for structural and functional analysis. Therefore, the structural gene encoding the DNA polymerase of bacteriophage T5 (T5pol) has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Elimination of sequences upstream from the 5' end of the T5pol by exonuclease III digestion was necessary to obtain stable clones containing a full-length structural gene. Determination of the nucleotide (nt) sequence of the region deleted during clone construction revealed the presence of a promoter sequence having extensive homology with known T5 phage 'early' promoters. By primer extension of mRNA isolated from T5 phage-infected cells, two successive G residues located 6 and 7 nt downstream from the -10 region of this promoter were identified as the initiating nt at the 5' end of T5pol mRNA. T5Pol produced in E. coli from the cloned gene under control of a tac or phage lambda pL promoter represented as much as 40% of total cell protein. The majority of the T5Pol present in extracts of E. coli was insoluble. The amount of active enzyme present was estimated to be a maximum of tenfold higher than that found in extracts of T5 phage-infected cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Cloning the KpnI restriction-modification system in Escherichia coli.

The genes encoding the KpnI restriction and modification (R-M) system from Klebsiella pneumoniae, recognizing the sequence, 5'-GGTAC decreases C-3', were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Although the restriction endonuclease (ENase)- and methyltransferase (MTase)-encoding genes were closely linked, initial attempts to clone both genes as a single DNA fragment in a plasmid vector resulted in deletions spanning all or part of the gene coding for the ENase. Initial protection of the E. coli host with MTase expressed on a plasmid was required to stabilize a compatible plasmid carrying both the ENase- and the MTase-encoding genes on a single DNA fragment. However, once established, the MTase activity can be supplied in cis to the kpnIR gene, without an extra copy of kpnIM. A chromosomal map was generated localizing the kpnIR and kpnIM genes on 1.7-kb and 3.5-kb fragments, respectively. A final E. coli strain was constructed, AH29, which contained two compatible plasmids: an inducible plasmid carrying the kpnIR gene which amplifies copy number at elevated temperatures and a pBR322 derivative expressing M.KpnI. This strain produces approx. 10 million units of R.KpnI/g of wet-weight cells, which is several 1000-fold higher than the level of R.KpnI produced by K. pneumoniae. In addition, DNA methylated with M.KpnI in vivo does not appear to be restricted by the mcrA, mcrB or mrr systems of E. coli.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1988

Substrate binding domain of murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. Identification of lysine 103 and lysine 421 as binding site residues.

The substrate deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) binding site of Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) reverse transcriptase was labeled with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), a substrate binding site-directed reagent for DNA polymerases (Modak, M. J. (1976) Biochemistry 15, 3620-3626). Treatment of M-MuLV reverse transcriptase with PLP results in the loss of RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity, but has no effect on ribonuclease H activity. Neither template-primer nor substrate dNTP alone shows any protective effect from PLP-mediated inactivation. However, the presence of both template-primer and complementary substrate dNTP significantly protects M-MuLV reverse transcriptase from PLP inhibition. Using tritiated sodium borohydride to label the pyridoxylated enzyme, approximately 4 mol of PLP were incorporated per mol of enzyme. In the presence of template-primer and the complementary dNTP, however, only 2 mol of PLP were incorporated. Comparative tryptic peptide mapping of enzyme, modified in the presence and absence of substrates by PLP reaction on C-18 reverse phase columns, indicated the protection of two peptides from pyridoxylation in the presence of substrate triphosphate. These two peptides were further purified and characterized by amino acid analyses and sequencing and were found to span residues 103 to 110 and 412 to 425 in the primary amino acid sequence of M-MuLV reverse transcriptase. Furthermore, Lys-103 of peptide I and Lys-421 of peptide II were found to be the targets of pyridoxylation, indicating that these 2 lysine residues are involved in substrate dNTP binding in M-MuLV reverse transcriptase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Isolation of cloned Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase lacking ribonuclease H activity.

Retroviral reverse transcriptase possesses DNA polymerase and ribonuclease H (RNase H) activity within a single polypeptide. Chemical or proteolytic treatment of reverse transcriptase has been used in the past to produce enzyme that is missing DNA polymerase activity and retains RNase H activity. It has not been possible to obtain reverse transcriptase that lacks RNase H but retains DNA polymerase activity. We have constructed a novel deletion derivative of the cloned Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MLV) reverse transcriptase gene, expressed the gene in E. coli, and purified the protein to near homogeneity. The purified enzyme has a fully active DNA polymerase, but has no detectable RNase H activity. These results are consistent with, but do not prove, the conclusion that the DNA polymerase and RNase H activities of M-MLV reverse transcriptase reside within separate structural domains.

Chromosome Deletion↗
PubMed1986

Influence on stability in Escherichia coli of the carboxy-terminal structure of cloned Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase.

We have cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli a section of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV) pol gene which includes the entire coding region of mature reverse transcriptase (RT) plus 284 additional base pairs 3' to the coding region (Kotewicz et al., 1985). To prepare cloned Mo-MLV RT as close as possible to authentic RT in structure and activity, the universal terminator sequence GC(TTAA)3GC was introduced at a number of positions inside and outside the RT coding region within 200 nucleotides of its 3' end. The level of RT activity expressed from these constructs varied sevenfold. This variation was found to be directly related to the stability of the RT protein products in the E. coli K-12 strain K802; half-lives varied from 2 to 35 min. The stability of most of the RT proteins was not increased in E. coli K802 lon- cells, with the exception of two, whose half-lives were increased by a factor of two.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Amino- and carboxyl-terminal sequence of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase.

The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase was determined to be Thr-Leu-Asn-Ile-Glu-Asp-Glu-Tyr-Arg-Leu-His-Glu-. The comparison of the amino acid analysis data obtained after carboxypeptidase Y digestion with the published nucleotide sequence (T. M. Shinnick, R. A. Lerner, and J. G. Sutcliffe, Nature (London) 293, 543-548, 1981) led to the conclusion that the COOH-terminus is Leu coded by CTC in nucleotide positions 4608-4610, and the tentative COOH-terminal sequence is Pro-Asp-Thr-Ser-Thr-Leu-Leu-OH. In light of these and previously reported results the complexity and map order of the pol gene are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Cloning and overexpression of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase in Escherichia coli.

A pBR322-derived expression vector, plasmid pKD1, was constructed containing the strong leftward promoter (pL) of bacteriophage lambda, the ribosome-binding site (RBS) of the cII gene of lambda, and a unique downstream NdeI restriction site for construction of an ATG initiation codon. The section of the pol gene of Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MLV) that codes for reverse transcriptase (RT) was cloned into the NdeI site of this vector generating the plasmid pRT103. Upon thermal induction, enzymatically active RT was expressed in Escherichia coli [pRT103]. The identity of this activity was confirmed by its template specificity and its sensitivity to inhibition by immunoglobulin G (IgG) prepared against authentic murine RT. RT represented 20% of the newly synthesized protein in these cells 20 min after induction.

Bacteriophage lambda↗
PubMed1978

Multiple RNase H activities in mammalian type C retravirus lysates.

Lysates of Moloney murine sarcoma-leukemia virus [M-MSV(MLV)], a virus complex grown in the rat cell line 78A-1, were found to contain three RNase H species separable by polycytidylic acid[poly(C)]-agarose chromatography. RNase H activity (RNase H I) associated with RNA-directed DNA polymerase eluted at 0.23 M KCI from poly(C)-agarose. RNase H II, which eluted from poly(C)-agarose at 0.12 M KCI and was not associated with DNA polymerase activity, was shown to be identical to an RNase H species (designated RNase H II) previously isolated from M-MSV(MLV) by a different procedure (G. F. Gerard and D. P. Grandgenett, J. Virol. 15:785-797, 1975). M-MSV(MLV) RNase H II was established to be a random exohybridase that requires free-chain termini in its hybrid substrate for activity. Lysates of Rickard feline leukemia virus also contained RNase H activity not associated with DNA polymerase activity that eluted from poly(C)-agarose at 0.12 M KCl. A third species of enzyme from M-MSV(MLV) lysates, called RNase H III, did not bind to poly(C)-agarose in 0.06 M KCl. RNase H III was purified from lysates of M-MSV(MLV) and M-MLV (grown in mouse cells) by sequential chromatography on poly(C)-agarose, DEAE-cellulose, phosphocellulose, and polyuridylic acid-Sepharose. Purified RNase H III (i) was free of any associated DNA polymerase activity, (ii) had an apparent molecular weight of 30,000 determined by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, (iii) had an absolute requirement for Mn2+ (1 mM optimum) for the degradation of [3H](A)n.(dT)n, (iv) was inhibited by the presence of any salt in reaction mixtures, and (v) was endoribonucleolytic in its mode of action as indicated by the size distribution of limited degradation products of [3H](A)n.(dT)n. RNase H III was inhibited by antisera prepared against Rauscher MLV and simian sarcoma virus reverse transcriptase, and the quantity of RNase H III and RNase H I present in lysates of M-MLV were reduced and increased proportionately if virus was lysed in the presence of the protease inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. These results indicate that RNase H III is a proteolytic cleavage product of DNA polymerase-RNase H. Substantial RNase H activity that did not bind to poly(C)-agarose in 0.06 M KCl was also found in lysates of Harvey MSV(MLV), Rauscher MLV, and Rickard feline leukemia virus, but not in lysates of avian myeloblastosis virus.

Endonucleases↗
PubMed1978

Detection in human ovary and prostate tumors of DNA polymerase activity that copies poly(2'-O-methylcytidylate) . oligodeoxyguanylate.

Particulate DNA polymerase activity that copied poly(2'-O-methylcytidylate) . oligodeoxyguanylate and banded at a density of 1.15 to 1.20 g/ml in sucrose gradients was detected in 8 of 16 human ovary tumors and in 11 of 16 malignant prostate tissues. None of the 10 nonmalignant ovary and prostate tissues examined contained detectable particulate DNA polymerase activity that copied poly(2'-O-methylcytidylate) . oligodeoxyguanylate. Since poly(2'-O-methylcytidylate) . oligodeoxyguanylate is effectively copied by oncornavirus RNA-directed DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) although not by the known species of human cell DNA polymerase, these results are interpreted as supporting the concept that some malignant human tissues contain particle-associated reverse transcriptase activity.

Deoxyguanine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1975

Purification and characterization of the DNA polymerase and RNase H activities in Moloney murine sarcoma-leukemia virus.

Two RNase H (RNA-DNA hybrid ribonucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.34) activities separable by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration were identified in lysates of Moloney murine sarcoma-leukemia virus (MSV). The larger enzyme, which we have called RNase H-I, represented about 10% of the RNase H activity in the virion. RNase H-I (i) copurified with RNA-directed DNA polymerase from the virus, (ii) had a sedimentation coefficient of 4.4S (corresponds to an apparent mol wt of 70,000), (iii) required Mn-2+ (2 mM optimum) for activity with a [3-h]poly(A)-poly(dT) substrate, (iv) eluted from phosphocellulose at 0.2 M KC1, and (v) degraded [3-H]poly(A)-poly(dT) and [3-H]poly(C)-poly(dG) at approximately equal rates. The smaller enzyme, designated RNase H-II, which represented the majority of the RNase H activity in the virus preparation, was shown to be different since it (i) had no detectable, associated DNA polymerase activity, (ii) had a sedmimentation coefficient of 2.6S (corresponds to an apparent mol wt of 30,000), (iii) preferred Mg-2+ (10 to 15 mM optimum) over Mn-2+ (5 to 10 mM optimum) 2.5-fold for the degradation of [3-H]poly(A)-poly(dT), and (iv) degraded [3-H]poly(A)-poly(dT) 6 and 60 times faster than [3-H]poly(C)-poly(dG) in the presence of Mn-2+ and Mg-2+, respectively. Moloney MSV DNA polymerase (RNase H-I), purified by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration followed by phosphocellulose, poly(A)-oligo(dT)-cellulose, and DEAE-cellulose chromatography, transcribed heteropolymeric regions of avian myeloblastosis virus 70S RNA at a rate comparable to avian myeloblastosis virus DNA polymerase purified by the same procedure.

Avian Leukosis Virus↗
PubMed1975

Inhibition of purified DNA polymerase of RNA tumor viruses by fluoranthene derivatives and analogues of tilorone hydrochloride.

At concentrations of 7 times 10(-6) to 7 times 10(-5) M, derivatives consisting of the polycylic ring structures fluoranthene, fluorenone, fluorene, anthraquinone, xanthenone, and dibenzofuran with appropriate amine side chains inhibited by over 90% the purified RNA-directed DNA polymerase of avian myeloblastosis virus acting on poly(deoxyadenylate-deoxythymidylate) [poly(dA-dT)]. Of these, only the fluoranthene derivatives were strong inhibitors of the viral DNA polymerase directed by polyadenylate-oligodeoxythymidylate [poly(A)-(dT)12-18]. Low levels of fluoranthene derivatives (1 times 10(-5) M) also strongly inhibited polymerase with polyinosinate-oligodeoxycytidylate [poly(I)-(dC)12-18], activated calf thymus DNA, and viral 70S RNA as templates, but not with polycytidylate-oligodeoxyguanylate as template. A comparison of the activity of 11 fluoranthene derivatives with different side chains showed that the structure of the amine side chain influenced both the extent of antipolymerase activity with a given template and the relative inhibition with different synthetic DNA and RNA templates. The naturally occurring polyamines, spermine, spermidine, and putrescine, did not inhibit the activity of the viral DNA polymerase. Studies on the mechanism of action indicated that the synthetic derivatives inhibited polymerase activity by binding to the template and not to the enzyme: 1) inhibition by fluoranthene derivatives was overcome by the addition of excess template including poly(dA-dT), poly(A)-(dT)12-18, poly(I)-(dC)12-18, viral 70S RNA, and activated calf thymus DNA; 2) the degree of inhibition by fluoranthene derivatives was unaffected by the addition of the creased viral DNA polymerase; 3) with the same template, Escherichia coli DNA-directed RNA polymerase and the viral RNA-directed DNA polymerase were inhibited to about the same extent; and 4) the derivatives formed a complex with DNA, poly(I), and poly(A) that was stable to exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-100. Several derivatives also had biologic activity, since they blocked the ability of the murine sarcoma virus to transform cells.

Anthraquinones↗