Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Brot.
A simplified DNA-directed in vitro system has been developed to study the regulation of the synthesis of ribosomal protein L10 by measuring the formation of the first dipeptide, fMet-Ala. The results show that the inhibition of L10 synthesis by L10 (autoregulation) occurs at or prior to the formation of the first peptide bond.
Extracts of Euglena gracilis cells contain high levels of elongation factor (EF)-Ts (EF-Tschl) activity which can be assayed by measuring the rate of exchange of GDP with Escherichia coli EF-Tu . GDP. The appearance of EF-Ts activity in E. gracilis cells is light-stimulated, suggesting that the EF-Ts is required for chloroplast function. However, based on experiments with a mutant of E. gracilis lacking chloroplast DNA, as well as studies on the effect of antibiotics on EF-Ts synthesis, it is concluded that the EF-Tschl gene is nuclear-coded.
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RNA synthesis in human fibroblasts from donors of various ages was studied in fibroblasts made permeable to nucleoside triphosphates with the nonionic detergent Nonidet P40. Cells from donors of 11 years and older showed a 30-40% decline in total RNA synthesis. The decrease in RNA synthesis was primarily due to a lowering of RNA polymerase II activity (alpha-amanitin sensitive). Studies on the incorporation of leucine into protein also showed a 30-40% decrease in cells from older donors.
The DNA-dependent in vitro synthesis of Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L10 was inhibited when L10 was added to the protein-synthesizing incubations. Addition of L10 had little or no effect on the synthesis of ribosomal protein L12, elongation factor Tu (tufB), or the beta and beta' subunits of RNA polymerase. In addition, ribosomal protein L12 did not inhibit its own synthesis or the synthesis of L10. Experiments using a mRNA-directed system showed that the inhibition of the synthesis of L10 by itself is at the level of translation of protein synthesis. The mechanism of inhibition does not appear to be due to increased degradation of L10 mRNA.
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The in vitro synthesis of elongation factor (EF)-Tu (tufB), the beta beta' subunits of RNA polymerase, ribosomal proteins L10 and L12 directed by DNA from the transducing phage lambda rifd 18, EF-Tu (tufA), EF-G, and the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase directed by DNA from the transducing phage lambda fus3 has been investigated in a crude and a partially defined protein-synthesizing system. Proteins L10 and L12 are synthesized in the partially defined system almost as well as in the crude system. However, the synthesis of EF-Tu, EF-G, and the alpha and beta beta' subunits of RNA polymerase is far less efficient in the partially defined system. An active fraction that stimulates the synthesis of these latter proteins has been obtained by fractionation of a high-speed supernatant on DEAE-cellulose. Because previous studies showed that this fraction (1 M DEAE salt eluate) contains a protein, called L factor, that stimulates beta-galactosidase synthesis in vitro, L factor was tested for activity. Although L factor stimulates the synthesis of the beta beta' subunits, it has little or no effect on the in vitro synthesis of the other products studied. In the present experiments, the ratio of L12/L10 and of EF-Tu (tufA)/EF-G formed is 4-6. These values are consistent with in vivo results.
The DNA of the transducing phage lambdarifd18 contains, among others, the genes for the ribosomal proteins L11, L1, L10, and L12 and the beta and beta' subunits of RNA polymerase (nucleosidetriphosphate:RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.6). In a coupled in vitro protein-synthesis system, lambdarifd18 DNA directs the synthesis of about four to five molecules of L12 per molecule of L10. This is consistent with the finding that there are four copies of L12 per ribosome. The ratio of L12/L10 was also examined from an EcoRI fragment of lambdarifd18 that contains the L10 gene and about 50% of the L12 gene. A significantly lower ratio of truncated L12/L10 was observed compared to the intact phage. The binding of RNA polymerase to various lambdarifd18 DNA restriction fragments was used to locate possible promoter sites. These binding experiments suggest that the beta and beta' subunits of RNA polymerase are cotranscribed with at least ribosomal protein L12 and, also, that there may be an additional promoter site for the L12 gene within the structural gene for L10.
L-Methionine-dl-sulfoxide can support the growth of an Escherichia coli methionine auxotroph, suggesting the presence of an enzyme(s) capable of reducing the sulfoxide to methionine. This was verified by showing that a cell-free extract of E. coli catalyzes the conversion of methionine sulfoxide to methionine. This reaction required reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and a generating system for this compound. The specific activity of the enzyme increased during logarithmic growth and was maximal when the culture attained a density of about 10(9) cells per ml.
Following in vivo administration of hydrocortisone or methylisobutylxanthine to rats, higher levels (1.5- to 2.3-fold) of RNA polymerase I activity are present in liver nuclei and nucleoli of the treated animals as compared to control animals. The elevated specific activity is retained after purification of the enzyme under conditions where the enzyme is dependent on exogenous template for activity. The elevated polymerase activity in nuclei, nucleoli, and soluble enzyme can be destroyed by mild trypsin treatment which results in a rapid decay of the specific activity to the control level. Under these conditions, the control polymerase I activity is stable. The results indicate that in vivo stimulation by hydrocortisone or methylisobutylxanthine results in a conversion of the enzyme to a form that is catalytically more active but has an increased sensitivity to proteolysis.
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Oxidation of ribosomal protein L12 with hydrogen peroxide converts the three methionine residues to methionine sulfoxide. The oxidized protein has a decreased ability to bind to ribosomes, interact with ribosomal protein L10, be precipitated by L12 antiserum, and serve as substrate for the acetylating enzyme that converts L12 to L7. Full activity of L12 is regained when the protein is reduced with 2-mercaptoethanol. Sedimentation equilibrium analysis shows that oxidation of the methionine residues in L12 causes the conversion of the protein from the dimer to the monomer form, and the results indicate that the dimer is the active form of the protein in the above reactions.
The level of ppGpp and rates of synthesis of stable RNA, ribosomal protein, and the beta and beta' subunits of RNA polymerase were measured following a nutritional shiftup in Escherichia coli strains, NF 929 (spoT+) and NF 930 (spoT-). In the spoT+ strain, ppGpp levels decreased 50% within 2 min following shiftup, and the rates of synthesis of stable RNA, ribosomal proteins, and the beta and beta' subunits of RNA polymerase increased with little or no lag. In contrast, in the spoT- strain, ppGpp levels transiently increased 40% during the first 6 min following shiftup. An inhibition in the rate of stable RNA synthesis and a delay in the increased synthesis of ribosomal proteins and beta and beta' subunits occurred concurrently with the transient increase in ppGpp. In addition, the DNA-dependent synthesis in vitro of the beta and beta' subunits of RNA polymerase was inhibited by physiological levels of ppGpp. Because of the timing and magnitude of the changes in ppGpp levels in the spoT- strain versus the timing when the new rates of stable RNA, ribosomal protein, and beta and beta' subunits synthesis are reached, it is concluded that ppGpp is not the sole element regulating the expression of these genes.
Ribosomal proteins are rapidly taken up by isolated rat liver nuclei. The proteins are localized mainly in the nucleolus and are found associated with a nucleolar 80 S particle containing newly synthesized 45 S RNA. Ribosomal proteins in the nucleoplasm were associated with particles containing 18 and 28 S RNAs. In the absence of ribosomal proteins in the incubations, there was a decrease in the amount of newly synthesized 45, 18, and 28 S RNAs and an increase in low molecular weight RNA in both the nucleolus and nucleoplasm. This in vitro system appears to be useful for studies on the formation of ribosomal particles in the nucleus.
RNA extracted from growing Escherichia coli can direct the in vitro synthesis of ribosomal proteins L12 and L10 and elongation factor Tu when an E. coli system is used. The synthesized L12 can be bound to L12-depleted ribosomes and the synthesized elongation factor Tu can form complexes with both elongation factor Ts and GDP. Guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate has no effect on the synthesis of these proteins from an RNA template but inhibits their synthesis when a DNA template is used.
The in vitro synthesis of EF-Tu was studied using the transducing phage lambdarifd18 DNA as template. The EF-Tu synthesized was identified by its immunological properties, gel analysis, and its ability to interact with GDP and EF-Ts. Two other unidentified polypeptides were also precipitated from the incubation mixture by EF-Tu antiserum. The synthesis of total EF-Tu immunoprecipitable material was depressed about one-half by guanosine-5'-diphosphate-3'-diphosphate which was shown to inhibit the transcription process.