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T D Sargent

Publications and source records attributed to T D Sargent.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Stage-specific keratins in Xenopus laevis embryos and tadpoles: the XK81 gene family.

This report describes the isolation and characterization of genomic and cDNA clones which define a subfamily of type I keratins in Xenopus laevis whose expression is restricted to embryonic and larval stages. The XK81 subfamily, named after the prototype cDNA clone DG81, contains four members arranged in two pairs of closely homologous loci; they were named 81A1, A2, B1, and B2. Genomic clones were obtained representing all of these regions. The A1 gene has been completely sequenced together with approximately 1 kb of flanking sequences at each end; this gene corresponds to the previously reported cDNA clone 8128 (Jonas, E., T. D. Sargent, and I. B. Dawid, 1985, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 82:5413-5417). The B2 gene is represented by a partial cDNA clone, DG118. Upstream sequences and about half of the coding regions have been sequenced for the B1 and B2 genes, whereas the A2 locus has been identified on the basis of hybridization data and could be a gene or pseudogene. Genomic Southern blotting indicates that all members of the subfamily have been isolated. The keratin proteins encoded by the B1 and B2 genes are 96% homologous in the central rod domain, whereas A/B gene homology in this region is 81%. During development mRNAs derived from A and B genes accumulate coordinately during gastrula and neurula stages; in the tadpole, 81A mRNA decays rapidly, whereas 81B mRNA shows a second abundance peak, persists for most of tadpole life, and decays by metamorphosis. RNAs derived from the XK81 keratin subfamily are undetectable in the adult, where different type I keratin genes are expressed.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Epidermal keratin gene expressed in embryos of Xenopus laevis.

DG81 is a cDNA clone derived from a subtracted library containing those RNA molecules that are present in gastrulae but absent from eggs of the frog Xenopus laevis. DG RNAs (where DG indicates differentially expressed in gastrula) represent the products of new transcription activated in the embryo at the midblastula transition or shortly thereafter. DG81 RNA is first detected in middle to late gastrulae, peaks in abundance in early tadpoles, and declines to background levels by the end of metamorphosis. Sequence analysis of an almost full-length cDNA clone homologous to DG81 allows deduction of a protein sequence that shows extensive homology to known intermediate filament proteins, most notably to epidermal type I cytokeratins. Consequently, the protein encoded by DG81 has been named XK81, for Xenopus keratin 81. In concert with keratins analyzed previously, XK81 has a central coiled-coil alpha-helical domain of 312 amino acids, which accounts for most of the homology to other keratins. This rod-like region is flanked by more divergent domains of 73 amino acids at the NH2 terminus and 44 amino acids at the COOH terminus. XK81 provides an example of a cytokeratin whose expression is limited to pre-adult developmental stages. We suggest that XK81 functions specifically in the differentiation of the tadpole epidermis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Developmentally regulated cytokeratin gene in Xenopus laevis.

We have determined the sequence of cloned cDNAs derived from a 1,665-nucleotide mRNA which transiently accumulates during Xenopus laevis embryogenesis. Computer analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed that this mRNA encodes a 47-kilodalton type I intermediate filament subunit, i.e., a cytokeratin. As is common to all intermediate filament subunits so far examined, the predicted polypeptide, named XK70, contains N- and C-terminal domains flanking a central alpha-helical rod domain. The overall amino acid homology between XK70 and a human 50-kilodalton type I keratin is 47%; homology within the alpha-helical domain is 57%. The N-terminal domain, which is not completely contained in our cDNAs, is basic, contains 42% serine plus alanine, and includes five copies of a six-amino-acid repeating unit. The C-terminal domain has a high alpha-helical content and contains a region with sequence homology to the C-terminal domains of other type I and type III intermediate filament proteins. We suggest that different keratin filament subtypes may have different functional roles during amphibian oogenesis and embryogenesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Gene expression in Xenopus embryogenesis.

This article considers some aspects of the storage of macromolecules in the oocyte of Xenopus laevis and the activation of previously unexpressed genes during early embryogenesis. The large quantity and complex nature of poly(A)+ RNA accumulated in the egg provides the cleavage embryo with a supply of mRNA sufficient to sustain protein synthesis for several hours of development. Onset of gene activity at the midblastula transition (MBT) leads to the synthesis and accumulation of molecules of various RNA classes, including tRNAs, rRNAs, mRNAs and mitochondrial RNAs. At gastrulation the poly(A)+ RNA population is still qualitatively similar to that of the egg but some sequences not present in egg RNA have accumulated by this time. Through the use of a subtractive cDNA cloning procedure we have prepared a library of sequences that represent genes activated for the first time between MBT and gastrula. A study of several of these cDNA clones suggests that genes in this class are restricted in their activity to embryonic and tadpole stages.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Differential gene expression in the gastrula of Xenopus laevis.

A modified cloning method designed to produce differential complementary DNA libraries permits the isolation of sequences that are present in the RNA population of any developmental stage or tissue, but are not present or are much less abundant in another stage or tissue. Selective complementary DNA cloning is especially useful when the differentially expressed RNA's are of low to moderate abundance in the cells in which they occur. A class of cytoplasmic polyadenylated RNA's differentially expressed in gastrula embryos of Xenopus laevis (DG RNA's) has been isolated. These DG RNA's occur very rarely or not at all in unfertilized eggs and blastulae, accumulate as the result of transcription before and during gastrulation, and, with some exceptions, decline in abundance as development proceeds. Many of these RNA molecules appear to be translated at the gastrula stage. Thus, DG RNA's may encode proteins that are important in the process of gastrulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Nucleotide sequence of cloned rat serum albumin messenger RNA.

The nucleotide sequences of the recombinant DNA inserts of three bacterial plasmid clones containing nearly all of the rat serum albumin mRNA have been determined. A statistical analysis of the nucleotide sequence reveals a pattern of repeated internal homology that confirms the "intragenic triplication" model of albumin evolution.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1981

Sequence homology between RNAs encoding rat alpha-fetoprotein and rat serum albumin.

We have determined the sequences of the recombinant DNA inserts of three bacterial plasmid cDNA clones containing most of the rat alpha a-fetoprotein mRNA. The resultant nucleotide sequence of alpha-fetoprotein was exhaustively compared to the nucleotide sequence of the mRNA encoding rat serum albumin. These two mRNAs have extensive homology (50%) throughout and the same intron locations. The amino acid sequence of rat alpha-fetoprotein has been deduced from the nucleotide sequence, and its comparison to rat serum albumin's amino acid sequence reveals a 34% homology. The regularly spaced positions of the cysteines found in serum albumin are conserved in rat alpha-fetoprotein, indicating that these two proteins may have a similar secondary folding structure. These homologies indicate that alpha-fetoprotein and serum albumin were derived by duplication of a common ancestral gene and constitute a gene family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1981

Fine structure and evolution of the rat serum albumin gene.

The exons, their boundaries, and approximately half of the intronic deoxyribonucleic acid of the rat serum albumin gene were sequenced. In addition to the 14 exons identified earlier by R-loop analysis, a small exon was detected between the "leader" exon (Z) and exon B. The leader exon encoded the 5'-untranslated portion of albumin messenger ribonucleic acid and the "pre-pro" oligopeptide present on the nascent protein. The sites of initiation and termination of transcription were tentatively identified by comparison of the 5' and 3' gene-flanking sequences with those of other eucaryotic genes. All 28 intron/exon junctions conformed to the "GT-AG rule" (Breathnach et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 75:4853-4857, 1978). The three homologous domains of albumin were encoded by three subgenes that consisted of four exons each and evolved by intragenic duplication of a common ancestor. The second and forth exons of each subgene appeared to be the result of an even earlier duplication event. We propose a model for the evolution of this gene that accounts for the observed patterns of exon size and homology.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Molecular mechanisms of control of albumin and alphafetoprotein production: a system to study the early effects of chemical hepatocarcinogens.

The cellular mechanism of control of alphafetoprotein (AFP) and albumin (ALB) production during normal and pathologic permissive states is being examined using complementary DNA probes. AFP is the major serum protein for most of fetal life, but normally is produced in very small amounts in the adult. AFP production recurs in the adult during restitutive proliferation of the liver following partial hepatectomy or chemical injury, early after the exposure to chemical carcinogens and in animals with hepatocellular or yolk sac carcinomas. AFP production is roughly proportional in each case examined so far to the amount of mRNA available. On the other hand, there appears to be no difference in the gene number or gene organization in permissive or non-permissive states and there is no evidence of selective degradation of AFP or AFP (and ALB) production is probably at the level of gene transcription. Understanding of how carcinogens act to permit expression of the AFP gene may lead to important insights into carcinogenic mechanisms.

Albumins↗
PubMed1979

Changes in expression of albumin and alpha-fetoprotein genes during rat liver development and neoplasia.

Albumin mRNA was isolated and purified from rat liver polysomes by a combination of immunoprecipitation of specific polysomes, poly(U)-Sepharose 4B chromatography, and fractionation of the resulting poly(A)-containing RNA on a sucrose gradient. alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) mRNA was isolated from Morris hepatoma 7777 by a similar procedure. The purity of the mRNA preparations was determined by analytical gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions, analysis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the polypeptides synthesized in a wheat germ cell-free system, and the kinetics of hybridization to cDNA transcribed from albumin mRNA and AFP mRNA. The albumin mRNA possessed a chain length of approximately 2265 nucleotides and the AFP mRNA possesed a length of approximately 2235 nucleotides when examined under stringent denaturing conditions on agarose gels containing 10 mM methylmercury hydroxide. Analysis of poly(A) content by a hybridization assay with [3H]poly(U) revealed the presence in albumin mRNA of a poly(A) region containing approximately 100 adenosine residues. The AFP mRNA preparation was found to contain an average poly(A) tract of approximately 190 bases. Thus, albumin mRNA appears to contain approximately 330 untranslated nucleotides, and AFP mRNA appears to contain a similar number (approximately 285) of noncoding, nonpoly(A) bases. The purified albumin and AFP mRNA's were used as templates for synthesis of full-length cDNA hybridization probes. Both of the probes selectively hybridized to their templates with kinetics expected for single RNA species the sizes of albumin and AFP mRNA. ROt analysis was used to quantitate albumin and AFP mRNA sequences during normal liver postnatal development and liver oncogenesis. The number of polysomal AFP mRNA molecules per liver was found to drastically decrease during the first weeks of postnatal life, concomitant with a decline in the AFP synthetic capacity of the livers and in the serum concentrations of AFP. During this period, the concentration of albumin mRNA molecules per cell in the liver remained at high, approximately constant levels. In Morris hepatoma 7777, the concentration of AFP-specifying sequences was at least 10(3)-fold higher than that found in normal adult liver, whereas the content of albumin nRNA was four- to five-fold lower. These changes in concentration of albumin and AFP mRNA sequences closely correlated with a parallel variation in the specific protein synthetic capacity of the tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

alpha-Fetoprotein and albumin genes of rats: no evidence for amplification-deletion or rearrangement in rat liver carcinogenesis.

Full-length radiolabeled albumin and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) cDNAs were synthesized from pure albumin and AMP mRNA preparations by using avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase (RNA-dependent DNA polymerase). The cDNAs have been used to quantitate the number of albumin and AFP genes in different rat tissues by two independent methods, both of which yielded similar results. First, the kinetics of the association of these cDNAs with nuclear DNA from rat liver, rat kidney, and Morris hepatoma 7777 under conditions of vast DNA excess indicated that the albumin and AFP mRNA's are transcribed from "nonrepetitive DNA." Second, saturation hybridization experiments in which a constant amount of rat liver DNA or Morris hepatoma 7777 was hybridized with increasing amounts of cDNA to albumin mRNA have shown the presence of 1--2 albumin genes per rat haploid genome. The number of AFP genes obtained in similar titration experiments was approximately 2--3. This was true whether rat liver DNA or hepatoma 7777 DNA was used in the reassociation experiments. When high molecular weight DNA preparations from both these tissues were digested with the restriction endonuclease EcoRI and the fragments were transferred to a nitrocellulose filter, the albumin and AFP [32P]cDNA probes hybridized to different sets of DNA fragments. However, each probe gave the same hybridization pattern whether Buffalo rat liver DNA or hepatoma 7777 DNA was utilized.

Albumins↗
PubMed1979

The rat serum albumin gene: analysis of cloned sequences.

The rat serum albumin gene has been isolated from a recombinant library containing the entire rat genome cloned in the lambda phage Charon 4A. Preliminary R-loop and restriction analysis has revealed that this gene is split into at least 14 fragments (exons) by 13 intervening sequences (introns), and that it occupies a minimum of 14.5 kilobases of genomic DNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Physical properties of chemically acetylated rat liver chromatin.

The physical properties of rat liver chromatin and nucleosomes acetylated with acetic anhydride were examined in order to clarify the mechanism by which chemical acetylation of histones increases template activity in vitro [Marushige, K. (1976) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 73, 3937-3941]. Acetylation was found to have dramatic effects on the magnesium solubility, nuclease sensitivity, thermal denaturation, and sedimentation of chromatin and nucleosomes. The significance of the results to models of gene activation and chromatin replication is considered.

Acetylation↗