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T J Bos

Publications and source records attributed to T J Bos.

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v-jun encodes a nuclear protein with enhancer binding properties of AP-1.

The jun oncogene of ASV17 is expressed as a 65 kd protein (p65gag-jun) that contains partial gag sequences at its amino terminus fused to jun sequences that make up the carboxy terminal two-thirds of the molecule. As a first step toward evaluating potential functional differences between the activated oncogene, v-jun, and its cellular counterpart, c-jun, we have characterized the biochemical properties of the gag-jun product of ASV17. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that the v-jun protein is localized in the nucleus of CEF transfected with ASV17 DNA. DNAase I foot-printing analysis indicates that p65gag-jun synthesized in bacteria binds to enhancer elements in SV40 that are recognition sites for the human transcription factor AP-1. Analysis of point mutants confirmed that v-jun protein binds with DNA sequence specificity of the mammalian enhancer factor AP-1 and the yeast transcription factor GCN4. These findings suggest that activation of the jun oncogene may not exclusively be the result of alterations in the DNA binding properties of the normal cellular protein.

Adenovirus Early Proteins↗

Human proto-oncogene c-jun encodes a DNA binding protein with structural and functional properties of transcription factor AP-1.

Nuclear oncogene products have the potential to induce alterations in gene regulation leading to the genesis of cancer. The biochemical mechanisms by which nuclear oncoproteins act remain unknown. Recently, an oncogene, v-jun, was found to share homology with the DNA binding domain of a yeast transcription factor, GCN4. Furthermore, GCN4 and the phorbol ester-inducible enhancer binding protein, AP-1, recognize very similar DNA sequences. The human proto-oncogene c-jun has now been isolated, and the deduced amino acid sequence indicates more than 80 percent identity with v-jun. Expression of cloned c-jun in bacteria produced a protein with sequence-specific DNA binding properties identical to AP-1. Antibodies raised against two distinct peptides derived from v-jun reacted specifically with human AP-1. In addition, partial amino acid sequence of purified AP-1 revealed tryptic peptides in common with the c-jun protein. The structural and functional similarities between the c-jun product and the enhancer binding protein suggest that AP-1 may be encoded by c-jun. These findings demonstrate that the proto-oncogene product of c-jun interacts directly with specific target DNA sequences to regulate gene expression, and therefore it may now be possible to identify genes under the control of c-jun that affect cell growth and neoplasia.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Homology between the DNA-binding domain of the GCN4 regulatory protein of yeast and the carboxyl-terminal region of a protein coded for by the oncogene jun.

The product of the recently described oncogene jun shows significant amino acid sequence homology with the GCN4 yeast transcriptional activator protein. The similarity is restricted to the 66 carboxyl-terminal amino acids, thought to be the DNA-binding domain of the GCN4 protein. In these alpha-helix-permissive regions of the jun and GCN4 products there is also a lesser but still significant amino acid resemblance to the fos protein and a marginal degree of similarity to myc proteins. The amino acid sequence homology between GCN4 and jun gene products suggests that the jun protein may bind to DNA in a sequence-specific way and exert a regulatory function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Avian sarcoma virus 17 carries the jun oncogene.

Biologically active molecular clones of avian sarcoma virus 17 (ASV 17) contain a replication-defective proviral genome of 3.5 kilobases (kb). The genome retains partial gag and env sequences, which flank a cell-derived putative oncogene of 0.93 kb, termed jun. The jun gene lacks preserved coding domains of tyrosine-specific protein kinases. It also shows no significant nucleic acid homology with other known oncogenes. The probable transformation-specific protein in ASV 17-transformed cells is a 55-kDa gag-jun fusion product.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of defects in the neuraminidase gene of four temperature-sensitive mutants of A/WSN/33 influenza virus.

Four influenza (A/WSN/33) mutants, temperature sensitive (ts) for neuraminidase (NA) (Sugiura et al., 1972, 1975) were analyzed. All four ts mutants were found to be defective at the nonpermissive temperature (39.5 degrees) both in enzymatic activity and in transport to the cell surface. Upon shift down to the permissive temperature (33 degrees), enzymatic activity and transport to the cell surface were both restored suggesting that the mutational defect is reversible. Comparative sequence analysis of the NA gene from ts mutants, their revertants and wild type WSN viruses revealed that in each case single point mutations causing amino acid substitutions were associated with the ts defect. The positions of each point mutation when mapped in the three-dimensional structure of NA varied. However, all four amino acid substitutions were located in beta-sheet strands of the head region. Several other amino acid changes not essential for the ts phenotype were found in each mutant NA. The nonessential changes were localized either in the stalk region or in the loop structures of the head, but none in the beta-sheet strands. Because both enzymatic activity and transport of NA were affected in all four mutants, we propose that the mutational phenotype is caused by a change in overall conformation rather than a localized change in the sialic acid binding site.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Two new retroviral onc genes, sea and jun.

Avian leukemia virus S13 induces erythroblastosis, granulocytic leukemia, fibrosarcoma, anemia, and endothelial neoplasia. It transforms chick embryo fibroblasts and primitive erythroid cells in culture and is defective in replication. Its onc gene, sea, is expressed as transformation specific env-sea fusion glycoprotein of 155 kDa. Gp155 is proteolytically processed into gp85env and gp70env-sea. The latter shows tyrosine specific protein kinase activity. Avian sarcoma virus 17 induces fibrosarcoma and transforms chick embryo fibroblasts in culture. Its cell derived onc gene, jun, is not related to known onc genes and appears to be expressed as a gag-jun fusion protein of 55 kDa. The amino acid sequence of jun shows homology in its C-terminal region to the C-terminal DNA binding region of the yeast regulatory protein GCN4, suggesting that the jun protein may bind to DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Biological and immunological properties of haemagglutinin and neuraminidase expressed from cloned cDNAs in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

To study the biological and immunological properties of influenza virus surface glycoproteins, cDNA copies of the haemagglutinin (HA) and the neuraminidase (NA) genes of A/WSN/33 influenza virus were cloned and expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In Escherichia coli, maximum expression of HA is obtained only as a fusion protein in which the NH2-terminal portion is provided by a bacterial protein (i.e. beta gal or trpLE'). The HA expressed in bacteria (bacterial HA) is recognized by polyclonal anti-WSN antibodies but not by neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. The antibodies made against the bacterial HA bind to the detergent-treated viral HA, intact virus and live influenza infected cells, but fail to show either haemagglutination inhibition (HI) or virus neutralization. These results suggest that the three-dimensional structure as well as the antigenic epitopes of the bacterial HA are different from that of native viral HA. HA, expressed from cDNA in cultured animal cells, is shown to possess the structural features of the native viral HA. It is glycosylated, transported to the apical domain of the plasma membrane of polarized cells, causes haemadsorption and can induce cell to cell fusion at low pH after proteolytic cleavage. An attempt was made to define the structural features of HA required for sorting and directional transport by making chimeras with vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV G) proteins either by switching the amino terminus or the carboxy terminus of HA with that of VSV G. These chimeric proteins were translocated across the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) but were blocked in transport between the RER and cell membrane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Surface expression of influenza virus neuraminidase, an amino-terminally anchored viral membrane glycoprotein, in polarized epithelial cells.

We have investigated the site of surface expression of the neuraminidase (NA) glycoprotein of influenza A virus, which, in contrast to the hemagglutinin, is bound to membranes by hydrophobic residues near the NH2-terminus. Madin-Darby canine kidney or primary African green monkey kidney cells infected with influenza A/WSN/33 virus and subsequently labeled with monoclonal antibody to the NA and then with a colloidal gold- or ferritin-conjugated second antibody exhibited specific labeling of apical surfaces. Using simian virus 40 late expression vectors, we also studied the surface expression of the complete NA gene (SNC) and a truncated NA gene (SN10) in either primary or a polarized continuous line (MA104) of African green monkey kidney cells. The polypeptides encoded by the cloned NA cDNAs were expressed on the surface of both cell types. Analysis of [3H]mannose-labeled polypeptides from recombinant virus-infected MA104 cells showed that the products of cloned NA cDNA comigrated with glycosylated NA from influenza virus-infected cells. Both the complete and the truncated glycoproteins were found to be preferentially expressed on apical plasma membranes, as detected by immunogold labeling. These results indicate that the NA polypeptide contains structural features capable of directing the transport of the protein to apical cell surfaces and the first 10 amino-terminal residues of the NA polypeptide are not involved in this process.

Animals↗

NH2-terminal hydrophobic region of influenza virus neuraminidase provides the signal function in translocation.

Influenza virus neuraminidase (NA), unlike the majority of integral membrane proteins, does not contain a cleavable signal sequence. It contains an NH2-terminal hydrophobic domain that functions as an anchor. We have investigated the signal function for translocation of this NH2-terminal hydrophobic domain of NA by constructing chimeric cDNA clones in which the DNA coding for the first 40 NH2-terminal hydrophobic amino acids of NA was joined to the DNA coding for the signal-minus hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza virus. The chimeric HA (N4OH) containing the NH2 terminus of NA was expressed in CV1 cells by using a simian virus 40 late-expression vector. The chimeric HA is synthesized, translocated into the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and glycosylated, whereas HA lacking the signal sequence is present only in small amounts and is unglycosylated. These results clearly show that the NH2 terminus of NA, in addition to its anchor function, also provides the signal function in translocation. However, the acquisition of complex oligosaccharides and the transport of N4OH to the cell surface are greatly retarded. To determine if the presence of two anchor sequences, one provided by NA at the NH2 terminus and the other provided by HA at the COOH terminus of N4OH, was responsible for the slow transport, the NH2 terminus of NA was fused to an "anchorless" HA. The resulting chimeric HA (N4OH482) contains the hydrophobic domain of NA at the NH2 terminus but lacks the HA anchor at the COOH terminus. N4OH482 was synthesized and glycosylated; however, as with N4OH, the acquisition of complex oligosaccharides and the migration to the cell surface are greatly retarded. Immunofluorescence data also support that, compared to the native HA, only a small amount of chimeric HA proteins is transported to the cell surface. Thus, the hydrophobic NH2 terminus of NA, although capable of providing the signal function in translocation across the rough endoplasmic reticulum, interferes with the transport of the chimeric HA to the cell surface.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Active influenza virus neuraminidase is expressed in monkey cells from cDNA cloned in simian virus 40 vectors.

We have replaced the late genes of simian virus 40 (SV40) with a cloned cDNA copy of the neuraminidase (NA; EC 3.2.1.18) gene of the WSN (H1N1) strain of human influenza virus. When the SV40-NA recombinant virus was complemented in a lytic infection of monkey cells with a helper virus containing an early region deletion mutant, influenza NA was expressed and readily detected by immunofluorescence as well as by immunoprecipitation of in vivo labeled proteins with monoclonal antibodies against NA. In addition, the expressed NA exhibited enzymatic activity by cleaving the sialic acid residue from alpha-2,3-sialyllactitol. The expressed protein was glycosylated and transported to the cell surface, and it possessed the same molecular weight as the NA of WSN virus grown in monkey cells. Because the structure of NA is quite different from that of other integral membrane proteins and includes an anchoring region at the NH2 terminus consisting of hydrophobic amino acids, we also constructed deletion mutants of NA in this region. Replacement of DNA coding for the first 10 NH2-terminal amino acids with SV40 and linker sequences had no apparent effect on NA expression, glycosylation, transport to the cell surface, or enzymatic activity. However, further deletion of NA DNA encoding the first 26 amino acids abolished NA expression. These data suggest that the hydrophobic NH2-terminal region is multifunctional and is important in biosynthesis and translocation of NA across the membrane as well as in anchoring the protein.

Animals↗

Cycloheximide stimulation of cyanide-resistant respiration in suspension cultures of senescent pear fruit cells.

Pear fruit cells undergoing a period of senescence in auxin-deprived media develop a substantial cyanide resistant respiration in response to the addition of 0.7 to 3.5 micromolar cycloheximide. The inhibitor does not affect overall cellular repiratory activity and titrations with salicylhydroxamic acid reveal that only a minor portion, about 10%, of the alternate pathway is utilized by the cycloheximide-treated senescent cells. The alternate respiratory pathway appears to be of mitochondrial origin but is not induced by chloramphenicol.

Journal Article↗