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T S Papas

Publications and source records attributed to T S Papas.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Diagnostic potential for human malignancies of bacterially produced HTLV-I envelope protein.

Two regions of the gene for the human T-cell leukemia virus subgroup I (HTLV-I) envelope were expressed in Escherichia coli by use of the vector pJLA16. One corresponds to the carboxyl terminal region of the major envelope protein p46, and the other corresponds to the transmembrane protein p21E. Reactivity of the expressed protein with human serum was tested by the Western blot procedure. Each of 11 sera tested that had been shown to contain antibodies to HTLV-I or HTLV-II by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay recognized the bacterially synthesized envelope proteins. There was no reaction detected when 17 control sera were tested. This system will be useful for large-scale seroepidemiological surveys for HTLV-I and related human retroviruses.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1984

A common onc gene sequence transduced by avian carcinoma virus MH2 and by murine sarcoma virus 3611.

A common cellular sequence was independently transduced by avian carcinoma virus MH2 (v-mht) and murine sarcoma virus (MSV) 3611 (v-raf). Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of v-mht and v-raf revealed a region of homology that extends over 969 nucleotides. The homology between the corresponding amino acids was about 95 percent with only 19 of 323 amino acids being different. With this example, 5 of the 19 known different viral onc genes have been observed in viruses of different taxonomic groups. These data indicate that (i) the number of cellular proto-onc genes is limited because, like other viruses of different taxonomic groups, MH2 and MSV 3611 have transduced the same onc gene-specific sequences from different cell species and (ii) that specific deletion and linkage of the same proto-onc sequences to different viral vector elements affect the oncogenic potential of the resulting viruses. The difference in transformation capabilities of MH2 and MSV 3611 serves as an example.

Alpharetrovirus↗
PubMed1984

Nucleotide sequence of avian carcinoma virus MH2: two potential onc genes, one related to avian virus MC29 and the other related to murine sarcoma virus 3611.

The 5.2-kilobase (kb) RNA genome of avian carcinoma virus MH2 has the genetic structure 5'-delta gag (0.2 kb)- mht (1.2 kb)-myc (1.4 kb)-c (0.4 kb)-poly(A) (0.2 kb)-3'. delta gag is a partial retroviral core protein gene, mht and myc are cell-derived MH2-specific sequences, and c is the 3'-terminal retroviral vector sequence. Here we have determined the nucleotide sequence of 3.5 kb from the 3' end of delta gag to the 3' end of molecularly cloned proviral MH2 DNA, in order to elucidate the genetic structure of the virus and to compare it with other mht - and myc-containing oncogenic viruses as well as with the chicken proto-myc gene. The following results were obtained: (i) delta gag- mht forms a hybrid gene with a contiguous reading frame of 2682 nucleotides that terminates with a stop codon near the 3' end of mht . The 3' 969 nucleotides of mht up to the stop codon are 80% sequence related to the onc-specific raf sequence of murine sarcoma virus 3611 (94% homologous at the deduced amino acid level). (ii) The myc sequence is preceded by an RNA splice acceptor site shared with the cellular proto-myc gene, beyond which it is colinear up to a 3'-termination codon and 40 noncoding nucleotides with the myc sequences of avian retrovirus MC29 and chicken proto-myc. Thus, myc forms, together with a 5' retroviral exon, a second MH2-specific gene. (iii) myc is followed by the 3'-terminal c region of about 400 nucleotides, which is colinear with that of Rous sarcoma virus except for a substitution near the 5' end of the long terminal repeat. It is concluded that MH2 contains two genes with oncogenic potential, the delta gag- mht gene, which is closely related to the delta gag-raf transforming gene of MSV 3611, and the myc gene, which is related to the transforming gene of MC29. Furthermore, it may be concluded that the cellular proto-onc genes, which on sequence transduction become viral onc genes, are a small group because among the 19 known onc sequences, 5 are shared by different taxonomic groups of viruses of which the mht /raf homology is the closest determined so far.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

High-level expression in Escherichia coli of enzymatically active Harvey murine sarcoma virus p21ras protein.

The gene for the Harvey murine sarcoma virus (Ha-MuSV) p21ras protein was fused to the amino-terminal portion of the bacteriophage lambda cII gene on the expression vector pJL6. The fusion was such that transcription was controlled by the well-regulated phage lambda pL promoter, and translation initiated in the cII gene continued in frame into the ras gene sequences that code for p21. When the pL promoter was derepressed, the Escherichia coli cells harboring the fusion plasmid synthesized 23,000-dalton protein, which represented more than 10 percent of the total cellular protein. This protein was chimeric and contained 14 residues, which were specified by the vector; these residues were followed by all of the amino acids that make up Ha-MuSV p21ras except for four residues at the amino-terminal end. The protein appears similar to Ha-MuSV p21ras in that it undergoes immunoprecipitation by monoclonal antibodies directed toward that protein, binds guanosine diphosphate, and is capable of autophosphorylation.

Cell Transformation, Viral↗
PubMed1983

The transforming gene of avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV): nucleotide sequence analysis and identification of its translational product.

The genome of the avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) has undergone a sequence substitution in which a portion of the region normally coding for the env protein has been replaced by cellular sequences. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of this region. Examination of the AMV oncogenic sequence revealed an open reading frame starting with the initiation codon ATG and terminating with the triplet TAG within the acquired cellular sequences and terminating with the triplet TAG at a point thirty-three nucleotides into helper viral sequences to the right of the helper-viral-cellular junction. The stretch of 795 nucleotides would code for a protein of 265 amino acids with a molecular weight of 30,000 daltons. The eleven amino acids at the carboxy terminus of such a protein would be derived from the env gene of helper virus. Antibodies were prepared against synthetic peptides derived from the predicted amino acid sequences. One such antibody precipitated two magnesium proteins of apparent nucleotide weight of 30,000 daltons and 51,000 daltons.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

High-level expression in Escherichia coli of the carboxy-terminal sequences of the avian myelocytomatosis virus (MC29) v-myc protein.

A plasmid, pJL6, was constructed that contains a unique ClaI site twelve codons beyond the bacteriophage lambda cII gene initiation codon. This site allowed us to fuse the carboxy-terminal sequences of the avian myelocytomatosis virus (MC29) v-myc gene to the amino-terminal portion of the cII gene. Transcription of the hybrid gene is controlled from the phage lambda pL promoter. When this promoter is derepressed, Escherichia coli cells harboring the chimeric plasmid produce a level of cII-myc fusion protein greater than 5% of total cellular protein. Antibodies raised by this protein immunoprecipitate the MC29 gag-myc gene product, P110gag-myc.

Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗
PubMed1983

Nucleotide sequence analysis of human c-myc locus, chicken homologue, and myelocytomatosis virus MC29 transforming gene reveals a highly conserved gene product.

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of human cellular c-myc, which is homologous to the transforming gene, v-myc, of myelocytomatosis virus MC29. Analysis of the genetic information and alignment with the known sequence of chicken c-myc and v-myc indicates: (i) An intervening sequence can be identified by consensus splice signals. The unique 5' sequence of c-myc and its junction with the v-myc region may be a canonical 3' splice acceptor. (ii) The c-myc locus can generate a mRNA whose termination signals are downstream from the translational termination signal. (iii) The three myc genes share the same reading frame, including translational termination signals. (iv) The homology is conserved only in the coding region. (v) Most changes at the nucleotide level result in no change in the amino acid. (vi) There are two distinct domains--the 5' unique domain, which is different from the viral, and the 3' coding domain, which contains amino acids coded by the two exons whose sequences have been determined here. In the latter domain, the amino acid variation between v-myc and chicken c-myc is less than 2%, whereas that between the chicken v-myc and the human is 27%, with the variation concentrated in the region that flanks the splicing points.

Alpharetrovirus↗
PubMed1983

Avian carcinoma virus MH2 contains a transformation-specific sequence, mht, and shares the myc sequence with MC29, CMII, and OK10 viruses.

Avian carcinoma virus MH2 has been grouped together with MC29, CMII, and OK10, because all of these viruses share a transformation-specific sequence termed myc. A 5.2-kilobase (kb) DNA provirus of MH2 has been molecularly cloned. The complete genetic structure of MH2 is 5'-delta gag(1.9-kb)-mht(1.2-kb)-myc(1.3-kb)-delta env(?) and noncoding c-region (0.2-kb)-3'. delta gag, delta env, and c are genetic elements shared with nondefective retroviruses, whereas mht is a unique, possibly MH2 transformation-specific, sequence. Hybridizations with normal chicken DNA and cloned chicken c-myc DNA indicate that the mht sequence probably derives from a normal cellular gene that is distinct from the c-myc gene. The genetic structure of MH2 suggests that the delta gag and mht sequences function as a hybrid gene that encodes the p100 putative transforming protein. The myc sequence of MH2 appears to encode a second transforming function. Therefore, it seems that MH2 contains two genes with possible oncogenic function, whereas MC29, CMII, and OK10 each carries a single hybrid delta gag-myc transforming gene. It is remarkable that, despite these fundamental differences in their primary structures and mechanisms of gene expression, MH2 and MC29 have very similar oncogenic properties.

Cell Transformation, Viral↗
PubMed1983

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the chicken c-myc gene reveals homologous and unique coding regions by comparison with the transforming gene of avian myelocytomatosis virus MC29, delta gag-myc.

Myelocytomatosis virus MC29 is a defective avian retrovirus with a hybrid transforming gene (delta gag-myc) consisting of a 1,358-base pair (bp) sequence from the retroviral gag gene and a 1,568-bp sequence (v-myc) shared with a cellular locus, termed c-myc. We have subjected to sequence analysis 2,735 bp of the cloned c-myc gene, which includes the v-myc-related region of 1,568 bp, an intervening sequence of 971 bp, and unique flanking sequences of 45 bp and 195 bp at the 5' and 3' ends, respectively. Analysis of the genetic information and alignment of the c-myc sequence with the known sequence of MC29 indicates that: (i) the two myc sequences share the same reading frame, including the translational termination signal; (ii) there are nine nucleotide changes between c-myc and v-myc that correspond to seven amino acid changes; (iii) the 971-bp intervening sequence of c-myc can be defined as an intron by consensus splice signals; (iv) the unique 5' sequence of c-myc could either extend its reading frame beyond the homology with v-myc or could be an intron because its junction with the myc region of the locus is a canonical 3' splice-acceptor site; (v) the v-myc contains 10 nucleotides at its 5' end not shared with the c-myc analyzed here and also not with known gag genes, probably derived from an upstream exon; and (vi) the c-myc locus can generate a mRNA whose termination signals have been identified to be located 83 bp and 119 bp from the point of divergence between the v-myc and c-myc. We conclude that the gene of the c-myc locus of the chicken and the onc gene of MC29 share homologous myc regions and differ in unique 5' coding regions and we speculate, on this basis, that their protein products may have different functions. The hybrid onc gene of MC29 must have been generated from the c-myc gene by deletion of the 5' cellular coding sequence, followed by substitution with the 5' region of the viral gag gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the proviral genome of avian myelocytomatosis virus (MC29).

The nucleotide sequence of the integrated proviral genome of avian myelocytomatosis virus (MC29) coding for gag-myc protein has been determined. By comparison of this nucleotide sequence with the helper virus as well as the c-myc region, it was possible to localize the junction points between helper viral and v-myc sequences. These studies demonstrate that (i) the large terminal repeat sequence of MC29 is very similar to that of Rous sarcoma virus, (ii) the viral genome has suffered extensive deletions in the gag, pol, and env genes, (iii) the gag region can code for p19, p10, and part of p27, (iv) the recombination between viral and cellular sequences occurred in the coding region of p27 such that the open reading frame extends for an additional stretch of 1,266 base pairs, resulting in a gag-myc hybrid protein, (v) the open reading frame terminated within the v-myc region 300 bases upstream of v-myc-helper viral junction, and (vi) the v-myc helper-viral junction at the 3' end occurred in the middle of env gene, rendering it defective.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

High-level expression of oncogenes in Escherichia coli.

A plasmid, pJL6, was constructed that contains a unique Cla I site 12 codons beyond the bacteriophage lambda cII gene initiation codon, as well as an adjacent unique Hind III site. These sites allowed us to fuse the sequences from the avian myelocytomatosis virus (MC29) v-myc gene, the avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) v-myb gene, and the Harvey murine sarcoma virus (Ha-MuSV) v-ras gene to the amino-terminal portion of the cII gene. Transcription of the hybrid genes is controlled from the lambda PL promoter. When this promoter is derepressed, E. coli cells harboring the chimeric plasmid produce levels of fusion proteins that amount to over 5% of total cellular protein. Antibodies raised by the cII-myc fusion protein form an immunoprecipitate with the MC29 gene product, P110gag-myc. The cII-ras fusion protein is precipitated by monoclonal antibodies directed toward the Ha-MSV p21ras, binds GDP, and is capable of autophosphorylation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1982

Nucleotide sequence of the transforming gene of avian myeloblastosis virus.

Avian myeloblastosis virus is defective in reproductive capacity, requiring a helper virus to provide the viral proteins essential for synthesis of new infectious virus. This virus arose by recombination of the nondefective helper virus and host cellular sequences present within the normal avian genome. These latter sequences are essential for leukemogenic activity. The complete nucleotide sequence of this region is reported. Within the acquired cellular sequences there is an open reading frame of 795 nucleotides starting with the initiation codon ATG (adenine, thymine, guanine) and terminating with the triplet TAG. This open reading frame could code for the putative transforming protein of 265 amino acids with a molecular weight of approximately 30,000.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Nucleotide sequence and organization of the transforming region and large terminal redundancies (LTR) of avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV).

Avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) is a replication-defective acute leukemia virus, requiring a helper virus to provide the viral proteins essential for synthesis of new infectious virus. The genome of the AMV has undergone a sequence substitution in which a portion of the region normally coding for the "env" protein has been replaced by chicken cellular sequences. These latter sequences are essential for the transforming activity of the virus. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of this region. Examination of the AMV oncogenic sequence revealed an open reading frame starting with the initiation codon ATG within the acquired cellular sequences and terminating with the triplet TAG at a point 33 nucleotides into helper viral sequences to the right of helper-viral-cellular junction. The stretch of 795 nucleotides would code for a protein of 265 amino acids with a molecular weight of 30,000 daltons. The eleven amino acids at the carboxy terminus of such a protein would be derived from the env gene of helper virus.

Avian Leukosis Virus↗
PubMed1982

Cloning and characterization of different human sequences related to the onc gene (v-myc) of avian myelocytomatosis virus (MC29).

We have studied the genomic organization of human cellular sequences (c-myc) homologous to the transforming gene (v-myc) of avian myelocytomatosis virus (MC29). Southern blotting experiments using v-myc probes showed that several fragments of the human genome contain sequences related to the central part of v-myc but only few of them are homologous to the 3' portion of the viral gene. Several recombinant phages which represent different regions of the genome containing c-myc-related sequences were isolated from a human DNA library. Two clones (lambda-LMC-12 and -41) overlap over approximately 17 kilobases of DNA where a sequence homologous to that of the entire v-myc is present. Restriction mapping experiments and heteroduplex analysis show that c-myc sequences of this locus are interrupted by one intron, suggesting that lambda-LMC-12 and -41 contain the complete functional c-myc gene. Three other clones (lambda-LMC-3, -4, and -26) do not overlap and contain sequences related to only approximately 0.3 kilobase of v-myc but lack 5' and 3' portions of the gene. These sequences are not interrupted by introns and are more divergent from v-myc than is the complete gene, suggesting that they may represent either pseudogenes or parts of distantly related genes.

Alpharetrovirus↗
PubMed1982

Expression of cellular homologues of retroviral onc genes in human hematopoietic cells.

Total cellular poly(A)-enriched RNA from a variety of fresh human leukemic blood cells and hematopoietic cell lines was analyzed for homology with molecularly cloned DNA probes containing the onc sequence of Abelson murine leukemia virus (Ab-MuLV), Harvey murine sarcoma virus (Ha-MuSV), simian sarcoma virus (SSV), and avian myelocytomatosis virus strain MC29. Results with the fresh blood cells paralleled those obtained with the cell lines. With Ab-MuLV and Ha-MuSV, multiple RNA bands were visualized in all cell types examined without significant variation in the relative intensities of the bands. When SSV was used as the probe, expression of related onc sequences was absent in all of the hematopoietic cell types examined except for one neoplastic T-cell line (HUT 102), which produces the human T-cell leukemia (lymphoma) retrovirus HTLV. In this cell line, a single band (4.2 kilobases) was observed. With MC29 as the probe, a single band of 2.7 kilobases was visualized in all cell types examined with only a 10 to 2-fold variation in intensity of hybridization. An exception was the promyelocytic cell line, HL60, which expressed approximately 10-fold more MC29-related onc sequences. With induction of differentiation of HL60 with either dimethyl sulfoxide or retinoic acid, a marked diminution in the amount of the MC29-related, but not the Ab-MuLV-related, onc message was observed.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1982

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the long terminal repeat of avian myeloblastosis virus and adjacent host sequences.

The nucleotide sequence of the integrated avian myeloblastosis virus long terminal repeat has been determined. The sequence is 385 base pairs long and is present at both ends of the viral DNA. The cell-virus junctions at each end consist of a 6-base-pair direct repeat of cell DNA next to the inverted repeat of viral DNA. The long terminal repeat also contains promoter-like sequences, an mRNA capping site, and polyadenylation signals. Several features of this long terminal repeat suggest a structural and functional similarity with sequences of transposable and other genetic elements. Comparison of these sequences with long terminal repeats of other avian retroviruses indicates that there is a great variation in the 3' unique sequence (U3), whereas the 5' specific sequences (U5) and the R region are highly conserved.

Avian Leukosis Virus↗