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Genes coding for the elongation factor EF-1 alpha in Artemia.

The elongation factor EF-1 alpha is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic cells, where it catalyzes the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to ribosomes. The genes coding for this protein in the brine shrimp Artemia were analyzed by gene cloning, electron microscopy and chromosomal blot hybridization. There are only a few (about four) copies of one type of gene per haploid genome. These genes contain five exons divided over 10(4) base pairs. Local rearrangements give rise to a number of gene variants. Cross-hybridizations of Artemia cDNA probes with yeast and Drosophila DNA revealed two different yeast EF-1 alpha genes and one or two different Drosophila genes, respectively. Nucleotide sequencing revealed signals for synthesis and processing of EF-1 alpha transcripts as well as the exact location of exons. One interruption in the coding sequence corresponds closely to a splice junction in the gene coding for the homologous chloroplast protein EF-Tu from Euglena gracilis, presumably of prokaryotic origin. The first exon in the chloroplast gene codes for the region of EF-Tu that is homologous to regions of the elongation factor EF-G and of the initiation factor IF2, respectively.

Animals↗

Gene amplification and overexpression of HER2 in renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of HER2 genetic abnormalities in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and hence assess the potential suitability of Herceptin immunotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumours from 27 patients with RCC were assessed; all patients had undergone nephrectomy. Benign renal tissue from the nephrectomy specimens was studied in seven patients. Gene amplification was assessed using fluorescent in-situ hybridization, and protein over-expression using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients had clear cell renal carcinoma, two had papillary renal carcinoma and one a sarcomatoid variant carcinoma. There was no HER2 amplification in the tumours or the benign renal tissue. Polysomy 17 was detected in 11 of 27 tumours (41%) and increased HER2 copy number in seven (26%). Both polysomy 17 and increased HER2 copy number were absent in the benign renal tissue. Three tumours (11%) and six of the seven benign renal tissue samples over-expressed the HER2 protein. CONCLUSIONS: HER2 amplification is absent and protein over-expression uncommon in RCC. This casts doubt on the suitability of Herceptin in the treatment of RCC.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Characterization of a mosaic minisatellite locus in the mitochondrial DNA of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.].

A mosaic minisatellite region has been identified in the mitochondrial genome of Norway spruce (Picea abies). The array was composed of three tandem repeats PaTR1 (32 bp), PaTR2a (26 bp) and PaTR2b (26 bp). PaTR2a and PaTR2b differed by one base substitution. The analysis of 92 trees covering the whole natural distribution area of the species allowed detection of 11 length variants ranging from 131 bp to 447 bp. This high intra-specific polymorphism relies on variation in the number of the tandem repeats. Population genetic parameters estimated among 14 populations suggested high population differentiation (Gst=0.749). The phylogenetic analysis of the 11 sequenced length variants has been performed using a parsimony approach. The topology of the tree showed a good association of groups with geographical origin and a low level of size homoplasy. The phylogenetic reconstruction also suggests that this minisatellite locus has mainly evolved by an increase in the repeat copy number.

Base Sequence↗

De novo methylation as major event in the inactivation of transfected herpesvirus thymidine kinase genes in human cells.

Spontaneous inactivation of integrated thymidine kinase genes was studied in three human cell lines, one with multiple copies and two with a single copy of a transfected shuttle plasmid containing two selectable genes: the HSV tk gene and the Eco gpt gene. Selection for gpt expression prevented the isolation of TK- mutants which are the result of plasmid loss. Under these conditions TK- clones were isolated with a frequency of 5.10(-6) both with the cell line containing 5 or 6 copies of the tk gene and with one of the two cell lines containing one copy of this gene. This inactivity of the tk gene was associated with de novo methylation as the number of HAT-resistant (TK+) clones strongly increased after growth of the TK- derivatives in the presence of the demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine. Digestion with methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes revealed two different patterns of DNA methylation in the genomic DNA of TK- variants. In the TK- derivatives of the cell line containing multiple copies of the tk gene many HpaII restriction sites in the gene copies were insensitive to digestion. These HpaII sites were, however, not methylated in TK- variants of the cell line containing one copy of the plasmid, and methylated CpGs could be detected only with EcoRI which recognizes the cGAATTCg sequence in the tk promoter region. With the other of the two single-copy TK+ cell lines no TK- mutants were obtained, suggesting that the position of a gene in the genome is an important factor in determining the frequency and the extent of de novo methylation. Additionally, we observed that remethylation is an even more efficient process of gene inactivation as TK+ clones reactivated with 5-azacytidine can become TK- again at a 100-fold higher rate than the original TK+ cell line.

Azacitidine↗

Mutations in the MHC class I-like candidate gene for hemochromatosis in French patients.

A candidate gene for hemochromatosis has recently been localized on the short arm of chromosome 6, about 4 megabases telomeric to the major histocompatibility complex. It encodes a protein that exhibits significant similarity to the HLA class I molecules and can be provisionally designated HLA-hc. Genotype analysis of 94 hemochromatosis patients living in France and a similar number of controls confirms that the disease is strongly associated with homozygosity at nucleotide 845 (72% of the patients and none of the controls carry two copies of the 845A variant). The data are consistent with hemochromatosis being a heterogeneous disease: about 79% of the cases in this sample would be caused by a defect in HLA-hc and 21% by an unrelated mechanism. A second variant (187 G) enriched on patient chromosomes that do not carry the 845A mutation might influence the affinity of a ligand for HLA-hc; the exact nature of this ligand remains to be discovered. The 845A variant is the best genetic marker for the disease identified to date, and the detection of 845A homozygosity should now permit diagnosis of a readily curable disease and the prevention of sometimes deadly complications in at least 72% of the patients.

Genes, MHC Class I↗

Bayesian estimation of allele-specific expression in the presence of phasing uncertainty.

MOTIVATION: Allele-specific expression (ASE) analyses aim to detect imbalanced expression of maternal versus paternal copies of an autosomal gene. Such allelic imbalance can result from a variety of cis-acting causes, including disruptive mutations within one copy of a gene that impact the stability of transcripts, as well as regulatory variants outside the gene that impact transcription initiation. Current methods for ASE estimation suffer from a number of shortcomings, such as relying on only one variant within a gene, assuming perfect phasing information across multiple variants within a gene, or failing to account for alignment biases and possible genotyping errors. RESULTS: We developed BEASTIE, a Bayesian hierarchical model designed for precise ASE quantification at the gene level, based on given genotypes and RNA-Seq data. BEASTIE addresses the complexities of allelic mapping bias, genotyping error, and phasing errors by incorporating empirical phasing error rates derived from Genome-in-a-Bottle individual NA12878. BEASTIE surpasses existing methods in accuracy, especially in scenarios with high phasing errors. This improvement is critical for identifying rare genetic variants often obscured by such errors. Through rigorous validation on simulated data and application to real data from the 1000 Genomes Project, we establish the robustness of BEASTIE. These findings underscore the value of BEASTIE in revealing patterns of ASE across gene sets and pathways. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The software is freely available from Github (https://github.com/x811zou/BEASTIE); and Zendo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15062124).

Bayes Theorem↗

Polymorphisms in angiotensin II type 1 receptor and angiotensin I-converting enzyme genes and breast cancer risk among Chinese women in Singapore.

Angiotensin II is converted from its precursor by angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) and has been shown to mediate growth in breast cancer cell lines via ligand-induced activity through the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1). Earlier we showed that women with the low activity genotype of the ACE gene have a statistically significantly ( approximately 50%) reduced breast cancer risk compared with those possessing the high activity ACE genotype. To further test the hypothesis that angiotensin II participates in breast carcinogenesis through AGTR1, we examined genetic polymorphisms in the 5'-region of the AGTR1 gene (A-168G, C-535T and T-825A) in relation to risk of breast cancer in 258 breast cancer cases and 670 female controls within the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Relative to the homozygotes, individual genotypes with one or two copies of the respective allelic variants (putative low risk genotypes) were each associated with an approximately 30% reduction in risk of breast cancer. Risk of breast cancer decreased with increasing number of low risk AGTR1 genotypes after adjustment for potential confounders. Relative to those carrying no low risk genotypes (homozygous for A, C and T alleles for the three polymorphisms, respectively), the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.84 (0.51-1.37) for women possessing one low risk genotype and 0.68 (0.46-1.01) for women possessing two or three low risk genotypes (P for trend = 0.05). When both AGTR1 and ACE gene polymorphisms were examined simultaneously, women possessing at least one AGTR1 low risk genotype in combination with the ACE low activity genotype had an odds ratio of 0.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.62) compared with those possessing the ACE high activity genotype and no AGTR1 low risk genotype. Our findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition of the angiotensin II effect by blockade of ACE and/or AGTR1 could be potential targets for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Aged↗

Development and application of real-time PCR assays for quantification of genes encoding tetracycline resistance.

We report here the development, validation, and use of three real-time PCR assays to quantify the abundance of the following three groups of tetracycline resistance genes: tet(A) and tet(C); tet(G); and tet genes encoding ribosomal protection proteins, including tet(M), tet(O), tetB(P), tet(Q), tet(S), tet(T), and tet(W). The assays were validated using known numbers of sample-derived tet gene templates added to microbiome DNA. These assays are both precise and accurate over at least 6 log tet gene copies. New tet gene variants were also identified from cloned tet amplicons as part of this study. The utility of these real-time PCR assays was demonstrated by quantifying the three tet gene groups present in bovine and swine manures, composts of swine manure, lagoons of hog house effluent, and samples from an Ekokan upflow biofilter system treating hog house effluent. The bovine manures were found to contain fewer copies of all three groups of tet genes than the swine manures. The composts of swine manures had substantially reduced tet gene abundance (up to 6 log), while lagoon storage or the upflow biofilter had little effect on tet gene abundance. These results suggest that the method of manure storage and treatment may have a substantial impact on the persistence and dissemination of tet genes in agricultural environments. These real-time PCR assays provide rapid, quantitative, cultivation-independent measurements of 10 major classes of tet genes, which should be useful for ecological studies of antibiotic resistance.

Animal Husbandry↗

Differential regulation of a hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein gene family in wounded and infected plants.

We have characterized three different transcripts induced by fungal elicitor, wounding, or infection which encode apoproteins of cell wall hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins involved in plant defense against infection. The proteins encoded by two of these transcripts contain a proline-rich domain involving tandem repetition of the 16-amino-acid unit Tyr3-Lys-Ser-Pro4-Ser-Pro-Ser-Pro4. The third transcript encodes a protein with a proline-rich domain involving a variant of this 16-mer canonical repeat: Tyr3-His-Ser-Pro4-Lys-His-Ser-Pro4. Each transcript is encoded by a separate gene present at single or low copy number in the haploid genome. These transcripts exhibit markedly different patterns of accumulation in different stress conditions, indicating the operation of several distinct intercellular stress signal systems in higher plants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Restriction enzyme analysis of the germ line limited DNA of Ascaris suum.

The germ line limited DNA of Ascaris suum was isolated from sperm and testis as a satellite DNA component in Hoechst 33 258 -- CsCl gradients. Employing restriction enzyme analysis, we show that the germ line limited DNA is composed entirely of two families of tandemly repeated sequences, one repeat unit is 125 bp, and the other 131 bp long. The total appr. 5 x 10(5) copies of the two families are physically separated from each other (segmental arrangement). Several repeat unit variants within both families could be detected. The copies of sequence variants are arranged in tandem (subsegmental arrangement). Reassociation and hybridization experiments revealed similar sequences of the two repeat units. The archaeotypic core sequence of both repeat units is probably a tetranucleotide which shows a 'theme and variation' pattern. During chromatin diminution in the presoma cells the satellite DNA is eliminated from the chromosomes. However, a limited number of tandemly repeated copies of both kinds of repeat units could be detected in the soma genome using radioactive probes of both repeat units in Southern blots of muscle and intestine of adult animals. The tandem arrangement and the hierarchical pattern of restriction sites throughout different subfamilies supports the model of successive segmental amplification events during the evolution of the germ line limited DNA. Since the germ line limited satellite DNA is exclusively located at the ends of the chromosomes, a fold back structure for the telomeric DNA sequences is proposed which might have generated this DNA.

Animals↗

[Cytogenetic of nucleolar organizer regions (NOR) of human chromosomes: identification of four morphofunctional variants of NOR, their inter-individual and inter-chromosomal distribution].

Cytogenetic characters of the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) located on the short arms of five acrocentric chromosomes were studied in chromosome preparations obtained from cultured blood cells of 17 donors. In situ hybridization to a 3H-labeled probe was used to estimate the relative copy number of ribosomal genes (RGs) in all NORs of chromosomes identified by G-banding in each sample. The relative amount of potentially active RGs (0 to 4 arbitrary units) in each NOR was estimated from the size of AgNOR selectively stained with silver nitrate. Linear regression analysis revealed clusters of silent RGs (CSRGs) in 24 out of 170 NORs (14%). Based on the presence or absence of active and inactive RG clusters, NORs of human chromosomes were classified into four morphological functional variants (MFVs): (1) Ag-/CSRG-, (2) Ag-/CSRG+, (3) Ag+/CSRG-, and (4) Ag+/CSRG+. These variants were observed in 7.65%, 2.35%, 11.8%, and 78.2% of 170 analyzed NORs, respectively. NORs with CSRGs (MFV 2 and 3) were absent in 5 out of 17 donors. One, two, and three NORs with CSRGs were observed in four donors each. Analysis of the chromosome distribution of NOR MFVs showed that their frequencies remained almost the same in group-D and group-G acrocentric chromosomes. Although the tested samples were small (34 chromosomes for each pair), two observations were made with regard to individual chromosomes. First, almost half MFV-1 NORs (6 out of 13) were detected on chromosome 15. Second, the frequency of CSRGs was higher in chromosome 21 (29%) than in the other chromosomes (10%).

Adult↗

Cloning and characterisation of cDNA clones encoding two Babesia bovis proteins with homologous amino- and carboxy-terminal domains.

A dextran sulphate protein (DSP) fraction derived from Babesia bovis has previously been shown to induce a protective immune response in cattle. A B. bovis cDNA library was screened with both the complete anti-DSP serum and a subfraction of the anti-DSP serum affinity purified on a native B. bovis protein of approx. 80 kDa. cDNA clones encoding two different B. bovis proteins were identified. The product of one gene, Bv80, has a single divergent copy of a sequence of 149 amino acids (approx. 30% amino acid identity) in both the amino- and carboxy-terminal domains. These domains are separated by an array of short variant repeat sequences rich in proline and glutamic acid. The product of the other gene, BvVAl (homologous to the previously described 225-kDa B. bovis protein)[19], is predicted to have a single divergent copy of a sequence of 170-171 amino acids (approx. 35% amino acid identity) in both the amino- and carboxy-terminal domains. These domains are also separated by an array of repeats. The 73-amino acid repeat unit of this array is composed of a number of variant derivatives of shorter repeat units. Detailed analysis of genomic clones flanking two alleles of the gene encoding BvVAl/225 kDa identified further members of a multi-gene family. This region of the genome of B. bovis has been subject to a large number of amplification processes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Prevalence of CYP2D6 gene duplication and its repercussion on the oxidative phenotype in a white population.

The occurrence of multiple copies of the CYP2D6 gene was investigated 217 white healthy Spaniards by the combined use of Xba I and Eco RI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses. About 3.5% of the alleles yielded an 12.1 kb Eco RI-RFLP product in combination with the 42 kb Xba I-RFLP product, which is indicative of multiple CYP2D6. The prevalence of subjects carrying multiple CYP2D6 was 7%. The 12.1 kb Eco RI-RFLP product was highly associated (60%) with the presence of the genotype 29wt/42wt, as characterized by mutation-specific polymerase chain reaction and Xba I-RFLP analyses. Six subjects who had multiple CYP2D6 had other genotypes, namely, 44wt/42wt (four subjects), 29C/42wt (one subject), and one subject had a 12.1 kb product plus the CYP2D6C mutation associated with the 44 kb/42 kb genotype. All subjects identified as carrying multiple CYP2D6 had only two CYP2D6 copies in the same chromosome and were classified as carriers of the (CYP2D6L)2 allelic variant. Phenotyping with debrisoquin indicated an increase in the oxidative capacity as a function of the number of functional CYP2D6 genes. The metabolic ratio and the 95% confidence limits were as follows: subjects lacking functional genes, 48.8 (95% confidence limits, 14.4 to 79.3); subjects with one functional gene, 2.14 (95% confidence limits, 0.61 to 3.67); subjects with two functional genes, 1.5 (95% confidence limits, 0.88 to 2.14); and subjects with three functional genes, 0.33 (95% confidence limits, 0.22 to 0.45).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Generation of chromosome size polymorphism during in vivo mitotic multiplication of Plasmodium berghei involves both loss and addition of subtelomeric repeat sequences.

Extensive chromosome size polymorphism arises in Plasmodium berghei during in vivo mitotic multiplication. Size differences between homologous chromosomes involve rearrangements occurring in the subtelomeric portions while internal chromosomal regions do not contribute significantly to chromosome size polymorphism. Differences in the copy number of a 2.3-kb subtelomeric repeated unit are shown to correlate with size variations, and in at least one case to account completely for the size difference between two variants of the same chromosome.

Animals↗

Characterisation of a polymorphic Tc1-like transposable element of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus.

Hctc1, a member of the Tc1-family of transposable elements was isolated from the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. Hctc1 is 1590 bp long, is flanked by 55 bp inverted repeats and carries a single open reading frame of a 340 amino acid transposase-like protein. Hctc1 is similar to Tc1 of Caenorhabditis elegans and elements Tcb1 and Tcb2 of Caenorhabditis briggsae in the inverted terminal repeats, the open reading frame, as well as the target insertion sequence. Furthermore, the copy number of Hctc1 is comparable with the Tc1 copy number in low copy strains of C. elegans. The sequence of Hctc1 is highly variable in H. contortus due to deletions, insertions and point mutations, with at least five distinct length variants of Hctc1. Most of the Hctc1 variation was within rather than between H. contortus populations. The high level of sequence variation is probably due to variation generally found for members of the Tc1-family, as well as a high background level of genetic variation of H. contortus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Two independent mechanisms for escaping epidermal growth factor-mediated growth inhibition in epidermal growth factor receptor-hyperproducing human tumor cells.

Human squamous cell carcinoma cell lines often possess increased levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. The growth of these EGF receptor-hyperproducing cells is usually inhibited by EGF. To investigate the mechanism of EGF-mediated inhibition of cell growth, variants displaying alternate responses to EGF were isolated from two squamous cell carcinoma lines, NA and Ca9-22; these cell lines possess high numbers of the EGF receptor and an amplified EGF receptor (EGFR) gene. The variants were isolated from NA cells after several cycles of EGF treatment and they have acquired EGF-dependent growth. Scatchard plot analysis revealed a decreased level of EGF receptor in these ER variants as compared with parental NA cells. Southern blot analysis and RNA dot blot analysis demonstrated that the ER variants had lost the amplified EGFR gene. One variant isolated from Ca9-22 cells, CER-1, grew without being affected by EGF. CER-1 cells had higher numbers of EGF receptor than parental Ca9-22 but similar EGFR gene copy number. Flow cytometric analysis indicated an increase in ploidy and cell volume which may give rise to the increase in receptor number per cell. The EGF receptors on both Ca9-22 and CER-1 cells were autophosphorylated upon EGF exposure in a similar manner suggesting no obvious alteration in receptor tyrosine kinase. However, very efficient down-regulation of the EGF receptor occurred in CER-1 cells. These data suggest two independent mechanisms by which EGF receptor-hyperproducing cells escape EGF-mediated growth inhibition: one mechanism is common and involves the loss of the amplified EGFR genes, and another is novel and involves the efficient down-regulation of the cell-surface receptor.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Alternative splicing of the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein Go alpha generates four distinct mRNAs.

Go alpha a guanine nucleotide-binding (G) protein abundant in brain and other neural tissues, has been implicated in ion channel regulation. Concerted efforts in several laboratories have revealed multiple Go alpha mRNAs and protein isoforms in different contexts. Go alpha is a single copy gene in mammalian species, although the structure, number and tissue localization of Go alpha mRNAs reported by investigators are inconsistent. To define the cell-specific expression of alternatively spliced variants of Go alpha mRNA, we employed several strategies, including Northern hybridizations with sequences-specific oligonucleotides, selective digestions of Go alpha mRNA using RNase H, and adaptations of the polymerase chain reaction. Four distinct alternatively spliced variants were identified, a 5.7-kb Go alpha 2 mRNA and three Go alpha 1 mRNAs with different 3' UTRs. The UTRs of the three Go alpha 1s are composed of different combinations of what have been referred to as UTR-A and UTR-B. The sequences of the spliced segments are well conserved among mammalian species, suggesting a functional role for these alternatively spliced 3' UTRs in post-transcriptional and/or tissue-specific regulation of Go alpha expression. The position of the intron-exon splice boundary at nucleotide 31 following T of the TGA stop codon is conserved in the Gi alpha 2 and Gi alpha 3 genes, consistent with the notion that similar alternative splicing of 3' UTRs occurs in products of these related genes.

Alternative Splicing↗

Profiling of Epstein-Barr virus latent RNA expression in clinical specimens by gene-specific multiprimed cDNA synthesis and PCR.

We describe a two-step RT-PCR method for simultaneous detection of EBNA-1 (QK and Y3K splice variants), EBNA-2, LMP-1, LMP-2a and -2b, ZEBRA, and BARTs RNA encoded by Epstein-Barr virus. As a control for RNA integrity, the low-copy-number transcript derived from U1A snRNP, a cellular housekeeping gene, is coamplified. Copy DNA (cDNA) for these nine targets is simultaneously synthesized in a gene-specific, multiprimed cDNA reaction, which strongly reduces the amount of required clinical specimen and allows more sensitive detection than random hexamer or oligo-dT priming. For amplification, cDNA synthesis is followed by nine separate PCRs for the mentioned targets. Primers were designed either as intron-flanking, to avoid background DNA amplification, or in different exons, allowing identification of differentially spliced RNA molecules. To increase specificity, PCR products are detected by autoradiography after hybridization with radiolabeled internal oligonucleotide probes. The method described is highly suitable for profiling EBV latent RNA expression in tissue biopsies, cultured or isolated cells, and unfractionated whole blood and for definition of EBV latency type I, II, or III gene expression in these samples.

DNA, Complementary↗