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Molecular cloning and expression profile of rat myocilin.

Myocilin is known to be associated with the pathogenesis of juvenile-onset primary open angle glaucoma. The tissue distribution of myocilin transcripts has been analyzed in both humans and mice, and a high level of expression in the retina and skeletal muscle has been reported. The functions of myocilin in these tissues are unknown. We isolated rat myocilin cDNA and examined the expression pattern of myocilin, including its expression in endocrine organs, using Northern blot analysis. The rat myocilin cDNA sequence has two in-frame initiation codons, the upstream and downstream ATGs corresponding to the initiation codon of human and murine myocilin, respectively. It is most likely that the first ATG is a translational initiation codon, since 8 of 13 amino acid residues deduced from the rat cDNA sequence between the first and the second ATGs are the same as those in human myocilin. The open reading frame encodes 502 amino acids. Rat myocilin also has both a myosin-like domain and an olfactmedin-like domain, which have been identified in human and murine myocilin. Northern analysis of rat myocilin mRNA revealed substantial expression in the thyroid gland, as well as in the retina and muscle. No transcripts were detected in other endocrine glands, including the adrenal gland, pituitary, and testis. Myocilin may play an important role in thyroid function. Further study of the expression and role of myocilin in the thyroid is required.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Differential response of human cells to deletions and stop codons in the gamma(1)34.5 gene of herpes simplex virus.

Earlier studies have shown that herpes simplex virus mutants lacking the gamma(1)34.5 gene are totally avirulent on intracerebral inoculation of the virus into mice and induce premature shutoff of protein synthesis in human neuroblastoma (SK-N-SH) cells but not in Vero cells. We report the following. (i) Whereas deletion mutant R3616, lacking 1,000 bp of the gamma(1)34.5 gene, caused premature shutoff of protein synthesis in both SK-N-SH and human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF), mutants R4009 and R930 (mutant F), carrying stop codons in all six frames, 27 and 210 codons from the initiation codon of the gamma(1)34.5 genes, respectively, induced shutoff of protein synthesis in SK-N-SH cells but not in HFF. The differences in behavior between the R3616 deletion and R4009 stop codon mutants cannot be attributed to differences in the rate of induction of premature shutoff of protein synthesis and the multiplicity of infection. HFF do not produce detectable truncated gamma(1)34.5 protein or truncated mRNA. (ii) Some clonal lines of SK-N-SH cells carrying a gamma(1)34.5 gene driven by a metallothionein promoter express the gamma(1)34.5 gene constitutively and do not require induction by cadmium to complement the gamma(1)34.5- virus. One clonal cell line complements the gamma(1)34.5- virus only after induction by cadmium. These results are consistent with previous conclusions that the phenotype of premature shutoff of protein synthesis is associated with absence of the gamma(1)34.5 protein and indicate that the amounts of gamma(1)34.5 protein necessary to complement the gamma(1)34.5- viruses are small. We conclude that human cells differ in the manner in which they respond to the presence of stop codons. Shutoff of protein synthesis in HFF infected with the stop codon mutants could have been precluded by small amounts of gamma(1)34.5 protein produced by splicing out of an intron containing the stop codon, downstream initiation of translation, or tRNA suppression of the stop codon.

Animals↗

Thermally regulated translational control of FRQ mediates aspects of temperature responses in the neurospora circadian clock.

Two forms of FRQ, a central component of the Neurospora circadian clock, arise through alternative in-frame initiation of translation. Either form alone suffices for a functional clock at some temperatures, but both are always necessary for robust rhythmicity. Temperature regulates the ratio of FRQ forms by favoring different initiation codons at different temperatures; when either initiation codon is eliminated, the temperature range permissive for rhythmicity is demonstrably reduced. This temperature-influenced choice of translation-initiation site represents a novel adaptive mechanism that extends the physiological temperature range over which clocks function. Additionally, a temperature-dependent threshold level of FRQ is required to establish the feedback loop comprising the oscillator. These data may explain how temperature limits permissive for rhythmicity are established, thus providing a molecular understanding for a basic characteristic of circadian clocks.

Biological Clocks↗

Construction of a brewer's yeast having alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase gene from Acetobacter aceti ssp. xylinum integrated in the genome.

alpha-Acetolactate decarboxylase (ALDC) gene from Acetobacter aceti ssp. xylinum has several possible initiation codons in the N-terminus. To determine the initiation codon of the ALDC giving the highest expression levels, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter was linked just upstream of each possible initiation codon. The ALDC whose translation starts 130 bp downstream from the first ATG codon had the highest activity in yeast cells. When expression levels of the ALDC gene were compared using three strong yeast promoters of glycolytic genes, alcohol dehydrogenase I (ADC1), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and GPD, the GPD promoter was the strongest. The ALDC gene was integrated in a ribosomal RNA gene of a brewer's yeast by co-transformation with an expression plasmid of G418-resistance gene. The laboratory-scale growth test confirmed that the total diacetyl concentration was reduced in wort.

Base Sequence↗

Translation initiation with GUC codon in the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum: implications for translation of leaderless mRNA and strict correlation between translation initiation and presence of mRNA.

We have investigated whether anticodon sequence mutant of an archaeal initiator tRNA can initiate protein synthesis using reporter genes carrying mutations in the initiation codon. Halobacterium salinarum was used as the model organism and the bacterio-opsin gene (bop), which encodes the precursor of the protein component of the purple membrane protein bacterio-opsin (Bop), was chosen as the reporter. We demonstrate that a CAU to GAC anticodon sequence mutant of Haloferax volcanii initiator tRNA can initiate Bop protein synthesis using GUC as the initiation codon in H. salinarum. We generated four mutant bop genes, each carrying the AUG to GUC initiation codon mutation, with or without a compensatory mutation to maintain a predicted stem-loop structure at the 5'-end of the bop mRNA, and with or without mutations to test translation initiation at a site corresponding to the amino terminus of mature bacterio-opsin. H. salinarum chromosomal recombinants containing these mutant genes were phenotypically Pum- (purple membrane negative). Upon transformation with a plasmid carrying the mutant initiator tRNA gene, only strains designed to maintain the bop mRNA stem-loop structure produced Bop and were phenotypically Pum+ as indicated by purple colony colour, and immunoblotting and spectral analysis of cell extracts. Thus GUC can serve as an initiation codon in archaea and the stem-loop structure in the bop mRNA is important for translation. Interestingly, for the same mutant mRNA, only transformants that produce Bop protein contain bop mRNA. These results suggest either a strong coupling between translation and mRNA stability or strong transcriptional polarity in H. salinarum.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Characterization of the lysogenic repressor (c) gene of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa transposable bacteriophage D3112.

Bacteriophage D3112 is a Mu-like temperate transposable phage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Genetic mapping and DNA sequence analysis have identified the left end of the phage genome as encoding the transposase enzyme (A) and the lysogenic (c) repressor. The c open reading frame (ORF), located at the leftmost end of the phage genome and transcribed from right to left, has four possible GTG initiation codons. Using site-directed mutagenesis, each of the four GTG codons was modified to GTA, which cannot serve as an initiation codon. Plasmids were constructed expressing either the wild-type repressor ORF or the ORFs containing the mutated GTA codons. When introduced into Pseudomonas aeruginosa, no immunity to superinfection by D3112 was observed when the second GTG had been mutated. Northern blotting analysis demonstrated that the D3112 c repressor is transcribed as a 900-nt mRNA. The promoter region was defined by transcriptional lacZ fusions and primer extension analyses to bp 972-940 from the left end of the phage genome. When the D3112 c repressor was overexpressed and purified as a fusion protein with a C-terminal six-histidine extension (cts15-His6), it showed high affinity for a 261-bp PvuII fragment localized directly upstream of the c repressor ORF. Our results indicate that although D3112 c shows higher amino acid similarity to the lambda family of repressors than it does to those of Mu and D108, it appears that its structure and function more accurately reflect an evolutionary ancestry with those from transposable coliphages Mu and D108.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Leaky ribosomal scanning in mammalian genomes: significance of histone H4 alternative translation in vivo.

Like alternative splicing, leaky ribosomal scanning (LRS), which occurs at suboptimal translational initiation codons, increases the physiological flexibility of the genome by allowing alternative translation. Comprehensive analysis of 22 208 human mRNAs indicates that, although the most important positions relative to the first nucleotide of the initiation codon, -3 and +4, are usually such that support initiation (A-3 = 42%, G-3 = 36% and G+4 = 47%), only 37.4% of the genes adhere to the purine (R)-3/G+4 rule at both positions simultaneously, suggesting that LRS may occur in some of the remaining (62.6%) genes. Moreover, 12.5% of the genes lack both R-3 and G+4, potentially leading to sLRS. Compared with 11 genes known to undergo LRS, 10 genes with experimental evidence for high fidelity A+1T+2G+3 initiation codons adhered much more strongly to the R-3/G+4 rule. Among the intron-less histone genes, only the H3 genes adhere to the R-3/G+4 rule, while the H1, H2A, H2B and H4 genes usually lack either R-3 or G+4. To address in vivo the significance of the previously described LRS of H4 mRNAs, which results in alternative translation of the osteogenic growth peptide, transgenic mice were engineered that ubiquitously and constitutively express a mutant H4 mRNA with an A+1T+1 mutation. These transgenic mice, in particular the females, have a high bone mass phenotype, attributable to increased bone formation. These data suggest that many genes may fulfill cryptic functions by LRS.

Animals↗

Position-dependent ATT initiation during plant pararetrovirus rice tungro bacilliform virus translation.

The expression of the rice tungro bacilliform virus open reading frame I was studied in transiently transfected protoplasts. Expression occurs despite the presence of a long leader sequence and the absence of a proper ATG initiation codon. Translation is initiated at an ATT codon. The efficiency of initiation in rice protoplasts depends strongly on the mechanism by which ribosomes reach this codon. From the effects of scanning-inhibiting structures inserted into different leader regions, it can be deduced that this mechanism is related to the ribosome shunt described for cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA. The process delivers initiation-competent ribosomes to the region downstream of the leader and is so precise that only the second of two potential start codons only 12 nucleotides apart is recognized. The ATT codon that is used when it is present downstream of the leader is hardly recognized as a start codon by ribosomes that reach it by scanning.

Base Sequence↗

A uniquely conserved regulatory signal is found around the translation initiation site in three different collagen genes.

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the 5' untranslated region and the sequence encoding the signal peptide for mRNAs of the chick alpha 1 type I and alpha 1 type III collagen. These sequences were obtained by synthesizing the corresponding cDNAs using as primers either a synthetic oligonucleotide to prime alpha 1 type I cDNA or a DNA fragment isolated from a genomic clone coding for alpha 1 type III collagen to prime the cognate cDNA. Both primers were selected so that the resulting cDNAs would be short and would contain sequence information for the 5' untranslated region and the signal peptide of the proteins. The nucleotide sequences of these cDNAs were compared with the corresponding sequence of alpha 2 type I collagen. In each mRNA the 5' untranslated segment is approximately 130 nucleotides and contains two or more AUG triplets preceding the AUG which serves as a translation initiation codon. A sequence of about 50 nucleotides surrounding the translation initiation codon is remarkably conserved in all three mRNAs, whereas the sequences preceding and following this segment diverge markedly. This homologous sequence contains an almost identical inverted repeat sequence which could form a stable stem-loop structure. The initiation codon and the AUG which precedes it are found at the same place within this symmetrical sequence and the distance between them is invariant. The rest of the conserved sequence shows a less perfect symmetry. This conserved sequence has not been found in other genes. Our data suggest that these three and perhaps other collagen genes contain an identical regulatory signal that may play a role in determining the level of expression of these genes by modulating translational efficiency.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Specific inhibition of influenza virus RNA polymerase and nucleoprotein genes expression by liposomally endocapsulated antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides: penetration and localization of oligonucleotides in clone 76 cells.

Liposomally encapsulated phosphorothioate oligonucleotides with four target sites (PB1, PB2, PA, and NP) were synthesized and tested for inhibitory effects by a CAT-ELISA assay using the clone 76 cell line. The liposomally encapsulated phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (S-ODNs) complementary to the sites of the PB2-AUG and PA-AUG initiation codons showed highly inhibitory effects. Displacement of the target AUG initiation codon sequence to the 3'-end, 5'-end, and/or center sites on the antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides was studied with regard to the inhibition of influenza virus RNA polymerases and NP. The antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotide containing the AUG initiation codon at the center site of the oligonucleotide had the highest inhibitory effects. The liposomally encapsulated phosphorothioate oligonucleotides exhibited higher inhibitory activity than the free oligonucleotides. Observation of clone 76 cells treated with the endocapsulated antisense phosphodiester oligonucleotide, FITC-ODNs-PB2-T3, by a confocal laser scanning microscope, revealed diffuse fluorescence, apparently within the cytoplasm. Interestingly, the endocapsulated antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotide, FITC-S-ODNs-PB2-T3 accumulated in the nuclear region of clone 76 cells. However, weak fluorescence was observed in the endosomes and in the cytoplasms of the clone 76 cells treated with the free antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides.

Animals↗

Analysis of the upstream region of the Escherichia coli rnd gene encoding RNase D. Evidence for translational regulation of a putative tRNA processing enzyme.

The upstream region of the Escherichia coli rnd gene has been analyzed. A single promoter and transcription start site were identified in the 170-nucleotide upstream region of the clone based on deletion analysis, nuclease S1 mapping, primer extension, and quantitative dot-blots. The start site of transcription is 70 nucleotides upstream of the UUG initiation codon of the RNase D coding region. Between the RNA initiation site and the coding region is a GC-rich hairpin structure followed by 8 T residues that looks like a rho-independent transcription terminator. Surprisingly, deletion of the hairpin structure elevates rnd mRNA levels only slightly (less than 2-fold), but it dramatically decreases RNase D expression (greater than 95%), measured both by activity and immunoblotting. No evidence for an effect on mRNA stability or processing was observed. The uncommon UUG translation initiation codon was converted to AUG by site-directed mutagenesis. This alteration led to an 11-fold elevation of RNase D expression in single-copy plasmids. These data indicate that RNase D expression is negatively regulated at the translational level by the initiation codon, and that an upstream structure (or sequence) also influences translation of this gene.

Base Sequence↗

Expression, purification, and characterization of recombinant S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase from the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus.

S-Adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase from Sulfolobus solfataricus was expressed in Escherichia coli by inserting the genomic fragment containing the gene encoding for S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase downstream the isopropyl-beta-d-thiogalactoside-inducible promoter of pTrc99A expression vector. An ATG positioned 25 bp upstream of the gene which is in frame with a stop codon was utilized as the initiation codon. This construct was used to transform E. coli RB791 and E. coli JM105 strains. The recombinant protein, purified by a fast and efficient two-step procedure (yield of 0.4 mg of enzyme per gram of cells), does not appear homogeneous on SDS-PAGE because of the presence of a protein contaminant corresponding to a "truncated" S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase subunit lacking the first 24 amino acid residues. The recombinant enzyme shows the same molecular mass, optimum temperature, and kinetic features of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase isolated from S. solfataricus but it is less thermostable. To construct a vector which presents a correct distance between the ribosome-binding site and the start codon of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase gene, a NcoI site was created at the translation initiation codon using site-directed mutagenesis. The expression of the homogeneous mutant S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase was achieved at high level (1.7 mg of mutant protein per gram of cells). The mutant S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and the native one were indistinguishable in all physicochemical and kinetic properties including thermostability, indicating that the interactions involving the NH(2)-terminal sequence of the protein play a role in the thermal stability of S. solfataricus S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase.

Adenosylhomocysteinase↗

Characterization of an operon encoding succinyl-CoA synthetase and malate dehydrogenase from Thermus flavus AT-62 and its expression in Escherichia coli.

An open reading frame (ORF) was found upstream of the mdh gene in Thermus flavus by computer-aided analysis. It was identified as the gene encoding the alpha subunit of succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS) and termed scsA. Nucleotide sequencing of a further upstream region revealed the presence of another ORF, corresponding to the sequence of the beta subunit of SCS. The latter gene was termed scsB. The scsB gene was found to contain an unusual translational initiation codon, TTG. S1 nuclease mapping indicates that transcription starts at the nucleotide at position--31 upstream of the initiation codon of the beta gene. The scsB and scsA genes along with the mdh gene appear to form an operon and are most likely co-transcribed in this order, because the intercistronic regions between them are very short; in fact, the termination codon of scsB overlaps the initiation codon of scsA. A stretch characteristic of the--10 region of a typical prokaryotic promoter was found upstream of scsB, whereas no sequence characteristic of a typical--35 region was present. Escherichia coli harboring a plasmid containing scsA and scsB did not produce thermostable SCS activity, even when a synthetic promoter for E. coli was attached. However, when an inverted repeat present in front of scsB, which covers the putative ribosome-binding site and is capable of forming a stable stem-loop structure, was altered by site-directed mutagenesis, overproduction of heat-stable SCS was observed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cloning, sequencing, and high expression of the proline iminopeptidase gene from Bacillus coagulans.

The gene coding for proline iminopeptidase in Bacillus coagulans was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Nucleotide sequencing revealed an 861-bp open reading frame with an unusual TTG initiation codon, encoding a 287-amino-acid protein. The calculated molecular weight of the product was 32,415. The amino acid sequences of the amino-terminal region and those of some peptide fragments obtained by endoproteinase Asp-N digestion of the purified enzyme completely coincided with those deduced from the nucleotide sequence. The rare TTG initiation codon that normally codes for leucine was translated as a formal initiation codon; a methionine residue was found at the amino terminus of the enzyme. By using a vector bearing the strong tac promoter, an expression level as high as 200-fold that of the first clone was achieved. The replacement of the TTG initiation codon with ATG and a simultaneous reduction of the distance to the tac promoter resulted in a further increase of 2.5-fold. The expressed enzyme was easily purified to homogeneity by hydrophobic chromatography on a Toyopearl HW-65C column and crystallization, with a recovery of activity of 36%. The molecular weight was found to be 33,000 by both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration on a Hi-Load 16/60 Superdex 200 fast protein liquid chromatography column. The expressed enzyme showed the same catalytic and physicochemical properties as those of the wild type, specifically cleaving the N-terminal proline from small substrates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

An internal ribosomal entry mechanism promotes translation of murine leukemia virus gag polyprotein precursors.

The genomic retroviral RNA is the messenger for the translation of the gag and pol genes encoding the precursors to the major structural proteins and enzymes, respectively, of the virion core. The long 5' untranslated region, the leader, is formed of independent well-structured domains involved in key steps of the viral life cycle such as the initiation of proviral DNA synthesis, genomic RNA dimerization and packaging, and the initiation of gag translation. These functional features and the presence of stable secondary structures between the cap and the gag initiation codon suggested that translation initiation of gag might proceed through a mechanism different from the canonical ribosome scanning process. Interestingly enough, murine leukemia viruses code also for a glycosylated gag precursor, named glyco-gag, initiated at a CUG codon upstream and in the same open reading frame as the AUGgag. We have investigated the translation initiation of gag and glyco-gag precursors of Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MLV) in the rabbit reticulocyte lysate system and in murine cells. Through site-directed mutagenesis of gag and glyco-gag initiation codons, we show that initiation of gag and glyco-gag synthesis does not utilize the classical ribosome scanning. When poliovirus protease 2A is coexpressed in murine cells, expression of MLV-lacZ RNA is not modified, indicating that translation initiation of MLV gag precursors is a cap-independent mechanism. In addition, the F-MLV leader was inserted between two genes in a dicistronic neo-MLV-lacZ mRNA, and its ability to promote expression was examined in vitro and in vivo. Results obtained demonstrate that an internal ribosome entry mechanism promotes translation of F-MLV gag precursors. This finding led us to construct a new dicistronic retroviral vector in which the F-MLV leader can promote both packaging of recombinant genomic RNA and expression of the 3' gene.

3T3 Cells↗

Beta-thalassemia in the Korean population.

Beta-Thalassemia is uncommon in the Korean population, however, it must be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypochromic anemia. The molecular characterization of beta-thalassemia is absolutely necessary for molecular diagnosis as well as any genetic epidemiological study in this region. We analyzed the molecular basis of beta-thalassemia in 38 Korean families. Using direct sequencing of genomic DNA amplified through polymerase chain reaction and haplotype analysis, 35 beta-thalassemic genes were characterized, all of which were heterozygous. Twelve different mutations were identified. The most common mutations noted included the initiation codon ATG-->AGG (beta0) (28.9%), codon 17 (beta0) (A-->T) (18.4%), and IVS-II-1 (beta0) (G-->A) (10.5%). Interestingly, mutations causing dominantly inherited beta-thalassemia were also common (15.7%). All four cases with the IVS-II-1 (G-->A) mutation were linked to the silent mutation of codon 91 (C-->T) of the beta-globin gene. The initiation codon A7G-->AGG and IVS-II-1 (G-->A) with codon 91 (C-->T) mutations were found in the Far East only, and may be inherited from a common origin for each mutation, at least in Koreans. The codon 17 (A-->T) and codons 41/42 (beta0) (-TTCT) were suggested to be introduced by gene-flow from southern China. Otherwise, only Hb Korea [codons 33/34 (beta0) (-GTG)] and a novel beta-thalassemic mutation, codons 89/90 (beta0) (-GT), were identified in Koreans. This mutation spectrum is characteristic of the low prevalence area of beta-thalassemia in Korea, it is, however, quite different from the adjacent countries, Japan and China.

Adult↗

Presentation of out-of-frame peptide/MHC class I complexes by a novel translation initiation mechanism.

Immune surveillance by CD8 T cells requires that peptides derived from intracellular proteins be presented by MHC class I molecules on the target cell surface. Interestingly, MHC molecules can also present peptides encoded in alternate translational reading frames, some even without conventional AUG initiation codons. Using T cells to measure expression of MHC bound peptides, we identified the non-AUG translation initiation codons and established that their activity was at the level of translational rather than DNA replication or transcription mechanisms. This translation mechanism decoded the CUG initiation codon not as the canonical methionine but as the leucine residue, and its activity was independent of upstream translation initiation events. Naturally processed peptide/MHC complexes can thus arise from "noncoding" mRNAs via a novel translation initiation mechanism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Point mutations that affect translation initiation in the Escherichia coli gal E gene.

This paper describes the selection and characterization of several mutations in the Escherichia coli galactose operon that affect translation initiation of the galE gene but are located outside of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and the initiator codon. One mutation lies in the gal promoter region and shifts transcription initiation from the galP1 to the galP2 promoter. This results in a gal messenger that is five nucleotides longer and that is translated threefold more efficiently in vivo. This accords with previous observations from in vitro experiments which showed that the longer gal messenger was better translated (Queen & Rosenberg, 1981). The other mutations that affect galE translation are located in the coding sequence immediately downstream from the initiator codon. In contrast to the promoter mutation, these cause alterations in galE expression only when the gene carries a mutated initiator codon or Shine-Dalgarno sequence and have no effect on the wild-type galE gene. These findings are discussed with respect to our present knowledge of translation initiation mechanisms.

Base Sequence↗