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The dihydrolipoyltransacetylase component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Azotobacter vinelandii. Molecular cloning and sequence analysis.

The gene encoding the dihydrolipoyltransacetylase component (E2) of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Azotobacter vinelandii has been cloned in Escherichia coli. A plasmid containing a 2.8-kbp insert of A. vinelandii chromosomal DNA was obtained and its nucleotide sequence determined. The gene comprises 1911 base pairs, 637 codons excluding the initiation codon GUG and stop codon UGA. It is preceded by the gene encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase component (E1) of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and by an intercistronic region of 11 base pairs containing a good ribosome binding site. The gene is followed downstream by a strong terminating sequence. The relative molecular mass (64913), amino acid composition and N-terminal sequence are in good agreement with information obtained from studies on the purified enzyme. Approximately the first half of the gene codes for the lipoyl domain. Three very homologous sequences are present, which are translated in three almost identical units, alternated with non-homologous regions which are very rich in alanyl and prolyl residues. The N-terminus of the catalytic domain is sited at residue 381. Between the lipoyl domain and the catalytic domain, a region of about 50 residues is found containing many charged amino acid residues. This region is characterized as a hinge region and is involved in the binding of the pyruvate dehydrogenase and lipoamide dehydrogenase components. The homology with the dihydrolipoyltransacetylase from E. coli is high: 50% amino acid residues are identical.

Acetyltransferases↗

Rous sarcoma virus contains sequences which permit expression of the gag gene in Escherichia coli.

Several aspects of Rous sarcoma virus gene expression, including transcription, translation, and protein processing, can occur within Escherichia coli containing cloned viral DNA. The viral long terminal repeat contains a bacterial promoter, and viral sequences at or near the authentic viral initiation codon permit the initiation of translation. These signals can direct the synthesis in E. coli of the viral gag gene precursor Pr76 or, when fused to a portion of the lacZ gene, a gag-beta-galactosidase fusion protein. Pr76 is processed into gag structural proteins in E. coli in a process which is dependent upon the gag product p15. These observations suggest that E. coli can be used for the introduction and analysis of mutations in sequences relevant to viral gene expression.

Animals↗

Control of translation initiation in animals.

Regulation of translation initiation is a central control point in animal cells. We review our current understanding of the mechanisms of regulation, drawing particularly on examples in which the biological consequences of the regulation are clear. Specific mRNAs can be controlled via sequences in their 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) and by alterations in the translation machinery. The 5'UTR sequence can determine which initiation pathway is used to bring the ribosome to the initiation codon, how efficiently initiation occurs, and which initiation site is selected. 5'UTR-mediated control can also be accomplished via sequence-specific mRNA-binding proteins. Sequences in the 3' untranslated region and the poly(A) tail can have dramatic effects on initiation frequency, with particularly profound effects in oogenesis and early development. The mechanism by which 3'UTRs and poly(A) regulate initiation may involve contacts between proteins bound to these regions and the basal translation apparatus. mRNA localization signals in the 3'UTR can also dramatically influence translational activation and repression. Modulations of the initiation machinery, including phosphorylation of initiation factors and their regulated association with other proteins, can regulate both specific mRNAs and overall translation rates and thereby affect cell growth and phenotype.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Regulation of the human secretin gene is controlled by the combined effects of CpG methylation, Sp1/Sp3 ratio, and the E-box element.

To unravel the mechanisms that regulate the human secretin gene expression, in this study, we have used secretin-expressing (HuTu-80 cells, human duodenal adenocarcinoma) and non-secretin-expressing [PANC-1 (human pancreatic ductile carcinoma) and HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma) cells] cell models for in vitro and in vivo analyses. By transient transfection assays, within the promoter region (-11 to -341 from ATG, relative to the ATG initiation codon), we have initially identified several functional motifs including an E-box and 2 GC-boxes. Results from gel mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed further that NeuroD, E2A, Sp1, and Sp3 bind to these E- and GC-boxes in HuTu-80 cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas only high levels of Sp3 is observed to bind the promoter in HepG2 cells. In addition, overexpression of Sp3 resulted in a dose-dependent repression of the Sp1-mediated transactivation. Collectively, these data suggest that the Sp1/Sp3 ratio is instrumental to controlling secretin gene expression in secretin-producing and non-secretin-producing cells. The functions of GC-box and Sp proteins prompted us to investigate the possible involvement of DNA methylation in regulating this gene. Consistent with this idea, we found a putative CpG island (-336 to 262 from ATG) that overlaps with the human secretin gene promoter. By methylation-specific PCR, all the CpG dinucleo-tides (26 of them) within the CpG island in HuTu-80 cells are unmethylated, whereas all these sites are methylated in PANC-1 and HepG2 cells. The expressions of secretin in PANC-1 and HepG2 cells were subsequently found to be significantly activated by a demethylation agent, 5'-Aza-2' deoxycytidine. Taken together, our data indicate that the human secretin gene is controlled by the in vivo Sp1/Sp3 ratio and the methylation status of the promoter.

5' Flanking Region↗

Construction of a positive selection marker by a lethal gene with the amber stop codon(s) regulator.

A novel positive selection marker for Escherichia coli transformation was developed. The marker consisted of a DNA fragment encoding the C-terminal ribonuclease domain (CRD) of colicin E3 (colE3) and one or more amber stop codons between the initiation codon and the E3-CRD coding sequence. The toxicity of the marker was controlled by the suppressor activity the host cells possessed. This allowed both effective selection and propagation of the vector possessing the maker by selecting appropriate hosts from among those widely distributed: sup+ strains for selection and sup0 strains for propagation respectively. The insert DNA fragment was introduced onto the vector by replacing the marker DNA. The transformants harboring the vector with an insert grew, but those without an insert were effectively removed by the killing activity of E3-CRD encoded on the marker DNA. The marker was also successfully applied to lambda phage display vector.

Codon, Terminator↗

Structure and chromosomal assignment of the human lectin-like oxidized low-density-lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) gene.

We have reported the cDNA cloning of a modified low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, designated lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), which is postulated to be involved in endothelial dysfunction and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Here, we determined the organization of the human LOX-1 gene, including the 5'-regulatory region. The 5'-regulatory region contained several potential cis-regulatory elements, such as GATA-2 binding element, c-ets-1 binding element, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-responsive element and shear-stress-responsive elements, which may mediate the endothelium-specific and inducible expression of LOX-1. The major transcription-initiation site was found to be located 29 nucleotides downstream of the TATA box and 61 nucleotides upstream from the translation-initiation codon. The minor initiation site was found to be 5 bp downstream from the major site. Most of the promoter activity of the LOX-1 gene was ascribed to the region (-150 to -90) containing the GC and CAAT boxes. The coding sequence was divided into 6 exons by 5 introns. The first 3 exons corresponded to the different functional domains of the protein (cytoplasmic, transmembrane and neck domains), and the residual 3 exons encoded the carbohydrate-recognition domain similar to the case of other C-type lectin genes. The LOX-1 gene was a single-copy gene and assigned to the p12.3-p13.2 region of chromosome 12. Since the locus for a familial hypertension has been mapped to the overlapping region, LOX-1 might be the gene responsible for the hypertension.

Base Sequence↗

[Study on high-expression of soluble hbFGF in Escherichia coli].

The formation of inclusion body is correlated with the overexpression of foreign proteins in Escherichia coli. Controlling of the expression level seems to be critical to increase the soluble component. With the prerequisite of no alterations in amino acid sequence, the wobble bases of the first 3 codons downstream the initiation codon ATG of a hbFGF high-expression mutation, established previously, were changed into the bases of the native hbFGF sequences. Seven primers were synthesized for retro-mutations, after PCR were undertaken, the products were cloned into pET-3c, and recombinants were transformed into BL21 (DE3) plysS for expression. One strain with high solubility and bioactivity were identified, indicating that restriction of the expression level of recombinant protein is helpful for high-solubility.

Codon↗

Cytoplasmic methionyl-tRNA synthetase from Bakers' yeast. A monomer with a post-translationally modified N terminus.

Methionyl-tRNA synthetase has been purified from a yeast strain carrying the MES1 structural gene on a high copy number plasmid (pFL1). The purified enzyme is a monomer of Mr = 85,000 in contrast to its counterpart from Escherichia coli which is a dimer made up of identical subunits (Mr = 76,000; Dardel, F., Fayat, G., and Blanquet, S. (1984) J. Bacteriol. 160, 1115-1122). The yeast enzyme was not amenable to Edman's degradation indicating a blocked NH2 terminus. Its primary structure as derived from the DNA sequence (Walter, P., Gangloff, J., Bonnet, J., Boulanger, Y., Ebel, J.P., and Fasiolo, F. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 2437-2441) has been confirmed using the fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometric method. This method was applied to tryptic digests of the carboxymethylated enzyme and the corresponding data provided extensive coverage of the translated DNA sequence, thus confirming its correctness. The ambiguity concerning which of the three NH2-terminally located methionine codons is the initiation codon was easily resolved from peptides identified in this region. It was possible to show that the first methionine had been removed and that the new NH2 terminus, serine, had been acetylated. A comparison between the yeast and E. coli sequences shows that the former has an N-terminal extension of about 200 residues as compared to the latter. It also lacks the C-terminal domain which is responsible for the dimerization of the E. coli methionyl-tRNA synthetase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Preferential usage of some minor codons in bacteria.

In many bacterial species, such as Deinococcus radiodurans, Haemophilus influenzae, and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, some minor codons are preferentially used near the initiation codon. Among these codons, there are some minor codons that have strong preference for the initiation site in the high codon adaptation index (CAI) group (comprising of highly expressed genes) rather than in the low CAI genes group (comprising of low expressing genes). In the present study, codon usage in the initiation site and in the rest of the gene was systematically compared in the 27 complete bacterial genomes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. Furthermore, we classified genes into two groups according to the CAI values and conducted the same analysis for each of the two groups. Our results suggest a role for some minor codons in the initiation site of the regulating translation system in many bacteria. We have summarized codons that are preferentially used in the initiation site and probably play a role in regulating genes expression in these organisms.

Amino Acids↗

Biological significance of the U residue at the -3 position of the mRNA sequences of influenza A viral segments PB1 and NA.

The levels of viral proteins in infected cells are thought to be regulated by a variety of mechanisms. The initiation codons for the PB1 and NA proteins of A/WSN/33 (H1N1) influenza virus are in a suboptimal Kozak sequence for translation. To determine the significance of these suboptimal Kozak sequences, model vRNAs, whose coding regions were replaced with the reporter SEAP gene (for secreted alkaline phosphatase) and recombinant viruses with optimal Kozak sequences for PB1 and NA were constructed. Conversion of the upstream sequence of the PB1 and NA initiation codon to an optimal Kozak sequence was reflected in the level of reporter protein expression, but not the level of PB1 and NA protein expression. The recombinant viruses that had optimal Kozak sequences for PB1, NA, or both genes had similar replicative properties, both in cell culture and in mice, to those of the wild-type virus. These results suggest that expression of the PB1 and NA proteins is regulated by a mechanism other than that controlling the initiation of translation of these proteins.

Adenine↗

Structural organization of the human NBC1 gene: kNBC1 is transcribed from an alternative promoter in intron 3.

Several electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporters have been cloned from different human organs. In the renal proximal tubule, the electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter kNBC1 (1035aa) mediates the majority of basolateral sodium bicarbonate absorption. In pancreatic ducts, the electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter pNBC1 (1079aa) mediates basolateral sodium bicarbonate influx. hNBC1 (hhNBC), cloned from human heart, is identical to pNBC1 at the amino acid level. We have demonstrated that kNBC1 and pNBC1 are highly homologous proteins that have different N-termini. In kNBC1, 41 amino acids replace the initial 85 amino acids of pNBC1. Whether these proteins are coded by one or more genes is unknown. In order to determine the genetic basis for these transcripts, we first characterized the genomic organization of the NBC1 gene (SLC4A4). NBC1 spans approximately 450 kilobases containing 26 exons that are flanked by typical splice donor and acceptor sequences at the intron-exon boundaries. Exon 1 is specific for the pNBC1 transcript. The first alternative exon of the hNBC1 transcript, containing the 5'-untranslated region, is derived from the last 43 nucleotides of intron 1 in the NBC1 gene coupled to exon 2. kNBC1 is transcribed from an alternative promoter in intron 3. In the first alternative exon of kNBC1, the last 313 nucleotides of intron 3 are coupled to exon 4, which is common to pNBC1 and hNBC1. The major transcription initiation site in kNBC1 is located 192 nucleotides upstream from the translation initiation codon. A minor start site is located 182 nucleotides upstream from the translation initiation codon. Structural analysis of the proximal kNBC1 promoter revealed an atypical TATA sequence (-33) and several potentially important transcription factor binding sites. Functional studies showed that the 5'-flanking region of the alternative kNBC1 promoter (-159 to+43) is sufficient for promoter activity. This work is the first demonstration that the three N-terminal transcripts of the human electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter NBC1 are encoded by the SLC4A4 gene. Furthermore, knowledge of the genomic organization and alternative promoter usage in the NBC1 gene provides a molecular basis for understanding disorders involving electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporters and facilitates the elucidation of transcriptional control of NBC1 expression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mutants of yeast initiating translation of iso-1-cytochrome c within a region spanning 37 nucleotides.

We used a specially constructed strain, cyc1-345, of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to isolate revertants that initiated translation of iso-1-cytochrome c at various sites along an extended region of the mRNA. Normal amounts of iso-1-cytochrome c occurred when translation initiated at the abnormal sites corresponding to amino acid positions -3, -2, 3 and 5, as well as the normal position -1; 20% of the normal amounts occurred when translation initiated at the abnormal position 9. These results with cyc1-345 revertants indicate that translation of iso-1-cytochrome c can initiate with the normal efficiency at any site within the region spanning 25 nucleotides. Furthermore, because the lower amount of the short iso-1-cytochrome c in the mutant initiating at position 9 may not necessarily reflect an inefficiency of translation, we believe that translation can initiate with normal or near-normal efficiencies at any site within a 37 nucleotide region, and presumably at any site preceding and following that of the normal initiation codon. These results establish that there is no absolute requirement for a particular sequence 5' to the initiation codon, and are consistent with our previous suggestion that translation starts at the AUG codon closest to the 5' end of the mRNA.

Base Sequence↗

The same Arabidopsis gene encodes both cytosolic and mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetases.

In plants, all aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are nuclearly encoded, despite the fact that their activities are required in the three protein-synthesizing cell compartments (cytosol, mitochondria, and chloroplasts). To investigate targeting of these enzymes, we cloned cDNAs encoding alanyl-tRNA synthetase (AlaRS) and the corresponding nuclear gene, ALATS, from Arabidopsis by using degenerate polymerase chain reaction primers based on highly conserved regions shared between known AlaRSs from other organisms. Analysis of the transcription of the gene showed the presence of two potential translation initiation codons in some ALATS mRNAs. Translation from the upstream AUG would generate an N-terminal extension with features characteristic of mitochondrial targeting peptides. A polyclonal antibody raised against part of the Arabidopsis AlaRS revealed that the Arabidopsis cytosolic and mitochondrial AlaRSs are immunologically similar, suggesting that both isoforms are encoded by the ALATS gene. In vitro experiments confirmed that two polypeptides can be translated from AlATS transcripts, with most ribosomes initiating on the downstream AUG to give the shorter polypeptide corresponding in size to the cytosolic enzyme. The ability of the presequence encoded between the two initiation codons to direct polypeptides to mitochondria was demonstrated by expression of fusion proteins in tobacco protoplasts and in yeast. We conclude that the ALATS gene encodes both the cytosolic and the mitochondrial forms of AlaRS, depending on which of the two AUG codons is used to initiate translation.

Alanine-tRNA Ligase↗

PISSLRE, a human novel CDC2-related protein kinase.

The cell division cycle have been shown to be regulated by a closely-related family of protein kinases named CDKs (by cyclin-dependent kinases). Using a PCR-based cloning technique, we have isolated cDNAs encoding a human CDC2-related protein kinase. The full-length cDNA accommodates an open reading frame that does not contain any ATG initiation codon upstream of the sequence encoding the catalytic domain of this putative kinase. Three putative non-ATG initiation codons have been detected. Starting at the most 5' non-ATG initiation site, the encoded product is 316 amino acids long with a predicted molecular weight of 35.8 kDa. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence showed it to contain the XI subdomains present in all known protein kinases and a PSTAIRE-like motive, PISSLRE, which temporarily names this kinase. PISSLRE is most related to p58/GTA (55% identity in the catalytic domain), the galactosyl transferase associated protein, which has been shown to inhibit entry into S-phase when over-expressed in CHO cells. PISSLRE shares 38-45% identity with all CDKs and contains the regulatory Tyr and Thr residues present in most of the members of the CDK family of protein kinases, which suggests similar modes of regulation. PISSLRE is expressed in all human tissues tested, including those which contain high proportion of terminally differentiated cells. However, the levels of the PISSLRE transcripts are dissimilar among different tissues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

mRNA secondary structure at start AUG codon is a key limiting factor for human protein expression in Escherichia coli.

Codon usage and thermodynamic optimization of the 5'-end of mRNA have been applied to improve the efficiency of human protein production in Escherichia coli. However, high level expression of human protein in E. coli is still a challenge that virtually depends upon each individual target genes. Using human interleukin 10 (huIL-10) and interferon alpha (huIFN-alpha) coding sequences, we systematically analyzed the influence of several major factors on expression of human protein in E. coli. The results from huIL-10 and reinforced by huIFN-alpha showed that exposing AUG initiator codon from base-paired structure within mRNA itself significantly improved the translation of target protein, which resulted in a 10-fold higher protein expression than the wild-type genes. It was also noted that translation process was not affected by the retained short-range stem-loop structure at Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequences. On the other hand, codon-optimized constructs of huIL-10 showed unimproved levels of protein expression, on the contrary, led to a remarkable RNA degradation. Our study demonstrates that exposure of AUG initiator codon from long-range intra-strand secondary structure at 5'-end of mRNA may be used as a general strategy for human protein production in E. coli.

Base Sequence↗

Hemoglobin Long Island is caused by a single mutation (adenine to cytosine) resulting in a failure to cleave amino-terminal methionine.

Hemoglobin Long Island has two separate amino acid abnormalities of beta-globin structure: an extension of the NH2 terminus by a methionine residue and a histidine-to-proline substitution at the normal second position. The NH2-terminal methionine residue, the translation product of an AUG initiation codon, is present only transiently in nascent proteins. Because of the general biological implications of this abnormality, we investigated the nature of the genetic defect of this mutant. We determined the sequence of the relevant portion of the beta-globin mRNA by means of dideoxynucleotide chain termination of the complementary DNA (cDNA) in which an oligonucleotide complementary to codons 10-17 was used as a primer for reverse transcriptase. A histidine-to-proline substitution was confirmed in the mutant mRNA by identifying an adenine-to-cytosine transversion in the second codon. However, we were unable to find any other abnormality at either the AUG initiation codon or in the 56 bases upstream from the adenine-to-cytosine transversion (encompassing most of the 5' untranslated region of the mutant beta-globin mRNA). Thus, it appears that this single lesion probably interferes with the poorly understood methionine-cleaving mechanism that modulates most of prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteins.

Adenine↗

Expression of a glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene specific to mouse spermatogenic cells.

A cDNA clone encoding a putative glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPD-S) protein specific to spermatogenic cells was isolated from a mouse spermatogenic cell expression library. The Gapd-s cDNA contained 1451 bp of transcribed sequence, including an ATG initiation codon and a poly(A) addition signal. The location of the Gapd-s initiation codon differed from that of other Gapd sequences, resulting in a germ cell GAPD-S protein predicted to contain 105 additional residues at the amino terminus. While GAPD is constitutively expressed in somatic tissues, Northern blot analysis demonstrated that a Gapd-s probe hybridized to a 1.5-kb transcript present only in the testis. The Gapd-s mRNA was first detected during postnatal development in the testes of 20-day-old mice, suggesting that gene expression begins shortly after the appearance of haploid round spermatids. Northern analysis of RNA from isolated mouse pachytene spermatocytes and spermatids confirmed that Gapd-s expression is confined to post-meiotic germ cells. GAPD has been previously proposed to be the key enzyme regulating glycolysis in isolated round spermatids. We hypothesize that the GAPD-S enzyme plays an important role in regulating the switch between different pathways for energy production during spermiogenesis and in the spermatozoon.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Successful use of oligopeptides as immunogens in the preparation of antisera to immediate-early gene products of herpes simplex virus type 1.

Antisera to two herpes simplex virus-type 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early gene products ( IE12 and IE175 ) have been produced using oligopeptides, constructed on the basis of proposed DNA coding sequences, as immunogens. In both cases the synthetic peptides were linked to bovine serum albumin via an N-terminal tyrosine prior to immunization. Both the IE12 and the IE175 antisera reacted with their respective HSV-1 antigens and with antigens produced by the HSV-1 immediate-early mutant tsK but not with functionally equivalent antigens induced by HSV-2. IE12 induced by tsK was found to have an altered mobility with respect to the wild-type IE12 and its precipitation was accompanied by a second, minor, component of lower mobility. Revertants of tsK gave similar results. Labelling IE12 with a variety of amino acids indicated that the first of three possible initiation codons was used in its translation from mRNA. The results imply that the other initiation codons were not used. Wildtype IE12 is produced for at least 3 h after release of cycloheximide block and appears to be turned over rapidly.

Amino Acid Sequence↗