Revised sequence of full-length complementary DNA coding for human alpha 1-antitrypsin.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A cDNA library prepared from human liver was screened for alpha 1-antitrypsin, a major constituent of plasma which functions as inhibitor of proteolytic enzymes. The library was screened using a 12-base-long synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide corresponding to a known DNA fragment of human alpha 1-antitrypsin and by hybrid-selection of alpha 1-antitrypsin mRNA. A plasmid, pULB1523, was identified carrying a cDNA insert of about 1400 bp coding for human alpha 1-antitrypsin. Restriction mapping and DNA sequence analysis indicated that the 1400 bp code for the signal peptide and for the complete mature alpha 1-antitrypsin molecule. In addition, a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunoassay showed that pULB1523 expresses human alpha 1-antitrypsin in bacteria. Fusion of the alpha 1-antitrypsin sequence to the leader sequence of the beta-lactamase gene (plasmid pKT287) resulted also in the expression of the protein in bacteria.
The transition from egg laying to incubation activity in birds is associated with a dramatic rise in serum prolactin levels. To further our understanding of the regulation of prolactin gene expression in birds, a cDNA clone encoding turkey Pit-1/GHF-1 was isolated. The turkey cDNA, designated tPit-1/GHF-1, was 1,123 nucleotides in length and encoded a protein of 327 amino acids, including a conserved 80-amino-acid POU-specific domain and a 60-amino-acid POU homeodomain. tPit-1/GHF-1 POU-specific domain and POU-homeodomain showed 94-95% amino acid identity with the corresponding rat Pit-1/GHF-1 domains. At its amino terminus, tPit-1/GHF-1 contained a 26-amino-acid insertion comparable to that found in the rat variant isoform, Pit-1 beta. Two other insertions of 38 and 7 amino acids were present and were not found in the mammalian protein. Levels of tPit-1/GHF-1 mRNA in pituitary tissue were examined at different phases of the turkey reproductive cycle by Northern blotting. tPit-1/GHF-1 mRNA was expressed as a 3.5-kb transcript, whose abundance remained relatively constant throughout the reproductive cycle. Thus, the dramatic rise in prolactin mRNA, observed during hyperprolactinemia in incubating turkey hens, was not associated with a concomitant increase in tPit-1/GHF-1 gene expression.
A cDNA encoding Xenopus laevis metallothionein (MT) was cloned from a cDNA library constructed using liver poly(A+)RNA of X. laevis adult males treated with CdCl2. The probe used to screen the library was a MT-specific DNA fragment obtained by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and degenerate oligodeoxynucleotide primers. The cDNA clone encodes a putative protein of 62 amino acids, of which 20 are cysteine residues. The position of all the cysteine residues is conserved with respect to mammalian MT sequences. The amino acid sequence of this X. laevis MT, designated XIMT-A, shares between 60% and 67% identity with various vertebrate MTs. Overall, the structure of XIMT-A is no similar in sequence to MT-1 than it is to MT-2 isoforms of various vertebrates. Ten different X. laevis MT cDNA isolates were partially sequenced and turned out to be identical, suggesting a single species of MT mRNA. Southern blot analysis of X. laevis DNA reveals that the XlMT-A gene is present in at least two copies. This result is consistent with the suggestion that a genome duplication occurred in a X. laevis ancestor. The in vivo response to increasing doses of Cd2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ metal salts was tested. In the liver, all three metals proved to be potent inducers, raising MT mRNA levels between 50- and 100-fold. The maximum response to Cd2+ was at 12 hr after injection and to Zn2+ at 24 hr after injection. High levels of mRNA were maintained for more than 48 hr. Cd2+ and Zn2+ induced XlMT-A mRNA in all tissues examined (kidney, spleen, heart, intestine, testes, and brain). Dexamethasone did not induce MT mRNA synthesis in the liver.
An increase in melting temperature for DNA:DNA duplexes had been observed previously (Zhu et al. Antisense Res. Dev. 3:349-356, 1993) when an oligo(delta)ornithine moiety was covalently appended to a short oligodeoxynucleotide. We now report the analysis of duplex formation by electrophoretic gel shift analysis. In the particular example studied, an increase in Tm of 4 degrees C was found to correspond to about a fivefold increase in binding constant. A similar enhancement by the appended cationic peptide was observed when the target strand was RNA. The use of a competitive assay format for avoidance of adsorptive loss at low concentrations (< 10(-7)M) of the oligonucleotide-oligo(delta)ornithine conjugate is presented.
The kidney is a highly specialized organ with a complex, stereotyped architecture and a great diversity of functions and cell types. Because the microscopic organization of the nephron, the functional unit of the kidney, has a consistent relationship to the macroscopic anatomy of the kidney, knowledge of the characteristic patterns of gene expression in different compartments of the kidney could provide insight into the functions and functional organization of the normal nephron. We studied gene expression in dissected renal lobes of five adult human kidneys using cDNA microarrays representing approximately 30,000 different human genes. Total RNA was isolated from sections of the inner and outer cortex, inner and outer medulla, papillary tips, and renal pelvis and from glomeruli isolated by sieving. The results revealed unique and highly distinctive patterns of gene expression for glomeruli, cortex, medulla, papillary tips, and pelvic samples. Immunohistochemical staining using selected antisera confirmed differential expression of several cognate proteins and provided histological localization of expression within the nephron. The distinctive patterns of gene expression in discrete portions of the kidney may serve as a resource for further understanding of renal physiology and the molecular and cellular organization of the nephron.
The expression of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) is consistently associated with the malignant transformation of oral mucosal tissues in both hamster and human. The cheek pouch of the Syrian hamster represents an ideal model to elucidate the role of TGF-alpha in epithelial cancer development. A prerequisite for such investigations at the molecular level is to obtain hamster-specific TGF-alpha molecular probes. Here we report the successful cloning of the hamster TGF-alpha cDNA from a hamster oral cancer cell line (HCPC-1) by the polymerase chain reaction technique using synthetic oligonucleotide primers based on human TGF-alpha cDNA sequence. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the newly isolated hamster cDNA encoding the portion of the mature TGF-alpha peptide revealed that it is 92.6% (139/150) homologous to that of the rat and 93.3% (140/150) homologous to that of the human sequences. The predicted hamster TGF-alpha amino acid sequence is 96% (48/50) similar to that of human, while 94% (47/50) similar to that of rat. Using this hamster TGF-alpha cDNA as a probe, molecular hybridization experiments revealed that it detects hamster TGF-alpha mRNA with approximately 40 times and approximately 5 times greater sensitivity than similar probes from human and rat origin respectively. This hamster TGF-alpha cDNA should be of great value as a probe to evaluate the role of TGF-alpha in the normal and pathological processes using the hamster as an experimental model.
A cDNA for porcine fatty acid synthase was isolated and used to examine the tissue distribution of fatty acid synthase mRNA within the pig and to determine the impact of recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpSt) and the level of dietary protein on fatty acid synthase mRNA abundance in pig liver and adipose tissue. A 1.5-kb cDNA representing the thioesterase domain of porcine fatty acid synthase was isolated from a lambda gt 11 liver cDNA library. Northern analysis with total RNA extracted from adipose tissue, liver, heart, lung, kidney and intestine revealed a single major fatty acid synthase mRNA species of 8-9 kb. The amount of fatty acid synthase mRNA in hepatic tissue was 25% of the amount in adipose tissue, which suggests that the liver may be a significant site of fatty acid synthesis in the pig. Fatty acid synthase mRNA abundance was significantly reduced in the adipose tissue (P less than 0.01) and the liver (P less than 0.1) by chronic daily administration (60 micrograms/kg) of rpSt. In addition, increasing the amount of dietary protein decreased (P less than 0.1) the abundance of fatty acid synthase mRNA in adipose tissue but had no effect on liver fatty acid synthase expression. In contrast, the abundance of adipose fatty acid binding protein mRNA was unaffected by rpSt or dietary protein. These data indicate that the reduction in the level of fatty acid synthase mRNA is a factor in the pSt-mediated suppression of fatty acid synthesis in porcine adipose tissue.
One strategy to overcome multidrug resistance in neoplasia is to inhibit the gp170 glycoprotein (relative molecular mass, 170,000) that functions as a plasma membrane, energy-dependent, drug-efflux pump. The human colon cancer cell line HT-29, which grows as an ascitic tumor in athymic NCr-nu/nu nude mice, was made multidrug resistant by infection with an MDR1 (also known as PGY1) retrovirus. Referred to as HT-29mdr1, it was used to study reversal of drug resistance in vivo by the anti-P-glycoprotein monoclonal antibody MRK-16. Flow cytometry and radioimmunoassay demonstrated a marked increase in MRK-16 reactivity on HT-29mdr1 cells as compared with its reactivity on the parental, uninfected cell line (HT-29par). The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of vincristine on HT-29par and HT-29mdr1 cells were 2.5 and 15 ng/mL, respectively. The MRK-16 monoclonal antibody did not affect the vincristine sensitivity of the HT-29par cells. Pretreatment of HT-29mdr1 cells with 10 micrograms/mL MRK-16 in tissue culture partially restored the vincristine sensitivity (IC50 = 7 ng/mL). This modulation of vincristine sensitivity by MRK-16 was then tested in vivo. The median survival times of mice given intraperitoneal transplants of 5 x 10(6) HT-29par or HT-29mdr1 were 37 and 39 days, respectively. Treatment of mice with 1 mg/kg vincristine weekly for 3 weeks, beginning 10 days after tumor injection, resulted in a significant increase in the median survival time of the HT-29par tumor-bearing mice (68 days, P less than .0001), but it had no effect on the HT-29mdr1 tumor-bearing mice. However, treatment of mice bearing the HT-29mdr1 tumor with MRK-16 before vincristine therapy reversed the resistance to the drug (median survival time = 64 days, P less than .0001). The MRK-16 monoclonal antibody alone had no effect on the median survival time of mice given an injection of either HT-29par or HT-29mdr1 cells. These results suggest that strategies employing monoclonal antibody against gp170 may be clinically useful to reverse multidrug resistance.
BACKGROUND: At present, there is no highly effective treatment for metastatic melanoma. Innovative approaches aimed at inducing a more effective immune response against tumors have shown promising results in animal models. One approach involves the genetic modification of tumor cells so that they produce cytokines that stimulate an immune response. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cytokine gene therapy for metastatic melanoma in a murine melanoma model. METHODS: B16F10 murine melanoma cells, which readily metastasize to the lungs, were transduced with a retroviral vector containing genes encoding neomycin resistance and human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). The presence of M-CSF messenger RNA in transduced cells was examined by coupled reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction. Concentrations of soluble M-CSF in cell culture supernatants were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). A clonal cell line, designated N+/CSF+, that expressed and secreted M-CSF was identified. Another clonal cell line, designated N+/CSF-, did not secrete M-CSF at levels detectable by ELISA. B16F10, N+/CSF-, and N+/CSF+ cells, individually or in combination, were injected intravenously or subcutaneously into C57BL/6 mice; we then evaluated the tumorigenicity and metastatic behavior of the cells, as well as the immune responses and survival of the mice. The immune responses assayed were the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and peritoneal exudate cell (PEC) tumoricidal activities. RESULTS: Injection of B16F10 cells into the tail vein of C57BL/6 mice led to the establishment of lung metastases by week 2 and death by week 8. Injection of the N+/CSF+ or N+/CSF- cells led to the establishment of lung metastases that were detected at 2 and 3 weeks, respectively; however, these metastatic lesions were eliminated, and the animals had survival rates similar to those of the noninjected control mice. Injection of mice with a mixture of B16F10 and N+/CSF- cells resulted in the development of metastatic disease and 0% survival at 8 weeks, whereas mice that had been given an injection of a mixture of B16F10 and N+/CSF+ cells had an 80% survival rate at 8 weeks and survived at least two times longer (P = .007). The CTL and PEC tumoricidal activities in animals given an injection of N+/CSF+ cells suggested that monocytes and lymphocytes were responsible for the observed antitumor response. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the expression of M-CSF by genetically modified melanoma cells caused an effective antitumor immune response in host C57BL/6 mice and, thus, prolonged survival over that observed in the control mice.
Haptoglobin is a transport glycoprotein which removes free hemoglobin from the circulation of vertebrates. In human populations haptoglobin is polymorphic due to three alleles, Hp alpha 1F, Hp alpha 1S and Hp alpha 2. The Hp alpha 2 allele is roughly twice the length of the Hp alpha 1 alleles and is the product of a partial gene duplication possibly resulting from an unequal crossover event in a heterozygous genotype Hp alpha 1F/Hp alpha 1S. In the study described here we compare the cDNA encoding Hp alpha 1S to that encoding Hp alpha 2FS . Both have a leader sequence followed by the genotypic alpha chain sequence, a beta sequence and an untranslated sequence in the 3' end. The cDNA encoding Hp alpha 2FS is composed of alpha 1F and alpha 1S domains differing by four nucleotide replacements. Hp alpha 1S cDNA contains the same replacement site mutations found in the alpha 1S domain of Hp alpha 2FS , indicating that this coding region has sustained few, if any, mutations since its incorporation into the Hp alpha 2FS gene.
We have prepared a lambda gt10 cDNA library with the mRNA isolated from fetal calf brains which were actively myelinating. Using two oligonucleotides made according to the known amino acid sequence of myelin proteolipid protein (PLP or lipophilin), we have isolated several cDNA clones for this major intrinsic membrane protein of myelin. One of these clones, designated as pLP1, is found to contain 444 bp of coding sequence for the C-terminal half of PLP and 486 bp of 3' untranslated sequence. Using pLP1 as a hybridization probe, we have studied the regulation of PLP at the mRNA level during rat brain development. Our results show that the relative amounts of mRNA for PLP and that for the major extrinsic protein of the myelin membrane, myelin basic protein, increase coordinately during the course of myelination in the brain.
Two DNA fragments coding for chick CaBP have been isolated and sequenced. cDNA was prepared from enriched intestinal mRNA and cloned in pUC12. The recombinant clones were screened by differential hybridisation with 32P-cDNA probes synthesized from vitamin D replete and deficient chick intestinal mRNA. Two clones had outstanding affinity with the +D probe. Hybrid-arrested and hybrid-selected translation systems showed that both clones hybridised to mRNA coding for immunoprecipitable CaBP. The mRNA for CaBP has a 100 bp G,C rich sequence before a 786 bp coding region followed by 1250 nucleotides 3' untranslated region. Nucleotides coding for the Ca-binding sites show a high degree of homology for Ca-binding sites in chick calmodulin and rat intestinal CaBP. The amino acid sequence specified by the longest open reading frame contains five Ca-binding sites but is too large for the native CaBP; post-translational modification must therefore occur.
The major forms of testosterone-regulated RP2 messenger RNA (also known as MAK mRNA and pMK908) in the mouse kidney were characterized by examining cDNA and genomic clones. Three sizes of RP2 mRNA are detected by Northern blot analysis and these were shown to result from polyadenylation at three distinct sites within the primary transcript of this single-copy gene. The complete RP2 mRNA sequence was obtained from overlapping cDNA clones, revealing an open reading frame of 357 amino acids that corresponds to a protein of 40,365 daltons. The detection of RP2 mRNA in all tissues examined to date suggests that the RP2 protein may function in a housekeeping role in all cells. This is supported by the finding of a high percentage of G + C residues at the 5' end of the gene, including a sequence homologous to the binding site of the transcription factor Sp1, which has been suggested to affect the regulation of other housekeeping genes that have been characterized. An examination of the amino acid sequence indicates that the RP2 protein is proline-rich and is composed of alternating alpha-helix and beta-sheet regions. RP2 is probably not integrated into a membrane structure in the cell as it does not appear to contain hydrophobic regions capable of spanning a membrane.
We have recently obtained 18 distinct cDNA clones representing different genes expressed in the early phase of EBV infection. One of them, c37, which is situated at the position 12907-122451 in the B95-8 viral genome, is shown here to code for a viral desoxyribonuclease [DNase]. Cell free translation of c37-selected messenger RNA yielded a protein of about 52 KDa which was immunoprecipitated by a high EA titer serum from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient. This protein showed a DNase activity which was resistant to high salt concentrations (150 to 300 mM KCl) and was specifically neutralized by EA positive serum. These properties are typical of the EBV-specific DNase activity that we recently described in chemically induced EBV-transformed lymphoid cells. The same results were obtained on cell-free translation of the native RNA synthesized in vitro from pGEM-37 plasmid containing the entire c37 cDNA sequence (1.53 Kb). These data indicate that the BGLF5 open reading frame contained in c37 encodes for the EBV-specific DNase.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
45 mutations (insertion, deletion and base substitution) of the G4 Goric were tested for their functional activity in M13 and R199 in vivo. The critical mutants were also assayed for their ability to synthesize pRNA in vitro using SSB and primase. The results demonstrate that the secondary structure and spacing of stem-loops I and III are essential for Goric activity and that the 5'-CTG-3' sequence flanking stem-loop I is essential for initiation of pRNA synthesis.