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Origin of the human L1 elements: proposed progenitor genes deduced from a consensus DNA sequence.

A consensus sequence for the human long interspersed repeated DNA element, L1Hs (LINE or KpnI sequence), is presented. The sequence contains two open reading frames (ORFs) which are homologous to ORFs in corresponding regions of L1 elements in other species. The L1Hs ORFs are separated by a small evolutionarily nonconserved region. The 5' end of the consensus contains frequent terminators in all three reading frames and has a relatively high GC content with numerous stretches of weak homology with AluI repeats. The 5' ORF extends for a minimum of 723 bp (241 codons). The 3' ORF is 3843 bp (1281 codons) and predicts a protein of 149 kD which has regions of weak homology to the polymerase domain of various reverse transcriptases. The 3' end of the consensus has a 208-bp nonconserved region followed by an adenine-rich end. The organization of the L1Hs consensus sequence resembles the structure of eukaryotic mRNAs except for the noncoding region between ORFs. However, due to base substitutions or truncation most elements appear incapable of producing mRNA that can be translated. Our observation that individual elements cluster into subfamilies on the basis of the presence or absence of blocks of sequence, or by the linkage of alternative bases at multiple positions, suggests that most L1 sequences were derived from a small number of structural genes. An estimate of the mammalian L1 substitution rate was derived and used to predict the age of individual human elements. From this it follows that the majority of human L1 sequences have been generated within the last 30 million years. The human elements studied here differ from each other, yet overall the L1Hs sequences demonstrate a pattern of species-specificity when compared to the L1 families of other mammals. Possible mechanisms that may account for the origin and evolution of the L1 family are discussed. These include pseudogene formation (retroposition), transposition, gene conversion, and RNA recombination.

Biological Evolution

P-element-induced control mutations at the r gene of Drosophila melanogaster.

The P-M hybrid dysgenesis system was used to produce five putative regulatory mutations at the rudimentary locus, r. All five mutations were the result of insertions at the 5' end of the gene, upstream of the proposed start of transcription. All of the mutants displayed a leaky wing phenotype, and four of the mutants showed an uncoupling of the wing and female-sterility phenotypes, suggesting that they altered the normal spatial and temporal expression of the r gene. Four of the insertions were P elements. The fifth insertion, which was larger than an intact P element, consisted of a small P element connected to non-P-element DNA. Two of the mutants produced very little r transcript in adult females and were clustered 80 to 150 base pairs upstream of the start of transcription. The other three mutants had higher levels of r transcript in adult females and were clustered 440 to 500 base pairs upstream of the start of transcription. All of the data suggest that the insertions are in a 5' noncoding region of the r gene involved in the control of its spatial and temporal expression.

Animals

Sigma region located between C mu and C delta genes of human immunoglobulin heavy chain: possible involvement of tRNA-like structure in RNA splicing.

Noncoding regions within the cluster of immunoglobulin heavy chain constant genes in the human genome contained a number of repeats. In the mu-delta intron, two repeating units were contained. One 442-base-long fragment located JH-mu intron (defined as "sigma mu(sigma mu)") occupied the position in the mu-delta intron. The other 1166-base-long fragment located somewhere in front of S (class switch) region of C gamma gene was also found in the mu-delta intron. We defined the repeats in the mu-delta intron as "SIGMA (sigma)". The polarities of the longer repeats in the genome were opposite between the mu-delta intron and the upstreams of C gamma genes. These inverted copies (defined as sigma gamma 3 and sigma gamma 4), located 6 kb upstream of their respective C gamma's, were apparently transcribed in vitro, via RNA polymerase III and transcripts should have contained tRNA-like structures. Small DNA fragments capable of encoding tRNA-like structures were also found in corresponding regions of mouse Ig C gamma cluster.

Animals

B-G cDNA clones have multiple small repeats and hybridize to both chicken MHC regions.

We used rabbit antisera to the chicken MHC erythrocyte molecule B-G and to the class I alpha chain (B-F) to screen lambda gt11 cDNA expression libraries made with RNA selected by oligo-dT from bone marrow cells of anemic B19 homozygous chickens. Eight clones were found to encode B-G molecules which hybridize with sequences in the chicken MHC as defined by congenic strains; the fusion proteins react with multiple immune but not preimmune sera, they select antibodies from the antisera to B-G, which then react with distinct erythrocyte B-G protein patterns, and they elicit antibodies from mice which in turn react with authentic B-G proteins. None of the clones represent a complete message, some--if not all--bear introns, and none of them match with any sequences presently stored in the data banks. The following new information did, however, emerge. At least two homologous transcripts are present in this homozygous chicken, thereby formally proving the existence of an expressed multigene family. The 3' ends (3'UT) are simple sequences with 80% nucleotide identity between clones, while the 5' ends (either coding or noncoding) are composed of multiple short repeats which are far less similar. These repeats could explain the bewildering variation in size of B-G proteins within and between haplotypes. Southern blots of genomic chicken DNA gave complex patterns for most probes, with many bands in common using different probes, but few bands in common between haplotypes. The sequences detected are all present in the MHC, based on the congenic lines CB and CC. Most of these sequences map into the B-G region, but some map into the B-F/B-L region as defined by the haplotypes B15, B21, and their apparently reciprocal recombinants B21r3 and B15r1.

Animals

The primary structure of human glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase. A highly conserved core, amino acid repeat regions, and homologies with translation elongation factors.

We describe the nucleotide sequences of several overlapping cDNA clones specific for human glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase. The identified open reading frame indicates that the enzyme is composed of 1440 amino acids. A stretch of about 360 amino acids of the human enzyme is highly conserved in bacterial and yeast glutaminyl-tRNA synthetases. However, the human enzyme is three times larger than the bacterial and twice as large as the yeast enzyme suggesting that a considerable part of human glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase has evolved to perform functions other than the charging of tRNA. The sequence outside of the conserved core region includes three 57-amino acid repeats followed by a consecutive stretch of 11 charged amino acids. A computer assisted search of two protein data banks reveals that the human glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase shares small blocks of amino acid similarities with several other synthetases of different amino acid specificities. Interestingly, the enzyme also possesses some regions of similarities with eukaryotic translation elongation factor EF-1 but not with any other sequence stored in the protein data banks. The coding regions of human and mouse glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase cDNAs are identical at 94% of the codons. However, the 3'-noncoding regions of mouse and human mRNAs are more divergent (approximately 68%) but both possess the potential to form stable secondary structures of similar general architecture.

Amino Acid Sequence

The 3' untranslated region of the human interferon-beta mRNA has an inhibitory effect on translation.

In vitro-transcribed human interferon-beta (IFN-beta) mRNA, which contains all the sequence of the natural molecule, is poorly translated in a reticulocyte lysate or when injected in Xenopus oocytes. This low level of translation is due to an inhibition by the 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). Indeed, the replacement of these sequences by those of Xenopus beta-globin mRNA dramatically increases the translational efficiency of the mRNA, especially in oocytes. This phenomenon is not due to a difference in mRNA stability since both native and chimeric mRNAs remain undegraded, at least during the translation period considered. Construction of different chimeric molecules having various combinations of 5' and 3' UTRs from IFN-beta or Xenopus beta-globin mRNA or a small sequence of SP6 polylinker as 5' UTR has revealed that the 3' UTR of IFN-beta in itself has a pronounced inhibitory effect on translation in the two translation systems from animal cells. Indeed, the addition of this 3' UTR at the 3' end of the coding region of a chicken lysozyme mRNA also causes a large decrease of its translational capacity in both systems. However, the nature of the 5' noncoding sequence influences the degree of translation inhibition exerted by the 3' UTR. Remarkably, we observed no difference in translation level when the different mRNAs were tested in a wheat germ extract.

Animals

Expansive and Diverse Phenotypic Landscape of Field Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Larvae with Differential Susceptibility to Temephos: Beyond Metabolic Detoxification.

Arboviruses including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya are amongst the most significant public health concerns worldwide. Arbovirus control relies on the use of insecticides to control the vector mosquito Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), the success of which is threatened by widespread insecticide resistance. The work presented here profiled the gene expression of Ae. aegypti larvae from field populations of Ae. aegypti with differential susceptibility to temephos originating from two Colombian urban locations, Bello and Cúcuta, previously reported to have distinctive disease incidence, socioeconomics, and climate. We demonstrated that an exclusive field-to-lab (Ae. aegypti strain New Orleans) comparison generates an over estimation of differential gene expression (DGE) and that the inclusion of a geographically relevant field control yields a more discrete, and likely, more specific set of genes. The composition of the obtained DGE profiles is varied, with commonly reported resistance associated genes including detoxifying enzymes having only a small representation. We identify cuticle biosynthesis, ion exchange homeostasis, an extensive number of long noncoding RNAs, and chromatin modelling among the differentially expressed genes in field resistant Ae. aegypti larvae. It was also shown that temephos resistant larvae undertake further gene expression responses when temporarily exposed to temephos. The results from the sampling triangulation approach here contribute a discrete DGE profiling with reduced noise that permitted the observation of a greater gene diversity, increasing the number of potential targets for the control of insecticide resistant mosquitoes and widening our knowledge base on the complex phenotypic network of the Ae. aegypti response to insecticides.

Aedes

Expression regulation network in papillae of sea cucumbers: Whole-transcriptome and DNA methylation datasets.

To elucidate the expression regulation network of papilla size of sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus), the whole-transcriptome and DNA methylome datasets of different sizes of papillae in sea cucumbers were generated. Average clean bases of whole-transcriptome (16.35 G) and DNA methylome (28.92 G) were obtained using RNA sequencing and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing techniques. A total of 3,188 ceRNA networks were also identified including 3,081 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA)/microRNAs (miRNA)/mRNA networks and 107 circular RNA (circRNA)/miRNA/mRNA networks. Methylome data indicate that there were 3,307 and 3,776 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) with high-level methylation as well as 3,125 and 3,016 DMRs with low-level methylation in big papillae compared to small papillae. The identified DMRs were mainly distributed in introns, promotors, or exons. The whole-transcriptome and DNA methylome datasets generated from this study not only established a robust theoretical foundation (especially from the epigenetic aspect) for elucidating expression regulation network determining papilla size in sea cucumbers but also can be a valuable resource of biomarker mining for papilla appearance-based selective breeding in sea cucumbers.

DNA Methylation

An ultraviolet-sensitive RNA structural element in a viroid-like domain of the hepatitis delta virus.

The RNA genome of the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) appears to be made up of two parts: a small domain with a high degree of sequence conservation and structural features likely to promote replication; plus a second, larger domain that is less conserved and encodes the delta antigen. This report focuses on one of the several sets of data that have led to the proposal of this model: the existence of a novel structural element in HDV genomic RNA. This structural element lies within the highly conserved domain of HDV RNA and may be related to the local tertiary structure previously mapped to the central conserved region of the plant viroid genome. Both elements occur in regions with no apparent coding capacity and are distinctively responsive to ultraviolet (UV) light. Transcripts containing partial and full-length genomic sequences of HDV readily undergo a UV-induced crosslinking reaction, which establishes a covalent bond between two noncontiguous segments. By locking two segments of the overall structure into place, this crosslink has permitted the unbranched, rodlike model of HDV RNA to be examined and confirmed in the portion of the RNA analyzed. The clustering of the novel tertiary structure and the recently discovered self-cleavage sites into a highly conserved, but apparently noncoding, portion of the genome defines a viroid-like domain in HDV RNA and raises questions about the possible events leading up to the association of free-living RNAs with messenger RNAs and other RNA molecules.

DNA

Altered HLA class I expression in non-small cell lung cancer is independent of c-myc activation.

We studied the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I antigens in 59 bronchogenic carcinomas, as well as in pneumocytes and epithelial respiratory cells distant from the tumor. We observed in all cases that normal lung tissue expressed major histocompatibility complex class I antigens, while this expression was completely lost in 16 tumors (27%). The defect in HLA gene expression affected both heavy chain and beta 2-microglobulin, as demonstrated by the null reactivity with the monoclonal antibodies GRH1, W6/32, and HC10. Selective underexpression was detected in 1 tumor for HLA-A locus antigens and in 3 tumors for HLA-B locus antigens. Southern blot analyses of major histocompatibility complex class I genes were performed in 20 tumor tissue specimens and 6 cell lines. No class I gene rearrangements were detected using HLA coding and locus specific noncoding probes. We also used the Southern blot method to investigate the possible relationship between c-myc amplification and HLA class I antigens in non-small cell lung cancers and detected no apparent amplification in 20 tumor tissue specimens (5 negative for HLA class I antigens) and 6 cell lines (3 with decreased expression). Northern blot analysis revealed no relationship between c-myc mRNA levels and specific mRNA for HLA-A and HLA-B antigens in cell lines with imbalanced HLA-A or HLA-B expression.

Carcinoma, Bronchogenic

A developmentally regulated and cAMP-repressible gene of Dictyostelium discoideum: cloning and expression of the gene encoding cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitor.

A 1.6-kb genomic fragment containing the coding region for the inhibitor (PDI) of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PD) was isolated and sequenced. The genomic sequence includes 510 nucleotides (nt) of 5'-noncoding sequence and the full coding sequence, which contains two small introns. From the deduced amino acid (aa) sequence we predict a 26-kDa protein that, in agreement with previous data, contains approximately 15% Cys residues. The PDI possesses a hydrophobic leader sequence, five potential glycosylation sites, and three internal repeats. Northern-blot analysis showed a single transcript of 0.95 kb. The gene encoding PDI (pdi) was expressed early in development with little transcript remaining following aggregation. The appearance of pdi transcript was inhibited by cAMP, but when cAMP was removed the transcript appeared within 30 min. When cAMP was applied to cells containing pdi mRNA, the transcript disappeared with a half-life of less than 30 min.

2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases

Increased neurovirulence associated with a single nucleotide change in a noncoding region of the Sabin type 3 poliovaccine genome.

Most of the small number of cases of poliomyelitis which occur in countries where Sabin's attenuated poliovirus vaccines are used are temporally associated with administration of vaccine and involve polioviruses of types 2 and 3 (ref. 1). Recent studies have provided convincing evidence that the Sabin type 2 and 3 viruses themselves may revert to a neurovirulent phenotype on passage in man. We report here that a point mutation in the 5' noncoding region of the genome of the poliovirus type 3 vaccine consistently reverts to wild type in strains isolated from cases of vaccine-associated poliomyelitis. Virus with this change is rapidly selected on passage through the human gastrointestinal tract. The change is associated with a demonstrable increase in the neurovirulence of the virus.

Base Sequence

Histone genes in Physarum polycephalum: transcription and analysis of the flanking regions of the two H4 genes.

The histone H4 multigene family of Physarum polycephalum consists of two genes, H41 and H42. Both genes have an unusual structure in that they are interrupted by a small intron. The structure of the P. polycephalum H4 genes is discussed and compared to the structure of histone genes of other organisms. S1 nuclease analysis was used to map the 5' and 3' ends of the histone H4 messengers. We show that the histone H4 genes have a hybrid structure; they are interrupted by an intervening sequence, as in replacement variant histone genes of higher eukaryotes, but their 5' and 3' noncoding regions have the properties of replication-dependent histone genes: the 5' and 3' leader and trailer sequences are short, possess a 3'-hyphenated dyad symmetry element, and a CAGA sequence is found 3' to the hyphenated hairpin structure. This report also provides evidence that both genes are expressed in late G2 phase as well as in S phase and that their expression is temporally coordinated and quantitatively similar during the cell cycle.

Amino Acid Sequence

Developmental expression of the Drosophila melanogaster calmodulin gene.

The highly conserved, intracellular calcium binding protein calmodulin is present in all cells at all times. In addition to this constitutive level, the amount of calmodulin is highly regulated according to the tissue or stage of development. Since there are only a few genes or a single gene for this protein in most species, intricate regulatory elements may be necessary to effect its complex regulation. This report adds new information concerning the gene structure and outlines the developmental and spatial regulation of Drosophila melanogaster calmodulin transcripts. The gene contains five exons, including a 49 bp exon in the 5' untranslated region, and spans over 16 kb. Homologues to this small, 5' noncoding exon have not been found in other calmodulin genes. The combined level of the transcripts is developmentally regulated, and the relative amounts of the two transcript size classes (1.65 kb and 1.9 kb) are differentially regulated during development. Primer extension experiments and RNase protection mapping show that both size classes of Drosophila calmodulin transcripts initiate at the same site but undergo alternative termination within the final exon. The spatial distribution of calmodulin transcripts was examined by in situ hybridization to sections of adults and to developmentally staged whole mount embryos. Calmodulin transcripts are evenly distributed early in embryogenesis. In later stages of embryogenesis, higher levels accumulate in the developing nerve cord and other tissues. Elevated levels of calmodulin transcripts are seen quite distinctly in the adult neural tissues and in the photoreceptor region of the compound eye.

Animals

Tissue-specific expression of multiple gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase mRNAs in rat epithelia.

gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is an enzyme that plays a key role in interorgan glutathione transport. Three mRNAs (mRNAI, mRNAII, and mRNAIII) are known to encode the GGT precursor; they are initiated on three separate promoters on the single GGT gene. In this work, we identified by Northern blot and RNase H analysis a new GGT mRNA (mRNAIV). This mRNA differs from the others in its 5'-noncoding sequence. This mRNA species is the predominant GGT mRNA expressed in HTC hepatoma cells and in the small intestine in which its level increases from the base to the apex of the microvillus. The analysis of the GGT gene expression pattern in kidney, mammary gland, small intestine, liver, preneoplastic liver, and HTC hepatoma cells reveals a strong tissue or cell specificity. The mRNAIII was found in all the tissues and cells; in contrast, the expression of mRNAI, mRNAII, and mRNAIV is limited in normal tissues to the kidney and to the small intestine, the two tissues that display the highest enzyme activity. The synthesis of these three mRNAs is linked to the development of the kidney proximal tubule and to the differentiation of the enterocyte. The tissue and cell specificity of the GGT gene expression is based upon the use of multiple promoters that are controlled independently by specific cell factors.

Animals

Multiple species of myeloperoxidase messenger RNAs produced by alternative splicing and differential polyadenylation.

Three clones of full-length cDNA encoding human myeloperoxidase were isolated from a human leukemia HL-60 cell cDNA library in lambda gt10 and characterized. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of one of the cDNA clones, lambda MP-H17, indicated that the cDNA contained 3207 bp with an open reading frame of 2238 bp, a 5' noncoding region of 159 bp, a 3' noncoding region of 800 bp, and a poly(A) tail of 10 bp. cDNA of the two other clones, lambda MP-H7 and lambda MP-H14, each contained insertions with shorter sequences of 96 and 82 bp, respectively, on the open reading frame of lambda MP-H17 cDNA. A myeloperoxidase genomic clone was isolated, and the structure of its 5' region was determined and compared with the structures of these cDNAs. The comparison revealed that the three cDNAs were derived from myeloperoxidase mRNAs produced by alternative splicing from a transcript of the single gene. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 3' region of the cDNAs of several clones indicated that the mRNAs were polyadenylated at five different sites. Amino acid sequence determination of the amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal portions of the myeloperoxidase light and heavy chains revealed that, during processing of a precursor polypeptide into the mature protein, the amino-terminal polypeptide, the small peptide between the light and heavy chains, and the carboxy-terminal amino acid were excised.

Amino Acid Sequence

Alternate use of divergent forms of an ancient exon in the fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase gene of Drosophila melanogaster.

The fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase gene of Drosophila melanogaster contains three divergent copies of an evolutionarily conserved 3' exon. Two mRNAs encoding aldolase contain three exons and differ only in the poly(A) site. The first exon is small and noncoding. The second encodes the first 332 amino acids, which form the catalytic domain, and is homologous to exons 2 through 8 of vertebrates. The third exon encodes the last 29 amino acids, thought to control substrate specificity, and is homologous to vertebrate exon 9. A third mRNA substitutes a different 3' exon (4a) for exon 3 and encodes a protein very similar to aldolase. A fourth mRNA begins at a different promoter and shares the second exon with the aldolase messages. However, two exons, 3a and 4a, together substitute for exon 3. Like exon 4a, exon 3a is homologous to terminal aldolase exons. The exon 3a-4a junction is such that exon 4a would be translated in a frame different from that which would produce a protein with similarity to aldolase. The putative proteins encoded by the third and fourth mRNAs are likely to be aldolases with altered substrate specificities, illustrating alternate use of duplicated and diverged exons as an evolutionary mechanism for adaptation of enzymatic activities.

Amino Acid Sequence

Nucleotide sequence and evolution of coding and noncoding regions of a quail mitochondrial genome.

Segments of the Japanese quail mitochondrial genome encompassing many tRNA and protein genes, the small and part of the large rRNA genes, and the control region have been cloned and sequenced. Analysis of the relative position of these genes confirmed that the tRNA(Glu) and ND6 genes in galliform mitochondrial DNA are located immediately adjacent to the control region of the molecule instead of between the cytochrome b and ND5 genes as in other vertebrates. Japanese quail and chicken display another distinctive characteristic, that is, they both lack an equivalent to the light-strand replication origin found between the tRNA(Cys) and tRNA(Asn) genes in all vertebrate mitochondrial genomes sequenced thus far. Comparison of the protein-encoding genes revealed that a great proportion of the substitutions are silent and involve mainly transitions. This bias toward transitions also occurs in the tRNA and rRNA genes but is not observed in the control region where transversions account for many of the substitutions. Sequence alignment indicated that the two avian control regions evolve mainly through base substitutions but are also characterized by the occurrence of a 57-bp deletion/addition event at their 5' end. The overall sequence divergence between the two gallinaceous birds suggests that avian mitochondrial genomes evolve at a similar rate to other vertebrate mitochondrial DNAs.

Amino Acid Sequence