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Selective insulin signaling through A and B insulin receptors regulates transcription of insulin and glucokinase genes in pancreatic beta cells.

Insulin signaling is mediated by a complex network of diverging and converging pathways, with alternative proteins and isoforms at almost every step in the process. We show here that insulin activates the transcription of its own gene and that of the beta cell glucokinase gene (betaGK) by different mechanisms. Whereas insulin gene transcription is promoted by signaling through insulin receptor A type (Ex11-), PI3K class Ia, and p70s6k, insulin stimulates the betaGK gene by signaling via insulin receptor B type (Ex11+), PI3K class II-like activity, and PKB (c-Akt). Our data provide evidence for selectivity in insulin action via the two isoforms of the insulin receptor, the molecular basis being preferential signaling through different PI3K and protein kinases.

Calcium Channel Blockers↗

Analysis of gene transfer and expression in skeletal muscle using enhanced EIAV lentivirus vectors.

Skeletal muscle is an attractive target tissue for gene therapy involving both muscle and nonmuscle disorders. HIV-1-based vectors transduce mature skeletal muscle; however, the use of these vectors for human gene therapy may be limited by biosafety concerns. In this study, we investigated gene transfer using lentivirus vectors based on the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) in skeletal muscle in vitro and in vivo. EIAV vectors transduce proliferating and differentiating C2C12 mouse muscle cells; furthermore, the addition of the woodchuck hepatitis posttranscriptional element to EIAV vectors markedly increases gene expression in these cells. A single injection of EIAV vectors into skeletal muscle of adult mice led to detectable gene marking and gene expression for the duration of the 3-month study. Use of a second-generation EIAV self-inactivating vector (E-SIN) increased transduction in muscle cells in vitro, and injection of E-SIN vectors into skeletal muscle resulted in increased gene marking and gene expression compared to first-generation EIAV vectors.

Animals↗

Messenger RNA decay during aging and development.

Gene expression is a combination of many processes, including transcription, pre-mRNA processing, nucleocytoplasmic transport of mRNA, translation, mRNA decay, and protein modification and decay. Many changes in the programs of gene expression occur during development, differentiation, and aging. These alterations are reflected at both the mRNA and protein levels. While altered gene expression at the levels of transcription and protein turnover has been appreciated for some time, mRNA decay is now emerging as an important control point and a major contributor to gene expression as well. Continuing identification of the protein factors and cofactors, and mRNA instability elements, responsible for mRNA decay are allowing us to build a comprehensive picture of the highly orchestrated processes involved in mRNA decay and its regulation. Here, I survey mRNA decay processes in eukaryotes and describe some molecular mechanisms that alter the decay rates of specific mRNAs, leading to major changes in gene expression during development and aging.

Aging↗

Genomic organization and expression of the HSP70 locus in New and Old World Leishmania species.

Heat shock is believed to be a developmental inductor of differentiation in Leishmania. Furthermore, heat shock genes are extensively studied as gene models to decipher mechanisms of gene regulation in kinetoplastids. Here, we describe the organization and expression of the HSP70 loci in representative Leishmania species (L. infantum, L. major, L. tropica, L. mexicana, L. amazonensis and L. braziliensis). With the exception of L. braziliensis, the organization of the HSP70 loci was found to be well conserved among the other Leishmania species. Two types of genes, HSP70-I and HSP70-II, were found to be present in these Leishmania species except for L. braziliensis that lacks HSP70-II gene. Polymorphisms in the HSP70 locus allow the differentiation of the Old and New World species within the subgenus Leishmania. A notable discrepancy between our data and those of the L. major genome database in relation to the gene copy number composing the L. major HSP70 locus was revealed. The temperature-dependent accumulation of the HSP70-I mRNAs is also conserved among the different Leishmania species with the exception of L. braziliensis. In spite of these differences, analysis of the HSP70 synthesis indicated that the HSP70 mRNAs are also preferentially translated during heat shock in L. braziliensis.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Search for characteristic structural features of mammalian mitochondrial tRNAs.

A number of mitochondrial (mt) tRNAs have strong structural deviations from the classical tRNA cloverleaf secondary structure and from the conventional L-shaped tertiary structure. As a consequence, there is a general trend to consider all mitochondrial tRNAs as "bizarre" tRNAs. Here, a large sequence comparison of the 22 tRNA genes within 31 fully sequenced mammalian mt genomes has been performed to define the structural characteristics of this specific group of tRNAs. Vertical alignments define the degree of conservation/variability of primary sequences and secondary structures and search for potential tertiary interactions within each of the 22 families. Further horizontal alignments ascertain that, with the exception of serine-specific tRNAs, mammalian mt tRNAs do fold into cloverleaf structures with mostly classical features. However, deviations exist and concern large variations in size of the D- and T-loops. The predominant absence of the conserved nucleotides G18G19 and T54T55C56, respectively in these loops, suggests that classical tertiary interactions between both domains do not take place. Classification of the tRNA sequences according to their genomic origin (G-rich or G-poor DNA strand) highlight specific features such as richness/poorness in mismatches or G-T pairs in stems and extremely low G-content or C-content in the D- and T-loops. The resulting 22 "typical" mammalian mitochondrial sequences built up a phylogenetic basis for experimental structural and functional investigations. Moreover, they are expected to help in the evaluation of the possible impacts of those point mutations detected in human mitochondrial tRNA genes and correlated with pathologies.

Acylation↗

Suppression of eukaryotic translation termination by selected RNAs.

Using selection-amplification, we have isolated RNAs with affinity for translation termination factors eRF1 and eRF1.eRF3 complex. Individual RNAs not only bind, but inhibit eRF1-mediated release of a model nascent chain from eukaryotic ribosomes. There is also significant but weaker inhibition of eRF1-stimulated eRF3 GTPase and eRF3 stimulation of eRF1 release activity. These latter selected RNAs therefore hinder eRF1.eRF3 interactions. Finally, four RNA inhibitors of release suppress a UAG stop codon in mammalian extracts dependent for termination on eRF1 from several metazoan species. These RNAs are therefore new specific inhibitors for the analysis of eukaryotic termination, and potentially a new class of omnipotent termination suppressors with possible therapeutic significance.

Animals↗

Polyadenylation of three classes of chloroplast RNA in Chlamydomonas reinhadtii.

Three classes of RNA, represented by atpB and petD mRNAs, Arg and Glu tRNAs, and 5S rRNA, were found to exist in polyadenylated form in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplasts. Sequence analysis of cDNA clones derived from reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction protocols used to select polyadenylated RNAs revealed that, at least for the mRNAs and tRNAs, there are three apparent types of polyadenylation. In the first case, the poly(A) tail is added at or near the mature 3' end, even when this follows a strong secondary structure. In the second case, the tail is added to pre-mRNA or pre-tRNA, suggesting a possible competition between polyadenylation and RNA-processing pathways. Finally, in all cases, the poly(A) tail can be added internally, possibly as a part of an RNA-decay pathway. The tails found in Chlamydomonas chloroplasts differ from those of spinach chloroplasts in adenine content, being nearly homopolymeric (>98% adenine) versus 70% in spinach, and are similar in length to those of Escherichia coli, being mostly between 20 and 50 nt. In vitro assays using a Chlamydomonas chloroplast protein extract showed that a 3' end A25 tail was sufficient to stimulate rapid degradation of atpB RNA in vitro, with a lesser effect for petD, and only minor effects on trnE. We therefore propose that polyadenylation contributes to mRNA degradation in Chlamydomonas chloroplasts, but that its effect may vary.

Animals↗

The DEAD box helicase, Dhh1p, functions in mRNA decapping and interacts with both the decapping and deadenylase complexes.

A major pathway of mRNA turnover in eukaryotic cells initiates with deadenylation, leading to mRNA decapping and subsequent 5' to 3' exonuclease digestion. We show that a highly conserved member of the DEAD box family of helicases, Dhh1p, stimulates mRNA decapping in yeast. In dhh1delta mutants, mRNAs accumulate as deadenylated, capped species. Dhh1p's effects on decapping only occur on normal messages as nonsense-mediated decay still occurs in dhh1delta mutants. The role of Dhh1p in decapping appears to be direct, as Dhh1p physically interacts with several proteins involved in mRNA decapping including the decapping enzyme Dcp1p, as well as Lsm1p and Pat1p/Mrt1p, which function to enhance the decapping rate. Additional observations suggest Dhh1p functions to coordinate distinct steps in mRNA function and decay. Dhh1p also associates with Pop2p, a subunit of the mRNA deadenylase. In addition, genetic phenotypes suggest that Dhh1p also has a second biological function. Interestingly, Dhh1p homologs in others species function in maternal mRNA storage. This provides a novel link between the mechanisms of decapping and maternal mRNA translational repression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

RNA interference in human cells is restricted to the cytoplasm.

RNA interference (RNAi) is an evolutionarily conserved eukaryotic adaptive response that leads to the specific degradation of target mRNA species in response to cellular exposure to homologous double-stranded RNA molecules. Here, we have analyzed the subcellular location at which RNA degradation occurs in human cells exposed to double-stranded short interfering RNAs. To unequivocally determine whether a given mRNA is subject to degradation in the cytoplasm, the nucleus, or both, we have used the retroviral Rev/RRE system to control whether target mRNAs remain sequestered in the nucleus or are exported to the cytoplasm. In the absence of export, we found that the nuclear level of the RRE-containing target mRNA was not affected by activation of RNAi. In contrast, when nuclear export was induced by expression of Rev, cytoplasmic target mRNAs were effectively and specifically degraded by RNAi. Curiously, when the target mRNA molecule was undergoing active export from the nucleus, induction of RNAi also resulted in a reproducible approximately twofold drop in the level of target mRNA present In the nuclear RNA fraction. As this same mRNA was entirely resistant to RNAi when sequestered in the nucleus, this result suggests that RNAi is able to induce degradation of target mRNAs not only in the cytoplasm but also during the process of nuclear mRNA export. Truly nucleoplasmic mRNAs or pre-mRNAs are, in contrast, resistant to RNAi.

Animals↗

Escherichia coli DNA-directed beta-galactosidase synthesis in presence and absence of Ca2+.

DNA-dependent synthesis of beta-galactosidase was optimized in extracts made from cells lysed by a standard French pressure cell. Extracts made at 3200 psi synthesized up to 25-fold more beta-galactosidase than extracts made at 7500 psi. beta-Galactosidase synthesis was cyclic 3', 5' AMP dependent, as expected, and in optimal conditions transcription and translation proceeded at 8.6 nucleotides and 2.7 amino acids per s, respectively. The high pressure extracts were stimulated 3- to 5-fold by Ca2+, especially at low Mg2+ concentrations. In contrast, extracts prepared at low pressure were inhibited as much as 50-fold by Ca2+ ions. The inhibition by Ca2+ was analyzed further. Addition of kasugamycin, an antibiotic that acts on ribosomes, to reactions containing Ca2+ stimulated beta-galactosidase synthesis to nearly control levels. Extracts from a kasugamycin resistant mutant were neither inhibited by Ca2+ nor stimulated by the addition of kasugamycin to in vitro reactions containing Ca2+. The change in the mutant was ascribed to the ribosomes by testing combinations of soluble proteins, ribosome wash, and ribosomes from parental and mutant strains. These results suggest that Ca2+ ions inhibit translation by ribosomes, very likely at an initiation step; and that they enhance enzyme synthesis only in conditions where translation is inefficient (high-pressure extracts at low concentrations of Mg2+, for example). This latter effect is probably a consequence of increased RNA stability in the presence of Ca2+ (Cremer, K., and Schlessinger, D. (1974), J. Biol. Chem. 249,4730).

Aminoglycosides↗

Complexity of agonist- and cyclic AMP-mediated downregulation of the human beta 1-adrenergic receptor: role of internalization, degradation, and mRNA destabilization.

Prolonged agonist exposure often induces downregulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Although downregulation of the prototypical beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR) has been extensively studied, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be resolved. As even less is known about the beta(1)-subtype, we investigated the downregulation of human beta(1)AR stably expressed in Chinese hamster fibroblasts in response to the agonist isoproterenol or the cell-permeable, chlorophenylthio-cAMP (CPT-cAMP). While either effector mediated decreases in both beta(1)AR binding activity and steady-state beta(1)AR mRNA levels, there were significant differences in their actions. Whereas agonist-mediated downregulation of beta(1)AR followed first-order kinetics, that induced by CPT-cAMP was delayed for several hours and approximately 50% of the former. Furthermore, agonist but not CPT-cAMP induced beta(1)AR internalization, and inhibiting internalization also suppressed agonist-mediated downregulation. The latter, however, was more sensitive than the former to agonist concentration (EC(50) of 0.3 vs 48 nM). Thus, at < or =1 nM agonist, downregulation occurred without internalization and with a pattern similar to that mediated by CPT-cAMP. The amounts of beta(1)AR downregulated or internalized were proportional to initial receptor levels but reached saturation at approximately 2 and 3 pmol/mg of protein, respectively. The fate of beta(1)AR protein during downregulation was determined by immunoblotting with anti-C-terminal antibodies. In agonist-treated cells, beta(1)AR protein disappeared with time and without any immunoreactive degradation products. Agonist-mediated downregulation of the human beta(1)AR appears to be a complex process that consists of both agonist- and cAMP-specific components. The former involves both receptor internalization and degradation whereas the latter involves a reduction in receptor mRNA.

Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists↗

A group II intron inserted into a bacterial heat-shock operon shows autocatalytic activity and unusual thermostability.

Group II intron RNAs fold into catalytically active structures that catalyze their own self-splicing and subsequent transposition into DNA. Because of their remarkable enzymatic properties, it has been of interest to find new group II introns with novel properties. Here we report the cloning, sequencing, and mechanistic characterization of a new group II intron from the bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii (the AV intron). Although it bears the characteristics of the group IIB1 class, the AV intron is unusually G-C rich, and it has unusual insertion sequences and a minimal dependence on the EBS2-IBS2 tertiary interaction. The AV intron is the first bacterial intron that has been found to reside in a housekeeping gene which, in this case, encodes a heat-shock protein (hsp60). Consistent with a potential role in heat-shock regulation, kinetic analysis reveals that AV intron self-splicing is activated only at elevated temperatures. This suggests a novel pathway for the regulation of heat shock in prokaryotes and provides a first example of a thermally tolerant group II intron RNA.

Azotobacter vinelandii↗

Bimodal loop-loop interactions increase the affinity of RNA aptamers for HIV-1 RNA structures.

Multiple loop-loop interactions between adjacent RNA hairpins regulate gene expression in different organisms. To demonstrate that such natural interactions could be mimicked for generating RNA ligands that are able to recognize simultaneously at least two structured RNA targets, a double kissing complex model was designed. The target consisted of two HIV-1 transactivating responsive (TAR) RNA variants, BRU and MAL, connected by a non-nucleotidic linker. The double ligand was generated by combining the corresponding hairpin aptamers, R06BRU and R06MAL, identified previously by in vitro selection [Ducongé, F., and Toulmé, J. J (1999) RNA 5, 1605-1614]. The resulting interaction was analyzed by thermal denaturation monitored by UV spectroscopy, electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments. The bimodal complex was characterized by a binding equilibrium constant increased by at least 1 order of magnitude compared to that of the complexes between the individual parent hairpins. This resulted from a slower dissociation rate. We then made use of such a strategy for targeting two structured functional motifs of the folded 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) of HIV-1. Two bivalent RNA ligands were designed that targeted simultaneously the TAR and dimerization initiation site (DIS) hairpins or the TAR and poly(A) ones. The results show that these ligands also displayed enhanced affinity for their target compared to the individual molecules. The work reported here suggests that bimodal structured RNA ligands might provide a way of increasing the affinity of aptamers for folded RNA targets.

Base Pairing↗

NMR structure of varkud satellite ribozyme stem-loop V in the presence of magnesium ions and localization of metal-binding sites.

In the Neurospora VS ribozyme, magnesium ions facilitate formation of a loop-loop interaction between stem-loops I and V, which is important for recognition and activation of the stem-loop I substrate. Here, we present the high-resolution NMR structure of stem-loop V (SL5) in the presence of Mg(2+) (SL5(Mg)) and demonstrate that Mg(2+) induces a conformational change in which the SL5 loop adopts a compact structure with most characteristics of canonical U-turn structures. Divalent cation-binding sites were probed with Mn(2+)-induced paramagnetic line broadening and intermolecular NOEs to Co(NH(3))(6)(3+). Structural modeling of Mn(H(2)O)(6)(2+) in SL5(Mg) revealed four divalent cation-binding sites in the loop. Sites 1, 3, and 4 are located in the major groove near multiple phosphate groups, whereas site 2 is adjacent to N7 of G697 and N7 of A698 in the minor groove. Cation-binding sites equivalent to sites 1-3 in SL5 are present in other U-turn motifs, and these metal-binding sites may represent a common feature of the U-turn fold. Although magnesium ions affect the loop conformation, they do not significantly change the conformation of residues 697-699 involved in the proposed Watson-Crick base pairs with stem-loop I. In both the presence and the absence of Mg(2+), G697, A698, and C699 adopt an A-form structure that exposes their Watson-Crick faces, and this is compatible with their proposed interaction with stem-loop I. In SL5(Mg), however, U700 becomes exposed on the minor groove face of the loop in the proximity of the bases of G697, A698, and C699, suggesting that the Mg(2+)-bound conformation of stem-loop V allows additional contacts with stem-loop I. These studies improve our understanding of the role of Mg(2+) in U-turn structures and in substrate recognition by the VS ribozyme.

Base Pairing↗

Glucose modulates the abscisic acid-inducible Rab16A gene in cereal embryos.

Glucose effects on the expression of the abscisic acid-inducible Rab16A gene were examined in rice and barley embryos. Glucose feeding to rice embryos negatively affects the endogenous abscisic acid content and represses the promoter activity of the Rab16A gene. Glucose repression of the Rab16A gene takes place both at a transcriptional and a post-transcriptional level. Modulation of the abscisic acid content in rice embryos triggered by glucose did not directly influence the expression of the rice alpha-amylase gene RAmy3D, which is known to be under glucose control. The possible interaction between the glucose and abscisic acid signaling pathway is discussed.

Abscisic Acid↗