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A novel homozygous splice junction mutation in GPIIb associated with alternative splicing, nonsense-mediated decay of GPIIb-mRNA, and type II Glanzmann's thrombasthenia.

This work reports the study of a patient suffering a bleeding disorder clinically diagnosed as Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT). Immunoblotting and flow cytometric analysis showed a low (</= 10% of control) platelet content of GPIIb-IIIa, confirming it was indeed a type II GT. The molecular genetic analysis of the proband revealed the presence of a homozygous G188A transition in GPIIb. This mutation alters the consensus sequence of the splice donor site of intron 1 changing arginine 63 for lysine (R63K). No other mutation than [G188A]GPIIb was found in the proband and her parents after complete analysis of GPIIb and GPIIIa coding sequences, and the promoter, 3'-UTR, and intronic flanking regions of GPIIb. The GT phenotype of the proband is the result of a limited availability of GPIIb-mRNA. The etiopathogenic role of the [G188A]GPIIb mutation is supported by the following observations: (i) both parents, who are heterozygous for the [G188A]GPIIb mutation, show a marked decrease in the platelet content of GPIIb-mRNA; (ii) exontrap analysis demonstrated that the G188A mutation leads to a marked reduction in the steady-state level of GPIIb-mRNA. The reduced availability of platelet GPIIb-mRNA associated with the G188A mutation seems to be caused by either inefficient RNA splicing or a preferred utilization of alternative intronic donor sites that generate an in-frame STOP codon with the result of activation of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, or both.

Alternative Splicing↗

Cytokine regulation of chemokine (IL-8, MCP-1, and RANTES) gene expression in human pancreatic periacinar myofibroblasts.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We have previously isolated and characterized human pancreatic periacinar myofibroblasts. In this study, to define the role of these cells in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis, we investigated chemokine expression in them. METHODS: Secretion of chemokines (interleukin [IL]-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein [MCP]-1, RANTES, and MIP [macrophage inflammatory protein]-1alpha) was evaluated by ELISA, Northern blotting, and nuclear run-on assays. The activation of NF-kappaB and NF-IL6 was assessed by an electrophoretic gel mobility shift assay. RESULTS: IL-8 and MCP-1 secretion was rapidly induced by both IL-1beta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. RANTES secretion was induced more slowly and was induced mainly by TNF-alpha. However, MIP-1alpha secretion was not induced by any stimuli. These responses were also observed at the messenger RNA level, and they were accompanied by an increase in transcriptional rate. The increase in transcriptional activation of chemokine genes correlated with the NF-kappaB and NF-IL6 activation. Furthermore, a blockade of NF-kappaB activation by PDTC and TPCK markedly reduced the IL-1beta- or TNF-alpha-induced chemokine gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: Chemokine secretion is differentially regulated in pancreatic periacinar myofibroblasts, suggesting a role for these cells in mediating the infiltration and accumulation of inflammatory cells in the pancreas.

Cells, Cultured↗

Sequence conservation, relative isoform frequencies, and nonsense-mediated decay in evolutionarily conserved alternative splicing.

Studies of expressed sequence tag data sets have revealed large numbers of splicing variants for human genes, but it remains challenging to distinguish functionally important variants from aberrant splicing, clarify the nature of the alternative functions, and understand the signals that regulate splicing choices. To help address these issues, we have constructed and analyzed a large data set of 1,478 exon-skipping alternative splicing (AS) variants evolutionarily conserved in human and mouse. In about one-fifth of cases, one isoform appears subject to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), supporting the idea that a major role of AS is to regulate gene expression; one-quarter of these NMD-inducing cases involve a conserved exon whose apparent sole purpose is to mediate destruction of the message when included. We explore sequence conservation likely related to splicing regulation, using in part a measure of the overall amount of conserved information in a sequence, and find that the increased conservation that has been observed within AS exons primarily affects synonymous sites, suggesting that regulatory signals significantly constrain synonymous substitution rates. We show that a lower frequency of the inclusion isoform relative to the exclusion isoform tends to be associated with weaker splice site signals, smaller exon size, and higher intronic sequence conservation, and provide evidence that all of these factors are under selection to control relative isoform frequencies. Some conserved instances of AS appear to represent aberrant splicing events that by chance have occurred in both species, and we develop a nonparametric likelihood approach to identify these.

Alternative Splicing↗

MicroRNAs direct rapid deadenylation of mRNA.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ubiquitous regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. In addition to repressing translation, miRNAs can down-regulate the concentration of mRNAs that contain elements to which they are imperfectly complementary. Using miR-125b and let-7 as representative miRNAs, we show that in mammalian cells this reduction in message abundance is a consequence of accelerated deadenylation, which leads to rapid mRNA decay. The ability of miRNAs to expedite poly(A) removal does not result from decreased translation; nor does translational repression by miRNAs require a poly(A) tail, a 3' histone stem-loop being an effective substitute. These findings suggest that miRNAs use two distinct posttranscriptional mechanisms to down-regulate gene expression.

Animals↗

Disrupting the IL-4 gene rescues mice homozygous for the tight-skin mutation from embryonic death and diminishes TGF-beta production by fibroblasts.

The TSK/TSK mutation is embryonic lethal; embryos have been reported to die at 7-8 days of gestational age. Crossing TSK/+, IL-4+/- mice revealed that disrupting one or both IL-4 alleles allowed survival of 29 and 47%, respectively, of TSK/TSK mice. These mice failed to develop cutaneous hyperplasia but did exhibit the emphysema that is found in TSK/+ mice. We showed that IL-4 stimulation of fibroblasts increased the level of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) mRNA and that lungs of TSK/+, IL-4-/- mice had substantially less TGF-beta mRNA than lungs of TSK/+, IL-4+/+ mice. Thus IL-4 seems to regulate the expression of TGF-beta in fibroblasts, providing an explanation for the absence of cutaneous hyperplasia in TSK/+, IL-4Ralpha-/- and TSK/+, TGF-beta+/- mice.

Animals↗

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus nsp1 protein suppresses host gene expression by promoting host mRNA degradation.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SCoV) causes a recently emerged human disease associated with pneumonia. The 5' end two-thirds of the single-stranded positive-sense viral genomic RNA, gene 1, encodes 16 mature proteins. Expression of nsp1, the most N-terminal gene 1 protein, prevented Sendai virus-induced endogenous IFN-beta mRNA accumulation without inhibiting dimerization of IFN regulatory factor 3, a protein that is essential for activation of the IFN-beta promoter. Furthermore, nsp1 expression promoted degradation of expressed RNA transcripts and host endogenous mRNAs, leading to a strong host protein synthesis inhibition. SCoV replication also promoted degradation of expressed RNA transcripts and host mRNAs, suggesting that nsp1 exerted its mRNA destabilization function in infected cells. In contrast to nsp1-induced mRNA destablization, no degradation of the 28S and 18S rRNAs occurred in either nsp1-expressing cells or SCoV-infected cells. These data suggested that, in infected cells, nsp1 promotes host mRNA degradation and thereby suppresses host gene expression, including proteins involved in host innate immune functions. SCoV nsp1-mediated promotion of host mRNA degradation may play an important role in SCoV pathogenesis.

Animals↗

Mutant LYS2 mRNAs retained and degraded in the nucleus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We previously demonstrated that mRNAs retained in the nucleus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are subjected to a degradation system-designated DRN (degradation of mRNA in the nucleus), that is diminished in cbc1-Delta or cbc2-Delta mutants lacking components of the cap-binding complex and in rrp6-Delta mutants lacking Rrp6p, a 3' to 5' nuclear exonuclease. Two mutants, lys2-187 and lys2-121, were uncovered by screening numerous lys2 mutants for suppression by cbc1-Delta and rrp6-Delta. Both mutants were identical and contained the two base changes, one of which formed a TGA nonsense codon. LYS2 mRNAs from the lys2-187 and related mutants were rapidly degraded, and the degradation was suppressed by cbc1-Delta and rrp6-Delta. The U1A-GFP imaging procedure was used to show that the lys2-187 mRNA was partially retained in the nucleus, explaining the susceptibility to DRN. The creation of several derivatives of lys2-187 by site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the in-frame TGA by itself was not responsible for the increased susceptibility to DRN. Thus, mRNAs susceptible to DRN can be formed by a 2-bp change. Furthermore, this "retention signal" causing susceptibility to DRN is lost by altering one of the base pairs, establishing that mRNAs susceptible and unsusceptible to DRN can be attributed to a single nucleotide in the proper context.

Base Sequence↗

Characterization of mutant tobacco mosaic virus coat protein that interferes with virus cell-to-cell movement.

Expression of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) coat protein (CP) in plants confers resistance to infection by TMV and related tobamoviruses. Certain mutants of the CP (CP(T42W)) provide much greater levels of resistance than wild-type (wt) CP. In the present work, infection induced by RNA transcripts of TMV clones that contain wt CP or mutant CP(T42W) fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) (TMV-CP:GFP, TMV-CP(T42W):GFP) and clones harboring TMV movement protein (MP):GFP were followed in nontransgenic and transgenic tobacco BY-2 protoplasts and Nicotiana tabaccum Xanthi-nn plants that express wt CP or CP(T42W). On nontransgenic and wt CP transgenic plants, TMV-CP:GFP produced expanding, highly fluorescent disk-shaped areas. On plants expressing CP(T42W), infection by TMV-CP:GFP or TMV-MP:GFP-CP produced infection sites of smaller size that were characterized by low fluorescence, reflecting reduced levels of virus spread and reduced accumulation of both CP:GFP and MP:GFP. TMV-CP(T42W):GFP failed to produce visible infection sites on nontransgenic plants, yet produced normal infection sites on MP-transgenic plants that produce MP. TMV infection of transgenic BY-CP(T42W) protoplasts resulted in very low levels of MP accumulation, whereas on BY-CP protoplasts (containing wt CP), infection produced higher levels of MP than in nontransgenic BY-2 cells. The results suggest that wt CP has a positive effect on the production of MP, whereas the CP(T42W) has a negative effect on MP accumulation and/or function. This effect results in very high levels of resistance to TMV infection in plants containing CP(T42W). This report shows that the CP of a plant virus regulates production of the MP, and that a mutant CP interferes with MP accumulation and cell-to-cell movement of infection.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

DcpS can act in the 5'-3' mRNA decay pathway in addition to the 3'-5' pathway.

Eukaryotic mRNA degradation proceeds through two main pathways, both involving mRNA cap breakdown. In the 3'-5' mRNA decay pathway, mRNA body degradation generates free m7GpppN that is hydrolyzed by DcpS generating m7GMP. In the 5'-3' pathway, the recently identified human Dcp2 decapping enzyme cleaves the cap of deadenylated mRNAs to produce m7GDP and 5'-phosphorylated mRNA. We investigated mRNA decay in human cell extracts by using a new assay for decapping. We observed that 5'-phosphorylated intermediates resulting from decapping appear after incubation of a substrate RNA in human cell extracts, indicating the presence of an active 5'-3' mRNA decay pathway. Surprisingly, however, the cognate m7GDP product was not detected, whereas abundant amounts of m7GMP were generated. Additional experiments revealed that m7GDP is, unexpectedly, efficiently converted to m7GMP in extracts from various organisms. The factor necessary and sufficient for this reaction was identified as DcpS in both yeast and human. m7GMP is thus a general, pathway-independent, by-product of eukaryotic mRNA decay. m7GDP breakdown should prevent misincorporation of methylated nucleotides in nucleic acids and could generate a unique indicator allowing the cell to monitor mRNA decay.

Animals↗

Hypoxia-induced protein binding to O2-responsive sequences on the tyrosine hydroxylase gene.

We reported recently that the gene that encodes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of catecholamines, is regulated by hypoxia in the dopaminergic cells of the mammalian carotid body (Czyzyk-Krzeska, M. F., Bayliss, D. A., Lawson, E. E. & Millhorn, D. E. (1992) J. Neurochem. 58, 1538-1546) and in pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells (Czyzyk-Krzeska, M. F., Furnari, B. A., Lawson, E. E. & Millhorn, D. E. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 760-764). Regulation of this gene during low O2 conditions occurs at both the level of transcription and RNA stability. Increased transcription during hypoxia is regulated by a region of the proximal promoter that extends from -284 to + 27 bases, relative to transcription start site. The present study was undertaken to further characterize the sequences that confer O2 responsiveness of the TH gene and to identify hypoxia-induced protein interactions with these sequences. Results from chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays identified a region between bases -284 and -150 that contains the essential sequences for O2 regulation. This region contains a number of regulatory elements including AP1, AP2, and HIF-1. Gel shift assays revealed enhanced protein interactions at the AP1 and HIF-1 elements of the native gene. Further investigations using supershift and shift-Western analysis showed that c-Fos and JunB bind to the AP1 element during hypoxia and that these protein levels are stimulated by hypoxia. Mutation of the AP1 sequence prevented stimulation of transcription of the TH-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene by hypoxia.

Animals↗

Reconstitution of angiotensin receptor mRNA down-regulation in vascular smooth muscle. Post-transcriptional control by protein kinase a but not mitogenic signaling directed by the 5'-untranslated region.

Cell surface receptor activation generally leads to changes in mRNA abundance, which may involve regulatory targets in processes working at the post-transcriptional level. Many types of agonists down-regulate vascular smooth muscle angiotensin receptor (AT(1)-R) gene expression, but it is unclear which of these activate post-transcriptional mechanisms. To reconstitute faithfully the normal AT(1)-R mRNA regulatory environment, tetracycline-suppressible promoters drive highly accurate recombinant AT(1)-R mRNA mimics in vascular smooth muscle cells that co-express an endogenous AT(1)-R mRNA. Down-regulation of the latter occurs shortly after stimulating mitogenic receptors or by using forskolin, but only cAMP signaling reduces expression of the recombinant AT(1)-R mRNA. Transcription of the recombinant mRNA is unaffected by cAMP signaling. Deletions of the AT(1)-R mRNA 3'-untranslated region do not impair cAMP-mediated down-regulation. Both loss of function and gain of function mutants show the response is mediated by the 5'-untranslated region. These observations provide the first direct functional evidence for modulation of vascular AT(1)-R gene expression by a mechanism involving a protein kinase A-regulated post-transcriptional process.

Animals↗

RNase-L-dependent destabilization of interferon-induced mRNAs. A role for the 2-5A system in attenuation of the interferon response.

The 2-5A system is an interferon-regulated RNA degradation pathway with antiviral, growth-inhibitory, and pro-apoptotic activities. RNase-L mediates the antiviral activity through the degradation of viral RNAs, and the anticellular effects of the 2-5A system are thought to be similarly mediated through the degradation of cellular transcripts. However, specific RNase-L-regulated cellular RNAs have not been identified. To isolate candidate RNase-L substrates, differential display was used to identify mRNAs that exhibited increased expression in RNase-L-deficient N1E-115 cells as compared with RNase-L-transfected cells. A novel interferon-stimulated gene encoding a 43-kDa ubiquitin-specific protease, designated ISG43, was identified in this screen. ISG43 expression is induced by interferon and negatively regulated by RNase-L. ISG43 induction is a primary response to interferon treatment and requires a functional JAK/STAT signaling pathway. The kinetics of ISG43 induction were identical in wild type and RNase-L knock-out fibroblasts; however, the decline in ISG43 mRNA following interferon treatment was markedly attenuated in RNase-L knock-out fibroblasts. The delayed shut-off kinetics of ISG43 mRNA corresponded to an increase in its half-life in RNase-L-deficient cells. ISG15 mRNA also displayed RNase-L-dependent regulation. These findings identify a novel role for the 2-5A system in the attenuation of the interferon response.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

NF-Y and Sp1 cooperate for the transcriptional activation and cAMP response of human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2.

The balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) is a key determinant in the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix. We have identified two cis-acting elements involved in the transcriptional regulation of TIMP-2. The first is an inverted CCAAT box located at position -73 to -69 in the TIMP-2 promoter that binds the transcription factor NF-Y. The second is a GAGGAGGGGG motif located at position -107 to -98, that binds the transcription factors Sp1 and Sp3. NF-Y and Sp1 cooperate for the basal transcription activity of the promoter. We then determined that TIMP-2 is transcriptionally up-regulated by cAMP analogs. Up-regulation of TIMP-2 by dibutyryl cAMP is a delayed response that requires de novo protein synthesis and does not affect RNA stability. The NF-Y and the Sp1 binding site are both involved in cAMP-dependent up-regulation of TIMP-2. Whereas NF-Y is essential for cAMP mediated regulation, Sp1 alone is not sufficient but enhances the activity of NF-Y. Dibutyryl cAMP has no effect on the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and switches the MMP-TIMP balance in favor of the inhibitor.

3T3 Cells↗

The immunologically protective P-4 antigen of Leishmania amastigotes. A developmentally regulated single strand-specific nuclease associated with the endoplasmic reticulum.

The purified membrane-associated Leishmania pifanoi amastigote protein P-4 has been shown to induce protective immunity against infection and to elicit preferentially a T helper 1-like response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis. As this molecule is potentially important for future vaccine studies, the L. pifanoi gene encoding the P-4 membrane protein was cloned and sequenced. Southern blot analyses indicate the presence of six tandemly arrayed copies of the P-4 gene in L. pifanoi; homologues of the P-4 gene are found in all other species of the genus Leishmania examined. DNA-derived protein sequence data indicated an identity to the P1 zinc-dependent nuclease of Penicillium citrinum (20.8%) and the C-terminal domain of the 3' nucleotidase of Leishmania donovani (33.7%). Consistent with these sequence analyses, purified L. pifanoi P-4 protein possesses single strand nuclease (DNA and RNA) and phosphomonoesterase activity, with a preference for UMP > TMP > AMP >> CMP. Double-labeling immunofluorescence microscopic analyses employing anti-binding protein antibodies revealed that the P-4 protein is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum of the amastigote. Northern blot analyses indicated that the gene is selectively expressed in the intracellular amastigote stage (mammalian host) but not in the promastigote stage (insect) of the parasite. Based upon its subcellular localization and single-stranded specific nuclease activity, possible roles of the P-4 nuclease in the amastigote in RNA stability (gene expression) or DNA repair are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nuclear translocation of mismatch repair proteins MSH2 and MSH6 as a response of cells to alkylating agents.

Mammalian mismatch repair has been implicated in mismatch correction, the prevention of mutagenesis and cancer, and the induction of genotoxicity and apoptosis. Here, we show that treatment of cells specifically with agents inducing O(6)-methylguanine in DNA, such as N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, elevates the level of MSH2 and MSH6 and increases GT mismatch binding activity in the nucleus. This inducible response occurs immediately after alkylation, is long-lasting and dose-dependent, and results from translocation of the preformed MutSalpha complex (composed of MSH2 and MSH6) from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. It is not caused by an increase in MSH2 gene activity. Cells expressing the DNA repair protein O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), thus having the ability to repair O(6)-methylguanine, showed no translocation of MutSalpha, whereas inhibition of MGMT by O(6)-benzylguanine provoked the translocation. The results demonstrate that O(6)-methylguanine lesions are involved in triggering nuclear accumulation of MSH2 and MSH6. The finding that treatment of cells with O(6)-methylguanine-generating mutagens results in an increase of MutSalpha and GT binding activity in the nucleus indicates a novel type of genotoxic stress response.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗