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Informational suppressor alleles of the eEF1A gene, fertility and cell degeneration in Podospora anserina.

Mutations that increase readthrough at a UGA stop codon (informational suppressor mutations) were created in the gene (AS4) that encodes translation elongation factor eEF1A in the filamentous fungus Podospora amserina. The results strongly suggest that the net charge of the eEF1A protein controls the accuracy of translation. Physiological analysis of the mutant strains shows that some of the alleles dominantly increase life span, while only one drastically modifies fertility. This exceptional allele (AS4-56) causes a wide array of phenotypes, including a new growth cessation phenomenon that is different from Senescence or Crippled Growth, previously known degenerative syndromes that are both controlled by AS4. The data emphasise the fact that eEF1A exerts a complex control over cellular physiology.

Alleles↗

cis-Acting signals involved in termination of vesicular stomatitis virus mRNA synthesis include the conserved AUAC and the U7 signal for polyadenylation.

We investigated the cis-acting sequences involved in termination of vesicular stomatis virus mRNA synthesis by using bicistronic genomic analogs. All of the cis-acting signals necessary for termination reside within the first 13 nucleotides of the 23-nucleotide conserved gene junction. This 13-nucleotide termination sequence at the end of the upstream gene comprises the tetranucleotide AUAC, the tract containing seven uridines (U7 tract), and the intergenic dinucleotide (GA), but it does not include the downstream gene start sequence. Data presented here show that upstream mRNA termination is independent of downstream mRNA initiation. Alteration of any nucleotide in the 13-nucleotide sequence decreased the termination activity of the gene junction and resulted in increased synthesis of a bicistronic readthrough RNA. This finding indicated that the wild-type gene junction has evolved to achieve the maximum termination efficiency. The most critical position of the AUAC sequence was the C, which could not be altered without complete loss of mRNA termination. Reducing the length of the wild-type U7 tract to zero, five, or six U residues also totally abolished mRNA termination, resulting in exclusive synthesis of the bicistronic readthrough mRNA. Shortening the wild-type U7 tract to either five or six U residues abolished VSV polymerase slippage during readthrough RNA synthesis. Since neither the U5 nor U6 template was able to direct mRNA termination, these data imply that polymerase slippage is a prerequisite for termination. Evidence is also presented to show that in addition to causing polymerase slippage, the U7 tract itself or its poly(A) product constitutes an essential signal for mRNA termination.

Base Sequence↗

A recombinational event in the history of luteoviruses probably induced by base-pairing between the genomes of two distinct viruses.

Alignments of luteovirus readthrough protein amino acid sequences show they consist of two distinct regions, here named the N domain and the C domain. N domain sequences were classified, and comparison of this gene phylogeny to phylogenies of other luteovirus genes revealed an anomaly in the relationships between beet western yellows luteovirus, cucurbit aphidborne yellows luteovirus (CABYV), and pea enation mosaic RNA1 (PEMV1). Together with alignments of virion protein and readthrough protein amino acid sequences, these gene phylogenies indicate the anomaly to be the result of two recombinational events, probably between ancestors of CABYV and PEMV1 and leading to the transfer of RNA coding for the N domain to an ancestor of CABYV. Two likely recombination sites were identified from the alignments, one at the 5' end of the readthrough protein gene and the other at the 5' end of the sequence coding for the C domain. Alignments of the nucleotide sequences encompassing the probable recombination sites suggest that base-pairing between the genomes of the two ancestral luteoviruses, resulting from local sequence similarity at the 5' end of the readthrough protein gene, probably induced one of the interspecies recombinational events.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression of the cry9Aa2 B.t. gene in tobacco chloroplasts confers resistance to potato tuber moth.

We report here the control of potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) by incorporating a truncated Bacillus thuringiensis cry9Aa2 gene in the plastid genome. Plasmids pSKC84 and pSKC85 are derivatives of a new polycistronic plastid transformation vector, pPRV312L, that carries spectinomycin resistance (aadA) as a selective marker and targets insertions in the trnI-trnA intergenic region. The Cry9Aa2 N-terminal region (82.1 kDa; 734 amino acids) was expressed in a cassette, which consists of 49 nucleotides of the cry9Aa2 leader and the 3'-untranslated region of the plastid rbcL gene (TrbcL), and relies on readthrough transcription from the plastid rRNA operon. In a tobacco leaf bioassay, expression of Cry9Aa2 conferred resistance to potato tuber moth. In accordance, the Cry9Aa2 insecticidal protein accumulated to high levels, approximately 10% of the total soluble cellular protein and approximately 20% in the membrane fraction. However, high-level Cry9Aa2 expression significantly delayed plant development. Thus, a practical system to control potato tuber moth by Cry9Aa2 expression calls for down-regulation of its expression.

Animals↗

Selective inhibition of formation of suppressor glutamine tRNA in Moloney murine leukemia virus-infected NIH-3T3 cells by Avarol.

Avarol is a sesquiterpenoid hydroquinone, which displays no inhibitory potencies on mammalian DNA polymerases alpha, beta, and gamma, on mammalian RNA polymerases I, II, and III, or on reverse transcriptases from Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MuLV) and from HIV. For a further elucidation of the antiviral effect of Avarol, we used NIH-3T3 cells infected with Mo-MuLV as a model system. The results show that in uninfected NIH-3T3 cells Avarol (i) causes a 50% reduction of the growth rate only at the high concentration of 29.6 microM and (ii) is accumulated in the cytoplasm close to the nucleus. At the much lower concentrations of 1-3 microM, Avarol causes an almost complete inhibition of viral progeny release. Moreover, it is shown that at 3 microM Avarol, the increase of the Mo-MuLV-induced UAG suppressor glutamine tRNA (tRNA(UmUGGln) was reduced to the normal level. Dot blot hybridization studies revealed that Avarol displays no inhibitory activity on cellular and viral mRNA synthesis. Taking the processing pathway of viral polyprotein Pr180gag,pol to p80 (reverse transcriptase) as an example, our Western blotting experiments showed that the final maturation process, conversion of p110 to p80, is inhibited in Avarol-treated cells. From these data we conclude that Avarol prevents the suppression of the UAG termination codon at the gag-pol junction of the retroviral genome. The functional consequence of this event is very likely an inhibition of the readthrough of the retroviral protease gene which overlaps the pol and gag genes, resulting in the reduction of the protease synthesis which is necessary for the viral proliferation.

Animals↗

Sequence analysis of wheat and oat furovirus capsid protein genes suggests that oat golden stripe virus is a strain of soil-borne wheat mosaic virus.

In northern blots, cDNA probes prepared to soil-borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV) RNA-1 and RNA-2 hybridized to RNA-1 and RNA-2, respectively, from a UK isolate of oat golden stripe virus (OGSV), as well as to their homologous RNAs. RT-PCR was used to amplify, clone and sequence a region of about 750 nucleotides spanning the capsid protein gene and part of the readthrough protein on RNA-2 from OGSV, a French isolate of SBWMV and two stable deletion mutants (Lab1 and Okl-7) of SBWMV isolates from Nebraska and Oklahoma respectively. There was very high (96.7-99.1%) nucleotide homology between all these sequences and the wild-type SBWMV sequences from Nebraska and Oklahoma. OGSV was more similar to SBWMV from France and Nebraska than were any of the isolates to SBWMV from Oklahoma. Of the few differences in the deduced amino acid sequences of the capsid proteins from the different isolates, OGSV differed from all SBWMV isolates only in one amino acid (isoleucine for valine at position 88). The high degree of similarity suggests that OGSV may best be classified as an oat strain of SBWMV.

Avena↗

Construction and characterization of promoter-probe vectors for Corynebacteria using the kanamycin-resistance reporter gene.

Several multicopy promoter-probe plasmid vectors have been constructed that replicate in Brevibacterium lactofermentum and related coryneform amino acid-producing bacteria. Transcriptional activity is detected by the expression of a promoter-less aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (kan) derived from transposon Tn5; expression of this gene confers kanamycin resistance in B. lactofermentum. An efficient transcriptional terminator from the B. lactofermentum trp operon has been inserted upstream of the kan coding region to prevent significant transcriptional readthrough from vector promoters. The cat gene from Streptomyces acrimycini or the hygromycin-resistance gene from S. hygroscopicus are used as primary selection markers in the promoter-probe plasmid vectors. Using the promoter-probe vectors described in this paper, we have cloned several transcriptionally active fragments from the endogenous plasmid pBL1 of B. lactofermentum into Escherichia coli and/or B. lactofermentum.

Brevibacterium↗

The ribosomal spacer in Xenopus laevis is transcribed as part of the primary ribosomal RNA.

S1 mapping of Xenopus laevis ribosomal RNA transcripts, both in oocyte microinjection experiments and in vivo, shows that all but 212 bp of the so-called "non-transcribed" spacer (NTS) of the ribosomal DNA repeat is transcribed as part of the primary ribosomal transcript. The 40S pre-ribosomal RNA (pre-rRNA) is therefore a processing intermediate. The primary ribosomal transcript co-terminates with the previously described spacer transcripts [Moss], at a site 213 bp upstream of the 40S pre-rRNA initiation site. This mode of transcription suggests a simple mechanism for the recently proposed phenomenon of "readthrough-enhancement", [Moss et al, Moss], where readthrough transcription from an upstream gene may enhance transcription of a gene immediately downstream in the tandem ribosomal repeat.

Animals↗

Nucleotide sequence analysis and genomic organization of the NY-RPV isolate of barley yellow dwarf virus.

cDNA clones representing the ssRNA genome of the NY-RPV isolate of barley yellow dwarf luteovirus (BYDV) were sequenced and 5600 nucleotides of the genome were determined. The deduced genome organization has limited similarity to that of another BYDV isolate, Vic-PAV, but is identical to that of beet western yellows (BWYV) and potato leafroll (PLRV) luteoviruses. NY-RPV has six major positive-sense open reading frames (ORFs) and, by comparison with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and nucleic acid helicase consensus sequence motifs, it is postulated that NY-RPV ORF2 and ORF3 encode the viral replicase, which is expressed by a translational frameshift mechanism. The region of the NY-RPV genome containing the 22K coat protein ORF, the apparently associated internal apparent VPg ORF and the ORF immediately 3'-proximal (ORF6) to the coat protein ORF are organized as reported for other luteoviruses. Evidence is presented showing that ORF6 is expressed by readthrough of the coat protein gene termination codon, and that this protein is associated with the intact virus as a 65K protein. Although NY-RPV infects graminaceous rather than dicotyledonous plants, the taxonomic relationships between BYDV isolates and other luteoviruses deduced from the genome organization and sequence data strongly suggest that NY-RPV is distinct from the PAV-like isolates of BYDV and is more closely related to BWYV and PLRV.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mutations affecting transcriptional termination in the p gene end of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis viruses.

Numerous mutations are found in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) viruses, and the M gene is the gene most commonly affected. In some SSPE viruses, such as the MF, Osaka-1, Osaka-2, and Yamagata-1 strains, translation of the M protein is complicated by a transcriptional defect that leads to an almost exclusive synthesis of dicistronic P-M mRNA. To understand the molecular mechanisms of this defect, we sequenced the P gene at the P-M gene junction for several virus strains and probed the involvement of several mutations in the readthrough region via their expression in measles virus minigenomes containing different sequences of the P-M gene junction and flanking reporter genes. The deletion of a single U residue in the U tract of the Osaka-1 strain (3'-UAAUAUUUUU-5') compared with the consensus sequence resulted in a marked reduction of the expression of the downstream reporter gene. In addition, the expression of the downstream gene was markedly decreased by (i) the substitution of a C residue in the U tract of the P gene end of the OSA-2/Fr/B strain of the Osaka-2 virus (3'-UGAUAUUCUU-5' compared with the sequence 3'-UGAUAUUUUU-5' from a sibling virus of the same strain, OSA-2/Fr/V), and (ii) the substitution of a G in the sequence of the P gene end of the Yamagata-1 strain at a variable site immediately upstream from the six-U tract (3'-UGAUGUUUUUU-5' instead of 3'-UGAUUUUUUUU-5'). Mutations at the P gene end can account for the readthrough transcription variation at the P-M gene junction, which directly affects M protein expression.

Base Sequence↗

Characteristics of IS401, a new member of the IS3 family implicated in plasmid rearrangements in Pseudomonas cepacia.

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of IS401, an insertion sequence implicated in rearrangements of a 170-kb cryptic plasmid from Pseudomonas cepacia. Our analysis focused on a 4066-bp plasmid fragment containing adjacent copies of IS401 and of IS408, an element reported previously to activate gene expression in P. cepacia. One objective was to determine if an apparent increase in the copy number of IS401 in strains carrying adjacent plasmid copies of these two elements might be due to readthrough transcription of an IS401 transposase gene from an outwardly directed promoter within IS408. This possibility was ruled out by nucleotide sequence analysis of the 4066-bp plasmid fragment, which indicated that the major open reading frames of IS401 were oriented in the direction of IS408. IS401 was 1316 bp in length and had 26-bp terminal inverted repeats flanked by 3-bp direct duplications of adjacent DNA. It was closely related to the IS3 family elements IS51 from P. savastanoi and IS3411 from Escherichia coli. Pertinent features of IS408 are also discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

In vivo analysis of overlapping transcription units in the rplKAJLrpoBC ribosomal protein-RNA polymerase gene cluster of Escherichia coli.

Transcription of the rplKAJLrpoBC ribosomal protein (rpl) RNA polymerase (rpo) gene cluster is governed by a complex set of signals. To dissect the transcription units active in vivo and to quantify the relative contribution of each, an extensive array of rplKAJLrpoB/lacZ gene fusions were constructed on lambda phage derivatives and introduced in single copy into the chromosomes of lac- cells. Measurements of beta-galactosidase production from fusions containing wild-type and/or mutagenized rplrpo DNA fragments permitted the establishment of high-resolution transcription profiles of the gene cluster. The results show that transcription initiated at the upstream rplKp promoter (located just before rplK) does not terminate before the rplJp promoter (located upstream from rplJ), but instead reads through into the distal genes. In addition, rplJp continues to function efficiently in the presence of readthrough transcription from rplKp. As a result the rplJL genes are transcribed at almost twice the frequency of the upstream rplKA genes. However, the transcription of rpoB, which is situated downstream from the previously identified attenuator (rpoBa), is only marginally increased (20%) when both promoters are present. This suggests that although both transcription units overlap, transcriptional termination at rpoBa is modulated in response to the frequency of initiation from both promoters.

Bacteriophage lambda↗

IS1236, a newly discovered member of the IS3 family, exhibits varied patterns of insertion into the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus chromosome.

Analysis of spontaneous mutations in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus revealed a 1237 bp insertion sequence named IS1236 and possessing a nucleotide sequence resembling those of members of the lS3 family. The chromosome of A. calcoaceticus strain ADP1 contains seven copies of IS1236 which appears to insert preferentially into pobR, the transcriptional activator of the structural gene for p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase. IS1236 creates tandem 3 bp DNA duplications flanking the sites of its insertion in pobR. Different duplication patterns are found following insertion of IS1236 into pcaH, a structural gene for protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase. Therefore the insertion of properties of IS1236 appear to be influenced by its DNA target. Amino acid sequences associated with the apparent transposase function have been conserved in ORFB of IS1236 whereas the presumed DNA-binding helix-turn-helix region of IS1236 ORFA exhibits substantial amino acid sequence divergence from its IS3 counterparts. IS1236 ORFA and ORFB coding sequences overlap considerably, and sequence evidence indicates mechanisms for ORFB expression in IS1236 may resemble those employed by other members of the IS3 family. Portions of the IS1236 terminal repeats exhibit substantial sequence divergence from other members of the IS3 family, but evolution appears to have conserved a mechanism preventing expression of the insertion sequence genes as a consequence of transcriptional readthrough.

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus↗

The vaccinia virus A18R DNA helicase is a postreplicative negative transcription elongation factor.

Loss of vaccinia virus A18R gene function results in an aberrant transcription profile termed promiscuous transcription, defined as transcription within regions of the genome which are normally transcriptionally silent late during infection. Promiscuous transcription results in an increase in the intracellular concentration of double-stranded RNA, which in turn results in activation of the cellular 2-5A pathway and subsequent RNase L-catalyzed degradation of viral and cellular RNAs. One of three hypotheses could account for promiscuous transcription: (i) reactivation of early promoters late during infection, (ii) random transcription initiation, (iii) readthrough transcription from upstream promoters. Transcriptional analysis of several viral genes, presented here, argues strongly against the first two hypotheses. We have tested the readthrough hypothesis by conducting a detailed transcriptional analysis of a region of the vaccinia virus genome which contains three early genes (M1L, M2L, and K1L) positioned directly downstream of the intermediate gene, K2L. The results show that mutation of the A18R gene results in increased readthrough transcription of the M1L gene originating from the K2L intermediate promoter. A18R mutant infection of RNase L knockout mouse fibroblast (KO3) cells does not result in 2-5A pathway activation, yet the virus mutant is defective in late viral gene expression and remains temperature sensitive. These results demonstrate that the A18R gene product is a negative transcription elongation factor for postreplicative viral genes.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Modulation of Escherichia coli tryptophan (trp) attenuation by the UGA readthrough process.

We constructed plasmid pAtrp46 in which lacZ gene expression is regulated by the attenuator of the Escherichia coli tryptophan (trp) operon. The attenuation of trp, which occurs in the presence of an excess of tryptophan, is reflected by a decrease in the expression of the lacZ gene of pAtrp46 in a trpR- strain. Experiments with pAtrp46 further support our previous results (Engelberg-Kulka et al. 1982b) that suppression of a UGA termination codon by normal charged tRNATrp, a process called UGA readthrough, is a necessary mechanism in trp attenuation. Our experiments also suggest that plasmid pAtrp46 is useful for studies of other aspects of trp attenuation.

Base Sequence↗

Transcriptional interference gates monogenic odorant receptor expression in ants.

Communication is crucial to social life, and in ants, it is mediated primarily through olfaction. Ants have more odorant receptor (OR) genes than any other group of insects, generated through tandem duplications that produce large genomic arrays of related genes. The mechanism by which olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) produce a single functional OR from these arrays remains unclear. In ant OSNs, only mRNA from one OR in an array is exported into the cytoplasm, while upstream genes are silent and transcripts from downstream genes remain nuclear. Here, we show that readthrough transcription in the downstream direction generates non-translated transcripts. We also find that OR promoters are bidirectional, producing antisense long non-coding RNAs. We suspect that neither readthrough nor antisense transcription produces functional RNA but that bidirectional transcription alone is critical to suppressing the expression of all other OR genes in a tandem array. Finally, we present evidence that this regulatory architecture is conserved across ants and bees, suggesting that this mechanism for functionally monogenic OR expression is widespread in insects with expanded OR repertoires.

Animals↗

Giant readthrough transcription units at the histone loci on lampbrush chromosomes of the newt Notophthalmus.

We have studied transcription at the histone loci in oocytes of the newt Notophthalmus viridescens, using in situ hybridization of cloned probes to the nascent RNA on lampbrush chromosome loops. Clusters of the five histone coding sequences are separated by long tracts of a simple sequence DNA, satellite 1. We had previously demonstrated coordinate transcription of histone genes and satellite 1 sequences. We postulated that satellite sequences were transcribed by readthrough from histone gene promoters; that is, transcription initiated at any of the five usual promoters, but did not terminate at the 3' end of the gene. Instead transcription proceeded through downstream sequences in the histone cluster (including spacers and downstream histone genes), and then through the satellite 1 region. Our model led to several specific predictions, in particular that some internal spacer regions between the genes should be well represented in the RNA on loops, that certain sequences should be absent from the loops, and that presence or absence of particular sequences should be correlated with morphological polarity of the transcription unit. We have hybridized ten strand-specific probes to the lamp-brush chromosomes and we find that the patterns of hybridization agree with the readthrough model of transcription.

Animals↗

Up-regulation of tRNA biosynthesis affects translational readthrough in maf1-delta mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Maf1p is a negative effector of RNA polymerase III in yeast. The maf1-delta mutation caused an increase in the level of cellular tRNAs, but a decrease of translational readthrough at nonsense codons. Using the lacZ- luc dual gene reporter system, we detected an almost twofold diminution of UAA and UAG readthrough in maf1-delta compared with the parental strain. The maf1-delta mutation did not affect the rate of protein biosynthesis and growth at standard conditions, but resulted in temperature-sensitive growth on non-fermentable carbon sources. We examined the correlation of the temperature sensitive and antisuppression phenotypes of maf1- Delta using a colour phenotype assay in the ade2-1 SUP11 strain. Antisuppression, but not the temperature-sensitive growth defect, was compensated either by increased dosage of SUP11or by [PSI(+)], the prion form of the translation termination factor Sup35p. Summarizing, the elevated tRNA levels in maf1- Delta increase translational fidelity and, independently, affect growth under special conditions.

Codon, Nonsense↗