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Variable human minisatellite-like regions in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome.

Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRUs) are 40-100 bp DNA elements often found as tandem repeats and dispersed in intergenic regions of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex genomes. The M. tuberculosis H37Rv chromosome contains 41 MIRU loci. After polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analyses of these loci in 31 M. tuberculosis complex strains, 12 of them were found to display variations in tandem repeat copy numbers and, in most cases, sequence variations between repeat units as well. These features are reminiscent of those of certain human variable minisatellites. Of the 12 variable loci, only one was found to vary among genealogically distant BCG substrains, suggesting that these interspersed bacterial minisatellite-like structures evolve slowly in mycobacterial populations.

Base Sequence↗

Does processing style affect recall of the Rey-Osterrieth or Taylor complex figures?

This study investigated the effects of visual vs. verbal processing style preferences on immediate recall accuracy for the Rey-Osterrieth and Taylor Complex Figure Tests. Undergraduates were classified as visualizers or verbalizers and asked to copy either the Rey-Osterrieth or Taylor figure and then draw it from memory. A subset of subjects reported the strategy they used to reproduce the figure. Visualizers showed better reproduction accuracy than verbalizers for the Rey-Osterrieth test, and for this test approximately 80% of verbalizers as well as visualizers reported using a visual strategy. For the Taylor, no effect of processing style was obtained, and close to half of the verbalizers (43%) reported using their preferred verbal strategy, while 82% of the visualizers used a visual strategy. These results suggest that a general preference for thinking "in images" is important for predicting visual memory accuracy only on tests such as the Rey-Osterrieth which do not lend themselves easily to a verbal strategy. In contrast, for the Taylor test, deficits to the visual imagery system may be circumvented and obscured by the verbalizers' use of verbal recall strategies. Thus, in test batteries, the Rey-Osterrieth and the Taylor Tests should not be used interchangeably.

Adult↗

Contribution of DNA polymerase eta to immunoglobulin gene hypermutation in the mouse.

The mutation pattern of immunoglobulin genes was studied in mice deficient for DNA polymerase eta, a translesional polymerase whose inactivation is responsible for the xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XP-V) syndrome in humans. Mutations show an 85% G/C biased pattern, similar to that reported for XP-V patients. Breeding these mice with animals harboring the stop codon mutation of the 129/Olain background in their DNA polymerase iota gene did not alter this pattern further. Although this G/C biased mutation profile resembles that of mice deficient in the MSH2 or MSH6 components of the mismatch repair complex, the residual A/T mutagenesis of pol eta-deficient mice differs markedly. This suggests that, in the absence of pol eta, the MSH2-MSH6 complex is able to recruit another DNA polymerase that is more accurate at copying A/T bases, possibly pol kappa, to assume its function in hypermutation.

Animals↗

Synergistic transcriptional activation of indoleamine dioxygenase by IFN-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-induced indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) activity inhibits the growth of susceptible intracellular pathogens by catalyzing the oxidative cleavage of the indole ring of L-tryptophan and depleting pools of the essential amino acid. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) synergistically enhances the IDO activity induced by IFN-gamma at the level of transcription in human epithelial cells. The purpose of this study was to characterize the molecular mechanisms responsible for synergistic gene expression in response to IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. It was found that IFN-gamma-induced mechanisms, such as the binding of Stat1 to gamma activation sequences (GAS) and IFN regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) to IFN-stimulated response elements (ISREs), are more highly activated following treatment with IFN and TNF-alpha. This enhanced signal transduction may be due to the increase in IFN-gamma receptor (IFNGR) expression following combined cytokine stimulation and is a likely contributor to the synergy. Additionally, the contribution of a third previously uncharacterized GAS element that forms a complex with Stat1 was investigated using a plasmid reporter system that controls for copy number. When the GAS-3 sequence was included in the regulatory region, gene expression was significantly increased relative to a region containing the mutated GAS-3. This suggests that GAS-3 is transcriptionally active and contributes to IFN-gamma-induced regulation of the IDO gene.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

A eubacterial gene conferring spectinomycin resistance on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: integration into the nuclear genome and gene expression.

We have constructed a dominant selectable marker for nuclear transformation of C. reinhardtii, composed of the coding sequence of the eubacterial aadA gene (conferring spectinomycin resistance) fused to the 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the endogenous RbcS2 gene. Spectinomycin-resistant transformants isolated by direct selection (1) contain the chimeric gene(s) stably integrated into the nuclear genome, (2) show cosegregation of the resistance phenotype with the introduced DNA, and (3) synthesize the expected mRNA and protein. Small linearized plasmids appeared to be inserted into the nuclear genome preferentially through their ends, with relatively few large deletions and/or rearrangements. Multiple copy transformants often integrated concatemers of transforming DNA. Our detailed analysis of the complex integration patterns of plasmid DNA in C. reinhardtii nuclear transformants should be useful for improving the technique of insertional mutagenesis. We also found that the spectinomycin-resistance phenotype was unstable in about half of the transformants. When maintained under nonselective conditions, neither the aadA mRNA nor the AadA protein were detected in these subclones. Moreover, since the integrated transforming DNA was not altered or lost expression of the RbcS2::aadA::RbcS2 gene(s) appears to be repressed. Measurements of transcriptional activity, mRNA accumulation, and mRNA stability suggest that expression of this chimeric gene(s) may also be affected by rapid RNA degradation, presumably due to defects in mRNA processing and, or nuclear export. Thus, both gene silencing and transcript instability, rather than biased codon usage, may explain the difficulties encountered in the expression of foreign genes in the nuclear genome of Chlamydomonas.

Animals↗

Effects of exercise on mitochondrial content and function in aging human skeletal muscle.

Skeletal muscle mitochondria are implicated with age-related loss of function and insulin resistance. We examined the effects of exercise on skeletal muscle mitochondria in older (age = 67.3 +/- 0.6 years) men (n = 5) and women (n = 3). Similar increases in (p <.01) cardiolipin (88.2 +/- 9.0 to 130.6 +/- 7.5 microg/mU creatine kinase activity [CK]) and the total mitochondrial DNA (1264 +/- 170 to 1895 +/- 273 copies per diploid of nuclear genome) reflected increased mitochondria content. Succinate oxidase activity, complexes 2-4 of the electron transport chain (ETC), increased from 0.13 +/- 0.02 to 0.20 +/- 0.02 U/mU CK (p <.01). This improvement was more pronounced (p <.05) in subsarcolemmal (127 +/- 48%) compared to intermyofibrillar (56 +/- 12%) mitochondria. NADH oxidase activity, representing total ETC activity, increased from 0.51 +/- 0.09 to 1.00 +/- 0.09 U/mU CK (p <.01). In conclusion, exercise enhances mitochondria ETC activity in older human skeletal muscle, particularly in subsarcolemmal mitochondria, which is likely related to the concomitant increases in mitochondrial biogenesis.

Aged↗

Direct sequencing of PCR-amplified junction fragments from tandemly repeated transgenes.

When microinjected foreign genes integrate into the genomes of mice, multiple copies are frequently found clustered together at one location. How they concatamerize--by the integration of large linearized concatamers that are formed by simple end-to-end linkage, by circularization of individual DNA fragments and recombination, or by some other means--is not understood. In the transgenic animals studied thus far by ourselves and others, integration frequency and transgene copy number do not seem to be significantly influenced by the complementarity of the ends of the DNA fragments that have been microinjected. We have utilized PCR amplification and DNA sequence analysis to study selected transgene junctions at the nucleotide level. In two transgenic mice carrying the synthetic RSVcat gene (injected with noncomplementary overhangs on the fragment ends), ends were 'nibbled' from 1 to 62 bases before being joined to an adjacent gene copy. Repeated dinucleotides, providing the most minimal of homologies, are present in half of the characterized junctions. Determination of the relative copy number of the junctions in each mouse supports the idea that transgene complexes can undergo additional rearrangements after the initial formation event.

Animals↗

Duplication of the mmoX gene in Methylosinus sporium: cloning, sequencing and mutational analysis.

The soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) is a key enzyme for methane oxidation, and is found in only some methanotrophs, including Methylosinus sporium 5. sMMO expression is regulated at the level of transcription from a sigma(54) promoter by a copper-switch, and is only expressed when the copper-to-biomass ratio during growth is low. Extensive phylogenetic and genetic analyses of sMMOs and other soluble di-iron monooxygenases reveal that these enzymes have only been acquired relatively recently through horizontal gene transfer. In this study, further evidence of horizontal gene transfer was obtained, through cloning and sequencing of the genes encoding the sMMO enzyme complex plus the regulatory genes mmoG and mmoR, and identification of a duplicate copy of the mmoX gene in Ms. sporium. mmoX encodes the alpha subunit of the hydroxylase of the sMMO enzyme, which constitutes the active site (Prior & Dalton, 1985). The mmoX genes were characterized at the molecular and biochemical levels. Although both copies were transcribed, only mmoX copy 1 was essential for sMMO activity. Construction of an sMMO(-) mutant by marker-exchange mutagenesis gave some possible insights into the role of the water-soluble pigment in siderophore-mediated iron acquisition. Finally, the amenability of Ms. sporium to genetic manipulation was demonstrated by complementing the sMMO(-) mutant by heterologous expression of sMMO genes from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b and Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), and it was shown that Ms. sporium could be used as an alternative model organism for molecular analysis of MMO regulation.

Binding Sites↗

Human aldolase A gene. Structural organization and tissue-specific expression by multiple promoters and alternate mRNA processing.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the human aldolase A isoenzyme gene is reported. The cloned gene sequence, spanning 7530 bp, includes twelve exons and occurs as a single copy per haploid human genome. The structural organization of the gene is quite complex: eight exons containing the coding sequence are common to all mRNAs extracted from human and other mammalian sources; four additional exons are present in the 5' untranslated region, of these one is contained in the ubiquitous type of mRNA, the second is in the muscle-specific type of mRNA and the third and fourth are in a minor species of mRNA found in human liver tissue. Furthermore, the determined sequence includes 1000 nucleotides upstream from the first exon (exon I) in the 5' flanking region, and 400 nucleotides, which include the polyadenylation signal, downstream from the termination codon. S1-nuclease-protection analysis of the 5' end of mRNA extracted from human cultured fibroblasts, muscle and hepatoma cell lines indicates the existence of four different transcription-initiation sites. The latter are also supported by the presence of conventional sequences for eukaryotic promoters. Therefore, the four promoters on the same gene generate different tissue-specific transcripts, which share the translated sequence, but each has a unique 5' untranslated region as a result of differential mRNA processing. The nucleotide homology at the coding region and the intron-exon organization of the three human and mammalian aldolase A, B and C genes confirm that they arose from a common ancestral gene, and that aldolase B diverged first.

Base Sequence↗

Determinants of performance on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test: an analysis, and a new technique for single-case assessment.

The aim of the study was to identify factors determining performance on the Rey - Osterrieth Complex Figure Test in a normal population, in terms of accuracy of initial copy and delayed recall. Both immediate copy and delayed recall were related to age, and especially to the strategy adopted at the initial copy. A regression equation was derived whereby delayed recall could be predicted from the strategy adopted at the initial copy and the subject's age. This should prove useful in the analysis of Rey - Osterrieth performance in individual cases.

Adolescent↗

Reattachment of surface array proteins to Campylobacter fetus cells.

Campylobacter fetus strains may be of serotype A or B, a property associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure. Wild-type C. fetus strains contain surface array proteins (S-layer proteins) that may be extracted in water and that are critical for virulence. To explore the relationship of S-layer proteins to other surface components, we reattached S-layer proteins onto S- template cells generated by spontaneous mutation or by serial extractions of S+ cells with water. Reattachment occurred in the presence of divalent (Ba2+, Ca2+, Co2+, and Mg2+) but not monovalent (H+, NH4+, Na+, K+) or trivalent (Fe3+) cations. The 98-, 125-, 127-, and 149-kDa S-layer proteins isolated from strains containing type A LPS (type A S-layer protein) all reattached to S- template cells containing type A LPS (type A cells) but not to type B cells. The 98-kDa type B S-layer protein reattached to SAP- type B cells but not to type A cells. Recombinant 98-kDa type A S-layer protein and its truncated amino-terminal 65- and 50-kDa segments expressed in Escherichia coli retained the full and specific determinants for attachment. S-layer protein and purified homologous but not heterologous LPS in the presence of calcium produced insoluble complexes. By quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the S-layer protein copy number per C. fetus cell was determined to be approximately 10(5). In conclusion, C. fetus cells are encapsulated by a large number of S-layer protein molecules which may be specifically attached through the N-terminal half of the molecule to LPS in the presence of divalent cations.

Animals↗

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax transactivates the human proliferating cell nuclear antigen promoter.

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) transforming protein, Tax, is a potent transactivator of both viral and cellular gene expression. The ability of Tax to transform cells is believed to depend on its transactivation of cellular-growth-regulatory genes. Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is intimately linked to cell growth and DNA replication and repair. By testing a series of PCNA promoter deletion constructs, we have demonstrated that the PCNA promoter can be transactivated by Tax. The smallest construct that was activated did not include the ATF/CRE binding site at nucleotide -50, and mutations in the ATF/CRE element in the context of a larger promoter were still activated by Tax. In addition, a Tax mutant that is defective for activation of the CRE pathway retained the ability to activate the -397 promoter construct. When a series of linker scanner mutations that span the region from nucleotide -45 to -7 were assayed, mutations in and around a repeat sequence were found to abolish Tax transactivation. Multimerized copies of either half of the repeat were Tax responsive. A single protein complex was shown to bind specifically to the Tax-responsive region, and the binding of this complex was enhanced in the presence of Tax. These results demonstrate that the PCNA promoter contains a Tax-responsive element located between nucleotides -45 and -7 whose sequence is different from those of other, previously identified Tax-responsive elements. The ability of Tax to activate the PCNA promoter may play an important role in cellular transformation by HTLV-1.

Base Sequence↗

The ability of positive transcription elongation factor B to transactivate human immunodeficiency virus transcription depends on a functional kinase domain, cyclin T1, and Tat.

By binding to the transactivation response element (TAR) RNA, the transcriptional transactivator (Tat) from the human immunodeficiency virus increases rates of elongation rather than initiation of viral transcription. Two cyclin-dependent serine/threonine kinases, CDK7 and CDK9, which phosphorylate the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II, have been implicated in Tat transactivation in vivo and in vitro. In this report, we demonstrate that CDK9, which is the kinase component of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) complex, can activate viral transcription when tethered to the heterologous Rev response element RNA via the regulator of expression of virion proteins (Rev). The kinase activity of CDK9 and cyclin T1 is essential for these effects. Moreover, P-TEFb binds to TAR only in the presence of Tat. We conclude that Tat-P-TEFb complexes bind to TAR, where CDK9 modifies RNA polymerase II for the efficient copying of the viral genome.

Cell Line, Transformed↗

Adenovirus protein VII condenses DNA, represses transcription, and associates with transcriptional activator E1A.

Adenovirus protein VII is the major protein component of the viral nucleoprotein core. It is highly basic, and an estimated 1070 copies associate with each viral genome, forming a tightly condensed DNA-protein complex. We have investigated DNA condensation, transcriptional repression, and specific protein binding by protein VII. Xenopus oocytes were microinjected with mRNA encoding HA-tagged protein VII and prepared for visualization of lampbrush chromosomes. Immunostaining revealed that protein VII associated in a uniform manner across entire chromosomes. Furthermore, the chromosomes were significantly condensed and transcriptionally silenced, as judged by the dramatic disappearance of transcription loops characteristic of lampbrush chromosomes. During infection, the protein VII-DNA complex may be the initial substrate for transcriptional activation by cellular factors and the viral E1A protein. To investigate this possibility, mRNAs encoding E1A and protein VII were comicroinjected into Xenopus oocytes. Interestingly, whereas E1A did not associate with chromosomes in the absence of protein VII, expression of both proteins together resulted in significant association of E1A with lampbrush chromosomes. Binding studies with proteins produced in bacteria or human cells or by in vitro translation showed that E1A and protein VII can interact in vitro. Structure-function analysis revealed that an N-terminal region of E1A is responsible for binding to protein VII. These studies define the in vivo functions of protein VII in DNA binding, condensation, and transcriptional repression and indicate a role in E1A-mediated transcriptional activation of viral genes.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗

Causation of Crohn's disease by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is a member of the M avium complex (MAC). It differs genetically from other MAC in having 14 to 18 copies of IS900 and a single cassette of DNA involved in the biosynthesis of surface carbohydrate. Unlike other MAC, MAP is a specific cause of chronic inflammation of the intestine in many animal species, including primates. The disease ranges from pluribacillary to paucimicrobial, with chronic granulomatous inflammation like leprosy in humans. MAP infection can persist for years without causing clinical disease. The herd prevalence of MAP infection in Western Europe and North America is reported in the range 21% to 54%. These subclinically infected animals shed MAP in their milk and onto pastures. MAP is more robust than tuberculosis, and the risk that is conveyed to human populations in retail milk and in domestic water supplies is high. MAP is harboured in the ileocolonic mucosa of a proportion of normal people and can be detected in a high proportion of full thickness samples of inflamed Crohn's disease gut by improved culture systems and IS900 polymerase chain reaction if the correct methods are used. MAP in Crohn's disease is present in a protease-resistant nonbacillary form, can evade immune recognition and probably causes an immune dysregulation. As with other MAC, MAP is resistant to most standard antituberculous drugs. Treatment of Crohn's disease with combinations of drugs more active against MAC such as rifabutin and clarithromycin can bring about a profound improvement and, in a few cases, apparent disease eradication. New drugs as well as effective MAP vaccines for animals and humans are needed. The problems caused by MAP constitute a public health issue of tragic proportions for which a range of remedial measures are urgently needed.

Animals↗

Genetic mechanisms of TP53 loss of heterozygosity in Barrett's esophagus: implications for biomarker validation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: 17p (TP53) loss of heterozygosity (LOH) has been reported to be predictive of progression from Barrett's esophagus to esophageal adenocarcinoma, but the mechanism by which TP53 LOH develops is unknown. It could be (a) DNA deletion, (b) LOH without copy number change, or (c) tetraploidy followed by genetic loss. If an alternative biomarker assay, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), provided equivalent results, then translation to the clinic might be accelerated, because LOH genotyping is presently limited to research centers. METHODS: We evaluated mechanisms of TP53 LOH to determine if FISH and TP53 LOH provided equivalent results on the same flow-sorted samples (n = 43) representing established stages of clonal progression (diploid, diploid with TP53 LOH, aneuploid) in 19 esophagectomy specimens. RESULTS: LOH developed by all three mechanisms: 32% had DNA deletions, 32% had no copy number change, and 37% had FISH patterns consistent with a tetraploid intermediate followed by genetic loss. Thus, FISH and LOH are not equivalent (P < 0.000001). CONCLUSIONS: LOH develops by multiple chromosome mechanisms in Barrett's esophagus, all of which can be detected by genotyping. FISH cannot detect LOH without copy number change, and dual-probe FISH is required to detect the complex genetic changes associated with a tetraploid intermediate. Alternative biomarker assay development should be guided by appreciation and evaluation of the biological mechanisms generating the biomarker abnormality to detect potential sources of discordance. FISH will require validation in adequately powered longitudinal studies before implementation as a clinical diagnostic for esophageal adenocarcinoma risk prediction.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Disorders of mitochondrial energy metabolism in patients with the Kearns-Sayre syndrome].

BACKGROUND: Kearns-Sayre syndrome is a multisystem disorder caused by rearrangements of mitochondrial genome including various deletions and/or duplications. The aim of the study is to analyse the impact of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions on the mitochondrial energetic metabolism in five patients with Kearns-Sayre syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: The course of the disease is progressive in all patients. All of them have bilateral ptosis and external opthalmoplegia, four have retinitis pigmentosa, three have progressive muscle weakness and three have pacemaker because of complete A-V heart block. One patient underwent renal transplantation at the age of 12 because of a chronic renal failure. Southern blot analysis in muscle tissue revealed large scale heteroplasmic mtDNA deletions (3-7.4 kb) in all patients, the number of mutated copies of mtDNA ranged from 50 to 70%. Spectrophotometric measurements of respiratory chain complexes activities in muscle tissue revealed various combinations of defects of complex III, IV and I + III activities in all patients. Nevertheless, the lactic acidosis was permanently present only in one patient. Ragged-red fibers were found in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although the diagnostic of Kearns-Sayre syndrome is based on clinical features, molecular analysis of mtDNA is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. The prognosis of the disease is unfavourable and co-operation between the patient and various specialists is necessary for the treatment, which is currently only symptomatic.

Adolescent↗

In vitro sensitization of the B16 murine melanoma cells to ganciclovir by different RNA and plasmid DNA constructions encoding HSVtk.

The antiviral drug ganciclovir (GCV) is toxic for mammalian cells transfected with the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) gene. To improve the results obtained by our group previously on nonviral transfection of tumor cells, we have examined here in vitro virus-free transfection of murine B16 melanoma cells via lipofectamine-nucleic acid complexes carrying either HSVtk gene transcripts or plasmid DNAs containing single and double copies of the HSVtk gene. The HSVtk gene transcripts as well as plasmids containing the HSVtk gene(s) rendered cells sensitive to GCV treatment. Tumor sensitivity to GCV conferred by the HSVtk gene transcripts was of the same level as the sensitivity conferred by plasmid DNAs containing a single copy of the HSVtk gene. However, when the plasmids containing double copies of the HSVtk gene were used, sensitivity to low GCV concentrations increased dramatically. One could appreciate this finding as an essential advantage of the plasmids containing double copies of the HSVtk gene since it allows use of the GCV concentration range which is common in clinical applications.

Animals↗