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Efficient C2'alpha-hydroxylation of deoxyribose in protein-induced Z-form DNA.

DNA local conformations are thought to play an important biological role in processes such as gene expression by altering DNA-protein interactions. Although left-handed Z-form DNA is one of the best-characterized and significant local structures of DNA, having been extensively investigated for more than two decades, the biological relevance of Z-form DNA remains unclear. This is presumably due to the lack of a versatile detection method in a living cell. Previously, we demonstrated that the incorporation of a methyl group at the guanine C8 position (m(8)G) dramatically stabilizes the Z-form of short oligonucleotides in a variety of sequences. To develop a photochemical method to detect Z-form DNA, we examined the photoreaction of 5-iodouracil-containing Z-form d(CGCG(I)UGCG)(ODN 1)/d(Cm(8)GCAm(8)GCG)(ODN 2) in 2 M NaCl and found stereospecific C2'alpha-hydroxylation occurred at G(4) to provide d(CGCrGUGCG), 5. Recently, Rich and co-workers [Schwartz et al. Science 1999, 284, 1841. Schwartz et al. Nat. Struct. Biol. 2001, 8, 761] found that an ubiquitous RNA editing enzyme, adenosine deaminase 1 (ADAR1), and tumor-associated protein DML-1 specifically bind to Z-form DNA. In the present study, we investigate the photoreactivity of octanucleotide ODN 1-2 in Z-form induced by Zalpha, which is the NH(2)-terminal domain of ADAR1 responsible for tight binding of ADAR1. Detailed product analysis revealed that the C2'alpha-hydroxylated products 5 and 6 produced significantly higher yields in Z-form ODN 1-2 induced by Zalpha compared with that in 2 M NaCl. Upon treatment with ribonuclease T1, 5 and 6 were quantitatively hydrolyzed at the 3'-phosphodiester bond of the rG residue to provide d(UGCG) as a common hydrolyzed fragment on the 3' side. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that the amount of photochemically formed 5 and 6 from ODN 1-2 directly correlated with the proportion of Z-form induced by Zalpha or NaCl. These results suggest that this photochemical and enzymatic procedure can be used as a specific probe for the existence of local Z-form structure in cellular DNA.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

Development of a stable Leishmania expression vector and application to the study of parasite surface antigen genes.

Trypanosomatid protozoan parasites cause several important tropical diseases and have been a fertile ground for the discovery of molecular paradigms such as trans-splicing and RNA editing. Transfection-based methods for the study of these organisms have recently been developed, and we have now designed an expression vector, pX, which contains only 2.3 kilobases of Leishmania DNA and can be stably transfected with high efficiency. Genes encoding Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase or a Leishmania amazonensis protective membrane glycoprotein (GP46A/M-2) were inserted into the pX expression site and transfected into Leishmania major, where they directed the synthesis of high levels of mRNAs formed by 5' and 3' processing events occurring predominantly at the sites used by the normal transcripts. Colony assays and immunoblot analysis showed that both proteins were produced; enzymatically active beta-galactosidase comprised approximately 1% of total protein. Sizes of the GP46A protein synthesized in transfected L. major or L. amazonensis were similar and differed from the predominant L. amazonensis GP46, suggesting that the GP46A gene may encode a variant GP46 family member. Because these vectors function efficiently in pathogenic species of Leishmania, pX will facilitate the genetic analyses of parasite proteins crucial for infectivity as well as the identification of cis-acting elements mediating transcription and replication.

Animals↗

Genomic clustering of tRNA-specific adenosine deaminase ADAT1 and two tRNA synthetases.

Human tRNA-specific adenosine deaminase (hADAT1) specifically converts A37 in the anticodon loop of human tRNA(Ala) to inosine via a hydrolytic deamination mechanism. The enzyme is related to a family of RNA editing enzymes (ADARs) specific for pre-mRNA, and it has been cloned based on its sequence homology to the catalytic domain of ADARs. In the present study we have analyzed the 5'-flanking sequence of the murine ADAT1 gene, revealing that the first transcribed exon is located 1.1 kb downstream from the polyadenylation site of lysyl tRNA synthetase (KARS). The close proximity is conserved in the human genome with an intergenic distance of 5.5 kb. We determined the complete cDNA sequence as well as exon/intron organization of murine KARS. Significant sequence similarities between KARS and ADAT1 are apparent within their substrate interaction domains. Radiation hybrid panel analysis mapped human ADAT1 and human KARS to region q22.2--22.3 of Chromosome (Chr) 16 with alanyl tRNA synthetase (AARS) positioned centromeric to the KARS and ADAT1 genes. 16q22--24 has recently been recognized as a susceptibility candidate locus for several autoimmune inflammatory diseases. The clustering of three tRNA specific genes, of which two are specific for tRNA(Ala), may indicate their evolutionary relatedness or common factors involved in regulating their expression.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

The APOBEC-2 crystal structure and functional implications for the deaminase AID.

APOBEC-2 (APO2) belongs to the family of apolipoprotein B messenger RNA-editing enzyme catalytic (APOBEC) polypeptides, which deaminates mRNA and single-stranded DNA. Different APOBEC members use the same deamination activity to achieve diverse human biological functions. Deamination by an APOBEC protein called activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is critical for generating high-affinity antibodies, and deamination by APOBEC-3 proteins can inhibit retrotransposons and the replication of retroviruses such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus. Here we report the crystal structure of APO2. APO2 forms a rod-shaped tetramer that differs markedly from the square-shaped tetramer of the free nucleotide cytidine deaminase, with which APOBEC proteins share considerable sequence homology. In APO2, two long alpha-helices of a monomer structure prevent the formation of a square-shaped tetramer and facilitate formation of the rod-shaped tetramer via head-to-head interactions of two APO2 dimers. Extensive sequence homology among APOBEC family members allows us to test APO2 structure-based predictions using AID. We show that AID deamination activity is impaired by mutations predicted to interfere with oligomerization and substrate access. The structure suggests how mutations in patients with hyper-IgM-2 syndrome inactivate AID, resulting in defective antibody maturation.

APOBEC Deaminases↗

Mitochondrial minicircles in the free-living bodonid Bodo saltans contain two gRNA gene cassettes and are not found in large networks.

In trypanosomatids, the majority of the guide (g) RNAs that provide the information for U-insertion/deletion RNA editing are encoded by minicircles that are catenated into large networks. In contrast, in the distantly related cryptobiid Trypanoplasma borreli, gRNA genes appear to reside in large 180-kb noncatenated DNA circles. To shed light on the evolutionary history and function of the minicircle network, we have analyzed minicircle organization in the free-living bodonid Bodo saltans, which is more closely related to trypanosomatids than T. borreli. We identified 1.4-kb circular DNAs as the B. saltans equivalent of minicircles via sequence analysis of 4 complete minicircles, 14 minicircle fragments, and 14 gRNAs. We show that each minicircle harbors two gRNA gene cassettes of opposite polarity residing in variable regions of about 200 nt in otherwise highly conserved molecules. In the conserved region, B. saltans minicircles contain a putative bent helix sequence and a degenerate dodecamer motif (CSB-3). Electron microscopy, sedimentation, and gel electrophoresis analyses showed no evidence for the existence of large minicircle networks in B. saltans, the large majority of the minicircles being present as circular and linear monomers (85-90%) with small amounts of catenated dimers and trimers. Our results provide the first example of a kinetoplastid species with noncatenated, gRNA gene-containing minicircles, which implies that the creation of minicircles and minicircle networks are separate evolutionary events.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Exploring the Mitochondrial Genomes of Phoebe Species (Lauraceae): Structural Dynamics and Functional Conservation.

Plant mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) vary markedly in size and architecture despite generally slow rates of sequence evolution. Phoebe is an ecologically and economically valuable genus of Lauraceae, yet its mitogenome diversity remains poorly characterized. In this study, we newly sequenced, assembled, and annotated the mitogenomes of three nationally protected Class II wild plants (P. bournei, P. chekiangensis, P. zhennan) from China and compared their mitogenomic characteristics. The three assemblies were resolved into representative circular configurations ranging from 808 to 864 kb, with similar GC contents and conserved protein-coding capacity. Each mitogenome contained distinct 41 protein-coding genes, 27-28 transfer RNAs, and three ribosomal RNAs. Synteny analysis revealed extensive changes in homologous-block order and orientation despite substantial sequence homology among the three species. Abundant repeats occurred predominantly in noncoding regions, while plastid-derived fragments documented historical intracellular DNA transfer. The three species exhibited similar codon usage and predicted RNA-editing patterns, whereas low synonymous divergence limited inference from pairwise ratios. Phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial protein-coding genes recovered Phoebe as a well-supported monophyletic lineage. These results reveal substantial structural divergence accompanied by conserved nucleotide composition and coding capacity, providing valuable data for further understanding the evolutionary variation of plant mitogenomes of Phoebe and the Lauraceae.

Phoebe↗

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase: a dual role in class-switch recombination and somatic hypermutation.

Maturation of the antibody repertoire is mediated by two different mechanisms: class-switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM). These two processes are T cell dependent and occur in the germinal centers of secondary lymphoid organs. CSR leads to the production of antibodies of different isotypes whereas SHM leads to the selection of B cells expressing a BCR with high affinity for antigen. The activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) was recently shown to play a key role in these two mechanisms, demonstrating for the first time that these maturation processes share a common mechanism. There is evidence that AID is involved in the somatic DNA alterations required for CSR and SHM. The mechanism of action of AID is unclear. As AID and APOBEC-1 display a sequence similarity, AID may act as an RNA-editing enzyme. However, the immunological abnormalities observed in uracil-N glycosylase deficiency in a recent study indirectly suggest that AID may edit DNA directly.

Animals↗

Nuclear restoration of cytoplasmic male sterility in sunflower is associated with the tissue-specific regulation of a novel mitochondrial gene.

We have previously shown that cytoplasmic male sterility in sunflower is associated with the insertion into the mitochondrial DNA of a novel open reading frame (ORF) located 3' to the atpA gene. Here, we show that in mitochondria from the sterile line, this novel ORF (ORF522) is cotranscribed with atpA. We have identified the product of the ORF522 as being a 15 kDa protein previously observed in sterile plant mitochondria by in organello translation. Both Western blot analysis and in organello translation assays show reduced levels of the 15 kDa polypeptide upon restoration of fertility. Interestingly, this reduction is tissue specific since it is only observed in the male florets from restored hybrid plants. These results suggest that the 15 kDa novel polypeptide is probably responsible for the CMS phenotype. Northern blot analysis using RNA from both seedlings and male florets shows a flower-specific reduction in the level of the ORF522 transcript in the restored hybrid line. The reduction is not due to a reduced transcription rate as demonstrated by 'run-on' experiments using mitochondria isolated from male florets. This suggests that the product of the nuclear restorer gene acts at the post-transcriptional level to destabilize the novel mitochondrial transcript in a tissue-specific manner and restore male fertility.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Pseudoknot-dependent read-through of retroviral gag termination codons: importance of sequences in the spacer and loop 2.

Retroviruses whose gag and pol genes are in the same reading frame depend upon approximately 5% read-through of the gag UAG termination codon to make the gag-pol polyprotein. For murine leukemia virus, this read-through is dependent on a pseudoknot located eight nucleotides 3' of the UAG. Other retroviruses whose gag and pol genes are in the same frame can potentially form similar pseudoknots 3' of their UAG codons. Beyond the similar secondary structures, there is strong sequence conservation in the spacer region and in loop 2 of the pseudoknots. The detrimental effects of substitutions of several of these conserved spacer and loop 2 nucleotides in the murine leukemia virus sequence show their importance for the read-through process. The importance of specific nucleotides in loop 2 of the pseudoknot contrasts with the flexibility of sequence in loop 2 of the most intensively studied frameshift-promoting pseudoknot which occurs in infectious bronchitis virus. Two nucleotides in loop 2 of the murine leukemia virus pseudoknot, which were shown to be important by mutagenic analysis, display hypersensitivity to the single-strand specific nuclease, S1. They are likely to be particularly accessible or are in an unusually reactive conformation.

Base Sequence↗

Perspectives in spicing up proteomics with splicing.

In the post-genomics era there has been an acceleration of understanding of cellular and organismal biology and this acceleration has moved the goalposts for proteomics. Higher eukaryotes use alternative promoters, alternative splicing, RNA editing and post-translational modification to produce multiple isoforms of proteins from single genes. Switching amongst these isoforms is a major mechanism for control of cellular function. At present fundamental limitations in sensitivity, in absolute quantitation of proteins and in the characterization of protein structure at functionally important levels strongly limit the applicability of proteomics to higher eukaryotes. Recent developments suggest that quantitative, top-down proteomics analyses of complete proteins at sub-attomole levels are necessary for physiologically relevant studies of higher eukaryotes. New proteomics technologies which will ensure the future of proteomics as an important technology in medicine and cellular biology of higher eukaryotes are becoming available.

Alternative Splicing↗

Mutations in activation-induced cytidine deaminase in patients with hyper IgM syndrome.

Recent studies have shown that mutations in a newly described RNA editing enzyme, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), can cause an autosomal recessive form of hyper IgM syndrome. To determine the relative frequency of mutations in AID, we evaluated a group of 27 patients with hyper IgM syndrome who did not have defects in CD40 ligand and 23 patients with common variable immunodeficiency. Three different mutations in AID were identified in 18 patients with hyper IgM syndrome, including 14 French Canadians, 2 Lumbee Indians, and a brother and sister from Okinawa. No mutations were found in the remaining 32 patients. In the group of patients with hyper IgM syndrome, the patients with mutations in AID were older at the age of diagnosis, were more likely to have positive isohemagglutinins, and were less likely to have anemia, neutropenia, or thrombocytopenia. Lymphoid hyperplasia was seen in patients with hyper IgM syndrome and normal AID as well as the patients with hyper IgM syndrome and defects in AID.

Adolescent↗

Construction of a 2.5-Mb integrated physical and gene map of distal 21q22.3.

The gene-rich telomeric region of 21q harbors several loci relevant to human diseases including autoimmune polyglandular disease type I, nonsyndromic deafness, Knobloch syndrome, holoprosencephaly, and bipolar affective disorder. A contig of genomic clones in this region would facilitate the isolation of these genes. However, distal 21q22.3 has yet been poorly mapped, presumably due to the presence of sequences that are underrepresented in yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) libraries. We generated a framework of YACs and used these clones as starting points for the isolation of a combination of bacterial artificial chromosome clones, P1-derived artificial chromosome clones, and cosmid clones by chromosome walking procedures. These studies resulted in the construction of a high-resolution contig map spanning the 2.5-Mb region from PFKL to the telomere, approximately 2 Mb of which are covered by ready-to-sequence contigs. Within this map we determined the location and relative distance of 21 markers. These include 9 established genetic markers, the order of which is cen-PFKL-D21S154-D21S170-D21S171-D21S1903- D21S1897- D21S112-D21S1446-D21S1575-tel. Moreover, we established the precise map position of 13 genes and 4 ESTs including the recently isolated genes C21ORF2, SMT3H1, RNA editing deaminase 1 (ADARB1), folate transporter (SLC19A1), COL18A1, lanosterol synthase (LSS-PEN), pericentrin (PCNT), and arginine methyltransferase (HRMT1L1). This integrated map provides a useful resource for the mapping and isolation of disease genes and for the construction of a complete transcription map of distal 21q as well as for large-scale sequencing efforts.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Characterization of the mouse matrilin-4 gene: a 5' antiparallel overlap with the gene encoding the transcription factor RBP-l.

We have isolated and characterized the gene encoding mouse matrilin-4 (Matn4), an extracellular matrix protein present in a broad spectrum of tissues. The gene spanned 16 kb, consisted of 12 exons, and localized to chromosome 2. As in all known matrilin genes, the last intron, separating the exons coding for the coiled-coil domain, did not follow the GT-AG rule and belonged to the subgroup of introns having AT-AC at the ends. Matn4 contained two exons in the 5' UTR that could be alternatively spliced. We localized a major and a minor transcription start site to two different untranslated exons: exon 0a and exon 0b. Matn4 divergently overlapped 5' with the gene encoding RBP-L (for recombining binding protein suppressor of hairless-like; Rbpsuhl), a transcription factor with homology to RBP-JK. Exon 1 of Rbpsuhl was located in the second intron of Matn4, whereas exon 0a, the first exon of Matn4, was located in the second intron of Rbpsuhl. The second exons of the respective genes overlapped in an antisense orientation. We mapped the major transcription start of Rbpsuhl to a position approximately 150 nt upstream of the splice acceptor site of the first intron, leading to the synthesis of a truncated variant of RBP-L probably missing the amino-terminal 121 amino acid residues. We analyzed the expression of the different Matn4 and Rbpsuhl transcripts by quantitative RT-PCR; this showed the highest expression for both genes in lung and brain. In situ hybridization of brain sections showed a partially overlapping expression pattern for the two genes.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

The DNA sequences required for apolipoprotein B expression in the heart are distinct from those required for expression in the intestine.

We recently reported that the apolipoprotein B (apo-B) gene is expressed in the heart and that the heart secretes apo-B-containing lipoproteins. We have also recently demonstrated that the tissue-specific expression of the apo-B gene is complex, with apo-B gene expression in the intestine being dependent on an enhancer element located very far from the structural gene (between 54 and 62 kb 5' to exon 1). In this study, we investigated whether these distant DNA sequences control or affect the expression of the apo-B gene in the heart. To address this issue, we analysed heart apo-B gene expression in heart tissue from a series of human apo-B transgenic mice generated from human genomic DNA constructs that ranged in size from 70 to 207 kb. All of these constructs contained the coding portion of the apo-B gene, but each contained different amounts of flanking sequences (5-120 kb 5' to the gene and 1.5-35 kb 3' to the gene). Each construct conferred human apo-B gene expression in the heart, including those containing as little as 5 kb of 5'-flanking sequences or as little as 1.5 kb of 3'-flanking sequences. These data support the idea that apo-B gene expression in the heart, unlike that in the intestine, is not affected by a distant enhancer element.

Animals↗

Identification and simulation of shifted periodicities common to protein coding genes of eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses.

The distribution of nucleotides in protein coding genes is studied with autocorrelation functions. The autocorrelation function YRY(N)iYRY, analysing the occurrence probability of the i-motif YRY(N)iYRY (two motifs YRY separated by any i bases N, R = purine = Adenine or Guanine, Y = pyrimidine = Cytosine or Thymine, N = R or Y) in the protein coding genes of eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses, reveals the classical periodicity 0 modulo 3 associated with the normal frame 0 (maximal values of the function at i = 0, 3, 6, etc). The specification of YRY(N)iYRY on the alphabet [A, C, G, T] leads to 64 i-motifs: CAC(N)iCAC, CAC(N)iCAT, ..., TGF(N)iTGT. The 64 autocorrelation functions associated with these 64 i-motifs in protein coding genes have all the periodicity modulo 3, but, surprisingly, not always the expected periodicity 0 modulo 3. Two new types of periodicities are identified: a periodicity 1 modulo 3 associated with the shifted frame +1 (maximal values of the function at i = 1, 4, 7, etc) and a periodicity 2 modulo 3 associated with the shifted frame -1 (maximal values of the function at i = 2, 5, 8 etc). Furthermore, the classification of i-motifs according to the type of periodicity demonstrates a strong coherence relation between the 64 i-motifs, which is, in addition, common to the three gene populations, as the same i-motifs in the three gene populations have the same periodicities. The three periodicities 0, 1 and 2 modulo 3 can be simulated by an evolutionary model at two successive processes. The simulated genes are generated by a process of gene construction, with a stochastic automaton followed by a process of gene evolution with random insertions and deletions of trinucleotides simulating RNA editing. For almost all i-motifs, the autocorrelation functions in these simulated genes are strongly correlated with those in protein coding genes, for both the type and the probability level of periodicities. This paper describes the process of ribosomal frameshifting leading to the shifted periodicities, which may reveal overlapping genes or concatenated genes from different frames. It also presents the evolutionary aspects of the shifted periodicities. The shifted periodicities cannot be associated with the RNY model (Eigen & Schuster, 1978, Naturwissenschaften 65, 341-369) or the RRY model (Crick et al., 1976, Origins of Life 7, 389-397), but are compatible with the oligonucleotide mixing model (Arquès & Michel, 1990, Bull. math. Biol. 52, 741-772). Finally, a variant of the primitive translation model of Crick et al. (1976) is proposed to explain the shifted periodicities.

Animals↗

Evolution of the mitochondrial DNA control region and cytochrome b genes and the inference of phylogenetic relationships in the avian genus Lophura (Galliformes).

The entire mitochondrial DNA control region (mtDNA CR) and cytochrome b (cyt b) genes were sequenced in 10 of the 11 extant species of gallopheasants (Lophura). The cyt b from L. diardi and L. ignita showed unusual leucine-coding codons at the expected terminal 3' end of the gene. Presence of conserved functional motifs in the inferred amino acid sequences, conserved secondary structures of the flanking tRNA(Pro) and tRNA(Thr), and Southern hybridization concordantly suggest that these cyt b represent functional mitochondrial genes and not nuclear transpositions. Functional stop codons can be generated by RNA editing of the primary transcripts from these sequences. Despite strong site and domain substitution rate heterogeneity, CR and cyt b diverged at similar rates, on average, and expressed congruent phylogenetic signals. Phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated sequences split Lophura into five clades including (1) L. bulweri, (2) L. diardi-L. ignita, (3) L. erythrophthalma-L. inornata, (4) L. leucomelanos-L. nycthemera, and (5) L. swinhoii-L. edwardsi-L. hatinhensis. Basal relationships among these clades, which include species distributed in continental South East Asia and the Sundaland archipelago, were weakly resolved, suggesting the occurrence of rapid cladogenic events in the early evolutionary history of Lophura. A conventional calibration of mtDNA sequence divergence indicates a mid to late Pliocene evolution of the main clades in Lophura, which could have diversified in allopatry in continental South East Asia. Sundaland could have been colonized lately and independently by the different clades. Consequently, cyclic changes in late Pleistocene climate and landscape might not have increased rates of speciation in genus Lophura in Sundaland.

Animals↗

Dolphin and porpoise morbilliviruses are genetically distinct from phocine distemper virus.

The morbilliviruses recently isolated from two cetacean species in the North and Mediterranean Seas have been shown to differ from phocine distemper virus isolated from European seals using monoclonal antibodies. We have identified a "universal" morbillivirus primer set, based on highly conserved regions of the morbillivirus phosphoprotein (P) gene and used this to amplify a region surrounding the RNA editing site from all known members of the group. Sequence analysis of this region of the gene shows that the dolphin and porpoise viruses are related but quite different from all other members of the group, forming a distinct lineage more closely related to the ruminant morbilliviruses than to the carnivore viruses.

Animals↗