Structure of the plasmodium knowlesi gene coding for the circumsporozoite protein

The gene that codes for the surface antigen of Plasmodium knowlesi sporozoites (CS protein) is unsplit and present in the genome in only one copy. The CS protein, as deduced from DNA sequence analysis of the structural gene, has an unusual structure with the central 40% of the polypeptide chain present as 12 tandemly repeated amino acid peptide units flanked by regions of highly charged amino acids. The protein has an amino-terminal hydrophobic amino acid signal sequence and a hydrophobic carboxy-terminal anchor sequence. The coding sequence of the gene has an AT content of 53%, compared with 70% AT in the 5′ and 3′ flanking sequences, and is contained entirely within an 11 kb Eco RI genomic DNA fragment. This genomic fragment expresses the CS protein in E. coli, indicating that the parasite promoter and ribosome binding site signals can be recognized in E. coli.     

Transcriptional regulation of the human TATA binding protein gene

The human TATA binding protein (TBP) locus consists of a functional domain of three closely linkedhousekeeping genes (TBP, PSMB1 (proteasomal C5 subunit), and PDCD2 (programmed cell death-2)) within a 50-kb interval at chromosome position 6q27. Here we demonstrate that a genomic clone spanning the 20-kb TBP gene, with 12 kb 5' and 3' flanking sequences, was fully functional in stable, transfected L-cells harboring a single copy of this transgene, including after long-term (60 day) culture in the absence of drug selective pressure. Furthermore, we were only able to detect DNaseI hypersensitive sites at the TBP and PSMB1 promoters present within this 44-kb fragment. Our data suggest that this 44-kb genomic region possesses genetic regulatory elements that not only drive ubiquitous expression of TBP but also negate chromatin and DNA methylation induced silencing, which is normally associated with transgenes stably integrated into tissue culture cells.     

Cloning, nucleotide sequence, and expression of the flavodoxin gene from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough)

The gene coding for the flavodoxin protein from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) has been identified, cloned, and sequenced. DNA fragments containing the flavodoxin gene were identified by hybridization of a mixed synthetic heptadecanucleotide probe to Southern blots of SalI-digested genomic DNA. The nucleotide sequences of the probe were derived from the published protein primary structure (Dubourdieu, M., LeGall, J., and Fox, J. L. (1973) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 52, 1418-1425). The same oligonucleotide probe was used to screen libraries (in pUC19) containing size-selected SalI fragments. One recombinant, carrying a 1.6-kilobase (kb) insert which strongly hybridizes to the probe, was found to contain a nucleotide sequence which codes for the first 104 residues of the amino-terminal portion of the flavodoxin protein sequence but lacked the remainder of the gene. Therefore, a PstI restriction fragment from this clone was used as a probe to isolate the entire gene from a partial Sau3AI library in Charon 35. Of the plaques which continued to hybridize strongly to this probe through repeated screenings, one recombinant, containing a 16-kb insert, was further characterized. The entire flavodoxin gene was localized within a 1.4-kb XhoI-SacI fragment of this clone. The complete nucleotide sequence of the structural gene for the flavodoxin protein from Desulfovibrio vulgaris and flanking sequences which may include promoter and regulatory sequences are reported here. The cloned flavodoxin gene was placed behind the hybrid tac promoter for overexpression of the protein in Escherichia coli. Modification to the 5'-end of the gene, including substitutions at the second codon, were required to obtain high levels of expression. The expressed recombinant flavodoxin protein is isolated from E. coli cells as the holoprotein with physical and spectral properties similar to the protein isolated from D. vulgaris. To our knowledge, this is the first example of the expression of a foreign flavodoxin gene in E. coli using recombinant DNA methods.     

低温菌启动子探针质粒的构建

为了在宿主菌Acinetobacter sp.DWC6中构建低温菌蛋白表达载体,以pBR322质粒为基础,去除质粒上β-内酰胺酶基因的启动子片段,取而代之为来源于质粒pJRD215的卡那霉素抗性基因片段,并在pBR322中插入Acinetobacter菌属特异性ori的DNA片段,构建了能在Acinetobacter sp.DWC6和E.coli中正常复制的启动子探针质粒pBAP1。通过在质粒pBAP1中的β-内酰胺酶基因上游随机导入Acinetobacter sp.DWC6基因组片段,通过检测宿主细胞的氨苄青霉素抗性和β-内酰胺酶活性,来筛选强启动子片段,并分析了启动子探针质粒载体的功能及启动子的强度。     

Characterization of a unique genomic clone located 5′ upstream of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oshsp16.9B</Emphasis> gene on chromosome 1 in rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L. cv Tainung No. 67)

Small heat-shock proteins (sHSP) are the most abundant heat stress-induced proteins in plants. In rice, there are at least seven members of class-I sHSP. A 1.6-kb DNA fragment was isolated from the EcoRI-digested rice genomic library probed with the cDNA pTS1 encoding a 16.9-kDa class-I sHSP. This fragment was composed of 365-bp tandem direct repeats (DRs) and 441-bp near perfect long terminal inverted repeats (LTIRs). The DRs contain 123-bp regions with 99% nucleotide identity to the 5' coding region of the Oshsp16.9B gene. Two putative pseudogenes were deduced from the DRs. Using the LTIR as a specific probe, Southern-blotting analysis showed that there was a single copy of this 1.6-kb DNA fragment in the rice genome. By genomic walking, we located this fragment in proximity 5'-upstream of the Oshsp16.9B gene that was mapped on chromosome 1 with other two class-I sHSP genes, Oshsp16.9A and Oshsp16.9C. By comparative analysis of the nucleotide sequences of class-I sHSP genes clustered on chromosome 1 between Tainung No. 67 and Nipponbare cultivars, we confirmed our mapping results of these genes and only the promoter region of Oshsp16.9B was different. However, we found that the expression profile of Oshsp16.9B upon different heat stresses in Nipponbare was not significantly different relative to that in Tainung No. 67.     

Cloning of genes responsible for acetic acid resistance in Acetobacter aceti.

Five acetic acid-sensitive mutants of Acetobacter aceti subsp. aceti no. 1023 were isolated by mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Three recombinant plasmids that complemented the mutations were isolated from a gene bank of the chromosome DNA of the parental strain constructed in Escherichia coli by using cosmid vector pMVC1. One of these plasmids (pAR1611), carrying about a 30-kilobase-pair (kb) fragment that conferred acetic acid resistance to all five mutants, was further analyzed. Subcloning experiments indicated that a 8.3-kb fragment was sufficient to complement all five mutations. To identify the mutation loci and genes involved in acetic acid resistance, insertional inactivation was performed by insertion of the kanamycin resistance gene derived from E. coli plasmid pACYC177 into the cloned 8.3-kb fragment and successive integration into the chromosome of the parental strain. The results suggested that three genes, designated aarA, aarB, and aarC, were responsible for expression of acetic acid resistance. Gene products of these genes were detected by means of overproduction in E. coli by use of the lac promoter. The amino acid sequence of the aarA gene product deduced from the nucleotide sequence was significantly similar to those of the citrate synthases (CSs) of E. coli and other bacteria. The A. aceti mutants defective in the aarA gene were found to lack CS activity, which was restored by introduction of a plasmid containing the aarA gene. A mutation in the CS gene of E. coli was also complemented by the aarA gene. These results indicate that aarA is the CS gene.     

Yeast DNA topoisomerase II is encoded by a single-copy, essential gene

The gene TOP2 encoding yeast topoisomerase II has been cloned by immunological screening of a yeast genomic library constructed in the phage lambda expression vector, lambda gt11. The ends of the message encoded by the cloned DNA fragment were delimited by the Berk and Sharp procedure (S1 nuclease mapping) for the 5' end and mapping of the polyA tail portion of a cDNA fragment for the 3' end. The predicted size of the message agrees with the length of the message as determined by Northern blot hybridization analysis. The identity of the gene was confirmed by expressing the gene in E. coli from the E. coli promoter lac UV5 to give catalytically active yeast DNA topoisomerase II. Disruption of one copy of the gene in a diploid yeast creates a recessive lethal mutation, indicating that the single DNA topoisomerase II gene of yeast has an essential function.