Expression of ceruloplasmin gene in mammalian organs from the data of hybridization analysis with complementary DNA probes

Expression of ceruloplasmin (Cp)-coding gene in rat and human liver and brain tissues was studied by Northern blot hybridization and by in situ hybridization with cloned species-specific cDNA probes. In rat brain structures, different levels of Cp mRNA were detected, the maximal one was found in cerebellum. The steady-state level of Cp mRNA in rat and human brain was several times lower than in parenchymatous liver cells. The size heterogeneity of Cp mRNA was found. Polyadenylated RNA prepared from human liver contains two equally abundant Cp mRNAs differing in their chain length (3.6 and 4.5 kb) while brain polyadenylated RNA contains a single Cp mRNA (4.5 kb).     

Identification of recombinant phages containing sequences from different rat myosin heavy chain genes.

The construction and identification of a recombinant plasmid containing a cDNA insert which hybridizes specifically to myosin heavy chain mRNA is described. The plasmid was used as a probe to screen a rat genomic library for recombinant phages containing myosin heavy chain sequences. Six clones with approximately 15 k bp inserts each were isolated. Digestion with several restriction enzymes and hybridization of the fractionated DNA with the plasmid probe showed that the clones contained 3 different DNA inserts. Electron microscopy of a heteroduplex made by hybridization of DNA from two clones confirmed that the inserts originated in different genes. Hybridization of size-fractionated ECOR1 digested rat spleen DNA with the cloned probe suggested the existence of at least 5 myosin heavy chain genes.     

Isolation and fine structure organisation of an avian vitellogenin gene coding for the major estrogen-inducible mRNA

Two phage lambda recombinant DNA clones covering the entire sequence of an avian vitellogenin gene, plus flanking regions, have been isolated from an erythrocyte DNA gene library and characterized by R-loop and restriction mapping. The total length of this avian vitellogenin gene is 23 kb. The cloned sequences flanking the gene at the 5' and 3' end are 7 and 3 kb, respectively. The total length of exons in the two clones is 6.7 kb (vitellogenin mRNA is 6.6 kb). The gene is interrupted by at least 25 introns with a mean intron length of 940 bp. Some 6--10 additional very small introns may also be present but they were not observed reproducibly. The mean exon length is 250 bp. Restriction endonuclease digests of total liver genomic DNA and lambda recombinant DNA were also analyzed by electrophoresis. Southern blotting and hybridization with cloned vitellogenin cDNA. The results show an identity of organisation of this vitellogenin in the DNA from the two sources, thus ruling out a possible cloning artifact. In contrast to Xenopus vitellogenin we have found no evidence to suggest that avian vitellogenin is encoded by a small family of related genes.     

Isolation and characterization of a 15-kilobase genomic sequence coding for part of the Pro alpha 2 chain of sheep type I collagen

DNA fragments, prepared by partial Eco RI digestion of fetal sheep liver genomic DNA, were used to prepare a "library" of amplified genomic sequences with the lambda vector Charon 4A. Several recombinant plaques were identified by their ability to hybridize to 32P-labeled cDNA prepared from fetal sheep tendon type I procollagen mRNA. Two of these recombinant DNA bacteriophages (SpC3 and SpC7) were identified as containing procollagen pro alpha 2 gene sequences by their ability to specifically anneal to procollagen pro alpha 2 mRNA. Restriction endonuclease and hybridization to a cloned pro alpha 2 cDNA demonstrated that approximately half (2.5 kilobases) of the pro alpha 2 mRNA sequence is distributed over 15 kilobases of genomic DNA. Restriction maps of SpC3 and SpC7 demonstrated that these two DNA fragments contain overlapping sequences of the pro alpha 2 gene. Electron microscopy and R-loop analysis of SpC3 revealed that at least 12 to 16 intervening sequences are distributed throughout the length of this gene fragment.     

Multiplicity of deoxyribonucleic acid sequences with homology to a cloned complementary deoxyribonucleic acid coding for rat phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450

We previously identified cDNA clones for rat cytochrome P-450 of the phenobarbital-inducible type by sequence analysis [Fujii-Kuriyama, Y., Mizukami, Y., Kawajiri, K., Sogawa, K., & Muramatsu, M. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 2793-2797]. With these cloned cDNAs as probe, the multiplicity of phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 gene in rat genome was investigated by three approaches. The first approach was the Cot analysis of the total rat liver DNA under conditions of DNA excess. With internal and external markers used as gene-number standards, the reassociation kinetics were studied, which suggested the presence of approximately six genes or gene-like sequences hybridizable to phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 cDNA per rat haploid genome. The second was the isolation of the cytochrome P-450 genes from a rat genomic library. From a screening of about 1 X 10(6) plaques, nine clones with an approximately 15-kb insert were isolated. Restriction maps and Southern blot analysis of the cloned DNAs showed that six out of nine isolated clones contained DNA inserts independent of one another. The third was Southern blot analysis of rat genomic DNA with restriction enzyme EcoRI. Approximately 12 positive bands were demonstrated with the cDNA probe, seven to eight of which showed the same mobilities as the fragments in the isolated six genomic clones, suggesting that some other genes or gene-like DNA sequences remained to be cloned.     

Isolation and characterization of genomic clones for two chicken phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 genes

A cDNA clone specific for a chicken phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 was used to screen a chicken genomic library. Twenty-nine clones were isolated, restriction mapped, and divided into two non-overlapping groups. The cDNA clone hybridized to 12 kilobases of DNA from both groups. Both groups contained restriction fragments which hybridized to both 5' and 3' fragments of the cDNA clone, and it was concluded that the two groups were derived from two separate genes. Southern transfer analysis of individual chicken DNAs and quantitative hybridization analysis indicated that these two genes are independent and are present as single copies/haploid genome. Comparison of restriction digests of the cloned DNAs and total genomic DNA discounted the possibility that other closely related P-450 genes are present in the chicken genome.     

The mink proopiomelanocortin gene: characterization of cDNA and chromosomal localization

A cDNA library from the mink pituitary was screened using as probe a synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide, 5'-TTCATGACCTCCGA-3', corresponding to the endorphin region of bovine proopiomelanocortin (POMC) cDNA. As a result, several clones containing inserts complementary to POMC mRNA were identified. The sequence of one of the fragments (585 bp, 65% of the total length of mRNA) was determined. A high degree of homology (over 80%) among the primary structures of sequences from mink, man, and bovine cDNA POMC was established. With the cloned mink cDNA fragment as probe, the DNAs from mink-Chinese hamster hybrid clones were studied. The results of segregation analysis of mink POMC sequences and mink chromosomes in the mink-Chinese hamster panel allowed us to assign the POMC gene to mink chromosome 11.     

Structure and restriction fragment length polymorphism of genes for human liver arylamine N-acetyltransferases.

Genomic DNA clones coding for polymorphic and monomorphic arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NAT) of human liver were isolated from a genomic DNA library, and their restriction maps and partial nucleotide sequences were determined. Messenger RNA for monomorphic NAT was coded in one exon, while mRNA for polymorphic NAT was coded in two exons; the 5'-noncoding region was located in one exon 8 kb upstream from another exon containing the coding and 3'-noncoding regions. Recently, we have shown that there are three types of polymorphic NAT gene; one of the genes corresponds to a high NAT activity, while the other two genes give rise to a low NAT activity. The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was analyzed by Southern blot hybridization of genomic DNAs from homozygotes of the three polymorphic NAT genes using various fragments of the cloned NAT gene. RFLPs of polymorphic NAT gene were observed in coding and 3'-flanking region upon digestion with BamHI and KpnI.     

Restriction fragment length polymorphism of the rat albumin gene in Sprague-Dawley rats and its application in genetic study of analbuminemia.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism of the rat albumin gene was discovered in a stock of Sprague-Dawley rats by Southern blots of rat liver DNAs using cloned albumin cDNA, prAlb-1 (1), as a probe. The polymorphic DNA fragments were observed when rat DNAs were digested with either Hind III or Pst 1 and the difference in length of the DNA fragments in Hind III or Pst 1 digests was estimated as 1.4 kbp. When DNAs were digested with EcoR I, restriction fragment length polymorphism was not observed. Therefore, this polymorphic DNA was concluded to be located in the flanking sequence. Structural analysis of the cloned albumin gene showed that the polymorphism was located in the 3'-flanking sequence. With this polymorphism as a marker of the albumin structural gene, the phenotype of analbuminemia, which is an autosomally recessive trait, was found to be linked to the structural gene of albumin.     

Molecular cloning of DNA sequences complementary to rat liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA. Nutritional regulation of mRNA levels

The nutritional regulation of rat liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was studied using a cloned DNA complementary to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA. The recombinant cDNA clones were isolated from a double-stranded cDNA library constructed from poly(A+) RNA immunoenriched for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA. Immunoenrichment was accomplished by adsorption of polysomes with antibodies directed against glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in conjunction with protein A-Sepharose and oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography. Poly(A+) RNA encoding glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was enriched approximately 20,000-fold using these procedures. Double-stranded cDNA was synthesized from the immunoenriched poly(A+) RNA and inserted into pBR322 using poly(dC)-poly(dG) tailing. Escherichia coli MC1061 was transformed, and colonies were screened for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase cDNA sequences by differential colony hybridization. Plasmid DNA was purified from clones which gave positive signals, and the identity of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase clones was verified by hybrid-selected translation. A collection of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase cDNA plasmids with overlapping restriction maps was obtained. Northern blot analysis of rat liver poly(A+) RNA using nick-translated, 32P-labeled cDNA inserts revealed that the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA is 2.3 kilobases in length. RNA blot analysis showed that refeeding fasted rats a high carbohydrate diet results in a 13-fold increase in the amount of hybridizable hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA which parallels the increase in enzyme activity. These results suggest that the nutritional regulation of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase occurs at a pretranslational level.     

Cloning and characterization of synthetic sequences from the Xenopus laevis vitellogenin structural gene

The mRNA coding for vitellogenin, the yolk protein precursor, has been isolated from the liver of estrogen-stimulated Xenopus laevis. The mRNA has a size of 6.3 kilobases (kb). Optimal conditions were investigated for the synthesis of long complementary DNA (cDNA, referring to DNA synthesized in vitro) copies of the mRNA. Temperature, salt concentration, and enzyme-to-RNA ratio were important factors. Double-stranded cDNA with an average size of 2 to 3 kb was inserted into the vector pMB9 by the poly(dA:dT) method, and the recombinant plasmids were amplified in E. coli. Twenty-one clones with vitellogenin inserts ranging from 1 to 3.7 kb were studied. The regions in the RNA from which these clones had been derived were mapped by R-loop analysis in the electron microscope and by hybridization of the cloned DNAs with specific fractions of mRNA. Slightly more than half of the clones were derived from the 3′-terminal portions of the mRNA while the remaining clones are located internally.     

Molecular cloning of cDNAs for the nerve-cell specific phosphoprotein, synapsin I.

To provide access to synapsin I-specific DNA sequences, we have constructed cDNA clones complementary to synapsin I mRNA isolated from rat brain. Synapsin I mRNA was specifically enriched by immunoadsorption of polysomes prepared from the brains of 10-14 day old rats. Employing this enriched mRNA, a cDNA library was constructed in pBR322 and screened by differential colony hybridization with single-stranded cDNA probes made from synapsin I mRNA and total polysomal poly(A)+ RNA. This screening procedure proved to be highly selective. Five independent recombinant plasmids which exhibited distinctly stronger hybridization with the synapsin I probe were characterized further by restriction mapping. All of the cDNA inserts gave restriction enzyme digestion patterns which could be aligned. In addition, some of the cDNA inserts were shown to contain poly(dA) sequences. Final identification of synapsin I cDNA clones relied on the ability of the cDNA inserts to hybridize specifically to synapsin I mRNA. Several plasmids were tested by positive hybridization selection. They specifically selected synapsin I mRNA which was identified by in vitro translation and immunoprecipitation of the translation products. The established cDNA clones were used for a blot-hybridization analysis of synapsin I mRNA. A fragment (1600 bases) from the longest cDNA clone hybridized with two discrete RNA species 5800 and 4500 bases long, in polyadenylated RNA from rat brain and PC12 cells. No hybridization was detected to RNA from rat liver, skeletal muscle or cardiac muscle.     

用人染色体14q24.3区带探针池直接分离表达顺序

本文报道了从显微切割的人染色体区带直接分离区带专一性表达序列的方法和结果。