Cloning, sequencing and functional expression of a cDNA encoding porcine pancreatic preprocarboxypeptidase A1.

A full-length cDNA clone coding for porcine pancreatic preprocarboxypeptidase A1 (prePCPA1) was isolated from a cDNA library. The open reading frame (ORF) of the nucleotide sequence was 1260 nt in length and encoded a protein of 419 amino acids (aa). The cDNA included a short signal peptide of 16 aa and a 94 aa-long activation segment. The calculated molecular mass of the mature proenzyme was 45561 Da, in accordance with that of the purified porcine pancreatic PCPA1. The deduced aa sequence of the corresponding enzyme differed from that predicted by the three-dimensional structure by 40 aa, and showed 85% identity and 55% identity to that of procarboxypeptidases A1 and A2, respectively. Moreover the sequence was identical to that of several independent cDNA clones, suggesting that it is the major transcribed gene. No evidence for a second variant was observed in the cDNA library and PCPA2 is apparently absent from the porcine pancreas. The cDNA was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the yeast triose phosphate isomerase promoter. The signal peptide of the PCPA protein efficiently directed its secretion into the culture medium (1.5 mg.L-1) as a protein of the predicted size. The recombinant proenzyme was analyzed by immunological and enzymological methods. Its activation behavior was comparable with that of the native form and led to a 35-kDa active enzyme.     

Molecular cloning of eel growth hormone cDNA and its expression in Escherichia coli

cDNA clones coding for growth hormone (eGH) of Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) have been isolated from a cDNA library prepared from pituitary gland poly(A)+ RNA. The nucleotide sequence of the eGH cDNA was determined. It codes for the prehormone of 209 amino acids (aa) including a putative signal peptide of 19 aa. The deduced amino acid sequence was identical with that determined for eGH protein. The primary structure of eGH was compared with those of other species growth hormones (chum salmon, chicken, rat, and human). Mature eGH was expressed in Escherichia coli harboring a plasmid in which the eGH cDNA was under control of the phage lambda pL promoter. Recombinant eGH polypeptide was immunoreactive to rabbit antiserum against natural eGH. Furthermore, eGH derivative with amino-terminal deletion (delta 1-3 eGH) was produced in E. coli reaching up to 5% of total cellular proteins.     

Isolation of c‐myc genes from goldfish and their tissue specific expression

One novel cellular myc gene (c‐ myc ), GM 1, was isolated from a tetraploid cyprinid, the goldfish Carassius auratus . GM 1 consisted of one non‐coding exon and two coding exons, presumably encoding a protein of 390 amino acid (aa) residues. The aa identity between GM 1 and GM 2, another c‐ myc previously isolated from this species, was 88·8%. Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis revealed that GM 1 was specifically expressed in liver and GM 2 in ovary.     

Cloning and sequencing of cDNA encoding the cat growth hormone

A cDNA encoding cat growth hormone (Fc) GH) has been isolated and sequenced. This is the first report of a feline GH nucleotide and deduced amino acid (aa) sequences. This cat pituitary cDNA resembles a typical mammalian pre-GH cDNA with its encoded mature hormone differing from dog GH only by a single as residue.     

乙炔基雌二醇(EE2)对雄性黄颡鱼GtH3个亚基基因表达的影响

为研究乙炔基雌二醇(EE2)是否能影响雄性黄颡鱼(Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)垂体中促性腺激素3个亚基基因的表达,从而干扰FSH和LH的分泌,研究采用末端快速扩增(RACE)的方法在黄颡鱼垂体中克隆了促性腺激素的2个亚基(FSH和LH)的全长cDNA,对其组织表达模式和雌雄性垂体中的季节表达模式进行了研究;另外,研究还用100 ng/L的EE2对雄性黄颡鱼(2龄)进行了28d的暴露处理。结果发现,黄颡鱼FSH cDNA全长528 bp, ORF为399 bp,编码132个氨基酸; LH全长为870 bp, ORF为417 bp,编码138个氨基酸。序列分析结果表明,黄颡鱼FSH含有一个17氨基酸的信号肽, 2个保守的N-糖基化位点和13个半胱氨酸残基,而LH含有一个18个氨基酸的信号肽, 1个N-糖基化位点和12个半胱氨酸残基,与其他鲶形目鱼类极其相似。进化分析显示,黄颡鱼FSH和LH与鲶形目的鱼类进化关系较近。组织分布结果发现,黄颡鱼3亚基均仅在垂体中表达。季节表达模式结果表明,雌雄黄颡鱼GtH和LH表达水平在5月份左右达到最高,随后降低; FSH在雌性的表达模式与GtH和LH相同,而在雄性, FSH的表达没有明显变化。半定量RT-PCR结果显示, 100 ng/L的EE2能显著抑制黄颡鱼促性腺激素3个亚基基因的表达。研究认为, EE2抑制黄颡鱼雄性垂体FSH和LH的分泌,可能阻碍其正常的精子发生、精子成熟和排精过程,从而影响其正常的繁殖和发育。       

Molecular cloning of mouse thioredoxin reductases

We screened clones for thioredoxin reductase genes with a degenerate PCR-based strategy and have isolated two novel cDNA clones from a mouse thymocyte cDNA library. These encode two distinct thioredoxin reductases (TrxR1 and TrxR2) with 499 and 527 amino acid (aa) residues and calculated molecular masses of 54.5 kDa and 56.8 kDa respectively. These proteins share 90% and 50% aa sequence identity with those of previously cloned human TrxR, containing the redox-active cysteines, FAD binding domain, and the selenocysteine (SeCys) insertion sequence, which is composed of a putative stem-loop sequence located in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR). TrxR2 showing less homology to human TrxR has a mitochondrial translocation signal and a mitochondrial prepeptide protease cleavage site in the N-terminal domain. Transient expression experiments of each gene as fusion proteins with Xpress-tagged protein in NIH 3T3 cells indicated that TrxR1 was localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm and TrxR2 in the mitochondria. Furthermore, we mapped the TrxR1 gene to chromosome 10 (placed 1.71 cR from D10Mit42, lod>3.0) and the TrxR2 gene to chromosome 16 (placed 22.56 cR from D16Mit34, lod>3.0). Thus, the mouse has at least two distinct nuclear genes for TrxR that have different translocation sites in the cell.     

Cloning and characterization of two processed pseudogenes and the cDNA for the murine U1 snRNP-specific protein C

Genes for the snRNP proteins U1-70K, U1-A, Sm-B′/B, Sm-D1 and Sm-E have been isolated from various metazoan species. The genes for Sm-D1 and Sm-E, which were isolated from a murine and human source respectively, appear to belong to a multigene family. It has been suggested that also for the mammalian U1-C protein such a multigene family exists. With the human U1-C cDNA as a probe, two genes containing sequences homologous to the probe sequence were isolated from a mouse genomic library. Simultaneously, a murine U1-C cDNA was isolated from a mouse cDNA library. This 0.74 kb cDNA contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 477 bp encoding a polypeptide of 159 amino acids (aa) which differs at only one position (position 65) from the human U1-C protein. One of the isolated U1-C genes contains an ORF as well and shares 92% nucleotide sequence identity with the mouse U1-C cDNA. The features of this gene, in particular the absence of introns, the acquisition of a 3′ poly(A) tail and flanking direct repeats, indicate that it represents a processed pseudogene. At the predicted aa sequence level, substitutions of conserved residues at functionally important positions are observed, strongly suggesting that expression of this gene would not lead to a functional polypeptide. The second U1-C gene appeared to be a pseudogene as well because it is also intronless and contains a frameshift mutation compared to the ORF in the mouse U1-C cDNA. The characterization of these two pseudogenes points to the existence of a U1-C multigene family in mice. Furthermore, comparison of aa sequences of the murine, human and Xenopus U1-C shows that the protein is highly conserved through evolution. Since the Xenopus U1-C differs from the two mammalian counterparts solely at a number of positions in the C-terminal region, it can be concluded that aa changes are less well tolerated in the N-terminal region of U1-C than in the rest of the protein.     

Isolation and characterization of chitinases from Verticillium lecanii

Degenerate PCR primers corresponding to conserved domains of fungal chitinases were designed, and PCR was performed on genomic DNA of the entomogenous fungus Verticillium lecanii (Zimmermann) Viegas. Two distinct PCR fragments, chf1 and chf2, were isolated and used to identify two DNA contigs. Analyses of these two contigs revealed that we had obtained the full-length DNA sequence including the promoter, 5' untranslated region, open reading frame (ORF), and 3' untranslated regions for two distinct chitinase-like genes. These two genomic DNA sequences exhibited 51% identity at the amino acid (aa) level and were designed as acidic (chi1) and basic (chi2) chitinase-like genes. The isolated cDNA for chi1 gene is 1110 bp with a predicted protein of 370 aa and molecular mass of 40.93 kDa, and its ORF was uninterrupted in its corresponding genomic DNA sequence. The cDNA for the chi2 gene is 1269 bp, a predicted ORF of 423 aa and molecular mass of 45.95 kDa. In contrast, the ORF was interrupted by three introns in its corresponding genomic DNA. The basic chitinase gene (chi2) was successfully expressed in the Pichia pastoris system; optimum enzymatic activity was observed at 22 degrees C and at pH 7.5. CHI1 and CHI2 were clustered into two different phylogenetic groups according to their sequence alignments with 28 other fungal chitinases. A chitin-binding domain, comprising two sub-domains that exhibit similarities at the aa level to chitin binding domains in bacteria, was identified in 30 fungal chitinase sequences examined.