Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the mouse protein C inhibitor gene

The gene encoding mouse protein C inhibitor (mPCI) was isolated and its nucleotide sequence determined. Alignment of the genomic sequence with that of a cDNA obtained from mouse testis revealed that the mPCI gene (like the human counterpart) is composed of five exons and four introns with highly conserved exon/intron boundaries. It encodes a pre-polypeptide of 405 amino acids, which shows 63% identity with human PCI (hPCI). The putative reactive site is identical to that of hPCI from P5 to P3′, suggesting a similar protease specificity. Also the putative heparin binding sites and `hinge' regions are highly homologous in mouse and hPCI.     

Molecular cloning and analysis of the mouse gicerin gene

Gicerin is a cell adhesion molecule, which has five immunoglobulin-like loop structures in an extracellular domain followed by a single transmembrane domain and a short cytoplasmic tail. We have reported that gicerin participates in neurite extension and structural organization of the nervous system, and its expression in the nervous system is high during the development and dramatically decreased after birth. To elucidate the mechanism how the expression of gicerin is regulated, we performed a genomic cloning of a mouse gicerin. A fragment of 16 kbp genomic clone contained 8 kbp gicerin gene composed of 16 exons with 6 kbp upstream region. Genomic cloning revealed that two isoforms of gicerin were generated by an alternative splicing of exon 15 results in cytoplasmic domains composed of either 63 or 21 amino acids. As for an expressional regulation of gicerin, we found that the mRNA content of gicerin in PC12 cells was regulated by cAMP. Quantitative-PCR analysis revealed that forskolin induced four-fold increase of gicerin mRNA. To characterize the involvement of its promoter region, we examined the promoter activity in PC12 cells by a luciferase-reporter assay. We found that a CRE site located at 60 bp upstream of gicerin gene was responsible for the increase of its mRNA induced by forskolin.     

丽蝇蛹集金小蜂气味结合蛋白基因的克隆与序列分析

利用RACE技术,首次从丽蝇蛹集金小蜂Nasonia vitripennis中克隆获得一个气味结合蛋白全长cDNA序列.该基因全长553 bp,开放阅读框411 bp,3'和5'端非编码序列分别为13 bp和129 bp.其推导的氨基酸序列编码136个氨基酸,推测编码蛋白质的分子量为15.4 kDa,等电点为8.76.同源性比对分析发现,丽蝇蛹集金小蜂气味结合蛋白基因与现已报道的其它昆虫气味结合蛋白基因在氨基酸水平上的相似性均低于30%,拥有6个保守半胱氨酸位点等气味结合蛋白所具有的典型特征.系统进化树分析表明,丽蝇蛹集金小蜂气味结合蛋白与意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera气味结合蛋白2,3,4,5,6,7,8和12聚为同一族,与意大利蜜蜂气味结合蛋白5,6和8的进化程度最近.RT-PCR分析表明,丽蝇蛹集金小蜂气味结合蛋白基因不仅在雌、雄成虫触角中高度表达,而且在头部和足中有微弱表达.     

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of prion protein gene in Xiji donkey in China

Prion diseases are a group of human and animal neurodegenerative disorders caused by the deposition of an abnormal isoform prion protein (PrP^Sc) encoded by a single copy prion protein gene (PRNP). Prion disease has been reported in many herbivores but not in Equus and the species barrier might be playing a role in resistance of these species to the disease. Therefore, analysis of genotype of prion protein (PrP) in these species may help understand the transmission of the disease. Xiji donkey is a rare species of Equus not widely reared in Ningxia, China, for service, food and medicine, but its PRNP has not been studied. Based on the reported PrP sequence in GenBank we designed primers and amplified, cloned and sequenced the PRNP of Xiji donkey. The sequence analysis showed that the Xiji donkey PRNP was consisted of an open reading frame of 768 nucleotides encoding 256 amino acids. Amino acid residues unique to donkey as compared with some Equus animals, mink, cow, sheep, human, dog, sika deer, rabbit and hamster were identified. The results showed that the amino acid sequence of Xiji donkey PrP starts with the consensus sequence MVKSH, with almost identical amino acid sequence to the PrP of other Equus species in this study. Amino acid sequence analysis showed high identity within species and close relation to the PRNP of sika deer, sheep, dog, camel, cow, mink, rabbit and hamster with 83.1–99.7% identity. The results provided the PRNP data for an additional Equus species, which should be useful to the study of the prion disease pathogenesis, resistance and cross species transmission.     

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the streptavidin gene.

Using synthetic oligonucleotides as probes we have cloned the streptavidin gene from a genomic library of Streptomyces avidinii. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that a 2 Kb DNA-fragment contained the entire coding region, a signal peptide region and the 3' and 5' flanking regions of the gene. The deduced amino acid sequence shows several interrupted blocks of homology with the amino acid sequence of chicken egg-white avidin. Analysis of the secondary structure suggests a high content of beta-structure in both proteins and considerable overall structural similarity between them.     

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD1 gene.

We have screened a yeast genomic library for complementation of the UV sensitivity of mutants defective in the RAD1 gene and isolated a plasmid designated pNF1000 with an 8.9-kilobase insert. This multicopy plasmid quantitatively complemented the UV sensitivity of two rad1 mutants tested but did not affect the UV resistance of other rad mutants. The location of the UV resistance function in pNF1000 was determined by deletion analysis, and an internal fragment of the putative RAD1 gene was integrated into the genome of a RAD1 strain. Genetic analysis of several integrants showed that integration occurred at the chromosomal RAD1 site, demonstrating that the internal fragment was derived from the RAD1 gene. A 3.88-kilobase region of pNF1000 was sequenced and showed the presence of a small open reading frame 243 nucleotides long that is apparently unrelated to RAD1, as well as a 2,916-nucleotide larger open reading frame presumed to encode RAD1 protein. Depending on which of two possible ATG codons initiates translation, the size of the RAD1 protein is calculated at 110 or 97 kilodaltons.     

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of an endo-inulinase gene from Arthrobacter sp.

A 3.0-kb DNA fragment containing an endo-inulinase gene was cloned from Arthrobacter sp. S37. It contained a single open reading frame of 2439 bp, encoding a polypeptide composed of signal peptide of 53 amino acids and mature protein of 759 amino acids. From the comparison with amino acids sequences of fructan hydrolases and invertase, five highly conserved regions including the -fructosidase motif were found. The sequence of the endo-inulinase had the identity in the range of 13.3% to 16.0%.     

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of full-length cDNA coding for mouse contrapsin

Four overlapping cDNA clones encoding contrapsin were isolated from a mouse liver cDNA library constructed in the expression vector, lambda gt11. M13 vector sequence analysis revealed that contrapsin cDNA contained an open reading frame of 1,254 bases encoding 418 amino acids. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the isolated contrapsin matched residues 30 to 48 of the sequence deduced on nucleotide analysis. One clone, which had the longest 3' untranslated region, contained two sets of tandem polyadenylation signals, AATACA and AATAAA, which were located 497 bases apart, while the remaining three clones terminated at the first signal. The entire reading frame sequence of contrapsin cDNA showed 64% homology with that of human alpha-1-antichymotrypsin.     

Molecular cloning of the mouse angiotensinogen gene

We describe here the cloning, restriction mapping, and sequencing of the mouse angiotensinogen gene. The 5' flanking region contains consensus sequences for several hormone-responsive elements and viral-like enhancers within 750 bp of the cap site. The deduced amino acid sequence shows 87% identity with rat angiotensinogen, but there is a discrepancy in the number of cysteine residues in the mature protein among rat (n = 3), human (n = 4), and mouse (n = 4). Because angiotensinogen is homologous to other members of the serine protease inhibitor family, we aligned the putative reactive center of angiotensinogens from various species. This alignment shows that the inhibitor site in human angiotensinogen is different from its rodent counterpart, but the role of this sequence divergence in the pathogenesis of human disease remains to be established.     

Molecular cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of the yeast alcohol acetyltransferase gene.

The ATF1 gene, which encodes alcohol acetyltransferase (AATase), was cloned from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and brewery lager yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum). The nucleotide sequence of the ATF1 gene isolated from S. cerevisiae was determined. The structural gene consists of a 1,575-bp open reading frame that encodes 525 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 61,059. Although the yeast AATase is considered a membrane-bound enzyme, the results of a hydrophobicity analysis suggested that this gene product does not have a membrane-spanning region that is significantly hydrophobic. A Southern analysis of the yeast genomes in which the ATF1 gene was used as a probe revealed that S. cerevisiae has one ATF1 gene, while brewery lager yeast has one ATF1 gene and another, homologous gene (Lg-ATF1). Transformants carrying multiple copies of the ATF1 gene or the Lg-ATF1 gene exhibited high AATase activity in static cultures and produced greater concentrations of acetate esters than the control.     

Molecular cloning and analysis of the CRY1 gene: a yeast ribosomal protein gene.

Using cloned DNA from the vicinity of the yeast mating type locus (MAT) as a probe, the wild type allele of the cryptopleurine resistance gene CRY1 has been isolated by the technique of chromosome walking and has been shown to be identical to the gene for ribosomal protein 59. A recessive cryR1 allele has also been cloned, using the integration excision method. The genetic distance from MAT to CRY1 is 2.2 cM, while the physical distance is 21 kb, giving a ratio of about 10 kb/cM for this interval. The phenotypic expression of both plasmid borne alleles of the gene can be detected in vivo. The use of this gene as a hybridization probe to examine RNA processing defects in the rna 2, rna 3, rna 4, rna 8, and rna 11 mutants is also discussed.