Primary structure of the ovine pituitary follitropin beta-subunit.

The complete amino acids sequence of the ovine pituitary follitropin beta-subunit was established by studying the tryptic, chymotryptic and thermolytic peptides. The N-terminal sequence of the subunit was confirmed by subjecting the oxidated protein to Edman degradation in an automated sequenator. Automated Edman degradation of the reduced and alkylated (with iodo [14C]acetamide) beta-subunit indicated that most of the molecules used in the sequence studies had lost the N-terminal serine residue. This also confirmed the location of the first five half-cystine residues in the sequence. The proposed structure shows the presence of 111 amino acid residues with the two oligosaccharide moieties linked to asparagine residues located at positions 6 and 23. Heterogeneity occurs at both the termini of the polypeptide chain. Comparison of the sequence of beta-subunit of the ovine hormone with that proposed for human follitropin beta-subunit shows the absence of any deletions in the middle of the peptide chain. Of the 13 replacements, 11 residues can be explained on the basis of a single base change in the codon. The single tryptophan residue of the follitropin occupies an identical position in all the four species that have been studied. The region corresponding to residues 63-105 of the ovine beta-subunit is highly conserved in all the species.     

Primary structure of ovine apolipoprotein C-II and the production of antibodies directed towards a synthetic fragment (residues 46-59).

Two distinct activator proteins for lipoprotein lipase were isolated from ovine plasma and purified to homogeneity by reverse phase HPLC. The two proteins were partially sequenced (up to residue 59) and the results show that they are identical except that 6 residues were missing from the N-terminal of the smaller protein. The complete sequence of the proteins has been deduced from amino acid composition studies and by comparison with the sequence information available from other species. Antibodies were produced in BALB/c mice to a synthetic peptide corresponding to a highly hydrophilic region (residues 46-59) of the activator protein. The antibodies cross-reacted with the two forms of activator and with ovine lipoproteins. This work with a synthetic fragment of ovine activator protein confirms that the technique is useful for investigating antibody production and specificity directed against native lipoproteins.     

Sequence and immunological characterisation of ovine pancreatic lipase

Purified ovine pancreatic lipase has been subjected to a limited protein sequence analysis. Cyanogen bromide fragments from the molecule were isolated and characterised to enable the structure of the molecule to be mapped. Some tryptic peptides were also isolated, sequenced, and aligned by homology to lipase sequences from other species. A total of 172 residues out of a possible 456 have been assigned, including 45 residues at the N-terminus and 10 residues at the C-terminus of the protein. A polyclonal antibody has been prepared to ovine lipase which has been characterised by Ouchterlony immunodiffusion and by Western blotting experiments. These experiments showed that the ovine pancreatic lipase was immunologically different from the ovine hepatic and lingual lipase, whereas there was considerable immunological similarity amongst ovine, bovine and rabbit pancreatic lipase, but less with porcine pancreatic lipase.     

Cloning, expression and characterization of ovine interleukins 1 alpha and beta.

Ovine interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) c-DNA, obtained by polymerase chain reaction, has been cloned into pTZ18R and pTZ19R. The resulting DNA sequence shows close homology with the bovine sequence. The derived amino-acid sequence shows conserved motifs similar to those observed in all species studied so far. No signal peptide is seen. Northern blots of RNA from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated ovine alveolar macrophages show IL-1 beta m-RNA to be produced earlier than and to be more transient than IL-1 alpha m-RNA. c-DNAs coding for the IL-1 alpha proprotein and IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta mature proteins have been cloned and expressed in the yeast Ty-VLP system as fusion proteins. The resultant IL-1 protein preparations, cleaved from their fusion partners by the action of activated coagulation Factor Xa, are 80-95% pure and show biological activity in standard thymocyte co-mitogen and cartilage degradation assays for IL-1. Some species specificity is observed in that sheep thymocytes are more responsive to ovine rIL-1 than are mouse thymocytes. The presence of a Factor Xa cleavage site in the IL-1 alpha proprotein suggests that Factor Xa may be involved in the processing of ovine IL-1 alpha to its mature form.     

Cloning, sequence and expression in Escherichia coli of cDNA for ovine pregrowth hormone

cDNA prepared from mRNA from ovine anterior pituitary glands was cloned in Escherichia coli and the sequence of a clone encoding the full coding sequence of ovine pregrowth hormone (preGH) determined. The predicted sequence for ovine GH agrees with that determined previously on the protein, except that residue 99 is asparagine rather than aspartic acid. The cDNA sequence also accords with one of the two genomic sequences for the ovine GH gene that have been reported. Expression plasmids using trp and lac promoters were constructed which allowed expression at low levels of ovine preGH in E. coli, as detected by immunoblotting and immunoassay.     

The sheep genome contributes to localization of control elements in a human gene with complex regulatory mechanisms

Genes that show complex tissue-specific and temporal control by regulatory elements located outside their promoters present a considerable challenge to identify the sequences involved. The rapid accumulation of genomic sequence information for a number of species has enabled a comparative phylogenetic approach to find important regulatory elements. For some genes, which show a similar pattern of expression in humans and rodents, genomic sequence information for these two species may be sufficient. Others, such as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, show significant divergence in expression patterns between mouse and human, necessitating phylogenetic approaches involving additional species. The ovine CFTR gene has a temporal and spatial expression pattern that is very similar to that of human CFTR. Comparative genomic sequence analysis of ovine and human CFTR identified high levels of homology between the core elements in several potential regulatory elements defined as DNase I hypersensitive sites in human CFTR. These data provide a case for the power of an artiodactyl genome to contribute to the understanding of human genetic disease.     

Characterisation and developmental potential of ovine bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells

Since discovery, significant interest has been generated in the potential application of mesenchymal stem cells or multipotential stromal cells (MSC) for tissue regeneration and repair, due to their proliferative and multipotential capabilities. Although the sheep is often used as a large animal model for translating potential therapies for musculoskeletal injury and repair, the characteristics of MSC from ovine bone marrow have been inadequately described. Histological and gene expression studies have previously shown that ovine MSC share similar properties with human and rodents MSC, including their capacity for clonogenic growth and multiple stromal lineage differentiation. In the present study, ovine bone marrow derived MSCs positively express cell surface markers associated with MSC such as CD29, CD44 and CD166, and lacked expression of CD14, CD31 and CD45. Under serum‐deprived conditions, proliferation of MSC occurred in response to EGF, PDGF, FGF‐2, IGF‐1 and most significantly TGF‐α. While subcutaneous transplantation of ovine MSC in association with a ceramic HA/TCP carrier into immunocomprimised mice resulted in ectopic osteogenesis, adipogenesis and haematopoietic‐support activity, transplantation of these cells within a gelatin sponge displayed partial chondrogenesis. The comprehensive characterisation of ovine MSC described herein provides important information for future translational studies involving ovine MSC. J. Cell. Physiol. 219: 324–333, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Cell wall peptidolipids of Mycobacterium avium: from genetic prediction to exact structure of a nonribosomal peptide

Mycobacteria have a complex cell wall structure that includes many lipids; however, even within a single subspecies of Mycobacterium avium these lipids can differ. Total lipids from an M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) ovine strain (S‐type) contained no identifiable glycopeptidolipids or lipopentapeptide (L5P), yet both lipids are present in other M. avium subspecies. We determined the genetic and phenotypic basis for this difference using sequence analysis as well as biochemical and physico‐chemical approaches. This strategy showed that a nonribosomal peptide synthase, encoded by mps1, contains three amino acid specifying modules in ovine strains, compared to five modules in bovine strains (C‐type). Sequence analysis predicted these modules would produce the tripeptide Phe‐N‐Methyl‐Val‐Ala with a lipid moiety, termed lipotripeptide (L3P). Comprehensive physico‐chemical analysis of Map S397 extracts confirmed the structural formula of the native L3P as D‐Phe‐N‐Methyl‐L‐Val‐L‐Ala‐OMe attached in N‐ter to a 20‐carbon fatty acid chain. These data demonstrate that S‐type strains, which are more adapted in sheep, produce a unique lipid. There is a dose‐dependent effect observed for L3P on upregulation of CD25+ CD8 T cells from infected cows, while L5P effects were static. In contrast, L5P demonstrated a significantly stronger induction of CD25+ B cells from infected animals compared to L3P.     

Alternative Nonallelic Deletion Is Constitutive of Ruminant αs1-Casein

Multiple forms of α_s1-casein were identified in the four major ruminant species by structural characterization of the protein fraction. While α_s1-casein phenotypes were constituted by a mixture of at least seven molecular forms in ovine and caprine species, there were only two forms in bovine and water buffalo species. In ovine and caprine forms the main component corresponded to the 199-residue-long form, and the deleted proteins differed from the complete one by the absence of peptides 141–148, 110–117, or Gln78, or a combination of such deletions. The deleted segments corresponded to the sequence regions encoded by exons 13 and 16, and by the first triplet of exon 11 (CAG), suggesting that the occurrence of the short protein forms is due to alternative skipping, as previously demonstrated for some caprine and ovine phenotypes. The alternative deletion of Gln78 in α_s1-casein, the only form common to the milk of all the species examined and located in a sequence region joining the polar phosphorylation cluster and the hydrophobic C-terminal domain of the protein, may play a functional role in the stabilization of the milk micelle structure.     

Structural basis for the species selectivity of a fibrin-specific monoclonal antibody

The structural determinant underlying the species specificity of a monoclonal anti-fibrin antibody (59D8) is the leucyl residue at position 5 in beta-chains of human fibrin. Anti-fibrin antibody 59D8 which had been elicited by immunization with human beta(1-7) peptide, Gly-His-Arg-Pro-Leu-Asp-Lys, binds to human and canine fibrins but not to bovine, ovine, or porcine fibrins. A comparison of the available amino acid sequence data suggested that the ability of anti-fibrin antibody 59D8 to discriminate among various fibrin beta-chains might be due to the amino acid at position 5. This was confirmed by competitive inhibition studies using synthetic fibrin-like peptides and determination of the amino acid sequences of the N-termini of ovine and porcine fibrin beta-chains. Edman degradation employing o-phthalaldehyde blocking permitted use of fibrin monomer rather than its separated constituent polypeptide chains. The same sequencing strategy was used to obtain partial sequence data for the alpha-chains of bovine, ovine, and porcine fibrin.     

Molecular cloning, expression pattern and chromosomal mapping of pig CD9 antigen

CD9 is a member of the transmembrane-4 superfamily of surface molecules that seems to have a relevant role in cell migration and adhesion, as well as malignant progression. This work describes the isolation of the cDNA coding for the porcine CD9 molecule. Pig CD9 cDNA was isolated from a smooth muscle cDNA library and contains a 678-bp open reading frame with its predicted polypeptide sequence of 226 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence conserves the main characteristics of TM4 proteins, including the presence of four transmembrane domains. Like their homologous molecules from other species, pig CD9 has two extracellular regions of a different size with the minor loop bearing two possible glycosylation sites. The pig CD9 gene was localized to chromosome 5q25 by using a somatic cell hybrid panel. Analysis of CD9 expression in different porcine cells and tissues demonstrated that CD9 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed.     

Sequence of the cDNA encoding ovine tumor necrosis factor-alpha: problems with cloning by inverse PCR.

We have cloned and sequenced the ovine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-encoding cDNA, using gene amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, to aid studies of assorted diseases in this species. We used primers selected from published TnfA sequences of other species on a cDNA template prepared from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated ovine alveolar macrophages, to generate a product representing the central region of the molecule. We then used a novel method based on 'inverse PCR' to generate a product containing the 5' and 3' ends of the molecule. Here, we present the complete sequence of the ovine TNF-alpha cDNA and compare it with other published TNF sequences. The cloned cDNA has a leader sequence of 156 bp followed by a protein-coding sequence of 702 bp and a 3'-untranslated region of 800 bp. The protein product of the gene is a protein of Mr = 25,586, 79% homologous to human TNF-alpha. An mRNA produced by alveolar macrophages, which hybridises to the cloned gene, is induced greatly, with a peak induction time of approx. 135 min, in response to stimulation by lipopolysaccharide and to plating on plastic. We also discuss the resolution of some artefacts of the inverse PCR technique.     

Molecular cloning of HSP70 in Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and comparison with that of other mycoplasmas

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, a bacterial species that specifically affects ovine and goat, is the cause of ovine infectious pleuropneumonia. We cloned, sequenced and analyzed heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) (dnaK) gene of M. ovipneumoniae. The full length open reading frame of the M. ovipneumoniae HSP70 gene consists of 1812 nucleotides, with a G+C content of 34.16%, encoding 604 amino acids. Comparative analysis with the HSP70 sequences of 15 Mycoplasma species revealed 59 to 87% DNA sequence identity, with an amino acid sequence identity range of 58 to 94%. M. ovipneumoniae and M. hyopneumoniae shared the highest DNA and amino acid sequence identity (87 and 94%, respectively). Based on phylogenetic analysis, both the DNA and amino acid identities of M. ovipneumoniae with other mycoplasmal HSP70 were correlated with the degree of relationship between the species. The C-terminus of the HSP70 was cloned into a bacterial expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. The recombinant C-terminal portion of HSP70 protein strongly reacted with convalescent sera from M. ovipneumoniae-infected sheep, based on an immunoblotting assay. This indicates that HSP70 is immunogenic in a natural M. ovipneumoniae infection and may be a relevant antigen for vaccine development.     

Structural aspects of the plasminogen of various species

The N-terminal amino acid sequence of equine, ovine, canine, goat and rabbit plasminogen were determined and compared with those already known of the human, bovine, porcine and feline molecule. Furthermore, the kringle 4 domains of equine, ovine, canine and goat plasminogen, prepared by limited cleavage with elastase, were sequenced and compared with the known species of human, bovine, porcine and chicken plasminogen. Homology with the human kringle 4 ranges between 73% (chicken) and 90% (bovine). Comparison of sequences, fragmentation patterns with elastase and adsorption on lysine-Bio-Gel suggests the same structural and functional domains in the animal species as in human plasminogen.     

Elephant prolactin: isolation and characterization

Prolactin was isolated from anterior lobes of elephant pituitary glands. It consisted of 199 amino acids with three disulfide bridges and two tryptophan residues as found in prolactin from other species. The sequence of the NH2-terminal 28 amino acids was determined and shown homologous with the ovine hormone. In comparison with ovine prolactin, a marked difference was seen in the methionine content; the elephant hormone possessed only 18-34% lactogenic potency. The conformation of elephant prolactin was examined by zero order, second order and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The alpha helical content was estimated to be about 60%. In comparison with prolactins from other species, the second order spectra of elephant prolactin suggest that the local microenvironment for one or both tryptophan residues is somewhat different.     

Assignment of the growth hormone gene locus to 19q26-qter in cattle and to 11q25-qter in sheep by in situ hybridization

The growth hormone gene locus (GH) of cattle and sheep was mapped to a chromosomal region in each species by using in situ hybridization. The probe employed was an 830-bp cDNA sequence from the ovine growth hormone gene. Based on QFQ chromosome preparations, our results show that the GH locus is on cattle chromosome 19 in the region of bands q26-qter and in sheep on chromosome region 11q25-qter. The GH assignments together with previous localizations of type I cytokeratin genes (KRTA) and one homeobox (HOX2) gene in cattle and one type I cytokeratin gene (KRTA) in sheep identify a strongly conserved chromosomal segment on human chromosome 17, bovine chromosome 19, and sheep chromosome 11.     

Complete amino acid sequence of ovine salivary carbonic anhydrase

The primary structure of the secreted carbonic anhydrase from ovine salivary glands has been determined by automated Edman sequence analysis of peptides generated by cyanogen bromide and tryptic cleavage of the protein and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, trypsin, and alpha-chymotrypsin subdigests of the large cyanogen bromide peptides. The enzyme is a single polypeptide chain comprising 307 amino acids and contains two apparent sites of carbohydrate attachment at Asn-50 and Asn-239. The protein contains two half-cystine residues at 25 and 207 which appear to form an intramolecular disulfide bond. Salivary carbonic anhydrase shows 33% sequence identity with the ovine cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrase II enzyme, with residues involved in the active site highly conserved. Compared to the cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrases, the secreted enzyme has a carboxyl-terminal extension of 45 amino acids. This is the first report of the complete amino acid sequence of a secreted carbonic anhydrase (CA VI).