Rat liver beta-glucuronidase. cDNA cloning, sequence comparisons and expression of a chimeric protein in COS cells.

A cDNA for rat liver beta-glucuronidase was isolated, its sequence determined and its expression after transfection into COS cells studied. The deduced amino acid sequence of the rat liver clone showed 77% homology with that from the cDNA for human placental beta-glucuronidase and 47% homology with that deduced from the cDNA for Escherichia coli beta-glucuronidase. Several differences were found between the cDNA from rat liver and that previously reported from rat preputial gland. Only one change leads to an amino acid difference in the mature enzyme. A chimeric clone was constructed by using a fragment encoding the first 18 amino acid residues of the signal sequence from the human placental cDNA clone and a fragment from the rat clone encoding four amino acid residues of the signal sequence, all 626 amino acid residues of the mature rat enzyme, and all of the 3' untranslated region. After transfection into COS cells the chimeric clone expressed beta-glucuronidase activity that was specifically immunoprecipitated by antibody to rat beta-glucuronidase. The Mr value of 76,000 of the expressed gene product was characteristic of the glycosylated rat enzyme. It was proteolytically processed in COS cells to Mr 75,000 6 h after metabolic labelling. At least 50% of the expressed enzyme was secreted at 60 h post-transfection, but the secreted enzyme did not undergo proteolytic processing. These results provide evidence that the partial cDNA isolated from a rat liver library contains the complete coding sequence for the mature rat liver enzyme and that the chimeric signal sequence allows normal biosynthesis and processing of the transfected rat liver enzyme in COS cells.     

Molecular cloning of cDNA for argininosuccinate lyase of rat liver

A cDNA expression library constructed from poly(A)+ RNA of rat liver was screened immunologically using an antibody against argininosuccinate lyase (EC 4.3.2.1), a urea cycle enzyme, of rat liver. A cDNA clone was isolated and identified by hybrid-selected translation. The clone contained an insert approximately 1.5 kilobase pairs in length. In the bacterial clone, a specific protein of Mr = about 25,000 was expressed. The argininosuccinate lyase mRNA of about 2.1 kilobases long was detected in the liver and in a lesser amount in the kidney and spleen, but not in the small intestine and heart of the rats.     

Isolation of a cDNA clone for rat liver 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase

A cDNA clone for rat liver 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase was isolated from a lambda gt11 rat liver expression library by antibody screening. The clone was approximately 1100 bases in length and the derived amino acid sequence contained 303 residues at the carboxyl end of the subunit. This derived amino acid sequence corresponded exactly with the actual amino acid sequence of the enzyme determined by direct sequencing of the protein.     

Isolation and sequence analysis of a complementary DNA encoding rat liver L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase, a key enzyme for L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis

L-Gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase, one of the microsomal flavin enzymes, catalyzes the last step of L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis in many animals; however, it is missing in scurvy-prone animals such as humans, primates, and guinea pigs. A cDNA clone for this enzyme was isolated by screening a rat liver cDNA expression library in lambda gt11 using antibody directed against the enzyme. The cDNA clone contained 2120 nucleotides and an open reading frame of 1320 nucleotides encoding 440 amino acids of the protein with a molecular weight of 50,605. The amino-terminal sequence (residues 1-33) of the enzyme isolated from rat liver completely coincided with the corresponding part of the deduced amino acid sequence. The identity of the cDNA clone was further confirmed by the agreement of the composition of the deduced amino acids with that determined by amino acid analysis of the enzyme. Hydropathy analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed several hydrophobic regions, suggesting that they anchor the protein into the microsomal membrane. The deduced amino acid sequence showed no obvious homology with the flavin-binding regions of other eight flavoenzymes.     

Molecular cloning of cDNA for rat liver lipoate acetyltransferase a component of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

One cDNA clone for lipoate acetyltransferase, a component enzyme of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, was isolated from a rat liver cDNA library prepared in the phage expression vector λgt11 using immunological screening with affinity purified anti-lipoate acetyltransferase antibody. It was identified that cDNA insert in this clone codes for lipoate acetyltransferase by immunoblotting of lysogen carrying the isolated clone. Lipoate acetyltransferase antigenic polypeptide in fusion protein was about 11,000 daltons, agreeing with the size of cDNA insert to be 300 base pairs.     

Isolation and characterization of a cDNA for rat liver cysteine dioxygenase

Cysteine dioxygenase is a key enzyme of cysteine metabolism in mammals. The cDNA clones for rat liver cysteine dioxygenase were isolated by immunological screening and plaque hybridization from a rat liver cDNA library. The longest clone contained an insert of 1458 bp and encoded a polypeptide of 200 amino acids. The clone included the corresponding nucleotide sequence to amino acid sequences obtained from four lysyl endopeptidase-digested fragments of purified rat liver cysteine dioxygenase. The calculated molecular weight of rat liver cysteine dioxygenase was 23,025. Northern blot analysis revealed a single cysteine dioxygenase mRNA species of about 1.7 kb. A computer homology search indicated that this protein showed no homology with any known protein.     

Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of cDNA for arginase of rat liver

A cDNA expression library constructed in a plasmid pUC8 from poly(A)+ RNA of rat liver was screened immunologically, using an antibody against arginase of rat liver. A cDNA clone was isolated and identified by hybrid-selected translation. The clone contained an insert approximately 1.35 kilobase pairs in length. In the bacterial clone, we detected a specific protein of Mr = about 43,000 that is slightly larger than the purified arginase (Mr = about 40,000) and a high activity of arginase was expressed. The arginase mRNA species of about 1600 bases long was detected in the liver, but not in the small intestine, kidney, spleen and heart of the rats.     

Molecular cloning of a cDNA for the E1 alpha subunit of rat liver branched chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase

We have isolated a cDNA encoding the branched chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase E1 alpha subunit. A rat liver lambda gt11 expression library was screened with antibody reactive with the 2-oxoisovalerate dehydrogenase (lipoamide) component. A positive clone, lambda BZ304, contains a 1.7-kilobase pair cDNA insert with a 1323-base pair open reading frame. Translation of the open reading frame predicts the 24 residues of the previously reported phosphorylation sites 1 and 2 for the bovine kidney and rabbit heart enzymes. The N-terminal sequence of purified E1 alpha was determined, and this sequence was found 40 residues from the beginning of the deduced peptide sequence. Northern blots of rat liver and muscle RNA demonstrate a single mRNA species of approximately 1.8 kilobase pairs in each tissue, suggesting that this cDNA is nearly full length.     

Molecular cloning of cDNA for cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase from rat liver microsomes. Nucleotide sequence and expression

A complete cDNA clone encoding cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase was isolated from a rat liver cDNA library by the use of specific antibodies to the enzyme. The isolated cDNA clone was 3.6 kbp long and contained a 1509-bp open reading frame encoding 503 amino acid residues (Mr = 56,880). The identity of the cDNA was confirmed by expression of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity and the immunoreactive protein in COS cells transfected with pSVL expression vector carrying the cDNA insert. The primary structure of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA indicated that the enzyme constitutes a novel P-450 family.     

The flavin-containing monooxygenase expressed in pig liver: primary sequence, distribution, and evidence for a single gene

The primary sequence of the flavin-containing monooxygenase expressed in pig liver has been derived from the nucleotide sequence of cloned cDNA. The derived sequence is composed of 532 amino acids and represents a protein having a molecular weight of 58,952. The complete sequence was obtained from a single clone containing 2070 bases. A second clone, obtained from an independent library, yielded an identical sequence for the 1374 bases present. The amino acid composition compiled from the derived sequence is very similar to that obtained previously from the purified protein. In addition, a 10 amino acid sequence in a peptide formed from the purified protein by digestion with V8 protease exactly matches the derived sequence for residues 309-318. The flavin-containing monooxygenase expressed in pig liver is also expressed in pig lung and kidney as determined by analysis of both microsomal proteins and mRNA. The ratio of mRNA to protein for the enzyme in kidney is about 5 times greater than the same ratio for liver and about twice the ratio for lung. The reasons for these differences are not understood. Southern analysis of genomic DNA indicates that there is a single gene encoding the flavin-containing monooxygenase expressed in pig liver. Therefore, the broad activity of this enzyme in liver appears to be the result of the catalytic diversity of a single protein.     

Cloning and characterization of DNA complementary to rat liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferase mRNA

UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (transferase) clones were isolated from a cDNA bank constructed in pBR322 using transferase-enriched mRNA from the livers of phenobarbital-treated rats. The enrichment of mRNA was accomplished by polysome immunoadsorption with antibody to purified mouse liver transferase. This antibody was shown to bind specifically to rat transferase by Ouchterlony double diffusion analysis, immunoadsorption of glucuronidating activities, and selective inhibition of the immunoadsorption of in vitro synthesized enzyme by purified rat liver transferase. The isolated clones were verified to contain DNA complementary to transferase mRNA by hybrid translation-selection. Three classes of transferase cDNAs were characterized by restriction endonuclease mapping, and the largest insert-containing clone of each class was designated pUDPGTr-1, pUDPGTr-2, and pUDPGTr-3. Their insert sizes were approximately 2,400, 2,000, and 2,000 bp, respectively. All three cDNAs hybridized with a 2,300 +/- 150 bp mRNA, and each selected the translation of a 52,000-dalton polypeptide. Immunoadsorption of the 35S-labeled translation product could be competitively inhibited in each case by the addition of purified rat liver transferase. pUDPGTr-1 and pUDPGTr-3 inserts shared extensive sequence homology. This was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis using purified inserts and electron microscopic heteroduplex analysis. Southern blot analysis revealed that these cDNAs hybridized to overlapping genomic fragments. pUDPGTr-2 shared less sequence homology with the other two classes of cDNAs, based on the above criteria. In addition, mRNA corresponding to pUDPGTr-2 was elevated 5-fold by phenobarbital treatment, whereas the other mRNAs levels were unaffected. These studies demonstrate that in rat liver there are a minimum of three distinct transferase mRNAs, two of which may be associated with a common gene or gene family.     

Human gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase cDNA: comparison of hepatoma and kidney mRNA in the human and rat

gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is a glutathione-metabolizing enzyme that has been extensively studied in relation to hepatocarcinogenesis. Using a cDNA for rat kidney GGT as a probe, we have isolated a full-length cDNA for human GGT from a hepatoma cell-line library. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the clone revealed a 2326-bp insert that includes a 5'-untranslated region of 487 nucleotides (nt), an open reading frame (ORF) of 1707 nt, and a 3'-untranslated region of 132 nt. The ORF encodes a protein with an amino acid sequence that is highly similar to that of the rat GGT precursor peptide, with an overall identity of 79%. The cDNA clone was used to probe Northern blots of hepatoma and kidney RNA from both human and rat. In both species, the GGT mRNA is longer in hepatoma than in kidney. In addition, the human mRNAs were longer than their counterparts in the rat. None of three human hepatocellular carcinomas examined showed a marked elevation in GGT mRNA levels relative to surrounding liver tissue.     

Cloning of metallothionein cDNA from neonatal rat liver

A metallothionein cDNA clone was isolated from a cDNA bank prepared from neonatal r a t liver poly(A)-containing RNA by a colony screening procedure using [³²P]cDNA probes prepared from mRNA of either metal-induced or uninduced rat livers. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this clone showed that it contained the entire 3' untranslated region and 30% of the coding sequence for a rat metallothionein. The sequence is remarkably homologous with the mouse metallothionein-I gene.     

Complete nucleotide sequence coding for rat liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase derived from a cDNA clone

cDNA clones for 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase were isolated from rat liver expression libraries in lambda gt11 by antibody, oligonucleotide, and cDNA screening. One 1860 bp long clone contained a full-length nucleotide sequence coding for the 470 amino acids of each of the two identical subunits of the bifunctional enzyme. This clone also contained untranslated sequences, one 173 bp long upstream from the ATG start codon and one 271 bp long downstream from the TGA stop codon. The clone was terminated by a poly(A) tail of 29 nucleotides.     

Isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone encoding rat nucleoside diphosphate kinase

A cDNA clone for cytosolic nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase was isolated from a cDNA library of rat skeletal muscle using synthetic oligonucleotides as probes. The clone constitutes a 621-base pair cDNA sequence including the 456-base pair coding region and 137-base pair 3'-untranslated one with polyadenylation site. The complete primary structure of NDP kinase was deduced from the coding sequence. An NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis suggested that the translated enzyme protein suffered proteolytic cleavage followed by modification at the alpha-NH2 group of the newly produced NH2-terminal amino acid residue. Taking this into account, it was tentatively concluded that the mature NDP kinase consists of 147 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 16,724. Northern blot hybridization analysis showed that NDP kinase mRNA could be detected in total RNA fractions of brain, spleen, heart, lung, liver, kidney, testis as well as skeletal muscle, and that there was no difference in the size of mRNAs from these tissues. Tissue distribution of the mRNA nearly paralleled those of protein moiety and activity of the enzyme.     

The rat kidney acylase 1. Evidence for a new cDNA form and comparisons with the porcine intestinal enzyme

A new cDNA form encoding the rat kidney acylase I was characterized and found to show as much as 93.5% identity in its translated nucleotide sequence and, to a lesser extent, in its 3'-untranslated region with the nucleotide sequence we previously reported in 2000. Comparisons between the amino acid sequences of the two corresponding proteins showed the presence of N-terminal fragments with 88.5% identity and different cysteine profiles. The cDNA nucleotide sequence of the pig intestinal enzyme isolated from a marathon library turned out to be 100% identical to that of the kidney enzyme, but differed from those of the two rat kidney acylase I forms.     

Isolation of a human liver ligandin cDNA clone and demonstration of sequence homology at ligandin loci in rats and humans

Using a monospecific antibody to the major cytosolic glutathione-S-transferase of human liver, we have isolated a cDNA clone from a human liver cDNA expression vector library in lambda gt11. The clone cross-hybridizes with a rat liver ligandin (glutathione-S-transferase 1-2) cDNA probe. The clone has an insert of 1.25 kb, a size sufficient to code for the 23 kilodalton subunit of human GST. Digestion of the insert with Hinf I produced three fragments (0.8 kb, 0.4 kb and 0.1 kb). A similar pattern of multiple bands was observed when rat liver GST1-2 cDNA probe was used for Southern blot analysis of Pst digests of rat and human genomic DNAs. These data suggest that these two functionally similar proteins exhibit sequence homology between their respective cDNAs and at ligandin loci, in spite of the lack of immuno-crossreactivity between them.     

The nucleotide sequence of a full length cDNA clone encoding rat liver urate oxidase

Recently we reported the sequence of a cDNA clone (pUOX-1), isolated from a lambda gt11 cDNA library, which encoded for rat liver urate oxidase (EC 1.7.3.3), but this clone lacked the nucleotide sequences encoding the N-terminal region for this enzyme. Using the cDNA insert from the pUOX-1 clone as a probe, we have now isolated a full length cDNA clone, pUOX-2, from a lambda gt10 library by plaque hybridization. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the pUOX-2 clone showed that it has 1379 base pairs with an open reading frame coding for 303 amino acid residues corresponding to a molecular mass of 34,931 daltons. In addition to the open reading frame the pUOX-2 contains 439 bp of 3'-untranslated and 41 bp of 5'-untranslated sequences. The consensus polyadenylation signal AATAAA precedes a stretch of poly(A)+ residues at the 3' end.