Alteration of nucleic acid structure and stability modulates the efficiency of minus-strand transfer mediated by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein

During human immunodeficiency virus type 1 minus-strand transfer, the nucleocapsid protein (NC) facilitates annealing of the complementary repeat regions at the 3'-ends of acceptor RNA and minus-strand strong-stop DNA ((-) SSDNA). In addition, NC destabilizes the highly structured complementary trans-activation response element (TAR) stem-loop (TAR DNA) at the 3'-end of (-) SSDNA and inhibits TAR-induced self-priming, a dead-end reaction that competes with minus-strand transfer. To investigate the relationship between nucleic acid secondary structure and NC function, a series of truncated (-) SSDNA and acceptor RNA constructs were used to assay minus-strand transfer and self-priming in vitro. The results were correlated with extensive enzymatic probing and mFold analysis. As the length of (-) SSDNA was decreased, self-priming increased and was highest when the DNA contained little more than TAR DNA, even if NC and acceptor were both present; in contrast, truncations within TAR DNA led to a striking reduction or elimination of self-priming. However, destabilization of TAR DNA was not sufficient for successful strand transfer: the stability of acceptor RNA was also crucial, and little or no strand transfer occurred if the RNA was highly stable. Significantly, NC may not be required for in vitro strand transfer if (-) SSDNA and acceptor RNA are small, relatively unstructured molecules with low thermodynamic stabilities. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that for efficient NC-mediated minus-strand transfer, a delicate thermodynamic balance between the RNA and DNA reactants must be maintained.     

5''-Terminal sequences of eucaryotic mRNA can be cloned with high efficiency.

A method for cloning mRNAs has been used which results in a high yield of recombinants containing complete 5'-terminal mRNA sequences. It is not dependent on self-priming to generate double-stranded DNA and therefore the S1 nuclease digestion step is not required. Instead, the cDNA is dCMP-tailed at its 3'-end with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT). The synthesis of the second strand is primed by oligo(dG) hybridized to the 3'-tail. Double-stranded cDNA is subsequently tailed with dCTP and annealed to dGMP-tailed vector DNA. This approach overcomes the loss of the 5'-terminal mRNA sequences and the problem of artifacts which may be introduced into cloned cDNA sequences. Chicken lysozyme cDNA was cloned into pBR322 by this procedure with a transformation efficiency of 5 x 10(3) recombinant clones per ng of ds-cDNA. Sequence analysis revealed that at least nine out of nineteen randomly isolated plasmids contained the entire 5'-untranslated mRNA sequence. The data strongly support the conclusion that the 5'-untranslated region of the lysozyme mRNA is heterogeneous in length.     

Hepatitis C virus NS5B polymerase exhibits distinct nucleotide requirements for initiation and elongation

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B protein is an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) essential for replication of the viral RNA genome. Purified NS5B has been reported to exhibit multiple activities in vitro. Using a synthetic heteropolymeric RNA template with dideoxycytidine at its 3'-end, we examined de novo initiation and primer extension in a system devoid of self-priming and terminal nucleotide transferase activities. Products predominantly of template size and its multiples were detected. High concentrations of nucleoside triphosphates (K(app)(m) approximately 100-400 mum) corresponding to the first three incorporated nucleotides were found to be required for efficient de novo RNA synthesis. In the presence of initiating di- or trinucleotides, however, the amount of NTP needed to achieve maximal activity dropped 10(3)- to 10(4)-fold, revealing a much reduced nucleotide requirement for elongation (K(app)(m) approximately 0.03-0.09 microm). Accordingly, single round extension from an exogenous primer following preincubation of the enzyme with template and primer could also be supported by <0.1 microm levels of NTP. De novo synthesis at high NTP concentrations was shown to be preferred over primer extension. On a dideoxycytidine-blocked synthetic RNA template derived from the 3'-end of the HCV(-)UTR, the addition of the corresponding initiating trinucleotide also dramatically reduced the NTP levels needed to achieve efficient RNA synthesis. Thus, distinct nucleotide requirements exist for initiation and elongation steps catalyzed by the HCV NS5B polymerase.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of alfalfa mosaic virus RNA 2.

Double-stranded cDNA of in vitro polyadenylated alfalfa mosaic virus (AlMV) RNA 2 has been cloned and sequenced. The use of an oligodeoxyribonucleotide corresponding to the known sequence of the 5'-end of RNA 2 to prime second-strand DNA synthesis, enabled us to construct the complete primary structure of AlMV RNA 2. The sequence of 2,593 nucleotides contains a long open reading frame for a protein of Mr 89,753 starting at the first AUG codon from the 5'-end. This coding region is flanked by a 5'-terminal sequence of 54 nucleotides and a 3'-noncoding region of 166 nucleotides which includes the sequence of 145 nucleotides the three genomic RNAs of AlMV have in common.     

The complete sequence of a full length cDNA for human liver glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: evidence for multiple mRNA species.

A recombinant M13 clone (O42) containing a 65 b.p. cDNA fragment from human fetal liver mRNA coding for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase has been identified and it has been used to isolate from a full-length human adult liver cDNA library a recombinant clone, pG1, which has been subcloned in M13 phage and completely sequenced with the chain terminator method. Besides the coding region of 1008 b.p., the cDNA sequence includes 60 nucleotides at the 5'-end and 204 nucleotides at the 3'-end up to the polyA tail. Hybridization of pG1 to human liver total RNA shows only one band about the size of pG1 cDNA. A much stronger hybridization signal was observed using RNA derived from human hepatocarcinoma and kidney carcinoma cell lines. Sequence homology between clone 042 and the homologous region of clone pG1 is 86%. On the other hand, homology among the translated sequences and the known human muscle protein sequence ranges between 77 and 90%; these data demonstrate the existence of more than one gene coding for G3PD. Southern blot of human DNA, digested with several restriction enzymes, also indicate that several homologous sequences are present in the human genome.     

大麦条纹花叶病毒新疆株(BSMV-XJ)RNA2 3′端结构分析

本文利用双脱氧序列分析法对我国大麦条纹花叶病毒新疆株(BSMV-XJ)RNA2 cDNA的3′端进行序列分析,证明XJ株RNA2 3′端239个核苷酸与国外典型株3′端相应部位有高度的序列同源性。通过序列分析及使用寡核苷酸定位裂解法和分子杂交确定,在紧邻239个核苷酸的上游有一个Poly(A)结构,3′终端为一个类tRNA结构,亦与国外典型株相同。经分析认为BSMV-XJ3个基因组RNA具有相同的3′端结构。     

南方菜豆花叶病毒外壳蛋白基因序列的分析

用重组DNA技术及序列分析法测定了南方菜豆花叶病毒RNA基因组3′端1,000个碱基的序列,以及由此序列推导出的整个外壳蛋白的氨基酸顺序,它与巳报导的基本上一致。介绍了用DNA的寡核苷酸水解混合物作为起始引物,以3′端不含PolyA尾巴且不能加上PolyA的病毒RNA作为模板合成互补DNA,及进一步无性繁殖此cDNA的方法。     

利用交换接头技术构建大麦条纹花叶病毒新疆株RNA_2的全长cDNA克隆

本文采用双股交换接头(Crossover linker)技术对已建立的大麦条纹花叶病毒新疆株(BSMV-XJ)RNA_2 cDNA重组质粒pUBS_(112)进行修饰。使cDNA两端不必要的poly(dG):poly(dC)尾准确地缺失,同时补上了cDNA中相对于RNA_2 5’端区缺少的三个核苷酸TAA,并在cDNA末端插入了预定的限制酶切顺序。通过原位杂交筛选、酶切图谱分析、cDNA两端序列测定等手段,证明已获得BSMV-XJ RNA_2组分的全长cDNA克隆。     

Identification of regions affecting virulence, RNA processing and infectivity in the virulent satellite of turnip crinkle virus.

Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) supports a small family of satellite RNAs (RNAs C, D and F). RNA C is a virulent satellite, producing severe symptoms in host plants, while RNAs D and F are avirulent satellites. The virulent satellite (RNA C) has two major domains--a 5'-domain similar to the avirulent satellites and a 3'-domain similar to the 3'-end of the TCV genome. To demonstrate that the 3'-domain of RNA C determines virulence, a chimeric satellite was constructed composed mostly of the 5'-domain of the avirulent satellite (RNA F) and the 3'-domain of the virulent satellite (RNA C). To locate other functional regions, small DNA fragments were inserted or deleted at various sites in the cDNA of virulent satellite (RNA C). Most small internal deletions and insertions in the midsection of the molecule had no detectable effects while those near the 3'-end of RNA C destroyed infectivity. Modifications in a small region centering on an AGCAGC repeat in the domain of satellite homology blocked the accumulation of monomers and presumably the processing of RNA C. Other modifications in this region produced more intense symptoms. Hence, these experiments reveal regions of the satellite which determine virulence, are essential for infectivity, affect monomer accumulation (RNA processing) and modulate symptom expression.     

Deletion mapping of a mouse hepatitis virus defective interfering RNA reveals the requirement of an internal and discontiguous sequence for replication.

All of the defective interfering (DI) RNAs of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) contain both the 5' and 3' ends of the viral genomic RNA, which presumably include the cis sequences required for RNA replication. To define the replication signal of MHV RNA, we have used a vaccinia virus-T7 polymerase-transcribed MHV DI RNA to study the effects of sequence deletion on DI RNA replication. Following infection of susceptible cells with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing T7 RNA polymerase, various cDNA clones derived from a DI RNA (DIssF) of the JHM strain of MHV, which is a 3.5-kb naturally occurring DI RNA, behind a T7 promoter were transfected. On superinfection with a helper MHV, the ability of various DI RNAs to replicate was determined. Serial deletions from the middle of the RNA toward both the 5' and 3' ends demonstrated that 859 nucleotides from the 5' end and 436 nucleotides from the 3' end of the MHV RNA genome were necessary for RNA replication. Surprisingly, an additional stretch of 135 nucleotides located at 3.1 to 3.3 kb from the 5' end of the genome was also required. This stretch is discontiguous from the 5'-end cis replication signal and is present in all of the naturally occurring DI RNAs studied so far. The requirement for a long stretch of 5'- and 3'-end sequences predicts that the subgenomic MHV mRNAs cannot replicate. The efficiency of RNA replication varied with different cDNA constructs, suggesting possible interaction between different regions of DI RNA. The identification of MHV RNA replication signals allowed the construction of an MHV DI-based expression vector, which can express foreign genes, such as the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of RNA 3 from alfalfa mosaic virus, strain S

We report the sequence of RNA 3 from strain S of Alfalfa mosaic virus (2,055 nucleotides). This RNA codes for a 32.4 kd protein (P3) and for the 24 kd coat protein (P4). The largest part of the sequence was established using RNA sequencing methods. The completion of the sequence in the region coding for P3 was achieved with cloned cDNA synthesized after priming at internal sites of RNA 3. Comparison of the RNA sequences coding P3 and P4 proteins in strain S with those reported in the literature for strain 425 revealed a higher amino acid substitution rate (3%) for P3 than for P4 (congruent to 1%) despite a similar average base substitution of 3-4% in these regions. In P3, two out of nine amino acid changes occur in hydrophilic regions. The amino acid changes in P4 do not modify the local hydrophilicity distribution. The intercistronic region displays a low degree of base substitution (2%) when compared with the untranslated 3'-end region (3.6%) or the 5'-end leader region (8%), the average substitution rate being 3.2%.     

Construction of a rice immature seeds cDNA library and molecular cloning of oryzacystatin cDNA

Total RNA was extracted from rice immature seeds harvested 2 weeks after flowering; then mRNA was purified. cDNA with NotI and SaiI cohesive ends was synthesized and inserted into λgt22A. After packaged in vitno, the cDNA library was constructed with 1.5×106pfu. A 21-mer oligodeoxynucleotide was synthesized according to the 5'-end conserved coding sequence of oryzacystatin (a thiol proteinase inhibitor) and labeled as a probe. From 2.1 × 104 pfu, 9 positive dones have been isolated, 8 of which contain the entire coding region of oryzacystatin. λOC1 has the longest cDNA insert, which contains an open reading frame of 309 bp coding sequence, 84 bp 5'-end non-coding region and a poly(A) signal AATAAA at the 3'-end followed by 31 Nt of poly(A). The coding sequence is the same compared with oryzacystatin genomic DNA sequence, while there are some obvious differences such as insertion and variation in the non-coding region, especially lots of nonsucoessive insertion in the 3' region after poly(A) signal.