Quantitation of the accumulation of histone messenger RNA during oogenesis in Xenopus leavis

The accumulation of messenger RNA coding for histone H3 in oogenesis of Xenopus laevis was studied by quantitative hybridization techniques, using a cloned genomic DNA fragment as a probe. This probe was isolated from cloned Xenopus histone DNA and contains most of the H3 coding sequences. Histone H3 mRNA accumulation was found to be completed before the maximum lampbrush stage. Hybridization of RNA blots with DNA probes containing genes for histones H2A, H2B, and H4 suggests the same accumulation pattern for the mRNAs coding for these histones as for histone H3 mRNA. The amount of H3 mRNA in the mature oocyte was established to be 130 ± 68 pg, i.e., about 5 × 10⁸ copies.     

Early increase in histone H1(0) mRNA during differentiation of F9 cells to parietal endoderm.

We have isolated and characterized cDNA clones coding for the H1 histone subtype H1(0) in mouse teratocarcinoma cells. The mRNA is 2100 nt long and contains a coding sequence which is highly related to that of the human H1(0) gene. Using this cDNA as a probe, we have shown that, in comparison to undifferentiated F9 cells, differentiated F9 teratocarcinoma cells contain large amounts of H1(0) mRNA. This increase takes place very early during differentiation and does not correlate with changes in the rate of cell division. This indicates that the accumulation of H1(0) mRNA is not the result of reduced proliferation. Most likely on the contrary, the increase in the amount of H1(0) and the resulting effects on the formation of high order chromatin structures are parts of the differentiation program induced in F9 cells.     

Butyrate induced accumulation of a 2.3 kb polyadenylated H1(0) histone mRNA in HeLa cells.

Sodium butyrate was used to induce the accumulation of human H1(0) mRNA in HeLa cells. The length of this mRNA (2,300 nucleotides) was determined by Northern blot hybridization and S1 nuclease analysis using a human H1(0) gene probe. The mRNA shows long 5' and 3' non coding segments and it is polyadenylated. The signal for this step of mRNA maturation (cleavage and polyadenylation) appears to be the hexanucleotide AAUAAA in analogy to most (other than histone) mRNA species. Thus, the mode of maturation of H1(0) mRNA differs, on one hand, from that of the cell cycle dependent mRNA species, where it is based on a specific stem-and-loop structure. On the other hand, the 3' end of H1(0) mRNA varies from H5 mRNA, which is characterized by two unique dyad symmetry structures at its 3' end.     

细胞凋亡过程中bcl-2基因的甲基化

为探讨凋亡过程中,ｂｃｌ－２基因下调与该基因甲基化状态的关系,用５－氟尿嘧啶（５－Ｆｕ）诱导小鼠成纤维细胞ＮＣ３Ｈ１０,ＴＣ３Ｈ１０及人乳腺癌细胞ＭＣＦ－７的凋亡,分别检测了这三种细胞凋亡过程中ｂｃｌ－２的表达变化,与其调控区及编码区的甲基化状况．我们曾观察到５－Ｆｕ作用２４～４８ｈ出现细胞存活率下降,ＤＮＡ梯状断裂及细胞周期凋亡峰显现等典型凋亡现象．Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ杂交显示,在５－Ｆｕ作用１２ｈ时ｂｃｌ－２ｍＲＮＡ水平已明显降低．由此,我们用小鼠ｂｃｌ－２（ｍｂｃｌ－２）及人ｂｃｌ－２（ｈｂｃｌ－２）基因调控区ＰＣＲ扩增片段及ｂｃｌ－２编码区（ｃＤＮＡ）片段作为探针,与５－Ｆｕ作用１２ｈ的细胞ＤＮＡ的ＭｓｐⅠ／ＨｐａⅡ酶切产物进行Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交,以未作用的细胞ＤＮＡ同样酶切杂交为对照．通过杂交带谱的变化,分析ｂｃｌ－２基因的甲基化状况．结果显示：ｍｂｃｌ－２及ｈｂｃｌ－２在５－Ｆｕ作用１２ｈ后调控区甲基化水平增高,但其编码区甲基化状态皆未出现可检出的变化．上述结果提示：ｂｃｌ－２基因调控区甲基化水平升高可能与该基因下调有关     

Antisense properties of duplex- and triplex-forming PNAs.

The potential of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) as specific inhibitors of translation has been studied. PNAs with a mixed purine/pyrimidine sequence form duplexes, while homopyrimidine PNAs form (PNA)2/RNA triplexes with complementary sequences on RNA. We show here that neither of these PNA/RNA structures are substrates for RNase H. Translation experiments in cell-free extracts showed that a 15mer duplex-forming PNA blocked translation in a dose-dependent manner when the target was 5'-proximal to the AUG start codon on the RNA, whereas similar 10-, 15- or 20mer PNAs had no effect when targeted towards sequences in the coding region. Triplex-forming 10mer PNAs were efficient and specific antisense agents with a target overlapping the AUG start codon and caused arrest of ribosome elongation with a target positioned in the coding region of the mRNA. Furthermore, translation could be blocked with a 6mer bisPNA or with a clamp PNA, forming partly a triplex, partly a duplex, with its target sequence in the coding region of the mRNA.     

Demonstration of an unusual allelic variation of mouse factor H by the complete cDNA sequence of the H.2 allotype

Three allotypes of murine factor H have been identified serologically in the previous study (denoted H.1, H.2, and H.3). A cDNA clone coding for the entire length of murine factor H was isolated from a library constructed from the livers of STR/N mice which have H.2 allotype and was fully sequenced. The insert of this clone (STR309) contained 4184 nucleotides and consisted of a 47-bp 5' noncoding region, a 54-bp coding for leader peptide, a 3648 bp for the mature factor H protein, and a 435-bp 3' noncoding region. Compared with the previously reported sequence of the cDNA clone (MH8) isolated from B10.WR mice that have H.1 allotype, the size of the protein coding region was exactly the same, but 21 nucleotide substitutions resulting in 15 amino acid replacements were observed. The amino acid replacement/nucleotide substitution ratio (0.71) is far higher than those observed in the allotypic variations of other proteins. Four 15-base oligonucleotide probes specific for either STR309 or MH8 were synthesized and used in Northern blot analysis. The probes specific for STR309 hybridized with mRNA isolated from the livers of STR/N mice but not with mRNA from the livers of BALB/c mice that have H.1 allotype, whereas the reverse pattern was observed with the oligonucleotide probes specific for MH8. These results strongly suggest that the nucleotide sequence of STR309 represents H.2 allotype of factor H protein, providing an example of an unusual allotype with high ratio of amino acid replacements to nucleotide substitutions.     

Expression of genes coding for pS2, c-erbB2, estrogen receptor and the H23 breast tumor-associated antigen. A comparative analysis in breast cancer

Expression of the gene coding for a new breast tumor-associated antigen, H23, was compared to expression of genes coding for pS2, c-erbB2 and estrogen receptor (ER). Comparison involved mRNA expression in normal and malignant breast tissues as well as in non-breast tumors. Results obtained by RNA dot blot and Northern hybridizations showed that expression of the H23 antigen coding gene is a discriminatory marker in human breast cancer. It is expressed in 92% of breast tumors whereas 69%, 62% and 56% of breast tumors demonstrate significant mRNA levels of c-erbB2, ER and pS2, respectively. Non-malignant or normal breast tissue expresses much lower levels of the H23 antigen mRNA. From the comparative analysis presented here it is concluded that the gene coding for H23 antigen furnishes a most useful marker for human breast cancer.     

Cell type-specific expression of bovine keratin genes as demonstrated by the use of complementary DNA clones

Cytokeratins are a family of polypeptides that form the intermediate-sized filament characteristic of epithelial cells. The cytoskeletons of different types of epithelial cells have been reported to possess specific combinations of the members of this protein family. Therefore, we have sought to examine the correspondence between such differential protein expression and the expression of cytokeratin genes at the nucleic acid level. A library of recombinant plasmids carrying cDNA sequences synthesized from bovine epidermal mRNAs was constructed. Clones of about 10(3) base-pairs coding for all the major epidermal keratins of molecular weights of 50,000, 54,000, 59,000, 60,000 and 68,000 were identified by means of hybridization-selection, followed by one and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of products of translation in vitro. Under stringent conditions, each of these clones hybridizes specifically with its corresponding mRNA and does not show significant cross-hybridization with mRNAs coding for the other keratins, including those belonging to the same subfamily. Using these clones in RNA blot hybridization analysis, we have studied the expression of keratin genes in diverse bovine epithelial tissues (muzzle epidermis, cornea, esophagus, bladder urothelium, liver) and cultured cell lines from kidney (MDBK) and mammary gland (BMGE + H, BMGE -H). In each case we have found a correlation between the respective keratin polypeptides and the corresponding mRNAs. Whereas mRNA coding for keratins Ia and VIb have been found only in epidermis, genes coding for other epidermal keratins are expressed also in certain non-epidermal epithelia and in cells of the BMGE + H line. In contrast, epidermal keratin mRNA sequences have not been detected in liver or bladder tissue, nor in cultured kidney cells (MDBK) or mammary gland cells of the BMGE - H line, which all express a set of cytokeratin polypeptides entirely different from those of epidermis. In all cases, only one mRNA size species has been found, suggesting that in different cell types the same mRNA species is synthesized from the same keratin gene. We conclude that the mechanisms controlling the cell type-specific synthesis of the diverse keratin genes act at a pre-translational level.     

Overexpression of H ferritin and up-regulation of iron regulatory protein genes during differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes

The role of iron-dependent oxidative metabolism in protecting the oxidable substrates contained in mature adipocytes is still unclear. Because differentiation increases ferritin formation in several cell types, thereby leading to an accumulation of H-rich isoferritins, we investigated whether differentiation affects iron metabolism in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. To this aim, we evaluated the expression of the genes coding for the H and L ferritin subunits and for cytoplasmic iron regulatory protein (IRP) during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells in adipocytes induced by the addition of isobutylmethylxanthine, insulin, and dexamethasone. Differentiation enhanced ferritin formation and caused overexpression of the H subunit, thus altering the H/L subunit ratio. Northern blot analysis showed increased levels of H subunit mRNA. A gel retardation assay of cytoplasmic extract from differentiated cells, using an iron-responsive element as a probe, revealed enhanced an RNA binding capacity of IRP1, which correlated with the increase of IRP1 mRNA. The observed correlation between differentiation and iron metabolism in adipocytes suggests that an accumulation of H-rich isoferritin may limit the toxicity of iron in adipose tissue, thus exerting an antioxidant function.