The divergence between human and baboon globin genes.

Complementary DNA (cDNA) was prepared with viral RNA-directed DNA polymerase from purified baboon globin messenger RNA (mRNA). Homologous and heterologous hybrids between human and baboon mRNAs and cDNAs were compared for extent of hybridisation and thermal stability. Higher mRNA inputs to the hybridizations were required to reach saturation in the heterologous cases. The melting temperature of the heterologous hybrid was 5 degrees C lower than the homologous hybrid. Between these two primates, divergence has occurred in the globin gene to a smaller extent than that possible from third position changes in the coding sequences of the divergence of total DNA. Globin cDNA prepared from baboon will not in general be useful as a probe for human globin mRNA or human globin gene sequences.     

Organization of non-vertebrate globin genes.

The organization of non-vertebrate globin genes exhibits substantially more variability than the three-exon, two-intron structure of the vertebrate globin genes. (1) The structures of genes of the single-domain globin chains of the annelid Lumbricus and the mollusc Anadara, and the globin gene coding for the two-domain chains of the clam Barbatia, are similar to the vertebrate plan. (2) Genes for single-domain chains exist in bacteria and protozoa. Although the globin gene is highly expressed in the bacterium Vitreoscilla, the putative globin gene hmp in E. coli, which codes for a chimeric protein whose N-terminal moiety of 139 residues contains 67 residues identical to the Vitreoscilla globin, may be either unexpressed or expressed at very low levels, despite the presence of normal regulatory sequences. The DNA sequence of the globin gene of the protozoan Paramecium, determined recently by Yamauchi and collaborators, appears to consist of two exons separated by a short intron. (3) Among the lower eukaryotes, the yeasts Saccharomyces and Candida have chimeric proteins consisting of N-terminal globin and C-terminal flavoprotein moieties of about the same size. The structure of the gene for the chimeric protein of Saccharomyces exhibits no introns. According to Riggs, the presence of chimeric proteins in E. coli and other prokaryotes, such as Alcaligenes and Rhizobium, as well as in yeasts, suggests a previously unrecognized evolutionary pathway for hemoglobin, namely that of a multipurpose heme-binding domain attached to a variety of unrelated proteins with diverse functions. (4) The published globin gene sequences of the insect larva Chironomus have an intron-less structure and are present as clusters of multiple copies; the expression of the globin genes is tissue and developmental stage-specific. Furthermore, the expression of many of these genes has not yet been demonstrated despite the presence of apparently normal regulatory sequences in the two flanking regions. Unexpectedly, Bergtrom and collaborators have recently shown that at least three Ctt globin II beta genes contain putative introns. (5) Pohajdak and collaborators have found a seven-exon and six-intron structure for the globin gene of the nematode Pseudoterranova which codes for a two-domain globin chain. Although the second and fourth introns of the N-terminal domain correspond to the two introns found in vertebrate globin genes, the position of the third intron is close to that of the central intron in plant hemoglobins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Chicken globin gene number.

Using complementary DNA prepared from adult chicken globin messenger RNA, we show the existence of 2-3 non-cross-hybridising globin sequences in the chicken genome, each of which is present in only one copy per haploid genome. This was done by solution hybridization to total DNA under conditions of cDNA excess. The data agreses with results of RNA-driven hybridisation of globin complementary DNA, and with protein data.     

Hydrophobic interaction between globin helices.

The interhelical interfaces have been examined in seven high-resolution globin chains. The profiles of hydrophobic contact, as measured by the residue solvent-accessible area loss upon folding, have been calculated. The seven globins studied differ in their overall loss of solvent-accessible area upon packing of their helices, the order being 1MBD greater than 1LH1 greater than 1ECD greater than 2MHBB greater than 2HHBB greater than 2HHBA greater than 2MHBA, which gives a measure of the difference in stability due to the hydrophobic interaction. The five helix-pair packings (AH, BE, BG, FH and GH) examined in detail have qualitative similarities. There are, however, substantial quantitative differences both at the equivalent residue level and at the level of overall helix-helix contact, which has significance in some models of folding. The AH pair has the most uniform area loss over the seven globins and the largest variation in accessible area loss on packing among the five helix pairs is the GH pair. The set of residues required to produce the globin fold has been deduced from the residue area losses.     

The globin gene family of the cephalochordate amphioxus: implications for chordate globin evolution

Background  

The lancelet amphioxus (Cephalochordata) is a close relative of vertebrates and thus may enhance our understanding of vertebrate gene and genome evolution. In this context, the globins are one of the best studied models for gene family evolution. Previous biochemical studies have demonstrated the presence of an intracellular globin in notochord tissue and myotome of amphioxus, but the corresponding gene has not yet been identified. Genomic resources of Branchiostoma floridae now facilitate the identification, experimental confirmation and molecular evolutionary analysis of its globin gene repertoire.     

The identification of globin messenger ribonucleic acid in newt erythropoietic cells.

Polyadenylated [poly(A)+]-RNA isolated from newt (Triturus cristatus) erythropoietic cells contained two main species sedimenting at 9S and 25S, and minor amounts of a 15-20S component. The 9S poly(A)+-RNA fraction induced synthesis of newt haemoglobin and globins in frog oocytes and in an mRNA-dependent rabbit reticulocyte lysate, confirming its identity as newt globin mRNA. Translation of 9S globin mRNA in reticulocyte lysate was concentration-dependent, the patterns of globin synthesis suggesting both preferential utilization and unequal amounts of the different globin mRNA subspecies. Globin mRNA activity was also evident in the 25S poly(A)+-RNA fraction whose localization in polyribosomes excluded its function as a nuclear globin mRNA precursor. Denaturation in formamide and estimation of its relative methyl content indicated that the 25S poly(A)+-RNA fraction contained equimolar amounts of 9S globin mRNA and 26S rRNA. Translation of the 25S fraction in reticulocyte lysate was less efficient than that of comparable amounts of 9S globin mRNA and induced a pattern of globin synthesis similar to that obtained with subsaturating amounts of 9S mRNA. The 25S mRNA-rRNA complex was considered to be a non-physiological aggregate generated by extraction of RNA in the presence of buffers of moderate to high ionic strength.     

Organization of sequences of avian globin mRNA.

Formamide polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that chicken globin mRNA contains about 6.50 nucleotides, and since only 435 of these code for globin, a further 215 are not translated, and their function and position are not known. This work has produced the following conclusions. 1. 45-50 of these untranslated nucleotides are present as poly (A) at the 3' terminus. 2. The 3' untranslated region of chicken globin mRNA is at least 90 nucleotides in length. This minimal estimate is based on data derived from hybridization of defined lenghts of chicken globin cDNA to rabbit globin mRNA. The percentage of avian globin cDNA sequences which hybridize to rabbit globin mRNA is directly proportional to the length of the cDNA in each case. This relationship holds for lengths of cDNA from 115 up to 620 nucleotides. The low percentage homology for short cDNA molecules is not due to their being short per se. In homologous mRNA excess hybridizations (chicken cDNA/chicken mRNA), all cDNA preparations were completely protected from S1 nuclease digestion. 3. It is probable that there is greater evolutionary divergence in the 3' untranslated region of chicken and rabbit globin mRNA when compared with the coding regions of these molecules; The combined data is sued to formulate a regional map of chicken globin mRNA,     

Design and synthesis of a globin fold.

We propose a simple method to find an amino acid sequence that is foldable into a globular protein with a desired structure based on a knowledge-based 3D-1D compatibility function. An asymmetric alpha-helical single-domain structure of sperm whale myoglobin consisting of 153 amino acid residues was chosen for the design target. The optimal sequence to fit the main-chain framework has been searched by recursive generation of the protein 3D profile. The heme-binding site was designed by fixing His64 and His93 at the distal and proximal positions, respectively, and by penalizing residues that protrude into the space with a repulsive function. The apparent bumps among side chains in the computer model of the converged, self-consistent sequence were removed by replacing some of the bumping residues with smaller ones according to the final 3D profile. The finally obtained sequence shares 26% of sequence with the natural myoglobin. The designed globin-1 (DG1) with the artificial sequence was obtained by expression of the synthetic gene in Escherichia coli. Analyses using size-exclusion chromatography, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and solution X-ray scattering showed that DG1 folds into a monomeric, compact, highly helical, and globular form with an overall molecular shape similar to the target structure in an aqueous solution. Furthermore, it binds a single heme per protein molecule, which exhibited well-defined spectroscopic properties. The radius of gyration of DG1 was determined to be 20.6 A, slightly larger than that of natural apoMb, and decreased to 19.5 A upon heme binding based on X-ray scattering analysis. However, the heme-bound DG1 did not stably bind molecular oxygen as natural globins do, possibly due to high conformational diversity of side-chain structures observed in the NMR and denaturation experiments. These results give insight into the relationship between the sequence selection and the structural uniqueness of natural proteins to achieve biological functions.     

The translation of globin messenger RNA with use of muscle initiation factors.

The ability of embryonic chicken muscle initiation factors to translate rabbit globin messenger RNA in an efficient, fractionated cell-free system has been examined. Although muscle factors stimulate leucine incorporation to only 15--35% the levels achieved with rabbit reticulocyte initiation factors, they synthesize more than one globin chain per mRNA molecule and both alpha and beta globin are produced. Increasing the ribosome concentration and adding the polyamine spermidine to the system produce stimulatory effects which are quantitatively and qualitatively similar for both factor preparations. The lower efficiency of synthesis of muscle factors relative to reticulocyte factors is also apparent when mRNA from encephalomyocarditis virus or embryonic chicken muscle polysomes are used in the cell-free system. These results do not support a specific restriction in the capacity of muscle factors to translate globin mRNA. Furthermore, the similarity of the effects of presumed non-specific components on the activity of muscle and reticulocyte factors suggests that globin synthesis in the cell-free system may be controlled in a similar fashion for both preparations.