Expression and mutagenesis of thrombospondin.

Thrombospondin is a 420,000-dalton adhesive glycoprotein that is composed of three subunits of equivalent molecular weight. When the cDNA for the complete coding region of the human endothelial cell thrombospondin subunit is expressed in mouse NIH 3T3 cells, a 420,000-dalton protein is synthesized and secreted. The expressed protein comigrates with human platelet thrombospondin both in the presence and in the absence of a reducing agent. The expressed protein binds to a monoclonal anti-thrombospondin antibody, heparin, and calcium. In addition to the 420,000-dalton protein, the transfected cell lines also express a variable amount of a 140,000-dalton polypeptide. When the culture supernatants that are produced by cells that are expressing thrombospondin are applied to heparin-Sepharose, the 420,000-dalton and the 140,000-dalton proteins are bound to the column and are eluted with buffer containing 0.55 and 0.3 M NaCl, respectively. The 140,000-dalton protein only binds to heparin-Sepharose in the presence of calcium. Deletion of the region of homology with procollagen results in defective assembly of the trimer. Deletion of the type 1 or type 2 repeats results in decreased stability of the subunit with the predominant polypeptides that are expressed having molecular weights of 127,000 and 130,000, respectively. These polypeptides retain low-affinity heparin-binding activity. High-affinity heparin binding is markedly diminished by mutations in either of two sequence motifs that include clusters of lysines and arginines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Identification of proteins encoded by a fragment of herpes simplex virus type 2 DNA that has transforming activity.

Cloned BglII fragment N (map units 0.58 to 0.625) of herpes simplex virus type 2 DNA has been shown to transform rodent cells to an oncogenic phenotype (Galloway and McDougall, J. Virol. 38: 749-760, 1981). RNA homologous to this fragment directs the synthesis of five polypeptides in a cell-free translation system. The approximate molecular weights of these proteins are 140,000, 61,000, 56,000, 35,000, and 23,500. The 35,000-dalton protein is the major species late in infection and is the only species detected before the onset of viral DNA replication. The arrangement of the sequences encoding these proteins along the herpes simplex virus type 2 genome was determined by hybridization of the RNA to cloned PstI fragment of BglII-N and to single-stranded DNA segments cloned into M13mp7. Both the hybridization experiments and immunoprecipitation with monoclonal antibodies suggested that the 140,000- and 35,000-dalton proteins are at least partially colinear and share antigenic determinants.     

Immunological studies of RNA polymerase II using antibodies to subunits of Drosophila and wheat germ enzyme

We induced goat antibodies to Drosophila RNA polymerase II and rabbit antibodies to the isolated 215,000-dalton and 140,000-dalton polymerase II subunits (P215 and P140, respectively). Similarly, we induced rabbit antibodies to wheat germ RNA polymerase II and to the 220,000-dalton subunit and 140,000-dalton subunit (P220 and P140, respectively). Anti-polymerase antibodies precipitated the homologous native enzyme and inhibited its activity in vitro, while several of the anti-subunit sera did neither. The anti-Drosophila P215 serum specifically labeled RNA polymerase II fixed in situ on polytene chromosomes. We reacted the antibodies with polymerase subunits separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose ("protein blotting"). Each antibody to whole polymerase reacted with multiple subunits, while the anti-subunit sera each reacted specifically with the subunit employed as immunogen. The anti-subunit sera also cross-reacted with the analogous subunit from several heterologous polymerases II (from yeast, wheat germ, Drosophila, and calf thymus), demonstrating shared subunit-specific determinants in polymerase II from widely divergent organisms. The anti-polymerase sera also showed cross-reactivity with subunits of heterologous enzymes, but only in one case did the cross-reactivity involve subunits other than the two largest ones. Specifically, the goat anti-Drosophila polymerase serum displayed easily detectable cross-reactivity with four low molecular weight subunits of calf thymus polymerase II, providing a unique demonstration of antigenic relatedness of small RNA polymerase II subunits from different higher eukaryotes.     

Regulation of protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates: the hemeregulated protein kinase (HRI) and double stranded RNA induced protein kinase (dRI) phosphorylate the same site(s) on initiation factor eIF-2

Double stranded RNA (dsRNA) induced inhibitor (dRI) has been partially purified (80–100 fold). The dRI inhibits protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates; the inhibition is overcome by the initiation factor eIF-2. The dRI preparations phosphorylate the 38,000-dalton subunit of eIF-2. Heme-deficiency in rabbit reticulocyte lysates also induces a translational inhibitor (HRI) which inhibits protein chain initiation by specifically phosphorylating the 38,000-dalton subunit of eIF-2. To establish correlation of the mechanism of inhibition of protein synthesis by dRI and HRI, the phosphopeptide patterns of eIF-2 phosphorylated by using HRI or dRI are compared. Treatment with various proteases of eIF-2 phosphorylated by HRI or dRI yield identical phosphopeptide patterns. This finding suggests that HRI and dRI phosphorylate the same site(s) of the 38,000-dalton subunit of eIF-2 and raises the possibility that dRI may also inhibit protein chain initiation by the mechanism similar to that of HRI.     

Cloning and sequencing of glutamate mutase component S from Clostridium tetanomorphum. Homologies with other cobalamin-dependent enzymes.

The gene encoding component S, the small subunit, of glutamate mutase, an adenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B12)-dependent enzyme from Clostridium tetanomorphum has been cloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. The mutS gene encodes a protein of 137 amino acid residues, with M(r) 14,748. The deduced amino acid sequence showed homology with the C-terminal portion of adenosylcobalamin-dependent methylmalonyl-CoA mutase [1989, Biochem. J. 260, 345-352] and a region of cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase which has been shown to bind cobalamin [1989, J. Biol. Chem 264, 13888-13895].     

The organisation and interviral homologies of genes at the 3' end of tobacco rattle virus RNA1

The RNA1 of tobacco rattle virus (TRV) has been cloned as cDNA and the nucleotide sequence determined of 2 kb from the 3'-terminal region. The sequence contains three long open reading frames. One of these starts 5' of the cDNA and probably corresponds to the carboxy-terminal sequence of a 170-K protein encoded on RNA1. The deduced protein sequence from this reading frame shows homology with the putative replicases of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and tricornaviruses. The location of the second open reading frame, which encodes a 29-K polypeptide, was shown by Northern blot analysis to coincide with a 1.6-kb subgenomic RNA. The validity of this reading frame was confirmed by showing that the cDNA extending over this region could be transcribed and translated in vitro to produce a polypeptide of the predicted size which co-migrates in electrophoresis with a translation product of authentic viral RNA. The sequence of this 29-K polypeptide showed homology with two regions in the 30-K protein of TMV. This homology includes positions in the TMV 30-K protein where mutations have been identified which affect the transport of virus between cells. The third open reading frame encodes a potential 16-K protein and was shown by Northern blot hybridisation to be contained within the region of a 0.7-kb subgenomic RNA which is found in cellular RNA of infected cells but not virus particles. The many similarities between TRV and TMV in viral morphology, gene organisation and sequence suggest that these two viral groups may share a common viral ancestor.     

Pea early browning virus RNA1 encodes four polypeptides including a putative zinc-finger protein.

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of RNA1 of the tobravirus pea early browning virus [PEBV] from an overlapping series of cDNA clones. The 7073 nucleotide sequence contains four open reading frames [ORFs]. The 5' proximal ORF encodes a 141K polypeptide, and readthrough of the opal [UGA] termination codon of this ORF would lead to the synthesis of a second, 201K polypeptide. Both of these polypeptides have extensive amino acid homology with the putative replicase proteins of tobacco rattle virus [TRV] and tobacco mosaic virus [TMV]. The third ORF encodes a 30K polypeptide which has homology with the TRV 29K and TMV 30K putative cell-to-cell spread proteins. The fourth, 3' proximal ORF encodes a 12K polypeptide which has extensive homology with the TRV 16K protein whose function is unknown. Examination of the amino acid sequences of the 12K and 16K gene products reveals in each the presence of two multiple-cysteine/histidine motifs, a finding which suggests that these proteins might have zinc and/or nucleic acid-binding properties.     

Isolation and characterization of cDNA encoding mouse RNA polymerase II subunit RPB14

By means of the yeast two-hybrid system using the 40-kDa subunit of mouse RNA polymerase I, mRPA40, as the bait, we isolated a mouse cDNA which encoded a protein with significant homology in amino acid sequence to the 12.5-kDa subunit of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA polymerase II, B12.5 (RPB11). Specific antibody raised against the recombinant protein that was derived from the cDNA reacted with a 14-kDa polypeptide in highly purified mammalian RNA polymerase II and did not react with any subunit of RNA polymerase I or III. Moreover, the antibody co-immunoprecipitated the largest subunit of mouse RNA polymerase II. These results provide biochemical evidence that the cDNA isolated, named mRPB14, encodes a specific subunit of RNA polymerase II, and indicate that the subunit organization of the enzyme is conserved between yeast and mouse. A possible role of the α-motif [Dequard-Chablat, M., Riva, M., Carles, C. and Sentenac, A., J. Biol. Chem. 266 (1991) 15300–15307] in the protein-protein interaction between mRPA40 and mRPB14 is also discussed.     

Evidence for genetic relationship between RNA and DNA viruses from the sequence homology of a putative polymerase gene of bluetongue virus with that of vaccinia virus: conservation of RNA polymerase genes from diverse species.

The nucleotide sequence of segment 1 of the double stranded RNA genome of bluetongue virus serotype 10 (BTV-10), encoding the largest viral core protein, VP1, has been determined. Linear sequence analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence of the 149-K Da protein, a putative component of the viral RNA-directed RNA polymerase, revealed extensive homology with the vaccinia virus 147K Da DNA-directed RNA polymerase subunit. Similar homologies were detected between the VP1 polypeptide and the beta chain subunit of Escherichia coli and common tobacco chloroplast RNA polymerases, yeast RNA polymerase II and III and fruit fly polymerase II.     

Sequence homology between Moloney murine sarcoma virus and Moloney leukemia virus RNA.

The Moloney murine sarcoma-leukemia virus [M-MSV (MuLV)], propagated at high multiplicity of infection (MOI), was demonstrated previously to contain a native genome mass of 4 X 10(6) daltons as contrasted to a mass of 7 X 10(6) daltons for Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV). The 4 X 10(6)-dalton classof RNA from M-MSV (MuLV) was examined for base sequence homology with DNA complementary to the 7 X 10(6)-dalton M-MuLV RNA genome. Approximately 86% of the M-MSV (MuLV) was protected from RNase digestion by hybridization, whereas 95% of M-MuLV was protected under identical conditions. These results indicate that the small RNA class of high-MOI M-MSV (MuLV) contains little (perhaps 10%) genetic information not present in M-MuLV. Virtually all of the 1.8 X 10(6)-dalton subunits of M-MSV (MuLV) RNA contained regions of poly(A) since 94% of the RNA bound to oligo(dT) cellulose in 0.5 M KCl. This suggests that the formation of the 1.8 X 10(6)-dalton subunits occurs before their packaging into virions and does not result from hydrolysis of intact 3.5 X 10(6)-dalton subunits by a virion-associated nuclease.