Molecular cloning and characterization of a gibberellin-inducible, putative α-glucosidase gene from barley

A putative -glucosidase clone has been isolated from a cDNA library constructed from mRNA of barley aleurones treated with gibberellin A₃ (GA). The clone is 2752 bp in length and has an uninterrupted open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 877 amino acids. A 680 amino acid region is 43% identical to human lysosomal -glucosidase and other glycosyl hydrolases. In isolated aleurones, the levels of the corresponding mRNA increase strongly after the application of GA, similar to the pattern exhibited by low-pI -amylase mRNA. High levels are also observed in the aleurone and scutellum after germination, while low levels are found in developing seeds. The genome contains a single form of this -glucosidase gene and two additional sequences that may be related genes or pseudogenes.Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of the β-catenin gene from fine-wool sheep

β-Catenin is an evolutionarily conserved molecule that functions as a crucial effector in both cell-to-cell adhesion and Wnt signaling. To gain a better understanding of its role in the development of hair follicles, we cloned the cDNA sequence of the β-catenin gene from the skin of Aohan fine-wool sheep and performed a variety of bioinformatics analyses. We obtained the full-length sequence, which was 4573-bp long and contained a 2346-bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 781 amino acids. The protein had a predicted molecular weight of 85.4 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.57. Domain architecture analysis of the β-catenin protein revealed an armadillo repeat region, which is a common feature of β-catenin in other species. The ovine β-catenin gene shares 97.91%, 94.25%, 94.59%, 83.89%, and 89.39% sequence identity with its homologs in Bos taurus, Homo sapiens, Sus scrofa, Gallus gallus, and Mus musculus, respectively, while the amino acid sequence is more than 99% identical with each of these species. The expression of β-catenin mRNA was detected in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, skin, muscle, and adipose tissue. Expression levels were maximal in the lung and minimal in the muscle, and the difference in expression in these tissues was significant (P < 0.01). Western blot analysis revealed the presence of the β-catenin protein in all tissues examined; expression was lowest in the skin and adipose tissues.     

Functional and pharmacological characterization of a β-adrenergic-like octopamine receptor from the silkworm Bombyx mori

A cDNA encoding a seven-transmembrane receptor was cloned from the nervous tissues of silkworm (Bombyx mori) larvae. Sequence analysis indicated that the gene is an ortholog of CG6989, which encodes a Drosophila β-adrenergic-like octopamine (OA) receptor (DmOctβ2R). As very little information is available regarding this class of receptors, we generated a cell line that stably expressed the gene in HEK-293 cells and we then performed functional and pharmacological studies of this receptor. [³H]OA-binding assays using membrane preparations of this cell line showed that the receptor possesses a higher affinity for OA than for tyramine (TA) or dopamine (DA). The cell line elicited a bell-shaped, OA concentration-dependent increase in intracellular cAMP levels, with a maximum at 100 nM. (R)-OA was more potent than (S)-OA. TA and DA had weak or marginal effects on cAMP production. The OA receptor agonist demethylchlordimeform elicited a similar biphasic response, although the maximum response was attained at a concentration as low as 1 nM. The rank order of potency of other agonists was as follows: naphazoline > tolazoline, clonidine. Among the antagonists tested, only chlorpromazine significantly attenuated the OA-induced increase in cAMP levels. No increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ levels was observed with OA at concentrations up to 100 μM. These findings indicate that the cloned receptor is a β-adrenergic-like OA receptor with unique functional and pharmacological properties.     

Purification and characterization of α-glucosidase from Aspergillus carbonarious

Summary An -glucosidase was purified from Aspergillus carbonarious CCRC 30414 over 20 fold with 37 % recovery. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 328 kDa by gel filtration with an optimum pH from 4.2 to 5.0, and pI=5.0. The optimum temperature is at 60°C over 40 min. The enzyme was partially inhibited by 5 mM Ag⁺, Hg²⁺, Ba²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Aso₄ ⁺.     

Further purification and characterization of the acid α-glucosidase

1. Centrifugation of rat liver acid glucosidase, which had been purified by adsorption on dextran gel, on a density gradient of sucrose showed the enzyme to be impure. 2. Preliminary purification of the enzyme before the gel filtration improved the final degree of purity of this preparation. Disc gel electrophoresis of this preparation showed a single band of protein. 3. The sedimentation co-efficient and the molecular weight determined on a sucrose gradient were 4.9-5.1s and 76000-83000 respectively for the rat liver enzyme, and 5.6s and 97000 for the acid alpha-glucosidase purified by means of the same procedure from the human kidney. 4. The Michaelis constants of rat liver and human kidney enzyme were 4.7x10(-3)m and 13.6x10(-3)m respectively with maltose as substrate. 5. The enzyme from both tissues was inhibited by tris and by erythritol. The inhibition of the rat liver acid glucosidase by erythritol was competitive.     

Purification and biochemical characterization of a soluble α-glucosidase from the parasite Entamoeba histolytica

A soluble α-glucosidase presumably involved in the general carbohydrate metabolism was purified from E. histolytica trophozoites by a three-step procedure consisting of ion exchange, size exclusion and adsorption chromatographies in columns of Mono Q, Sepharose CL-6B and hydroxyapatite, respectively. After the last step, the enzyme was enriched about 673-fold over the starting material with a yield of 18%. SDS-PAGE revealed the presence in the purified preparations of two polypeptides of comparable intensity exhibiting molecular weights of 43 and 68 kDa. These results and the molecular weight of 243 kDa determined by gel filtration, suggest that the native enzyme is a heterotetramer consisting of two copies of each subunit. Some properties were investigated to determine the role of this activity in glycoprotein processing. Analysis of linkage specificity using a number of substrates indicated a preferential hydrolysis of isomaltose (α1,6) with much less activity on nigerose (α1,3) and maltose (α1,4). Trehalose (α1,1), kojibiose (α1,2) and cellobiose (β1,4) were not cleaved at all. As expected, isomaltose competed away hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferyl-α-D-glucoside with a higher efficiency than nigerose and maltose. Hydrolysis of the fluorogenic substrate was competitively inhibited by glucose and 6-deoxy-D-glucose with comparable K_i values of 0.23 and 0.22 mM, respectively. Sensitivity of the enzyme to the α-glucosidase inhibitors 1-deoxynojirimycin, castanospermine and australine largely depended on the substrate utilized to determine activity. 1-Deoxynojirimycin and castanospermine inhibited isomaltose hydrolysis in a competitive manner with K_i values of 1.2 and 1.5 μM, respectively. The properties of the purified enzyme are consistent with a general glycosidase probably involved in glycogen metabolism. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of a recombinant Bombyx mori tyramine-β-hydroxylase in a silkworm cell line using a baculovirus expression vector system

Octopamine (OA) and tyramine (TA) are biogenic amines that act as neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and neuromodulators in the invertebrate nervous system. Tyramine-β-hydroxylase (TβH) catalyzes the biosynthesis of OA from TA. In this study, cDNA encoding Bombyx mori TβH (BmTβH) was cloned from the brain of the silkworm B. mori. The BmTβH mRNA comprised 2204 nucleotide residues and contained an open reading frame encoding 592 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence shared homology to several proteins belonging to the insect TβH family. Functional expression of the cloned cDNA was obtained using a B. mori baculovirus expression vector system. Western blot analysis revealed an immunoreactive band with a molecular mass of ~ 67.4 kDa. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the products formed during incubation of the enzyme reaction mixture. The optimum pH and temperature for the conversion of TA to OA were 7.5 and 25 °C, respectively. During incubation, the reaction was linear for the first 30 min at 25 °C and pH 7.5. Inhibitory experiments carried out with various concentrations of an inhibitor showed that this method can be used for screening of BmTβH inhibitors.     

Molecular cloning of the gene encoding α-acetolactate decarboxylase from Enterobacter aerogenes

Enterobacter aerogenes genomic library has been constructed using cosmid pJB8 in Escherichia coli. The gene encoding α-acetolactate decarboxylase (ALDC) has been isolated from this library by direct measurement of enzyme activity. The expression of the ALDC gene in E. coli appears to originate from the own promoter. Subsequent subcloning revealed that the ALDC gene locates within 1.7 kb BamHI-PstI fragment.     

Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of α- and β-tubulin from potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Few studies have investigated microtubules from plants that host pathogenic fungi. Considerable efforts are underway to find an antimitotic agent against plant pathogens like Phytophthora infestans. However, screening the effects of antifungal agents on plant tubulin in vivo or using purified native microtubule in vitro is a time consuming process. A recombinant, correctly folded, microtubule-like structure forming tubulin could accelerate research in this area. In this study, we cloned full length cDNAs isolated from potato leaves using reverse-transcribed polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Solanum tuberosum (Stub) α-tubulin and β-tubulin were predicted to encode 449 and 451 amino acid long proteins with molecular masses of 57 kDa and 60 kDa, respectively. Average yields of α- and β-tubulin were 2.0–3.5 mg l^?1 and 1.3–3.0 mg l^?1 of culture, respectively. The amino acids, His6, Glu198, and Phe170 involved in benomyl sensitivity were conserved in Stub tubulin. The dimerization of tubulin monomers was confirmed by western blot analysis. When combined under appropriate conditions, these recombinant α- and β-tubulins were capable of polymerizing into microtubules. Accessibility of cysteine residues of tubulin revealed that important ligand binding sites were folded correctly. This recombinant tubulin could serve as a control of phytotoxicity of selected antimitotic fungicide compounds during in vitro screening experiments.     

Purification and biochemical characterization of a novel α-glucosidase from Aspergillus niveus

An extracellular α-glucosidase produced by Aspergillus niveus was purified using DEAE-Fractogel ion-exchange chromatography and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. The purified protein migrated as a single band in 5% PAGE and 10% SDS–PAGE. The enzyme presented 29% of glycosylation, an isoelectric point of 6.8 and a molecular weight of 56 and 52 kDa as estimated by SDS-PAGE and Bio-Sil-Sec-400 gel filtration column, respectively. The enzyme showed typical α-glucosidase activity, hydrolyzing p-nitrophenyl α-d-glucopyranoside and presented an optimum temperature and pH of 65°C and 6.0, respectively. In the absence of substrate the purified α-glucosidase was stable for 60 min at 60°C, presenting t ₅₀ of 90 min at 65°C. Hydrolysis of polysaccharide substrates by α-glucosidase decreased in the order of glycogen, amylose, starch and amylopectin. Among malto-oligosaccharides the enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed malto-oligosaccharide (G10), maltopentaose, maltotetraose, maltotriose and maltose. Isomaltose, trehalose and β-ciclodextrin were poor substrates, and sucrose and α-ciclodextrin were not hydrolyzed. After 2 h incubation, the products of starch hydrolysis measured by HPLC and thin layer chromatography showed only glucose. Mass spectrometry of tryptic peptides revealed peptide sequences similar to glucan 1,4-alpha-glucosidases from Aspergillus fumigatus, and Hypocrea jecorina. Analysis of the circular dichroism spectrum predicted an α-helical content of 31% and a β-sheet content of 16%, which is in agreement with values derived from analysis of the crystal structure of the H. jecorina enzyme.     

Molecular characterization of heat shock proteins 90 (HSP83?) and 70 in tropical strains of Bombyx mori

Following the concept of whole organism, we have extracted total protein from the Bombyx mori for the identification and analysis of HSPs. Expression of 90 kDa HSP in first, second and third instars, 84 kDa in fourth instar and 90‐, 84‐, 62‐, 60‐, 52‐ and 33‐kDa HSPs in fifth instar larvae of tropical polyvoltine and bivoltine silkworm strains were obvious. Further, we have combined single and 2‐DE with MALDI‐TOF for analysis of BmHSPs. Ninety kilodalton band excised from 1‐DE gel was identified as HSP83 by MALDI‐TOF‐MS. The immunoblot analysis confirmed the expression of HSP90 in all the instars larvae of B. mori. Heat shock‐induced protein spots were excised from 2‐DE gels for MALDI‐TOF‐MS analysis. The Mascot search results are for HSP68, HSC70‐1 and HSP70Ba in Pure Mysore, and major HSP70Bbb, HSP68, HSC‐3 and HSP83 in NB₄D₂. Multiple sequence alignment explicit the variations in amino acid sequence between Pure Mysore and NB₄D₂. Notably, the PMF of spot 2 matched the coding sequence of B. mori and its gene annotation was determined on chromosome 9. With this novel approach, expression of BmHSP90 was confirmed in all the instars and uncovered isoforms of BmHSP70, which provided unequivocal insight to analyze and understand the biological significance in B. mori.     

Molecular cloning of novel α-gliadin genes from Crithopsis delileana and the evolution analysis with those from Triticeae

The α-gliadins from Crithopsis delileana (Schult) Roshev (2n=2x=14, KK) were investigated by Acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (A-PAGE) analysis. It was indicated that the electrophoresis mobility of gliadins from C.delileana had obvious difference with those from common wheat in α, γ and ω region. Using primers designed from published sequences of α-gliadin genes, three α-gliadin genes were isolated from C. delileana, which were designated as gli-ka1, gli-ka2 and gli-ka3, respectively. Two in-frame stop codons were found in the coding sequences of gli-ka3, indicating that gli-ka3 could be a pseudogene. The gli-ka2 was a gliadin with an odd number of cysteines, resulting from a non-synonymous mutation. This change might lead to the interactive behavior of gli-ka2. Three α-gliadin genes of C. delileana had the similar but not identical primary structures to the corresponding gene sequences from other wheat related species. By the alignment of α-gliadin genes from Triticeae, phylogenetic analysis indicated that three α-gliadin genes of C. delileana clustered together with all α-gliadin genes from Ee genome of Lophopyrum elongatum by an interior paralleled branch.     

Genetics of insect hemolymph α-mannosidase in the silkworm,Bombyx mori

The genetics of hemolymph alpha-mannosidase was investigated in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. By selecting individuals showing either high or low enzyme activities, homozygotes were separated, with activities varying about five-fold. No differences in the activities of beta-galactosidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase were observed. Thus, it seems that high- and low-enzyme silkworms (High and Low Lines) share the same genetic background except for the gene concerning the activity of alpha-mannosidase. The synthesis of the enzyme is controlled by an autosomal allele. Furthermore, expression of the gene varies from tissue to tissue, and there is no correlation between enzyme activity and growth rate. The difference in activity between High and Low lines is due to the amount of active enzyme, not to an endogeneous activator or inhibitor. There was no isozymic difference in alpha-mannosidase.