Genetic evidence for the occurrence of assimilatory nitrate reductase in arbuscular mycorrhizal and other fungi

Using primers synthesized from two conserved regions and employing PCR, a DNA segment coding for part of the apoprotein of assimilatory nitrate reductase could be amplified from the fungi Aspergillus nidulans, Pythium intermedium, Phytophthora infestans, Phytophthora megasperma and Glomus D13. Sequencing of the amplificates as well as DNA hybridization revealed strong homologies with the nitrate reductase gene in all cases. The digoxigenin-labeled amplificate from Glomus hybridized with DNA isolated from Glomus spores. The data from these gene probing experiments are generally in accord with the published results from enzyme measurements. Thus assimilatory nitrate reductase occurs in saprophytic, parasitic as well as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. No amplificates with these primers were obtained with DNA isolated from Mucor mucedo and Saprolegnia ferax. Such results agree with the failure to detect nitrate assimilation physiologically in these two organisms.     

TGA cysteine codons and intron sequences in conserved and nonconserved positions are found in macronuclear RNA polymerase genes of Euplotes octocarinatus.

The gene sequences of the second largest subunits of RNA polymerases I and II of Euplotes octocarinatus, RPA2 and RPB2, were determined and compared to the respective known sequences of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The similarity of the derived polypeptide sequences permitted their assignment to the respective polymerases and allowed the comparison of the zinc binding regions. In frame TGA codons were detected, which are likely to encode conserved cysteinyl residues in the putative zinc-finger region of the RPA2 gene. They were also found in other positions in both the RPA2 and RPB2 genes. The RPB2 gene contains a 30 bp intron close to the 5'-end of its coding region. The 5'-ends of the coding regions of all three genes encoding the largest subunits of the three different polymerases were also analyzed. The zinc finger structures again show the use of TGA codons for conserved cysteinyl residues in two of the genes. An N-terminal intron is located in the RPB1 gene at a conserved position as compared to the respective genes of several other eucarya.     

乌拉尔图小麦(Triticum urartu)1Ay高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基基因编码区的克隆与鉴定(英文)

应用简并性引物和基因组PCR反应从乌拉尔图小麦(Triticum urartu)不同种质材料中获得并测定了表达型和沉默型1Ay高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基基因全长编码区的基因组DNA序列。表达型1Ay基因编码区的序列与前人已发表的y型高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基基因编码区的序列高度同源,由其推导的1Ay亚基的一级结构与已知的高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基相似。在细菌细胞中,表达型1Ay基因编码区的克隆序列可经诱导而产生1Ay蛋白,该蛋白与种子中1Ay亚基在电泳迁移率和抗原性上类似,表明所克隆的序列真实地代表了表达型1Ay基因的全长编码区。但是,本研究所克隆的沉默型1Ay基因的编码区序列因含有3个提前终止子而不能翻译成完整的1Ay蛋白。讨论了表达型1Ay基因在小麦籽粒加工品质改良中的潜在利用价值以及1Ay基因沉默的机制。     

乌拉尔图小麦(Triticum urartu)1Ay高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基基因编码区的克隆与鉴定

应用简并性引物和基因组PCR反应从乌拉尔图小麦(Triticum urartu)不同种质材料中获得并测定了表达型和沉默型1Ay高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基基因全长编码区的基因组DNA序列.表达型1Ay基因编码区的序列与前人已发表的y型高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基基因编码区的序列高度同源,由其推导的1Ay亚基的一级结构与已知的高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基相似.在细菌细胞中,表达型1Ay基因编码区的克隆序列可经诱导而产生1Ay蛋白,该蛋白与种子中1Ay亚基在电泳迁移率和抗原性上类似,表明所克隆的序列真实地代表了表达型1Ay基因的全长编码区.但是,本研究所克隆的沉默型1Av基因的编码区序列因含有3个提前终止子而不能翻译成完整的1Ay蛋白.讨论了表达型1Ay基因在小麦籽粒加工品质改良中的潜在利用价值以及lAy基因沉默的机制.     

Characterisation of two gene subunits on the 1R chromosome of rye as orthologs of each of the Glu-1 genes of hexaploid wheat

The visco-elastic properties of bread flour are firmly associated with the presence or absence of certain HMW subunits coded by the Glu-1 genes. Identifying allelic specific molecular markers (AS-PCR) associated with the presence of Glu-1 genes can serve as a valuable tool for the selection of useful genotypes. This paper reports the use of primers designed from nucleotide sequences of the Glu-D1 gene of wheat (AS-PCR for Glu-D1y10) that recognise and amplify homologous sequences of the Glu-R1 gene subunits of rye. The primers amplify the complete coding regions and provided two products of different size in rye, in wheats carrying the substitution 1R(1D) and in rye-wheat aneuploid lines carrying the long arm of chromosome 1R. The location, the molecular characterisation of these sequences and their expression during grain ripening seem to demonstrate that the amplification products correspond to structural genes encoding the high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenins of rye. The homology of the rye gene to subunits encoding HMW glutenins in wheat was confirmed by Southern blots and sequencing. The amplification-products were cloned, sequenced and characterised, and the sequences compared with the main glutenin subunits of wheat and related species. Further, an RT-PCR experiment was performed using primers designed from the sequence of both amplified products. This assay demonstrated that both sequences are expressed in endosperm during grain ripening. The results of these analyses suggest that both gene subunits correspond to x- and y-type genes of the Glu-R1 locus of rye. Received: 11 December 2000 / Accepted: 17 April 2001     

Isolation of ribonucleotide reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and cloning, expression, and purification of the large subunit.

Ribonucleotide reductase, an allosterically regulated, cell cycle-dependent enzyme catalyzing a unique step in the synthesis of DNA, the reduction of 2'-ribonucleotides to 2'-deoxyribonucleotides, was purified 500-fold from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Erdman strain through cell disruption, ammonium sulfate fractionation, and dATP-Sepharose affinity column chromatography. As in eucaryotes and certain bacteria and viruses, the M. tuberculosis enzyme consists of two nonidentical subunits, R1 and R2, both of which are required for activity. R1 has a molecular mass of 84 kDa, as identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and photoaffinity labeling with dATP. The amino acid sequences of the N-terminal peptide and two internal peptides were determined, and a partial R1 gene was isolated by PCR with primers designed from these amino acid sequences. Additional coding sequences were isolated by screening size-selected libraries, and a full-length form of M. tuberculosis R1 was generated by PCR amplification of high-molecular-weight M. tuberculosis DNA and expressed in Eschericnia coli. This coding sequence is 2,169 nucleotides long and contains no introns. The predicted molecular mass of R1 from the DNA sequence is 82,244 Da. Recombinant M. tuberculosis R1, purified to homogeneity, was biochemically active when assayed with extracts of M. tuberculosis enriched for R2.     

Expression of Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in yeast is enhanced by use of yeast signal sequences

We have produced the four subunits of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of Torpedo californica, an integral membrane protein, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Two of the subunits (alpha and delta) were readily produced from their cDNAs after simply subcloning them into a yeast shuttle vector adjacent to a yeast promoter. The other two protein subunits (beta and gamma) were not produced by this strategy, although the amounts of mRNA produced from these expression constructs are similar to those for alpha and delta. Replacing the DNA coding for the normal N-terminal signal sequences for the beta and gamma subunits with DNA coding for the signal sequence of yeast invertase results in successful protein synthesis. The yeast signal sequence allows these subunits to be translocated across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum and to be glycosylated. The appropriate final size of the subunit proteins suggests that the yeast signal sequence has been properly cleaved after translocation.     

地衣芽孢杆菌α-淀粉酶基因的克隆和及其启动子功能鉴定

根据已知α-淀粉酶编码基因保守区核苷酸序列,通过PCR和反向PCR技术克隆出Bacillus licheniformisCICIM B0204α-淀粉酶编码基因amyL全长序列及其上下游序列。B.licheniformisCICIM B0204amyL由1539bp组成,其上游180bp为启动子序列,下游160bp为终止子序列;成熟肽由512个氨基酸残基组成,氨基端的29个氨基酸残基为α-淀粉酶的信号肽。通过基因及其氨基酸序列比对发现,amyL及其编码产物与芽孢杆菌来源的α-淀粉酶具有高度相似性。将amyL的结构基因在PT7介导下于大肠杆菌中诱导表达,获得具有α-淀粉酶活性的表达产物。将amyL的启动子序列和信号肽序列与B.licheniformisCICIM B2004的β-甘露聚糖酶结构基因进行读框内重组,在大肠杆菌中获得了β-甘露聚糖酶的分泌表达,重组大肠杆菌表达295U/mL的β-甘露聚糖酶酶活。     

The primary structure of the 32-kDa subunit of human replication protein A

Replication protein A (RP-A) is a complex of three polypeptides of molecular mass 70, 32, and 14 kDa, which is absolutely required for simian virus 40 DNA replication in vitro. We have isolated a cDNA coding for the 32-kDa subunit of RP-A. An oligonucleotide probe was constructed based upon a tryptic peptide sequence derived from whole RP-A, and clones were isolated from a lambda gt11 library containing HeLa cDNA inserts. The amino acid sequence predicted from the cDNA contains the peptide sequence obtained from whole RP-A along with two sequences obtained from tryptic peptides derived from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel-purified 32-kDa subunit. The coding sequence predicts a protein of 29,228 daltons, in good agreement with the electrophoretically determined molecular mass of the 32-kDa subunit. No significant homology was found with any of the sequences in the GenBank data base. The protein predicted from the cDNA has an N-terminal region rich in glycine and serine along with two acidic and two basic segments. Monoclonal antibodies have been raised against the 70- and 32-kDa subunits of RP-A. The cloned cDNA has been overexpressed in bacteria using an inducible T7 expression system. The protein made in bacteria is recognized by a monoclonal antibody that is specific for the 32-kDa subunit of RP-A. This monoclonal antibody against the 32-kDa subunit inhibits DNA replication in vitro.     

蚯蚓纤溶酶基因(Efp-Ⅰ)在大肠杆菌中的克隆、表达及活性分析

从GenBank查询到的蚯蚓纤溶酶(earthworm fibrinolyti cenzyme,EFE)基因序列中,只有AY438624翻译的蛋白质序列与天然EfP-Ⅰ在N-端具有较高的相似性。根据该基因的5′与3′序列设计引物,通过RT-PCR从赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia fetida)获得一个完整的基因(GenBank,DQ418454)。序列分析证明,由该基因编码蛋白质的N-末端与天然EfP-Ⅰ的N-末端的氨基酸顺序完全相同。ScanProsite prediction programs分析显示,该基因与AY438624相似性极高,二者均属于胰蛋白酶家族;不同的是,该基因编码蛋白质的序列中含有N-糖苷键的结构域,所以DQ418454是EfP-Ⅰ中的一个新基因。在此基础上,构建了该基因的原核表达载体pMAL-c2X-Efp-Ⅰ,并进行了转化、诱导和表达。Western blotting证明,表达产物同时具有MBP和EfP-Ⅰ的抗原特异性,是MBP和EfP-Ⅰ的融合蛋白(MBP-EfP-Ⅰ)。经亲和层析分离纯化的MBP-EfP-Ⅰ,在酪蛋白平板和纤维蛋白平板上表现出明显的纤溶酶活性。     

Identification by mutational analysis of four critical residues in the molybdenum cofactor domain of eukaryotic nitrate reductase

The nucleotide sequence of the nitrate reductase (NR) molybdenum cofactor (MoCo) domain was determined in four Nicotiana plumbaginifolia mutants affected in the NR apoenzyme gene. In each case, missense mutations were found in the MoCo domain which affected amino acids that were conserved not only among eukaryotic NRs but also in animal sulfite oxidase sequences. Moreover an abnormal NR molecular mass was observed in three mutants, suggesting that the integrity of the MoCo domain is essential for a proper assembly of holo-NR. These data allowed to pinpoint critical residues in the NR MoCo domain necessary for the enzyme activity but also important for its quaternary structure.     

Elimination of introns from the interleukin 1 beta genome by DNA amplification and expression of interleukin 1 beta in Escherichia coli]

The use of the polymerase chain reaction was proposed for intron excision from genomic genes with known nucleotide sequences. Three exons (5, 6 and 7) of genomic interleukin 1 beta gene were amplified by means of thermostable DNA polymerase TthI from Thermus thermophilus on the base of cloned in M13 phage human genomic interleukin 1 beta gene. Synthetic oligonucleotides complementary to sequences flanking exons were used as primers. The fragments obtained by exon DNA amplification were joined in the correct order due to reciprocal complementation of end sequences, that was foreseen during synthesis of oligonucleotide primers followed by amplification of the enlarged fragments. As a result the structural interleukin-1 beta gene consisting of three exons was assembled. DNA sequences carrying the ATG initiation codon and XbaI recognition site at the 5'-end, and PstI recognition site at the 3'-end (essential for insertion into the expression vector) were formed by the additional end sequences of primers. The nucleotide sequence analysis of the obtained structural gene revealed its complete identity with natural interleukin 1 beta human gene. We created the expression vector pPR114 with phage lambda promoter PR thermo-inducible in case of the cIts857 repressor presence in cells. It was used for expression of the present gene. The interleukin 1 beta synthesized in E. coli had biological activity.     

Phylogenetic Distribution of Unusual Triheme to Tetraheme Cytochrome Subunit in the Reaction Center Complex of Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria

To understand the evolutionary relationship between triheme and tetraheme cytochrome subunits in the reaction center complex, genes located downstream of that coding for the M subunit of the reaction center complex (pufM) were amplified by PCR and analyzed in six established and two unidentified species of the genus Rhodovulum and five species of the genus Rhodobacter. All the Rhodovulum species tested had the pufC gene coding for the reaction-center-bound cytochrome subunit, while all the Rhodobacter species were found to have the pufX gene at the corresponding position. Analyses of the amino acid sequences of the pufC gene products showed that the cytochrome subunits of all the Rhodovulum species have three heme-binding-motifs and lack a methionine residue probably working as the sixth axial-ligand to one of the three hemes. Phylogenetic relationships among Rhodovulum species based on the pufC gene products were basically consistent with those based on 16S rRNA sequences, suggesting that the basic characteristics of the triheme cytochrome subunit have been conserved during the evolutionary process of the Rhodovulum species.     

Nucleotide sequence analysis of VP7 gene of Indian isolates of bluetongue virus vis-à-vis other serotypes from different parts of the world.

Bluetongue virus (BTV), a member of genus Orbivirus, a family Reoviridae, is a non-enveloped with double shelled structure and ten segmented double stranded (ds) RNA genome. The RNA segment S7 encodes an inner capsid serogroup specific viral protein VP7. To amplify coding region of VP7 gene of BTV, new primers, forward primer (18-38 bp) and reverse primer (1156-1136 bp), were designed using VP7 gene sequences available in GenBank. This primer pair successfully amplified cell culture adapted Indian isolates of BTV belonging to two different serotypes 1 and 18. The coding sequences of two Indian isolates of BTV (BTV-1H and BTV-18B) were cloned into pPCR Script-Amp SK (+) plasmid vector and transformed into XL10-Gold Kan ultracompetent E. coli cells. The positive clones selected by blue-white screening and colony touch PCR were sequenced. The sequence analysis revealed that there was 93-97% nucleotide sequence identity in VP7 gene of three different Indian serotypes of BTV. The VP7 gene sequences of Indian isolates have comparatively less sequence homology (< 80%) with American (US), and French isolates compared to South African (SA), Australian (AUS) and Chinese (PRC) isolates. In silico restriction enzyme profile analysis of VP7 gene sequences revealed that Indian isolates of BTV-1 can be differentiated from other BTV-1 isolates reported from SA, AUS and PRC using TaqI. Similarly the Indian isolates of BTV belonging to three different serotypes can be differentiated using EcoRI, Hae III and TaqI restriction enzymes.     

A synthetic arabinose-inducible promoter confers high levels of recombinant protein expression in hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus

Despite major progresses in genetic studies of hyperthermophilic archaea, recombinant protein production in these organisms always suffers from low yields and a robust expression system is still in great demand. Here we report a versatile vector that confers high levels of protein expression in Sulfolobus islandicus, a hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon. Two expression vectors, pSeSD and pEXA, harboring 11 unique restriction sites were constructed. They contain coding sequences of two hexahistidine (6×His) peptide tags and those coding for two protease sites, the latter of which make it possible to remove the peptide tags from expressed recombinant proteins. While pEXA employed an araS promoter for protein expression, pSeSD utilized P(araS-SD), an araS derivative promoter carrying an engineered ribosome-binding site (RBS; a Shine-Dalgarno [SD] sequence). We found that P(araS-SD) directed high levels of target gene expression. More strikingly, N-terminal amino acid sequencing of recombinant proteins unraveled that the protein synthesized from pEXA-N-lacS lacked the designed 6×His tag and that translation initiation did not start at the ATG codon of the fusion gene. Instead, it started at multiple sites downstream of the 6×His codons. Intriguingly, inserting an RBS site upstream of the ATG codon regained the expression of the 6×His tag, as shown with pSeSD-N-lacS. These results have yielded novel insight into the archaeal translation mechanism. The crenarchaeon Sulfolobus can utilize N-terminal coding sequences of proteins to specify translation initiation in the absence of an RBS site.     

Gene digging

A method termed “gene digging” has been developed based on our observation of stretches of highly conserved nucleotide sequence in the coding region of many genes across related species. Rabbit-specific nucleotide sequences corresponding to desired coding segments of 14 different genes were obtained with primers that were designed based on conserved nucleotide stretches. Our success in gene digging could be attributable to the method’s inherent ability to reduce the degeneracy of primers by more than two orders of magnitude (sometimes by more than three orders of magnitude) compared to primers designed from conserved amino acids. Our results not only demonstrate the value of the method, but also hint at a thus far unknown functional significance of conserved nucleotide stretches in the coding region of various genes. In our hands the method worked 14 out of 14 times indicating generality of the concept.     

Cloning and molecular characterization of three novel LMW-i glutenin subunit genes from cultivated einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.)

Three novel low molecular weight (LMW) glutenin subunits from cultivated einkorn (Triticum monococcum L., A^mA^m, 2n = 2x = 14) were characterized by SDS-PAGE and molecular weights determined by MALDI-TOF-MS. Their coding genes were amplified and cloned with designed AS-PCR primers, revealing three complete gene sequences. All comprised upstream, open reading frame (ORF), downstream and no introns were present. The deduced amino acid sequences showed that all three genes, named as LMW-M1, LMW-M3 and LMW-M5, respectively, belonged to the LMW-i type subunits with the predicted molecular weight between 38.5206 and 38.7028 kDa. They showed high similarity with other LMW-i type genes from hexaploid bread wheats, but also displayed unique features. Particularly, LMW-M5 subunit contained an extra cysteine residue in the C-terminus except for eight conserved cysteines, which resulted from a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the T–C transition, namely arginine → cysteine substitution at position 242 from the N-terminal end. This is the first report that the LMW-i subunit contained nine cysteines residues that could result in a more highly cross-linked and more elastic glutenin suggesting that LMW-M5 gene may associates with good quality properties. In addition, a total of 25 SNPs and one insertions/deletions (InDels) were detected among three LMW-i genes, which could result in significant functional changes in polymer formation of gluten. It is anticipated that these SNPs could be used as reliable genetic markers during wheat quality improvement. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that LMW-i type genes apparently differed from LMW-m and LMW-s type genes and diverged early from the primitive LMW-GS gene family, at about 12.92 million years ago (MYA) while the differentiation of A^m and A genomes was estimated at 3.98 MYA.Q. Zhang had the same contribution to this work as the first author.