Immunoglobulins are encoded by a large multigene system that undergoes
somatic rearrangement and additional genetic change during the development
of immunoglobulin-producing cells. Inducible antibody and antibody-like
responses are found in all vertebrates. However, immunoglobulin possessing
disulfide-bonded heavy and light chains and domain-type organization has
been described only in representatives of the jawed vertebrates. High
degrees of nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence identity are
evident when the segmental elements that constitute the immunoglobulin gene
loci in phylogenetically divergent vertebrates are compared. However, the
organization of gene loci and the manner in which the independent elements
recombine (and diversify) vary markedly among different taxa. One striking
pattern of gene organization is the "cluster type" that appears to be
restricted to the chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes) and limits
segmental rearrangement to closely linked elements. This type of gene
organization is associated with both heavy- and light-chain gene loci. In
some cases, the clusters are "joined" or "partially joined" in the germ
line, in effect predetermining or partially predetermining, respectively,
the encoded specificities (the assumption being that these are expressed)
of the individual loci. By relating the sequences of transcribed gene
products to their respective germ-line genes, it is evident that, in some
cases, joined-type genes are expressed. This raises a question about the
existence and/or nature of allelic exclusion in these species. The
extensive variation in gene organization found throughout the vertebrate
species may relate directly to the role of intersegmental
(V<==>D<==>J) distances in the commitment of the individual
antibody-producing cell to a particular genetic specificity. Thus, the
evolution of this locus, perhaps more so than that of others, may reflect
the interrelationships between genetic organization and function.
相似文献
Despite intense studies, questions still remain regarding the molecular mechanisms leading to the development of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Research focused on elucidating the role of the breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) in the DNA damage response may be of the most critical importance to understanding these processes. The BRCA1 protein has an N-terminal RING domain possessing E3 ubiquitin-ligase activity and a C-terminal BRCT domain involved in binding specific phosphoproteins. These domains are involved directly or indirectly in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. As the two terminal domains of BRCA1 represent two separate entities, understanding how these domains communicate and are functionally altered in regards to DSB repair is critical for understanding the development of BRCA1-related breast and ovarian cancers and for developing novel therapeutics. Herein, we review recent findings of how altered functions of these domains might lead to cancer through a mechanism of increased aberrant homologous recombination and possible implications for the development of BRCA1 inhibitors.Key words: BRCT, DNA repair, peptide, radiation, RING, ubiquitylation相似文献
Low-lying coral reef islands are considered highly vulnerable to climate change, necessitating an improved understanding of when and why they form, and how the timing of formation varies within and among regions. Several testable models have been proposed that explain inter-regional variability as a function of sea-level history and, more recently, a reef platform size model has been proposed from the Maldives (central Indian Ocean) to explain intra-regional (intra-atoll) variability. Here we present chronostratigraphic data from Pipon Island, northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR), enabling us to test the applicability of existing regional island evolution models, and the platform size control hypothesis in a Pacific context. We show that reef platform infilling occurred rapidly (~4–5 mm yr−1) under a “bucket-fill” type scenario. Unusually, this infilling was dominated by terrigenous sedimentation, with platform filling and subsequent reef flat formation complete by ~5000 calibrated years BP (cal BP). Reef flat exposure as sea levels slowly fell post highstand facilitated a shift towards intertidal and subaerial-dominated sedimentation. Our data suggest, however, a lag of ~1500 yr before island initiation (at ~3200 cal BP), i.e. later than that reported from smaller and more evolutionarily mature reef platforms in the region. Our data thus support: (1) the hypothesis that platform size acts to influence the timing of platform filling and subsequent island development at intra-regional scales; and (2) the hypothesis that the low wooded islands of the northern GBR conform to a model of island formation above an elevated reef flat under falling sea levels.
Members of the Deinococcaceae (e.g., Thermus, Meiothermus, Deinococcus) contain A/V-ATPases typically found in Archaea or Eukaryotes which were probably acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Two methods were used to quantify the extent to which archaeal or eukaryotic genes have been acquired by this lineage. Screening of a Meiothermus ruber library with probes made against Thermoplasma acidophilum DNA yielded a number of clones which hybridized more strongly than background. One of these contained the prolyl tRNA synthetase (RS) gene. Phylogenetic analysis shows the M. ruber and D. radiodurans prolyl RS to be more closely related to archaeal and eukaryal forms of this gene than to the typical bacterial type. Using a bioinformatics approach, putative open reading frames (ORFs) from the prerelease version of the D. radiodurans genome were screened for genes more closely related to archaeal or eukaryotic genes. Putative ORFs were searched against representative genomes from each of the three domains using automated BLAST. ORFs showing the highest matches against archaeal and eukaryotic genes were collected and ranked. Among the top-ranked hits were the A/V-ATPase catalytic and noncatalytic subunits and the prolyl RS genes. Using phylogenetic methods, ORFs were analyzed and trees assessed for evidence of horizontal gene transfer. Of the 45 genes examined, 20 showed topologies in which D. radiodurans homologues clearly group with eukaryotic or archaeal homologues, and 17 additional trees were found to show probable evidence of horizontal gene transfer. Compared to the total number of ORFs in the genome, those that can be identified as having been acquired from Archaea or Eukaryotes are relatively few (approximately 1%), suggesting that interdomain transfer is rare. 相似文献
MOTIVATION: At the core of most protein gene-finding algorithms are the
coding measures used to make a decision on coding/non-coding. Of the
protein coding measures, the Fourier measure is one of the most important.
However, due to the limited length of the windows usually used, the
accuracy of the measure is not satisfactory. This paper is devoted to
improving the accuracy by lengthening the sequence to amplify the
periodicity of 3 in the coding regions. RESULTS: A new algorithm is
presented called the lengthen-shuffle Fourier transform algorithm. For the
same window length, the percentage accuracy of the new algorithm is 6-7%
higher than that of the ordinary Fourier transform algorithm. The resulting
percentage accuracy (average of specificity and sensitivity) of the new
measure is 84.9% for the window length 162 bp. AVAILABILITY: The program is
available on request fromC.- T. Zhang. Contact: ctzhang@tju.edu.cn
相似文献
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute hepatitis in many parts of the world including Asia, Africa and Latin America. Though self-limiting in normal individuals, it results in ~30% mortality in infected pregnant women. It has also been reported to cause acute and chronic hepatitis in organ transplant patients. Of the seven viral genotypes, genotype-1 virus infects humans and is a major public health concern in South Asian countries. Sporadic cases of genotype-3 and 4 infection in human and animals such as pigs, deer, mongeese have been reported primarily from industrialized countries. Genotype-5, 6 and 7 viruses are known to infect animals such as wild boar and camel, respectively. Genotype-3 and 4 viruses have been successfully propagated in the laboratory in mammalian cell culture. However, genotype-1 virus replicates poorly in mammalian cell culture and no other efficient model exists to study its life cycle. Here, we report that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress promotes genotype-1 HEV replication by inducing cap-independent, internal initiation mediated translation of a novel viral protein (named ORF4). Importantly, ORF4 expression and stimulatory effect of ER stress inducers on viral replication is specific to genotype-1. ORF4 protein sequence is mostly conserved among genotype-1 HEV isolates and ORF4 specific antibodies were detected in genotype-1 HEV patient serum. ORF4 interacted with multiple viral and host proteins and assembled a protein complex consisting of viral helicase, RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), X, host eEF1α1 (eukaryotic elongation factor 1 isoform-1) and tubulinβ. In association with eEF1α1, ORF4 stimulated viral RdRp activity. Furthermore, human hepatoma cells that stably express ORF4 or engineered proteasome resistant ORF4 mutant genome permitted enhanced viral replication. These findings reveal a positive role of ER stress in promoting genotype-1 HEV replication and pave the way towards development of an efficient model of the virus. 相似文献
The translocation profiles of 11C-photoassimilates from eithertendrils or leaflets of the compound leaf of Pisum sativum weresimilar in shape, speed and susceptibility to blockage by chillingand heat girdling. When the feed leaf component was exposedto an anaerobic gas stream consisting of N2 gas supplementedwith 40 Pa CO2, the export of previously-fixed 11C-photoassimilatesfrom both leaflets and tendrils continued in the light, butstopped in the dark. However, in the light, translocation of11C-assimilates from the leaflet was rapidly blocked by a flowof pure N2 (i.e. anoxia). Movement of 11C-assimilates from theleaf of another C3 plant, sunflower, was similar to that fromthe pea leaflet. In contrast to both laminar leaf components,export from the tendrils was stopped under pure N2 only in thedark. Taken together the data suggest that photosynthetic O2production facilitated the movement of 11C-assimilates in theabsence of exogenous O2. The differences observed between thetendrils and the leaflets exposed to pure N2 could be attributedto the greater capacity of tendrils to produce and recycle CO2to support photosynthetic O2 production in the light. Key words: Pea, 11C-translocation, anoxia, tendril, leaflet 相似文献