cDNA cloning of a novel heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein gene homologue in Caenorhabditis elegans using hamster prion protein cDNA as a hybridization probe.

The mammalian prion protein (PrPc) is a cellular protein of unknown function, an altered isoform of which (PrPsc) is a component of the infectious particle (prion) thought to be responsible for spongiform encephalopathies in humans and animals. The evolutionary conservation of the PrP gene has been reported in the genomes of many vertebrates as well as certain invertebrates. In the genome of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the sequence capable of hybridizing with the mammalian PrP cDNA probe has been demonstrated, predicting the presence of the PrP gene homologue in C.elegans. In this study, Southern analysis with the hamster PrP cDNA (HaPrP) probe confirmed the previous observation. Moreover, Northern analysis revealed that the sequence is actively transcribed in adult worms. Thus, we screened C.elegans cDNA libraries with the HaPrP probe and isolated a cDNA that hybridizes to the same sequence in C.elegans that hybridized with the HaPrP probe in the Southern and Northern analyses. The deduced amino acid sequence of this cDNA, however, is substantially homologous with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) core proteins rather than mammalian PrPc. The hnRNPs contain the glycine-rich domain in the C-terminal half of the molecule, which also seemed to be in PrPc at the N-terminal half of the molecule. Both of the glycine-rich domains are composed of tracts with high G + C content, indicating that these tracts may due to the hybridizing signals. These results suggest that this cDNA clone is derived from a novel hnRNP gene homologue in C.elegans but not from a predicted PrP gene homologue.     

Structural and functional features of cis-acting sequences in the basic replicon of plasmid ColIb-P9.

We have structurally and functionally analyzed the cis-elements essential for ColIb-P9 plasmid DNA replication. The putative oriV region encompassed a region of 172 base pairs (bp) located 152 bp downstream of the repZ gene. A typical dnaA box found in this region proved nonessential for the DNA replication of ColIb-P9. The ssi signal of ColIb-P9 is a homologue of the G-sites of R1 and R100 plasmids. Deletion of the G-site led to 1.5-fold reduction of the copy number, suggesting that although this G-site is not essential, it is important for efficient ColIb-P9 DNA replication. In addition, the ColIb-P9 replicon is highly and extensively homologous with the P307 (RepFIC) replicon, and highly homologous with the R100 (RepFIIA) replicon around the G-site region. These facts imply a common ancestry from which the plasmids have evolved.     

Physical dissection and characterization of chromosomes V and VIII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Chromosomes V and VIII of S. cerevisiae were dissected and ordered clone banks were constructed and characterized. Each bank contains almost the entire chromosome from the left to the right telomere except for a small gap in each case. The size of the banks constructed is in good agreement with the physical length of these chromosomes, 580 kb, estimated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The remaining gap in the ordered clone bank of chromosome V was found to be only 1.6 kb in length and to contain a 1.5 kb-long portion of one of the two Ty elements located in tandem. The gap in the bank of chromosome VIII was 6.4 kb in length and contained four copies of the CUP1 gene. A genomic restriction map analysis of the corresponding region of chromosome VIII revealed that a unit of about 2 kb in length harbouring the CUP1 gene was repeated ten times in strain DC5 rho degrees which was used for the bank construction. A 588.5 kb-long high resolution physical map for chromosome V and a 585.6 kb-long one for chromosome VIII have thus been established.     

The effect of pulse repetition rate on the delay sensitivity of neurons in the auditory cortex of the FM bat,Myotis lucifugus

1. Echo delay is the primary cue used by echolocating bats to determine target range. During target-directed flight, the repetition rate of pulse emission increases systematically as range decreases. Thus, we examined the delay tuning of 120 neurons in the auditory cortex of the bat, Myotis lucifugus, as repetition rate was varied. 2. Delay sensitivity was exhibited in 77% of the neurons over different ranges of pulse repetition rates (PRRs). Delay tuning typically narrowed and eventually disappeared at higher PRRs. 3. Two major types of delay-sensitive neurons were found: i) delay-tuned neurons (59%) had a single fixed best delay, while ii) tracking neurons (22%) changed their best delay with PRR. 4. PRRs from 1-100/s were represented by the population of delay-sensitive neurons, with the majority of neurons delay-sensitive at PRRs of at least 10-20/s. Thus, delay-dependent neurons in Myotis are most active during the search phase of echolocation. 5. Delay-sensitive neurons that also responded to single sounds were common. At PRRs where delay sensitivity was found, the responses to single sounds were reduced and the responses to pulse-echo pairs at particular delays were greater than the single-sound responses. In facilitated neurons (53%), the maximal delay-dependent response was always larger than the best single-sound responses, whereas in enhanced neurons (47%), these responses were comparable. The presence of neurons that respond maximally to single sounds at one PRR and to pulse-echo pairs with particular echo delays at other PRRs suggests that these neurons perform echo-ranging in conjunction with other biosonar functions during target pursuit.     

Inhibition of Achromobacter protease I by lysinal derivatives.

Z-Val-, Z-Pro-, Z-Leu-Leu-, and Z-Leu-Pro-lysinals and BZ-DL-lysinal were chemically synthesized and tested as novel inhibitors for Achromobacter protease I (API), a lysine-specific serine protease. Among the lysinal derivatives tested, Z-Val-lysinal was the most potent competitive inhibitor, its Ki being estimated as 6.5 nM in an esterolytic assay with Tos-Lys-OMe. In an amidolytic assay, Z-Leu-Leu-lysinal was the most potent inhibitor and the apparent mode of inhibition was non-competitive. The Kis of the other lysinal derivatives in both esterolytic and amidolytic assays were more than 10(3) times lower than that of leupeptin. Z-Val-lysinol, lacking the aldehyde group, was a poor competitive inhibitor. These results suggest that acyl-, acylaminoacyl-, and acylpeptidyllysinals function as a transition-state inhibitor for Achromobacter protease I.     

Phosphorylation in the carboxyl-terminal domain of the capsid protein of hepatitis B virus: evaluation with a monoclonal antibody.

The capsid protein of hepatitis B virus (p21c) is made of 183 amino acids coded for by the C gene. By using p21c isolated from Dane particles (hepatitis B virus) as an immunogen, a monoclonal antibody (no. 2212) which recognized an epitope dependent on the phosphorylation of p21c was raised. The binding of no. 2212 antibody to authentic p21c was completely inhibited by a synthetic undecapeptide with a sequence of RRRSQSPRRRR, representing amino acids 165 to 175 of p21c, only when the peptide was phosphorylated. Either or both of Ser-168 and Ser-170 were phosphorylated in p21c in vivo, therefore, and contributed to the manifestation of the epitope. No. 2212 antibody bound to p21c from core particles derived from Dane particles or hepatocellular carcinoma tissues (PLC/342) propagated in nude mice but did not bind to p21c from core particles expressed in Escherichia coli or yeast cells, indicating different states of phosphorylation in them. Nonphosphorylated p21c showed a higher affinity for the viral DNA than did phosphorylated p21c. Since the serum from an asymptomatic carrier, with a high titer for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, specifically bound to phosphorylated undecapeptide (amino acids 165 to 175), the epitope would stimulate humoral antibody responses in the human host.     

Increase in serotonin 5-HT1A receptors in prefrontal and temporal cortices of brains from patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Binding studies with [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT), a specific serotonin1A (5-HT1A) receptor agonist, were done on the autopsied brains from control subjects and from patients with chronic schizophrenia. All the patients and controls were of the Japanese race. In the controls, representative Scatchard plots for the specific [3H]8-OH-DPAT bindings in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus revealed a single component of high affinity binding site (Kd value = 5.7 and 5.9 nM, Bmax value = 80.1 and 101.0 fmol/mg protein, respectively). The [3H]8-OH-DPAT bindings to the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were potently inhibited by serotonin (IC50 = 6.3 x 10(-9) M) and 5-HT1A agonists (IC50 = 5.0 x 10(-9) - 2.3 x 10(-7) M), while other neurotransmitters, 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 related compounds did not inhibit the binding (IC50 greater than 10(-5) M). The bindings were decreased in the presence of 0.1mM GTP and 0.1mM GppNHp but not in the presence of 0.1mM GMP. In the prefrontal and temporal cortices of schizophrenics, there was a significant increase in the specific [3H]8-OH-DPAT binding, by 40% and 60%, respectively, with no change in the hippocampus, amygdala, cingulum, motor cortex, parietal or occipital cortex, as compared to findings in the controls. Scatchard analysis showed that this increased binding reflects changes in the number of sites but not in the affinity. The effect of 0.1mM GppNHp on the binding to prefrontal cortex was observed in both controls and schizophrenic patients. The bindings were significantly greater in the schizophrenic patients than in controls, in the presence of 0.1mM GppNHp. Our findings suggest that there are GTP-sensitive 5-HT1A sites in the human brain and that selective increases in GTP-sensitive 5-HT1A sites in the prefrontal and temporal cortices of schizophrenics relate to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.     

A Polypeptide That Induces Flowering in Lemna paucicostata at a Very Low Concentration

A flower-inducing substance of high molecular mass, extracted from Lemna paucicostata, was purified to homogeneity. It had characteristics of a polypeptide, with an amino-terminal sequence of Leu-Val-Gly-Asn-Thr, and induced formation of flower buds of L. paucicostata 151 at a concentration of 10⁻¹⁰ molar.     

Germin-Like Polypeptides Increase in Barley Roots during Salt Stress

The 26 kilodalton, isoelectric point 6.3 and 6.5 (Gs1 and Gs2) polypeptides that increase in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) roots during salt stress were isolated and identified. Both Gs1 and Gs2 had high sequence similarity to germin, a protein that increases significantly in germinating wheat seeds. Like germin, Gs1 and Gs2 were resistant to proteases and were glycosylated. Immunoblots were probed with antibodies to Gs1 and Gs2 to determine the distribution of these polypeptides among organs and cell-free fractions. Gs1 and Gs2 were present in roots and coleoptiles, but absent from leaves. In roots, Gs1 and Gs2 were present in the mature region, but not the tip. Gs1 and Gs2 increased in roots, but decreased in coleoptiles in response to salt stress. Gs1 and Gs2 were distributed among the soluble, microsomal, and cell wall fractions of roots, but the majority of Gs1 and Gs2 was present in the soluble fraction. Although Gs1 and Gs2 were heat stable, their synthesis was not affected by abscisic acid treatment. Gs2 accumulated during abscisic acid treatment, whereas Gs1 did not. However, a 25.5 kilodalton, isoelectric point 6.1 polypeptide that was immunologically related to Gs1 did accumulate with abscisic acid treatment.