Expression of a VHC kappa chimaeric protein in mouse myeloma cells

The heavy (H) and light (L) chains of antibodies consist of variable (V) and constant (C) regions. The V regions of the heavy and light chains form the antibody combining site. To determine whether a V region could be functional when joined to a polypeptide other than its own C region, we constructed a chimaeric gene encoding the V region of a mouse heavy chain and the C region of a mouse kappa light chain ( VHC kappa). The heavy-chain gene is derived from an A/J mouse hybridoma cell line 36-65 whose antibody product (gamma 1, kappa) is specific for the hapten azophenylarsonate. We report here that, when introduced into a mouse myeloma cell line, the chimaeric gene is expressed and a protein of the expected molecular weight is secreted into the medium. As light chains tend to dimerize we expected that the VHC kappa protein might associate with light chain from the cell line 36-65 to form an antibody-binding molecule. Affinity binding experiments and Ka determination indicate that this is the case. Dimers of this type offer a novel and interesting alternative to existing antibody-binding molecules.     

Construction of chimaeric processed immunoglobulin genes containing mouse variable and human constant region sequences

The specificity of monoclonal antibodies provides a powerful diagnostic and therapeutic tool in investigating human neoplasia. Radiological scanning and immunotherapy with mouse tumour-specific monoclonal antibodies have been applied to patients with some success, but a major problem is the neutralization of the mouse antibody induced by repeated administration of heterologous antibodies. To avoid or reduce such immune reactions, chimaeric immunoglobulins consisting of mouse variable (V) and human constant (C) regions can be synthesized. We have constructed a recombinant retrovirus DNA carrying genomic heavy-chain (H) variable-diversity joining (VH-D-JH) and C gamma 1 genes from different species and show here that the chimaeric intervening sequences are spliced out precisely. This procedure provides a useful method to construct the chimaeric mouse-human immunoglobulin gene to be expressed in Escherichia coli, yeast and animal cells. Unexpectedly, a hidden splice donor site in the 5'-flanking region of a human VH gene is used in place of the donor site of the leader sequence exon, resulting in the formation of the V region without the leader sequence.     

A region of SV40 large T antigen can substitute for a transforming domain of the adenovirus E1A products

SV40 large T antigen contains a small region of amino acid sequence, conserved among the papovaviruses, that shows considerable similarity to conserved domain 2 of the adenovirus E1A oncogene, a domain which plays an important role in the E1A transforming functions. To learn whether the analogous SV40 T antigen sequences could substitute functionally for E1A domain 2, a chimaeric gene was constructed, coding for T antigen amino acid residues 101 to 118 in place of E1A domain 2. The resulting product showed much of the activity of the wild-type E1A products. It induced proliferation of primary BRK cells and cooperated with the ras oncogene to transform these cells fully. In addition, the chimaeric protein coprecipitated two cellular proteins whose specific binding to the E1A products depends on the presence of domain 2. The activity of the chimaeric product suggests that a similar functional unit exists in the transforming proteins of both SV40 and adenovirus, and that these proteins may exert their cell growth regulating effects through similar mechanisms.     

A hapten-specific chimaeric IgE antibody with human physiological effector function

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) has a central role in allergic reactions although it rarely exceeds 5 micrograms ml-1 even in the serum of severely allergic individuals. Both mast cells and basophils possess receptors which bind the Fc portion of IgE with high affinity; crosslinking of membrane-bound IgE by allergen results in degranulation of the cell and release of a variety of pharmacologically active mediator including histamine. Myeloma IgE has been successfully used to block the skin sensitizing activity of allergic sera; however, human myeloma IgE is clearly in limited supply. The emergence of techniques allowing the stable introduction of immunoglobulin gene DNA into myeloma cells has allowed us to construct a mouse cell line that secretes a chimaeric IgE, lambda 1 antibody whose heavy chain is composed of a human C epsilon constant region fused to a mouse variable (VH) region. This chimaeric IgE is specific for the hapten 4-hydroxy-3-nitro-phenacetyl (NP) and can, when crosslinked by antigen, trigger the degranulation of human basophils. When not crosslinked, however, the chimaeric IgE can prevent the passive sensitization of these cells by sera from allergic subjects.     

Identification of a second human retinoic acid receptor

We have previously described a human complementary DNA that encodes a novel protein which is homologous to members of the steroid/thyroid nuclear receptor multigene family. This novel protein (hap for hepatoma) exhibits strong homology with the human retinoic acid receptor (RAR) which has been recently characterized. To test the possibility that the hap protein might also be a retinoid receptor, a chimaeric receptor was created by replacing the putative DNA binding domain of hap with that of the human oestrogen receptor (ER). The resulting hap-ER chimaera was then tested for its ability to trans-activate an oestrogen-responsive reporter gene (vit-tk-CAT) in the presence of possible receptor ligands. Here we show that retinoic acid (RA) at physiological concentrations is effective in inducing the expression of this reporter gene by the hap-ER chimaeric receptor. This demonstrates the existence of two human retinoic acid receptors designated RAR-alpha and RAR-beta.     

Targeted misexpression of a Drosophila opsin gene leads to altered visual function

Drosophila mutants transformed with a chimaeric gene that expresses the ocellar visual pigment in the major class of photoreceptor cells of the retina were used to investigate the properties of this minor pigment. The photoreceptor cells in which this opsin was misexpressed showed new spectral characteristics and physiology.     

马铃薯PGBSS—GUS融合基因在块茎中专一性表达的初步研究

从ＧＢＳＳ基因克隆上，酶切得到５上游区１．２ｋｂ的序列，与ＧＵＳ报告基基因融合，构建了ＰＧＢＳＳ１．２表达载体，通过农杆菌介导的方式，将ＰＧＢＳＳ１．２转和马铃薯品种Ｄｅｓｉｒｅｅ，卡那霉素筛选获得抗性再生植和微薯，利用ＰＣＲ特异性扩增和Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ Ｂｌｏｔｔｉｎｇ的方法证明了融合基因在马铃薯基因组中的整合，Ｘ－Ｇｌｕｅ活体染色表明，微薯切片具有高ＧＵＳ酶活性，而茎段中ＧＵＳ活性相对较低，初     

Location of a delta-subunit region determining ion transport through the acetylcholine receptor channel

The combination of complementary DNA expression and single-channel current analysis provides a powerful tool for studying the structure-function relationship of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) (refs 1-5). We have previously shown that AChR channels consisting of subunits from different species, expressed in the surface membrane of Xenopus oocytes, can be used to relate functional properties to individual subunits. Here we report that, in extracellular solution of low divalent cation concentration, the bovine AChR channel has a smaller conductance than the Torpedo AChR channel. Replacement of the delta-subunit of the Torpedo AChR by the bovine delta-subunit makes the channel conductance similar to that of the bovine AChR channel. To locate the region in the delta-subunit responsible for this difference, we have constructed chimaeric delta-subunit cDNAs with different combinations of the Torpedo and bovine counterparts. The conductances of AChR channels containing chimaeric delta-subunits suggest that a region comprising the putative transmembrane segment M2 and the adjacent bend portion between segments M2 and M3 is involved in determining the rate of ion transport through the open channel.     

Targeting of bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase to mitochondria in transgenic plants

Most mitochondrial proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and are synthesized as precursors containing a presequence at the N terminus. In yeast and in mammalian cells, the function of the presequence in mitochondrial targeting has been revealed by chimaeric gene studies. Fusion of a mitochondrial presequence to a foreign protein coding sequence enables the protein to be imported into mitochondria in vitro as well as in vivo. Whether plant mitochondrial presequences function in the same way has been unknown. We have previously isolated and characterized a nuclear gene (atp2-1) from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia that encodes the beta-subunit of the mitochondrial ATP synthase. We have constructed a chimaeric gene comprising a putative atp2-1 presequence fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) coding sequence and introduced it into the tobacco genome. We report here that a segment of 90 amino acids of the N terminus of the beta-subunit precursor is sufficient for the specific targeting of the CAT protein to mitochondria in transgenic plants. Our results demonstrate a high specificity for organelle targeting in plant cells.     

Localization of the c-ab1 oncogene adjacent to a translocation break point in chronic myelocytic leukaemia

The human c-ab1 oncogene maps within the region (q34-qter) of chromosome 9 which is translocated to chromosome 22, the Philadelphia (Ph') chromosome, in chronic myelocytic leukaemia (CML). The position of the Ph' chromosomal break point is shown to be variable and, in one CML patient, has been localized immediately 5' of, or within, the c-ab1 oncogene. A DNA restriction fragment corresponding to this site has been molecularly cloned and shown to represent a chimaeric fragment of DNA from chromosomes 9 and 22.     

人生长激素基因转化的小鼠胚胎干细胞特性的研究

报道了携带人生长激素基因（ｈＧＨ）的逆转录病毒载体ｐＩＮＳ－ＧＨ导入小鼠胚胎干细胞（ＥＳ细胞）ＣＣＥ后，虽然用放射免疫法未检测到ｈＧＨ基因的表达，但是，Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交的结果表明，ｈＧＨ基因的确已经整合到细胞基因组中。对转化的ＥＳ细胞克隆进行了体内外分化能力及嵌合能力的检验，结果表明，经过一系列体外操作的ＥＳ细胞，仍具有分化成多种细胞类型的能力。转化的ＥＳ细胞通过显微注射注入囊胚后，能参与受体