Nucleotide sequence of cloned cDNA for bovine corticotropin-beta-lipotropin precursor.

The nucleotide sequence of a 1,091-base pair cloned cDNA insert encoding bovine corticotropin-beta-lipotropin precursor mRNA is reported. The corresponding amino acid sequence indicates that the precursor protein consists of repetitive units and includes a third melanotropin sequence in its cryptic portion. Pairs of lysine and arginine residues separate the component peptides of the precursor.     

Most of the coding region of rat ACTH beta--LPH precursor gene lacks intervening sequences

The peptide hormones ACTH, beta-endorphin, alpha- and beta-melanotropin(MSH) and possibly gamma-MSH are synthesized in the pituitary gland by the processing of a 32,000-molecular weight (MW) polypeptide called proopiomelanocortin (POMC). The existence of a further precursor (pre form) to POMC containing an additional N-terminal 'leader' peptide has been suggested by analysis of the in vitro translation products of poly(A)-containing RNA from AtT-20 cells, a mouse ACTH-producing cell line of pituitary origin. Nakanishi et al. cloned and sequenced a cDNA copy of the bovine prePOMC mRNA. This sequence confirmed the known structure of the carboxyl half of POMC and revealed the presence of a new MSH-like moiety, gamma-MSH, within the 16,000-MW amino half of the precursor (16K fragment). Recent experiments have suggested that this peptide may act in synergy with ACTH to increase corticosterone and aldosterone production in vivo and in vitro. We have now isolated from a rat genomic DNA library a segment of a DNA encoding most of POMC, using as probe a mouse 144-base pair cloned cDNA fragment encoding beta-MSH and beta-endorphin. The cloned rat gene is one of two (or more) closely related POMC genes. The DNA sequence obtained shows that the cloned POMC gene is not interrupted by any intervening sequence (IVS) between the codon for amino acid 19 and the presumptive poly(A) addition site. This region of POMC encodes all the biologically active peptides mentioned above. The DNA sequence encoding the putative gamma-MSH and the coding sequence that precedes it are highly conserved between rat and cow. This may indicate an as yet unrecognized biological function(s) for the NH2-terminal portion of the 16K fragment.     

Human preprovasoactive intestinal polypeptide contains a novel PHI-27-like peptide, PHM-27

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), a 28-amino acid peptide originally isolated from porcine duodenum, is present not only in gastrointestinal tissues but also in neural tissues, possibly as a neurotransmitter, and exhibits a wide range of biological actions (for example, relaxation of smooth muscle, stimulation of intestinal water and electrolyte secretion and release of insulin, glucagon and several anterior pituitary hormones). As the structure of porcine and bovine VIP shows several similarities to those of mammalian glucagon, secretin and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), VIP is considered to be a member of the glucagon-secretin family. Recently, we have found that VIP is synthesized from a precursor, pro-VIP (molecular weight (Mr) 17,500), in human neuroblastoma cells and that the primary translation product of the mRNA encoding VIP is prepro-VIP (Mr 20,000). In an attempt to elucidate the primary structure of the precursor, we have now cloned the DNA sequence complementary to the mRNA coding for human VIP and analysed the nucleotide sequence. The entire amino acid sequence of the precursor, deduced from the nucleotide sequence, indicates that the precursor protein contains not only VIP but also a novel peptide of 27 amino acids. The peptide, designated PHM-27, differs by only 2 amino acids from PHI-27, a peptide recently isolated from porcine intestine, and is also closely related in sequence to VIP.     

Protease inhibitor domain encoded by an amyloid protein precursor mRNA associated with Alzheimer's disease

Amyloid B-protein/amyloid A4 is a peptide present in the neuritic plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and cerebrovascular deposits in patients with Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome (trisomy 21) and may be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Recent molecular genetic studies have indicated that amyloid protein is encoded as part of a larger protein by a gene on human chromosome 21 (refs 6-9). The amyloid protein precursor (APP) gene is expressed in brain and in several peripheral tissues, but the specific biochemical events leading to deposition of amyloid are not known. We have now screened complementary DNA libraries constructed from peripheral tissues to determine whether the messenger RNA encoding APP in these tissues is identical to that expressed in brain, and we identify a second APP mRNA that encodes an additional internal domain with a sequence characteristic of a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor. The alternative APP mRNA is present in both brain and peripheral tissues of normal individuals and those with Alzheimer's disease, but its pattern of expression differs from that of the previously reported APP mRNA.     

Primary structure and genomic organization of the histidine-rich protein of the malaria parasite Plasmodium lophurae

The nucleotide sequence of a complete genomic clone for the histidine-rich protein of Plasmodium lophurae has been determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of the mature protein shows numerous tandemly repeated units preceded by a signal and a pro peptide. The gene is interrupted by an intron with a separate exon coding for the signal peptide. The signal peptide-encoding exon detects multiple cross-hybridizing sequences in the parasite genome.     

Nucleotide sequence of cloned cDNA encoding bovine arginine vasopressin-neurophysin II precursor

The sequence of a cDNA encoding the nonapeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) and its carrier protein, neurophysin II (NpII) from bovine hypothalamus, proves that the 166-amino acid precursor molecule contains a signal peptide of 19 amino acids followed directly by AVP connected to NpII by a Gly-Lys-Arg sequence. The carboxy-terminal region of the precursor contains a naturally occurring glycopolypeptide of 39 amino acids which is separated from NpII by a single arginine residue.     

Insertional mutagenesis of the myc locus by a LINE-1 sequence in a human breast carcinoma

The proto-oncogene c-myc is the cellular homologue of the transforming sequence carried by the avian myelocytomastosis virus MC29. A growing body of evidence implicates structural and functional alterations in and around proto-oncogenes such as c-myc in tumorogenesis. Here we report that comparison of the structure of myc from a ductal adenocarcinoma of the breast and from normal breast tissue of the same patient (Sc) revealed a tumour-specific rearrangement of one myc locus and amplification of the other myc locus. (For myc reviews see refs 1-4; for myc involvement in breast neoplasia see refs 5-7.) Within the second intron of the rearranged locus was a non-myc sequence with nearly complete homology to a long interspersed repetitive element (a LINE-1 sequence or L1). In this case, the L1 sequence has functioned as a mobile genetic element to produce a somatic mutation.     

Isolation and structure of a novel C-terminally amidated opioid peptide, amidorphin, from bovine adrenal medulla

Biologically active peptide hormones and neurotransmitters have been shown to be enzymatically liberated from larger, inactive precursor molecules by tissue-specific post-translational processing, particularly at the typical cleavage signals of paired basic residues. Subsequent N-terminal or C-terminal modifications may be of importance in regulating the biological activities of these peptides. C-terminal alpha-amidation is considered to be essential for the biological function of several non-opioid peptides. Here we present the isolation and structure of a novel C-terminally amidated opioid peptide, amidorphin, from bovine adrenal medulla. Amidorphin and the recently isolated octapeptide metorphamide (adrenorphin) are the only endogenous opioid peptides in mammals known to possess a C-terminal amide group. The amino acid sequence of amidorphin corresponds to the sequence 104-129 of bovine proenkephalin A. Very high concentrations of amidorphin were detected in bovine adrenal medulla and in a further endocrinological system, the hypothalamic-neurohypophyseal axis. Amidorphin may therefore be considered to be a major gene product of the opioid peptide precursor proenkephalin A in these endocrine tissues.     

蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因转家蚕表达质粒的构建

利用DNA重组技术对络新妇蛛(Nephila clavipes)拖牵丝蛋白基因MaSp1高度重复序列进行多次重组,人工构建成1.6 kb的蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白人工基因Sil-E,DNA序列分析证明了人工基因序列的正确性.将家蚕L链基因启动子片段、L链cDNA、L链基因终止子融合在一起,构建成丝腺特异性表达单元.再与Sil-E融合构建成蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因家蚕丝腺特异表达单元.将该表达单元克隆到转座子piggyBac的转基因载体中,获得了蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白转基因表达载体.采用显微注射法将其与辅助质粒共导入到家蚕蚕卵中.筛选转基因阳性个体,经PCR和Southern杂交鉴定,结果表明目的基因整合到家蚕基因组中,为进一步研究家蚕作为生物反应器表达蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因奠定了基础.     

Deduced amino acid sequence from the bovine oxytocin-neurophysin I precursor cDNA

The nonapeptide hormone oxytocin-like arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is synthesized as part of a larger precursor polypeptide. The precursor also includes the neurophysin molecule with which the hormone is associated in the neurosecretory granules of the hypothalamo-pituitary tract. A protein of molecular weight (Mr) approximately 20,000 has been isolated from supraoptic nuclei of rat hypothalami which, after tryptic cleavage, released a neurophysin-like molecule of Mr approximately 10,000 and an oligopeptide related to oxytocin. This result was complemented by in vitro translation of bovine hypothalamic mRNA. Among the primary translation products a single polypeptide of Mr approximately 16,500 was shown to contain antigenic determinants recognized by specific antisera against bovine neurophysin I and oxytocin. Here we report the amino acid sequence of the bovine oxytocin-neurophysin I (OT-NpI) precursor which was derived from sequence analysis of the cloned cDNA. As is the case for the bovine arginine-vasopressin-neurophysin II (AVP-NpII) precursor, the signal sequence of the OT-NpI precursor is immediately followed by the nonapeptide hormone which is connected to neurophysin I by a Gly-Lys-Arg sequence. A striking feature of the nucleic acid sequence is the 197-nucleotide long perfect homology with the AVP-NpII precursor mRNA sequence encoding the conserved middle part of neurophysins I and II.     

嗜热菌EPT3硫酸酯酶基因的克隆及生物信息学分析

利用筛选培养基筛选到一株产硫酸酯酶的深海嗜热菌EPT3,通过16SrDNA分析,将该菌株归属为Geobacillussp．EPT3．以菌株EP＇13的基因组DNA为模板,使用硫酸酯酶引物进行PCR扩增,将目的基因克隆至pUCm—T载体后进行测序．测序结果表明,克隆基因的大小为1956bp,预测编码651个氨基酸残基．对该基因编码蛋白质进行了生物信息学分析,结果表明,该蛋白质序列与其他菌株来源的硫酸酯酶具有很高的相似性,提示本研究克隆的基因编码硫酸酯酶．该硫酸酯酶的理论分子质量为75．1ku,理论等电点为6．90．采用同源建模法建立了GeobaciUussp．EPT3硫酸酯酶的三维结构模型,为球状结构．     

A prolactin-inhibiting factor within the precursor for human gonadotropin-releasing hormone

The cloned complementary DNA sequence encoding the human gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) precursor protein was used to construct an expression vector for the bacterial synthesis of the 56-amino acid GnRH-associated peptide (GAP). GAP was found to be a potent inhibitor of prolactin secretion and to stimulate the release of gonadotropins in rat pituitary cell cultures. Active immunization with peptides corresponding to GAP sequences led to greatly increased prolactin secretion in rabbits.     

Characterization of cDNA and genomic clones encoding the precursor to rat hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing factor

Growth hormone-releasing factor (GHRF) is a hypothalamic peptide which positively regulates the synthesis and secretion of growth hormone in the anterior pituitary. The amino-acid sequence of a 43-residue GHRF peptide isolated from rat hypothalamus was recently determined. Immunocytochemical techniques have been used to localize GHRF-containing cell bodies and nerve fibres largely to the medial-basal region of the rat hypothalamus. The rat has also been used extensively as an animal model to study the effects of GHRF on growth hormone synthesis and secretion and on somatic growth. To pursue questions concerning the biosynthesis of GHRF, the expression of the ghrf gene, and its regulation in the hypothalamus by neural and hormonal influences, we have now isolated and characterized both complementary DNA and genomic clones encoding rat hypothalamic GHRF. The rat ghrf gene spans nearly 10 kilobases (kb) of rat genomic DNA, contains 5 exons and encodes a 104-amino-acid precursor to the rat GHRF peptide. Comparison with previously characterized human ghrf cDNA and genomic clones has allowed patterns of conservation of amino-acid and nucleotide sequences between the human and rat GHRFs to be determined.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNA encoding a precursor for human atrial natriuretic polypeptide

Recent identification of natriuretic-diuretic activity in peptides isolated from human and rat atrial tissue implicates them in the control of extracellular fluid volume and electrolytic homeostasis. The presence of multiple forms of the peptides ranging from 3,000 to 13,000 molecular weight (MW) suggests they may all derive from the same precursor. The established amino acid sequence of alpha-human atrial natriuretic polypeptide (alpha- hANP ), a 28-residue peptide with potent natriuretic activity, provided the means to elucidate the structure of the precursor for alpha- hANP and the gene encoding it. Here we report the cloning and sequence analysis of the cDNA of human atrial mRNA encoding a precursor of alpha- hANP . The cDNA encodes gamma-human atrial natriuretic polypeptide (gamma- hANP ) of 13,000 MW, whose C-terminal 28 amino acid residues may be processed as alpha- hANP .     

马铃薯天冬氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂基因克隆和结构分析

以马铃薯基因组ＤＮＡ为模板并基于天冬氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂基因的ｃＤＮＡ序列所设计的两个引物，通过ＰＣＲ扩增得到６６６ｂｐ的天冬氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂基因编码区，并将此片段克隆到ｐＵＣ１８的ＳｍａＩ位点．序列分析结果表明该基因除去末端一终止密码子外其可译框架编码２２１个氨基酸残基，前导肽包括３２个氨基酸残基，故该抑制剂的成熟蛋白由１８９个氨基酸组成，第６７位的精氨酸为抑制胰蛋白酶的活性中心．与ｃＤＮＡ相比核苷酸的同源性为９４．３％，氨基酸的同源性为９０％．基因ＤＮＡ无内含子．     

The complete nucleotide sequence of chromosome 3 of Plasmodium falciparum.

Analysis of Plasmodium falciparum chromosome 3, and comparison with chromosome 2, highlights novel features of chromosome organization and gene structure. The sub-telomeric regions of chromosome 3 show a conserved order of features, including repetitive DNA sequences, members of multigene families involved in pathogenesis and antigenic variation, a number of conserved pseudogenes, and several genes of unknown function. A putative centromere has been identified that has a core region of about 2 kilobases with an extremely high (adenine + thymidine) composition and arrays of tandem repeats. We have predicted 215 protein-coding genes and two transfer RNA genes in the 1,060,106-base-pair chromosome sequence. The predicted protein-coding genes can be divided into three main classes: 52.6% are not spliced, 45.1% have a large exon with short additional 5' or 3' exons, and 2.3% have a multiple exon structure more typical of higher eukaryotes.     

山羊奇异变形杆菌毒力因子zapA基因的克隆及蛋白结构预测

为了研究山羊奇异变形杆菌毒力因子,克隆zapA基因和预测推导的蛋白结构.采用PCR方法,对山羊奇异变形杆菌zapA基因进行扩增、克隆及序列测定;利用生物信息学软件预测推导zapA蛋白的信号肽、跨膜区、二级结构及B细胞抗原表位.结果表明:zapA基因长为1 476bp,编码491个氨基酸,与参考株的核苷酸序列同源性为99.59%,氨基酸同源性为99.59%;zapA蛋白存在信号肽,无跨膜区,B细胞表位可能位于69-71,78-84,136-139,197-199,353-356,371-373和472-474氨基酸区域内或附近.该试验为奇异变形杆菌zapA蛋白的表达及基因工程疫苗的研制提供了理论基础.     

金龟子绿僵菌酸性海藻糖酶基因的克隆及其序列特征分析

根据酸性海藻糖酶的蛋白质序列设计引物,PCR扩增出CQMa102 ATM1的cDNA和DNA序列,登录号分别为:DQ237957,EF190950.序列分析表明,ATM1 DNA序列含有3个内含子,其开放阅读框(ORF)编码1个含1 073个氨基酸的蛋白质,具有1个20个氨基酸的信号肽序列和含有30个可能的N-糖基化位点(Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr).NCBI序列比对(Blastn)显示该蛋白与Aspergillus fumigatus的alpha、alpha-trehalose glucohydrolase,Aspergillus nidulans的酸性海藻糖酶前体和Talaromyces emrsonii的酸性海藻糖酶分别有62%、59%和57%的氨基酸相似性,与另外两个真菌Saccharomyces cerevisiae(Ath1p)和Candida albi-cans(Atc1p)的酸性海藻糖酶也具有约25%的氨基酸相似性.Southern杂交表明,ATM1基因在CQMa102基因组中为单拷贝.     

Primary structure of the precursor to the three major surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites

Recently, a class of protein antigens of high relative molecular mass (Mt) which can induce protective immunity against blood-stage malaria has been identified. In Plasmodium falciparum the protein has a Mr of approximately 195,000 (P195). It is the precursor of three proteins of Mr 83,000 (83K), 42K and 19K which are the major surface antigens of merozoites; thus it may also be useful for immunization against P. falciparum. Three studies describing the isolation of single short complementary DNA clones for part of the P195 gene sequence have been reported. Here we describe the complete structure of the P195 gene determined from further DNA clones, its organization within genomic DNA and the location of the specific processing fragments within the primary amino-acid sequence.