Human NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase: complementary DNA cloning, sequence and vaccinia virus-mediated expression and localization of the CYPOR gene to chromosome 7

The cDNA containing the full coding sequence of human NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase was isolated and completely sequenced. The cDNA contained 2398 base pairs, including 9 and 358 base pairs of 5' and 3' noncoding sequences, respectively. The human NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase protein deduced from the cDNA has 677 amino acids, with a calculated molecular weight of 76,656. The cDNA nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences displayed 83 and 92% similarities, respectively, with those of the rat NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase. By use of somatic cell hybrids, the NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase gene was regionally localized to human chromosome 7 (7p15-q35). The levels of NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase protein and mRNA were analyzed in 13 human liver specimens and less than 3-fold variation was found among the different livers. The NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase cDNA was inserted into vaccinia virus and expressed in cell culture. The cDNA-expressed enzyme was active in reducing the electron acceptor cytochrome c. In addition, the NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase stimulated the enzymatic activity of vaccinia virus-expressed human P3(450) when both recombinant viruses were used to coinfect human cells in culture. An approximate equal mole level of NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase and P3(450) was required to achieve maximal activity for both ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase.     

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the porcine precursor of endothelin-2

The amino acid sequences of two of the three endothelin (ET) family peptides, ET-1 and ET-3, are identical among mammals, whereas for the other family member, ET-2 or vasoactive intestinal contractor (VIC), the mouse and rat sequences differ from the human counterpart ET-2 by one amino acid residue. To examine more deeply the structural diversity among ET-2/VIC orthologs (EDN2), we screened porcine ET-2/VIC-like cDNAs using the 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method with degenerate primers based on ET-2/VIC mature peptides. Sequence analysis of the cDNAs showed that ET-2 is present in pig. The full-length cDNA sequence, produced by combining 5' RACE and 3' RACE products, revealed the porcine precursor protein of ET-2 (PPET-2). Porcine PPET-2, made up of 214 amino acids, includes a 26-residue putative signal sequence, big ET-2, mature ET-2, and ET-2-like peptide. The percent sequence identity of porcine PPET-2 with human PPET-2, and rat or mouse precursor protein of VIC runs between approximately 70% and 74%. ET-2, although expressed in intestine, has no anti-microbial activity.     

Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of rat myosin binding protein H (MyBP-H)

The complete nucleotide sequence of the cDNA clone encoding rat skeletal muscle myosin-binding protein H (MyBP-H) was determined and amino acid sequence was deduced from the nucleotide sequence (GenBank accession number AF077338). The full-length cDNA of 1782 base pairs(bp) contains a single open reading frame of 1454 bp encoding a rat MyBP-H protein of the predicted molecular mass 52.7kDa and includes the common consensus ‘Ca__TG’ protein binding motif. The cDNA sequence of rat MyBP-H show 92%, 84% and 41% homology with those of mouse, human and chicken, respectively. The protein contains tandem internal motifs array (-FN III-Ig C2-FN III-Ig C2-) in the C-terminal region which resembles to the immunoglobulin superfamily C2 and fibronectin type III motifs. The amino acid sequence of the C-terminal Ig C2 was highly conserved among MyBPs family and other thick filament binding proteins, suggesting that the C-terminal Ig C2 might play an important role in its function. All proteins belonging to MyBP-H member contains ‘RKPS’ sequence which is assumed to be cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinase A phosphorylation site. Computer analysis of the primary sequence of rat MyBP-H predicted 11 protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation site, 7 casein kinase II (CK2) phosphorylation site and 4 N-myristoylation site.     

内蒙古白绒山羊Izumo蛋白的基因编码区cDNA序列扩增及结构初步分析

目的  对内蒙古白绒山羊精子膜蛋白Izumo的基因编码区cDNA序列进行扩增并对其结构作初步分析。方法  以已知的内蒙古白绒山羊Izumo部分基因序列为模板,采用cDNA末端快速扩增技术扩增3′端和5′端未知序列,钓取基因编码区,并分析编码区氨基酸序列。结果  经序列扩增和拼接,得到1035 bp的Izumo编码区cDNA序列,后者编码由344个氨基酸组成的蛋白。氨基酸序列中包含免疫球蛋白样结构域。Izumo编码区的疏水性平均值为-0.181。找到4个位于Izumo蛋白胞外区的潜在磷酸化位点。结论  进一步确定Izumo属于免疫球蛋白超家族的一员,初步得出Izumo是一种亲水性蛋白,根据潜在磷酸化位点的位置,推断磷酸化可能不是Izumo蛋白发挥作用的机制。     

Primary structures of multiple forms of cytochrome P-450 isozyme 2 derived from rabbit pulmonary and hepatic cDNAs

Rabbit pulmonary and hepatic mRNA was used to construct cDNA libraries that were screened with a cDNA probe (pf 3/46) to murine cytochrome P-450 homologous with rat cytochrome P-450b. Three types of cDNA clones were identified on the basis of restriction analysis with Bst EII. Two types of clones (B0 and B1) were present in a library constructed from pulmonary mRNA. The nucleotide sequence of B0 cDNA encodes a protein of 491 amino acids having a sequence identical to one reported for isozyme 2. The sequence derived from the b1 cDNA also contains 491 amino acids but differs from the B0 sequence at six positions. B1 clones were also obtained from a library constructed from hepatic mRNA isolated 12 hr after a single treatment with phenobarbital. A third type of clone (B2) was also obtained from this library, but no B0 clones were found. The sequence derived from the B2 cDNA contains 491 amino acids and differs from the B0 and B1 sequences at 11 and 15 positions, respectively. A second hepatic cDNA library, constructed from mRNA from the liver of a rabbit treated with phenobarbital daily for 4 days, contained B0 clones. The sequence of one of these was found to be identical to that of the pulmonary B0 clones.     

Molecular cloning of monkey CYP2C43 cDNA and expression in yeast

A cDNA clone designated as CYP2C43 was isolated from the rhesus monkey liver cDNA library. The first 16 amino acid residues at the N-terminal region of this cDNA product were identical with those of P450 CMLd which have been purified and characterized as S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylase in monkey liver. The respective nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of CYP2C43 were 83% and 77%, identical to those of monkey CYP2C20. Antibody against CYP2C9 detected a protein in the microsomes of yeast transformed CYP2C43 expression plasmid. The specific content of recombinant CYP2C43 was 78.0 pmol/mg protein and the yield was 4.23 nmol/l of the culture. CYP2C43 was able to metabolize S-mephenytoin stereo-selectively. The activity for S-mephenytoin in the microsomes reconstituted with or without cytochrome b(5) was found to be 96.2 or 23.7 pmol/min/nmol P450, respectively. CYP2C43, however, did not show any oxidative activity for tolbutamide. These results indicate that CYP2C43 is the second identified member of the monkey CYP2C subfamily and a cDNA clone encoding P450 CMLd in monkey.     

Human liver dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase: molecular cloning and expression of cDNA.

Sulfation is an important pathway in the metabolism of many hormones and drugs. Human liver contains at least three well characterized sulfotransferase (ST) enzymes, i.e., dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) ST and two forms of phenol sulfotransferase (PST). Our goal was to purify, to obtain partial amino acid sequence for, and to clone and express cDNA for human liver DHEA ST. Polymerase chain reaction primers were designed on the basis of homology among rat liver hydroxysteroid ST, rat liver PST, and bovine estrogen ST. These primers amplified a unique sequence from human liver cDNA, and this polymerase chain reaction product was used to screen a human liver cDNA library. Two clones were isolated that contained identical open reading frames, of 855 nucleotides, that encoded a protein of 285 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of the encoded protein included two separate 27- and 23-amino acid sequences that were identical to those obtained by microsequencing of proteolytic fragments from purified human liver DHEA ST. Translation, in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system, of mRNA transcribed in vitro from the two cDNA clones resulted in a 35-kDa translation product that comigrated with purified human liver DHEA ST during sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This translation product also catalyzed the sulfation of DHEA but not the sulfation of model substrates for the two forms of PST found in human liver. The two cDNA clones were also used to create expression constructs with the eukaryotic expression vector P91023(B), and these constructs were used to transfect COS-1 cells. The transfected cells expressed a high level of DHEA ST activity, and this enzyme activity displayed a pattern of inhibition by the ST inhibitor 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol identical to that of human liver DHEA ST. Cloning of cDNA for this important human sulfate-conjugating enzyme will enhance understanding of the relationship between DHEA ST and other human liver STs, as well as ST enzymes in other species.     

Cross-species comparison of 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein.

To identify regions of 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) important for the function of the protein and the binding of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors, we performed a cross-species analysis of FLAP. FLAP from all 10 mammalian species analyzed (human, monkey, horse, pig, cow, sheep, rabbit, dog, rat, and mouse) were immunologically cross-reactive and specifically bound leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors with high affinity. Using the polymerase chain reaction, cDNA clones for FLAP from six species (monkey, horse, pig, sheep, rabbit, and mouse) were isolated and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequences of FLAP show a high degree of identity to each other and to the published sequences for human and rat FLAP. Two regions of the protein are almost totally conserved among all of the species analyzed. This suggests that these regions have functional significance and may be involved in inhibitor binding.     

Gene cloning and sequencing of BmK AS and BmK AS-1, two novel neurotoxins from the scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch.

Based on the known amino acid sequences of BmK AS and BmK AS-1, the gene specific primers were designed and synthesized for 3' and 5' RACE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends). Their partial cDNA fragments obtained by 3' and 5' RACE were cloned and sequenced, and the full length cDNA sequences of BmK AS and BmK AS-1 were then completed by overlapping their two partial cDNA sequences, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequences both consist of 85 amino acid residues including a putative signal peptide of 19 residues and a mature toxin of 66 residues. They are different in 17 amino acid residues, among them 11 residues in the mature toxin. The predicted amino acid sequences of BmK AS and BmK AS-1 were almost consistent with those determined and revised (personal communication), only different in one and two residues at their COO-terminal parts, respectively. Based on the determined cDNA sequences, and using the total DNAs isolated from the scorpion venom glands as a template, the genomic DNAs of BmK AS and BmK AS-1 were also amplified by PCR and sequenced. It showed that no intron was inserted in their open reading frames, while in the exon of signal peptide sequences of other Na+, K+ and Cl- channel toxins from the same scorpion, an intron is usually found. However, the Northern blot hybridization results indicated that the sizes of their mRNA should be around 800 bp. Their extra sequences around 400 bp which might function as an intron should be located at their 5' untranslated regions.     

Molecular cloning and expression of a dopamine D2 receptor from human retina

Based on the sequence of a dopamine D2 receptor cloned from rat brain, we prepared a series of oligodeoxynucleotide probes. A mixture of these probes hybridized with a 2.6-kilobase species of mRNA extracted from several rat tissues including retina and, using in situ hybridization of these probes to cryostat sections of rat retina, they densely label the inner nuclear and outer plexiform layers. Labeling was also observed in the inner plexiform and ganglion cell layers. No hybridization was observed to the photoreceptor layers. A similar pattern of labeling was observed in monkey retina, indicating that the probes also hybridize with a homologous primate mRNA. The probes were used to screen a lambda gt10 library of human retina. A 2.5-kilobase clone was isolated, which encodes a protein that differs from the rat brain protein by 18 amino acids. The 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the human retinal cDNA were also strongly homologous with the rat brain cDNA. The clone was subcloned into the pCD-PS expression vector and transfected into COS-7 cells. The transfected cells bound [3H]-raclopride with a pharmacology expected of dopamine D2 receptors. These data indicate that D2 receptors expressed in the inner retina and outer plexiform layer have genetic identity with those expressed by brain and that the human and rat D2 receptors are derived from highly related genes.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of rat semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) (EC 1.4.3.6) is widely distributed in nature and catalyzes the oxidative deamination of primary amines. Although SSAO full-length cDNA sequences have been reported for some mammalian species, only a partial 5'-terminal sequence has been confirmed in the rat. In this study we isolated full-length SSAO cDNA from rat aorta and examined its mRNA expression in various rat tissues by real-time PCR, as well as the subcellular and tissue distributions of SSAO activity. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 91% and 80% identity with mouse and human SSAO, respectively. The mRNA was expressed in many rat tissues. Those findings were supported by the broad distribution of SSAO in the body. Thus, a high level of SSAO was shown in adipocytes by both mRNA expression and enzyme activity measurement. The results suggest that SSAO may play an important role in the degradation of biologically active amines in adipocytes.