Isolation and characterization of overlapping genomic clones covering the chicken alpha 2 (type I) collagen gene.

A series of overlapping recombinant clones, which cover the alpha 2 (type I) collagen gene, have been isolated by stepwise screening of two libraries of chicken genomic DNA fragments. The first genomic clone was isolated by using a cloned cDNA containing alpha 2 collagen DNA sequences as hybridization probe. The other clones were obtained by a sequence of screenings using defined fragments of the successive genomic clones as hybridization probes. Several types of experiments indicated that the DNA of these clones are truly overlapping and span 55 kilobase pairs of contiguous DNA sequences in the chicken genome. Sequence analysis of small DNA segments of some of these clones confirm that they contain coding sequences which specify alpha 2 collagen. Electron microscopic analysis of hybrids between type I alpha 2 collagen mRNA and the overlapping genomic clones indicates that the chicken alpha 2 collagen gene has a length of at least 37 kilobases, about 7.4 times longer than the corresponding translatable cytoplasmic mRNA. The coding information for alpha 2 collagen is distributed in more than 50 coding sequences which are interrupted by intervening sequences of various sizes. The structure of the gene implies that the conversion of precursor RNA to mature mRNA for alpha 2 collagen includes at least 50 splicing events.     

Variable and constant parts of the immunoglobulin light chain gene of a mouse myeloma cell are 1250 nontranslated bases apart.

A DNA fragment carrying an immunoglobulin gene coding for both variable (V) and constant (C) regions of a mouse lambda light chain was enriched about 15-fold from a total endonuclease EcoRI digest of a plasmacytoma (HOPC 2020) DNA by preparative agarose gel electrophoresis. The DNA fraction was used for cloning of a lambda chain gene in the phage lambdagtWES vector. After screening [Benton, W. D. & Davis, R. W. (1977) Science 196, 180-182] of about 70,000 plaques, each arising from an independent transfection event, we isolated one clone (Ig 303) that contained both a Vlambda and a Clambda DNA sequence. Electron microscopy of R-loops formed between the cloned DNA and purified lambda chain mRNA (HOPC 2020) revealed that the Vlambda and Clambda DNA sequences are separated by a 1250-base DNA fragment.     

Cloning and sequencing of cDNA encoding human DNA topoisomerase II and localization of the gene to chromosome region 17q21-22.

Two overlapping cDNA clones encoding human DNA topoisomerase II were identified by two independent methods. In one, a human cDNA library in phage lambda was screened by hybridization with a mixed oligonucleotide probe encoding a stretch of seven amino acids found in yeast and Drosophila DNA topoisomerase II; in the other, a different human cDNA library in a lambda gt11 expression vector was screened for the expression of antigenic determinants that are recognized by rabbit antibodies specific to human DNA topoisomerase II. The entire coding sequences of the human DNA topoisomerase II gene were determined from these and several additional clones, identified through the use of the cloned human TOP2 gene sequences as probes. Hybridization between the cloned sequences and mRNA and genomic DNA indicates that the human enzyme is encoded by a single-copy gene. The location of the gene was mapped to chromosome 17q21-22 by in situ hybridization of a cloned fragment to metaphase chromosomes and by hybridization analysis with a panel of mouse-human hybrid cell lines, each retaining a subset of human chromosomes.     

Isolation and partial characterization of the Drosophila alcohol dehydrogenase gene.

The alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH; alcohol: NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.1) gene (Adh) of Drosophila melanogaster was isolated by utilizing a mutant strain in which the Adh locus is deleted. Adult RNA from wild-type flies was enriched in ADH sequences by gel electrophoresis and then used to prepare labeled cDNA for screening a bacteriophage lambda library of genomic Drosophila DNA. Of the clones that hybridized in the initial screen, one clone was identified that hybridized with labeled cDNA prepared from a wild-type Drosophila strain but did not hybridize with cDNA prepared from an Adh deletion strain. This clone was shown to contain ADH structural gene sequences by three criteria: in situ hybridization, in vitro translation of mRNA selected by hybridization to the cloned DNA, and comparison of the ADH protein sequence with a nucleotide sequence derived from the cloned DNA. Comparison of the restriction site maps from clones of three different wild-type Drosophila strains revealed the presence of a 200-nucleotide sequence in one strain that was absent from the other two strains. The ADH mRNA sequences were located within the cloned DNA by hybridization mapping experiments. Two intervening sequences were identified within Adh by S1 nuclease mapping experiments.     

Clones from the human gene complex coding for salivary proline-rich proteins.

The salivary protein gene complex consists of a series of loci coding for related but distinct proline-rich proteins (PRPs) found chiefly in saliva. We have screened a library of human genomic DNA fragments in bacteriophage lambda Charon 4A with a PRP cDNA synthesized and cloned from rat parotid gland mRNA. Two phages (PRP1 and PRP2) hybridizing to the rat probe under moderately stringent conditions contain related but not identical DNAs. Preliminary nucleotide sequence data indicate that both DNAs include regions comprised of nearly identical tandemly repeated sequences, each able to code for about 21 amino acids. The decoded consensus repeat sequence is homologous to the repeating amino acid units found by others in human PRPs. This and other features demonstrate that these two clones are members of the PRP gene family. Polymorphic differences between the DNAs of different individuals were observed after probing digests of human genomic DNA with a HinfI fragment from PRP1. These DNA polymorphisms reflect size differences, possibly caused by frequent unequal crossing-over between the repeated units in the PRP genes.     

alpha-Fetoprotein and albumin genes are in tandem in the mouse genome

The urine alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and serum albumin genes most probably arose in evolution as the consequence of a duplication of a common ancestral gene. They have both been previously mapped to chromosome 5 in the mouse. We now have evidence that these genes are closely linked. By using a unique copy DNA probe derived from previously cloned AFP 5' flanking DNA, a recombinant DNA phage has been isolated, from a bacteriophage DNA library, that contains sequences flanking the 5' end of the AFP gene and the 3' end of the albumin gene. Restriction endonuclease mapping and DNA sequence determination of the recombinant phage and comparison to total genomic DNA confirmed that the genes are in tandem, 13.5 kilobase pairs apart, with the albumin gene to the 5' side of the AFP gene. Thus, they are transcribed from the same strand of DNA.     

Human cardiac myosin heavy chain genes. Isolation of a genomic DNA clone and its characterization and of a second unique clone also present in the human genome

A gene sequence coding for myosin heavy chain (MHC) of human cardiac muscle was isolated by screening a human genomic library with a 32P-labelled 1.1kb SacI restriction fragment from a previously characterized cDNA clone specifying the light meromyosin and 3' untranslated region of mRNA encoding rabbit cardiac alpha-MHC. The DNA of this human genomic clone (lambda HCMHC8) hybridized much more strongly than did other clones isolated under similar, low stringency conditions both to the rabbit cDNA probe and to mRNA isolated from rat cardiac, but not skeletal, muscle tissue. Probe made from a DNA restriction fragment of lambda HCMHC8 hybridized a single 31S band of human ventricular mRNA. This size is identical to that of cardiac MHC mRNA of other species. Heteroduplex analysis showed hybridization of lambda HCMHC8 with exon segments in a rabbit cardiac MHC genomic clone (lambda MHC alpha 12/1). It also showed that lambda HCMHC8 spanned 14 kb of DNA and contained exon segments estimated to code for two-thirds of a MHC including the carboxylic acid terminus. By rescreening the library under more stringent conditions, where only DNA sequences having strong homology to cardiac MHC genes would be expected to hybridize, clones having restriction maps overlapping lambda HCMHC8 were isolated together with a unique clone (lambda HCMHC9). DNA gel blot hybridization of human genomic DNA with lambda HCMHC8 probe at medium stringency gave a pattern of restriction fragments similar to the restriction map of lambda HCMHC8. A weaker set of bands also appeared which corresponded in pattern to the map of lambda HCMHC9.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Isolation and characterization of the mouse metallothionein-I gene.

Double-stranded cDNA was synthesized from a mouse liver mRNA fraction enriched for metallothionein mRNA activity, ligated to restriction site linkers, inserted into pBR322, and used to transform Escherichia coli chi 1776. The sequence of the largest plasmid containing DNA that hybridized to metallothionein mRNA was determined and shown to contain a 380-base-pair insert that includes the entire coding region and 3' untranslated region of metallothionein-I. The metallothionein-I insert was nick-translated and used to screen both a mouse myeloma and a mouse embryo DNA library in bacteriophage lambda. A metallothionein-I genomic clone containing 13-15 kilobase pairs of mouse DNA was isolated from each library. Both contain a 3.8-kilobase-pair EcoRI fragment that hybridizes to the metallothionein-I probe. The location, size, and orientation of the metallothionein-I gene within the 3.8-kilobase-pair fragment were determined by heteroduplex and restriction mapping. The gene spans 1.1 kilobase pairs and contains at least two introns.     

Isolation and analysis of genomic DNA clones encoding the third component of mouse complement.

A gene library was constructed with DNA from strain A mice by using the phage lambda vector lambda 1059. By screening with cloned cDNA for the third component of mouse complement, C3, four different C3 genomic clones were isolated from this library. Two of the recombinant phages carry insertions of 14 and 18 kilobase pairs, respectively, which together cover one complete copy of the C3 gene and several hundred nucleotides of its 5' and 3' flanking sequences. The distance from the 5' end of the gene, which includes the hexanucleotide T-A-T-A-A-A and a translation initiation codon, to its 3' end as defined by the poly(A) attachment site is 24 kilobase pairs. From the genomic DNA sequence, a signal peptide of 24 amino acid residues is predicted at the NH2 terminus of the initial translation product. The signal peptide and the next two amino acids are encoded by the first exon of this gene.     

亚马逊利什曼原虫无鞭毛体蛋白基因的克隆化与序列分析

目的：克隆亚马逊利什曼原虫（L.ama)无鞭毛蛋白（amastin)的编码基因,并对其同源基因序列进行分析,方法：根据我们首次克隆的硕大利什曼原虫（L.major)无鞭毛体蛋白的编码基因,设计并合成核苷酸序列特异性引物,以亚马逊利什曼原虫基因组DNA为模板,以多聚酶链反应PCR技术扩增无鞭毛体的编码基因DNA片段,并进行核苷酸 列测定以及核苷酸序列的同源性分析。结果：克隆了亚马逊利什曼原虫无鞭毛体蛋白的编码基因,含有单一开放读框,长度为552bp,编码的无鞭毛体蛋白由183个氨基酸残基（aa)组成,亚马逊利什曼原虫与硕大利什曼原虫无鞭毛体蛋白编码基因之间高度同源,在核苷酸与氨基酸残基序列水平上的同源性分别为96％和94％,结论：首次实现亚马逊利什曼原虫无鞭毛体蛋白基因的克隆化。     

Murine plasma cell membrane antigen PC-1: molecular cloning of cDNA and analysis of expression.

PC-1 is a membrane glycoprotein expressed selectively on murine antibody-secreting plasma cells. Previously, we have obtained partial amino acid sequence data for this protein. Here, we describe the use of these data in the isolation of PC-1 cDNA clones. To avoid the "3'-bias" of conventional cDNA libraries we constructed a cDNA library in lambda gt10 by priming the first strand of cDNA synthesis with random hexadeoxynucleotides. The library was screened with oligonucleotide probes, 17 nucleotides in length, the design of which was based on the amino acid sequence data. Two cDNA clones of 1.0 and 0.9 kilobase pairs (lambda RR3 and lambda RR20, respectively) were isolated. Both contained a sequence encoding the 15-residue tryptic peptide that was used to derive the sequences of the oligonucleotide probes. lambda RR3 cDNA hybridized to an approximately equal to 3.5-kilobase mRNA that was present in plasmacytomas, spleen, and liver but not in other cell types screened. We were unable to detect PC-1 mRNA or protein in mouse brain. In the spleens of mice chronically infected with Mesocestoides corti, PC-1 mRNA was present at 2.5-fold higher levels than found in normal mouse spleens, whereas immunoglobulin mRNA levels were 15-fold higher. Southern blot analyses revealed the presence of only one gene copy per haploid mouse genome. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms were detected in genomic DNA from mice bearing different PC-1 alleles. A related gene is present in rat genomic DNA.     

The Atlantic salmon prepro-gonadotropin releasing hormone gene and mRNA.

Screening for the gene encoding salmon gonadotropin releasing hormone (sGnRH) in an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) genomic library resulted in isolation of a positive clone designated lambda sGnRH-1. An anchor polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to amplify GnRH cDNA derived from salmon hypothalamic mRNA. The cDNA sequence was aligned to the 7607 base pair genomic sequence which was shown to encode the entire prepro-GnRH gene. The cDNA proved that the cloned gene is expressed in the hypothalamus of mature salmon. The coding domain of sGnRH differs from the mammalian GnRH by six nucleotide changes which allow the two amino acid differences between the two GnRH variants. Salmon GnRH associated peptide (GAP) differs extensively in sequence and size from the mammalian counterpart. Compared to the GnRH cDNA of a cichlid species the similarity is 69.3% in the protein coding sequence.     

The sequence and tissue expression of ovine renin.

The primary structure of the sheep renin precursor has been determined from its cDNA sequence. A library of cDNA clones was constructed from adrenalectomized sheep kidney poly(A)+ RNA and screened for sheep renin sequences with a cloned mouse renin cDNA probe. Of the 300,000 clones generated, 24 were hybridization positive and the nucleotide sequences of two of the longest clones were determined. These clones coded for the mature sheep renin protein and the 3'-untranslated sequence but did not extend to the amino-terminal region of preprorenin. Clones corresponding to the 5' region of renin mRNA were generated by the polymerase chain reaction and their nucleotide sequences determined. The sheep renin precursor consists of 400 amino acids with a putative leader sequence of 14 amino acids and a putative 45 or 53 amino acid prosegment. The mature sheep renin protein has a 73% sequence identity with human renin. Northern analysis demonstrated the presence of renin mRNA in the kidney but not in other tissues in the sheep. While sodium depletion of sheep caused a rise in renin mRNA in the kidney, adrenalectomy also led to a large increase in renal renin mRNA. Southern analysis of genomic DNA suggests that there is only one gene coding for renin in the sheep.     

Human cytochrome P-450 4 mRNA and gene: part of a multigene family that contains Alu sequences in its mRNA.

Several overlapping lambda gt11 cDNA clones have been sequenced and shown to encode for the full-length human cytochrome P-450 4. The structure and location of the exons and flanking intron regions were also identified from a lambda EMBL-3 human genomic clone that encodes the full-length human P-450 4 gene. The human P-450 4 mRNA is flanked by 62 base pairs of 5'- and 1508 base pairs of 3'-noncoding sequence, with 1548 bases that encode a protein of 516 amino acids (Mr, 58,376). The predicted amino acid sequence of human P-450 4 is 69% and 70% homologous to its equivalent in mouse and rat, respectively, 75% homologous to rabbit P-450 4, and 68% homologous to human P1-450. The 7.6-kilobase gene encodes 3118 nucleotides of exon sequence that is separated by six introns into seven exons. Exon 7, which is 1802 nucleotides, contains three inverse/complement Alu sequences that are organized in tandem. Comparison of the genomic DNA sequence of the human P-450 4 gene with the human P1-450 and related genes in rat and mouse and the identification of the amino acid residues and triplet codon at each exon-intron junction show that the location of each intron in the human P-450 4 gene is conserved within this gene family. Although the length and homology of the introns within a related gene family may not be conserved, the location of intronic sequences may be an important determinant in the identification of related P-450 genes.     

Structure of genes for human growth hormone and chorionic somatomammotropin.

A 2.6-kilobase (kb) EcoRI restriction endonuclease fragment containing human growth hormone (hGH; somatotropin) gene sequences and a 2.8-kb EcoRI fragment containing human chorionic somatomammotropin (hCS; choriomammotropin) gene sequences have been identified by hybridization to cloned cDNA. Human DNA was cleaved with EcoRI and fractionated by preparative agarose gel electrophoresis; DNA in the size range 2--3 kb was ligated to lambda gt WES.lambda B DNA and viable recombinant bacteriophage were recovered by in vitro packaging. After infection of Escherichia coli and screening of phage plaques, single isolates of hGH and hCS gene sequences were obtained. Restriction endonuclease mapping showed that the hGH gene contains three intervening sequences interrupting the coding sequence. Partial DNA sequence analysis of the hGH gene, obtained by the chain termination method, confirmed the location of the intervening sequences and the identity of the fragment.     

Nucleotide sequence of the mRNA encoding the pre-alpha-subunit of mouse thyrotropin.

We have constructed and cloned in bacteria recombinant DNA molecules containing DNA sequences coding for the precursor of the alpha subunit of thyrotropin (pre-TSH-alpha). Double-stranded DNA complementary to total poly(A)+RNA derived from a mouse pituitary thyrotropic tumor was prepared enzymatically, inserted into the Pst I site of the plasmid pBR322 by using poly(dC).poly(dG) homopolymeric extensions, and cloned in Escherichia coli chi 1776. Cloned cDNAs encoding pre-TSH-alpha were identified by their hybridization to pre-TSH-alpha mRNA as determined by cell-free translations of hybrid-selected and hybrid-arrested RNA. The nucleotide sequences of two cDNAs (510 and 480 base pairs) were determined with chemical methods and corresponded to much of the region coding for the alpha subunit and the 3' untranslated region of pre-TSH-alpha mRNA. The sequence of the 5' end of the mRNA was determined from cDNA synthesized by using total mRNA as template and a restriction enzyme DNA fragment as primer. Together these sequences represented greater than 90% of the coding and noncoding regions of full-length pre-TSH-alpha mRNA, which was determined to be 800 bases long. The amino acid sequence of the pre-TSH-alpha deduced from the nucleotide sequence showed a NH2-terminal leader sequence of 24 amino acids followed by the 96-amino-acid sequence of the apoprotein of TSH-alpha. There is greater than 90% homology in the amino acid sequences among the murine, ruminant, and porcine alpha subunits and 75-80% homology among the murine, equine, and human alpha subunits. Several regions of the sequence remain absolutely conserved among all species, suggesting that these particular regions are essential for the biological function of the subunit. The successful cloning of the alpha subunit of TSH will permit further studies of the organization of the genes coding for the glycoprotein hormone subunits and the regulation of their expression.     

Isolation and sequence of the gene for actin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is known to contain the highly conserved and unbiquitous protein actin. We have used cloned actin sequences from Dictyostelium discoideum to identify and clone the actin gene in yeast. Hybridization to genomic fragments of yeast DNA suggest that there is a single actin gene in yeast. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of that gene and its flanking regions. The sequence of the gene reveals an intervening sequence of 309 base pairs in the coding sequences at the 5' end of the gene. The existence and location of the intervening sequence was verified by using the dideoxy chain termination technique to determine the sequence at the 5' terminus of the actin mRNA. The similarity of the splice junction sequences in this gene to those found in higher eukaryotes suggests that yeast must possess a similar splicing enzyme.