Partial deletion of an antithrombin III allele in a kindred with a type 1 deficiency.

This report details the precise mapping of a partially deleted human antithrombin III (AT-III) allele, found in a kindred with an inherited type 1 AT-III deficiency. Using truncated AT-III probes generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification from a full-length AT-III cDNA, as well as other genomic probes specific for the 5' upstream region of the AT-III gene, we were able to characterize a partial deletion on an AT-III allele encompassing exons 1 and 2 of the AT-III gene, and a region 5' to the coding sequences. The absence of the 5' upstream region in the affected AT-III allele was confirmed directly by the PCR amplification of a 1.5-kb polymorphic fragment of genomic DNA samples from family members. The precise determination of the 5' breakpoint of the affected allele was made possible by two different approaches: (1) subcloning plus biotin capture PCR, or (2) inverse PCR. This allowed us to confirm the mapping of the deletion obtained by Southern analysis; to show that the 3' region of the mutant AT-III allele, including exons 3 to 7, was intact; and to sequence approximately 0.7 kb upstream to the breakpoint in the mutant allele. Furthermore, PCR amplification of the region of the breakpoint provided unique products detectable only in affected members of this kindred. The breakpoint in the partially deleted allele is 480 bp upstream from the 5' boundary of exon 3. No significant homology was found between the 0.7-kb sequence upstream to the breakpoint of the mutant allele and known human sequences.     

Tissue-specific alternative splicing of protein 4.1 inserts an exon necessary for formation of the ternary complex with erythrocyte spectrin and F-actin

Erythrocyte protein 4.1 is an 78- to 80-Kd peripheral membrane protein that promotes the interaction of spectrin with actin protofilaments and links the resulting interlocking network to the integral membrane proteins. There are several isoforms of protein 4.1 that appear to be expressed in a restricted group of tissues. These arise from alternative mRNA splicing events that lead to the combinational insertion or deletion of at least 10 blocks of nucleotides (motifs) within the mature mRNA. One of these, motif I, consists of 63 nucleotides encoding 21 amino acids in the N-terminal region of the putative spectrin/actin-binding domain. The expression of the motif U- containing isoform occurs late in erythroid maturation. We generated recombinant isoforms of protein 4.1 and of the putative 10-Kd spectrin/actin-binding fragment that contain or lack this 21 amino acid sequence and examined their ability to form a ternary complex with erythrocyte spectrin and F-actin. The isoforms of the complete protein and of the 10-Kd fragment that contain the sequence encoded by motif I efficiently form the ternary complex. Isoforms that lack this sequence, but are otherwise identical, do not participate in the formation of the ternary complex. These results, in conjunction with the expression of motif I during late erythroid maturation, suggest that interaction with actin and the erythroid form of spectrin is a specialized property of the erythrocyte form of protein 4.1. Alternative mRNA splicing in developing red blood cells thus plays a key adaptive role in the formation of the highly specialized erythrocyte membrane.     

Characterization of antithrombins produced by active site mutagenesis of human alpha 1-antitrypsin expressed in yeast

Both congenital and acquired antithrombin-III (AT-III) deficiencies are amenable to replacement therapy. We describe two antithrombins produced by recombinant DNA techniques from human alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1AT) cDNA in yeast. Alteration of the alpha 1AT active site, replacing methionine 358 with arginine, results in a thrombin inhibition rate similar to that of heparin-activated AT-III. Alteration of two further residues, to give a five-residue sequence identical to AT-III, does not increase this rate further. Neither antithrombin is activated by heparin; both are unglycosylated and have shorter in vivo half-lives (t1/2) than human alpha 1AT. These antithrombins should be suitable for therapeutic replacement of AT-III in cases of congenital deficiency and in conditions associated with acquired AT-III deficiency, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation.     

家兔关节软骨骨形成蛋白-7成熟肽基因克隆及序列测定

目的 证实家兔膝关节软骨中骨形成蛋白-7(BMP-7)的表达，获得BMP-7成熟肽基因。方法 提取家兔膝关节细胞总RNA，反转录合成cDNA，以特异性引物扩增BMP-7成熟肽基因并克隆入T载体，筛选阳性克隆质粒进行核酸序列分析。结果 PCR扩增得到一特异性的约630bp片段，克隆后筛选出阳性克隆质粒，序列测定结果表明与发表的BMP-7成熟肽基因序列一致。结论 家兔膝关节软骨细胞中有BMP-7成熟肽基因的表达，克隆得到了BMP-7成熟肽基因，为BMP-7在软骨发育中的作用及其功能研究奠定了基础。     

阴道毛滴虫RRas同源基因的克隆和序列分析

目的 克隆和分析阴道毛滴虫RRas同源基因，以探讨其在细胞内信号传导通路中的功能。 方法 从已构建的阴道毛滴虫cDNA表达文库中分离得到一个与人类RRas同源的cDNA克隆，用PCR扩增该cDNA克隆TvRRas相对应的基因组DNA，并对cDNA克隆及其对应的基因组DNA进行测序。利用BLASTP，RPS-BLAST和ClustalW等工具进行序列分析。 结果 TvRRas cDNA序列全长705对碱基，读码框含615对碱基，推测蛋白质序列具205个氨基酸。序列分析显示该基因的基因组DNA序列含有5′端ATG起始密码子和3′端的终止密码子，与cDNA序列完全一致，提示该基因无内含子；进一步分析表明该基因系RRas亚家族的同源基因，其氨基酸序列与人类和小鼠的RRas同源性最高（两者的一致性均为51%，相似性均为70%），同时拥有人类RRas基因高度保守的结合GTP的结构域和完全一致的效应结构域。进化树分析表明该基因与人类的RAS原癌蛋白基因分支及RRas分支聚类。 结论 获得了阴道毛滴虫RRas同源基因。     

Structure and expression of the cDNA encoding human neutrophil collagenase.

We have isolated and characterized a 2.4-kb cDNA clone encoding human neutrophil collagenase (HNC), a member of the family of matrix metalloproteinases restricted to secondary granules within neutrophils. Partial amino acid sequence was used to deduce oligonucleotide probes. These probes were used to screen a human granulocyte cDNA library derived from messenger RNA (mRNA) from a patient with chronic granulocytic leukemia. Cell-free translation of RNA produced from the cDNA produced a 52-Kd protein that was recognized by anti-HNC antibody. The cDNA clone was sequenced and shown to encode a 467-residue protein whose sequence matched those regions currently known for HNC. The enzyme exhibits 58% homology to human fibroblast collagenase and has the same domain structure. It consists of a 20-residue signal peptide, and an 80-residue propeptide that is lost on autolytic activation by cleavage of an M-L bond. Other regions identified include the autolytic degradation site, the "cysteine switch" residue that is involved in latency and activation, and a putative zinc binding sequence. HNC has six potential N-linked glycosylation sites. The cDNA hybridized to a 3.4-kb mRNA in RNA from a patient with chronic granulocytic leukemia, but not to RNA from uninduced HL60 cells or HL60 cells that had been induced to undergo granulocytic or monocytic maturation with dimethyl sulfoxide or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, respectively. These results parallel those seen with lactoferrin and transcobalamin I, two other secondary granule proteins.     

Heparin binding defect in a new antithrombin III variant: Rouen, 47 Arg to His

Antithrombin III (AT-III) Rouen is a hereditary abnormal antithrombin with normal progressive inhibitory activity and reduced heparin cofactor activity. It was isolated from the plasma of a woman who suffered a sudden idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss and balance impairment. There was no familial history of thrombosis. By heparin- Sepharose chromatography, AT-III Rouen was separated from the normal antithrombin on elution with increasing concentrations of NaCl. AT-III Rouen eluted earlier than is normal at both pH 7.4 and pH 6.0. At the lower pH, the antithrombins bound more avidly to the column, with the abnormal AT-III eluting closer to the normal than at the higher pH. Two- dimensional peptide mapping of tryptic and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease digests of carboxymethylated antithrombins was performed on thin-layer silica plates. The abnormal peptide was located by tryptophan staining, and amino acid analysis and sequence studies demonstrated a substitution of an arginine at residue 47 for a histidine. Results from this study suggest that replacement of arginine 47 by a partially positively charged histidine has less effect on the heparin binding affinity than dose replacing it with a neutral cysteine side chain as in AT-III Toyama, in which no heparin binding was observed. In addition, heparin binding per se is not a sufficient condition to activate AT-III.     

Isolation and sequence characterization of a cDNA clone of human antithrombin III.

A human liver cDNA library was constructed by using poly(A)-containing RNA isolated from a human liver biopsy specimen. This library is comprised of 40,000 independent transformants with an average inserted DNA length of 1,200 base pairs. By using the previously cloned baboon antithrombin III cDNA as a specific hybridization probe, greater than 30 human antithrombin III cDNA clones were identified from this library. The clone with the longest DNA insert was selected for sequence analysis. This antithrombin III cDNA clone contains 1,479 base pairs of inserted human DNA and was designated phATIII 113. It contains DNA sequences that code for a signal peptide and the entire mature antithrombin III protein which is comprised of 432 amino acid residues.     

cDNA cloning of human DNA topoisomerase I: catalytic activity of a 67.7-kDa carboxyl-terminal fragment.

cDNA clones encoding human topoisomerase I were isolated from an expression vector library (lambda gt11) screened with autoimmune anti-topoisomerase I serum. One of these clones has been expressed as a fusion protein comprised of a 32-kDa fragment of the bacterial TrpE protein linked to 67.7 kDa of protein encoded by the cDNA. Three lines of evidence indicate that the cloned cDNA encodes topoisomerase I. (i) Proteolysis maps of the fusion protein and human nuclear topoisomerase I are essentially identical. (ii) The fusion protein relaxes supercoiled DNA, an activity that can be immunoprecipitated by anti-topoisomerase I serum. (iii) Sequence analysis has revealed that the longest cDNA clone (3645 base pairs) encodes a protein of 765 amino acids that shares 42% identity with Saccharomyces cerevisiae topoisomerase I. The sequence data also show that the catalytically active 67.7-kDa fragment is comprised of the carboxyl terminus.     

Molecular cloning of human protein 4.2: a major component of the erythrocyte membrane.

Protein 4.2 (P4.2) comprises approximately 5% of the protein mass of human erythrocyte (RBC) membranes. Anemia occurs in patients with RBCs deficient in P4.2, suggesting a role for this protein in maintaining RBC stability and integrity. We now report the molecular cloning and characterization of human RBC P4.2 cDNAs. By immunoscreening a human reticulocyte cDNA library and by using the polymerase chain reaction, two cDNA sequences of 2.4 and 2.5 kilobases (kb) were obtained. These cDNAs differ only by a 90-base-pair insert in the longer isoform located three codons downstream from the putative initiation site. The 2.4- and 2.5-kb cDNAs predict proteins of approximately 77 and approximately 80 kDa, respectively, and the authenticity was confirmed by sequence identity with 46 amino acids of three cyanogen bromide-cleaved peptides of P4.2. Northern blot analysis detected a major 2.4-kb RNA species in reticulocytes. Isolation of two P4.2 cDNAs implies existence of specific regulation of P4.2 expression in human RBCs. Human RBC P4.2 has significant homology with human factor XIII subunit a and guinea pig liver transglutaminase. Sequence alignment of P4.2 with these two transglutaminases, however, revealed that P4.2 lacks the critical cysteine residue required for the enzymatic crosslinking of substrates.     

白纹伊蚊细胞色素P450 CYP6N3基因的原核表达及鉴定

目的　对白纹伊蚊细胞色素P4 5 0CYP6N3基因进行原核表达 ,以获得高效表达蛋白。方法　根据CYP6N3基因的全长cRNA为模板进行RT -PCR。产物经T -A克隆测序鉴定后 ,亚克隆入原核融合表达载体 pGEX - 4T - 1(含有编码 2 6KDaGST的基因序列 )中 ,在大肠杆菌BL2 1(DE3)中进行原核表达。将细菌总蛋白进行SDS聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分析 ,通过Westernblot分析鉴定目的蛋白的位置 ,并运用核酸蛋白分析仪扫描凝胶以确定表达产物的含量。结果　获得了高效表达的融合蛋白GST -CYP6N3,表达量占菌体总蛋白的 37 4 9%。结论　本实验成功地异源表达了白纹伊蚊CYP6N3基因 ,为体外重建细胞色素P4 5 0CYP6N3单加氧酶系 ,了解CYP6N3基因结构功能关系奠定基础     

Processing of a fusion protein by endoprotease in COS-1 cells for secretion of mature peptide by using a chimeric expression vector.

The subtilisin-related proprotein convertase furin is expressed in various mammalian tissues. Expecting that COS-1 cells have a furin-like endoprotease, we constructed a fusion expression vector for production of a recombinant foreign protein having no signal peptide or a protein in truncated form into secreted mature protein. A cDNA fragment encoding N-terminal procalcitonin (pro-CT) of human calcitonin precursor was inserted into the mammalian expression vector pME18S. We used PCR techniques to generate four kinds of cDNAs encoding the C terminus of the pro-CT with Arg residues at P4 (Arg-Xaa-Lys-Arg), P6 (Arg-Xaa-Xaa-Xaa-Lys-Arg), or both (Arg-Xaa-Arg-Xaa-Lys-Arg), in addition to the Lys-Arg motif at the cleavage site, in order to determine the conditions for efficient processing in nonendocrine cells, such as COS-1 cells. The cDNA coding for the Fc fragment of human immunoglobulin G1 was fused in-frame to the cDNA encoding pro-CT at its C terminus. Upon transfection of the chimeric plasmids into COS-1 cells, almost all of the fusion protein with the Arg residues at both P4 and P6 were processed into secreted Fc product, even without cotransfection of furin. These results indicate that COS-1 cells have a furin-like endoprotease and suggest that pro-CT, with the Arg residues at both P4 and P6, can be used as a carrier peptide for expression of a foreign protein having no signal peptide or a protein in truncated form in COS-1 cells.