Putative protein serine/threonine kinase genes are located in several positions on the chromosome of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

Seven DNA fragments containing putative protein serine/threonine kinase genes were cloned from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) by hybridization with a 165-bp amplified polymerase chain reaction product of pkaB containing kinase subdomains VI, VII and VIII. Among them, the nucleotide sequences of three fragments containing subdomains VI, VII and VIII were identical, while those of one fragment were identical with that of afsK, another protein serine/threonine kinase gene. However, these kinase-like genes with very similar nucleotide sequences were distributed on the chromosome of S. coelicolor A3(2).

Prolongation of QT interval and ventricular septal hypertrophy.

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a prime example of interplay between molecular biology, cellular physiology, and organ physiology. Both the congenital and acquired forms of LQTS are due to intrinsic and/or acquired abnormalities of the ionic currents responsible for cardiac repolarization. We analyzed the QTc interval, QRS axes and interventricular septal thickness (IVST) in 41 patients who had a prolonged QT interval on routine electrocardiography (ECG) (5 females and 36 males, mean age 65+/-13 years). The QRS axis of patients in the LQTS group (27+/-49 degrees) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in the control group (46+/-26 degrees). However, the IVST in the LQTS group (10+/-2 mm) was significantly thicker than in the control group (9+/-1 mm) (p < 0.05), while the WTd was not significantly different. The QTc interval in patients with ventricular septal hypertrophy (IVST > or = 12 min, 478.8+/-7.9 msec) was significantly longer (p < 0.05) than in the normal group (IVST < 12 mm, 472.1+/-17.5 msec). In conclusion, the results of this preliminary study suggest that prolongation of the QT interval on ECG should prompt screening for electrocardiographic evidence of ventricular hypertrophy in patients with this disease.