Codon pair utilization biases influence translational elongation step times.

Two independent assays capable of measuring the relative in vivo translational step times across a selected codon pair in a growing polypeptide in the bacterium Escherichia coli have been employed to demonstrate that codon pairs observed in protein coding sequences more frequently than predicted (over-represented codon pairs) are translated slower than pairs observed less frequently than expected (under-represented codon pairs). These results are consistent with the findings that translational step times are influenced by codon context and that these context effects are related to the compatabilities of adjacent tRNA isoacceptor molecules on the surface of a translating ribosome. These results also support our previous suggestion that the frequency of one codon next to another has co-evolved with the structure and abundance of tRNA isoacceptors in order to control the rates of translational step times without imposing additional constraints on amino acid sequences or protein structures.

The primary structure of a halorhodopsin from Natronobacterium pharaonis. Structural, functional and evolutionary implications for bacterial rhodopsins and halorhodopsins.

We cloned and sequenced the gene coding for the polypeptide of a halorhodopsin in Natronobacterium pharaonis (named here pharaonis halorhodopsin). Peptide sequencing of cyanogen bromide fragments, and immunoreactions of the protein and synthetic peptides derived from the COOH-terminal gene sequence, confirmed that the open reading frame is the structural gene for the pharaonis halorhodopsin polypeptide. The flanking DNA sequences, as well as those for other bacterial rhodopsins, were compared to previously proposed archaebacterial consensus sequences. In pairwise comparisons of the open reading frame with DNA sequences for bacterio-opsin and halo-opsin from Halobacterium halobium, silent divergences (mutations/nucleotide at codon positions which do not result in amino acid changes) were calculated. These indicate very considerable evolutionary distance between each pair of genes. In spite of this, the three protein sequences show extensive similarities, indicating strong selective pressures. Conserved and conservatively replaced amino acid residues in all three proteins identify general features essential for ion-motive bacterial rhodopsins, responsible for overall structure and chromophore properties. Comparison of the bacteriorhodopsin sequence with those of the two halorhodopsins, on the other hand, identifies features involved in their specific (proton and chloride ion) transport functions.

Intron-dependent evolution of the nucleotide-binding domains within alcohol dehydrogenase and related enzymes.

It has been suggested that the intron/exon structure of a gene corresponds to its evolutionary history. Accordingly, early in evolution DNA segments encoding short functional polypeptides may have been rearranged (exon-shuffling) to create full-length genes and RNA splicing may have been developed to remove intervening sequences (introns) in order to preserve translational reading frames. A conflicting viewpoint would be that introns were randomly inserted into previously uninterrupted genes after their initial evolutionary development. If so, the sites of introns would be unlikely to consistently reflect the domain structure of the protein. To address this question, the intron/exon structure of the gene encoding human alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was determined and compared to the gene structures for other ADHs and related proteins, all of which possess nucleotide-binding domains. Our results indicate that the introns in the nucleotide-binding domains of all the genes examined do indeed fall at positions which separate the short functional polypeptides (i.e. beta strands) which are believed to comprise this domain. We argue that our data is most easily explained by the hypothesis that introns were present in an ancestral nucleotide-binding domain which was later rearranged by exon-shuffling to form the various dehydrogenases and kinases which utilize such a domain.

Nucleotide sequence and in vivo expression of the ilvY and ilvC genes in Escherichia coli K12. Transcription from divergent overlapping promoters.

The ilvC gene of Escherichia coli K12 encodes acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase, the second enzyme in the parallel isoleucine-valine biosynthetic pathway. Previous data have shown that transcription of the ilvC gene is induced by the acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase substrates, acetohydroxybutyrate or acetolactate, and that this substrate induction of ilvC expression is mediated by a positive activator encoded by the ilvY gene. We report here the isolation and complete nucleotide sequence of the ilvY and ilvC genes. The ilvY and ilvC genes encode polypeptides of Mr 33,200 and 54,000, respectively. In vitro transcription-translation of these gene templates results in the synthesis of gene products of these identical molecular weights. The ilvC gene is transcribed in the same direction as the genes of the adjacent ilvGMEDA operon. The ilvY gene is transcribed in a direction opposite to the ilvC and ilvGMEDA genes. The in vivo transcriptional initiation sites of the ilvY and ilvC genes have been determined by S1 nuclease protection experiments. These transcriptional initiation sites are 45 nucleotides apart, and transcription of the ilvY and ilvC genes is initiated via divergent overlapping promoters. The nucleotide sequence of the ilvY and ilvC promoters and 5'-coding regions of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 have been determined. A comparison of these sequences with E. coli K12 suggests regions important in the promotion, regulation, and translation of the ilvY and ilvC genes. A model is presented in which the ilvY-encoded activator binds to an operator site in the overlapping promoter region and reciprocally regulates the transcription of the ilvY and ilvC genes. The carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequence of threonine deaminase encoded by the ilvA gene of the ilv-GMEDA operon of E. coli K12 has been identified by homology with the previously deduced threonine deaminase amino acid sequence encoded by the ilv1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Based on the deduced amino acid sequences of the ilvA and ilvY genes, the translational termination codons for both genes are shown to be separated by 52 nucleotides. The proximity of the ilvA and ilvY genes suggests that the 3'-ends of these transcripts overlap.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a cDNA for the beta subunit of human alcohol dehydrogenase.

Human alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is encoded by at least five genes that fall into three classes. The class I ADH genes encode the three closely related alpha, beta, and gamma polypeptides. Molecular genetic analysis of class I ADH genes has been initiated by isolating a cDNA clone from a human adult liver cDNA library. A synthetic oligonucleotide mixture encoding a portion of the beta subunit of ADH was used as an in situ hybridization probe for the cDNA library. One positively hybridizing clone, pADH12, which contained an 1100-base-pair cDNA insert, was subjected to DNA sequence analysis. The sequence indicated that the cDNA encoded information for the carboxyl-terminal 91 amino acids of a class I ADH and a 3' untranslated region of 593 nucleotides. Comparisons with the carboxyl terminus of the human ADH beta subunit indicated that the cDNA encoded the beta polypeptide. This probe may facilitate genetic studies of various human alcohol-related syndromes, as well as enable basic molecular studies on human ADH gene expression.

Pausing and termination of human RNA polymerase II transcription at a procaryotic terminator.

Kinetic analyses of runoff transcription in a cell-free eucaryotic transcription system revealed that the bacteriophage lambda 4S RNA terminator caused human RNA polymerase II to pause on the template and partially terminate transcription of transcripts initiated by the adenovirus 2 major late promoter. Analogous to the procaryotic RNA polymerase, the eucaryotic enzyme terminated just beyond the guanine-plus-cytosine-rich region of dyad symmetry in the terminator sequence. These results suggest that the eucaryotic RNA polymerase II may respond to transcription termination sequences similar to those used by the procaryotic enzyme. However, similar templates containing lambda tint or lambda tR1 terminators did not elicit pausing or termination, suggesting that other features, such as sequence specificity, may also be involved.

Nucleotide sequence of the ilvB multivalent attenuator region of Escherichia coli K12.

The ilvB gene of Escherichia coli K12 has been cloned into a multicopy plasmid. The regulation of the cloned gene by valine or leucine limitation and by catabolite repression is the same as for the chromosome encoded gene. The nucleotide sequence of a regulatory region preceding the ilvB structural gene has been determined. This DNA sequence includes a promoter, a region which codes for a putative 32 amino acid polypeptide containing multiple valine and leucine codons, and a transcription termination site. In vitro transcription of this region produces a 184 nucleotide terminated leader transcript. Mutually exclusive secondary structures of the leader transcript are predicted. On the basis of these data, a model for multivalent attenuation of the ilvB operon is presented. Data are presented which suggests that at least part of the postulated CRP-cyclic AMP binding site of the ilvB operon precedes the transcription start site by more than 71 base pairs.

Multivalent translational control of transcription termination at attenuator of ilvGEDA operon of Escherichia coli K-12.

The regulatory region for the ilvGEDA operon of Escherichia coli K-12 has been located and characterized. ilv leader RNA transcribed from this region is described, and the DNA sequence of the region is presented. This DNA sequence contains a transcription promoter, a region coding for a 32-amino-acid polypeptide containing multiple isoleucine, valine, and leucine codons, and a transcription termination site preceding the first structural gene. The mutually exclusive secondary structures of the leader RNA have been analyzed. On the basis of these data, a model for the multivalent attenuation of the ilvGEDA operon is proposed.