Different levels of variability in subtypes 1b and 4a of hepatitis C viruses.

We performed genetic and phenic analyses to evaluate nucleotide and amino-acid sequences of the amino-terminus of the E1 protein of HCV genotype 1b (extracted from databank) and 4a (characterised in this study). The non-synonymous (ka) mutation analysis demonstrated that the genome of genotype 1b was not saturated by variations, with a rate of transition/transversion (s/v) of 1.5, which is similar to the expected ratio (i.e., 2.0). The s/v ratio in genotype 4a isolates was lower (0.98), indicating saturation due long-term variability. Moreover, the genotype 1b sequences showed a higher number of ka mutations (s+v) (mean of 2.8 per sequence) than genotype 4a (mean of 1.5). The introduction of ka mutations resulted in a higher degree of amino acid variability in genotype 4a. In the genome of genotype 1b, each nucleotide mutation introduced new amino acids, with a Granthan distance of 3.35-42.5, whereas for genotype 4a the distances ranged from 48.8 to 102.1. The phenic analysis also indicated different and complex patterns of amino-acid substitution. Finally, diverse isoelectric points and hydrophobicity were predicted for the two genotypes, with a higher acidity for genotype 4a E1 proteins.

The prolactin of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.): cloning of cDNA and efficient expression in Escherichia coli.

The cDNA encoding sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) prolactin (sbPRL) was obtained by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) from pituitary RNA with degenerate primers designed on the basis of the cDNAs of the two PRLs (tPRL188 and tPRL177) from the tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. The sbPRL cDNA encodes a preprotein of 212 amino acids composed of a putative signal peptide of 24 residues and a mature protein of 188 amino acids that is the homologue of tiPRL188. The cDNA coding for the mature protein was cloned into the pAX4a+ expression vector and expressed efficiently in Escherichia coli as a beta-galactosidase-fusion protein. To split the fusion protein, a sequence encoding the hexapeptide, (Asn-Gly)3, that contains three Asn-Gly hydroxylamine-cleavable bonds, had been previously introduced by PCR upstream of the sbPRL cDNA. N-terminal sequencing confirmed that the cleaved product corresponded to sbPRL. An antiserum raised against the recombinant hormone detected by immunoblotting a single band in sea bass pituitaries and two bands in tilapia pituitaries, suggesting the occurrence of a single PRL form in sea bass.