Identification of genes differentially expressed in benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Differences between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and normal prostate tissue at the level of mRNA expression provide an opportunity to identify candidate genes for this disease. A cDNA subtraction procedure was used to isolate differentially expressed genes in BPH. The subtraction was done by solution hybridization of BPH cDNA against excess normal prostate cDNA. We identified known, EST, and novel genes by sequence and database analysis of the subtracted cDNAs. Several of these cDNAs were used as probes in Northern blotting analysis to confirm over-expression of their corresponding mRNAs in BPH tissues. One highly upregulated sequence of interest shared identity with a known mRNA encoding human NELL2, a protein containing epidermal growth factor-like domains. NELL2 was not previously reported to be expressed in prostate and may code for a novel prostatic growth factor. In situ hybridization analysis of hyperplastic prostate specimens demonstrated that NELL2 mRNA expression is predominantly localized in basal cells of the epithelium. Disease-related changes in the levels of NELL2 may contribute to alterations in epithelial-stromal homeostasis in BPH. (J Histochem Cytochem 49:669-670, 2001)

Active site cavity of herpesvirus proteases revealed by the crystal structure of herpes simplex virus protease/inhibitor complex.

Human herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are responsible for herpes labialis (cold sores) and genital herpes, respectively. They encode a serine protease that is required for viral replication, and represent a viable target for therapeutic intervention. Here, we report the crystal structures of HSV-1 and HSV-2 proteases, the latter in the presence and absence of the covalently bound transition state analog inhibitor diisopropyl phosphate (DIP). The HSV-1 and HSV-2 protease structures show a fold that is neither like chymotrypsin nor like subtilisin, and has been seen only in the recently determined cytomegalovirus (CMV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) protease structures. HSV-1 and HSV-2 proteases share high sequence homology and have almost identical three-dimensional structures. However, structural differences are observed with the less homologous CMV protease, offering a structural basis for herpes virus protease ligand specificity. The bound inhibitor identifies the oxyanion hole of these enzymes and defines the active site cavity.

Unique fold and active site in cytomegalovirus protease.

Human herpesviruses are responsible for a variety of diseases. They are divided into three subfamilies: alpha includes herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV); beta includes cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6); and gamma includes Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Each virus encodes a serine protease that is essential for its replication and is a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Human CMV is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen that can result in life-threatening infections in congenitally infected infants, immunocompromised individuals and immunosuppressed cancer or transplant patients. Here we report the crystal structure of human CMV protease at 2.5 angstroms resolution. The structure reveals a fold that has not been reported for any other serine protease, and an active site consisting of a novel catalytic triad in which the third member is a histidine instead of an aspartic acid, or possibly a catalytic tetrad consisting of a serine, two histidines and an aspartic acid. An unusual dimer interface that is important to the protease activity has also been identified.

Structural organization of the genes encoding human and murine FK506-binding protein (FKBP) 13 and comparison to FKBP1.

FK506-binding protein (FKBP)12 and FKBP13 are members of a family of proteins which bind the immunosuppressant drugs, FK506 and rapamycin. FKBP12 and FKBP13 are encoded by distinct genes, designated FKBP1 and FKBP2, respectively. The structure of human FKBP1 was previously characterized. We now report the genomic structure of the human and murine FKBP2 genes. Comparison of FKBP1 and FKBP2 reveals significant homology and correlation of intron positions in the C-terminal region, suggesting that these genes may have evolved from a common ancestral gene.

High-level production of biologically active human cytosolic phospholipase A2 in baculovirus-infected insect cells.

Infection of Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells with a recombinant baculovirus expressing human cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) resulted in the production of biologically active protein. The level of recombinant human cPLA2 production in infected insect cells was at least 50-fold higher than that observed in human monoblast U937 cells.

Chromosomal band assignments of the genes encoding human FKBP12 and FKBP13.

Human FKBP12 and FKBP13 are encoded by distinct genes designated FKBP1 and FKBP2, respectively. Human FKBP1 was previously characterized. The characterization of human FKBP2 is described. FKBP2 is three kb in length and contains six exons. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of FKBP1 and FKBP2 genomic probes to metaphase chromosomes localized FKBP1 to human chromosome 20 band p13 and FKBP2 to human chromosome 11 band q13.1-q13.3.

Molecular cloning and characterization of the major endothelin receptor subtype in porcine cerebellum.

Endothelin receptors (ETRs) display subtype heterogeneity and are widely distributed throughout the tissues of the periphery and central nervous system. In order to gain further insight into the potential molecular differences of ETRs, we initiated molecular cloning of ETR genes by screening for the appearance of 125I-ET-1 binding activity in COS cells transfected with pools of a porcine cerebellum cDNA expression library. Two independent clones (pPCETR 1.1 and pPCETR 5.6) were identified and isolated by repeated rounds of pool enrichment and COS cell expression. DNA sequence analysis of pPCET 1.1 and pPCET 5.6 indicated that both clones have the same nucleotide sequence; the deduced amino acid sequence indicated that the porcine cerebellum ETR is 443 residues in length and consists of seven potential transmembrane domains, with homology to members of the GTP-binding protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Northern analysis indicated a single mRNA species of about 5 kilobases, which is expressed significantly in cerebellum, lung, kidney, and pituitary. Expression of functional receptor was demonstrated by endothelin-1 (ET-1)-mediated Ca2+ mobilization in COS cells transfected with pPCETR 1.1 (COS/ETR 1.1) and ET-1-mediated electrophysiological responses in Xenopus oocytes injected with RNA derived from pPCETR 1.1. Quantitative comparison of saturation binding of 125I-ET-1 to either porcine cerebellum or COS/ETR 1.1 membranes indicated an identical apparent dissociation constant. The relative efficacy of ET-related peptides to compete for binding of 125I-ET-1 to receptor from porcine cerebellum and COS/ETR 1.1 indicated that both preparations encode a nonselective or ETBR subtype. Chemical cross-linking of 125I-ET-1 to receptor derived from cerebellum or COS/ETR 1 revealed two bands, with apparent molecular masses of 47 and 35 kDa. These data demonstrate that the pPCETR 1.1 encodes the major ETR subtype in the porcine cerebellum.

Exon organization of the human FKBP-12 gene: correlation with structural and functional protein domains.

FKBP-12, the major T-cell binding protein for the immunosuppressive agents FK506 and rapamycin, catalyzes the interconversion of the cis and trans rotamers of the peptidyl-prolyl amide bond of peptide and protein substrates. The function of rotamase activity in cells and the role of FKBP-12 in immunoregulation is uncertain. In this paper we report the cloning and characterization of the human chromosomal FKBP-12 gene and four processed FKBP-12 pseudogenes. The FKBP-12 gene is 24 kilobases in length and contains five exons. The protein-coding region of the gene is divided into four exon modules that correlate with the structural and functional domains of the protein. The novel structure of FKBP-12 resulting from the topology of the antiparallel beta-sheet is the topological crossing of two loops that are encoded by separate exons. Separate exons also encode the antiparallel beta-sheet and alpha-helical region that define the drug-binding pocket and enzyme activity site of FKBP-12. The exon organization of the FKBP-12 gene also provided insight into the genetic evolution of the immunophilin family. Knowledge of the FKBP-12 gene structure will enable inactivation of this gene by homologous recombination in cells to provide a model to study the role of FKBP-12 in immunoregulation and normal cellular processes.

Chromosomal assignment of the human immunophilin FKBP-12 gene.

FKBP-12 is the major T cell binding protein for the immunosuppressive drugs FK506 and rapamycin. It is a member of the immunophilin family of proteins which are believed to play a role in immunoregulation and basic cellular processes involving protein folding and trafficking. The chromosomal assignment of the human FKBP-12 gene was determined by using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify an intron-containing region of the gene in purified DNA isolated from 42 human-rodent somatic cell hybrids. The results of this analysis indicated that the FKBP-12 gene resides on human chromosome 20.

Expression of human preproendothelin-1 cDNA in COS cells results in the production of mature vasoactive endothelin-1.

Transient transfection of simian kidney (COS) cells with a recombinant plasmid encoding human preproendothelin-1 resulted in the production of biologically active endothelin-1. Conditioned medium from human preproendothelin-1 transfected cells demonstrated a significant increase in immunoreactive endothelin and big endothelin which co-eluted, when analyzed by reverse phase HPLC, with synthetic endothelin-1 and big endothelin-1, respectively. In addition, biological activity was confirmed by both inhibition of [125I]endothelin-1 binding to rat cerebellar and renal medullary membrane endothelin receptors and in vitro vasoconstriction of rabbit aorta. This is the first demonstration that human preproendothelin-1 is capable of being processed to a vasoactive form in a heterologous system and suggests that human preproendothelin-1 transfected COS cells may provide a useful model system for the study of endothelin biosynthesis.

Vectors, promoters, and expression of genes in chick embryos.

Transgenic chickens were produced by injecting the Day-1 egg with 10(5) infectious particles of a replication-competent virus based on the Schmidt-Ruppin A strain of Rous sarcoma virus. The chickens were resistant to transforming subgroup A virus containing the src gene but not the corresponding subgroup B virus. Transgenic chickens producing bovine growth hormone (bGH) were generated using a modified virus containing the Bryan high titre polymerase gene. The virus was constructed with the bGH gene and the mouse metallothionein promoter in the reverse orientation relative to the viral structural genes. Two male chickens produced serum concentrations of approximately 100 ng bGH/ml; the birds were larger than controls and matured more rapidly. Transgenic mice required for the analysis of skeletal muscle-specific expression in vivo were produced using 5'-flanking regions of the chicken alpha-skeletal actin promoter linked to a luciferase reporter gene to determine the region essential for tissue-specific expression. The defined promoter sequences are to be used in experiments designed to direct expression of growth-promoting genes in skeletal muscle of chickens.

A bird zinc-finger protein closely related to ZFY.

The ZFY gene is thought to reside in the "sex-determining" region of the mammalian Y chromosome and encodes a zinc-finger protein that may function in determining the sex of embryos. Although birds have a ZZ(male)/ZW(female) sex-determination system, they possess a gene, Zfb, that is highly homologous to ZFY. We used ZFY as a hybridization probe to clone the zinc-finger domain of the chicken Zfb gene. Chicken Zfb is widely transcribed in male and female tissues and encodes a protein with a zinc-finger domain that is 93% identical in amino acid sequence to the zinc-finger domain of ZFY. Thus, the putative DNA-binding domains of the Zfb and ZFY proteins diverged little from a common ancestral protein that existed prior to birds and mammals, suggesting that the DNA binding site has been similarly conserved. The absence of sex differences in the hybridization patterns of Zfb raises the question of whether this gene is present on the Z/W sex chromosomes in birds.

Phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency caused by a single base substitution in an exon of the human phenylalanine hydroxylase gene.

A novel restriction fragment length polymorphism in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) locus generated by the restriction endonuclease MspI was observed in a German phenylketonuria (PKU) patient. Molecular cloning and DNA sequence analyses revealed that the MspI polymorphism was created by a T to C transition in exon 9 of the human PAH gene, which also resulted in the conversion of a leucine codon to a proline codon. The effect of the amino acid substitution was investigated by creating a corresponding mutation in a full-length human PAH cDNA by site-directed mutagenesis followed by expression analysis in cultured mammalian cells. Results demonstrate that the mutation in the gene causes the synthesis of an unstable protein in the cell corresponding to a CRM- phenotype. Together with the other mutations recently reported in the PAH gene, the data support previous biochemical and clinical observations that PKU is a heterogeneous disorder at the gene level.

Screening for phenylketonuria mutations by DNA amplification with the polymerase chain reaction.

Single base substitutions have been identified in two mutant phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) alleles that cause phenylketonuria (PKU). The two mutant alleles are common among caucasians of northern European ancestry; detection in genomic DNA samples of patients and carriers by hybridisation with oligonucleotides specific for the respective mutant alleles requires fractionation of restriction-enzyme-digested genomic DNA samples by gel electrophoresis. This method is too cumbersome for mass screening of PKU carriers. Identification of carriers of the mutant alleles was achieved by direct analysis of their genomic DNA samples after specific amplification of a sub-genomic DNA fragment containing both mutation sites by polymerase chain reaction. The results suggest that it is technically feasible to develop a programme for carrier detection of the genetic trait in the population for individuals without a family history of PKU.

GT to AT transition at a splice donor site causes skipping of the preceding exon in phenylketonuria.

Classical Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive human genetic disorder caused by a deficiency of hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). We isolated several mutant PAH cDNA clones from a PKU carrier individual and showed that they contained an internal 116 base pair deletion, corresponding precisely to exon 12 of the human chromosomal PAH gene. The deletion causes the synthesis of a truncated protein lacking the C-terminal 52 amino acids. Gene transfer and expression studies using the mutant PAH cDNA indicated that the deletion abolishes PAH activity in the cell as a result of protein instability. To determine the molecular basis of the deletion, the mutant chromosomal PAH gene was isolated from this individual and shown to contain a GT-- greater than AT substitution at the 5' splice donor site of intron 12. Thus, the consequence of the splice donor site mutation in the human liver is the skipping of the preceding exon during RNA splicing.

Polymorphic DNA haplotypes at the human phenylalanine hydroxylase locus and their relationship with phenylketonuria.

Eight polymorphic restriction enzyme sites at the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) locus were analyzed from the parental chromosomes in 33 Danish nuclear families with at least one phenylketonuric (PKU) child. Determination of haplotypes of 66 normal chromosomes and 66 chromosomes bearing mutant allele(s) demonstrated that there are at least two haplotypes which occur predominantly on PKU chromosomes and rarely otherwise. Overall, the relative frequencies of the various haplotypes are significantly different on PKU- and normal-allele bearing chromosomes, even though there is no predominantly occurring unique haplotype which can characterize the PKU chromosomes. In addition, no significant association (linkage disequilibrium) between any single polymorphic site and the mutant allele(s) was observed. The results suggest that either the phenylketonuric mutation was very ancient so that the polymorphic sites and the mutation have reached linkage equilibrium or the mutant allele(s) are the results of multiple mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene in man. Furthermore, a crude relationship between standardized linkage disequilibria and physical map distances of the polymorphic sites indicates that there is no apparent recombination hot-spot in the human phenylalanine hydroxylase gene, since the recombination rate within the locus appears to be uniform and likely to be occurring at a rate similar to that within the HLA gene cluster. The limitations of this later analysis are discussed in view of the sampling errors of disequilibrium measure used, and the potential utility of the PAH haplotypes for prenatal diagnosis and detection of PKU carriers is established.