The correlated evolution of Runx2 tandem repeats, transcriptional activity, and facial length in carnivora.

To assess the ability of protein-coding mutations to contribute to subtle, inter-specific morphologic evolution, here, we test the hypothesis that mutations within the protein-coding region of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) have played a role in facial evolution in 30 species from a naturally evolving group, the mammalian order Carnivora. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find significant correlations between changes in Runx2 glutamine-alanine tandem-repeat ratio, and both Runx2 transcriptional activity and carnivoran facial length. Furthermore, we identify a potential evolutionary mechanism for the correlation between Runx2 tandem repeat ratio and facial length. Specifically, our results are consistent with the Runx2 tandem repeat system providing a flexible genetic mechanism to rapidly change the timing of ossification. These heterochronic changes, in turn, potentially act on existing allometric variation in carnivoran facial length to generate the disparity in adult facial lengths observed among carnivoran species. Our results suggest that despite potentially great pleiotropic effects, changes to the protein-coding regions of genes such as Runx2 do occur and have the potential to affect subtle morphologic evolution across a diverse array of species in naturally evolving lineages.

Molecular genetic studies of the Cdc7 protein kinase and induced mutagenesis in yeast.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDC7 gene encodes a protein kinase that functions in DNA replication, repair, and meiotic recombination. The sequence of several temperature-sensitive (ts) cdc7 mutations was determined and correlated with protein kinase consensus domain structure. The positions of these ts alleles suggests some general principles for predicting ts protein kinase mutations. Pedigree segregation lag analysis demonstrated that all of the mutant proteins are less active or less stable than wild-type Cdc7p. Two new mutations were constructed, one by site-directed and the other by insertional mutagenesis. All of the cdc7 mutants were assayed for induced mutagenesis in response to mutagenic agents at the permissive temperature. Some cdc7 mutants were found to be hypomutable, while others are hypermutable. The differences in mutability are observed most clearly when log phase cells are used. Both hypo- and hypermutability are recessive to wild type. Cdc7p may participate in DNA repair by phosphorylating repair enzymes or by altering chromatin structure to allow accessibility to DNA lesions.

Construction of a cDNA to the hamster CAD gene and its application toward defining the domain for aspartate transcarbamylase.

cDNA complementary to hamster mRNA encoding the CAD protein, a multifunctional protein which carries the first three enzymes of pyrimidine biosynthesis, was constructed. The longest of these recombinants (pCAD142) covers 82% of the 7.9-kilobase mRNA. Portions of the cDNA were excised and replaced by a lac promoter-operator-initiation codon segment. The resultant plasmids were transfected into an Escherichia coli mutant defective in aspartate transcarbamylase, the second enzyme of the pathway. Complementation of the bacterial defect was observed with as little as 2.2 kilobases of cDNA sequence, corresponding to the 3' region of the mRNA. DNA sequencing in this region of the hamster cDNA reveals stretches which are highly homologous to the E. coli gene for the catalytic subunit of aspartate transcarbamylase; other stretches show no homology. The highly conserved regions probably reflect areas of protein structure critical to catalysis, while the nonconserved regions may reflect differences between the quaternary structures of E. coli and mammalian aspartate transcarbamylases, one such difference being that the bacterial enzyme in its native form is allosterically regulated and the mammalian enzyme is not.

Identification and localization of DNA alteration in Chinese hamster ovary cell mutants (Urd-) defective in the first three enzymes of de novo pyrimidine synthesis.

In animals, the first three enzymatic steps of de novo pyrimidine synthesis, carbamyl phosphate synthetase, aspartate transcarbamylase, and dihydroorotase, comprise the multifunctional protein known as the CAD protein. Mutants of Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1, pro-) deficient in CAD protein activities require uridine for growth and are designated Urd-A mutants. To examine further the nature of the genetic alterations in Urd-A mutants and revertants, we have performed a detailed Southern blot hybridization analysis of DNA from wild-type, Urd-A, and revertant cells using as hybridization probes cDNAs complementary to CAD mRNA isolated from Syrian hamster. This has allowed us to identify an apparent alteration in the CAD gene in DNA from Urd-A cells. This alteration is in a region of the gene which appears to correspond to the region of the protein which is hypersensitive to proteases and which seems to be altered in the mutants. Only one of the two CAD alleles present appears to be altered in this way. Study of certain revertants of Urd-A strongly suggests that in some cases reversion has occurred by amplification of the mutant CAD allele.

Expression of genes on human chromosome 21.

Gene sequences were isolated from a lambda library containing inserts originating from human chromosome 21. One phage, CP21G1, had been selected on the basis of its lack of middle-repetitive sequences and its ability to hybridize with 32P-labeled cDNA synthesized from the cytoplasmic poly A+ RNA of cultured fibroblasts. Further experiments revealed that the human insert in this phage is unique-sequence DNA, maps to the long arm of chromosome 21, and is expressed in fibroblasts and T cells. A panel of 127 "unique-sequence" phage were also selected from the lambda library and were tested for hybridization to 32P-labeled cDNA synthesized from the cytoplasmic poly A+ RNA of CCRF-HSB-2, a T-blast leukemic line. Seventeen recombinants hybridized to the probe. One of these phages, CP8, contains a human unique-sequence DNA expressed in T cells and neuroblastoma cells. One phage (CP5) in the "unique-sequence" panel that had not hybridized to cDNA from T-cell RNA was found to carry a low-repeat sequence and to hybridize specifically to RNA from a neuroblastoma line. This phage appears to carry a brain-specific gene. Many of the genomic sequences related to the low-repeat sequence contained in CP5 map to the short arm of chromosome 21. The cloned genes described here represent new markers for the detailed mapping of human chromosome 21 and may prove valuable in studying tissue-specific gene regulation.

Organization of a multifunctional protein in pyrimidine biosynthesis. A domain hypersensitive to proteolysis.

When the multifunctional protein that catalyses the first three steps of pyrimidine biosynthesis in hamster cells is treated with staphylococcal V8 proteinase, a single cleavage takes place. The activities of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (EC 6.3.5.5), aspartate carbamoyltransferase (EC 2.1.3.2) and dihydro-orotase (EC 3.5.2.3) and the allosteric inhibition by UTP are unaffected. One fragment, of Mr 182000, has the first and third enzyme activities, whereas the other fragment, of Mr 42000, has aspartate carbamoyltransferase activity and an aggregation site. A similar small fragment is observed in protein digested with low concentrations of trypsin. A similar large fragment is seen after digestion with trypsin and as the predominating form of this protein in certain mutants defective in pyrimidine biosynthesis. These results indicate that a region located adjacent to the aspartate carbamoyltransferase domain is hypersensitive to proteinase action in vitro and may also be sensitive to proteolysis in vivo.

Partial cDNA sequence to a hamster gene corrects defect in Escherichia coli pyrB mutant.

The first three enzymes of pyrimidine biosynthesis (carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, aspartate carbamoyl-transferase, and dihydro-orotase) are carried on a multifunctional protein in mammalian cells and are on separate proteins in bacteria. A plasmid containing a cDNA sequence corresponding to 80% of a hamster mRNA for this protein was transformed into Escherichia coli mutants lacking aspartate carbamoyltransferase (pyrB) or dihydro-orotase (pyrC). Only pyrB transformants were able to grow in the absence of uracil. Plasmid recovered from primary transformants was similar in size to the original plasmid and could yield prototrophs after secondary transformation of E. coli pyrB mutants. When cell extracts were prepared from pyrB transformants, high levels of aspartate carbamoyltransferase activity were found, and the enzyme had properties identical to the mammalian enzyme, including lack of allosteric regulation, precipitation by antiserum specific to the hamster multifunctional protein, and presence of a strong aggregation center. These results demonstrate that (i) a partial hamster protein can complement E. coli defective in pyrimidine biosynthesis, (ii) the order of the enzyme domains of the multifunctional protein is likely to be NH2-dihydro-orotase-carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase-aspartate carbamoyltransferase-COOH, and (iii) the enzyme domains appear to be self-contained at the DNA and protein levels. The protocol described here may be a general means for studying the domains of multifunctional proteins and for isolating other mammalian genes for which bacterial mutants have been prepared. It also permits study of the structure and function of the same gene in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and may provide new insight into the evolution of complex genes.