DNA transposition by the RAG1 and RAG2 proteins: a possible source of oncogenic translocations [see comments]
AuthorsHiom K, Melek M, Gellert M
JournalCell
PubMed ID9727489
'The RAG1 and RAG2 proteins are known to initiate V(D)J recombination by making a double-strand break between the recombination signal sequence (RSS) and the neighboring coding DNA. We show that these proteins can also drive the coupled insertion of cleaved recombination signals into new DNA sites in a transpositional reaction. ... More
IS1630 of Mycoplasma fermentans, a Novel IS30-Type Insertion Element That Targets andDuplicates Inverted Repeats of Variable Length andSequence during Insertion
AuthorsMichael J. Calcutt,* Jennifer L. Lavrrar, and Kim S. Wise
JournalJ Bacteriol
PubMed ID10601219
'A new insertion sequence (IS) of Mycoplasma fermentans is described. This element, designatedIS1630, is 1,377 bp long and has 27-bp inverted repeats at the termini. A single open reading frame(ORF), predicted to encode a basic protein of either 366 or 387 amino acids (depending on the start codonutilized), occupies most ... More
Proteinaceous Pheromone Affecting Female Receptivity in a Terrestrial Salamander
AuthorsStephanie M. Rollmann, 1* Lynne D. Houck, 2 Richard C. Feldhoff 3
JournalScience
PubMed ID10489368
A 22-kilodalton protein was isolated from the submandibular (mental) gland of the male terrestrial salamander, Plethodon jordani (family: Plethodontidae). This proteinaceous pheromone,termed plethodontid receptivity factor (PRF), was experimentally delivered to the female during courtship and shown to increase female receptivity. In most plethodontid salamanders, ovulation occurs weeks or months after ... More
An ABC transporter plays a developmental aggregation role in Myxococcus xanthus.
AuthorsWard MJ, Mok KC, Astling DP, Lew H, Zusman DR
JournalJ Bacteriol
PubMed ID9791121
Myxococcus xanthus is a gram-negative bacterium which has a complex life cycle. Autochemotaxis, a process whereby cells release a self- generated signaling molecule, may be the principal mechanism facilitating directed motility in both the vegetative swarming and developmental aggregation stages of this life cycle. The process requires the Frz signal ... More
An X-linked gene with a degenerate Y-linked homologue in a dioecious plant.
AuthorsGuttman DS, Charlesworth D
JournalNature
PubMed ID9607762
Most flowering plants are hermaphroditic, having flowers with both male and female parts. Less than 4% of plant species are dioecious (with individuals of separate sexes), and many of these species have chromosome-mediated sex determination. The taxonomic distribution of separate sexes and chromosomal sex-determination systems in the flowering plants indicates ... More
Positive selection vectors to generate fused genes for the expression of his-tagged proteins.
Epitope tagging simplifies detection, characterization and purification of proteins. Gene fusion to combine the coding region of a well- characterized epitope with the coding region for a protein of interest generally requires several subcloning steps. Alternatively, a PCR strategy can be used to generate such a chimeric gene. In addition ... More
Cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase is not essential for viability of the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
Authors Stathopoulos C; Kim W; Li T; Anderson I; Deutsch B; Palioura S; Whitman W; Söll D;
JournalProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID11717392
The methanogenic archaea Methanocaldococcus jannaschii and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus contain a dual-specificity prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProCysRS) that accurately forms both prolyl-tRNA (Pro-tRNA) and cysteinyl-tRNA (Cys-tRNA) suitable for in vivo translation. This intriguing enzyme may even perform its dual role in organisms that possess a canonical single-specificity cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CysRS), raising the question ... More
Identification and functional analysis of the rat caspase-3 gene promoter.
Authors Liu Wenfang; Wang Geping; Yakovlev Alexander G;
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID11773055
Caspase-3 is the major effector in apoptosis triggered by various stimuli. Previous studies demonstrated a significant increase in transcriptional activity of the caspase-3 gene during neuronal apoptosis. Recent findings suggest that differential expression of the caspase-3 gene may underlie the regulation of apoptotic susceptibility during brain development and after acute ... More
The Caenorhabditis elegans gene, gly-2, can rescue the N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V mutation of Lec4 cells.
Authors Warren Charles E; Krizus Aldis; Roy Peter J; Culotti Joseph G; Dennis James W;
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID11937505
UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:alpha-6-d-mannoside beta-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GlcNAc-TV) is a regulator of polylactosamine-containing N-glycans and is causally involved in T cell regulation and tumor metastasis. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome contains a single orthologous gene, gly-2, that is transcribed and encodes a 669-residue type II membrane protein that is 36.7% identical to mammalian GlcNAc-TV (Mgat-5). ... More