Search

The phosphoenolpyruvate:glucose phosphotransferase system (PTS) of Salmonella typhimurium is involved both in glucose transport and in the regulation and synthesis of adenylate cyclase and several transport systems. The crr gene has been implicated in this regulating mechanism. A 9.6‐kb segment of the S. typhimurium chromosome containing the crr gene was cloned in pAT153. The cloned fragment also complemented cysA mutations but did not contain a functional pts operon which is closely linked to the crr gene and codes for two enzymes of the PTS. Although cysA and crr have been reported to be located on opposite sides of ptsHI, our results suggest that the correct gene order is cysK‐ptsHI‐crr‐cysA. Expression of crr plasmids in a maxicell system yielded two proteins which reacted with specific anti‐serum against IIIGlc. The apparent mol. wts. in SDS‐polyacrylamide gels were 20 000 and 21 000, the former corresponding to the major band of purified IIIGlc. Both forms were also observed in bacterial extracts and purified IIIGlc. The crr gene was localized on a 1‐kb EcoRI‐EcoRV fragment of the 9.6‐kb insert and sequenced. It codes for a single protein (18 556 D) containing 169 amino acid residues and identified as IIIGlc.

In trypanosome mitochondria an RNA editing process is operative, which co‐ or post‐transcriptionally alters the nucleotide sequence of transcripts by insertion and/or deletion of U residues at specific sites. To increase our understanding of the mechanism of this process we have compared the nucleotide sequence of the frameshifted mitochondrial MURF3 gene from Crithidia fasciculata to that of a large number of MURF3 cDNAs. We found cDNAs derived from transcripts edited at two different sites in the protein coding sequence: (i) at the frameshift position five extra U residues connect the two reading frames and (ii) at the 5′ terminus 22 inserted Us shift a putative initiator codon out of phase. The collection also contained cDNAs that were derived from non‐edited transcripts. Partially edited sequences were not found, except in one cDNA, which contained an edited frameshift site in combination with a non‐edited 5′ terminus. The analysis further showed that MURF3 transcripts have a 3′‐terminal poly(AU) extension, which varies in sequence. The implications of these results are discussed.

RNA editing is the post‐transcriptional alteration of the nucleotide sequence of RNA, which in trypanosome mitochondria is characterized by the insertion and deletion of uridine residues. It has recently been proposed that the information for the sequence alteration in Leishmania tarentolae is provided by small guide (g) RNAs encoded in the mitochondrial DNA [Blum et al. (1990) Cell, 60, 189–198]. We are studying the mechanism of RNA editing in the insect trypanosome Crithidia fasciculata and report that: (i) a full length, conventional DNA gene or an independently replicating RNA gene that could encode the edited MURF3 transcript is absent when probed for in sensitive, calibrated assay systems; (ii) in all cases (seven) investigated in C. fasciculata so far, putative gRNA genes are found in a position in the mitochondrial DNA virtually identical to that in L. tarentolae and (iii) also in C. fasciculata, the putative gRNA genes are transcribed into small RNAs with discrete 5′ ends. These results provide strong evolutionary evidence in support of the participation of gRNAs in RNA editing. Remarkably, in C. fasciculata the basepaired region of some putative gRNA:mRNA hybrids contains a C:A non‐Watson‐Crick basepair.

In trypanosome mitochondria an RNA editing process is operative, which co‐ or post‐transcriptionally alters the nucleotide sequence of transcripts by insertion and/or deletion of U residues at specific sites. To increase our understanding of the mechanism of this process we have compared the nucleotide sequence of the frameshifted mitochondrial MURF3 gene from Crithidia fasciculata to that of a large number of MURF3 cDNAs. We found cDNAs derived from transcripts edited at two different sites in the protein coding sequence: (i) at the frameshift position five extra U residues connect the two reading frames and (ii) at the 5′ terminus 22 inserted Us shift a putative initiator codon out of phase. The collection also contained cDNAs that were derived from non‐edited transcripts. Partially edited sequences were not found, except in one cDNA, which contained an edited frameshift site in combination with a non‐edited 5′ terminus. The analysis further showed that MURF3 transcripts have a 3′‐terminal poly(AU) extension, which varies in sequence. The implications of these results are discussed.

Initiation factor IF-E3 from rabbit reticulocytes was isolated from a high salf extract of ribosomes prepared according to the procedure of Schreier and Staehelin (J. Mol9 Biol, 73, 329-349, 1973). The factor was highly purified from the crude extract by ammonium sulfate fractionation, sucrose gradient centrifugation, salf gradient elution from DEAE-cellulose and phosphocellulose columns, and glycerol gradient centrifugation. IF-E3 stimulated cell-free protein synthesis dependent on an exogenous globin mRNA fraction 4- to 5-fold. The factor under nondenaturing conditions behaved as a large multipolypeptide complex, but was separated into 11 major protein components by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with urea and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The stoichiometry and molecular weights (range: 28,000-140,000) of the IF-E3 proteins were determined. None of the components corresponded to ribosomal proteins found in high salt-washed ribosomes. 14CH3-IF-E3 was prepared by reductive alkylation without detectable loss of its initiation factor activity, and bound stoichiometrically to 40S ribosomal subunits, but not to 60S or 80S ribosomes. 14CH3-IF-E3 isolated from the 40S complex contained only nine of the 11 original protein components.

Phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factors was examined both in intact cells and in vitro with purified components. Intact rabbit reticulocytes were incubated in a medium containing[32P]phosphate, and eight initiation factors were isolated and partially purified. The purified factors were analyzed on dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gels and compared with highly purified nonradioactive factors. Significant amounts of radioactivity were found associated with initiation factors eIF-2, polypeptide 2 (molecular weight 53,000); eIF-3, polypeptides 2 and 4 (molecular weights 110,000 and 67,000); and eIF-4B. Purfied initiation factors from rabbit reticulocytes were also treated in vitro with [gamma-32P]ATP and a cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase isolated from rabbit erythrocytes. Only the factor polypeptides phosphorylated intracellularly were phosphorylated in vitro. The results suggest that the cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase is responsible for the phosphorylation of specific initiation factors in cells active in protein synthesis and that it may play a role in regulating translation.

Ternary complex formation between [3H]Met-tRNAf, [14C]H3-eIF-2, and GTP was measured on nitrocellulose filters. It is shown that [3H]Met-tRNAf and [14C]H3-eIF-2 are present on the filter in equimolar amounts when ATP, creatine phosphate, and creatine kinase are included in the reaction mixture. Under these conditions the factor is 100& active. With small amounts of factor significant losses occur due to adsorption to the wall of the reaction vessels, resulting in seemingly low activities of eIF-2. These losses can be prevented by the presence of “stimulatory” proteins, which enhance the recovery of both [3H]Met-tRNAf and [14C]H3-eIF-2 on the filter but do not alter their ratio.

We report the characterization of a Trypanosoma brucei 75-kDa protein of the RGG (Arg-Gly-Gly) type, termed TBRGG1. Dicistronic and monocistronic transcripts of the TBRGG1 gene were produced by both alternative splicing and polyadenylation. TBRGG1 was found in two or three forms that differ in their electrophoretic mobility on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels, one of which was more abundant in the procyclic form of the parasite. TBRGG1 was localized to the mitochondrion and appeared to be more abundant in bloodstream intermediate and stumpy forms in which the mitochondrion reactivates and during the procyclic stage, which possesses a fully functional mitochondrion. This protein was characterized to display oligo(U) binding characteristics and was found to co-localize with an in vitro RNA editing activity in a sedimentation analysis. TBRGG1 most likely corresponds to the 83-kDa oligo(U)-binding protein previously identified by UV cross-linking of guide RNA to mitochondrial lysates (Leegwater, P., Speijer, D., and Benne, R. (1995) Eur. J. Biochem. 227, 780-786).