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T cell-derived cytokines are important in the development of an effective immune response, but when dysregulated they can promote disease. Here we identify a four-helix bundle cytokine we have called interleukin 31 (IL-31), which is preferentially produced by T helper type 2 cells. IL-31 signals through a receptor composed of IL-31 receptor A and oncostatin M receptor. Expression of IL-31 receptor A and oncostatin M receptor mRNA was induced in activated monocytes, whereas epithelial cells expressed both mRNAs constitutively. Transgenic mice overexpressing IL-31 developed severe pruritus, alopecia and skin lesions. Furthermore, IL-31 receptor expression was increased in diseased tissues derived from an animal model of airway hypersensitivity. These data indicate that IL-31 may be involved in promoting the dermatitis and epithelial responses that characterize allergic and non-allergic diseases.

Cytokines play a critical role in modulating the innate and adaptive immune systems. Here, we have identified from the human genomic sequence a family of three cytokines, designated interleukin 28A (IL-28A), IL-28B and IL-29, that are distantly related to type I interferons (IFNs) and the IL-10 family. We found that like type I IFNs, IL-28 and IL-29 were induced by viral infection and showed antiviral activity. However, IL-28 and IL-29 interacted with a heterodimeric class II cytokine receptor that consisted of IL-10 receptor beta (IL-10Rbeta) and an orphan class II receptor chain, designated IL-28Ralpha. This newly described cytokine family may serve as an alternative to type I IFNs in providing immunity to viral infection.

IL-22 is an IL-10 homologue that binds to and signals through the class II cytokine receptor heterodimer IL-22RA1/CRF2-4. IL-22 is produced by T cells and induces the production of acute-phase reactants in vitro and in vivo, suggesting its involvement in inflammation. Here we report the identification of a class II cytokine receptor designated IL-22RA2 (IL-22 receptor-alpha 2) that appears to be a naturally expressed soluble receptor. IL-22RA2 shares amino acid sequence homology with IL-22RA1 (also known as IL-22R, zcytor11, and CRF2-9) and is physically adjacent to IL-20Ralpha and IFN-gammaR1 on chromosome 6q23.3-24.2. We demonstrate that IL-22RA2 binds specifically to IL-22 and neutralizes IL-22-induced proliferation of BaF3 cells expressing IL-22 receptor subunits. IL-22RA2 mRNA is highly expressed in placenta and spleen by Northern blotting. PCR analysis using RNA from various tissues and cell lines showed that IL-22RA2 was expressed in a range of tissues, including those in the digestive, female reproductive, and immune systems. In situ hybridization revealed the dominant cell types expressing IL-22RA2 were mononuclear cells and epithelium. Because IL-22 induces the expression of acute phase reactants, IL-22RA2 may play an important role as an IL-22 antagonist in the regulation of inflammatory responses.

Cytokines are important in the regulation of haematopoiesis and immune responses, and can influence lymphocyte development. Here we have identified a class I cytokine receptor that is selectively expressed in lymphoid tissues and is capable of signal transduction. The full-length receptor was expressed in BaF3 cells, which created a functional assay for ligand detection and cloning. Conditioned media from activated human CD3+ T cells supported proliferation of the assay cell line. We constructed a complementary DNA expression library from activated human CD3+ T cells, and identified a cytokine with a four-helix-bundle structure using functional cloning. This cytokine is most closely related to IL2 and IL15, and has been designated IL21 with the receptor designated IL21 R. In vitro assays suggest that IL21 has a role in the proliferation and maturation of natural killer (NK) cell populations from bone marrow, in the proliferation of mature B-cell populations co-stimulated with anti-CD40, and in the proliferation of T cells co-stimulated with anti-CD3.

Stanniocalcin (STC) is a hormone that was originally identified in fish, where it inhibits calcium uptake by the gills and gut and stimulates phosphate adsorption by the kidney. Recently, two mammalian homologues of stanniocalcin were identified. The first (STC1) shows 61% identity to the fish stanniocalcins and appears to have a function similar to that of the fish stanniocalcins. The second homologue (STC2) is 30-38% identical to the fish stanniocalcins, and is characterized by unique cysteine and histidine motifs that are not found in the other stanniocalcins. We purified both the native hamster and recombinant human STC2 proteins and obtained a partial amino acid sequence of the hamster protein. Both proteins behave as a disulfide bonded homodimer, which undergoes post-translational modification(s). The STC2 gene was localized to human chromosome 5q35. Northern blot analysis revealed that the primary site of human STC2 production is the pancreas, and immunostaining localized the STC2 protein to a subpopulation of cells in the islet. Double immunostaining for STC2 and either insulin or glucagon revealed that STC2 protein is found in the alpha cells, but not the beta cells. We speculate that STC2 may play a role in glucose homeostasis.

The human gp130 cDNA sequence was used as a query to search an expressed sequence tag database (dbEST) to identify cDNA sequences with similarity to the cytokine class I receptor family. A novel class I cytokine receptor was identified in a human infant brain cDNA library and was named WSX-1. Full-length cDNA sequences for human and murine WSX-1 were isolated and characterized. The WSX-1 cDNA encodes a 636 amino acid transmembrane protein with an extracellular domain of 482 amino acids and a cytoplasmic domain of 96 amino acids. The structure of the WSX-1 protein most closely resembles that of gp130. Northern blot analysis indicates high levels of expression in thymus, spleen, lymph node, and peripheral blood leukocytes, suggesting a role for WSX-1 in modulation of the immune response.

Tracheal laceration is a rare but potentially devastating complication of endotracheal intubation. Traditional management of intubation-related tracheal laceration is operative. Nonoperative management of a woman noted to have a tracheal laceration during intubation is described. Criteria by which nonoperative treatment can be considered are outlined.

We have cloned from cultured vascular smooth muscle cells a protein tyrosine phosphatase, rat density-enhanced phosphatase-1 (rDEP-1), which is a probable rat homologue of DEP-1/HPTP eta. rDEP-1 is encoded by an 8.7-kb transcript and is expressed as a 180- to 220-kD protein. The rDEP-1 gene is located on human chromosome 11 (region p11.2) and on mouse chromosome 2 (region 2E). The cDNA sequence predicts a transmembrane protein consisting of a single phosphatase catalytic domain in the intracellular region, a single transmembrane domain, and eight fibronectin type III repeats in the extracellular region (GenBank accession number U40790). In situ hybridization analysis demonstrates that rDEP-1 is widely expressed in vivo but that expression is highest in cells that form epithelioid monolayers. In cultured cells with epitheliod morphology, including endothelial cells and newborn smooth muscle cells, but not in fibroblast-like cells, rDEP-1 transcript levels are dramatically upregulated as population density increases. In vivo, quiescent endothelial cells in normal arteries express relatively high levels of rDEP-1. During repair of vascular injury, expression of rDEP-1 is downregulated in migrating and proliferating endothelial cells. In vivo, rDEP-1 transcript levels are present in very high levels in megakaryocytes, and circulating plates have high levels of the rDEP-1 protein. In vitro, initiation of differentiation of the human megakaryoblastic cell line CHRF-288-11 with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate leads to a very strong upregulation of rDEP-1 transcripts. The deduced structure and the regulation of expression of rDEP-1 suggest that it may play a role in adhesion and/or signaling events involving cell-cell and cell-matrix contact.

Two subtypes of the human calcitonin receptor (hCTR) have been described which differ from one another by the presence or absence of a 16-amino acid insert in the first intracellular loop. Both isoforms were stably expressed in baby hamster kidney cells to compare their ligand binding and second messenger coupling. The binding affinity and the on/off rate of binding for salmon CT were identical for the two receptor isoforms. However, the presence of the insert significantly reduced the ability of the receptor to couple to both adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C. Stimulation of a transient calcium response was only observed with the insert-negative receptor. Similarly, the ED50 for the cAMP response is 100-fold higher for the insert-positive form compared with the insert-negative form of the receptor. However, the maximal cAMP response was equivalent for both receptor isoforms. The rate of internalization of the insert-positive form of the receptor is significantly impaired relative to the insert-negative receptor, which suggests that this process may be dependent on the stimulation of a second messenger pathway. Cloning and characterization of the relevant portion of the hCTR gene revealed that these isoforms are generated by alternative splicing. We also discovered a third isoform of the hCTR, which can be generated by alternative splicing at the same position. The presence of a stop codon in this newly described alternative exon would lead to premature termination of the receptor at the C-terminal end of the first transmembrane domain.

Thrombopoietin (TPO), a lineage-specific cytokine affecting the proliferation and maturation of megakaryocytes from committed progenitor cells, is believed to be the major physiological regulator of circulating platelet levels. Recently we have isolated a cDNA encoding a ligand for the murine c-mpl protooncogene and shown it to be TPO. By employing a murine cDNA probe, we have isolated a gene encoding human TPO from a human genomic library. The TPO locus spans over 6 kb and has a structure similar to that of the erythropoietin gene (EPO). Southern blot analysis of human genomic DNA reveals a hybridization pattern consistent with a single gene locus. The locus was mapped by in situ hybridization of metaphase chromosome preparations to chromosome 3q26-27, a site where a number of chromosomal abnormalities associated with thrombocythemia in cases of acute myeloid leukemia have been mapped. A human TPO cDNA was isolated by PCR from kidney mRNA. The cDNA encodes a protein with 80% identity to previously described murine TPO and is capable of initiating a proliferative signal to murine interleukin 3-dependent BaF3 cells expressing the murine or human TPO receptor.

Five cDNAs from the cellulolytic fungi Fusarium oxysporum that code for five distinct cellulase homologues have been cloned and sequenced. The cloning strategy exploited the hydrophobic cluster analysis-based cellulase family classification of Henrissat and Bairoch [Biochem. J. 293 (1993) 781-788] to design degenerate oligodeoxyribonucleotides (oligos) that encoded amino-acid sequences conserved in an intra-family, but not inter-family, manner among cellulases from different species. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiments using F. oxysporum genomic DNA primed with these 'family-specific' oligos were used to rapidly generate PCR fragments which were in turn used to probe cDNA libraries. Two distinct cDNAs coding for cellulase C-family homologues and one cDNA each coding for homologues to the B, F and K families, were isolated in this manner. This approach is an example of the power of multiple sequence analysis to generate cross-species, homology-based probes to rapidly clone homologues in a species of interest.

The primary sequence of a cDNA encoding a novel transglutaminase from a human prostate cDNA library is reported. The sequence is compared to other known transglutaminases in a multiple alignment. The deduced peptide sequence is 51% identical to a rat prostate transglutaminase.

We have cloned and characterized a second form of the human calcitonin receptor from T47D cells. It resembles the clone described by Gorn et al. [J. Clin. Invest. 90:1726-1735 (1992)] except that it lacks a 16-amino acid insert in the putative first intracellular loop. The insert-negative receptor appears to be the most abundant form, and it occurs at a relatively constant level in all expressing tissues. In contrast, the insert-positive receptor is found at low levels in most tissues but its expression levels appear to be much more variable. The insert-negative cDNA was stably expressed in baby hamster kidney cells. Like the endogenous T47D receptor, the recombinant receptor has an equally high affinity for salmon and porcine calcitonin but a 3-4-fold lower affinity for human calcitonin. High concentrations of calcitonin gene-related peptide, rat amylin, secretin, or vasoactive intestinal peptide do not significantly compete with calcitonin for binding to the recombinant receptor. Calcitonin stimulates a cAMP response in both T47D and transfected baby hamster kidney cells. Salmon calcitonin is more potent than human calcitonin for T47D cells, but the two are nearly equipotent for the transfectants. Furthermore, the ED50 for the cAMP response in the transfectants is 10-100-fold lower than in T47D cells. Calcitonin stimulates inositol phosphate turnover and elevates internal calcium levels in the transfectants. This response requires non-physiological levels of calcitonin and is directly correlated with the number of receptors. Lastly, by using a human/rodent somatic cell hybrid panel and in situ hybridization, we localized the human calcitonin receptor gene to chromosome 7.

The major regulator of circulating platelet levels is believed to be a cytokine termed thrombopoietin. It is thought to be a lineage-specific cytokine affecting the proliferation and maturation of committed cells resulting in the production of megakaryocytes and platelets. Despite considerable efforts by a number of laboratories, the unequivocal identification of thrombopoietin has proven elusive. Here we report the functional cloning of a murine complementary DNA encoding a ligand for the receptor encoded by the c-mpl proto-oncogene (c-Mpl). The encoded polypeptide has a predicted molecular mass of 35,000 (M(r) 35K). The protein has a novel two-domain structure with an amino-terminal domain homologous with erythropoietin and a carboxy-terminal domain rich in serine, threonine and proline residues and containing seven potential N-linked glycosylation sites. Intraperitoneal injections of mice with recombinant protein increase circulating platelet levels by greater than fourfold after 7 days. These results along with those presented in the accompanying report strongly suggest that the ligand for c-Mpl is thrombopoietin.

Proteins secreted by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are usually modified by the addition at asparagine-linked glycosylation sites of large heterogeneous mannan units that are highly immunogenic. Secreted proteins from mnn1 mnn9 mutant strains, in contrast, have homogeneous Man10GlcNAc2 oligosaccharides that lack the immunogenic alpha 1,3-mannose linkages. We have cloned and sequenced the MNN9 and MNN1 genes, both of which encode proteins with the characteristics of type II membrane proteins. Mnn9p is a membrane-associated protein with unknown function that is required for the addition of the long alpha 1,6-mannose backbone of the complex mannan, whereas Mnn1p is most likely the alpha 1,3-mannosyltransferase located in the Golgi apparatus.

Phospholipid transfer protein, with an apparent molecular mass of 81 kDa, was purified from human plasma. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of a 51-kDa proteolytic fragment obtained from phospholipid transfer protein allowed degenerate primers to be designed for polymerase chain reaction and the eventual isolation of a full-length cDNA from a human endothelial cDNA library. The cDNA is 1,750 base pairs in length and contains an open reading frame of 1,518 nucleotides encoding a leader of 17 amino acids and a mature protein of 476 residues. Northern blot analysis shows a single mRNA transcript of approximately 1.8 kilobases with a wide tissue distribution. The gene was mapped to chromosome 20 using a human/rodent somatic cell hybrid mapping panel. Phospholipid transfer protein was found to be homologous to human cholesteryl ester transfer protein, human lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, and human neutrophil bactericidal permeability increasing protein (20, 24, and 26% identity, respectively).

Characterization of the human glucagon-receptor-encoding gene (GGR) should provide a greater understanding of blood glucose regulation and may reveal a genetic basis for the pathogenesis of diabetes. A cDNA encoding a complete functional human glucagon receptor (GGR) was isolated from a liver cDNA library by a combination of polymerase chain reaction and colony hybridization. The cDNA encodes a receptor protein with 80% identity to rat GGR that binds [125I]glucagon and transduces a signal leading to increases in the concentration of intracellular cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate. Southern blot analysis of human DNA reveals a hybridization pattern consistent with a single GGR locus. In situ hybridization to metaphase chromosome preparations maps the GGR locus to chromosome 17q25. Analysis of the genomic sequence shows that the coding region spans over 5.5 kb and is interrupted by 12 introns.

The full-length cDNA encoding a novel human intracellular serine proteinase inhibitor has been sequenced and found to encode a 376 amino acid protein (M(r) approximately 42.5K) that we designate as cytoplasmic antiproteinase. Analysis of the primary structure revealed that the cytoplasmic antiproteinase has the majority of structural motifs conserved among the greater superfamily of serine proteinase inhibitors, or serpins. On the basis of several criteria such as amino acid identity and the absence of a classical N-terminal signal peptide, the cytoplasmic antiproteinase represents a new member of the intracellular serpin family. Further inspection of the cytoplasmic antiproteinase amino acid sequence identified three potential N-glycosylation sites and Arg341-Cys342 as the reactive site P1-P1' residues, respectively. We have also employed the slow binding kinetic approach to detail the mechanism of bovine trypsin and human factor Xa inhibition by the novel cytoplasmic antiproteinase. Inhibition of trypsin by the cytoplasmic antiproteinase was preceded by a two-step mechanism corresponding to the formation of an initial loose complex, followed by an isomerization step to a more stable, tight complex. The binding of the cytoplasmic antiproteinase to trypsin occurred with a second-order association rate constant of 2.8 x 10(6) M-1 s-1 and an overall equilibrium constant of 22.5 pM, demonstrating that the factor is a potent inhibitor of this proteinase. Under the appropriate conditions, the tight complex between trypsin and the cytoplasmic inhibitor was reversible, indicated by an exponential regeneration of proteinase amidolytic activity from the preformed complex. Therefore, the tight complex appears to be stabilized predominantly by reversible bonds that form between trypsin and the cytoplasmic inhibitor. In contrast to the inhibition of trypsin, the inhibition of factor Xa amidolytic activity by the cytoplasmic antiproteinase followed a single-step binding mechanism. The apparent first-order rate constant for factor Xa inhibition was found to increase as a linear function of the inhibitor concentration range studied. Formation of the inhibitory complex between factor Xa and the cytoplasmic antiproteinase occurred with a second-order association rate constant of approximately 1.3 x 10(5) M-1 s-1 and a equilibrium constant of 3.7 nM. These findings suggests that the cytoplasmic inhibitor may initially encounter significant energy barriers for proper alignment with the substrate binding cleft of factor Xa. However, once aligned, the reaction proceeds rapidly to a tight factor Xa.inhibitor complex that dissociates at a slow rate.

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative neurological disorder characterized by neural loss and brain lesions associated with plaques containing large amounts of the beta/A4 amyloid peptide. Molecular cloning of the cDNA for this peptide from human brain has shown it to be derived by proteolysis from a much larger precursor called the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The biological role of the precursor is unknown, but it has been shown to be transcribed in many human tissues in addition to brain. In the present report, we describe the molecular cloning from a human placental library of a full-length cDNA for a molecule closely related to APP. This novel molecule, which we have called amyloid precursor protein homolog (APPH), shares overall domain organization with APP. It is 763 amino acids in length and appears to encode a signal peptide, a large apparent extracellular domain including a Kunitz inhibitor domain, a transmembrane region, and a short cytoplasmic domain. Northern analysis indicates that it occurs in at least two molecular forms and is transcribed in human brain, heart, lung, liver, and kidney, in addition to placenta. On the basis of its extensive sequence similarity and conservation of domain structure, APPH is the nearest relative of APP yet identified in an emerging multigene family.

Glucagon and the glucagon receptor are a primary source of control over blood glucose concentrations and are especially important to studies of diabetes in which the loss of control over blood glucose concentrations clinically defines the disease. A complementary DNA clone for the glucagon receptor was isolated by an expression cloning strategy, and the receptor protein was expressed in several kidney cell lines. The cloned receptor bound glucagon and caused an increase in the intracellular concentration of adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP). The cloned glucagon receptor also transduced a signal that led to an increased concentration of intracellular calcium. The glucagon receptor is similar to the calcitonin and parathyroid hormone receptors. It can transduce signals leading to the accumulation of two different second messengers, cAMP and calcium.

Apolipoprotein H, also known as beta-2-glycoprotein I, was purified from human serum, and antiserum produced to denatured apolipoprotein H detected a cDNA clone from a lambda gt11 library derived from human liver. This cDNA coded for the complete sequence of the mature protein. The cDNA insert, along with a polymerase chain reaction product which extended the 5' end of the message, were subcloned and both strands were sequenced. The apolipoprotein H precursor was found to code for 345 amino acids, 326 of which appear in the mature protein. The deduced amino acid sequence of human apolipoprotein H differs from its rat homologue by the presence of a 48-amino acid stretch which is absent from the rat protein. The remainder of the proteins share a greater than 80% similarity. The amino acid sequence of apolipoprotein H consists largely of repeated units approximately 60 amino acids in length. These repeats are comparable to "sushi structures" found in a large number of diverse proteins, including complement components, receptors and regulators of complement activation, serum proteins, membrane-associated adhesion proteins, and other structural and catalytic proteins. Apolipoprotein H was shown to be transcribed by human hepatoma cell lines Hep 3B and Hep G2, and rat liver by detection of mRNA using northern blot analysis.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD; glutamate decarboxylase, L-glutamate 1-carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.15), which catalyzes formation of gamma-aminobutyric acid from L-glutamic acid, is detectable in different isoforms with distinct electrophoretic and kinetic characteristics. GAD has also been implicated as an autoantigen in the vastly differing autoimmune disease stiff-man syndrome and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Despite the differing GAD isoforms, only one type of GAD cDNA (GAD-1), localized to a syntenic region of chromosome 2, has been isolated from rat, mouse, and cat. Using sequence information from GAD-1 to screen a human pancreatic islet cDNA library, we describe the isolation of an additional GAD cDNA (GAD-2), which was mapped to the short arm of human chromosome 10. Genomic Southern blotting with GAD-2 demonstrated a hybridization pattern different from that detected by GAD-1. GAD-2 recognizes a 5.6-kilobase transcript in both islets and brain, in contrast to GAD-1, which detects a 3.7-kilobase transcript in brain only. The deduced 585-amino acid sequence coded for by GAD-2 shows less than 65% identity to previously published, highly conserved GAD-1 brain sequences, which show greater than 96% deduced amino acid sequence homology among the three species. The function of this additional islet GAD isoform and its importance as an autoantigen in insulin-dependent diabetes remain to be determined.

The molecular cloning and eukaryotic cell expression of the complementary DNA for human neutrophil acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH) are described. AOAH is a leukocyte enzyme that selectively removes the secondary (acyloxyacyl-linked) fatty acyl chains from the lipid A region of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (endotoxins), thereby detoxifying the molecules. The two disulfide-linked subunits of the enzyme are encoded by a single mRNA. The amino acid sequence of the protein contains a lipase consensus sequence in the large subunit and a region in the small subunit that is similar to the saposins, cofactors for sphingolipid hydrolases. The recombinant enzyme, like native AOAH, hydrolyzes secondary acyl chains from more than one position on the lipopolysaccharide backbone. Acyloxyacyl hydrolase is a novel two-component lipase that, by deacylating lipopolysaccharides, may modulate host inflammatory responses to Gram-negative bacterial invasion.

High affinity binding of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has been proposed to involve the interaction of the dimeric PDGF ligand with two receptor subunits, designated alpha and beta. We have cloned and expressed a human PDGF receptor cDNA which differs in sequence from the beta-subunit and which has the PDGF binding properties and monoclonal antibody recognition, predicted for the alpha-subunit. Scatchard analysis indicated that PDGF-AA and PDGF-AB bound to transfected alpha-subunits with affinities of Kd = 0.06 and 0.05 nM, respectively. PDGF-BB bound with a significantly lower affinity (Kd = 0.4 nM). Nevertheless, this affinity is still great enough to mediate substantial PDGF-BB binding at physiological concentrations and would be considered to be "high affinity." We have used wild-type and kinase-inactive human beta-subunits to show that PDGF binding promotes receptor subunit dimerization in intact cells. In addition, we found that PDGF stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of the kinase-inactive beta-subunit when it is expressed with alpha-subunits. The kinase-inactive beta-subunits were phosphorylated at tyrosine 857 and 751, the major phosphorylation sites of the wild-type beta-subunit, indicating either that intra- and intermolecular phosphorylation occurs on the same sites, or that a significant fraction of receptor tyrosine phosphorylation is intermolecular.

Activated factor VII (factor VIIa) is a vitamin K-dependent plasma serine protease that participates in a cascade of reactions leading to the coagulation of blood. Two overlapping genomic clones containing sequences encoding human factor VII were isolated and characterized. The complete sequence of the gene was determined and found to span about 12.8 kilobases. The mRNA for factor VII as demonstrated by cDNA cloning is polyadenylylated at multiple sites but contains only one AAUAAA poly(A) signal sequence. The mRNA can undergo alternative splicing, forming one transcript containing eight segments as exons and another with an additional exon that encodes a larger prepro leader sequence. The latter transcript has no known counterpart in the other vitamin K-dependent proteins. The positions of the introns with respect to the amino acid sequence encoded by the eight essential exons of factor VII are the same as those present in factor IX, factor X, protein C, and the first three exons of prothrombin. These exons code for domains generally conserved among members of this gene family. The comparable introns in these genes, however, are dissimilar with respect to size and sequence, with the exception of intron C in factor VII and protein C. The gene for factor VII also contains five regions made up of tandem repeats of oligonucleotide monomer elements. More than a quarter of the intron sequences and more than a third of the 3' untranslated portion of the mRNA transcript consist of these minisatellite tandem repeats.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis should, in theory, be a suitable method for the measurement of induced mutation rates in the germ cells of mice. Not only can the polypeptide products of a large number of genes be resolved on a single gel but the detection of mutations which lead to proteins with altered electrophoretic properties (but not necessarily altered function) is possible. Our attempts to apply two-dimensional electrophoresis to the detection of mutation in vivo have involved three stages: (i) the rapid production of gels of high resolution and reproducibility; (ii) the identification of eight interstrain protein variants and demonstration of their simple genetic basis; and (iii) a pilot experiment using the powerful germ-cell mutagen ethylnitrosourea. It was found that although interstrain protein variants could be detected and shown to be inherited in a codominant manner, induced variants were rarely detected even on high quality gels. Only 2 variants were detected among 67 offspring of male mice treated with 150 mg/kg ethylnitrosourea. This represented a mutation rate of 0.88 X 10(-4) mutations per locus per gamete.

The gene coding for human factor VII, a vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor, contains five minisatellite imperfect tandem repeats with monomer element lengths ranging from 14 to 37 bp, and copy numbers ranging from 6 to 52. Three of these repeats are entirely within introns, one is entirely in an untranslated portion of an exon, and one spans an exon-intron border and contains coding sequence. A consensus sequence derived from a comparison of the monomers is similar to a core sequence found in other minisatellites. All of the minisatellites display higher-order periodicities. At least one of these minisatellites is polymorphic. A variation in repeat copy number has been observed in a tandem-repeat region in the seventh factor-VII intron.

Extracts from Escherichia coli, wild type and chlB, chlC, chlD, chlE, and chlG, but not chlA mutants, were able to reconstitute the nitrate reductase activity in Nicotiana tabacum cnx68 and Hyoscyamus muticus MA-2 mutant extracts. Because cnx68 and MA-2 lack the molybdenum cofactor required for nitrate reductase activity, these results indicate that the functional chlA gene is essential to produce the molybdenum cofactor in E. coli. A clone containing a gene capable of complementing the chlA mutation SA493 was obtained on a large cosmid pJT1. A 1.9 kb BclI fragment subcloned from pJT1 in the vector plasmid pBR322 was shown to complement the chlA SA493 mutant when inserted in either of the two possible orientations. This suggested that the chlA gene was contained intact, including its own promoter, on the 1.9 kb BclI fragment.

The STE4 and STE18 genes are required for haploid yeast cell mating. Sequencing of the cloned genes revealed that the STE4 polypeptide shows extensive homology to the beta subunits of mammalian G proteins, while the STE18 polypeptide shows weak similarity to the gamma subunit of transducin. Null mutations in either gene can suppress the haploid-specific cell-cycle arrest caused by mutations in the SCG1 gene (previously shown to encode a protein with similarity to the alpha subunit of G proteins). We propose that the products of the STE4 and STE18 genes comprise the beta and gamma subunits of a G protein complex coupled to the mating pheromone receptors. The genetic data suggest pheromone-receptor binding leads to the dissociation of the alpha subunit from beta gamma (as shown for mammalian G proteins), and the free beta gamma element initiates the pheromone response.

Factor VII is a precursor to a serine protease that is present in mammalian plasma. In its activated form, it participates in blood coagulation by activating factor X and/or factor IX in the presence of tissue factor and calcium. Clones coding for factor VII were obtained from two cDNA libraries prepared from poly(A) RNA from human liver and Hep G2 cells. The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNAs indicates that factor VII is synthesized with a prepro-leader sequence of 60 or 38 amino acids. The mature protein that circulates in plasma is a single-chain polypeptide composed of 406 amino acids. The amino acid sequence analysis of the protein and the amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNAs indicate that factor VII is converted to factor VIIa by the cleavage of a single internal bond between arginine and isoleucine. This results in the formation of a light chain (152 amino acids) and a heavy chain (254 amino acids) that are held together by a disulfide bond. The light chain contains a gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain and two potential epidermal growth factor domains, while the heavy chain contains the serine protease portion of the molecule. Factor VII shows a high degree of amino acid sequence homology with the other vitamin K-dependent plasma proteins.

The complete nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding the human platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor is presented. The cDNA contains an open reading frame that codes for a protein of 1106 amino acids. Comparison to the mouse PDGF receptor reveals an overall amino acid sequence identity of 86%. This sequence identity rises to 98% in the cytoplasmic split tyrosine kinase domain. RNA blot hybridization analysis of poly(A)+ RNA from human dermal fibroblasts detects a major (approximately 5.7 kb) and a minor (approximately 4.8 kb) transcript using the cDNA as a probe. Baby hamster kidney cells, transfected with an expression vector containing the receptor cDNA, express an approximately equal to 190-kDa cell surface protein that is recognized by an anti-human PDGF receptor antibody. The recombinant PDGF receptor is functional in the transfected baby hamster kidney cells as demonstrated by ligand-induced phosphorylation of the receptor. Binding properties of the recombinant PDGF receptor were also assessed with pure preparations of BB and AB isoforms of PDGF (i.e., PDGF dimers composed of two B chains or an A and a B chain). Unlike human dermal fibroblasts, which bind both isoforms with high affinity, the transfected baby hamster kidney cells bind only the BB isoform of PDGF with high affinity. This observation is consistent with the existence of more than one PDGF receptor class.