scholarly journals Octopus S-crystallins with endogenous glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity: sequence comparison and evolutionary relationships with authentic GST enzymes

1995 ◽  
Vol 309 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
S H Chiou ◽  
C W Yu ◽  
C W Lin ◽  
F M Pan ◽  
S F Lu ◽  
...  

S-Crystallin is a major protein present in the lenses of cephalopods (octopus and squid). To facilitate the cloning of this crystallin gene, cDNA was constructed from the poly(A)+ mRNA of octopus lenses, and amplified by PCR for nucleotide sequencing. Sequencing of 10 of 15 positive clones coding for this crystallin revealed three distinct S-crystallin isoforms with 61-64% identity in nucleotide sequences and 42-58% similarity in amino acid sequences when compared with homologous crystallins in squid lenses. These charge-isomeric crystallins also show between 26 and 33% amino acid sequence identity to four major classes of glutathione S-transferase (GST), a major detoxification enzyme present in most mammalian tissues. For further analysis, expression of one of the S-crystallin cDNAs was carried out in the bacterial expression system pQE-30, and the S-crystallin protein produced in Escherichia coli was purified to homogeneity to determine the enzymic properties. We found that the expressed octopus S-crystallin possessed much lower GST activity than the authentic GSTs from other tissues. Sequence comparison and construction of phylogenetic trees for S-crystallins from squid and octopus lenses and various classes of GSTs revealed that S-crystallins represent a multigene family which is structurally related to Alpha-class GSTs and probably derived from the ancestral GST by gene duplication and subsequent multiple mutational substitutions.

1995 ◽  
Vol 311 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
W C Buhi ◽  
I M Alvarez ◽  
V M Shille ◽  
M J Thatcher ◽  
J P Harney ◽  
...  

A major canine endometrial secreted protein (cP6, 23,000-M(r)) was purified by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography and characterized by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Anti-[human retinol-binding protein (hRBP)] serum identified cP6 on immunoblot analysis and immunoprecipitated cP6 from culture medium. This major protein was also shown to bind [3H]retinol. N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences were determined and compared with previously identified protein, RNA, or DNA sequences. N-terminal analysis revealed that cP6 had high identity and similarity to serum retinol-binding proteins (RBPs), while internal sequence analysis showed a strong similarity to rat androgen-dependent epididymal protein and beta-lactoglobulins. Amino acid analysis, however, showed significant differences between these proteins and cP6 in both total amino acid content and certain selected amino acids. Immunohistochemical analysis showed staining for RBP only in the uterine luminal epithelium. These studies suggest that bitch endometrium secretes a family of proteins (cP6), some of which bind [3H]retinol, are immunologically related to the RBP family, and have N-terminal and internal sequences with a high similarity to RBP, beta-lactoglobulins and other members of the lipocalin family. This family of proteins may be important in early development for supplying retinol or derivatives to the developing embryo.


1980 ◽  
Vol 187 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Penny ◽  
M D Hendy ◽  
L R Foulds

We have recently reported a method to identify the shortest possible phylogenetic tree for a set of protein sequences [Foulds Hendy & Penny (1979) J. Mol. Evol. 13. 127–150; Foulds, Penny & Hendy (1979) J. Mol. Evol. 13, 151–166]. The present paper discusses issues that arise during the construction of minimal phylogenetic trees from protein-sequence data. The conversion of the data from amino acid sequences into nucleotide sequences is shown to be advantageous. A new variation of a method for constructing a minimal tree is presented. Our previous methods have involved first constructing a tree and then either proving that it is minimal or transforming it into a minimal tree. The approach presented in the present paper progressively builds up a tree, taxon by taxon. We illustrate this approach by using it to construct a minimal tree for ten mammalian haemoglobin alpha-chain sequences. Finally we define a measure of the complexity of the data and illustrate a method to derive a directed phylogenetic tree from the minimal tree.


1987 ◽  
Vol 243 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
S V Singh ◽  
A Kurosky ◽  
Y C Awasthi

The isolation and chemical characterization of the anionic human liver glutathione S-transferase (GST) psi (pI 5.5) are described and compared with other GST isoenzymes reported for rat and human. Amino acid compositional analysis, substrate specificity and isoelectric focusing indicated that GST psi is a unique isoenzyme form of GST. Strikingly, however, amino acid sequence analysis of the N-terminal region indicated that GST psi was identical with GST mu in the first 23 amino acid residues reported. It is likely that these two enzyme forms are at least partially structurally related. In order to investigate further the genetic relationship of GST psi to other reported GST isoenzymes, secondary-structure analysis was performed. Despite substantial differences in the N-terminal-region amino acid sequences of some of the GST isoenzymes, the secondary structure of all the isoenzymes is highly conserved at their N-termini. The general uniformity of the secondary structure of this enzyme class at their N-termini strongly indicated that the observed diversity of these isoenzymes probably occurred as a result of a mechanism of gene duplication followed by divergence rather than a mechanism of convergent evolution.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth W. Adolph

ABSTRACTThe metaxins were originally identified as vertebrate proteins of the outer mitochondrial membrane involved in protein import into mitochondria. Metaxin proteins have also been found in diverse invertebrate phyla. The present study is concerned with examining whether metaxin-like proteins occur in plants and bacteria. Metaxin-like proteins were revealed by their homology with human metaxins and the possession of characteristic GST_Metaxin protein domains. The results demonstrate that metaxin-like proteins exist in plants that include a wide variety of angiosperms, both eudicots and monocots, and other plant groups. Metaxin-like proteins can also be detected in bacteria, particularly in the Proteobacteria phylum, but also in different bacterial phyla. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that plant metaxin-like proteins, bacterial metaxin-like proteins, and vertebrate metaxins form distinct phylogenetic groups, but are related. Metaxin-like proteins, however, are only distantly related to GSTs (glutathione S-transferase proteins). A similar degree of homology is found in aligning the amino acid sequences of plant and bacterial metaxin-like proteins with human metaxins 1, 2, and 3 and other vertebrate metaxins. The amino acid identities range from about 22%-28% for each alignment. The presence of two conserved protein domains, GST_N_Metaxin and GST_C_Metaxin, in both plant and bacterial metaxin-like proteins provides evidence that these proteins are related to the vertebrate and invertebrate metaxins. The metaxin-like proteins have predicted secondary structures that are dominated by alpha-helical segments, like the vertebrate and invertebrate metaxins.


1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (8) ◽  
pp. 2535-2547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja E. Hill ◽  
Julian R. Marchesi ◽  
Andrew J. Weightman

ABSTRACT Dehalogenases are key enzymes in the metabolism of halo-organic compounds. This paper describes a systematic approach to the isolation and molecular analysis of two families of bacterial α-halocarboxylic acid (αHA) dehalogenase genes, called group I and group II deh genes. The two families are evolutionarily unrelated and together represent almost all of the αHAdeh genes described to date. We report the design and evaluation of degenerate PCR primer pairs for the separate amplification and isolation of group I and II dehgenes. Amino acid sequences derived from 10 of 11 group Ideh partial gene products of new and previously reported bacterial isolates showed conservation of five residues previously identified as essential for activity. The exception, DehD from a Rhizobium sp., had only two of these five residues. Group II deh gene sequences were amplified from 54 newly isolated strains, and seven of these sequences were cloned and fully characterized. Group II dehalogenases were stereoselective, dechlorinating l- but not d-2-chloropropionic acid, and derived amino acid sequences for all of the genes exceptdehII°P11 showed conservation of previously identified essential residues. Molecular analysis of the twodeh families highlighted four subdivisions in each, which were supported by high bootstrap values in phylogenetic trees and by enzyme structure-function considerations. Group Ideh genes included two putative cryptic or silent genes, dehI°PP3 anddehI°17a, produced by different organisms. Group II deh genes included two cryptic genes and an active gene, dehII PP3, that can be switched off and on. All αHA-degrading bacteria so far described were Proteobacteria, a result that may be explained by limitations either in the host range fordeh genes or in isolation methods.


1996 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 789 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Greenwood ◽  
C Seamer ◽  
DJ Tisdall

By means of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), three stem cell factor (SCF) cDNAs (822-738 bp in size) were amplified from brushtail possum ovarian poly (A)+ RNA. The largest and smallest of these cDNAs were cloned and sequenced. Characterization of these cDNAs has revealed that possum SCF has approximately 75% and 66% homology to SCF of eutherian mammals at the nucleotide level and the predicted amino acid level respectively. Nucleotide sequencing shows that the 738-bp cDNA represents an mRNA splice variant, equivalent to that found in eutherian mammals, in which an exon (84 bp) encoding a potential proteolytic cleavage site is removed. Comparison of the predicted possum SCF amino acid sequence with the predicted SCF amino acid sequences from eutherian mammals reveals conservation of all cysteine residues and 3 of 4 potential N-linked glycosylation sites. In addition, the hydropathicity profile of the possum SCF protein is similar to that of eutherian SCF suggesting that protein conformation is conserved. Northern analysis was used to characterize possum SCF gene expression in adult ovary and testis. A major transcript of 9 kb was observed in both ovarian and testicular tissue. The conservation of the SCF gene and its predicted protein, suggests that SCF in the possum has similar biological activities to SCF in eutherian mammals.


1984 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 291 ◽  
Author(s):  
PG Martin ◽  
JM Dowd

N-terminal, 40 amino acid sequences of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit (SSU) are given for four species of Proteaceae, six of Fagaceae including four from Nothofagus, and seven from Solanaceae including six new sequences from Nicotiana. Phylogenetic trees, regarded as tentative since only one protein is involved, are given for each of the three groups and approximate positions of the families in the angiosperm tree are indicated. An example of the destabilizing of a hitherto invariant site is given. Working from the 'molecular evolutionary clock' hypothesis, and deriving time from plate tectonics, the data from both Proteaceae and Nothofagus lead to rates of evolution of SSU of one non-silent nucleotide substitution per 9 My. This agrees with an early Cretaceous origin of the angiosperms. A test is proposed to distinguish distributions that are the result of 'vicariance biogeography' from those due to 'dispersal biogeography'. It is concluded that distribution of Nicotiana is most likely due to dispersal.


Author(s):  
Ina Baļķe ◽  
Gunta Resēviča ◽  
Dace Skrastiņa ◽  
Andris Zeltiņš

Expression and characterisation of the ryegrass mottle virus non-structural proteins The Ryegrass mottle virus (RGMoV) single-stranded RNA genome is organised into four open reading frames (ORF) which encode several proteins: ORF1 encodes protein P1, ORF2a contains the membrane-associated 3C-like serine protease, genome-linked protein VPg and a P16 protein gene. ORF2b encodes replicase RdRP and the only structural protein, coat protein, is synthesised from ORF3. To obtain the non-structural proteins in preparative quantities and to characterise them, the corresponding RGMoV gene cDNAs were cloned in pET- and pColdI-derived expression vectors and overexpressed in several E. coli host cells. For protease and RdRP, the best expression system containing pColdI vector and E. coli WK6 strain was determined. VPg and P16 proteins were obtained from the pET- or pACYC- vectors and E. coli BL21 (DE3) host cells and purified using Ni-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Attempts to crystallize VPg and P16 were unsuccessful, possibly due to non-structured amino acid sequences in both protein structures. Methods based on bioinformatic analysis indicated that the entire VPg domain and the C-terminal part of the P16 contain unstructured amino acid stretches, which possibly prevented the formation of crystals.


2005 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 507-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Piast ◽  
Irena Kustrzeba-Wójcicka ◽  
Małgorzata Matusiewicz ◽  
Teresa Banaś

Enolase (EC 4.2.1.11) is an enzyme of the glycolytic pathway catalyzing the dehydratation reaction of 2-phosphoglycerate. In vertebrates the enzyme exists in three isoforms: alpha, beta and gamma. The amino-acid and nucleotide sequences deposited in the GenBank and SwissProt databases were subjected to analysis using the following bioinformatic programs: ClustalX, GeneDoc, MEGA2 and S.I.F.T. (sort intolerant from tolerant). Phylogenetic trees of enolases created with the use of the MEGA2 program show evolutionary relationships and functional diversity of the three isoforms of enolase in vertebrates. On the basis of calculations and the phylogenetic trees it can be concluded that vertebrate enolase has evolved according to the "birth and death" model of evolution. An analysis of amino acid sequences of enolases: non-neuronal (NNE), neuron specific (NSE) and muscle specific (MSE) using the S.I.F.T. program indicated non-uniform number of possible substitutions. Tolerated substitutions occur most frequently in alpha-enolase, while the lowest number of substitutions has accumulated in gamma-enolase, which may suggest that it is the most recently evolved isoenzyme of enolase in vertebrates.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document