Mutant bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerases with altered termination properties

We have identified mutants of bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) that are altered in their ability to pause or terminate at a variety of signals. These signals include a terminator found fortuitously in the human preproparathyroid hormone (PTH) gene, a pause site found in the concatamer junction (CJ) of replicating T7 DNA, and termination signals that are also utilized by Escherichia coli RNAP (e.g. rrnB T1 and T2). Whereas the mutant enzymes terminate normally at the late terminator in T7 DNA (T(phi)) and rrnB T2, they fail to terminate at one of the termination sites of rrnB T1, and also fail to recognize the PTH and CJ signals. The mutant enzymes exhibit normal processivity on linear templates, but show a slightly reduced processivity on supercoiled templates and terminate more efficiently when synthesizing poly(U) tracts. The mutant enzymes also show a decreased tendency to produce aberrant transcription products from DNA templates having protruding 3' ends. T7 lysozyme (an inhibitor of T7 RNAP) has been shown to exert its action by preventing the transition of the RNAP from an unstable initiation complex (IC) to a stable elongation complex (EC). We have found that T7 lysozyme enhances recognition of CJ by wild-type T7 RNAP, and that mutant T7 RNAPs that show increased sensitivity to lysozyme show enhanced recognition of this signal, even in the absence of lysozyme. These results, together with the observation that the mutations that result in the termination-deficient phenotype affect a region of the RNAP that has been implicated in RNA binding and upstream promoter contacts, support the hypothesis that, in some cases, termination represents a reversal of the events that occur during initiation.

Crystal structure of Lyme disease antigen outer surface protein A complexed with an Fab

OspA (outer surface protein A) is an abundant immunogenic lipoprotein of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The crystal structure of a soluble recombinant form of OspA was solved in a complex with the Fab fragment of mouse monoclonal antibody 184.1 and refined to a resolution of 1.9 A. OspA has a repetitive antiparallel beta topology with an unusual nonglobular region of "freestanding" sheet connecting globular N- and C-terminal domains. Arrays of residues with alternating charges are a predominant feature of the folding pattern in the nonglobular region. The 184.1 epitope overlaps with a well conserved surface in the N-terminal domain, and a hydrophobic cavity buried in a positively charged cleft in the C-terminal domain is a potential binding site for an unknown ligand. An exposed variable region on the C-terminal domain of OspA is predicted to be an important factor in the worldwide effectiveness of OspA-based vaccines.

Evidence for an uncommon microsatellite instability on mouse chromosomes 2 and 4 and its possible role in radiation leukemogenesis

Although microsatellite instability (MSI), usually detected by DNA length polymorphisms, has been implicated in the induction of solid tumors in both humans and animals, its role in leukemogenesis is unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between MSI and radiation leukemogenesis in CBA/Ca mice. Microsatellite lengths at 55 loci, mapped to eight different mouse chromosomes, were examined in two groups of DNA samples: 1) 10 normal DNA samples collected from the bone marrow cells of control male CBA/Ca mice, and 2) 17 DNA samples isolated from the spleens of mice that developed myeloid leukemia (ML) after exposure to neutrons, or X rays, or gamma rays. Microsatellite markers were amplified using the non-radioisotopic multiplex-touchdown PCR protocols developed in our laboratory, and the sizes of amplicons were examined on 6% non-denaturing polyacrylamide gels. Although no correlation between microsatellite length polymorphisms and radiation leukemogenesis was observed at the 55 CBA/Ca mouse loci tested in this study, an uncommon MSI, manifested as the absence of DNA bands after PCR amplification at 2 loci (D2MIT140 and D4MIT104), was observed in both control and ML samples. However, the frequency of ML samples showing this type of MSI is statistically significant (p<0.05). Although there is no direct evidence that this type of MSI predisposes mice to the development of leukemia, the results suggests that genes flanking the D2MIT140 and D4MIT104 are susceptible to spontaneous mutation and perhaps to damage caused by ionizing radiation.

N-ras mutations in radiation-induced murine leukemic cells

N-ras mutations were examined in DNA samples extracted from the spleen of CBA/Ca mice that developed myeloid leukemia (ML) following exposure to radiations of different qualities. A total of 17 ML cases, i.e. 5 cases of neutron-induced and 12 cases of photon- (3 gamma-ray and 9 x-ray) induced ML were included in the study along with 12 DNA samples from the bone marrow cells of control mice. Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphisms (PCR-SSCP) and the direct sequencing of PCR products were used to analyze three regions of the N-ras gene: (i) a 120 base-pair (bp) long portion of exon I (codons 2-37); (ii) a 103 bp long portion of exon II (codons 48-82); and (iii) a 107 bp long portion of exon III (codons 118-150). PCR-SSCP mobility shifts indicated mutations within only exon II of the N-ras gene. Such mutations were more prevalent in samples from mice exposed to fast neutrons. The exact type and location of these mutations were then determined by direct DNA sequencing. Silent point mutations, i.e. base transitions at the third base of codons 57 (GAC-->GAT), 62 (CAA-->CAC), or 70 (CAG-->CAA) were present only in mice that developed ML after exposure to fast neutrons. A base transversion at the third base of codon 61 (CAA-->CAC) was also observed in some ML cases. DNA sequencing demonstrated that ML samples contained normal as well as mutated DNA sequences. The higher frequency of N-ras mutations in neutron-induced ML suggested that fast neutrons are more effective in inducing genomic instability at the N-ras region of the genome. More importantly, N-ras mutations are not the initiating event in radiation leukemogenesis. This conclusion was supported by the finding that N-ras mutations were detected only in mice with an overt leukemic phenotype but not in mice with minimal tissue infiltration of leukemic cells, suggesting that the disease may be present prior to the presence of N-ras mutations. Alternatively, N-ras may be present in these mice but a large number of normal spleen cells in these mice interferes with the detection of mutation in a small population of leukemic cells.

Incomplete protection of hamsters vaccinated with unlipidated OspA from Borrelia burgdorferi infection is associated with low levels of antibody to an epitope defined by mAb LA-2

Efforts to develop a recombinant vaccine for Lyme disease have focused on using the outer surface protein A (OspA) of Borrelia burgdorferi as an immunogen. We evaluated the effectiveness of an unlipidated recombinant OspA as a vaccine in hamsters. This molecule is soluble and can be produced in high yield in Escherichia coli, characteristics that permit simple and relatively low cost production. Vaccination with unlipidated OspA protected a substantial portion of animals--59-79%, depending on the challenge strain and route--against moderate doses of spirochetes delivered either by injection or by bite of infected nymphal ticks (Ixodes scapularis). The instances of vaccine failure were associated with development of low levels of antibody to a particular OspA epitope, one defined by mAb LA-2. At least 50 ng ml-1 of LA-2 equivalent antibody was necessary for protection of hamsters. Lower LA-2 equivalent antibody concentrations occurred in unprotected animals in the presence of high-titered polyclonal antibody to native OspA. A competitive binding assay to quantitate this serum fraction is described that should be of use in monitoring the quality of the antibody response to OspA in vaccine trials. Concentrations of LA-2 equivalent antibody parallel the ability of the serum specimens to inhibit the growth of B. burgdorferi in culture.

Ligation of hexamers on hexamer templates to produce primers for cycle sequencing or the polymerase chain reaction

A method is described for the ordered ligation of hexanucleotides (hexamers) in solution to produce unique longer oligonucleotides. To form an 18-mer, for example, six different hexamers are selected that can base pair unambiguously to form a double-stranded complex of indefinite length. In the most efficient arrangement, each hexamer forms three complementary base pairs with two other hexamers, generating complementary chains of contiguous hexamers with strand breaks staggered by three bases. Two adjacent hexamers in one chain contain 5' phosphate groups and the others are unphosphorylated. Both T4 and T7 DNA ligase can ligate the phosphorylated hexamers to their neighbors in such a complex at hexamer concentrations in the 50-100 microM range, producing an 18-mer and leaving three unphosphorylated hexamers. Twenty-nine of 34 complexes that satisfied the requirements for unambiguous ligation generated the desired 18-mers, which could be used directly for cycle sequencing or, after removal of the unreacted hexamers, for polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Comparable ligation reactions also produced 12-, 24-, and 30-mers. With a library of all 4096 possible hexamers, unambiguous ligation has the potential to produce more than 82% of all possible 18-mers and could readily supply the oligonucleotides needed for DNA sequencing by primer walking, for PCR, or for gene synthesis.

Identification of an immunologically important hypervariable domain of major outer surface protein A of Borrelia burgdorferi

The gene for the major outer surface protein A (OspA) from several clinically obtained strains of Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease, has been cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli by using a T7-based expression system (J. J. Dunn, B. N. Lade, and A. G. Barbour, Protein Expr. Purif. 1:159-168, 1990). All of the OspAs have a single conserved tryptophan at residue 216 or, in some cases, 217; however, the region of the protein flanking the tryptophan is hypervariable, as determined by a moving-window population analysis of ospA from 15 European and North American isolates of B. burgdorferi. Epitope-mapping studies using chemically cleaved OspA and a TrpE-OspA fusion have indicated that this hypervariable region is important for immune recognition. Biophysical analysis, including fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy, have indicated that the conserved tryptophan is buried in a hydrophobic environment. Polar amino acid side chains flanking the tryptophan are likely to be exposed to the hydrophilic solvent. The hypervariability of these solvent-exposed amino acid residues may contribute to the antigenic variation in OspA. To test this, we have performed site-directed mutagenesis to replace some of the potentially exposed amino acid side chains in the B31 protein with the analogous residues of a Borrelia garinii strain, K48. The altered proteins were then analyzed by Western blot (immunoblot) with monoclonal antibodies which bind OspA on the surface of the intact B31 spirochete. Our results indicate that specific amino acid changes near the tryptophan can abolish the reactivity of OspA to these monoclonal antibodies, which is an important consideration in the design of vaccines based on recombinant OspA.

Mice deficient for the CD40 ligand

To study the potential roles of CD40L in immune responses, we generated CD40L-deficient mice by gene targeting. Similar to the effects of CD40L mutations in humans (hyper-IgM syndrome), CD40L-deficient mice have a decreased IgM response to thymus-dependent antigens, fail altogether to produce an antigen-specific IgG1 response following immunization, yet respond normally to a T-independent antigen, TNP-Ficoll. Moreover, these mice do not develop germinal centers in response to thymus-dependent antigens, suggesting an inability to develop memory B cell responses. Although CD40L-deficient mice have low levels of most circulating immunoglobulin isotypes, they do not exhibit the spontaneous hyper-IgM syndrome seen in humans, at least up to 12 weeks of age. In summary, our study confirms the important role of CD40-CD40L interactions in thymus-dependent humoral immune responses and germinal center formation.

Purification of Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein A (OspA) and analysis of antibody binding domains

The major outer surface protein, OspA, of Borrelia burgdorferi is a lipoprotein which is a particular interest because of its potential as a vaccine candidate. However, serotypic and genetic analysis of OspA from both European and North American strains have demonstrated antigenic and structural heterogeneities. We purified OspA to homogeneity by exploiting its resistance to trypsin digestion. By treating spirochetes with trypsin and then using Triton X-114 extraction and ion-exchange chromatography, we obtained a yield of 2 mg of pure OspA protein per liter of culture. INtrinsic labeling with [14C]palmitic acid confirmed that OspA was lipidated, and partial digestion established lipidation at the amino-terminal end of the molecule. The reactivity of five anti-OspA murine monoclonal antibodies to nine different isolates of B. burgdorferi was ascertained by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis. Purified OspA was fragmented by enzymatic or chemical cleavage, and the monoclonal antibodies were able to define four distinct immunogenic domains. Further resolution of the epitope specificity to determine humoral and cellular immune responses to OspA has implications for vaccine development and for the utility of this protein as a reagent in diagnostic testing for Lyme borreliosis.

Induction of experimental allergic arthritis with outer surface proteins of Borrelia burgdorferi

OBJECTIVE

The arthritogenic potential of the cationic outer surface proteins (Osp) from Borrelia burgdorferi was tested in rats.

METHODS

Water-soluble Osps were prepared by butanol extraction and were administered by intraarticular injection. Tissue injury was assessed by scintigraphy and histology.

RESULTS

A mild arthritis was seen in naive rats. Preimmunized animals had more severe, longer lasting bouts of inflammation.

CONCLUSION

The Osps of Borrelia burgdorferi are potent arthritogens in rats. These immunodominant antigens may play a role in the development of Lyme arthritis in humans.

Early and specific antibody response to OspA in Lyme Disease

Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the cause of Lyme disease, has appeared not to evoke a detectable specific antibody response in humans until long after infection. This delayed response has been a biologic puzzle and has hampered early diagnosis. Antibody to the abundant organism-specific outer surface proteins, such as the 31-kD OspA, has rarely been detected less than 6 mo after infection. Antibody to a less organism-specific 41-kD flagellin protein, sharing common determinants with other bacteria and thus limiting its diagnostic potential, may appear after 4 to 6 wks. To investigate our hypothesis that specific antibody to OspA may actually be formed early but remain at low levels or bound in immune complexes, we analyzed serum samples from patients with concurrent erythema migrans (EM). This is the earliest sign of Lyme disease and occurs in 60-70% of patients, generally 4-14 d after infection. We used less conventional but more sensitive methods: biotin-avidin Western blots and immune complex dissociation techniques. Antibody specificity was confirmed with recombinant OspA. Specific complexed antibody to whole Bb and recombinant OspA was detected in 10 of 11 of the EM patients compared to 0 of 20 endemic area controls. IgM was the predominant isotype to OspA in these EM patients. Free IgM to OspA was found in half the EM cases. IgM to OspA was also detected in 10 of 10 European patients with EM who also had reactive T cells to recombinant OspA. In conclusion a specific antibody response to OspA occurs early in Lyme disease. This is likely to have diagnostic implications.

Complete nucleotide sequence of a circular plasmid from the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a small circular plasmid from the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Ip21, the agent of Lyme disease. The plasmid (cp8.3/Ip21) is 8,303 bp long, has a 76.6% A+T content, and is unstable upon passage of cells in vitro. An analysis of the sequence revealed the presence of two nearly perfect copies of a 184-bp inverted repeat sequence separated by 2,675 bp containing three closely spaced, but nonoverlapping, open reading frames (ORFs). Each inverted repeat ends in sequences that may function as signals for the initiation of transcription and translation of flanking plasmid sequences. A unique oligonucleotide probe based on the repeated sequence showed that the DNA between the repeats is present predominantly in a single orientation. Additional copies of the repeat were not detected elsewhere in the Ip21 genome. An analysis for potential ORFs indicates that the plasmid has nine highly probable protein-coding ORFs and one that is less probable; together, they occupy almost 71% of the nucleotide sequence. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of the ORFs revealed one (ORF-9) with features in common with Borrelia lipoproteins and another (ORF-2) having limited homology with a replication protein, RepC, from a gram-positive plasmid that replicates by a rolling circle (RC) mechanism. Known collectively as RC plasmids, such plasmids require a double-stranded origin at which the Rep protein nicks the DNA to generate a single-stranded replication intermediate. cp8.3/Ip21 has three copies of the heptameric motif characteristically found at a nick site of most RC plasmids. These observations suggest that cp8.3/Ip21 may replicate by an RC mechanism.

Characterization of two types of termination signal for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase

The late bacteriophage T7 terminator (T7-T phi) encodes an RNA sequence that can form a stable stem-loop structure followed by a run of six uridylate residues; termination occurs at a 3' G residue just downstream of the U run. In this work, we have explored the features of this signal that are required for efficient termination by T7 RNA polymerase. Whereas replacement of the template-encoded 3' G residue with A, C, or U by site-directed mutagenesis had little effect, removal of the U-tract prevented termination. Deletion analysis indicates that the stem-loop and U-tract are not sufficient for termination, and that sequences upstream from the terminator have marked effects on the position and efficiency of termination. A sequence within the human preproparathyroid hormone (PTH) gene that encodes an interrupted run of six U residues, but lacks an apparent stem-loop structure, also serves as an efficient terminator for T7 RNA polymerase. We have mapped the primary site of termination in the PTH signal to a G residue that lies downstream of the U-rich run (UUUUCUUG). Deletion analysis indicates that the minimal region required for PTH terminator function extends only 23 bp upstream from the termination site, and subcloning of a 31 bp fragment that includes this region of the PTH signal provides efficient termination. A modified form of T7 RNA polymerase resulting from a single proteolytic cleavage between residues 178 and 179, or mutant polymerases that are altered in this region of the enzyme, fail to recognize the PTH signal while still terminating at T7-T phi.

Borrelia burgdorferi is clonal: implications for taxonomy and vaccine development

The chromosomal genes fla and p93 and the ospA gene from a linear plasmid were sequenced from up to 15 isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme borreliosis in man. Comparison of the gene trees provides no evidence for genetic exchange between chromosomal genes, suggesting B. burgdorferi is strictly clonal. Comparison of the chromosomal gene trees with that of the plasmid-encoded ospA reveals that plasmid transfer between clones is rare. Evidence for intragenic recombination was found in only a single ospA allele. The analysis reveals three common clones and a number of rare clones that are so highly divergent that vaccines developed against one are unlikely to provide immunity to organisms from others. Consequently, an understanding of the geographic and genetic variability of B. burgdorferi will prove essential for the development of effective vaccines and programs for control. While the major clones might be regarded as different species, the clonal population structure, the geographic localization, and the widespread incidence of Lyme disease suggest that B. burgdorferi should remain the name for the entire array of organisms.

Evidence for an alpha-helical epitope on outer surface protein A from the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi: an application of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching techniques

Outer surface protein A (OspA) is a major antigen of Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease. A recombinant form of OspA (OspA-257) from B. burgdorferi, strain B31, contains 257 amino acids and a single tryptophan residue at position 216 (Trp-216). Mapping studies indicate that Trp-216 is involved in the epitope for the agglutinating monoclonal antibody 105.5. However, the fluorescence emission maximum of the native protein is 330 nm, indicating that Trp-216 is not solvent-exposed. Primary structure analysis suggests an alpha-helical conformation for residues approx. 204-217, which, if located on the protein surface, would allow Trp-216 to be buried, while leaving hydrophilic residues on the opposite side of the helix exposed. This helix would place Lys-212 within approx. 6 A of Trp-216; the presence of such a positively-charged residue can, in principle, be ascertained from fluorescence quenching studies. Stern-Volmer plots confirm that Trp-216 is indeed buried in the native protein, but is readily accessible to the small polar quencher, acrylamide. Furthermore, the dominant component of the fluorescence emission shows only weak dynamic quenching by the positively-charged quencher, Cs+, while the minor component undergoes static quenching by I-, indicating the proximity of a positively-charged residue. These data are consistent with the existence of an alpha-helix from residues 204-217 in the predicted orientation at the protein surface, hence indicating the structure of the antigenic determinant.

A murine IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to outer surface protein A of Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi

A murine monoclonal antibody, designated MA-2G9, directed against outer surface protein A (OspA) of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, has been produced. Antibody MA-2G9, IgG1 subclass, was purified by affinity chromatography on protein G Sepharose column and used for purification of OspA antigen from Borrelia burgdorferi cell lysate. Epitope specificity was studied by Western immunoblotting, using several strains of B. burgdorferi and non-Lyme disease bacteria such as Treponema pallidum and B. hermsii. The MA-2G9 monoclonal antibody reacted specifically with recombinant OspA as well as with native OspA in sonicated B. burgdorferi strains. No reaction was observed with T. pallidum, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and B. hermsii lysates. The MA-2G9 antibody also recognized the denatured form of OspA indicating that it is directed against sequential epitope and not conformational epitope.

Cross-reactive antigenic domains of the flagellin protein of Borrelia burgdorferi

The p41 flagellin of Borrelia burgdorferi is the most common antigen recognized by serum of patients with Lyme borreliosis. This antigen shares amino acid homology, particularly in the amino and carboxy termini, with periflagellar antigens found in other microorganisms including Treponema pallidum. We cloned and expressed the p41 open reading frame in Escherichia coli and expressed it both as TrpE fusion and full-length unfused proteins. Also, we generated deletion constructs of various portions of the gene. Sera from patients with late Lyme borreliosis and secondary syphilis were used to identify the recombinant proteins by immunoblot analysis. Sera from 26 patients with Lyme borreliosis, 20 with secondary syphilis and 10 controls were used to identify cross-reactive domains of the B. burgdorferi flagellin. The variable region (amino acids 131-234) of the protein was recognized by 59% (15/26) of patients with late Lyme borreliosis compared to 30% (6/20) of patients with secondary syphilis and no (0/10) control patients. It appears that cross-reactive epitopes between B. burgdorferi and T. pallidum extend to the variable region of the flagellin.

Effects of consecutive AGG codons on translation in Escherichia coli, demonstrated with a versatile codon test system

A system for testing the effects of specific codons on gene expression is described. Tandem test and control genes are contained in a transcription unit for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase in a multicopy plasmid, and nearly identical test and control mRNAs are generated from the primary transcript by RNase III cleavages. Their coding sequences, derived from T7 gene 9, are translated efficiently and have few low-usage codons of Escherichia coli. The upstream test gene contains a site for insertion of test codons, and the downstream control gene has a 45-codon deletion that allows test and control mRNAs and proteins to be separated by gel electrophoresis. Codons can be inserted among identical flanking codons after codon 13, 223, or 307 in codon test vectors pCT1, pCT2, and pCT3, respectively, the third site being six codons from the termination codon. The insertion of two to five consecutive AGG (low-usage) arginine codons selectively reduced the production of full-length test protein to extents that depended on the number of AGG codons, the site of insertion, and the amount of test mRNA. Production of aberrant proteins was also stimulated at high levels of mRNA. The effects occurred primarily at the translational level and were not produced by CGU (high-usage) arginine codons. Our results are consistent with the idea that sufficiently high levels of the AGG mRNA can cause essentially all of the tRNA(AGG) in the cell to become sequestered in translating peptidyl-tRNA(AGG) -mRNA-ribosome complexes stalled at the first of two consecutive AGG codons and that the approach of an upstream translating ribosome stimulates a stalled ribosome of frameshift, hop, or terminate translation.

DNA sequencing by primer walking with strings of contiguous hexamers

When template DNA is saturated with a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB), strings of three or four contiguous hexanucleotides (hexamers) can cooperate through base-stacking interactions to prime DNA synthesis specifically from the 3' end of the string. Under the same conditions, priming by individual hexamers is suppressed. Strings of three of four hexamers representing more than 200 of the 4096 possible hexamers primed easily readable sequence ladders at more than 75 different sites in single-stranded or denatured double-stranded templates 6.4 kilobases to 40 kilobase pairs long, with a success rate of 60 to 90 percent. A synthesis of 1 micromole of hexamer supplies enough material for thousands of primings, so multiple libraries of all 4096 hexamers could be distributed at a reasonable cost. Such libraries would allow rapid and economical sequencing. Automating this strategy could increase the speed and efficiency of large-scale DNA sequencing by at least an order of magnitude.

The 93-kilodalton protein of Borrelia burgdorferi: an immunodominant protoplasmic cylinder antigen

Using immunoblots, we identified proteins of Borrelia burgdorferi recognized by sera from 62 patients with either acute or chronic Lyme disease. In all groups studied, the 41-kDa flagellar protein and a relatively minor 93-kDa protein (p93) were the most commonly recognized antigens in patients with acute and chronic disease due to B. burgdorferi. A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb 181.1) was developed against p93, and the antigen was detected by immunoblot analysis in four European and American strains of B. burgdorferi. On two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, p93 had an apparent pI of 6.8. Immunoelectronmicroscopy with MAb 181.1 demonstrated that p93 is located within the protoplasmic cylinder compartment of the organism. The gene encoding p93 was retrieved from a phage expression library. The derived amino acid sequence of p93 confirmed chemical characterization of the antigen, including its amino-terminal peptide sequence. The derived amino acid sequence predicted it to be predominantly alpha helical. A prominent antigenic domain located at the carboxy portion of the protein was recognized by human and rabbit polyclonal antisera and human (MAb D4) and mouse (MAb 181.1) MAbs.

Expression of biologically active HIV glycoproteins using a T7 RNA polymerase-based eucaryotic vector system

Bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase and a derivative containing a nuclear localization signal were transiently expressed in CV-1 cells and were shown to localize to the cytoplasm and nucleus, respectively. A vector was constructed containing T7 promoter and transcription terminator sequences flanking a picornaviral 5' untranslated sequence for cap-independent translation and a polyA signal. Expression of the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins in this vector system gave high levels of specific transcripts and translation products, independent of the subcellular localization of T7 RNA polymerase. The synthesis of HIV glycoproteins was also completely independent of the coexpression of the HIV rev protein, which is normally required for the expression of HIV structural proteins. In addition, a polyA signal was not required, whereas the presence of the picornaviral 5' untranslated region was necessary for efficient expression. Different possibilities to account for these findings are discussed. The HIV glycoproteins synthesized in this system were normally processed and assembled; they could induce syncytium formation and complement an env-deletion mutant of HIV-1.

Structural analysis of an outer surface protein from the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, using circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy

The etiological agent of Lyme disease is the tick-borne spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. A major antigen of B. burgdorferi is a 31 kDa lipoprotein called outer surface protein A (OspA). Recently, a truncated form of OspA (lacking 17 amino acids at the N-terminus) was cloned, expressed and purified in large quantities (Dunn, J.J., Lade, B.A. and Barbour, A.G. (1990) Protein Expression and Purification 1, 159-168). The truncated protein (OspA-257) is water-soluble, retains the ability to bind antibodies from the sera of Lyme disease patients and may prove useful in development of a vaccine against Lyme disease. We have used far UV circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy to characterize the secondary structure of and to study conformational changes in OspA-257. CD spectra from 260 to 178 nm predict five classes of secondary structure: alpha-helix (11%), anti-parallel beta-sheet (32%), parallel beta-sheet (10%), beta-turns (18%) and aperiodic structures (including 'random coil') (30%). Analysis of the primary sequence of OspA yielded the most likely sites for alpha-helical regions (residues 100-107, 121-134, 253-273) and for antigenic determinants (Lys-46, Asp-82, Lys-231). CD spectra of the native protein show little change from pH 3 to 11. Thermal denaturation curves, indicate that 'salt bridges' play a role in stabilizing the native protein. Both thermal and chemical denaturations that eliminate all secondary structure as judged by CD or fluorescence are reversible. Denaturation by guanidine-HCl (gdn-HCl) appears to be a cooperative, two-state transition, as indicated by a sudden change in the CD spectrum at approximately 0.75 M gdn-HCl, and an isodichroic point at 208 nm in all CD spectra measured from 0.0-1.75 M gdn-HCl.

Processivity of T7 RNA polymerase requires the C-terminal Phe882-Ala883-COO- or "foot"

The role of the C-terminal Phe882-Ala883 residues of bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase in specific transcription has been investigated by means of site-directed mutagenesis. A mutant enzyme that lacks the C-terminal Phe882-Ala883 residues, denoted the "foot" mutant, has been cloned and overproduced, and the effects of the deletion on promoter recognition, initiation, and elongation have been determined. Gel retardation assays and DNase I footprinting show that the foot mutant specifically recognizes and binds to T7 promoters, although this binding appears to be approximately 30-fold weaker than that of the wild-type enzyme. Transcription assays using oligonucleotide templates that contain the consensus T7 promoter show a dramatic decrease in transcriptional activity for the foot mutant. With templates whose coding region begins CCC..., the mutant synthesizes poly(G) products even in the presence of all four nucleotides. The synthesis of poly(G) products from such templates has previously been observed for the wild-type enzyme when GTP is the sole nucleotide present in the reaction and is thought to occur by a novel mechanism involving slippage of the RNA chain 3' to 5' relative to the template [Martin, C.T., Muller, D.K., & Coleman, J.E. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 3966-3974]. These data suggest that the loss in transcriptional activity by the foot mutant results from a severe decrease in processivity as well as catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. Removal of the C-terminal Phe and Ala residues from the wild-type enzyme with carboxypeptidase A generates the phenotype of the mutant precisely, proving that all of the properties of the foot mutant derive from the loss of the Phe-Ala-COOH moiety.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)