Organization and nucleotide sequence of the broad bean chloroplast genes trnL-UAG, ndhF and two unidentified open reading frames

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a 6.9 kbp BamHI-XbaI fragment of broad bean chloroplasts. Part of this fragment (subfragment BglII-ClaI) is known to contain three tRNA genes (trnL-CAA, trnL-UAA and trnF). We have now further identified a gene coding for the third tRNA(Leu) isoacceptor (trnL-UAG) which is located close to trnF. The BamHI-XbaI fragment also contains the gene for subunit 5 of NADH dehydrogenase (ndhF) and two unidentified open reading frames (ORFx and ORF48). ORFx shares a high sequence homology with the long reading frames of tobacco (ORF1708), spinach (ORF2131), and liverwort (ORF2136), while ORF48 shares sequence homology with ORF69 of liverwort and ORF55 of tobacco.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serum amyloid A apolipoprotein with use of specific antibodies against synthetic peptides

We describe a noncompetitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for amyloid A apolipoprotein in human serum (apo SAA) in which specific antibodies against synthetic peptides are used. Microtiter plates were used as solid phase and coated with affinity-purified antibodies raised against SAA1-(95-104) peptide. After incubation with delipidated plasmas, the bound apo SAA was revealed by labeled antibodies raised against SAA1-(58-69) peptide. The assay offers several advantages over existing techniques: sensitivity, specificity, simplicity, and non-use of radioisotopes. Results correlate well with those by a nephelometric method in which polyclonal antibodies are used.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serum amyloid A apolipoprotein with use of specific antibodies against synthetic peptides

We describe a noncompetitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for amyloid A apolipoprotein in human serum (apo SAA) in which specific antibodies against synthetic peptides are used. Microtiter plates were used as solid phase and coated with affinity-purified antibodies raised against SAA1-(95-104) peptide. After incubation with delipidated plasmas, the bound apo SAA was revealed by labeled antibodies raised against SAA1-(58-69) peptide. The assay offers several advantages over existing techniques: sensitivity, specificity, simplicity, and non-use of radioisotopes. Results correlate well with those by a nephelometric method in which polyclonal antibodies are used.

Changes of apolipoprotein A-IV in the human neonate: evidence for different inductions of apolipoproteins A-IV and A-I in the postpartum period

The levels, isoforms and distribution of apolipoprotein A-IV (apo A-IV) were investigated in 127 term human umbilical cord sera. In addition, apo A-IV levels and isoforms were determined on the 3rd (n = 82) and 6th (n = 68) day following parturition and compared to apo A-I concentrations. Levels of apo A-IV were low in umbilical cord serum (5.7 +/- 1.9 mg/dl) as compared to adult serum (17.6 +/- 4.8 mg/dl). No difference was found between male and female neonates. The serum distribution of apo A-IV closely resembled that seen in the adult human. Apo A-IV concentrations dramatically increased during the first week of life reaching levels of 13.4 +/- 4.1 mg/dl on day 3 and 16.7 +/- 3.4 mg/dl on day 6 post-partum. During this time apo A-I levels did not change significantly (81.0 +/- 16.5 mg/dl in cord serum, 75.3 +/- 10.6 mg/dl and 84.2 +/- 14.5 mg/dl on day 3 and 6, respectively). Cord serum already exhibited the major serum apo A-IV isoforms seen in the adult. Isofocusing of apo A-IV also identified the known genetic polymorphism of apo A-IV. Among 127 cord sera studied we identified 109 homozygote normal patterns, apo A-IV (1-1), 16 heterozygotes, apo A-IV (1-2) and 2 individuals homozygote for the variant peptide, apo A-IV (2-2). We provide evidence that apo A-IV and apo A-I are differently induced in the human neonate during the beginning of the feeding period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Phenotyping of human apolipoprotein E from whole blood plasma by immunoblotting

Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) exists in the population in three common genetically determined isoforms, apoE-2, E-3, and E-4, that are coded for by three alleles epsilon-2, epsilon-3 and epsilon-4 at the apoE structural gene locus resulting in six phenotypes, three homozygotes (E 2/2, E 3/3, and E 4/4) and three heterozygotes (E 2/3, E 2/4, and E 3/4). A new procedure is described that allows identification of apoE isoforms and phenotypes from whole plasma or serum without the need for isolating apoE-containing lipoproteins or two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of serum. This rapid method combines cysteamine treatment of apoE in plasma, separation in parallel of cysteamine-treated and untreated hydrophobic serum proteins by charge-shift electrophoresis, and isoelectric focusing of apolipoproteins with immunoblotting. Compared to phenotyping of apoE after isolation of VLDL, the new procedure agreed in most cases and may be of special value in detecting apoE mutants that differ in their cysteine residues or either are spun off during isolation of lipoproteins or cofocus with other apoproteins and thus escape detection by conventional one-dimensional techniques. The method provides a simple tool to screen apoE isoforms that are known to have a major impact on individual plasma cholesterol levels.

Physical map and gene localization on sunflower (Helianthus annuus) chloroplast DNA: evidence for an inversion of a 23.5-kbp segment in the large single copy region

As a first step in the study of chloroplast genome variability in the genus Helianthus, a physical restriction map of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) has been constructed using restriction endonucleases BamH I, Hind III, Pst I, Pvu II and Sac. I. Sunflower circular DNA contains an inverted repeat structure with the two copies (23 kbp each) separated by a large (86 kbp) and a small (20 kbp) single copy region. Its total length is therefore about 152 kbp. Sunflower cpDNA is essentially colinear with that of tobacco with the exception of an inversion of a 23.5-kbp segment in the large single copy region. Gene localization on the sunflower cpDNA and comparison of the gene map with that from tobacco chloroplasts have revealed that the endpoints of the inversion are located between the trnT and trnE genes on the one hand, and between the trnG and trnS genes on the other hand.Analysis of BamH I restriction fragment patterns of H. annuus, H. occidentalis ssp. plantagineus, H. grossesseratus, H. decapetalus, H. giganteus, H. maximiliani and H. tuberosus cpDNAs suggests that structural variations are present in the genus Helianthus.

The sequences of two nuclear genes and a pseudogene for tRNA(Pro) from the higher plant Phaseolus vulgaris

A genomic bank of nuclear DNA (nDNA) from the higher plant Phaseolus vulgaris, constructed using the lambda EMBL-4 vector, has been screened for the presence of tRNA genes. One of the many positive recombinants was found to hybridise several times stronger than the other positives, and has been shown to contain several tRNA genes. We report the structure of two nuclear tRNA genes for tRNA(Pro), namely tRNA(Pro)(UGG) and tRNA(Pro)(AGG), and that of a 'pseudogene' for tRNA(Pro). This 'pseudogene', despite showing 95% homology with the other tRNA(Pro) species presented here, has several features which are likely to affect its transcription or its functioning as a tRNA.

Activation of phosphatidylcholine-sterol acyltransferase by human apolipoprotein E isoforms

The reaction catalysed by phosphatidylcholine-sterol acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.43) is believed to be the major source of cholesteryl ester in human plasma; the enzyme requires a protein activator. Several human apolipoproteins were found to exhibit an activator function, the major one being apolipoprotein A-I. Human apolipoprotein E exists in the population mainly in three different genetic isoforms; apolipoprotein E-2, E-3 and E-4. These isopeptides were isolated from subjects homozygous for one of the isoforms, incorporated into phospholipid/cholesterol/[14C]cholesterol complexes by the cholate dialysis procedure and used to measure capacity to activate phosphatidylcholine-sterol acyltransferase in comparison to apolipoprotein A-I lipid substrate particles prepared by the same procedure. Acyltransferase activity was measured by the formation of [14C]cholesteryl ester from [14C]cholesterol using purified enzyme. With egg yolk phosphatidylcholine as acyl donor, apo E was 15-19% as efficient as apolipoprotein A-I for activation of the acyltransferase. Apo-E-stimulated cholesteryl ester formation by the enzyme was enhanced when 1-oleoyl-2-palmitoyl-glycerophosphocholine was used as a substrate phospholipid (45% of apo A-I/phosphatidylcholine control) and most pronounced with dimyristoylglycerophosphocholine (75% of apo A-I/phosphatidylcholine control). No significant difference in activation was found between apo E isoforms. It is concluded that apolipoprotein E activates phosphatidylcholine-sterol acyltransferase in vitro and that apolipoprotein E isoforms are similarly effective.

The intergenic region between the Vicia faba chloroplast tRNA(CAALeu) and tRNA(UAALeu) genes contains a partial copy of the split tRNA(UAALeu) gene

A cluster of three tRNA genes located on fragment Bam6a from Vicia faba chloroplast DNA has been sequenced: it contains the genes for tRNA(CAALeu), tRNA(UAALeu) and tRNA(Phe). The two tRNA(Leu) genes are separated by 443 bp and are transcribed divergently from different DNA strands. The intergenic region contains a series of short repeats and a partial copy of the split tRNA(UAALeu) gene which includes 100 bp of the 5' flanking region, 35 bp of the 5'exon and the first 42 bp of the intron. It is possible that some of these duplications occurred upon the rearrangement of the two tRNA(Leu) genes in broad bean (and in pea) or upon the deletion of one copy of the inverted repeat, since in all other higher plant chloroplast genomes studied so far these two tRNA(Leu) genes are located far apart on the genome, one being in the inverted repeat region, the other one in the large single copy region. The tRNA(Phe) and tRNA(UAALeu) are encoded by the same DNA strand, and separated by 110 bp.

Activation of lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase by human apolipoprotein A-IV

Human plasma apoproteins (apo) A-I and A-IV both activate the enzyme lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.43). Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity was measured by the conversion of [4-14C] cholesterol to [4-14C]cholesteryl ester using artificial phospholipid/cholesterol/[4-14C]cholesterol/apoprotein substrates. The substrate was prepared by the addition of apoprotein to a sonicated aqueous dispersion of phospholipid/cholesterol/[4-14C]cholesterol. The activation of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase by apo-A-I and -A-IV differed, depending upon the nature of the hydrocarbon chains of the sn-L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine acyl donor. Apo-A-I was a more potent activator than apo-A-IV with egg yolk lecithin, L-alpha-dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, and L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine substituted with one saturated and one unsaturated fatty acid regardless of the substitution position. When L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine esterified with two saturated fatty acids was used as acyl donor, apo-A-IV was more active than apo-A-I in stimulating the lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase reaction. Complexes of phosphatidylcholines substituted with two saturated fatty acids served as substrate for lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase even in the absence of any activator protein. Essentially the same results were obtained when substrate complexes (phospholipid-cholesterol-[4-14C]cholesterol-apoprotein) were prepared by a detergent dialysis procedure. Apo-A-IV-L-alpha-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine complexes thus prepared were shown to be homogeneous particles by column chromatography and density gradient ultracentrifugation. It is concluded that apo-A-IV is able to facilitate the lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase reaction in vitro.

Apolipoprotein A-IGiessen (Pro143----Arg). A mutant that is defective in activating lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase

Apolipoprotein A-IGiessen is a variant form of apo A-I that is displaced from the corresponding normal A-I isoforms on isoelectric focusing gels by a single charge unit towards the cathode [Utermann et al. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 501-507]. Three subjects heterozygous for the variant were detected in one family. The percentage of the total A-I in plasma represented by the A-IGiessen in these subjects ranged over 25-30%. The variant and normal major A-I isoforms from the proband (Y.J.) were purified by preparative isoelectric focusing and cleaved with CNBr. Analytical focusing of CNBr fragments demonstrated a charge difference between CB3Giessen and normal CB3. Sequence analysis of CB3Giessen revealed that a proline existing in normal A-I was replaced by an arginine in the variant A-I at residue 143. The ability of the mutant A-I to activate purified lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase was determined in vitro. The cofactor activity of [Arg143]apolipoprotein A-I was about 60-70% of that demonstrated by control A-I. Residue 143 is in a putative beta-turn between two of the repeating amphiphilic helices in apolipoprotein A-I and may be a critical determinant of the protein's structure and function.

Chylomicron and very low-density lipoprotein apolipoprotein B metabolism: mechanism of the response to stanozolol in a patient with severe hypertriglyceridemia

Studies of simultaneous autologous 131I-chylomicron (Sf greater than 400) and 125I-very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) (Sf 20 to 400) apolipoprotein B (apo B) were performed both before (triglyceride level c 1500 mg/dL) and during treatment with stanozolol, a 17 alpha-methyl anabolic androgenic steroid (triglyceride level c 750 mg/dL) in a 74-year-old woman with a past history of recurrent chylomicronemic pancreatitis. Both before and during stanozolol treatment chylomicron apo B disappeared rapidly and directly, little appearing in VLDL and virtually none in intermediate (IDL) or low density lipoproteins (LDL). Multicompartmental analysis indicated that the great majority of chylomicron apo B was removed via an extremely rapid compartment (estimated fractional catabolic rate [FCR], 5.0/h), accounting for 66% before and 88% during stanozolol treatment. The remaining 131I-apo B decayed biphasically, with total Sf greater than 400 residence times of 8.6 hours before and 3.7 hours during stanozolol treatment. Hence, despite a moderately depressed adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity, the subject's hypertriglyceridemia did not appear to proceed solely from retarded chylomicron removal, nor was the dramatic decrease in triglyceride in response to stanozolol a function only of the acceleration of such removal. VLDL apo B kinetics were analyzed by a multicompartmental model featuring a rapid, stepwise delipidation chain which proceeds either rapidly to IDL and LDL or to a slowly turning over compartment within VLDL. While VLDL. apo B synthesis remained essentially constant, the major effect of stanozolol was a substantial reduction in the fraction of VLDL apo B diverted to this slowly turning over compartment, which decreased from 5.0% before to 1.2% during treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Low-density lipoproteins modified by lipid transfer protein have altered biological activity

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were modified by incubation with very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and lipid transfer protein(s) to yield LDL particles that were enriched in triacylglycerol, depleted in cholesteryl esters, and contained apolipoprotein C. The uptake and degradation of these 125I-labeled modified LDL particles by cultured skin fibroblasts was reduced by approx. 30% when compared with LDL that had not been exposed to lipid transfer protein. Incubation of fibroblasts for 24 h in the presence of modified LDL resulted in less inhibition of LDL receptor activity and sterol synthesis than did incubation with control LDL. Both the degradation of 125I-labeled modified LDL and the effect of unlabeled modified LDL on the regulation of LDL binding and sterol synthesis were progressively decreased as the extent of modification of the LDL was increased. Even when identical amounts of modified LDL or control LDL protein were degraded, less inhibition of LDL receptor activity and sterol synthesis was observed with modified LDL than with control LDL, suggesting that the effects of modified LDL on these regulatory events are related to both the reduced degradation of the modified lipoprotein particles and to the alteration in its chemical composition. Uptake and degradation of modified LDL by human monocyte-derived macrophages in culture was reduced in a manner similar to that observed in the cultured fibroblasts, and was considerably less than that observed with acetylated LDL. No differences were observed between modified LDL prepared by exposure to lipid transfer activity in the lipoprotein deficient fraction of serum or when partially purified lipid transfer was used. Modified LDL, with similar composition to that used in the experiments, has been observed in certain diabetic and non-diabetic hypertriglyceridemic states. Thus, it is possible that the cellular metabolism of LDL in vivo might be altered in the presence of hypertriglyceridemia.

Abnormal lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activation by a human apolipoprotein A-I variant in which a single lysine residue is deleted

An apolipoprotein (apo) A-I variant that has a relative charge of -1 compared to normal apo-A-I on isoelectric focusing gels has been identified in five unrelated families as a result of screening a large number of individuals. The cause of the electrophoretic abnormality has been examined by analyzing the variant apo-A-I structure. The evidence suggests that a single amino acid, lysine 107, has been deleted in the variant apo-A-I of all affected individuals studied from these families, with the remainder of the variant apo-A-I sequence being unaffected. The deletion of this single basic amino acid residue is sufficient to account for the charge difference between the variant and normal apo-A-I as seen on isoelectric focusing gels. This variant, previously referred to as A-I-Marburg or A-I-Münster-2, can now be designated by the structural abnormality apo-A-I(Lys107----0). The evidence from extensive pedigree analysis suggests the likelihood that the deletion mutant gene is allelic to the normal apo-A-I gene. At the same time, the kindred analyses have failed to yield a lipid abnormality that can be unequivocally related to the presence of this deletion mutant of apo-A-I. However, all subjects expressing apo-A-I(Lys107----0) also express normal apo-A-I, so that any abnormality caused by the variant apo-A-I might be adequately compensated for by the normal apo-A-I. To examine directly the functional consequence of the lysine deletion, the isolated variant was tested in vitro for its ability to activate lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase, the principal cholesterol-esterifying enzyme in plasma. It was found that apo-A-I(Lys107----0) is deficient in its ability to activate lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase, having only 40-60% of the cofactor activity of normal apo-A-I. The cofactor activity of the pro-apo-A-I component of the variant was also reduced to about 60% of either normal A-I or normal pro-apo-A-I. The functional defect is probably related to a disruption in the secondary and/or tertiary structure of the protein caused by the deletion of lysine 107 in the primary structure.

Nucleotide sequence of a 2 kbp BamH I fragment of Vicia faba chloroplast DNA containing the genes for threonine, glutamic acid and tyrosine transfer RNAs

The entire nucleotide sequence of a 2014 bp BamH I fragment from broad bean (Vicia faba) chloroplast DNA containing the genes for tRNAThr (trnT), tRNAGlu (trnE) and tRNATyr (trnY) has been determined. The tRNAGlu and tRNATyr genes are separated by only 60 bp and are probably part of the same transcriptional unit. The tRNAThr gene is located on the complementary strand, 876 bp away from the tRNAGlu gene. This fragment also contains an open reading frame of 82 codons, as well as a series of AT-rich, direct and inverted repeats.

Apolipoprotein E phenotypes and hyperlipidemia

Apolipoprotein E phenotypes were determined in 361 patients with hyperlipidemia and in controls. The E2 isoform was significantly more frequent in the group of hyperlipidemics (P less than 0.0005). This was not due to a higher frequency of E-2/2 homozygotes with type III hyperlipoproteinemia, but rather to a significantly higher frequency of E2 heterozygotes (P less than 0.0005). Subgrouping of hyperlipidemics into patients with a) hypertriglyceridemia, b) hypercholesterolemia and c) mixed hyperlipidemia revealed i) that isoform E2 was significantly more frequent in patients with hypertriglyceridemia (0.001 greater than P greater than 0.005), ii) that isoform E4 was significantly more frequent in patients with hypercholesterolemia (0.01 greater than P greater than 0.005) and iii) that isoforms E2 (P less than 0.005) and E4 (0.05 greater than P greater than 0.025) were both more frequent in patients with mixed hyperlipidemia. Roughly 20% of patients with mixed hyperlipidemia had one of the rare phenotypes E-4/4, -4/2 or -2/2. We conclude that alleles epsilon 2 and epsilon 4 both contribute to the susceptibility for, and/or phenotypic expression of hyperlipidemia. Whereas the gene epsilon 2 seems to exert its influence on plasma lipoproteins by an abnormal gene product (E2) that has reduced binding activity to lipoprotein receptors, the mechanism underlying the association of the epsilon 4 gene with hyperlipidemia is presently unclear.

Isolation and characterization of human plasma lipid transfer proteins

A highly purified protein that facilitates the exchange and net mass transfer of cholesteryl ester (CE), and triacylglycerol (TG), and the transfer of phosphatidylcholine (PC), between plasma lipoproteins was isolated from the d-1.21-1.25 g/ml plasma fraction. Transfer activities showed similar distributions through ultracentrifugation, phenyl-Sepharose, DEAE-Sepharose, CM-cellulose, and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The lipid transfer protein appears to be an acidic protein with an apparent molecular weight of 64,000 +/- 1600 (n = 4) on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and an apparent molecular weight of 65,000 by gel filtration chromatography, and has a pI of 5.0 +/- 0.2 (n = 5) by both analytical isoelectricfocusing and chromatofocusing. The purified transfer protein facilitated the net mass transfer of CE from high density lipoprotein (HDL) or low density lipoprotein (LDL) to very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and the net mass transfer of TG from VLDL to LDL or HDL. Chromatography of lipid transfer protein fractions on a heparin-Sepharose column yielded two separate fractions with PC transfer activity. The first fraction did not bind to heparin column, was relatively resistant to elevated temperature (at 58 degrees C, only 5% activity was lost in 1 hour) and eluted with the CE and TG transfer activities which were also temperature-resistant. The second PC transfer activity bound to the heparin column and was temperature-sensitive (at 58 degrees C, 90% activity was lost in 1 hour). Addition of the temperature-resistant lipid transfer fraction (LTP-1) and purified lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) to whole plasma stimulated the endogenous plasma cholesterol esterification rate by approximately 50%, whereas addition of either LTP-1 or LCAT only slightly enhanced the esterification rate. The transfer of CE, TG, and PC was mediated by a temperature-resistant plasma protein or proteins with very similar properties. Plasma also contained a distinct lipid transfer protein which was temperature-sensitive and facilitated the transfer of PC, but not CE or TG.

DNA sequences for the Zea mays tRNA genes tV-UAC and tS-UGA: tV-UAC contains a large intron

The chloroplast genome contains genes for a large and probably complete set of tRNAs. These genes are unique in sharing attributes of both nuclear and bacterial tRNA genes. Two chloroplast tRNA genes from Zea mays are described here. tV-UAC, encoding a valine tRNA with the anticodon UAC, contains a 603 bp intron and is highly homologous, both in coding regions and in the intron, to the analogous gene from tobacco described by Deno et al. (Nucleic Acids Res 10:7511-7520, 1982). It is located near the gene for the beta and epsilon subunits of the CF1 complex. (Krebbers et al.: Nucleic Acids Res 10:4985-5002, 1982). The gene tS-UGA, encoding a serine tRNA with the anticodon UGA, is located 41 kbp 3' to tV-UAC. Both genes contain promoter-like sequences in their 5' flanking regions.

[Gene mapping and determination of the structure of chloroplast transfer RNA from various photosynthetic organisms]

The review sums up data on gene mapping studies of tRNAs of chloroplasts from maize, beans, Euglena, Cyanophora. The mechanisms of splicing of tRNA2Ile from maize chloroplasts and coded for by a gene of unusual length was investigated.

Maize chloroplast DNA encodes a protein sequence homologous to the bacterial ribosome assembly protein S4

A cloned restriction fragment of maize chloroplast DNA (Bam H1 fragment 5) is shown to contain an open reading frame which encodes a basic protein of 201 amino acid residues with 40-50% sequence homology to E. coli ribosomal protein S4. Based on the experimentally determined sequence homology between the highly conserved bacterial ribosomal protein L12 and its chloroplast homologue (Bartsch M., Kimura, M. and Subramanian, A.R. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79, 6871), we conclude that this reading frame represents the maize chloroplast S4 gene. The nucleotide sequence of a 1100 base pair DNA segment containing the putative gene is presented.