Poly(A) polymerase in quail oviduct. Changes during estrogen induction

Dramatic increase in poly(A) synthesis after infection of Molt-3 cells with HIV

Infection of Molt-3 cells with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) was found to cause a rapid increase in extractable poly(A) polymerase activity, while the activity of poly(A) degrading endoribonuclease IV strongly decreased at the same time. The increase in poly(A) polymerase activity seems not to be due to a change in the actual number of enzyme molecules, but rather to posttranslational enzyme modification, most likely caused by phosphorylation by nuclear protein kinase NI or protein kinase C. Both kinases were found to be able to phosphorylate poly(A) polymerase in vitro [homogeneous enzyme as well as poly(A) polymerase in intact nuclei]. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed an incorporation of phosphate into serine and, to a lower extent, into threonine residues of the enzyme protein; no phosphotyrosine could be detected. In the nucleus, the poly(A) polymerase and the endoribonuclease IV are bound to the nuclear matrix. The phosphorylation related enhancement of nuclear poly(A) polymerase activity could be abolished by addition of the zinc and copper chelator o-phenanthroline, which inhibited zinc-containing purified poly(A) polymerase and destroyed the poly(A) polymerase containing nuclear matrix structure, resulting in a solubilization of the enzyme.

Estrogen-dependent activation of the avian very low density apolipoprotein II and vitellogenin genes. Transient alterations in mRNA polyadenylation and stability early during induction

Administration of estrogen to egg-laying vertebrates activates unscheduled, hepatic expression of major, egg-yolk protein genes in immature animals and mature males. Two avian yolk protein genes, encoding very low density apolipoprotein II (apoVLDLII) and vitellogenin II, are dormant prior to stimulation with estrogen, but within three days their cognate mRNAs accumulate to become two of the most abundant species in the liver. Accumulation of these mRNAs has been attributed to both induction of transcription and selective, estrogen-dependent mRNA stabilization. We have detected alterations in the size of apoVLDLII mRNA that occur during the first 24 hours that are attributable to a shift in the extent of polyadenylation as steady-state is approached. In vitro transcription assays indicate that primary activation of both genes takes place relatively slowly and that maximal rates of mRNA accumulation occur when the apoVLDLII and vitellogenin II genes are expressed at only 30% and 10% of their fully induced levels, respectively. Transcription data combined with the structural alteration of apoVLDLII mRNA suggest that stability of the two mRNAs may change as steady-state is approached. We have assessed the compatibility of this suggestion with earlier estimates of the kinetics of accumulation of both mRNAs by developing a generally useful algorithm that predicts approach to steady-state kinetics under conditions where both the rate of synthesis and mRNA stability change throughout the accumulation phase of the response. The results predict that the stability of both mRNAs decreases by at least two- to threefold during the approach to steady-state and that, although an additional destabilization of apoVLDLII mRNA may occur following withdrawal of estrogen, the steady-state stability of vitellogenin mRNA is not significantly decreased upon removal of hormone.

Common characteristics for Na+-dependent sugar transport in Caco-2 cells and human fetal colon

The recent demonstration that the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 was susceptible to spontaneous enterocytic differentiation led us to consider the question as to whether Caco-2 cells would exhibit sodium-coupled transport of sugars. This problem was investigated using isotopic tracer flux measurements of the nonmetabolizable sugar analog alpha-methylglucoside (AMG). AMG accumulation in confluent monolayers was inhibited to the same extent by sodium replacement, 200 microM phlorizin, 1 mM phloretin, and 25 mM D-glucose, but was not inhibited further in the presence of both phlorizin and phloretin. Kinetic studies were compatible with the presence of both a simple diffusive process and a single, Na+-dependent, phlorizin- and phloretin-sensitive AMG transport system. These results also ruled out any interaction between AMG and a Na+-independent, phloretin-sensitive, facilitated diffusion pathway. The brush-border membrane localization of the Na+-dependent system was inferred from the observations that its functional differentiation was synchronous with the development of brush-border membrane enzyme activities and that phlorizin and phloretin addition 1 hr after initiating sugar transport produced immediate inhibition of AMG uptake as compared to ouabain. Finally, it was shown that brush-border membrane vesicles isolated from the human fetal colonic mucosa do possess a Na+-dependent transport pathway(s) for D-glucose which was inhibited by AMG and both phlorizin and phloretin. Caco-2 cells thus appear as a valuable cell culture model to study the mechanisms involved in the differentiation and regulation of intestinal transport functions.

Base-specific ribonucleases potentially involved in heterogeneous nuclear RNA processing and poly(A) metabolism

Polyadenylation and splicing of heterogeneous nuclear RNA, two crucial steps in mRNA processing, are apparently enzymatically mediated processes. This contribution summarizes the properties and the presumed functions of the known poly(A) catabolic enzymes (endoribonuclease IV and V, 2',3'- exoribonuclease ) as well as those of the pyrimidine-specific endoribonucleases associated with snRNP -hnRNP complexes (endoribonuclease VII, acidic pI 4.1 endoribonuclease and poly(U)-specific U1 snRNP -nuclease).

Androgen regulation of nuclear poly(A) polymerase activities in rat ventral prostate

The existence of nucleoplasmic and chromatin bound forms of poly(A) polymerase in the rat ventral prostate has been demonstrated. The levels of the prostate chromatin and nucleoplasmic poly(A) polymerase activities appeared to be under the influence of testosterone. Castration reduced both free and bound prostatic poly(A) polymerase activities to 30% of the normal values. Administration of testosterone to castrated rat resulted in increases in both nuclear poly(A) polymerase activities at 2-4 h after androgen replacement. The results suggest that post-transcriptional processing is under androgenic control.

Early changes in nucleoplasmic poly(A) polymerase activity in immature rabbit uterus after estradiol administration

To study the role of post-transcriptional polyadenylation in the mechanism of estrogen action, we measured free nucleoplasmic poly(A) polymerase activity in intact uterine nuclei of immature rabbits at timed intervals after a single intravenous dose of estradiol (20 microgram/kg body weight). Uterine nuclear poly(A) polymerase activity was altered in a biphasic manner by estradiol treatment with maximal activities occurring at 0.5 h and 12 h of steroid administration, at which time periods they were about 2- and 3-fold higher than pretreatment levels, respectively. The later increase in the enzyme activity was totally abolished by a prior cycloheximide (0.5 mg/kg) administration, whereas the initial activation of poly(A) polymerase seemed to occur via mechanism(s) independent of protein synthesis. It thus appears that changes in uterine nuclear poly(A) polymerase closely resemble those previously reported for the activity of RNA polymerase II after estradiol treatment.

Metabolism of poly(A) sequences during 3T3 cell growth regulation

The metabolism and the intracellular distribution of RNA-associated poly(A) sequences from contact-inhibited and serum-induced proliferating 3T3 cells were examined by hybridization with [3H]poly(U). Evidence is presented for the growth-specific changes in the 'steady-state' populations of poly(A) sequences as determined by this technique. The results indicate that reinitiation of growth in 3T3 cells is accompanied by characteristic changes in total poly(A) content and the size of the 'steady-state' poly(A) sequence. The serum-induced state is characterized by: (1) a higher content of RNA-associated poly(A) sequences; (2) the redistribution of poly(A)-containing RNA species from sub-ribosomal to polysomal fraction; and (3) an overall shortening of the RNA-associated poly(A) sequences. The size distribution of newly synthesized poly(A) in both resting and serum-induced cells are similar even though there is a marked reduction in the size of steady-state poly(A) sequences of the RNA from growing cells. The suggestion that there is an enhanced poly(A) processing in serum-induced cells is further substantiated by an increase in poly(A) hydrolyzing activity in growing cells. These findings of the growth-specific cellular pattern of poly(A) sequences in RNA suggest a possible physiological role for the modulation of poly(A) size in the regulation of mRNA expression with respect to cell growth.

Age-dependent gene induction in quail oviduct X. Alterations on the post-transcriptional level (enzymic aspect)

In quail oviducts the rate of synthesis of avidin, the biological end-point marker for the molecular events caused by progesterone, decreases with age. The cause of the reduced capacity of avidin induction has been studied on the molecular biological level polyadenylation of RNA which is one step in the process of post-transcriptional modification of heterogeneous nuclear RNA resulting in the formation of functional mRNA molecules. This novel approach was biochemically possible after the discovery of the poly(A) anabolic enzyme (poly(A) polymerase) and the two poly(A) catabolic enzymes (endoribonuclease IV and 5'-exoribonuclease). These enzymes are involved in the synthesis and degradation of the poly(A) segment of mRNA in vitro and most likely also in poly(A) metabolism in intact cell systems. Enzymatically controlled poly(A) metabolism of mRNA is regulated by the following interrelations: poly(A)-associated proteins and endoribonuclease IV; labilizing factor and poly(A)-associated proteins; 5'-exoribonuclease in cooperation with endoribonuclease IV and poly(A) polymerase. A close correlation between high levels of poly(A) catabolic enzymes and low rate of protein synthesis which was established in cell culture systems, seems also to be partially the biochemical cause for the reduced avidin synthesis in aging quail oviduct.

Alterations of activities of ribonucleases and polyadenylate polymerase in synchronized mouse L cells

The activities of the three known catabolic and the one anabolic polyadenylate enzymes have been determined in synchronized L5178y cells: endoribonuclease, exoribonuclease, 5'-nucleotidase and poly(A) polymerase (Mg2+-dependent). These four enzymes were found primarily in the nuclear fraction. The activity of poly(A) polymerase remains essentially constant during the transition from G1 to S phase. However, the poly(A) catabolic enzyme activities increase parallel with DNA synthesis; the endoribonuclease activity increases 4-fold during G1 to S phase, the exoribonuclease and the nucleotidase activities increasing 30-fold and 16-fold. During the S phase the poly(A)-degrading enzymes are far more active than the poly(A)-synthesizing activity of poly(A) polymerase. We conclude that in L5178y cells the poly(A)-degrading enzymes probably function in regulation of the post-transcriptional net-polyadenylation of heterogeneous nuclear RNA during the phase of DNA synthesis.

Endoribonuclease IV. 2. Further investigation on the specificity

The poly(A)-specific endoribonuclease IV produces oligo(A) fragments of a chain length of 10 AMP nucleotides. One enzyme molecule performs 1700 cleavages per min; the cleavages occur randomly. The endoribonuclease IV is a nuclear enzyme which is present in the oviduct of quails in a concentration of 40 000 enzyme molecules per cell. Poly(A) segments on mRNA are selectively hydrolyzed by endoribonuclease IV; the poly(A)-free part of the RNA is not affected. After incubation with the enzyme, a residual oligo(A) stretch of 5 AMP nucleotides remains on poly(A)-rich RNA. The endoribonuclease IV does not disintegrate the polyribosomal complex after incubation in vitro and the enzyme has also no influence on the translational capacity of a cell-free protein-synthesizing system.

Endoribonuclease IV. A poly(A)-specific ribonuclease from chick oviduct. 1. Purification of the enzyme

A new endoribonuclease, termed endoribonuclease IV, has been described. This enzyme has been isolated from chick oviducts and purified 15 000-fold in a 25% yield nearly to homogeneity. The nuclease, which specifically degrades poly(A), forms oligonucleotides of an average chain length of 10. These (A)-10 fragments are terminated by 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate groups. The enzyme has a pH optimum at 8.7, requires Mn2+ or Mg2+ as a cofactor, and has a molecular weight of about 45 000.

Three distinct forms of nuclear poly(A) polymerase

Poly(A) polymerase activities have been solubilized from rat liver nuclei and purified by chromatography on Bio-Gel A-1.5M, DEAE-Sephadex and CM-cellulose. Three distinct forms of nuclear poly(A) polymerase have been resolved by chromatography on CM-cellulose. According to their sequence of elution from CM-cellulose these enzyme activities have been termed A, B and C. Enzymes A and B are Mn2+ -dependent, enzyme C requires Mg2+. With the same chromatographic step on CM-cellulose the Mn+ -dependent poly(A) polymerase activities were separated from a Mn2+ -dependent enzyme system capable of synthesizing RNA-primed poly(U), poly(G) and poly(C). The effect of different nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA primers on the rate of poly(A) formation suggests enzyme A to be responsible for the elongation of preexisting poly (A) chains. The phosphorylated derivated derivative of cordycepin, 3'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphosphate (3'-dATP), which is known to inhibit nuclear poly(A) synthesis in vivo, also impairs poly(A) formation in vitro. It is shown that 3'-dATP very probably is not incorporated into poly(A)invitro, suggesting that 3'-dATP primarily affects the catalytic activities of the poly(A) polymerase species rather than directly blocking chain elongation.