Molecular cloning of the myelin specific enzyme 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase

Transfer RNA processing - from a structural and disease perspective

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are highly structured non-coding RNAs which play key roles in translation and cellular homeostasis. tRNAs are initially transcribed as precursor molecules and mature by tightly controlled, multistep processes that involve the removal of flanking and intervening sequences, over 100 base modifications, addition of non-templated nucleotides and aminoacylation. These molecular events are intertwined with the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of tRNAs to make them available at translating ribosomes. Defects in tRNA processing are linked to the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we summarize structural aspects of tRNA processing steps with a special emphasis on intron-containing tRNA splicing involving tRNA splicing endonuclease and ligase. Their role in neurological pathologies will be discussed. Identification of novel RNA substrates of the tRNA splicing machinery has uncovered functions unrelated to tRNA processing. Future structural and biochemical studies will unravel their mechanistic underpinnings and deepen our understanding of neurological diseases.

Diversity and roles of (t)RNA ligases

The discovery of discontiguous tRNA genes triggered studies dissecting the process of tRNA splicing. As a result, we have gained detailed mechanistic knowledge on enzymatic removal of tRNA introns catalyzed by endonuclease and ligase proteins. In addition to the elucidation of tRNA processing, these studies facilitated the discovery of additional functions of RNA ligases such as RNA repair and non-conventional mRNA splicing events. Recently, the identification of a new type of RNA ligases in bacteria, archaea, and humans closed a long-standing gap in the field of tRNA processing. This review summarizes past and recent findings in the field of tRNA splicing with a focus on RNA ligation as it preferentially occurs in archaea and humans. In addition to providing an integrated view of the types and phyletic distribution of RNA ligase proteins known to date, this survey also aims at highlighting known and potential accessory biological functions of RNA ligases.

2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 2'-phosphodiesterase from Fusarium culmorum

We describe the properties of a 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 2'-phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.16), found in Fusarium culmorum, which hydrolyzes nucleoside 2',3'-cyclic monophosphates to nucleoside 3'-phosphates. In contrast with a similar enzyme found in bacteria, the Fusarium enzyme does not exhibit nucleotidase activity and does not show a requirement for metal ions, but is inhibited by micromolar concentrations of Cu++ and Zn++, and is very stable to heat. This cyclic phosphodiesterase hydrolyzes the four major nucleoside 2',3'-cyclic monophosphates and has greater affinity for purine (Kms for Ado-2',3'-P = 0.3 mM and for Guo-2',3'-P = 0.1 mM) than for pyrimidine nucleotides (Kms for Cyd-2',3'-P = 0.6 mM and for Urd-2',3'-P = 2 mM). The respective Vmax for Urd-2',3'-P; Cyd-2',3'-P; Ado-2',3'-P; and Guo-2',3' are 100:45:16:5. The efficacy of the phosphodiesterase to hydrolyze the four major 2',3' cyclic nucleotides (based on the relative values of Vmax/Km) is not significantly different. The Fusarium enzyme differs from a previously described 2',3' cyclic phosphodiesterase from Neurospora, in that it is inactive on 3',5'-nucleoside monophosphates and nucleoside 2' or 3' phosphates.

Analysis of polymorphisms of the 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphodiesterase gene in patients with multiple sclerosis

Susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) is widely held to have a genetic component. Possible candidate genes conferring this susceptibility include those coding for proteins specific to central nervous system (CNS) myelin. 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) is an enzyme found at high concentrations in CNS myelin, however its function is unknown. The amino acid sequence of CNPase shows a C-terminal motif characteristic of proteins involved in signal transduction pathways, suggesting a key role in myelin function. We have analysed the entire expressed sequence of the human CNPase gene in patients with multiple sclerosis and in healthy controls using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Nine previously undescribed mutations were detected, most of these occurred with equal frequency in both groups. However, a T-->C transition at nucleotide position 4306 in the region of the gene coding for the 3' untranslated region of the mature mRNA was found in a homozygous form in two out of 54 patients but in none of 100 controls. While the significance of this is unclear, it would appear unlikely that mutations in the expressed regions of the human CPNase gene contribute to genetic susceptibility to MS in the majority of sufferers.

Purification and characterization of Artemia 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase

This paper describes the purification and properties of a 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase which hydrolyzes nucleoside 2',3'-cyclic monophosphates to nucleoside 2'-phosphates. The enzyme is present in encysted gastrulae of Artemia and its specific activity greatly increases during larval development. The purified enzyme has a molecular weight of around 55 000 as estimated by gel filtration, does not require metals for activity, is inhibited by Zn2+ and inactivated by Cu2+ and has a pH optimum at around neutrality. Based on the relative values of V(max)/Km, the specificity of the phosphodiesterase toward the four 2',3'-cyclic nucleotides is Guo-2',3'-P > Ado-2',3'-P > Cyd-2',3'-P > Urd-2',3'-P = 45:36:20:7. The enzyme from Artemia gastrulae is competitively inhibited by the four nucleosides 2'-phosphates (Ki values around 1 mM) while the enzyme from larvae is only inhibited by the purine nucleotides. The phosphodiesterase characterized in this work is more similar in substrate specificity to the 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase from the mammalian nervous system than to the plant enzyme. The functional relationship of this enzyme with the Artemia ribonuclease VI is discussed.

In vivo phosphorylation of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNP): CNP in brain myelin is phosphorylated by forskolin- and phorbol ester-sensitive protein kinases

2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNP) was phosphorylated in vivo, in brain slices and in a cell free system. Phosphoamino acid analysis of immunoprecipitated CNP labeled in vivo and in brain slices revealed phosphorylation of phosphoserine (94%) and phosphothreonine (5%) residues. Phosphorylation of CNP increased by 3-fold after brain slices were incubated with forskolin. Similarly, incubation of isolated myelin with [gamma-32]ATP with cAMP (5 microM) and cAMP (5 microM)+catalytic unit of cAMP dependent protein kinase dramatically increased CNP2 phosphorylation by 4- and 6-fold, respectively. It is feasible that CNP2 was predominantly phosphorylated on serine and/or threonine residues of the amino terminal peptide of CNP2, and this phosphorylation was catalyzed by protein kinase A. Phosphorylation of CNP1 and CNP2 increased 2-fold by incubating brain slices with phorbol ester. Forskolin and phorbol ester increased the phosphorylation of single, but distinct, CNP peptides. We present the first biochemical evidence that CNP2, on a protein mass basis, is far more heavily phosphorylated than CNP1, suggesting there are more phosphorylation sites on CNP2 than CNP1 and that at least one site is located on the 20-amino acid terminus of CNP2 and that it is likely a PKA site.

Regulation of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase gene expression in experimental peripheral neuropathies

2',3'-Cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) is an enzyme associated with central nervous system myelination. Although present in the mammalian peripheral nerve, it is not clear what its role is during myelination nor how the expression of this gene is regulated in the PNS. In this study, CNPase gene expression was studied in the crushed and permanently transected rat sciatic nerve, two models of peripheral nerve neuropathy. The Schwann cells of the crushed nerve initially demyelinate, remain in a non-myelinating condition until active regeneration induces remyelination (10-21 days after injury), whereas those of the permanently transected nerve remain in a quiescent, non-myelinating state after the initial demyelination. An increase of CNPase mRNA levels is observed during degeneration and remains high whether the peripheral nerve is regenerating or not, suggesting transcriptional activation of CNPase mRNA and/or increased CNPase mRNA stability as a response to nerve injury. In contrast, the steady state level of CNPase protein did not increase during degeneration or regeneration suggesting either negative translational regulation of CNPase gene expression or a higher turnover of this protein in the injured peripheral nerve. Furthermore, CNPase activity dropped sharply during early degeneration and remained low in the quiescent cells of the permanently transected nerve while it increased in the regenerating nerve. The results suggest that although transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation of CNPase gene expression is not dependent on Schwann cell-axonal contact, the activity of CNPase appears to be dependent on myelination and indirectly dependent on the presence of axons in the peripheral nerve.

Structure and chromosomal localization of the human 2?,3?-cyclic nucleotide 3?-phosphodiesterase gene

Human brain cDNA clones for the myelin associated enzyme 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) have been isolated and sequenced. The only 5' untranslated region (UTR) sequence found was that of a human CNPII mRNA, with no direct evidence for a CNPI mRNA. Human CNPase cDNAs were used to isolate genomic clones containing the human CNPase gene which is 9 kb long. Four exons were identified, separated by three introns, and the sequence of each exon and intron/exon boundary has been established. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the presence of the human CNPase gene in DNA from a panel of rodent/human somatic cell hybrids. By this means the human CNPase gene was mapped to chromosome 17. In situ hybridization of a human CNPase genomic clone to metaphase chromosomes further localized this gene to chromosomal band 17q21.

Gene expression in cells of the central nervous system

This review summarized a part of our studies over a long period of time, relating them to the literature on the same topics. We aimed our research toward an understanding of the genetic origin of brain specific proteins, identified by B. W. Moore and of the high complexity of the nucleotide sequence of brain mRNA, originally investigated by W. E. Hahn, but have not completely achieved the projected goal. According to our studies, the reason for the high complexity in the RNA of brain nuclei might be the high complexity in neuronal nuclear RNA as described in the Introduction. Although one possible explanation is that it results from the summation of RNA complexities of several neuronal types, our saturation hybridization study with RNA from the isolated nuclei of granule cells showed an equally high sequence complexity as that of brain. It is likely that this type of neuron also contains numerous rare proteins and peptides, perhaps as many as 20,000 species which were not detectable even by two-dimensional PAGE. I was possible to gain insight into the reasons for the high sequence complexity of brain RNA by cloning the cDNA and genomic DNA of the brain-specific proteins as described in the previous sections. These data provided evidence for the long 3'-noncoding regions in the cDNA of the brain-specific proteins which caused the mRNA of brain to be larger than that from other tissues. During isolation of such large mRNAs, a molecule might be split into a 3'-poly(A)+RNA and 5'-poly(A)-RNA. In the studies on genomic DNA, genes with multiple transcription initiation sites were found in brain, such as CCK, CNP and MAG, in addition to NSE which was a housekeeping gene, and this may contribute to the high sequence complexity of brain RNA. Our studies also indicated the presence of genes with alternative splicing in brain, such as those for CNP, MAG and NGF, suggesting a further basis for greater RNA nucleotide sequence complexity. It is noteworthy that alternative splicing of the genes for MBP and PLP also produced multiple mRNAs. Such a mechanism may be a general characteristic of the genes for the myelin-specific proteins produced by oligodendrocytes. In considering the high nucleotide sequence complexity, it is interesting that MAG and S-100 beta genes etc. possess two additional sites for poly(A).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A Rabbit Autoantibody Specific for the 46-kDa Form of 2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase

An autoantibody occurring in the serum of an apparently normal rabbit that immunocytochemically stains myelin sheaths and oligodendrocytes in rat brain was shown to react specifically with the 46-kDa isoform of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) (EC 3.1.4.37) in a number of species. Identification of the shorter isoform of the enzyme (CNP1) as the antigen was achieved by comparing the immunostaining of Western blots by the autoantibody with that of a well-characterized anti-CNP antiserum. The 46-kDa antigen reacting with the autoantibody exhibited the same Mr and pI as the small isoform of CNP on two-dimensional gels and showed a similar enrichment in purified CNS myelin. The autoantibody has very high affinity for CNP1 and is capable of detecting the very low amounts of this enzyme in peripheral nerve, spleen, adrenal gland, pancreas, testis, and intestine. Testing the reactivity of the autoantibody with synthetic peptides by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that it reacted with the N-acetylated decapeptide corresponding to the N-terminus of CNP1, but did not react if the peptide was not acetylated or if the acetyl group was replaced with a palmityl group. The lack of reactivity with CNP2, which differs from CNP1 by a 20-amino acid extension at the N-terminus of the protein as a result of alternative splicing, may be due to the absence of the N-acetyl moiety that is part of the epitope and/or blocking of antibody binding to the decapeptide by extension of the polypeptide chain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Origin of brain 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase doublet

The present study established that 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase doublet common to mammalian brain originates from an alternative splicing. Peptides specific to the predicted larger translation product were synthesized and antisera against these peptides were prepared. Immunostaining of SDS/PAGE blots showed that the antisera react with the larger protein, but not with the smaller protein, of 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase doublet in all mammals studied.

Alternative splicing of mouse brain 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase mRNA

A second cDNA for mouse brain 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (cDNAII) encoding 420 amino acids was isolated. The only difference from the cDNA obtained previously (cDNAI), which encodes 400 amino acids, was the 5'-end 53 bp. Comparison of the sequence of the mouse gene with the sequence of cDNAII indicates alternative splicing within exon 1. The 5'-end sequence of cDNAII was found in a region of the gene upstream of exon 1 and a second transcription initiation site was identified.

2',3'cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphodiesterase in peripheral nerve myelin is phosphorylated by a phorbol ester-sensitive protein kinase

2',3' cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) is phosphorylated in the peripheral nervous system after immunoprecipitation of myelin proteins radiolabeled in vivo, in nerve slices and in a cell-free system. Only radiolabeled phosphoserine was detected after partial acid hydrolysis of immunoprecipitated CNP. Two major phosphopeptides were resolved by two dimensional electrophoresis-chromatography after digestion with trypsin of CNP phosphorylated in the nerve slices. Phosphorylation of CNP was not stimulated a) by forskolin in the nerve slices and b) after incubation of purified nerve myelin with cAMP. However, CNP phosphorylation was increased after incubation of PNS myelin with catalytic unit of protein kinase A. Phosphorylation of the central nervous system myelin CNP was dramatically stimulated by cAMP. These results suggest that PKA may be absent from peripheral nerve myelin or CNP may not be accessible to this enzyme in the PNS. Incubation of nerve slices with phorbol 12 myristate-13-acetate caused a marked increase in the phosphorylation of CNP. These results provide strong evidence that CNP is phosphorylated in the PNS and its phosphorylation in vivo is in all probability regulated by protein kinase C.

Related domains in yeast tRNA ligase, bacteriophage T4 polynucleotide kinase and RNA ligase, and mammalian myelin 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphohydrolase revealed by amino acid sequence comparison

Related domains containing the purine NTP-binding sequence pattern have been revealed in two enzymes involved in tRNA processing, yeast tRNA ligase and phage T4 polynucleotide kinase, and in one of the major proteins of mammalian nerve myelin sheath, 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNPase). It is suggested that, similarly to the tRNA processing enzymes, CNPase possesses polynucleotide kinase activity, in addition to the phosphohydrolase one. It is speculated that CNPase may be an authentic mammalian polynucleotide kinase recruited as a structural component of the myelin sheath, analogously to the eye lens crystallins. Significant sequence similarity was revealed also between the N-terminal regions of yeast tRNA ligase and phage T4 RNA ligase. A tentative scheme of the domainal organizations for the three complex enzymes is proposed. According to this model, tRNA ligase contains at least three functional domains, in the order: N-ligase-kinase-phosphohydrolase-C, whereas polynucleotide kinase and CNPase encompass only the two C-terminal domains in the same order.

Structure of mouse 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase gene

The mouse 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase gene was isolated from a mouse gene library. Restriction endonuclease mapping and DNA sequencing analysis revealed that this gene is about 6 kb long and is separated into three exons by two introns. The transcription initiation site was identified. The mouse cDNA of 2374 bp was obtained and used for the screening and analysis of the gene.

Developmental expression of 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase mRNA in brains of normal and quaking mice

A cDNA fragment of mouse 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase was isolated and used as the probe for Northern blot analysis. The mRNA bands in normal mice became detectable at 10 days after birth, reached the maximum at the period of active myelination and then decreased gradually. At all stages of development studied, the mRNA bands in quaking mice were markedly reduced as compared with those in normal mice.

cDNA cloning and amino acid sequence of human brain 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase

A cDNA of 1762 base pairs was obtained from a cDNA library of human brain by immunoscreening, and the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA was determined. The complete amino acid sequence of human 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase was deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA. Human enzyme was found to contain 401 amino acids including initiation methionine and have a molecular weight of 45,098. RNA blot hybridization revealed a single mRNA band at the position of about 3000 bases. DNA blot hybridization suggested that a single-copy 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase gene exists per haploid genome.

Expression of the 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase gene and immunoreactive protein in oligodendrocytes as revealed by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence

In order to investigate the role of the myelin-associated enzyme 2' 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase in the development of the myelin sheath, as well as genetic factors involving dysmyelinating disorders, we have recently isolated and sequenced cDNAs corresponding to the CNPase protein. In this study we have used 32P-labeled bovine CNPase cDNA probes to localize the messenger RNA coding for this enzyme in mouse cerebral and cerebellar cryostat sections and have compared our data with the distribution of the CNPase protein as revealed by immunofluorescence. Specific labeling was localized to the white matter fiber tracts and, in many areas, to individual oligodendrocyte cell bodies. The corpus callosum and the white matter of the cerebellum were heavily labeled. Distribution of the CNPase protein, as detected by immunohistochemical studies, was parallel to that of the CNPase mRNA as detected by in situ hybridization histochemistry, with oligodendrocyte cell bodies and their processes intensely labeled. This study provides strong evidence that the CNPase gene is expressed in the myelin-producing cells of the central nervous system and that CNPase is synthesized by and stored within oligodendrocytes.