Conservation and variation of ribosomal proteins in several species of the cellular slime molds Dictyostelium and Polysphondylium

Differential expression of house-keeping genes of Aspergillus nidulans during sexual development

The rpl3 gene and the rpl37 gene for Aspergillus nidulans ribosomal protein L3 (RPL3) and RPL37, which were identified as located on chromosome I and chromosome III, respectively, were isolated from chromosome-specific cosmid libraries. The nucleotide sequences of both of the rpl3 gene and the rpl37 gene identified the ORFs of 392 amino acids and 92 amino acids, respectively. Both of the two genes were present in a single copy. The expression of both genes together with two other house-keeping genes, the rps16 gene for RPS16 and the gene for gamma-actin, was analyzed during sexual development. All four genes showed nearly identical expression patterns in that each gene expression reached its maximum after 2 h, decreased thereafter, and increased again after 30-40 h of induction of sexual development.

The rpl16a gene for ribosomal protein L16A identified from expressed sequence tags is differentially expressed during sexual development of Aspergillus nidulans

We obtained 305 expressed sequence tags (ESTs), which are from the poly(A) site to the most proximal MboI site, from mycelia at the early sexual developmental (ESD) stage of Aspergillus nidulans. By comparison of these ESTs with those obtained previously from the vegetative stage and from the late sexual developmental stage followed by Northern blot analyses, genes of 17 ESTs were identified as being expressed more abundantly at the ESD stage than at the vegetative stage. Five of 17 genes were expressed more abundantly in the presence of the veA gene or the nsdD gene, suggesting that these 5 genes may be involved in sexual development. In a gene of one EST, appearing three times among 305 ESTs and identified by GenBank, polyadenylation seemed to occur at two sites. Nucleotide sequences of the gene having the EST and its cDNA revealed that the gene can code for a 202-amino-acid polypeptide with an estimated molecular mass of 23 kDa. The deduced amino acid showed 73% identity to Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribosomal protein L16A (RPL16A), and therefore the gene was named rpl16a. A. nidulans RPL16A had a putative leucine zipper motif and a basic leucine zipper motif like those of other organisms. The expression level of the rpl16a gene, present as a single copy in this organism, reached a maximum after 2 h, decreased thereafter, and increased again 30 to 50 h after the end of induction of sexual development. These results clearly indicated that the rpl16a gene is expressed differentially during sexual development.

Immunological homologies between yeast ribosomal protein L2 and rat liver ribosomal proteins L4 and L24

Polyclonal antibodies raised against ribosomal protein (r-protein) L2 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe were used to check for cross-reactions with total r-proteins of rat liver. Using this procedure, the rat liver r-proteins, L4 and L24, were identified as being immunologically related to yeast L2. In additional, homologies between rat liver L4 and L24 were detected. The possible implications for the regulation of r-protein synthesis are discussed.

Characterization of a new repetitive sequence in the Dictyostelium discoideum genome

A repetitive DNA sequence was isolated from a Dictyostelium discoideum genomic plasmid library of BglII-digested DNA ligated to the BamHI site in pBR322. This clone, called pBS582, hybridized to a large number of phage lambda Dictyostelium genomic clones. Southern blot analysis indicated that pBS582 DNA hybridized to many differently sized genomic DNA fragments generated by digestion with Eco RI, AvaI, or HindIII. Restriction maps of pBS582 and five genomic clones showed that the flanking regions of each of the genomic clones were different. These findings indicate that the sequence specific to pBS582 is scattered throughout the Dictyostelium genome and is reiterated approximately 100 times in the haploid genome. Northern blot analysis revealed that RNA which hybridized to pBS582 DNA was present during all stages of growth and development and did not seem to be developmentally regulated. Southern blot analysis of DNAs from other slime molds (D. giganteum, D. purpureum, and Polysphondylium violaceum) were performed to determine whether the pBS582 sequence was present in other species of slime molds. Hybridization of pBS582 was observed to DNA from the two Dictyostelium species but not to Polysphondylium. It may thus be possible to use hybridization of specific sequences as a biochemical tool to study the relatedness of different slime mold species and their molecular taxonomy.