Ribosomal protein L2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is homologous to ribosomal protein L1 in Xenopus laevis. Isolation and characterization of the genes

Multiple mechanisms regulate expression of low temperature responsive (LOT) genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Using cDNA subtraction screening, we identified five Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes whose expressions is up-regulated when culture temperature was down-shifted from 30 to 10 degrees C. Among these LOT (low temperature-responsive) genes, three (LOT1, LOT2, and LOT3) were identical to FBA1, RPL2B, and NOP1, encoding a fructose biphosphate aldolase, a ribosomal protein L2B, and a nucleolar protein for rRNA processing, respectively. No functions were assigned for LOT5 and LOT6, which are identical to YKL183w and YLR011w, respectively. Northern hybridization analysis revealed that these genes are not uniformly regulated in response to the change of growth temperature. In addition, all the LOT genes, except for LOT1/FBA1, were induced by a low concentration of cycloheximide. The data indicate that multiple mechanisms, including translational functionality may be involved in the regulation of LOT gene expression in yeast.

Translational control of ribosomal protein L4 mRNA is required for rapid neurite regeneration

Under some circumstances neurons can be primed to rapidly regenerate injured neuritic processes independent of new gene expression. Such transcription-independent neurite extension occurs in adult rat sensory neurons cultured after sciatic nerve crush and in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells whose neurites have been mechanically sheared. In the PC12 cells, neurite regeneration occurs by means of translational control of mRNAs which were transcribed prior to neurite injury. The survival of such translationally regulated mRNAs is relatively short in the differentiated PC12 cells (< or =10 h). By subtractive hybridization, we have isolated a short-lived mRNA from differentiated PC12 cells. This mRNA, which encodes the ribosomal protein L4, is translationally regulated during neurite regeneration in PC12 cells. Antisense oligonucleotides to L4 mRNA inhibit neurite regeneration from the differentiated PC12 cells as well as axonal elongation from conditioned sensory neurons, indicating that ongoing translation of L4 mRNA is needed for these forms of rapid transcription-independent neurite growth. Taken together, these data point to the importance of translational regulation of existing neuronal mRNAs in the regenerative responses to neuronal injury. Although there are other examples of neuronal translational control, there are no other known neuronal proteins whose levels are regulated predominantly by translational rather than transcriptional control.

The complete sequence of a 33 kb fragment on the right arm of chromosome II from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals 16 open reading frames, including ten new open reading frames, five previously identified genes and a homologue of the SCO1 gene

We report here the sequence of a 33,117 bp DNA fragment located approximately 30 kb from the centromere on the right arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome II. We have detected 16 open reading frames (ORFs) longer than 450 bp, provisionally called YBR0301 to YBR0322, covering 70.4% of the entire sequence. The ORFs YBR0301, YBR0302, YBR0303, YBR0305 and YBR0315 correspond to previously sequenced S. cerevisiae genes GAL10, GAL1, FUR4, CAL1 and L2B, respectively. Translation products of two other ORFs, YBR0308 and YBR0312 exhibit similarity to previously known S. cerevisiae proteins: the mitochondrially associated protein SCO1 and the protein kinase YKR2. The predicted protein product of the ORF YBR0321 shows a 41.6% identity score with the Escherichia coli pyroxamine 5'-phosphate oxidase. The nine other ORFs show no significant homology to known proteins.

Human ribosomal protein L4: cloning and sequencing of the cDNA and primary structure of the protein

The cloning and sequencing of a cDNA for human ribosomal protein L4 is reported. The corresponding mRNA has a very short 5' untranslated region initiating with a sequence of 12 pyrimidines, characteristic of all vertebrate ribosomal protein mRNAs. The deduced amino acid sequence shows that human ribosomal protein L4 has 425 amino acid residues and a calculated molecular mass of 47,821 Da. Comparison with the homologous counterparts of Xenopus, Drosophila and yeast shows that this protein has a very conserved amino-terminus region and an extremely divergent carboxyl-terminus portion.

Nucleotide sequence of the genes encoding the L3, L4, and L23 equivalent ribosomal proteins from the archaebacterium Halobacterium halobium

A lambda EMBL clone containing a gene cluster coding for the ribosomal proteins L3, L4, L23 and 5' region of L2 was identified in a genomic library for the halophilic archaebacterium Halobacterium halobium using a heterologous hybridization probe from the related organism Halobacterium marismortui. The clone also contains two conserved open reading frames found in H. marismortui, although with still unknown function. Its gene organization is very similar to that of 'S10 operon' of H. marismortui. The deduced amino acid sequence of these ribosomal proteins (HhaL3, HhaL4, HhaL23 and 5' region of HhaL2) shows high similarity (64-71%) to those of the archaebacterium H. marismortui and a lesser degree of similarity to their eukaryotic (31-42%) and eubacterial (17-33%) counterparts.

Primary structures of ribosomal proteins L3 and L4 from Bacillus stearothermophilus

Ribosomal proteins L3 and L4 were purified to homogeneity from total protein isolated from the 50S subunit of Bacillus stearothermophilus by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Amino acid sequences of both proteins were determined by automated N-terminal sequence analysis and sequencing of internal peptides. Using oligonucleotides deduced from the N-terminal region of protein L3 as hybridization probes, a DNA fragment coding for proteins L3, L4 and the N-terminal part of protein L23 has been identified, cloned and sequenced. The organization of the genes is identical to that found in the S10 operon of Escherichia coli. Comparison of the sequences of proteins L3 and L4 with those of other organisms revealed that all proteins of the L3 family are highly conserved. On the other hand, the archaebacterial L4 proteins show no significant sequence similarity to the E. coli L4 protein whereas the L4 protein of B. stearothermophilus is significantly similar to all of the L4 proteins and thus justifies the membership of all the L4 proteins in one protein family. The results are discussed with respect to the phylogenetic relationship between eubacteria, archaebacteria and eukaryotes and possible functional domains of proteins L3 and L4.

Activation and induction by copper of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Presence of an inactive proenzyme in anaerobic yeast

The Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to be strictly related to the extent of oxygen metabolism, since cells grown under anaerobic or repressed conditions were found to contain 10% and 40% the activity of derepressed cells, respectively. The dependence of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase on oxygen was found to be related to the availability of copper to the cells since the enzyme activity and immunoreactive protein measured under the various conditions was roughly proportional to the copper content of cells and in anaerobic cells a large fraction of the enzyme was found to be in the form of an inactive proenzyme which was activated by the addition of copper to cell extracts. The Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase mRNA did not parallel the dependence of the enzyme concentration on oxygen metabolism, suggesting that the gene expression was affected by copper also at the post-transcriptional level. However, under conditions of copper overloading, a more direct effect on transcription was observed and the presence of the inactive proenzyme in anaerobic cultures was associated with the over-expression of metallothionein.

Evidence for co-regulation of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase and metallothionein gene expression in yeast through transcriptional control by copper via the ACE 1 factor

Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strain DTY26, lacking ACE1, the protein mediator for the induction of metallothionein gene expression, is unable to increase Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase mRNA in response to copper. In the wild-type strain DTY22 transcription of both Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase and metallothionein genes is induced by copper and silver, as expected on the basis of previous results indicating that ACE1 binds only Ag(I) besides Cu(I). We conclude that at the transcriptional level Cu,ZnSOD is co-regulated with metallothionein. Furthermore, structural similarities between the two promoters were found, which could explain the co-regulation effect and the quantitative differences in the response of the two genes to copper.

Sequence analysis of a processed gene coding for mouse ribosomal protein L32

The nucleotide sequence of a mouse ribosomal protein gene, identified by hybridization with the gene encoding the Drosophila ribosomal (r-) protein 49, was determined by cloning in the phage M13 and dideoxy sequencing. The mouse gene, L32', is a member of the multigene family encoding mammalian r-protein L32. L32' is a processed gene that could encode a 135 amino acid protein similar to that of mouse L32 and Drosophila r-protein 49.