Two different aldolase A mRNA species in rat tissues

Expression of glycolytic isozymes in rat thymocytes during cell cycle progression

The time courses of activities of aldolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, hexokinase and pyruvate kinase were determined in stimulated rat thymocytes at 24 h intervals during a period of 72 h of culture. In parallel the mRNA levels of these enzymes were analysed by Northern blotting with specific probes. Both the enzyme activities and the corresponding mRNA levels reached their maxima 48 h after stimulation coinciding with the S-phase of the cell cycle. The isozyme types of aldolase and hexokinase in resting and in mitogen-stimulated rat thymocytes were identified by Northern blot hybridisation using isozyme-specific probes. In these cells the aldolase A is expressed, whereas type B and C could not be detected. The transcription of the aldolase A gene can be regulated by two different promoters. Depending on the alternative usage of the promoters the aldolase A-specific mRNA either contains the non-translated exons M1 or AH1. In rat thymocytes the promoter proximal to the exon AH1 is used while the expression of mRNA I, the type characteristic for muscle tissue, was not observed. In contrast to aldolase two isozyme types of hexokinase were detected. Hexokinase I as well as hexokinase II were present in thymocytes whereas hexokinase III was not detectable. A shift in the isozyme pattern was not observed during the cell cycle progression.

Human aldolase A gene. Structural organization and tissue-specific expression by multiple promoters and alternate mRNA processing

The complete nucleotide sequence of the human aldolase A isoenzyme gene is reported. The cloned gene sequence, spanning 7530 bp, includes twelve exons and occurs as a single copy per haploid human genome. The structural organization of the gene is quite complex: eight exons containing the coding sequence are common to all mRNAs extracted from human and other mammalian sources; four additional exons are present in the 5' untranslated region, of these one is contained in the ubiquitous type of mRNA, the second is in the muscle-specific type of mRNA and the third and fourth are in a minor species of mRNA found in human liver tissue. Furthermore, the determined sequence includes 1000 nucleotides upstream from the first exon (exon I) in the 5' flanking region, and 400 nucleotides, which include the polyadenylation signal, downstream from the termination codon. S1-nuclease-protection analysis of the 5' end of mRNA extracted from human cultured fibroblasts, muscle and hepatoma cell lines indicates the existence of four different transcription-initiation sites. The latter are also supported by the presence of conventional sequences for eukaryotic promoters. Therefore, the four promoters on the same gene generate different tissue-specific transcripts, which share the translated sequence, but each has a unique 5' untranslated region as a result of differential mRNA processing. The nucleotide homology at the coding region and the intron-exon organization of the three human and mammalian aldolase A, B and C genes confirm that they arose from a common ancestral gene, and that aldolase B diverged first.

Localization of the active gene of aldolase on chromosome 16, and two aldolase A pseudogenes on chromosomes 3 and 10

Southern blot analysis of human genomic DNA hybridized with a coding region aldolase A cDNA probe (600 bases) revealed four restriction fragments with EcoRI restriction enzyme: 7.8 kb, 13 kb, 17 kb and greater than 30 kb. By human-hamster hybrid analysis (Southern technique) the principal fragments, 7.8 kb, 13 kb, greater than 30 kb, were localized to chromosomes 10, 16 and 3 respectively. The 17-kb fragment was very weak in intensity; it co-segregated with the greater than 30-kb fragment and is probably localized on chromosome 3 with the greater than 30-kb fragment. Analysis of a second aldolase A labelled probe protected against S1 nuclease digestion by RNAs from different hybrid cells, indicated the presence of aldolase A mRNAs in hybrid cells containing only chromosome 16. Under the stringency conditions used, the EcoRI sequences detected by the coding region aldolase A cDNA probe did not correspond to aldolase B or C. The 7.8-kb and greater than 30-kb EcoRI sequences, localized respectively on chromosomes 10 and 3, correspond to aldolase A pseudogenes; the 13-kb EcoRI sequence localized on chromosome 16 corresponds to the aldolase active gene. The fact that the aldolase A gene and pseudogenes are located on three different chromosomes supports the hypothesis that the pseudogenes originated from aldolase A mRNAs, copied into DNA and integrated in unrelated chromosomal loci.

Characterization of three optional promoters in the 5' region of the human aldolase A gene

We undertook cloning and sequencing of the 5' portion of the human aldolase A gene to elucidate the mechanisms that govern synthesis of its different mRNAs. The sequenced gene is the only active gene in human-rodent fibroblastic somatic hybrids, while the other aldolase A-related sequences are inactive. S1 mapping and primer extension analysis enabled us to demonstrate that three promoter regions were implicated in the initiation of different aldolase A mRNAs, differing only in their 5' non-coding extremities. A distal promoter, N (non-specific), governs the synthesis of a 5' non-coding region of 142 bases composed of two exons, N1 and N2, which are found in a variety of tissues. A median promoter, M (muscle), is only active in skeletal muscle, and initiates the transcription by a 5' non-coding exon of 45 bases. Finally, a proximal promoter, H (housekeeping), contained in a "G + C-rich island", permits transcription of three colinear mRNAs containing 172, 126 or 112 bases of 5' non-coding sequence; their expression seems ubiquitous. These three promoters are arranged in 1.5 X 10(3) base-pairs of DNA. Homologies between rat and human genomic sequences and the absence of homology between promoters or 5' non-coding exons of the same species exclude a recent duplication of the promoter regions.

Dietary regulation of aldolase isozyme expression in rat intestinal mucosa

Changes of aldolase A and B protein levels and their mRNA levels due to starvation for 48 h in mucosae of the jejunum, ileum, and colon were determined by Western and Northern blot analyses. In fed rats, B protein and B mRNA were predominant in the jejunum. In the ileum, both A protein and A mRNA, as much as B protein and B mRNA, were present in significant amounts. In the colon, A protein and A mRNA were predominant. The enzyme activity levels in those segments of fed rat intestine were in parallel to total enzyme protein levels (A + B) and also to total mRNA levels (A + B), thus suggesting that aldolase isozyme expression in fed rat intestine is determined mainly at the level of transcription. Starvation for 48 h caused about 30% reduction of both B protein level and B mRNA level in jejunum. In the ileum, both A and B mRNA levels were lowered 30-40% from those of fed rats, while A and B protein levels were reduced slightly (A, 0%; B, 12%). In the colon, starvation caused about 50% increase of A mRNA level and about 10% reduction of A protein level. By measuring the synthetic rate of the enzyme proteins from in vivo [35S]methionine incorporation, the accumulation of A mRNA in this tissue was suggested to be due to the significant fall of the translation rate of A mRNA. The translational and post-translational controls of aldolase isozyme expressions in rat intestines are discussed.

Hominoid triosephosphate isomerase: characterization of the major cell proliferation specific isozyme

Proliferating cells derived from hominoid species contain electrophoretically separable forms of triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), including a constitutive isozyme and major and minor cell proliferation specific isozymes. Genetic studies have shown that the constitutive and inducible isozymes are products of the same structural gene. A procedure has been developed for the rapid isolation of the constitutive and major proliferation specific TPI isozymes from human lymphoblastoid B cells. [35S]methionine labeled isozymes were purified through several steps of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sufficient quantities for turnover studies and preliminary structural analysis. The intact isozymes were subjected to 23 steps of automated Edman degradation; both preparations yield a [35S] PTH-methionine only at cycle 14, as expected if the protein is TPI. Neither isozyme contains a blocked NH2-terminus and length heterogeneity at the amino terminal does not exist. A comparison of the two purified isozymes on 2-D PAGE confirms that the constitutive isozyme consists of only type 1 subunits while the major proliferation specific isozyme is composed of a type 1 subunit and a unique type 2 subunit. The type 1 and type 2 subunits differ by at least four charge units under native, nondenaturing conditions of electrophoresis but do not differ in molecular mass. The difference between the type 1 and type 2 subunits is covalent, as the difference in isoelectric point between the two subunits is stable to both 2% SDS and 8 M urea. The expression of TPI-2 does not correlate with the existence of the labile asparagine residues. Turnover studies indicate that the level of each subunit is regulated by differences in rates of synthesis rather than degradation but a precursor-product relationship between the subunits was not observed. Thus the mechanism for synthesis of TPI-2 must operate either during mRNA processing or nascent peptide synthesis and then only in cells from hominoid species.

Structure and expression of mouse aldolase genes. Brain-specific aldolase C amino acid sequence is closely related to aldolase A

Brain-specific aldolase C amino acid sequence (greater than 75% of the coding region) was determined for the first time. Two cDNA clones, pAM1 and pAM2, were identified, from a mouse brain library, by using human aldolase B cDNA as a probe. The larger one, pAM2, identified as a cDNA for aldolase C, has been completely sequenced and covers the 5'-untranslated region of the mRNA and the codons for amino acids 1-227 of the protein. The sequence indicates that aldolase C is more akin to aldolase A than to aldolase B. A cDNA library from mouse muscle was also screened, allowing the identification of clones pAM3 and pAM4, which contain cDNAs for aldolase A. The sequence obtained from pAM3 covers 70% of the coding sequence (amino acids 99-355) from the -COOH part of the protein. The cDNAs for the three aldolases, A, B and C, have been hybridized to RNA from various rat tissues. The results confirm the tissue specificity of the expression of the mRNA for the different isoenzymes and support the hypothesis that aldolase C expression, as aldolase A and B, is regulated at the transcriptional level or, in any case, via mRNA concentration.

Expression of aldolase A messenger RNAs in human adult and foetal tissues and in hepatoma

3 specific cDNA clones for human aldolase A were isolated from a human muscle library. One of them was subcloned in M 13 phage, then used as a probe to investigate the patterns and the levels of aldolase A mRNA in various human tissues. Two mRNA species differing in length were observed. The lighter one -1550 bases- was found specific to skeletal muscle; its amount increased during muscle development. The heavier aldolase A mRNA -1650 bases- accounted for foetal and ubiquitous presence of aldolase A isozyme. The resurgence of aldolase A in hepatomas occurred through this latter mRNA species.

Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone for human aldolase: a messenger RNA in the liver

Nearly complete cDNA clones for human aldolase A mRNA were isolated from human liver cDNA library and the nucleotide sequence determined. Using the cDNA clone as a probe the length of human aldolase A mRNAs, isolated from the skeletal muscle, liver and placenta tissues, was measured by RNA blotting and estimated to be 1,600 nucleotides for skeletal muscle mRNA and 1,700 nucleotides for both the liver and placenta mRNAs, indicating that different species of mRNA coding for human aldolase A were expressed in the different tissues.

Molecular cloning and the nucleotide sequence of cDNA to mRNA for non-neuronal enolase (alpha alpha enolase) of rat brain and liver

The nucleotide sequence for alpha alpha enolase (non-neuronal enolase: NNE) of rat brain and liver was determined from recombinant cDNA clones. The sequence was composed of 1722 bp which included the 1299 bp of the complete coding region, the 108 bp of the 5'-noncoding region and the 312 bp of the 3'-noncoding region containing a polyadenylation signal. In addition, the poly(A) tail was also found. A potential ribosome-binding site was located 30 nucleotides upstream to the initiation codon in the 5'-noncoding region. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence was 433 amino acids in length and showed very high homology (82%) to the amino acid sequence of gamma gamma enolase (neuron-specific enolase: NSE), although the nucleotide sequence showed slightly lower homology (75%). The size of NNE mRNA was approximately 1800 bases by Northern transfer analysis and much shorter than that of NSE mRNA (2400 bases) indicating a short 3'-noncoding region. A dot-blot hybridization and Northern transfer analysis of cytoplasmic RNA from the developing rat brains using a labeled 3'-noncoding region of cDNA (no homology between NSE and NNE) showed a decrease of NNE mRNA at around 10 postnatal days and then a gradual increase to adult age without changes of mRNA size. Liver mRNA did not show any significant change during development.

Structure and genomic organization of the rat aldolase B gene

The structure of the chromosomal gene encoding rat aldolase isozyme B has been elucidated by sequence analysis of cloned genomic DNA. This gene comprises about 14 X 10(3) base-pairs of DNA, and is separated into nine exons by eight intervening sequences. A presumed transcription-initiation site was assigned by S1 nuclease protection mapping, and T-A-T-A and C-C-A-A-T boxes were found to be 25 and 126 base-pairs, respectively, upstream from this initiation site. There are three characteristic sequences of 100 to 200 base-pairs within the region of 870 base-pairs flanking the 5' side of the gene. These sequences are flanked on either side by direct repeats and terminate with an A-rich stretch of nucleotides. One of them has block homology with a region in an "ID sequence", which is reported to be an element for tissue-specific gene regulation and differentiation. The other two are analogous at the sequence organizational level with a sort of dispersed repeat, the "Alu family". These features suggest that these regions are involved in gene regulation and, also, imply evolutionary events such as duplication or insertion. Comparison of this gene sequence with the rabbit aldolase A complementary DNA sequence revealed some bias in the frequency of nucleotide replacement among the exons, suggesting selective evolutionary conservation of particular exons encoding functional domains. Comparison with the human aldolase B complementary DNA sequence revealed no such tendency; the homology between the two sequences was very high (about 89%), and nucleotide replacements were randomly distributed throughout the protein-coding region.

Rat aldolase A messenger RNA: the nucleotide sequence and multiple mRNA species with different 5'-terminal regions

The nucleotide sequence of aldolase A mRNA in rat skeletal muscle was determined using recombinant cDNA clones and a cDNA synthesized by primer extension. The sequence is composed of 1343 nucleotides (nt) except for the poly(A) tail. Based on the sequence analysis we have deduced an open reading frame with 363 amino acids (aa) (Mr 39134). The sequence suggests several nt polymorphisms in the mRNA population, one of which causes an aa change. The determined sequence of rat aldolase A mRNA was compared with the published ones of rabbit aldolase A or rat aldolase B mRNAs. The homology between rat and rabbit aldolase A mRNA sequences is greater than that between rat aldolase A and B mRNA sequences. Multiple aldolase A mRNAs having different Mrs were detected in the various tissues, and appeared to be expressed in a tissue-specific manner. Further analysis suggests that differences in mRNA length are due to differences in the 5'-noncoding terminal region.

Changes of aldolase A and B messenger RNA levels in rat liver during azo-dye-induced hepatocarcinogenesis

The expression of aldolase A and B mRNAs during azo-dye-induced carcinogenesis in rat liver was examined. After feeding the dye for 18 weeks, the level of aldolase A mRNA increased to about 11 times that in a normal liver, with the concomitant decrease of aldolase B mRNA level to about 25% of that in a normal liver. These changes did not occur progressively during the carcinogenesis, but occurred as an additional phase after 4 week-feeding of the azo-dye. At this stage, the levels of aldolase A and B mRNAs were about 7 times and 45% of that in a normal liver, respectively. This biphasic pattern in the aldolase isozyme expression in the azo-dye-fed rat liver is discussed together with the kinetic data of the enzyme activity.

Expression of aldolase isozyme mRNAs in fetal rat liver

The regulation of aldolase isozyme expression during development was studied by measuring the concentrations of mRNAs coding for aldolase A and B subunits in fetal and adult rat liver. Poly(A)-containing RNAs were extracted from livers at various stages of development of fetal rats, and the aldolase A and B subunits in the in vitro translation products of these RNAs were analyzed immunologically. The content of aldolase B mRNA in 14-day fetal liver, measured quantitatively as translational activity, was somewhat smaller than that of aldolase A mRNA; immunologically precipitable aldolase B and A amounted to 0.06% and 0.25% respectively, of the total products. Similar experiments using RNAs from fetuses at later stages, however, showed that aldolase B mRNA increased during development, whereas aldolase A mRNA decreased. In newborn rat liver, aldolase B constituted 0.56% of the total translation products of mRNA, but there was little detectable aldolase A (0.03%). The changes of aldolase mRNA levels were analyzed further by northern blot and dot-blot hybridization experiments using cloned aldolase A and B cDNAs. The content of aldolase B mRNA increased in the fetal stage, and that in newborn rat liver was about 12 times that in 14-day fetal liver. In contrast, the aldolase A mRNA content decreased during gestation and that in newborn rat liver was about one-eighth of that in 14-day fetal liver. These observations suggest that the switch of aldolase isozyme expression in fetal liver is controlled by the levels of the respective mRNAs.