Translational potentiation of messenger RNA with secondary structure in Xenopus

Differential translation of messenger RNA (mRNA) with stable secondary structure in the 5' untranslated leader may contribute to the dramatic changes in protein synthetic patterns that occur during oogenesis and early development. Plasmids that contained the bacterial gene chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and which encoded mRNA with (hpCAT) or without (CAT) a stable hairpin secondary structure in the 5' noncoding region were transcribed in vitro, and the resulting mRNAs were injected into Xenopus oocytes, eggs, and early embryos. During early oogenesis, hpCAT mRNA was translated at less than 3 percent of the efficiency of CAT mRNA. The relative translational potential of hpCAT reached 100 percent in the newly fertilized egg and returned to approximately 3 percent after the midblastula transition.     

Granulosa cell ligand NPPC and its receptor NPR2 maintain meiotic arrest in mouse oocytes

Granulosa cells of mammalian Graafian follicles maintain oocytes in meiotic arrest, which prevents their precocious maturation. We show that mouse mural granulosa cells, which line the follicle wall, express natriuretic peptide precursor type C (Nppc) messenger RNA (mRNA), whereas cumulus cells surrounding oocytes express mRNA of the NPPC receptor NPR2, a guanylyl cyclase. NPPC increased cGMP levels in cumulus cells and oocytes and inhibited meiotic resumption in vitro. Meiotic arrest was not sustained in most Graafian follicles of Nppc or Npr2 mutant mice, and meiosis resumed precociously. Oocyte-derived paracrine factors promoted cumulus cell expression of Npr2 mRNA. Therefore, the granulosa cell ligand NPPC and its receptor NPR2 in cumulus cells prevent precocious meiotic maturation, which is critical for maturation and ovulation synchrony and for normal female fertility.     

Translation in mammalian cells of a gene linked to the poliovirus 5' noncoding region

The central portion (region P) of the 742-nucleotide noncoding 5' end of poliovirus allows the RNA to initiate protein synthesis in the absence of the usual 5' 7-methylguanosine capping group. Poliovirus 5' noncoding region was fused to a reporter gene and transfected into cells. There was extensive augmentation of the expression of this gene by poliovirus-mediated inhibition of cap-dependent protein synthesis. That the construct initiated in a cap-independent manner was verified through in vitro experiments. Small lesions throughout region P blocked its initiation function, implying that a coherent functional unit, hundreds of nucleotides long, is responsible for cap-independent initiation by poliovirus RNA.     

Ectopic pro-opiolipomelanocortin: sequence of cDNA coding for beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and beta-endorphin

A recombinant bacterial plasmid, pMS1, was constructed that contains 318 nucleotides complementary to a portion of pro-opiolipomelanocortin (proOLMC) messenger RNA from an ectopic adrenocorticotropin-producing tumor. The cloned complementary DNA insert, which contains the sequence that codes for all of the beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and beta-endorphin portions of proOLMC, as well as the 3' nontranslated section, is identical to the genomic sequence. Hybridization of tumor proOLMC complementary DNA to RNA subjected to electrophoresis and transferred to a nitrocellulose filter revealed two proOLMC messenger RNA species in the tumor polyadenylated RNA, but only one in pituitary polyadenylated RNA. At least one of the tumor proOLMC messenger RNA's is similar, if not identical, to human pituitary proOLMC messenger RNA.     

3种磷酸二酯酶对小鼠卵母细胞自发成熟的影响

为探讨和比较磷酸二酯酶(PDE)3、4和5对小鼠卵母细胞体外自发成熟的影响,将小鼠卵丘卵母细胞复合体(COCs)和裸卵(DOs)分别培养在含有或不含有PDE 3、4和5特异性抑制剂的M-199培养液中。结果表明:PDE3的特异性抑制剂cilostamide和PDE5的特异性抑制剂zaprinast均能显著抑制小鼠COCs和DOs的自发成熟,且其抑制效应不随培养时间的延长而减弱,但却是可逆的;而PDE4的特异性抑制剂rolipram对小鼠COCs和DOs没有影响。上述结果提示,不同亚型的PDE在小鼠卵母细胞减数分裂过程中具有不同的调节作用。     

Oxidation-reduction and the molecular mechanism of a regulatory RNA-protein interaction

Iron-responsive elements (IREs) are RNA motifs that have been identified within the 5' untranslated region of ferritin messenger RNA and the 3' untranslated region of transferrin receptor mRNA. A single IRE mediates iron-dependent control of ferritin translation, whereas multiple IREs are found in the region of the transferrin receptor mRNA responsible for iron-dependent control of mRNA stability. A cytosolic protein binds in vitro to the IREs of both mRNAs. The IRE-binding protein (IRE-BP) is shown to require free sulfhydryl groups for its specific interaction with the IRE. Treatment of lysates with reducing agents increases the binding activity, whereas agents that block sulfhydryls inhibit binding. Iron starvation, leading to decreased ferritin translation, results in increased binding activity, which is explained by an increase in the fraction of the IRE-BP that is in a fully reduced state.     

Expression of functional cell-cell channels from cloned rat liver gap junction complementary DNA

An oocyte expression system was used to test the relation between a complementary DNA (cDNA) clone encoding the liver gap junction protein and cell-cell channels. Total liver polyadenylated messenger RNA injected into oocytes induced cell-cell channels between paired oocytes. This induction was blocked by simultaneous injection of antisense RNA transcribed from the gap junction cDNA. Messenger RNA selected by hybridization to the cDNA clone and translated in oocyte pairs yielded a higher junctional conductance than unselected liver messenger RNA. Cell-cell channels between oocytes were also formed when the cloned cDNA was expressed under the control of a heat-shock promoter. A concentration-dependent induction of channels was observed in response to injection with in vitro transcribed gap junction messenger RNA. Thus, the liver gap junction cDNA encodes a protein that is essential for the formation of functional cell-cell channels.     

Translational blockade imposed by cytokine-derived UA-rich sequences

The messenger RNAs specifying certain proteins involved in the inflammatory response and certain oncoproteins contain a conserved UA-rich sequence in the 3' untranslated region. This sequence, which is composed of several interspersed repeats of the octanucleotide UUAUUUAU, has been shown to destabilize mRNA in some eukaryotes. However, this effect is not seen when mRNAs are transferred to Xenopus oocytes, which made it possible to separate stability from translational regulation. For interferon, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and c-fos RNAs, the UA-rich sequence was observed to preclude mRNA translation.     

Reversal of creatine kinase translational repression by 3' untranslated sequences

A subline of U937 cells (U937D) was obtained in which creatine kinase B (CK-B) messenger RNA was present and bound to ribosomes, but CK activity was undetectable. Transformation of U937D cells with retrovirus vectors that contain the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of CK-B messenger RNA exhibited CK activity with no change in abundance of CK-B mRNA. The 3' UTR formed a complex in vitro with a component of S100 extracts from wild-type cells. This binding activity was not detectable in S100 extracts from cells that expressed CK activity after transformation with the 3' UTR-containing vector. These results suggest that translation of CK-B is repressed by binding of a soluble factor or factors to the 3' UTR.     

The ras oncoprotein and M-phase activity.

The endogenous mos proto-oncogene product (Mos) is required for meiotic maturation. In Xenopus oocytes, the ras oncogene product (Ras) can induce meiotic maturation and high levels of M-phase--promoting factor (MPF) independent of endogenous Mos, indicating that a parallel pathway to metaphase exists. In addition, Ras, like Mos and cytostatic factor, can arrest Xenopus embryonic cell cleavage in mitosis and maintain high levels of MPF. Thus, in the Xenopus oocyte and embryo systems Ras functions in the M phase of the cell cycle. The embryonic cleavage arrest assay is a rapid and sensitive test for Ras function.     

磷酸二酯酶抑制剂对水牛卵母细胞体外成熟的影响

[目的]探讨磷酸二酯酶抑制剂米力农(milrinone)对水牛卵母细胞成熟的影响。[方法]水牛卵母细胞分成3组,分别在含0、50、100μmol/L的milrinone的成熟液中培养16 h后,每组的一半卵母细胞用来染色,检验核成熟情况;另一半卵母细胞再在不含milrinone的成熟液中培养12 h,挑选形态正常的卵母细胞受精后培养。[结果]添加50和100μmol/L milrinone的成熟液成熟的卵母细胞的生发泡破裂(GVBD)比率分别为25.9%和12.1%,显著低于对照组(76.9%);但另一半卵母细胞再培养、受精后试验组(50、100μmol/L mil-rinone)的分裂率(59.3%和61.2%)和囊胚率(35.9%和31.1%)与对照组(56.7%和28.8%)相比均无显著性差异(P0.05)。[结论]milrinone对水牛卵母细胞的成熟具有明显的抑制作用,成熟抑制解除后水牛卵母细胞仍可保持较高的发育潜能。     

Hepatitis C virus IRES RNA-induced changes in the conformation of the 40s ribosomal subunit

Initiation of protein synthesis in eukaryotes requires recruitment of the 40S ribosomal subunit to the messenger RNA (mRNA). In most cases, this depends on recognition of a modified nucleotide cap on the 5' end of the mRNA. However, an alternate pathway uses a structured RNA element in the 5' untranslated region of the messenger or viral RNA called an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). Here, we present a cryo-electron microscopy map of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES bound to the 40S ribosomal subunit at about 20 A resolution. IRES binding induces a pronounced conformational change in the 40S subunit and closes the mRNA binding cleft, suggesting a mechanism for IRES-mediated positioning of mRNA in the ribosomal decoding center.