Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:1.13.12.7 (firefly luciferase)
 2,792 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A phage T7 class-III promoter (pT7), which is highly specific for T7 RNA polymerase in bacteria, was tested in mammalian cells for its specificity. After having shown that T7 RNA polymerase can transcribe from pT7 in the nucleus of stably transformed cells [Lieber et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 17 (1989) 8485-8493], we describe here that pT7 could also direct efficient intracellular gene expression in the absence of T7 RNA polymerase. Using the genomic human growth hormone-encoding gene and the firefly luciferase-encoding gene as reporters, we found expression levels comparable with those obtained with the Rous sarcoma viral promoter. Inhibition of expression with alpha-amanitin suggests that transcription is by RNA polymerase II. Binding studies with HeLa cell extracts clearly show that synthetic pT7 sequences are specifically bound (gel retardation) and that the promoter region is protected from DNase degradation. The experimental data, as well as the nucleotide sequence, suggest that pT7 has properties of an initiator element. Indeed, the activity of pT7 can be stimulated by the presence of an upstream element or an enhancer. These results have practical implications for the use of pT7 in mammalian expression vectors. Commercial pT7 plasmids can be used for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems.
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PMID:A phage T7 class-III promoter functions as a polymerase II promoter in mammalian cells. 840 19

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and the gonadotropin, FSH, can synergize to stimulate progesterone production in primary cultures of maturing human, rat, and pig granulosa cells. These trophic hormones act by increasing the activity and production of proteins and their gene transcripts essential to sterol uptake, delivery, and utilization in steroidogenesis. We previously observed that FSH and IGF-I interact synergistically to promote the accumulation of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) messenger RNA and protein in granulosa cells. Here we investigate potential mechanisms of IGF-I synergy with FSH and the protein kinase A (PKA) pathway in activating the porcine StAR gene promoter. To this end, we first cloned 1423 bp of the porcine StAR promoter upstream of the transcriptional start site using PCR and created 5'-deletional constructs coupled to a cytoplasmically targeted firefly luciferase reporter gene. FSH, 8-bromo-cAMP, and transient transfection of the protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit (driven by the Rous sarcoma virus promoter) were used to activate the PKA effector pathway. All three agonists alone stimulated StAR promoter-driven luciferase activity in primary cultures of granulosa cells after 4-h treatment. IGF-I significantly augmented PKA pathway agonist activation of the StAR promoter, whereas IGF-I had no effect alone. Binding experiments with 125I-labeled ovine FSH-20 in IGF-I (100 ng/ml)-treated granulosa cells showed that FSH binding affinity and receptor number were unchanged by IGF-I treatment. However, IGF-I augmented FSH-stimulated, but not forskolin-stimulated, cAMP accumulation. Analysis of 5'-deletion constructs of the StAR promoter revealed three regions of stimulatory activity within the -139-bp fragment upstream of the transcriptional start site as well as another potentially inhibitory region upstream (-1115 to 905). Elimination of the putative SF-1 site (-48 to -41) virtually abolished StAR promoter responsiveness. In summary, our data indicate that IGF-I can act via two post FSH-binding mechanisms to augment FSH/PKA pathway-mediated StAR gene promoter transactivation: at the level of cAMP accumulation and distal to cAMP production and PKA activation.
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PMID:Mechanisms of insulin-like growth factor I augmentation of follicle-stimulating hormone-induced porcine steroidogenic acute regulatory protein gene promoter activity in granulosa cells. 988 19

The IRES from poliovirus and from encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) added between the cap and the AUG initiator codon were strong inhibitors of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expression in three different cell types. The poliovirus IRES also inhibited bGH (bovine growth hormone) cDNA expression in the HC11 mammary cell line when added between the rabbit whey acidic gene promoter and the cDNA whereas the HTLV-1 IRES showed a stimulatory effect in the same situation. RNA stem loops were added before HTLV-1 (SUR) and the BiP (Immunoglobulin heavy-chain Binding Protein) IRESs followed by the firefly luciferase gene under the control of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoter. The RNA loops abolished the expression of the reporter gene almost completely. These data suggest that the different IRESs may favour or inhibit translation of monocistronic mRNA.
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PMID:The efficiency of different IRESs (internal ribosomes entry site) in monocistronic mRNAS. 1093 22

Specific structures found in the mRNA of picornavirus are known to allow a cap-independent translation. These structures, named internal ribosome entry sites (IRES), are also able to favor translation of the second cistron in bicistronic mRNAs. Their mechanism of action is not well understood. In the present study, two IRESs have been used: the IRES from poliovirus and a newly discovered IRES (SUR) composed of the 5' P untranslated sequence from SV40 early genes, the R structure, and a small part of the U5 region from the human leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1). The bicistronic constructs containing the firefly luciferase gene as the first cistron and the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) as the second cistron were driven by the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoter and contained the early gene SV40 terminator. All the resulting plasmids were tested by transfection in HeLa and CHO cells. In the bicistronic mRNAs without IRES, the expression of the CAT gene was dependent on the distance between the two cistrons. The maximum efficiency in the expression of the second cistron was obtained when the intercalating RNA was composed of 30 to 90 nucleotides. This expression was deeply reduced when the intercalating fragment contained 8 or 300 nucleotides and was undetectable with 500 nucleotides. Unexpectedly, the luciferase mRNA was almost not expressed when the intercalating RNA was of 8 or 30 nucleotides. Expression of the luciferase gene occurred when the intercistronic RNA fragment was of 80 nucleotides and it became lower at 300 and 500 nucleotides. The same observations were done when the poliovirus or the SUR IRESs were added after the intercistronic spacers. However, expression of the CAT gene was amplified by both IRESs. When the CAT cistron preceded by the poliovirus or SUR IRES was introduced within luciferase cistron, 316 nucleotides before its termination codon, the IRESs were able to initiate translation of the following CAT gene irrespectively of the mRNA luciferase reading frame. Moreover, with all these constructs the highest expression level of the CAT cistron did not exceed 10% of that obtained with the same vector carrying only the CAT cistron. To identify a possible relation between the IRESs and the cap site, the CAT cistron preceded or not with an IRES was introduced 210 nucleotides downstream of the AUG codon of the luciferase gene (i.e., 258 nucleotides from the cap site) and 100 nucleotides after an added UAG termination codon. Expression of the CAT gene was not modified by the addition of the poliovirus IRES but it was strongly stimulated by the SUR IRES (the level of expression corresponded to 65% of that obtained with the same vector carrying only the CAT cistron). These results suggest that there is a cooperation between the cap and the SUR IRES and not the poliovirus IRES to stimulate translation. These data indicate that IRESs must be introduced in precise position to allow an efficient expression of the second cistron in bicistronic mRNAs.
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PMID:Effect of intercistronic length on internal ribosome entry site (IRES) efficiency in bicistronic mRNA. 1094 79

Adenoviral gene transfer to the heart represents a promising model for structure-function analyses. Rabbit hearts were subjected to an ex vivo perfusion protocol that achieves gene transfer in >90% of cardiac myocytes. Contractile function of isolated myocardial preparations of these hearts was then observed for 2 days in a recently developed trabecula culture system. In sham-infected hearts, the initial developed force (F(init)) (15.6 +/- 3.7 mN/mm(2); n = 12) did not change significantly after 48 h (17.0 +/- 1.9 mN/mm(2); P = 0.46). In adenovirus-infected preparations, F(init) (14.3 +/- 1. 8 mN/mm(2); n = 21) did not significantly differ from the control (P = 0.75) and was unchanged after 48 h (15.3 +/- 2.5 mN/mm(2); P = 0. 93). After 2 days of continuous contractions, we observed homogenous and high-level expression of the reporter genes LacZ coding for beta-galactosidase and Luc coding for firefly luciferase. Luciferase activity increased more than 2,500-fold from background levels of 8. 7 x 10(3 )+/- 5.0 x 10(3) relative light units (RLU)/mg protein (from hearts transfected with promotorless adenovirus with luciferase transgene construct AdNULLLuc, n = 5) to 23.4 x 10(6)+/- 11.1 x 10(6)RLU/mg protein (from hearts tranfected with adenovirus with Rous sarcoma virus promotor and luciferase transgene construct AdRSVLuc, n = 5) in infected myocardial preparations (P < 0.005). Our results demonstrate a new ex vivo approach to achieve homogenous and high-level expression of recombinant adenoviral genes in contracting myocardium without adverse functional effects.
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PMID:Preservation of myocardial function after adenoviral gene transfer in isolated myocardium. 1099 59

The steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein is indispensable for maximal trophic hormone-stimulated steroidogenesis by the adrenal gland, testis, and ovary. Recently, our laboratory developed an in vitro primary culture system of porcine granulosa-luteal cells that retain responsiveness to LH and show LH and insulin [or insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I)] synergy in stimulating StAR messenger RNA accumulation. Here, we examine the mechanisms subserving this LH-insulin (IGF-I) augmentation. We corroborate LH's amplification of insulin as well as IGF-I-stimulated granulosa-luteal cell progesterone and cAMP accumulation (P < 0.001). Insulin or IGF-I elevated LH receptor transcript accumulation, and LH did not alter this effect. To determine the hormonal responsiveness of StAR promoter, truncated regions of the -1423 to +130 bp upstream sequence of the porcine gene were ligated into a firefly luciferase reporter plasmid. Transient transfection of the StAR plasmid containing the full-length porcine 5'-flanking region of StAR (pStAR1423/luc) showed superadditive stimulation by LH and insulin or IGF-I after 24 h. LH, but not insulin or IGF-I alone, stimulated pStAR1423/luc activity. Deletion of the proximal putative steroidogenic factor-1 (-48 to -41) site abolished hormonally driven StAR promoter activity. A stable cAMP analog, 8-bromo-cAMP (1 mM), and insulin/IGF-I also evoked supraadditive StAR promoter expression. To further explore the role of cAMP in LH-insulin (or IGF-I) actions, we cotransfected a Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-driven minigene encoding the heat-stable inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (RSV/PKI) or a mutant plasmid (RSV/PKImut) along with the pStAR1423/luc promoter construct. Cotransfection of PKI, but not PKImut, with pStAR1423/luc significantly attenuated LH's stimulation of luciferase activity and also reduced the magnitude of the transcriptional amplification exerted by LH and insulin or IGF-I. In corollary analyses of the protein kinase A (PKA) pathway, cotransfection of full-length pStAR1423/luc and a complementary DNA encoding a constitutively activated PKA catalytic subunit elevated basal and insulin (or IGF-I)-stimulated StAR promoter expression. LH and insulin (or IGF-I) also augmented steady state StAR transcript levels, as assessed by homologous RT-PCR, and StAR protein concentrations, as evaluated by Western blotting. Together, these investigations document a significant role for insulin or IGF-I in enhancing LH-stimulated progesterone and cAMP biosynthesis and endogenous StAR message and protein accumulation and in augmenting cAMP-PKA-dependent transcriptional activation of the exogenous StAR promoter.
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PMID:Concerted regulation of steroidogenic acute regulatory gene expression by luteinizing hormone and insulin (or insulin-like growth factor I) in primary cultures of porcine granulosa-luteal cells. 1108 28

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) can amplify gonadotropin-stimulated steroidogenesis by augmenting the expression of key sterol regulatory genes in ovarian cells, viz. low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, and P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A). The mechanisms underlying the foregoing bihormonal interactions are not known. Accordingly, in relation to the LDL receptor gene, the present study tests the hypothesis that insulin/IGF-I and LH can act via concerted transcriptional control of promoter expression. To this end, we transiently transfected primary monolayer cultures of porcine granulosa-luteal cells with a reporter vector containing the putative 5'-upstream full-length (pLDLR1076/luc) regulatory region (-1076 to +11 bp) of the homologous LDL receptor gene driving firefly luciferase in the presence or absence of insulin (or IGF-I) and/or LH (each 100 ng/ml). Combined exposure to LH and insulin (or IGF-I) stimulated LDL receptor transcriptional activity maximally at 4 h by 8- to 20-fold, as normalized by coexpression of Renilla luciferase. Further analysis of multiple 5'-nested deletional constructs of the LDL receptor gene promoter showed that deletion of -139 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site virtually abolished basal expression and promoter responsiveness to LH and insulin/IGF-I. In contrast, full basal activity and 60-80% of maximal monohormonal and bihormonal drive were retained by the -255 to +11 bp fragment. As LDL receptor gene expression in other tissues is negatively regulated by the abundance of intracellular free cholesterol, we assessed the impact of concomitant pretreatment of granulosa-luteal cells with an exogenous soluble sterol (25-hydroxycholesterol, 1 and 10 microM). Excess sterol markedly (50-70%) attenuated bihormonally and, in lesser measure, LH-stimulated and basal LDL receptor promoter expression, thus affirming a feedback-sensitive sterol-repressive region in this gene. Non-LH receptor-dependent agonists of protein kinase A (PKA), 8-bromo-cAMP (1 mM), and forskolin (10 microM) with or without insulin/IGF-I costimulation likewise augmented LDL receptor promoter expression with similar strong dependency on the -255 to -139 bp 5'-upstream region. To assess more specific PKA-dependent mediation of LH's contribution to combined hormonal drive, the LDL receptor (-1076 to +11 bp) reporter plasmid was cotransfected with a full-sequence rabbit muscle protein kinase inhibitor (PKI) minigene driven constitutively by a Rous sarcoma virus promoter. Expression of the latter PKA antagonist blocked transcriptional stimulation by LH alone as well as that by LH combined with insulin (or IGF-I) by 70-85% without reducing basal transcriptional activity. Transfection of a mutant inactive (Arg to Gly) Rous sarcoma virus/PKI gene confirmed the specificity of the PKI effect. To investigate the convergent role of the insulin/IGF-I effector pathway mediating bihormonal stimulation of LDL receptor promoter expression, transfected granulosa-luteal cells were pretreated for 30 min with two specific inhibitors of phophatidylinositol 3-kinase, wortmannin (100 nM) and LY 294002 (10 microM), or of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, PD 98059 (50 microM), U0126 (10 microM), or the latter's inactive derivative, U0124 (10 microM). Both classes of antagonists impeded the ability of insulin or IGF-I to enhance LH-stimulated LDL receptor promoter expression by 60-80%. In conclusion, the present analyses indicate that LH and insulin (or IGF-I) can up-regulate LDL receptor transcriptional activity supraadditively in porcine granulosa-luteal cells 1) via one or more agonistic cis-acting DNA regions located between -255 and -139 bp 5'- upstream of the transcriptional start site, 2) without abrogating sterol-sensitive repressive of this promoter, and 3) by way of intracellular mechanisms that include the PKA, phophatidylinositol 3-kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways.
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PMID:Concerted transcriptional activation of the low density lipoprotein receptor gene by insulin and luteinizing hormone in cultured porcine granulosa-luteal cells: possible convergence of protein kinase a, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. 1141 12


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