Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.48 (transcriptase)
9,479 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In vitro mapping studies of the MD145 norovirus (Caliciviridae) ORF1 polyprotein identified two stable cleavage products containing the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domains: ProPol (a precursor comprised of both the proteinase and polymerase) and Pol (the mature polymerase). The goal of this study was to identify the active form (or forms) of the norovirus polymerase. The recombinant ProPol (expressed as Pro(-)Pol with an inactivated proteinase domain to prevent autocleavage) and recombinant Pol were purified after synthesis in bacteria and shown to be active RdRp enzymes. In addition, the mutant His-E1189A-ProPol protein (with active proteinase but with the natural ProPol cleavage site blocked) was active as an RdRp, confirming that the norovirus ProPol precursor could possess two enzymatic activities simultaneously. The effects of several UTP analogs on the RdRp activity of the norovirus and feline calicivirus Pro(-)Pol enzymes were compared and found to be similar. Our data suggest that the norovirus ProPol is a bifunctional enzyme during virus replication. The availability of this recombinant ProPol enzyme might prove useful in the development of antiviral drugs for control of the noroviruses associated with acute gastroenteritis.
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PMID:Norovirus proteinase-polymerase and polymerase are both active forms of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. 1568 40

Analysis of the genome sequence of the small hyperthermophilic archaeal parasite Nanoarchaeum equitans has not revealed genes encoding the glutamate, histidine, tryptophan and initiator methionine transfer RNA species. Here we develop a computational approach to genome analysis that searches for widely separated genes encoding tRNA halves that, on the basis of structural prediction, could form intact tRNA molecules. A search of the N. equitans genome reveals nine genes that encode tRNA halves; together they account for the missing tRNA genes. The tRNA sequences are split after the anticodon-adjacent position 37, the normal location of tRNA introns. The terminal sequences can be accommodated in an intervening sequence that includes a 12-14-nucleotide GC-rich RNA duplex between the end of the 5' tRNA half and the beginning of the 3' tRNA half. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and aminoacylation experiments of N. equitans tRNA demonstrated maturation to full-size tRNA and acceptor activity of the tRNA(His) and tRNA(Glu) species predicted in silico. As the joining mechanism possibly involves tRNA trans-splicing, the presence of an intron might have been required for early tRNA synthesis.
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PMID:Nanoarchaeum equitans creates functional tRNAs from separate genes for their 5'- and 3'-halves. 1569 44

Hepatitis E is an acute hepatitis casused by hepatitis E virus (HEV) in developing countries, where it occurs as cases sporadic and in epidemics form. The causative agent, hepatitis E virus, is transmitted primarily by the fecal-oral route. HEV is icosahedron non-enveloped virus, and its genome is a single-stranded, positive-sense, 3'-polyadenylated RNA about 7.5 kb in length. It contains three open reading frames (ORFs). Of which ORF1 codes for a polyprotein of 1693 amino acids and contain domains homologous to a viral methyltransferase, a papainlike cysteine protease, an RNA helicasre, and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, besides the most hypervariable region of the HEV genome. And ORF3 codes for a 123-amino-acide-long polypeptide with unknown function. While the major viral capsid protein (pORF2, ORF2 codes) of 660 amino acid was showed to contain the protective epitope. The bacterially expressed polypeptide disignated as NE2 has been proved to be a protective antige. And the anti-NE2 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) was screend, two of these mAbs 8C11 and 8H3 were showed to be against separate conformational neutralization epitope of hepatitis E virus (HEV). And these two mAb were used to screen for binding peptides from a 7-peptides phage display library. After four rounds of panning, tweenty-one positive monoclonal phages (11 for 8C11, and 10 for 8H3) were selected and the inserted fragments were sequenced. The DNA sequence coding for the obtained dominant peptide 8C11 (N'-His-Pro-Thr-Leu-Leu-Arg-Ile-C', named 8C11A) and 8H3 (N'-Ser-Ile-Leu-Pro-Tyr-Pro-Tyr-C', named 8H3A) were then synthesized and cloned to insert between amino acid 78 to 83 of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg), then expressed in E. coli. The recombinant proteins aggregate into homodimer or polymer on SDS-PAGE, and could bind with mAb 8C11 and 8H3 in Western blotting. Respectively, the recombinant protein C8C11A showed to be dimer mainly, which can bind with mAb 8C11. The monomer and dimer of C8H3A are in the same amount on SDS-PAGE, but only the dimer could bind with mAb 8H3 on Western blotting. The renatured recombinant proteins were all showed to aggregate into virus like particles which were similar as HBcAg on transmission electron micrograph. The dominant peptide 8H3A (N'-Ser-Ile-Leu-Pro-Tyr-ProTyr-C') that selected out by mAb 8H3 was further chemo-synthesized, and its binding activity was confirmed by BIAcore biosensor. The result showed that this 7-peptide can bind with mAb 8H3 in a big Ka and Kd form, which means the binding is not stable. These results implicated that conformational dependent neutralization epitope could be partially modeled by short peptide, which provided a feasible route for subunit vaccine development.
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PMID:[Selection of a peptide mimic the neutralization epitope of hepatitis E virus with phage peptide display technology]. 1597 79

The peptide transporter PEPT2 mediates transmembrane uptake of small peptides. So far, its expression has not been evidenced in the gastrointestinal tract. We have investigated peptide transport activity in the neuromuscular layers of the gastrointestinal tract by using the fluorescent tracer-dipeptide beta-Ala-Lys-Nepsilon-7-amino-4-methyl-coumarin-3-acetic acid (Ala-Lys-AMCA). Whole-mount preparations from mouse, rat, and guinea pig stomach and small and large intestine were incubated with Ala-Lys-AMCA in the presence or absence of the uptake-inhibitors L-histidine, D-phenylalanyl-L-alanine (D-Phe-Ala), glycyl-L-sarcosine (Gly-Sar), glycyl-L-glutamine (Gly-Gln), benzylpenicillin, and cefadroxil. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that Ala-Lys-AMCA specifically accumulated in both ganglionic layers of the enteric nervous system (ENS) in all regions and species studied. This could be inhibited by Gly-Sar, D-Phe-Ala, Gly-Gln, and cefadroxil, but not by free histidine and benzylpenicillin, indicating uptake via PEPT2. Accordingly, dipeptide uptake was completely abolished in PEPT2-deficient mice. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis detected a PEPT2-specific transcript in extracts from the ganglionic ENS layers of mouse small and large intestine, further proving that enteric dipeptide transport activity is specifically mediated via PEPT2. The cellular site of dipeptide uptake was immunohistochemically localized to enteric glial cells and tissue-resident macrophages. In addition, dipeptide uptake occurred in a neurochemically defined subset of neurons in the guinea pig ENS. Our results constitute the first functional evidence for dipeptide transport activity in the ENS. PEPT2-mediated dipeptide transport in enteric glia could contribute to the clearance of neuropeptides in the ENS. In addition, the fluorophore-coupled dipeptide uptake via PEPT2 is a novel vital marker for glial cells in the ENS.
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PMID:Functional expression of the peptide transporter PEPT2 in the mammalian enteric nervous system. 1604 13

Replication of the approximately 30-kb plus-strand RNA genome of coronaviruses and synthesis of an extensive set of subgenome-length RNAs are mediated by the replicase-transcriptase, a membrane-bound protein complex containing several cellular proteins and up to 16 viral nonstructural proteins (nsps) with multiple enzymatic activities, including protease, polymerase, helicase, methyltransferase, and RNase activities. To get further insight into the replicase gene-encoded functions, we characterized the coronavirus X domain, which is part of nsp3 and has been predicted to be an ADP-ribose-1"-monophosphate (Appr-1"-p) processing enzyme. Bacterially expressed forms of human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) and severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus X domains were shown to dephosphorylate Appr-1"-p, a side product of cellular tRNA splicing, to ADP-ribose in a highly specific manner. The enzyme had no detectable activity on several other nucleoside phosphates. Guided by the crystal structure of AF1521, an X domain homolog from Archaeoglobus fulgidus, potential active-site residues of the HCoV-229E X domain were targeted by site-directed mutagenesis. The data suggest that the HCoV-229E replicase polyprotein residues, Asn 1302, Asn 1305, His 1310, Gly 1312, and Gly 1313, are part of the enzyme's active site. Characterization of an Appr-1"-pase-deficient HCoV-229E mutant revealed no significant effects on viral RNA synthesis and virus titer, and no reversion to the wild-type sequence was observed when the mutant virus was passaged in cell culture. The apparent dispensability of the conserved X domain activity in vitro indicates that coronavirus replicase polyproteins have evolved to include nonessential functions. The biological significance of the novel enzymatic activity in vivo remains to be investigated.
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PMID:ADP-ribose-1"-monophosphatase: a conserved coronavirus enzyme that is dispensable for viral replication in tissue culture. 1618 75

The plasmid pET-21d-2c-5BDelta55 effectively expressing a C-terminally truncated form (NS5BDelta55) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) was constructed. It was derived from pET-21d-5BDelta55 plasmid and contained six mutations in the ATG-start codon region and an additional cistron upstream the target gene. The C-terminally His-tagged NS5BDelta55 protein was expressed in Rosetta(DE3) Escherichia coli strain bearing an additional pRARE plasmid encoding extra copies of rare tRNAs. The yield of the target enzyme exceeded by a factor of 29 the yield of NS5BDelta55 protein expressed from the parental pET-21d-5BDelta55 plasmid (5 mg/L). The increase in the protein yield could be explained by facilitated protein translation initiation, resulted from disruption of the stable secondary mRNA structure. The pET-21d-2c-5BDelta55 plasmid yielded one third amount of the protein when expressed in BL-21(DE3) strain, indicating that the pRARE plasmid is required for a high-level expression of NS5BDelta55 protein. The 29-fold enhancement of the protein yield was accompanied by only a 2.5-fold increase of the corresponding mRNA level. The expression of another HCV NS5A protein His-tagged at the C-terminus in the developed system yielded a similar amount of the protein (4 mg/L), whereas its N-terminally His-tagged counterpart was obtained in a 30 mg/L yield. The NS5A protein purified under denaturing conditions and renatured in solution inhibited the HCV RdRp and was a substrate for human casein kinase II.
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PMID:Development of the system ensuring a high-level expression of hepatitis C virus nonstructural NS5B and NS5A proteins. 1660 Jun 28

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) guides dimethylation of histone H3 lysine-9 (H3K9me2) via the Argonaute and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complexes, as well as base-pairing with either RNA or DNA. We show that Argonaute requires the conserved aspartate-aspartate-histidine motif for heterochromatic silencing and for ribonuclease H-like cleavage (slicing) of target messages complementary to siRNA. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, heterochromatic repeats are transcribed by polymerase II. We show that H3K9me2 spreads into silent reporter genes when they are embedded within these transcripts and that spreading requires read-through transcription, as well as slicing by Argonaute. Thus, siRNA guides histone modification by basepairing interactions with RNA.
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PMID:Argonaute slicing is required for heterochromatic silencing and spreading. 1693 64

Replication of picornavirus genomes is accomplished by the virally encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). Although the primary structure of this enzyme exhibits a high level of conservation, there are several significant differences among different picornavirus genera. In particular, a comparative alignment indicates that the C-terminal sequences of cardiovirus RdRP (known also as 3D(pol)), are 1-amino-acid residue (arginine or tryptophan) longer than that of the enterovirus or rhinovirus enzymes. Here, it is shown that alterations of the last codon of the RdRP-encoding sequence of mengovirus RNA leading to deletion of the C-terminal Trp460 or its replacement by Ala or Phe dramatically impaired viral RNA replication and, in the former case, resulted in a quasi-infectious phenotype (i.e., the mutant RNA might generate a low yield of pseudorevertants acquiring a Tyr residue in place of the deleted Trp460). The replacement of Trp460 by His or Tyr did not appreciably alter the viral growth potential. Homology modeling of three-dimensional structure of mengovirus RdRP suggested that Trp460 may be involved in interaction between the thumb and palm domains of the enzyme. Specifically, Trp460 of the thumb may form a hydrogen bond with Thr219 and hydrophobically interact with Val216 of the palm. The proposed interactions were consistent with the results of in vivo SELEX experiment, which demonstrated that infectious virus could contain Ser or Thr at position 219 and hydrophobic Val, Leu, Ile, as well as Arg (whose side chain has a nonpolar part) at position 216. A similar thumb-palm domain interaction may be a general feature of several RdRPs and its possible functional significance is discussed.
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PMID:Significance of the C-terminal amino acid residue in mengovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. 1746 26

The complete nonstructural NS5 gene of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was amplified and cloned into an expression vector. The NS5 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by His-tag based affinity chromatography. This recombinant NS5 protein exhibited RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity in vitro in the absence of other viral or cellular factors. The RNA polymerase activity was dependent on divalent cations, and Mn(2+) was found to be 20 times more effective than Mg(2+) in coordinating the catalytic reaction of RdRp, while Ca(2+) inhibited enzyme activity. The optimal reaction conditions for the in vitro RdRp reaction were established. Characterization of the RdRp reaction products demonstrated that the JEV NS5 protein can initiate RNA synthesis through a de novo initiation mechanism in our in vitro reaction system. Comparing the efficiency of different RNA templates, we found that JEV NS5 protein was more efficient in using negative-strand RNA templates, indicating that the JEV NS5 protein is involved in regulating the ratio of positive- to negative-strand RNA. Four amino acid sequence motifs crucial for RdRp activity were also identified using site-directed mutagenesis analysis. All substitutions of the conserved residues within these motifs led to a complete inactivation or severe loss of enzyme activity.
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PMID:Identification and characterization of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity in recombinant Japanese encephalitis virus NS5 protein. 1757 13

Segment B of bisegmented infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) encodes virus protein 1 (VP1), possessing RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity. This multidomain protein includes an RdRp domain with a non-canonical order of three sequence motifs forming the active site: C-A-B. The A-B-C order of the motifs, as found in RdRps of the majority of viruses, was converted by relocation (permutation) of motif C to a C-A-B order. Due to the unusual location and unproven significance, the motif was named 'C?'. This motif includes an Ala-Asp-Asn tripeptide that replaces the C motif Gly-Asp-Asp sequence, widely considered a hallmark of RdRps. In this study, functional significance of the C? motif was investigated by using purified His-tagged VP1 mutants with either a double replacement (ADN to GDD) or two single-site mutants (ADD or GDN). All mutants showed a significant reduction of RdRp activity in vitro, in comparison to that of VP1. Only the least-affected GDN mutant gave rise to viable, albeit partially impaired, progeny using a reverse-genetics system. Experiments performed to investigate whether the C motif was implicated in the control of metal dependence revealed that, compared with Mn2+ and Mg2+, Co2+ stimulated RdRp unconventionally. No activity was observed in the presence of several divalent cations. Of two Co2+ salts with Cl- and SO4(2-) anions, the former was a stronger stimulant for RdRp. When cell-culture medium was supplemented with 50 microM Co2+, an increase in IBDV progeny yield was observed. The obtained results provide evidence that the unusual Co2+ dependence of the IBDV RdRp might be linked to the permuted organization of the motif.
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PMID:Evidence for functional significance of the permuted C motif in Co2+-stimulated RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of infectious bursal disease virus. 1787 36


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