Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
 31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recently, tRNALys-3 was cross-linked via its anticodon loop to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) between residues 230 and 357 (Mishima, Y., and Steitz, J. A. (1995) EMBO J. 14, 2679-2687). Scanning the surface of this region identified three basic amino acids Lys249, Arg307, and Lys311 flanking a small crevice on the p66 thumb subdomain outside the primer-template binding cleft. To assess an interaction of this region with the tRNA anticodon loop, these p66 residues were altered to Glu or Gln. p66 subunits containing K249Q, K311Q, K311E, and a dual R307E/K311E mutation formed a stable dimer with wild type p51. All mutants showed reduced affinity for tRNALys-3 and supported significantly less (-)-strand DNA synthesis from this primer than the parental heterodimer. In contrast, these variants efficiently synthesized HIV-1 (-)-strand strong-stop DNA from oligonucleotide primers and had minimal effect on RNase H activity, retaining endonucleolytic and directed cleavage of an RNA/DNA hybrid. Structural features of binary RT.tRNALys-3 complexes were examined by in situ footprinting, via susceptibility to 1, 10-phenanthroline-copper-mediated cleavage. Unlike wild type RT, mutants p66(K311Q)/p51 and p66(K311E)/p51 failed to protect the tRNA anticodon domain from chemical cleavage, indicating a significant structural alteration in the binary RT.tRNA complex. These results suggest a crevice in the p66 thumb subdomain of HIV-1 RT supports an interaction with the tRNALys-3 anticodon loop critical for efficient (-)-strand DNA synthesis.
 ...
PMID:Mutating a region of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase implicated in tRNA(Lys-3) binding and the consequences for (-)-strand DNA synthesis. 960 66

Reverse transcriptase plays an essential role in the early steps of the replicative cycle of retroviruses. Because of the resistance against nucleoside analogue inhibitors such as 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine, the importance of the investigation of non-nucleoside analogue inhibitors is increasing. We have investigated the influence of trifluoperazine (TFP--a species of phenothiazines) and its newly prepared TFP-metal complexes (TFP-VO(IV), TFP-Cu(II), TFP-Ni(II), TFP-Pd(II), TFP-Sn(IV)). The compounds were tested on Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase assay. The inhibitory effect of metal complexes was higher than that of TFP. TFP-VO(IV) showed higher effectiveness compared the added effect of parent tricyclic chemical and metal. Therefore we concluded that the improved biological action depends on the formation of metal complexes. This phenothiazine and its metal coordination complexes could become a new non-nucleoside analogue group of compounds inhibiting the retrovirus replication.
 ...
PMID:Trifluoperazine and its metal complexes inhibit the Moloney leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. 967 43

Two alternatively spliced transcripts, psiHLAO1 and psiHLAO2, of a copper-containing monoamine oxidase pseudogene have been isolated from a human-liver cDNA library. The larger psiHLAO1 cDNA (2073bp) contains a 5'-flanking segment of 134bp, followed by an apparent open reading frame (ORF) of 1725bp. The deduced amino acid sequence of this ORF (574 residues) shares 81.0% similarity with the 763-residue monoamine oxidase from human placenta (HPAO) (the N-terminal 533 residues of psiHLAO1 share 86.7% similarity with HPAO). The psiHLAO1 ORF is interrupted by an in-frame stop codon corresponding to amino acid 225 and terminates within a type S(a) dimeric Alu repeat sequence. psiHLAO2 appears to be an alternatively spliced variant of psiHLAO1 that has 413 bases of psiHLAO1 excised according to the 'GT-AG' rule. The slightly longer 3' end of the psiHLAO2 transcript shows that the Alu repeat is followed by an 11-bp poly(A) tract that, in turn, is followed by an AT-rich (81%) sequence of 105bp. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocol was used to confirm that both psiHLAO1 and psiHLAO2 are transcribed in human liver and placenta. A search of the expressed sequence tag (EST) database indicates that, like HPAO, psiHLAO derives also from the region 17q21 of the human genome.
 ...
PMID:cDNA cloning of two splice variants of a human copper-containing monoamine oxidase pseudogene containing a dimeric Alu repeat sequence. 976 18

Human hepatoma cells (HepG2) were exposed to several heavy metal salts and the induction of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) mRNA was analysed by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Metals were added to the cell medium at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 100 microM and incubation was continued for 4 h. In addition we analysed the time dependence of hsp70 induction by adding each metal at a certain concentration followed by an incubation for 0.5 to 24 h. CdCl2, NaAsO2, AgNO3 could be classified as very strong inducers (20-, 13- and 10-fold above control level) and they reached their maximum level of induction at 1-10 microM after 2 h. CuCl2, MnCl2, Pb(NO3)2, TlNO3, CoCl2 and NiCl2 were also strong inducing agents, giving a 4-6 fold induction at 10-100 microM after 4-8 h. ZnSO4, Hg(NO3)2 and AlCl3 were only weak inducers (1.5-2 fold at 50-100 microM after 4-8 h) of hsp70 mRNA. Cytotoxic effects (measured by release of lactate dehydrogenase) could only be detected for 100 microM Hg2+ after 4 h and when the cells were incubated with 5 microM Cd2+ for more than 8 h. We also tested a few combinations of these heavy metal salts for their hsp70-inducing ability. Zn2+ and Mn2+ were able to diminish Cd2+ induced hsp70 mRNA levels by 65%. Ag+ mediated induction was reduced by 40% when combined with Cu2+, whereas Hg2+ increased induction by Ag+ about 3-fold and led to a dramatic decrease in cell viability. In our study we were able to demonstrate that the analysis of hsp70 mRNA levels in chemically stressed HepG2 cells by RT-PCR can be a valuable tool for studying mechanisms of toxicity associated with elevated expression of hsp70.
 ...
PMID:Analysis of hsp70 mRNA levels in HepG2 cells exposed to various metals differing in toxicity. 982 Jun 63

The effect of 44 different metal ions (Ag+, Al3+, As(O-)2, Au3+, Ba2+, Be2+, Bi3+, Cd2+, Ce3+, CO2+, Cr(O2-)4, Cr3+, Cs+, Cu2+, Fe3+, Fe2+, Ga3+, Ge4+, Hg2+, Ir4+, La3+, Li+, Mn2+, MO6+, Ni2+, OS4+, Pb2+, Pt4+, Rb+, Rh3+, Sb5+, Se(O2-)4, Se(O2-)3, Sn2+, Sr2+, Th4+, T1+, U(O2+)2, V(O-)3, VO2+, W(O2-)4, Y3+, Zn2+, and Zr4+) on the activity of the reverse transcriptase (RT) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) was investigated in vitro. For this study, the RT activity assay was carried out by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, using the template/primer hybrid poly(A) oligo(dT)15, which required some modifications: (1) possible interfering metal chelators (such as EDTA) in the original lysis buffer were avoided, and a new buffer (50 mM Tris-NO3, pH 7.8) was used throughout; (2) an amount of 2 ng of RT per well was considered to be optimal after checking the linearity of the reaction with increasing amounts of enzyme; (3) an incubation temperature of 37 degrees C and an incubation time of 1 h were chosen after preliminary studies in a wide range of temperature and time. At an incubation temperature > or = 40 degrees C, there was a dramatic loss of enzymatic activity. In addition, when RT alone was preincubated for 1 h at 5 degrees C, 25 degrees C, and 37 degrees C, there was a large (83%) loss of activity at 37 C as compared to that at 5 degrees C. These results are indicative of enzyme thermolability, which is higher in the absence of substrates. The effect of metal ions on RT activity was tested using two different metal salt concentrations (10(-4) M and 10(-5) M). Under such experimental conditions, the presence of five metal ions (Pt4+, Ag+, Rh3+, Zn2+, and Hg2+) decreased the RT activity in a dose-response fashion. The observed order of effectiveness with respect to inhibition was Pt4+ > Ag+ > Rh3+ > Zn2+ = Hg2+. Estimated mean inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were 7.8 microM for (NH4)2PtCl6, 14.1 microM for AgNO3, 46.8 microM for RhCl3, 53.7 microM for Zn(SO)4, and 56.2 microM for Hg(NO3)2. Because these data are of the same order of magnitude as the corresponding values related to other RT inhibitors used in anti-AIDS therapy, metal compounds or their derivatives could give an interesting contribution in the development of new RT inhibitors for clinical use.
 ...
PMID:Effects of trace metal compounds on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase: an in vitro study. 1032 22

Copper zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) is an important enzyme for the detoxification of reactive oxygen species. Particularly in the central nervous system (CNS), reactive oxygen species are often associated with acute brain injuries and chronic neurodegeneration. It has been demonstrated in vivo that there is an inverse correlation between CuZnSOD activity and neuronal death after acute brain injury. To further understand the protective role of CuZnSOD upon neurons, we have generated transgenic mouse lines with targeted expression of the human CuZnSOD gene (SOD1) that is driven by a rat neuron-specific enolase gene promoter in neurons of the CNS. The transgenic SOD1 expression was restricted to the CNS identified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and SOD gel electrophoresis assays. The CuZnSOD activity was significantly increased in the brain stem of the transgenic mice. Immunostaining of human CuZnSOD activity showed that Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex were the most intensely stained neurons in the CNS of the transgenic mice.
 ...
PMID:Targeted expression of human CuZn superoxide dismutase gene in mouse central nervous system. 1047 83

Copper overload and deficiency are known to cause morphological and functional mitochondrial abnormalities. The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based method of differential display of mRNA was used to identify genes with altered expression in cultured human hepatoma cells (Hep G2) exposed to increasing concentrations of copper (0-100 microM, 24 h). Copper regulation of a cloned PCR product, identified as the gene for the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome b, was confirmed by Northern analysis and in situ hybridization. Copper toxicity increased cytochrome b mRNA abundance up to 3.6-fold, and copper chelation reduced it by 50%. Hepatic cytochrome b mRNA was also increased in rats fed a high-copper diet. Thapsigargin treatment resulted in a significant increase in cytochrome b mRNA, suggesting that an increase in intracellular calcium may be involved in the mechanism of copper action. Furthermore, although cyclohexamide (CHX) alone did not increase cytochrome b mRNA, the addition of CHX and copper resulted in a sixfold increase. These data suggest a role for cytochrome b in the response to increases or decreases in hepatic copper.
 ...
PMID:Regulation of mitochondrial cytochrome b mRNA by copper in cultured human hepatoma cells and rat liver. 1053 24

Some refractory anopheline mosquitoes are capable of killing Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, by melanotic encapsulation of invading ookinetes. Phenoloxidase (PO) appears to be involved in the formation of melanin and toxic metabolites in the surrounding capsule. A cDNA encoding Anopheles stephensi prophenoloxidase (Ans-proPO) was isolated from a cDNA library screened with an amplimer produced by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with degenerate primers designed against conserved proPO sequences. The 2.4-kb-long cDNA has a 2058 bp open reading frame encoding Ans-proPO of 686 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence shows significant homology to other insect proPO sequences especially at the two putative copper-binding domains. In A. stephensi, Ans-proPO expression was detected in larval, pupal and adult stages. The Ans-proPO mRNA was detected by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization in haemocytes, fat body and epidermis of adult female mosquitoes. A low level of expression was detected in the ovaries, whereas no expression was detected in the midguts. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis of Ans-proPO mRNA showed that its expression was similar in adult female heads, thoraxes and abdomens. No change in the level of Ans-proPO expression was found in adult females after blood feeding, bacterial challenge or Plasmodium berghei infection. However, elevated PO activity was detected in P. berghei-infected mosquitoes, suggesting that in non-selected permissive mosquitoes PO may be involved in limiting parasite infection. Genomic Southern blot and immunoblots suggest the presence of more than one proPO gene in the A. stephensi genome, which is consistent with the findings in other Diptera and Lepidoptera species. The greatest similarity in sequence and expression profile between Ans-proPO and A. gambiae proPO6 suggests that they might be homologues. Our results demonstrate that Ans-proPO is constitutively expressed through different developmental stages and under different physiological conditions, implying that other factors in the proPO activation cascade regulate melanotic encapsulation.
 ...
PMID:Molecular characterization of a prophenoloxidase cDNA from the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi. 1076 20

Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke has evolved populations with extremely high levels of copper tolerance. To evaluate the role of metallothioneins (MTs) in copper tolerance in S. vulgaris, we screened a cDNA library derived from a highly copper-tolerant population using Arabidopsis-based MT probes and identified an MT2b-like gene. When expressed in yeast, this gene, SvMT2b, restored cadmium and copper tolerance in different hypersensitive strains. Northern-blot analysis and quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR showed that plants from the copper-tolerant S. vulgaris populations had significantly higher transcript levels of SvMT2b than plants from the copper-sensitive populations, both in roots and shoots and with and without copper exposure. Southern-blot analysis suggested that the higher expression of the latter allele was caused by gene amplification. Segregating families of crosses between copper-sensitive and copper-tolerant plants exhibited a 1 to 3 segregation for SvMT2b expression. Allele-specific PCR showed that low-expression F(3) plants were homozygous for the allele inherited from the copper-sensitive parent, whereas high-expression plants possessed at least one allele from the tolerant parent. SvMT2b expression did not cosegregate with copper tolerance in crosses between sensitive and tolerant plants. However, a significant cosegregation with copper tolerance did occur in families derived from crosses between moderately tolerant F(3) plants with different SvMT2b genotypes. Thus, overexpression of SvMT2b conferred copper tolerance although only within the genetic background of a copper tolerant plant.
 ...
PMID:Enhanced copper tolerance in Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke populations from copper mines is associated with increased transcript levels of a 2b-type metallothionein gene. 1150 May 50

In this paper we describe the synthesis of new copper complexes with alpha-ketoglutaric acid thiosemicarbazone. The crystal structures of the two compounds: [Cu(H(2)ct)Cl](n) [(Cu(H(2)ct)Cl)(2)] (1) and [Cu(Hct)](n).3nH(2)O (2) (H(3)ct=alpha-ketoglutaric acid thiosemicarbazone) have been determined by X-ray and spectroscopic methods. In 1 two independent copper atoms are present. Cu(1), in a nitrogen- and oxygen-bridged polymer, is a six-coordinated (4+2), Cu(2), five coordinated (4+1), is a chlorine-bridged dimer. In 2 the copper atom presents a penta-coordination, polymeric chains form layers and the -CH(2)CH(2)COO(-) groups bridge copper atoms. In 1 a monodentate and in 2 a syn-anti bidentate bridging carboxylate are present. The biological properties of 1 and 2 and also of the free ligand (H(3)ct) were tested in vitro and compared on Friend erythroleukemia cells (FLC) and on human leukemia cell lines K562 and U937. On the FLC cells the free ligand does not inhibit cell growth, but increases the DNA synthesis; complex 1 inhibits cell proliferation and increases the DNA synthesis; complex 2 inhibits cell growth, but induces a decrement of DNA synthesis and increases the reverse transcriptase activity. Regarding the human cell lines, both complexes show proliferation inhibition through an apoptosis mechanism on cell line U937, while they have no effects on the K562 line.
 ...
PMID:Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of two new polymeric copper(II) complexes with alpha-ketoglutaric acid thiosemicarbazone. 1193 61


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next >>