Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.6 (RNA polymerase)
 34,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei has some hundred mini-chromosomes of 50-150 kb, which mainly consist of telomeric repeats, sub-telomeric repeats and internal 177-bp repeats. Their primary function seems to be to expand the repertoire of non-transcribed sub-telomeric variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes. Here we report that two of the smaller mini-chromosomes (55 and 60 kb) contain sequences homologous to the ribosomal RNA gene promoter region. We have targeted by homologous recombination the neomycin phosphotransferase (neo(r)) gene behind the promoter on the 55 kb chromosome and show that this promoter mediates the efficient synthesis of properly trans-spliced and polyadenylated neo mRNA. The resulting high resistance to G418 (a neo analogue) is stable in the absence of drug showing that mitotic segregation of this mini-chromosome is precise. Downstream of the transcription start the wild-type version of the ribosomal promoter is flanked by telomeric repeats. The absence of the sub-telomeric repeats found in other T.brucei chromosome ends suggests that the rDNA-telomeric junction has been formed by de novo addition of telomeric repeats to a broken chromosome end (healing). Our results provide a plausible explanation for the alpha-amanitin-resistant transcription of telomeric repeats in T.brucei reported by Rudenko and Van der Ploeg and they show that trypanosomes can efficiently use RNA polymerase I for the expression of sub-telomeric genes, supporting the notion that the alpha-amanitin-resistant transcription of sub-telomeric VSG genes may also be catalyzed by this enzyme.
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PMID:A ribosomal RNA gene promoter at the telomere of a mini-chromosome in Trypanosoma brucei. 131 72

The E1A region of the adenoviral genome, important for initiation of virus infection and activation of other viral genes, was chosen as a target for engineering antisense RNA (asRNA) to inhibit adenovirus 5 (Ad5) replication in COS-1 cell culture in vitro. The hsp70 promoter, taken from the appropriate heat-shock-protein gene of Drosophila melanogaster, and the VA-1 RNA promoter, derived from the Ad5 gene coding for low-molecular-mass VA-1 RNA and recognized by RNA polymerase III were used as regulatory elements of transcription. The two types of recombinant constructs contained E1A fragments of 710 bp (hsp70 constructs) or 380 or 740 bp (VA-1 RNA constructs) in reverse orientation relative to the promoter position, as well as a transcription termination signal, the SV40 ori, and the gene controlling Geneticin (antibiotic G418) resistance (G418R). After selection of transfected COS-1 cells in the presence of G418, a number of stable G418R cell lines were raised which expressed engineered asRNAs. Plating of Ad5 suspensions of known titre on monolayers of transfected COS-1 cells clearly showed strong inhibition of adenovirus replication by asRNAs: 75% with the hsp70 promoter and 90% with the VA-1 RNA promoter.
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PMID:Inhibition of adenovirus replication by the E1A antisense transcript initiated from hsp70 and VA-1 promoters. 215 50

A plasmid was constructed in which a T7 RNA polymerase promoter was placed upstream of a recombinant amphotropic retrovirus genome containing a selectable neomycin resistance gene. To test the infectivity of the RNA produced by T7 RNA polymerase in vitro, the RNA was microinjected into the nuclei of psi 2 packaging cells. Infectious particles conferring G418 resistance were released.
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PMID:In vitro synthesis of infectious retroviral RNA. 335 13

In order to reverse P-glycoprotein-mediated drug resistance in a specific manner, we designed two hammerhead ribozymes which can cleave the GUC sequence in codon 179 and 196 of MDR1 (PGY1) mRNA. The ribozymes were directly synthesized using a set of primers, one containing a bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase promoter. A target MDR1 RNA was created by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using a MOLT-3 human acute leukemia cell line resistant to trimetrexate (TMQ) (MOLT-3/TMQ800), which displayed MDR1 overexpression. In a cell-free system, both ribozymes cleaved a target piece of MDR1 RNA into 2 fragments at the specific sites at a physiological pH and temperature. The cleavage reaction was dependent on time, ribozyme:substrate ratio, and magnesium concentration. The 196 MDR1 ribozyme was more active than the 179 MDR1 ribozyme. The 196 MDR1 ribozyme was then cloned into a human expression vector, and MOLT-3/TMQ800 cells were transfected. The original MOLT-3/TMQ800 cells were nearly 700-fold resistant to vincristine, whereas the transfectant cells selected in G418 became only 20- to 30-fold resistant. The level of resistance and the amount of MDR1 RNA expressed appeared to correlate inversely with the amount of ribozyme expression. A disabled 196 MDR1 ribozyme was capable of neither specific cleavage in vitro nor decreasing MDR1 expression in transfectant cells. These results indicate that it was the ribozyme activity and not antisense activity which was responsible for decreased MDR1 RNA. This approach may be applicable to cancer patients as a specific means to reverse tumors with P-glycoprotein-mediated MDR phenotype back to a drug-sensitive one.
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PMID:Reversal of drug sensitivity in multidrug-resistant tumor cells by an MDR1 (PGY1) ribozyme. 811 16

In producing mutant mice by gene targeting in embryonic stem (ES) cells, the efficient isolation of the homologous recombinants is still a critical step. We previously reported on a negative selection using the diphtheria toxin A (DT-A) fragment gene for homologous recombinants (1). It was efficient but limited to gene loci expressed in ES cells. For wider applicability of this negative selection to many gene loci not expressed or expressed at low levels in ES cells, we exploited a novel targeting vector composed of a polyA-less neo gene, a mRNA destabilizing signal, a pausing signal for RNA polymerase II from the minute virus of mice, and the DT-A gene. There was about a 30-fold decrease in frequency of G418-resistant colonies with this strategy against that using only the neo gene in the vector, and homologous recombinants were obtained at frequencies of more than 1/50 among G418 resistant cells at fyn, csk, c-mos, and insulin receptor substrate-1 gene loci.
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PMID:A novel negative selection for homologous recombinants using diphtheria toxin A fragment gene. 825 Feb 58

The C-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II consists of tandem repeats of the consensus heptapeptide YSPTSPS. Deletion studies in tissue culture cells have indicated that the CTD plays an essential role in transcription, although the nature of this essential function remains unclear. About half of the CTD can be deleted without affecting the viability of cells in tissue culture. Paradoxically, the dispensable CTD repeats are precisely conserved among all mammals whose CTD sequences are known. To determine whether the mammalian CTD is important in transcription during mouse development, we developed a gene targeting approach to introduce deletions into the CTD coding region of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. To maintain a functional Rpo2-1 gene, the neo marker in the targeting vector was positioned outside of the Rpo2-1 transcribed region, 1.2 kb from the site of the CTD deletion. G418-resistant clones were screened for co-integration of the CTD deletion, and the resulting ES lines were used to create germline chimeric mice. Stable heterozygous lines were established and mated to produce animals homozygous for the CTD deletion. We show here that mice homozygous for a deletion of thirteen of the 52 heptapeptide repeats are smaller than wild-type littermates and have a high rate of neonatal lethality. Surviving adults, although small, appear morphologically normal and are fertile. This result suggests that the CTD plays a role in regulating growth during mammalian development. The gene targeting approach described here should be useful for making further deletions in the CTD and may be of general applicability where it is desirable to engineer specific mutations in the germline of mice.
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PMID:Growth retardation and neonatal lethality in mice with a homozygous deletion in the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. 1007 Dec 15

One of the underlying mechanisms of multidrug resistance (MDR) is cellular over-production of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which acts as a drug efflux pump. P-gp is encoded by a small group of related genes termed MDR; only MDR1 is known to confer drug resistance. To overcome P-gp-mediated drug resistance, we have developed two anti-MDR1 hammerhead ribozymes driven by the beta-actin promoter. Upon transduction of the ribozymes into MDR cells, vincristine resistance was decreased. These two ribozymes were constructed, which showed different cleavage activities. In this study, to determine suitable target sites for the anti-MDR1 ribozyme, the exon 1b-intron 1 boundary, the translation-initiation site, the intron 1-exon 2 boundary and the exon 2-intron 2 boundary, codons 179 and 196 of the MDR1 gene were selected as candidates. To improve the ribozyme activity, a retroviral vector containing RNA polymerase III promoter was used. Stable retrovirus producer cells were generated by transfecting the retroviral vector plasmids carrying the ribozyme into the packaging cell line. Retroviral vector transduction of human leukemia cell lines expressing MDR1 was accomplished by co-culturing these with virus producer cells. Stably transduced cells were selected by G418 and pooled to determine the efficacy of each ribozyme. These ribozyme-transduced cells became vincristine-sensitive concomitant with the decreases in MDR1 expression, P-gp amount and drug efflux pump function. Among the ribozymes tested, the anti-MDR1 ribozyme against the translation-initiation site exhibited the strongest efficacy. This retrovirus-mediated transfer of anti-MDR1 ribozyme may be applicable to the treatment of MDR cells as a specific means to reverse resistance.
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PMID:Retrovirus-mediated transfer of anti-MDR1 hammerhead ribozymes into multidrug-resistant human leukemia cells: screening for effective target sites. 1036 43

The hepatitis C virus RNA polymerase (NS5B) is strictly required for viral replication and thus represents an attractive target for antiviral drug development. In this study, stable HeLa cell lines with an integrated NS5B gene were selected by G418 and then confirmed by genome PCR. Subsequently, transcription and expression of the integrated NS5B genes were demonstrated by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Further analysis demonstrated enzymatic activity of the expressed NS5B polymerase. The stable HeLa cell lines should be useful for the identification of NS5B inhibitors and for studying the mechanisms of HCV replication.
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PMID:Establishment of stable HeLa cell lines expressing enzymatically active hepatitis C virus RNA polymerase. 1632 44

To improve the rescue efficiency of measles virus cDNA clone, the cell line that stably expressed the T7 RNA polymerase was established. Firstly, the T7 RNA polymerase gene was amplified by PCR and then the PCR product was inserted into pcDNA3 to obtain plasmid pcDNA3-T7. Vero cell was transfected with the plasmid and G418 was added to the cell 24h later to kill the cells without the plasmid. Western blotting analysis showed that the Vero/pcDNA3-T7 cell could express T7 RNA polymerase. To analyze the gene function of T7 RNA polymerase, the pT7IP-EGFP plasmid was transfected into the Vero/pcDNA3 T7 cell and EGFP was analized by fluorescence. The result suggested that T7 RNA polymerase expressed in the Vero/pcDNA3-T7 cell could transcribe the gene under control of the T7 promoter. Moreover, the minigenome PminiEGFP inserted reversely with report gene EGFP was established. After trans fection with the plasmid and infection with measles virus, EGFP was expressed, indicating the Vero/pcDNA3-T7 cell could rescue the minigenome.
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PMID:[Rescue of minireplicon by using the cell line stably expressing the T7 RNA polymerase]. 1789 37