Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.30.1 (S1 nuclease)
 3,660 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Two alternating purine-pyrimidine tracts flank the rat gene encoding the polypeptide hormone somatostatin. One lies 5' and one 3' to the gene; both consist of tandem repeats of the dinucleotide TG, with 25 repeats in the tract 5' and 15 in the tract 3' to the gene, and both are bordered on at least one edge by short repeated sequences. Characterization of supercoiled plasmids containing these sequences reveals that both form Z-DNA. Using S1 nuclease as a probe of DNA conformation we have investigated the fine structure of the Z-DNA and have shown: 1) that the entire Z-DNA segment as well as the single-stranded junctions flanking it is sensitive to S1 nuclease; 2) that the B-DNA/Z-DNA junction can be contained within the ends of the alternating purine-pyrimidine tract; and 3) that the sequences bordering the alternating purine-pyrimidine tracts affect the extent of Z-DNA propagation, sometimes as a result of their own apparently nonB-DNA conformation. We have also examined the published sequence of the human somatostatin gene (Shen, L.-P., and Rutter, W.J. (1984) Science 224, 168-171) for alternating purine-pyrimidine or potential Z-DNA-forming sequences and compared them to those present in the rat gene. We find that the human gene contains a 32-base pair alternating purine-pyrimidine sequence in an analogous position to the (TG)25 tract 5' to the rat gene, although the two sequences are not homologous. There are also six shorter alternating purine-pyrimidine elements 5' to the transcribed sequences which are positioned almost identically in the two genes with respect to the transcription initiation sites, although their sequences are not well conserved. We propose that the parallel placement of alternating purine-pyrimidine or potential Z-DNA-forming sequences 5' to the somatostatin genes from two species is a result of structural, in contrast to sequence, conservation. These observations suggest that the rat somatostatin gene may be a good model system for the investigation of the function of Z-DNA in the regulation of gene expression.
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PMID:Z-DNA in the rat somatostatin gene. 286 Nov 99

The total sequence of a 13,021 base-pair (bp) genomic fragment containing the rat L-type pyruvate kinase (L-PK) gene was determined by "shot gun" sequencing. This fragment includes 8360 bp of the L-PK gene, plus 3193 bp of the 5'-flanking and 1468 bp of the 3'-flanking regions. Like the chicken PK-M1 gene, the rat L-PK gene exhibits a fully conserved exon-intron structure, with 11 exons and 10 introns. In the chicken M1 gene, the coding sequences are well conserved (about 70%), in particular at the level of the exons implicated in the formation of PK active sites, exons that are also partially homologous to the corresponding sequences of the yeast gene. Various types of repetitive sequences exist in the L-PK gene, especially two ID (identifier) sequences located in the second intron and the 11th exon. Elements very similar to the "cyclic AMP-dependent regulatory element" recently described in the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and somatostatin genes are found in the sequenced fragment, but far upstream (-2338) and downstream (+5788) from the cap site. Various sequences homologous to described regulatory elements (glucocorticoid regulatory elements, enhancers, potential Z-DNA) are also observed 5' and 3' of the cap site. A comparison of the 5'-flanking region of the L-PK gene with the same regions of liver-specific or non-specific, cyclic-AMP-responsive or non-responsive genes was also made. It revealed various potentially interesting features that will be used to guide a further functional study. The cap site was determined by primer extension and nuclease S1 mapping using either mature mRNA or precursor RNA as templates. With both templates the start site of transcription appeared to be microheterogeneous, 19 to 14 bp before the ATG translation initiation codon.
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PMID:Structure of the rat L-type pyruvate kinase gene. 330 48

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been shown to participate in feedback inhibition of growth hormone (GH) secretion at the level of both the pituitary and hypothalamus. Therefore, we tested the possible involvement of IGF-I on somatostatin (SRIF) and GH-releasing factor (GRF) release in median eminence (ME) fragments and periventricular nucleus (PeN) of male rats. The levels of SRIF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) were also determined in PeN incubated in vitro with IGF-I. The ME's were incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate glucose buffer in the presence of various concentrations of IGF-I (10(-7) to 10(-11) M) for 30 min. SRIF and GRF released into the medium were quantitated by RIA. The release of SRIF and GRF from the ME's was stimulated significantly (P < 0.025 and P < 0.05, respectively) by 10(-9) M IGF-I. To determine whether the effect of IGF-I on SRIF release is mediated by GRF release in the ME, a specific GRF antibody (ab) (1:500) was used concomitantly with IGF-I (10(-9) M). The release of SRIF induced by IGF-I was blocked by the GRF ab (P < 0.001), but not by normal rabbit serum used at the same dilution. To determine the effect of IGF-I on the regulation of SRIF mRNA levels, SRIF mRNA was determined in PeN explants incubated in the presence of IGF-I (10(-8) to 10(-10) M) for 2 to 6 h. Levels of SRIF mRNA were determined by a S1 nuclease protection assay using a 32P-labelled rat SRIF riboprobe.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Insulin-like growth factor I modulates hypothalamic somatostatin through a growth hormone releasing factor increased somatostatin release and messenger ribonucleic acid levels. 790 98

Previous work has shown that growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) stimulates cGMP production and somatostatin [somatotropin (growth hormone)-release-inhibiting factor, SRIF] release without altering cAMP accumulation by fragments of median eminence incubated in vitro. Therefore, this study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of GRF and cGMP on SRIF mRNA and SRIF release in the periventricular nuclei of male rats in vitro. SRIF mRNA levels were determined in explants of periventricular nuclei incubated for 6 hr in Waymouth's medium in the presence of various substances. Steady-state levels of SRIF mRNA were measured by an S1 nuclease protection assay using a 32P-labeled rat SRIF RNA probe. SRIF release and cGMP formation were measured at 30 min and 6 hr by RIA. SRIF mRNA levels and SRIF release were significantly (P < 0.025) increased (approximately 2-fold) by 1 microM dibutyryl cGMP, whereas sodium butyrate had no effect. This augmentation was not influenced by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Sodium nitroprusside (10 microM), an activator of the guanylate cyclase pathway via its release of nitric oxide, augmented (P < 0.001) SRIF mRNA levels and significantly increased (P < 0.05) SRIF release. GRF (1 nM) increased SRIF mRNA (P < 0.001) and stimulated the release of SRIF at 30 min (P < 0.05) and 6 hr (P < 0.01). This stimulation was abolished by 10 microM NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), a specific inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, but not by NG-monomethyl-D-arginine (D-NMMA, the inactive isomer). GRF also increased cGMP formation. This effect was completely blocked by incubation with L-NMMA but not D-NMMA. These results indicate that GRF releases nitric oxide. The nitric oxide diffuses to the adjacent SRIF neurons, where it activates guanylate cyclase, leading to increased formation of cGMP. This cGMP increases SRIF mRNA and SRIF release in the periventricular nuclei of male rats.
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PMID:Growth hormone-releasing factor increases somatostatin release and mRNA levels in the rat periventricular nucleus via nitric oxide by activation of guanylate cyclase. 790 58

Growth hormone (GH) suppresses its own secretion by stimulating somatostatin (SRIF) release. Thus, the possible regulation of GH-releasing factor (GRF) and SRIF release and SRIF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) by GH was studied in the hypothalamus of male rats in vitro. The median eminences (ME's) were incubated in buffer containing 10(-7)-10(-11) M GH for 30 min. SRIF and GRF released into the medium were quantitated by RIA. The release of SRIF from ME fragments was significantly increased (P < 0.001) by 10(-9) M GH; however, 10(-9) M GH also inhibited (P < 0.01) GRF release from the ME. To determine the effect of GH on SRIF mRNA levels, periventricular nucleus (PeN) explants were cultured during 6 h in medium with 10(-7)-10(-11) M GH. Levels of SRIF mRNA (determined by an S1 nuclease protection assay) were significantly elevated in the presence of 10(-10)-10(-7) M GH. Likewise, 10(-9) M GH significantly stimulated SRIF release from PeN explants at 30 min and at 6 h. Surprisingly, 10(-9) M GH also significantly increased GRF release from the PeN explants at these times as well. This GRF was not responsible for the increased SRIF release or SRIF mRNA induced by GH since GRF antibody did not modify the GH-induced increases in SRIF release and mRNA levels. These results demonstrate a negative short-loop feedback of GH mediated at the ME by suppression of GRF and stimulation of SRIF release, whereas in the PeN GH increased both SRIF release and SRIF mRNA levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Growth hormone increases somatostatin release and messenger ribonucleic acid levels in the rat hypothalamus. 810 20

Growth hormone (GH) secretion from the pituitary is known to be under the dual control of GH-releasing factor (GRF) and somatostatin (SRIF). Hypothalamic SRIF, the major inhibitor of pituitary growth hormone secretion, inhibits its own release by a negative ultrashort-loop feedback mechanism. However, it is not known whether this negative regulation is mediated by inhibition of SRIF mRNA production. GRF may also inhibit its own release, thereby modifying pituitary GH secretion, possibly through an ultrashort-loop feedback mechanism. Thus, SRIF production and GRF release are both regulated by SRIF. Periventricular nucleus (PeN) and mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) from adult male rats were incubated for 6 h in Waymouth's medium with either SRIF or the SRIF agonist analog RC 160 (10(-9) to 10(-6) M). Levels of SRIF mRNA were determined by an S1 nuclease protection assay using a 32[P]-labeled rat SRIF riboprobe. SRIF (10(-7) M) and RC 160 (10(-8), 10(-7) M) significantly (p< or =0.01) decreased SRIF mRNA levels in the PeN. The levels of SRIF mRNA in the MBH were not modified by either SRIF or RC 160. SRIF (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) significantly (p < or = 0.01 and p < or = 0.001, respectively) inhibited the release of GRF at 30 min in the MBH. Likewise, the release of GRF was slightly decreased by 10(-7) M RC 160, and significantly inhibited by 10(-6) M (p < or = 0.001) at 30 min. At 6 h, the levels of GRF were significantly reduced by 10(-7) M SRIF (p < or = 0.05) and by RC 160 (10(-7), 10(-6) M; p < or = 0.001 and p < or = 0.05, respectively). In contrast with these results, the SRIF analog was unable to alter SRIF release at 30 min. At 6 h incubation, RC 160 (10(-7) M) significantly (p < or = 0.001) reduced SRIF release from MBH fragments. These results demonstrate that SRIF and a SRIF analog decrease SRIF mRNA levels in the PeN and inhibit the release of SRIF from the nerve terminals of the MBH. Thus, SRIF appears to regulate its own gene expression by negative ultrashort-loop feedback. Therefore, when SRIF is secreted from these neurons in response to GRF, it down-regulates the preceding stimulatory input as well as its own secretion.
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PMID:Somatostatin decreases somatostatin messenger ribonucleic acid levels in the rat periventricular nucleus. 986 65