Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:6.5.1.1 (DNA ligase)
 2,749 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The nucleotide sequence of 42090 bp of vaccinia virus strain WR is presented. The sequence includes the SalI L, F, G and I fragments and starts near the centre of the HindIII A fragment and extends rightwards towards the genomic terminus, finishing approximately 0.5 kb internal of the inverted terminal repeat (ITR). Translation of this region has identified 65 open reading frames (ORFs) of greater than 65 amino acids in length. Fifty-one of these which do not extensively overlap other larger ORFs have been subjected to further analysis; the other 14 are termed minor ORFs. In the rightmost 28.7 kb, the genes are, with one exception, transcribed towards the genomic terminus, similar to the arrangement of genes at the left end of the virus genome. Internal of this region the genes are expressed off either DNA strand but still predominately rightwards. ORFs are tightly packed with few intergenic non-coding regions of greater than 250 bp. Protein sequence comparisons have established a remarkably high number of homologies with entries in existing protein databases. Of these, DNA ligase, thymidylate kinase, two serine-threonine protein kinases, two serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins), two interleukin-1 receptor homologous and a discontinuous ORF related to tumour necrosis factor receptor have been reported. Other homologies include lectins, profilin, 3 beta-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, guanylate kinase, ankyrin and complement factor H. In addition, there are a number of polypeptides with predicted properties of membrane-associated, secretory or glyco-proteins. Twelve gene families are described here and elsewhere. There is considerable similarity between genes from the right and left end of the virus genome that may have arisen by terminal transposition events. Several differences from the corresponding region of vaccinia virus strain Copenhagen sequence are noted. Near the right terminus the sequences diverge completely, and internal of this there are multiple examples of deletion of short sequences (eight to 10 nucleotides) that lie within penta- or hexanucleotide direct repeats.
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PMID:Nucleotide sequence of 42 kbp of vaccinia virus strain WR from near the right inverted terminal repeat. 204 93

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of loss of central vision in the elderly. The formation of drusen, an extracellular, amorphous deposit of material on Bruch's membrane in the macula of the retina, occurs early in the course of the disease. Although some of the molecular components of drusen are known, there is no understanding of the cell biology that leads to the formation of drusen. We have previously demonstrated increased mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage and decreased DNA repair enzyme capabilities in the rodent RPE/choroid with age. In this study, we found that drusen in AMD donor eyes contain markers for autophagy and exosomes. Furthermore, these markers are also found in the region of Bruch's membrane in old mice. By in vitro modeling increased mtDNA damage induced by rotenone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I, in the RPE, we found that the phagocytic activity was not altered but that there were: 1) increased autophagic markers, 2) decreased lysosomal activity, 3) increased exocytotic activity and 4) release of chemoattractants. Exosomes released by the stressed RPE are coated with complement and can bind complement factor H, mutations of which are associated with AMD. We speculate that increased autophagy and the release of intracellular proteins via exosomes by the aged RPE may contribute to the formation of drusen. Molecular and cellular changes in the old RPE may underlie susceptibility to genetic mutations that are found in AMD patients and may be associated with the pathogenesis of AMD in the elderly.
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PMID:Autophagy and exosomes in the aged retinal pigment epithelium: possible relevance to drusen formation and age-related macular degeneration. 1912 16