Sample records for acid sequences allowed

  1. Dipeptide Sequence Determination: Analyzing Phenylthiohydantoin Amino Acids by HPLC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barton, Janice S.; Tang, Chung-Fei; Reed, Steven S.

    2000-02-01

    Amino acid composition and sequence determination, important techniques for characterizing peptides and proteins, are essential for predicting conformation and studying sequence alignment. This experiment presents improved, fundamental methods of sequence analysis for an upper-division biochemistry laboratory. Working in pairs, students use the Edman reagent to prepare phenylthiohydantoin derivatives of amino acids for determination of the sequence of an unknown dipeptide. With a single HPLC technique, students identify both the N-terminal amino acid and the composition of the dipeptide. This method yields good precision of retention times and allows use of a broad range of amino acids as components of the dipeptide. Students learn fundamental principles and techniques of sequence analysis and HPLC.

  2. Seq2Logo: a method for construction and visualization of amino acid binding motifs and sequence profiles including sequence weighting, pseudo counts and two-sided representation of amino acid enrichment and depletion

    PubMed Central

    Thomsen, Martin Christen Frølund; Nielsen, Morten

    2012-01-01

    Seq2Logo is a web-based sequence logo generator. Sequence logos are a graphical representation of the information content stored in a multiple sequence alignment (MSA) and provide a compact and highly intuitive representation of the position-specific amino acid composition of binding motifs, active sites, etc. in biological sequences. Accurate generation of sequence logos is often compromised by sequence redundancy and low number of observations. Moreover, most methods available for sequence logo generation focus on displaying the position-specific enrichment of amino acids, discarding the equally valuable information related to amino acid depletion. Seq2logo aims at resolving these issues allowing the user to include sequence weighting to correct for data redundancy, pseudo counts to correct for low number of observations and different logotype representations each capturing different aspects related to amino acid enrichment and depletion. Besides allowing input in the format of peptides and MSA, Seq2Logo accepts input as Blast sequence profiles, providing easy access for non-expert end-users to characterize and identify functionally conserved/variable amino acids in any given protein of interest. The output from the server is a sequence logo and a PSSM. Seq2Logo is available at http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/biotools/Seq2Logo (14 May 2012, date last accessed). PMID:22638583

  3. Composition for nucleic acid sequencing

    DOEpatents

    Korlach, Jonas [Ithaca, NY; Webb, Watt W [Ithaca, NY; Levene, Michael [Ithaca, NY; Turner, Stephen [Ithaca, NY; Craighead, Harold G [Ithaca, NY; Foquet, Mathieu [Ithaca, NY

    2008-08-26

    The present invention is directed to a method of sequencing a target nucleic acid molecule having a plurality of bases. In its principle, the temporal order of base additions during the polymerization reaction is measured on a molecule of nucleic acid, i.e. the activity of a nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme on the template nucleic acid molecule to be sequenced is followed in real time. The sequence is deduced by identifying which base is being incorporated into the growing complementary strand of the target nucleic acid by the catalytic activity of the nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme at each step in the sequence of base additions. A polymerase on the target nucleic acid molecule complex is provided in a position suitable to move along the target nucleic acid molecule and extend the oligonucleotide primer at an active site. A plurality of labelled types of nucleotide analogs are provided proximate to the active site, with each distinguishable type of nucleotide analog being complementary to a different nucleotide in the target nucleic acid sequence. The growing nucleic acid strand is extended by using the polymerase to add a nucleotide analog to the nucleic acid strand at the active site, where the nucleotide analog being added is complementary to the nucleotide of the target nucleic acid at the active site. The nucleotide analog added to the oligonucleotide primer as a result of the polymerizing step is identified. The steps of providing labelled nucleotide analogs, polymerizing the growing nucleic acid strand, and identifying the added nucleotide analog are repeated so that the nucleic acid strand is further extended and the sequence of the target nucleic acid is determined.

  4. Chip-based sequencing nucleic acids

    DOEpatents

    Beer, Neil Reginald

    2014-08-26

    A system for fast DNA sequencing by amplification of genetic material within microreactors, denaturing, demulsifying, and then sequencing the material, while retaining it in a PCR/sequencing zone by a magnetic field. One embodiment includes sequencing nucleic acids on a microchip that includes a microchannel flow channel in the microchip. The nucleic acids are isolated and hybridized to magnetic nanoparticles or to magnetic polystyrene-coated beads. Microreactor droplets are formed in the microchannel flow channel. The microreactor droplets containing the nucleic acids and the magnetic nanoparticles are retained in a magnetic trap in the microchannel flow channel and sequenced.

  5. Method for sequencing nucleic acid molecules

    DOEpatents

    Korlach, Jonas; Webb, Watt W.; Levene, Michael; Turner, Stephen; Craighead, Harold G.; Foquet, Mathieu

    2006-06-06

    The present invention is directed to a method of sequencing a target nucleic acid molecule having a plurality of bases. In its principle, the temporal order of base additions during the polymerization reaction is measured on a molecule of nucleic acid, i.e. the activity of a nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme on the template nucleic acid molecule to be sequenced is followed in real time. The sequence is deduced by identifying which base is being incorporated into the growing complementary strand of the target nucleic acid by the catalytic activity of the nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme at each step in the sequence of base additions. A polymerase on the target nucleic acid molecule complex is provided in a position suitable to move along the target nucleic acid molecule and extend the oligonucleotide primer at an active site. A plurality of labelled types of nucleotide analogs are provided proximate to the active site, with each distinguishable type of nucleotide analog being complementary to a different nucleotide in the target nucleic acid sequence. The growing nucleic acid strand is extended by using the polymerase to add a nucleotide analog to the nucleic acid strand at the active site, where the nucleotide analog being added is complementary to the nucleotide of the target nucleic acid at the active site. The nucleotide analog added to the oligonucleotide primer as a result of the polymerizing step is identified. The steps of providing labelled nucleotide analogs, polymerizing the growing nucleic acid strand, and identifying the added nucleotide analog are repeated so that the nucleic acid strand is further extended and the sequence of the target nucleic acid is determined.

  6. Method for sequencing nucleic acid molecules

    DOEpatents

    Korlach, Jonas; Webb, Watt W.; Levene, Michael; Turner, Stephen; Craighead, Harold G.; Foquet, Mathieu

    2006-05-30

    The present invention is directed to a method of sequencing a target nucleic acid molecule having a plurality of bases. In its principle, the temporal order of base additions during the polymerization reaction is measured on a molecule of nucleic acid, i.e. the activity of a nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme on the template nucleic acid molecule to be sequenced is followed in real time. The sequence is deduced by identifying which base is being incorporated into the growing complementary strand of the target nucleic acid by the catalytic activity of the nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme at each step in the sequence of base additions. A polymerase on the target nucleic acid molecule complex is provided in a position suitable to move along the target nucleic acid molecule and extend the oligonucleotide primer at an active site. A plurality of labelled types of nucleotide analogs are provided proximate to the active site, with each distinguishable type of nucleotide analog being complementary to a different nucleotide in the target nucleic acid sequence. The growing nucleic acid strand is extended by using the polymerase to add a nucleotide analog to the nucleic acid strand at the active site, where the nucleotide analog being added is complementary to the nucleotide of the target nucleic acid at the active site. The nucleotide analog added to the oligonucleotide primer as a result of the polymerizing step is identified. The steps of providing labelled nucleotide analogs, polymerizing the growing nucleic acid strand, and identifying the added nucleotide analog are repeated so that the nucleic acid strand is further extended and the sequence of the target nucleic acid is determined.

  7. WEB-server for search of a periodicity in amino acid and nucleotide sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    E Frenkel, F.; Skryabin, K. G.; Korotkov, E. V.

    2017-12-01

    A new web server (http://victoria.biengi.ac.ru/splinter/login.php) was designed and developed to search for periodicity in nucleotide and amino acid sequences. The web server operation is based upon a new mathematical method of searching for multiple alignments, which is founded on the position weight matrices optimization, as well as on implementation of the two-dimensional dynamic programming. This approach allows the construction of multiple alignments of the indistinctly similar amino acid and nucleotide sequences that accumulated more than 1.5 substitutions per a single amino acid or a nucleotide without performing the sequences paired comparisons. The article examines the principles of the web server operation and two examples of studying amino acid and nucleotide sequences, as well as information that could be obtained using the web server.

  8. Method for identifying and quantifying nucleic acid sequence aberrations

    DOEpatents

    Lucas, Joe N.; Straume, Tore; Bogen, Kenneth T.

    1998-01-01

    A method for detecting nucleic acid sequence aberrations by detecting nucleic acid sequences having both a first and a second nucleic acid sequence type, the presence of the first and second sequence type on the same nucleic acid sequence indicating the presence of a nucleic acid sequence aberration. The method uses a first hybridization probe which includes a nucleic acid sequence that is complementary to a first sequence type and a first complexing agent capable of attaching to a second complexing agent and a second hybridization probe which includes a nucleic acid sequence that selectively hybridizes to the second nucleic acid sequence type over the first sequence type and includes a detectable marker for detecting the second hybridization probe.

  9. Method for identifying and quantifying nucleic acid sequence aberrations

    DOEpatents

    Lucas, J.N.; Straume, T.; Bogen, K.T.

    1998-07-21

    A method is disclosed for detecting nucleic acid sequence aberrations by detecting nucleic acid sequences having both a first and a second nucleic acid sequence type, the presence of the first and second sequence type on the same nucleic acid sequence indicating the presence of a nucleic acid sequence aberration. The method uses a first hybridization probe which includes a nucleic acid sequence that is complementary to a first sequence type and a first complexing agent capable of attaching to a second complexing agent and a second hybridization probe which includes a nucleic acid sequence that selectively hybridizes to the second nucleic acid sequence type over the first sequence type and includes a detectable marker for detecting the second hybridization probe. 11 figs.

  10. Solid phase sequencing of double-stranded nucleic acids

    DOEpatents

    Fu, Dong-Jing; Cantor, Charles R.; Koster, Hubert; Smith, Cassandra L.

    2002-01-01

    This invention relates to methods for detecting and sequencing of target double-stranded nucleic acid sequences, to nucleic acid probes and arrays of probes useful in these methods, and to kits and systems which contain these probes. Useful methods involve hybridizing the nucleic acids or nucleic acids which represent complementary or homologous sequences of the target to an array of nucleic acid probes. These probe comprise a single-stranded portion, an optional double-stranded portion and a variable sequence within the single-stranded portion. The molecular weights of the hybridized nucleic acids of the set can be determined by mass spectroscopy, and the sequence of the target determined from the molecular weights of the fragments. Nucleic acids whose sequences can be determined include nucleic acids in biological samples such as patient biopsies and environmental samples. Probes may be fixed to a solid support such as a hybridization chip to facilitate automated determination of molecular weights and identification of the target sequence.

  11. Nucleic and Amino Acid Sequences Support Structure-Based Viral Classification.

    PubMed

    Sinclair, Robert M; Ravantti, Janne J; Bamford, Dennis H

    2017-04-15

    Viral capsids ensure viral genome integrity by protecting the enclosed nucleic acids. Interactions between the genome and capsid and between individual capsid proteins (i.e., capsid architecture) are intimate and are expected to be characterized by strong evolutionary conservation. For this reason, a capsid structure-based viral classification has been proposed as a way to bring order to the viral universe. The seeming lack of sufficient sequence similarity to reproduce this classification has made it difficult to reject structural convergence as the basis for the classification. We reinvestigate whether the structure-based classification for viral coat proteins making icosahedral virus capsids is in fact supported by previously undetected sequence similarity. Since codon choices can influence nascent protein folding cotranslationally, we searched for both amino acid and nucleotide sequence similarity. To demonstrate the sensitivity of the approach, we identify a candidate gene for the pandoravirus capsid protein. We show that the structure-based classification is strongly supported by amino acid and also nucleotide sequence similarities, suggesting that the similarities are due to common descent. The correspondence between structure-based and sequence-based analyses of the same proteins shown here allow them to be used in future analyses of the relationship between linear sequence information and macromolecular function, as well as between linear sequence and protein folds. IMPORTANCE Viral capsids protect nucleic acid genomes, which in turn encode capsid proteins. This tight coupling of protein shell and nucleic acids, together with strong functional constraints on capsid protein folding and architecture, leads to the hypothesis that capsid protein-coding nucleotide sequences may retain signatures of ancient viral evolution. We have been able to show that this is indeed the case, using the major capsid proteins of viruses forming icosahedral capsids. Importantly

  12. Nucleic and Amino Acid Sequences Support Structure-Based Viral Classification

    PubMed Central

    Sinclair, Robert M.; Ravantti, Janne J.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Viral capsids ensure viral genome integrity by protecting the enclosed nucleic acids. Interactions between the genome and capsid and between individual capsid proteins (i.e., capsid architecture) are intimate and are expected to be characterized by strong evolutionary conservation. For this reason, a capsid structure-based viral classification has been proposed as a way to bring order to the viral universe. The seeming lack of sufficient sequence similarity to reproduce this classification has made it difficult to reject structural convergence as the basis for the classification. We reinvestigate whether the structure-based classification for viral coat proteins making icosahedral virus capsids is in fact supported by previously undetected sequence similarity. Since codon choices can influence nascent protein folding cotranslationally, we searched for both amino acid and nucleotide sequence similarity. To demonstrate the sensitivity of the approach, we identify a candidate gene for the pandoravirus capsid protein. We show that the structure-based classification is strongly supported by amino acid and also nucleotide sequence similarities, suggesting that the similarities are due to common descent. The correspondence between structure-based and sequence-based analyses of the same proteins shown here allow them to be used in future analyses of the relationship between linear sequence information and macromolecular function, as well as between linear sequence and protein folds. IMPORTANCE Viral capsids protect nucleic acid genomes, which in turn encode capsid proteins. This tight coupling of protein shell and nucleic acids, together with strong functional constraints on capsid protein folding and architecture, leads to the hypothesis that capsid protein-coding nucleotide sequences may retain signatures of ancient viral evolution. We have been able to show that this is indeed the case, using the major capsid proteins of viruses forming icosahedral capsids

  13. NullSeq: A Tool for Generating Random Coding Sequences with Desired Amino Acid and GC Contents.

    PubMed

    Liu, Sophia S; Hockenberry, Adam J; Lancichinetti, Andrea; Jewett, Michael C; Amaral, Luís A N

    2016-11-01

    The existence of over- and under-represented sequence motifs in genomes provides evidence of selective evolutionary pressures on biological mechanisms such as transcription, translation, ligand-substrate binding, and host immunity. In order to accurately identify motifs and other genome-scale patterns of interest, it is essential to be able to generate accurate null models that are appropriate for the sequences under study. While many tools have been developed to create random nucleotide sequences, protein coding sequences are subject to a unique set of constraints that complicates the process of generating appropriate null models. There are currently no tools available that allow users to create random coding sequences with specified amino acid composition and GC content for the purpose of hypothesis testing. Using the principle of maximum entropy, we developed a method that generates unbiased random sequences with pre-specified amino acid and GC content, which we have developed into a python package. Our method is the simplest way to obtain maximally unbiased random sequences that are subject to GC usage and primary amino acid sequence constraints. Furthermore, this approach can easily be expanded to create unbiased random sequences that incorporate more complicated constraints such as individual nucleotide usage or even di-nucleotide frequencies. The ability to generate correctly specified null models will allow researchers to accurately identify sequence motifs which will lead to a better understanding of biological processes as well as more effective engineering of biological systems.

  14. Detection of nucleic acid sequences by invader-directed cleavage

    DOEpatents

    Brow, Mary Ann D.; Hall, Jeff Steven Grotelueschen; Lyamichev, Victor; Olive, David Michael; Prudent, James Robert

    1999-01-01

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The 5' nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof. The present invention further relates to methods and devices for the separation of nucleic acid molecules based by charge.

  15. 37 CFR 1.824 - Form and format for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence submissions in computer readable form.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Form and format for... And/or Amino Acid Sequences § 1.824 Form and format for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence... Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text. No other formats shall be allowed. (3) The computer...

  16. Methods and compositions for efficient nucleic acid sequencing

    DOEpatents

    Drmanac, Radoje

    2006-07-04

    Disclosed are novel methods and compositions for rapid and highly efficient nucleic acid sequencing based upon hybridization with two sets of small oligonucleotide probes of known sequences. Extremely large nucleic acid molecules, including chromosomes and non-amplified RNA, may be sequenced without prior cloning or subcloning steps. The methods of the invention also solve various current problems associated with sequencing technology such as, for example, high noise to signal ratios and difficult discrimination, attaching many nucleic acid fragments to a surface, preparing many, longer or more complex probes and labelling more species.

  17. Methods and compositions for efficient nucleic acid sequencing

    DOEpatents

    Drmanac, Radoje

    2002-01-01

    Disclosed are novel methods and compositions for rapid and highly efficient nucleic acid sequencing based upon hybridization with two sets of small oligonucleotide probes of known sequences. Extremely large nucleic acid molecules, including chromosomes and non-amplified RNA, may be sequenced without prior cloning or subcloning steps. The methods of the invention also solve various current problems associated with sequencing technology such as, for example, high noise to signal ratios and difficult discrimination, attaching many nucleic acid fragments to a surface, preparing many, longer or more complex probes and labelling more species.

  18. CDSbank: taxonomy-aware extraction, selection, renaming and formatting of protein-coding DNA or amino acid sequences.

    PubMed

    Hazes, Bart

    2014-02-28

    Protein-coding DNA sequences and their corresponding amino acid sequences are routinely used to study relationships between sequence, structure, function, and evolution. The rapidly growing size of sequence databases increases the power of such comparative analyses but it makes it more challenging to prepare high quality sequence data sets with control over redundancy, quality, completeness, formatting, and labeling. Software tools for some individual steps in this process exist but manual intervention remains a common and time consuming necessity. CDSbank is a database that stores both the protein-coding DNA sequence (CDS) and amino acid sequence for each protein annotated in Genbank. CDSbank also stores Genbank feature annotation, a flag to indicate incomplete 5' and 3' ends, full taxonomic data, and a heuristic to rank the scientific interest of each species. This rich information allows fully automated data set preparation with a level of sophistication that aims to meet or exceed manual processing. Defaults ensure ease of use for typical scenarios while allowing great flexibility when needed. Access is via a free web server at http://hazeslab.med.ualberta.ca/CDSbank/. CDSbank presents a user-friendly web server to download, filter, format, and name large sequence data sets. Common usage scenarios can be accessed via pre-programmed default choices, while optional sections give full control over the processing pipeline. Particular strengths are: extract protein-coding DNA sequences just as easily as amino acid sequences, full access to taxonomy for labeling and filtering, awareness of incomplete sequences, and the ability to take one protein sequence and extract all synonymous CDS or identical protein sequences in other species. Finally, CDSbank can also create labeled property files to, for instance, annotate or re-label phylogenetic trees.

  19. Ion Torren Semiconductor Sequencing Allows Rapid, Low Cost Sequencing of the Human Exome (7th Annual SFAF Meeting, 2012)

    ScienceCinema

    Jenkins, David

    2018-01-10

    David Jenkins on "Ion Torrent semiconductor sequencing allows rapid, low-cost sequencing of the human exome" at the 2012 Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future Meeting held June 5-7, 2012 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

  20. Ion Torren Semiconductor Sequencing Allows Rapid, Low Cost Sequencing of the Human Exome (7th Annual SFAF Meeting, 2012)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jenkins, David

    David Jenkins on "Ion Torrent semiconductor sequencing allows rapid, low-cost sequencing of the human exome" at the 2012 Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future Meeting held June 5-7, 2012 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

  1. 77 FR 65537 - Requirements for Patent Applications Containing Nucleotide Sequence and/or Amino Acid Sequence...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office Requirements for Patent Applications Containing Nucleotide Sequence and/or Amino Acid Sequence Disclosures ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request... Patent applications that contain nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures must include a copy of...

  2. High speed nucleic acid sequencing

    DOEpatents

    Korlach, Jonas [Ithaca, NY; Webb, Watt W [Ithaca, NY; Levene, Michael [Ithaca, NY; Turner, Stephen [Ithaca, NY; Craighead, Harold G [Ithaca, NY; Foquet, Mathieu [Ithaca, NY

    2011-05-17

    The present invention is directed to a method of sequencing a target nucleic acid molecule having a plurality of bases. In its principle, the temporal order of base additions during the polymerization reaction is measured on a molecule of nucleic acid. Each type of labeled nucleotide comprises an acceptor fluorophore attached to a phosphate portion of the nucleotide such that the fluorophore is removed upon incorporation into a growing strand. Fluorescent signal is emitted via fluorescent resonance energy transfer between the donor fluorophore and the acceptor fluorophore as each nucleotide is incorporated into the growing strand. The sequence is deduced by identifying which base is being incorporated into the growing strand.

  3. Kit for detecting nucleic acid sequences using competitive hybridization probes

    DOEpatents

    Lucas, Joe N.; Straume, Tore; Bogen, Kenneth T.

    2001-01-01

    A kit is provided for detecting a target nucleic acid sequence in a sample, the kit comprising: a first hybridization probe which includes a nucleic acid sequence that is sufficiently complementary to selectively hybridize to a first portion of the target sequence, the first hybridization probe including a first complexing agent for forming a binding pair with a second complexing agent; and a second hybridization probe which includes a nucleic acid sequence that is sufficiently complementary to selectively hybridize to a second portion of the target sequence to which the first hybridization probe does not selectively hybridize, the second hybridization probe including a detectable marker; a third hybridization probe which includes a nucleic acid sequence that is sufficiently complementary to selectively hybridize to a first portion of the target sequence, the third hybridization probe including the same detectable marker as the second hybridization probe; and a fourth hybridization probe which includes a nucleic acid sequence that is sufficiently complementary to selectively hybridize to a second portion of the target sequence to which the third hybridization probe does not selectively hybridize, the fourth hybridization probe including the first complexing agent for forming a binding pair with the second complexing agent; wherein the first and second hybridization probes are capable of simultaneously hybridizing to the target sequence and the third and fourth hybridization probes are capable of simultaneously hybridizing to the target sequence, the detectable marker is not present on the first or fourth hybridization probes and the first, second, third, and fourth hybridization probes each include a competitive nucleic acid sequence which is sufficiently complementary to a third portion of the target sequence that the competitive sequences of the first, second, third, and fourth hybridization probes compete with each other to hybridize to the third portion of the

  4. Hybridization and sequencing of nucleic acids using base pair mismatches

    DOEpatents

    Fodor, Stephen P. A.; Lipshutz, Robert J.; Huang, Xiaohua

    2001-01-01

    Devices and techniques for hybridization of nucleic acids and for determining the sequence of nucleic acids. Arrays of nucleic acids are formed by techniques, preferably high resolution, light-directed techniques. Positions of hybridization of a target nucleic acid are determined by, e.g., epifluorescence microscopy. Devices and techniques are proposed to determine the sequence of a target nucleic acid more efficiently and more quickly through such synthesis and detection techniques.

  5. Mouse Vk gene classification by nucleic acid sequence similarity.

    PubMed

    Strohal, R; Helmberg, A; Kroemer, G; Kofler, R

    1989-01-01

    Analyses of immunoglobulin (Ig) variable (V) region gene usage in the immune response, estimates of V gene germline complexity, and other nucleic acid hybridization-based studies depend on the extent to which such genes are related (i.e., sequence similarity) and their organization in gene families. While mouse Igh heavy chain V region (VH) gene families are relatively well-established, a corresponding systematic classification of Igk light chain V region (Vk) genes has not been reported. The present analysis, in the course of which we reviewed the known extent of the Vk germline gene repertoire and Vk gene usage in a variety of responses to foreign and self antigens, provides a classification of mouse Vk genes in gene families composed of members with greater than 80% overall nucleic acid sequence similarity. This classification differed in several aspects from that of VH genes: only some Vk gene families were as clearly separated (by greater than 25% sequence dissimilarity) as typical VH gene families; most Vk gene families were closely related and, in several instances, members from different families were very similar (greater than 80%) over large sequence portions; frequently, classification by nucleic acid sequence similarity diverged from existing classifications based on amino-terminal protein sequence similarity. Our data have implications for Vk gene analyses by nucleic acid hybridization and describe potentially important differences in sequence organization between VH and Vk genes.

  6. Ultra high-throughput nucleic acid sequencing as a tool for virus discovery in the turkey gut.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Recently, the use of the next generation of nucleic acid sequencing technology (i.e., 454 pyrosequencing, as developed by Roche/454 Life Sciences) has allowed an in-depth look at the uncultivated microorganisms present in complex environmental samples, including samples with agricultural importance....

  7. The amino acid sequence of Staphylococcus aureus penicillinase.

    PubMed Central

    Ambler, R P

    1975-01-01

    The amino acid sequence of the penicillinase (penicillin amido-beta-lactamhydrolase, EC 3.5.2.6) from Staphylococcus aureus strain PC1 was determined. The protein consists of a single polypeptide chain of 257 residues, and the sequence was determined by characterization of tryptic, chymotryptic, peptic and CNBr peptides, with some additional evidence from thermolysin and S. aureus proteinase peptides. A mistake in the preliminary report of the sequence is corrected; residues 113-116 are now thought to be -Lys-Lys-Val-Lys- rather than -Lys-Val-Lys-Lys-. Detailed evidence for the amino acid sequence has been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50056 (91 pages) at the British Library (Lending Division), Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies may be obtained on the terms given in Biochem. J. (1975) 145, 5. PMID:1218078

  8. Detection and isolation of nucleic acid sequences using competitive hybridization probes

    DOEpatents

    Lucas, Joe N.; Straume, Tore; Bogen, Kenneth T.

    1997-01-01

    A method for detecting a target nucleic acid sequence in a sample is provided using hybridization probes which competitively hybridize to a target nucleic acid. According to the method, a target nucleic acid sequence is hybridized to first and second hybridization probes which are complementary to overlapping portions of the target nucleic acid sequence, the first hybridization probe including a first complexing agent capable of forming a binding pair with a second complexing agent and the second hybridization probe including a detectable marker. The first complexing agent attached to the first hybridization probe is contacted with a second complexing agent, the second complexing agent being attached to a solid support such that when the first and second complexing agents are attached, target nucleic acid sequences hybridized to the first hybridization probe become immobilized on to the solid support. The immobilized target nucleic acids are then separated and detected by detecting the detectable marker attached to the second hybridization probe. A kit for performing the method is also provided.

  9. Detection and isolation of nucleic acid sequences using competitive hybridization probes

    DOEpatents

    Lucas, J.N.; Straume, T.; Bogen, K.T.

    1997-04-01

    A method for detecting a target nucleic acid sequence in a sample is provided using hybridization probes which competitively hybridize to a target nucleic acid. According to the method, a target nucleic acid sequence is hybridized to first and second hybridization probes which are complementary to overlapping portions of the target nucleic acid sequence, the first hybridization probe including a first complexing agent capable of forming a binding pair with a second complexing agent and the second hybridization probe including a detectable marker. The first complexing agent attached to the first hybridization probe is contacted with a second complexing agent, the second complexing agent being attached to a solid support such that when the first and second complexing agents are attached, target nucleic acid sequences hybridized to the first hybridization probe become immobilized on to the solid support. The immobilized target nucleic acids are then separated and detected by detecting the detectable marker attached to the second hybridization probe. A kit for performing the method is also provided. 7 figs.

  10. Amino acid sequence of the human fibronectin receptor

    PubMed Central

    1987-01-01

    The amino acid sequence deduced from cDNA of the human placental fibronectin receptor is reported. The receptor is composed of two subunits: an alpha subunit of 1,008 amino acids which is processed into two polypeptides disulfide bonded to one another, and a beta subunit of 778 amino acids. Each subunit has near its COOH terminus a hydrophobic segment. This and other sequence features suggest a structure for the receptor in which the hydrophobic segments serve as transmembrane domains anchoring each subunit to the membrane and dividing each into a large ectodomain and a short cytoplasmic domain. The alpha subunit ectodomain has five sequence elements homologous to consensus Ca2+- binding sites of several calcium-binding proteins, and the beta subunit contains a fourfold repeat strikingly rich in cysteine. The alpha subunit sequence is 46% homologous to the alpha subunit of the vitronectin receptor. The beta subunit is 44% homologous to the human platelet adhesion receptor subunit IIIa and 47% homologous to a leukocyte adhesion receptor beta subunit. The high degree of homology (85%) of the beta subunit with one of the polypeptides of a chicken adhesion receptor complex referred to as integrin complex strongly suggests that the latter polypeptide is the chicken homologue of the fibronectin receptor beta subunit. These receptor subunit homologies define a superfamily of adhesion receptors. The availability of the entire protein sequence for the fibronectin receptor will facilitate studies on the functions of these receptors. PMID:2958481

  11. Phenolic acid esterases, coding sequences and methods

    DOEpatents

    Blum, David L.; Kataeva, Irina; Li, Xin-Liang; Ljungdahl, Lars G.

    2002-01-01

    Described herein are four phenolic acid esterases, three of which correspond to domains of previously unknown function within bacterial xylanases, from XynY and XynZ of Clostridium thermocellum and from a xylanase of Ruminococcus. The fourth specifically exemplified xylanase is a protein encoded within the genome of Orpinomyces PC-2. The amino acids of these polypeptides and nucleotide sequences encoding them are provided. Recombinant host cells, expression vectors and methods for the recombinant production of phenolic acid esterases are also provided.

  12. Identification of random nucleic acid sequence aberrations using dual capture probes which hybridize to different chromosome regions

    DOEpatents

    Lucas, Joe N.; Straume, Tore; Bogen, Kenneth T.

    1998-01-01

    A method is provided for detecting nucleic acid sequence aberrations using two immobilization steps. According to the method, a nucleic acid sequence aberration is detected by detecting nucleic acid sequences having both a first nucleic acid sequence type (e.g., from a first chromosome) and a second nucleic acid sequence type (e.g., from a second chromosome), the presence of the first and the second nucleic acid sequence type on the same nucleic acid sequence indicating the presence of a nucleic acid sequence aberration. In the method, immobilization of a first hybridization probe is used to isolate a first set of nucleic acids in the sample which contain the first nucleic acid sequence type. Immobilization of a second hybridization probe is then used to isolate a second set of nucleic acids from within the first set of nucleic acids which contain the second nucleic acid sequence type. The second set of nucleic acids are then detected, their presence indicating the presence of a nucleic acid sequence aberration.

  13. Homology analyses of the protein sequences of fatty acid synthases from chicken liver, rat mammary gland, and yeast

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chang, Soo-Ik; Hammes, G.G.

    1989-11-01

    Homology analyses of the protein sequences of chicken liver and rat mammary gland fatty acid synthases were carried out. The amino acid sequences of the chicken and rat enzymes are 67% identical. If conservative substitutions are allowed, 78% of the amino acids are matched. A region of low homologies exists between the functional domains, in particular around amino acid residues 1059-1264 of the chicken enzyme. Homologies between the active sites of chicken and rat and of chicken and yeast enzymes have been analyzed by an alignment method. A high degree of homology exists between the active sites of the chickenmore » and rat enzymes. However, the chicken and yeast enzymes show a lower degree of homology. The DADPH-binding dinucleotide folds of the {beta}-ketoacyl reductase and the enoyl reductase sites were identified by comparison with a known consensus sequence for the DADP- and FAD-binding dinucleotide folds. The active sites of all of the enzymes are primarily in hydrophobic regions of the protein. This study suggests that the genes for the functional domains of fatty acid synthase were originally separated, and these genes were connected to each other by using different connecting nucleotide sequences in different species. An alternative explanation for the differences in rat and chicken is a common ancestry and mutations in the joining regions during evolution.« less

  14. Identification of random nucleic acid sequence aberrations using dual capture probes which hybridize to different chromosome regions

    DOEpatents

    Lucas, J.N.; Straume, T.; Bogen, K.T.

    1998-03-24

    A method is provided for detecting nucleic acid sequence aberrations using two immobilization steps. According to the method, a nucleic acid sequence aberration is detected by detecting nucleic acid sequences having both a first nucleic acid sequence type (e.g., from a first chromosome) and a second nucleic acid sequence type (e.g., from a second chromosome), the presence of the first and the second nucleic acid sequence type on the same nucleic acid sequence indicating the presence of a nucleic acid sequence aberration. In the method, immobilization of a first hybridization probe is used to isolate a first set of nucleic acids in the sample which contain the first nucleic acid sequence type. Immobilization of a second hybridization probe is then used to isolate a second set of nucleic acids from within the first set of nucleic acids which contain the second nucleic acid sequence type. The second set of nucleic acids are then detected, their presence indicating the presence of a nucleic acid sequence aberration. 14 figs.

  15. A robust and cost-effective approach to sequence and analyze complete genomes of small RNA viruses

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Background: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows ultra-deep sequencing of nucleic acids. The use of sequence-independent amplification of viral nucleic acids without utilization of target-specific primers provides advantages over traditional sequencing methods and allows detection of unsuspected ...

  16. Complete amino acid sequence of bovine colostrum low-Mr cysteine proteinase inhibitor.

    PubMed

    Hirado, M; Tsunasawa, S; Sakiyama, F; Niinobe, M; Fujii, S

    1985-07-01

    The complete amino acid sequence of bovine colostrum cysteine proteinase inhibitor was determined by sequencing native inhibitor and peptides obtained by cyanogen bromide degradation, Achromobacter lysylendopeptidase digestion and partial acid hydrolysis of reduced and S-carboxymethylated protein. Achromobacter peptidase digestion was successfully used to isolate two disulfide-containing peptides. The inhibitor consists of 112 amino acids with an Mr of 12787. Two disulfide bonds were established between Cys 66 and Cys 77 and between Cys 90 and Cys 110. A high degree of homology in the sequence was found between the colostrum inhibitor and human gamma-trace, human salivary acidic protein and chicken egg-white cystatin.

  17. Nucleic acid sequence detection using multiplexed oligonucleotide PCR

    DOEpatents

    Nolan, John P [Santa Fe, NM; White, P Scott [Los Alamos, NM

    2006-12-26

    Methods for rapidly detecting single or multiple sequence alleles in a sample nucleic acid are described. Provided are all of the oligonucleotide pairs capable of annealing specifically to a target allele and discriminating among possible sequences thereof, and ligating to each other to form an oligonucleotide complex when a particular sequence feature is present (or, alternatively, absent) in the sample nucleic acid. The design of each oligonucleotide pair permits the subsequent high-level PCR amplification of a specific amplicon when the oligonucleotide complex is formed, but not when the oligonucleotide complex is not formed. The presence or absence of the specific amplicon is used to detect the allele. Detection of the specific amplicon may be achieved using a variety of methods well known in the art, including without limitation, oligonucleotide capture onto DNA chips or microarrays, oligonucleotide capture onto beads or microspheres, electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry. Various labels and address-capture tags may be employed in the amplicon detection step of multiplexed assays, as further described herein.

  18. fCCAC: functional canonical correlation analysis to evaluate covariance between nucleic acid sequencing datasets.

    PubMed

    Madrigal, Pedro

    2017-03-01

    Computational evaluation of variability across DNA or RNA sequencing datasets is a crucial step in genomic science, as it allows both to evaluate reproducibility of biological or technical replicates, and to compare different datasets to identify their potential correlations. Here we present fCCAC, an application of functional canonical correlation analysis to assess covariance of nucleic acid sequencing datasets such as chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq). We show how this method differs from other measures of correlation, and exemplify how it can reveal shared covariance between histone modifications and DNA binding proteins, such as the relationship between the H3K4me3 chromatin mark and its epigenetic writers and readers. An R/Bioconductor package is available at http://bioconductor.org/packages/fCCAC/ . pmb59@cam.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  19. Detection and isolation of nucleic acid sequences using a bifunctional hybridization probe

    DOEpatents

    Lucas, Joe N.; Straume, Tore; Bogen, Kenneth T.

    2000-01-01

    A method for detecting and isolating a target sequence in a sample of nucleic acids is provided using a bifunctional hybridization probe capable of hybridizing to the target sequence that includes a detectable marker and a first complexing agent capable of forming a binding pair with a second complexing agent. A kit is also provided for detecting a target sequence in a sample of nucleic acids using a bifunctional hybridization probe according to this method.

  20. The VirusBanker database uses a Java program to allow flexible searching through Bunyaviridae sequences.

    PubMed

    Fourment, Mathieu; Gibbs, Mark J

    2008-02-05

    Viruses of the Bunyaviridae have segmented negative-stranded RNA genomes and several of them cause significant disease. Many partial sequences have been obtained from the segments so that GenBank searches give complex results. Sequence databases usually use HTML pages to mediate remote sorting, but this approach can be limiting and may discourage a user from exploring a database. The VirusBanker database contains Bunyaviridae sequences and alignments and is presented as two spreadsheets generated by a Java program that interacts with a MySQL database on a server. Sequences are displayed in rows and may be sorted using information that is displayed in columns and includes data relating to the segment, gene, protein, species, strain, sequence length, terminal sequence and date and country of isolation. Bunyaviridae sequences and alignments may be downloaded from the second spreadsheet with titles defined by the user from the columns, or viewed when passed directly to the sequence editor, Jalview. VirusBanker allows large datasets of aligned nucleotide and protein sequences from the Bunyaviridae to be compiled and winnowed rapidly using criteria that are formulated heuristically.

  1. Soil amino acid composition across a boreal forest successional sequence

    Treesearch

    Nancy R. Werdin-Pfisterer; Knut Kielland; Richard D. Boone

    2009-01-01

    Soil amino acids are important sources of organic nitrogen for plant nutrition, yet few studies have examined which amino acids are most prevalent in the soil. In this study, we examined the composition, concentration, and seasonal patterns of soil amino acids across a primary successional sequence encompassing a natural gradient of plant productivity and soil...

  2. Preferential amino acid sequences in alumina-catalyzed peptide bond formation.

    PubMed

    Bujdák, J; Rode, B M

    2002-05-21

    The catalytic effect of activated alumina on amino acid condensation was investigated. The readiness of amino acids to form peptide sequences was estimated on the basis of the yield of dipeptides and was found to decrease in the order glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), leucine (Leu), valine (Val), proline (Pro). For example, approximately 15% Gly was converted to the dipeptide (Gly(2)), 5% to cyclic anhydride (cyc(Gly(2))) and small amounts of tri- (Gly(3)) and tetrapeptide (Gly(4)) were formed after 28 days. On the other hand, only trace amounts of Pro(2) were formed from proline under the same conditions. Preferential formation of certain sequences was observed in the mixed reaction systems containing two amino acids. For example, almost ten times more Gly-Val than Val-Gly was formed in the Gly+Val reaction system. The preferred sequences can be explained on the basis of an inductive effect that side groups have on the nucleophilicity and electrophilicity, respectively, of the amino and carboxyl groups. A comparison with published data of amino acid reactions in other reaction systems revealed that the main trends of preferential sequence formation were the same as those described for the salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) reaction. The results of this work and other previously published papers show that alumina and related mineral surfaces might have played a crucial role in the prebiotic formation of the first peptides on the primitive earth.

  3. 37 CFR 1.821 - Nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures in patent applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Nucleotide and/or amino acid... Biotechnology Invention Disclosures Application Disclosures Containing Nucleotide And/or Amino Acid Sequences § 1.821 Nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures in patent applications. (a) Nucleotide and...

  4. 37 CFR 1.821 - Nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures in patent applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Nucleotide and/or amino acid... Biotechnology Invention Disclosures Application Disclosures Containing Nucleotide And/or Amino Acid Sequences § 1.821 Nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures in patent applications. (a) Nucleotide and...

  5. The complete amino acid sequence of human skeletal-muscle fructose-bisphosphate aldolase.

    PubMed Central

    Freemont, P S; Dunbar, B; Fothergill-Gilmore, L A

    1988-01-01

    The complete amino acid sequence of human skeletal-muscle fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, comprising 363 residues, was determined. The sequence was deduced by automated sequencing of CNBr-cleavage, o-iodosobenzoic acid-cleavage, trypsin-digest and staphylococcal-proteinase-digest fragments. Comparison of the sequence with other class I aldolase sequences shows that the mammalian muscle isoenzyme is one of the most highly conserved enzymes known, with only about 2% of the residues changing per 100 million years. Non-mammalian aldolases appear to be evolving at the same rate as other glycolytic enzymes, with about 4% of the residues changing per 100 million years. Secondary-structure predictions are analysed in an accompanying paper [Sawyer, Fothergill-Gilmore & Freemont (1988) Biochem. J. 249, 789-793]. PMID:3355497

  6. The VirusBanker database uses a Java program to allow flexible searching through Bunyaviridae sequences

    PubMed Central

    Fourment, Mathieu; Gibbs, Mark J

    2008-01-01

    Background Viruses of the Bunyaviridae have segmented negative-stranded RNA genomes and several of them cause significant disease. Many partial sequences have been obtained from the segments so that GenBank searches give complex results. Sequence databases usually use HTML pages to mediate remote sorting, but this approach can be limiting and may discourage a user from exploring a database. Results The VirusBanker database contains Bunyaviridae sequences and alignments and is presented as two spreadsheets generated by a Java program that interacts with a MySQL database on a server. Sequences are displayed in rows and may be sorted using information that is displayed in columns and includes data relating to the segment, gene, protein, species, strain, sequence length, terminal sequence and date and country of isolation. Bunyaviridae sequences and alignments may be downloaded from the second spreadsheet with titles defined by the user from the columns, or viewed when passed directly to the sequence editor, Jalview. Conclusion VirusBanker allows large datasets of aligned nucleotide and protein sequences from the Bunyaviridae to be compiled and winnowed rapidly using criteria that are formulated heuristically. PMID:18251994

  7. Sequences Of Amino Acids For Human Serum Albumin

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carter, Daniel C.

    1992-01-01

    Sequences of amino acids defined for use in making polypeptides one-third to one-sixth as large as parent human serum albumin molecule. Smaller, chemically stable peptides have diverse applications including service as artificial human serum and as active components of biosensors and chromatographic matrices. In applications involving production of artificial sera from new sequences, little or no concern about viral contaminants. Smaller genetically engineered polypeptides more easily expressed and produced in large quantities, making commercial isolation and production more feasible and profitable.

  8. Comparative characterization of random-sequence proteins consisting of 5, 12, and 20 kinds of amino acids

    PubMed Central

    Tanaka, Junko; Doi, Nobuhide; Takashima, Hideaki; Yanagawa, Hiroshi

    2010-01-01

    Screening of functional proteins from a random-sequence library has been used to evolve novel proteins in the field of evolutionary protein engineering. However, random-sequence proteins consisting of the 20 natural amino acids tend to aggregate, and the occurrence rate of functional proteins in a random-sequence library is low. From the viewpoint of the origin of life, it has been proposed that primordial proteins consisted of a limited set of amino acids that could have been abundantly formed early during chemical evolution. We have previously found that members of a random-sequence protein library constructed with five primitive amino acids show high solubility (Doi et al., Protein Eng Des Sel 2005;18:279–284). Although such a library is expected to be appropriate for finding functional proteins, the functionality may be limited, because they have no positively charged amino acid. Here, we constructed three libraries of 120-amino acid, random-sequence proteins using alphabets of 5, 12, and 20 amino acids by preselection using mRNA display (to eliminate sequences containing stop codons and frameshifts) and characterized and compared the structural properties of random-sequence proteins arbitrarily chosen from these libraries. We found that random-sequence proteins constructed with the 12-member alphabet (including five primitive amino acids and positively charged amino acids) have higher solubility than those constructed with the 20-member alphabet, though other biophysical properties are very similar in the two libraries. Thus, a library of moderate complexity constructed from 12 amino acids may be a more appropriate resource for functional screening than one constructed from 20 amino acids. PMID:20162614

  9. 37 CFR 1.822 - Symbols and format to be used for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data. 1.822 Section 1.822 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.822 Symbols and format to be used for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data. (a) The symbols and format to be used for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data shall...

  10. Differences in a ribosomal DNA sequence of Strongylus species allows identification of single eggs.

    PubMed

    Campbell, A J; Gasser, R B; Chilton, N B

    1995-03-01

    In the current study, molecular techniques were evaluated for the species identification of individual strongyle eggs. Adult worms of Strongylus edentatus, S. equinus and S. vulgaris were collected at necropsy from horses from Australia and the U.S.A. Genomic DNA was isolated and a ribosomal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) amplified and sequenced using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The length of the ITS-2 sequence of S. edentatus, S. equinus and S. vulgaris ranged between 217 and 235 nucleotides. Extensive sequence analysis demonstrated a low degree (0-0.9%) of intraspecific variation in the ITS-2 for the Strongylus species examined, whereas the levels of interspecific differences (13-29%) were significantly greater. Interspecific differences in the ITS-2 sequences allowed unequivocal species identification of single worms and eggs using PCR-linked restriction fragment length polymorphism. These results demonstrate the potential of the ribosomal spacers as genetic markers for species identification of single strongyle eggs from horse faeces.

  11. Amino acid sequence of a trypsin inhibitor from a Spirometra (Spirometra erinaceieuropaei).

    PubMed

    Sanda, A; Uchida, A; Itagaki, T; Kobayashi, H; Inokuchi, N; Koyama, T; Iwama, M; Ohgi, K; Irie, M

    2001-12-01

    A trypsin inhibitor that is highly homologous with bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) was co-purified along with RNase from Spirometra (Spirometra erinaceieuropaei). The amino acid sequence of this inhibitor (SETI) and the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA encoding this protein were determined by protein chemistry and gene technology. SETI contains 68 amino acid residues and has a molecular mass of 7,798 Da. SETI has 31 amino acid residues that are identical with BPTI's sequence, including 6 half-cystine and 5 aromatic amino acid residues. The active site Lys residue in BPTI is replaced by an Arg residue in SETI. SETI is an effective inhibitor of trypsin and moderately inhibits a-chymotrypsin, but less inhibits elastase or subtilisin. SETI was expressed by E. coli containing a PelB vector carrying the SETI encoding cDNA; an expression yield of 0.68 mg/l was obtained. The phylogenetic relationship of SETI and the other BPTI-like trypsin inhibitors was analyzed using most likelihood inference methods.

  12. 37 CFR 1.823 - Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application. 1.823 Section 1.823 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.823 Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the... incorporation-by-reference of the Sequence Listing as required by § 1.52(e)(5). The presentation of the...

  13. 37 CFR 1.823 - Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application. 1.823 Section 1.823 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.823 Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the... incorporation-by-reference of the Sequence Listing as required by § 1.52(e)(5). The presentation of the...

  14. 37 CFR 1.823 - Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application. 1.823 Section 1.823 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.823 Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the... incorporation-by-reference of the Sequence Listing as required by § 1.52(e)(5). The presentation of the...

  15. 37 CFR 1.823 - Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application. 1.823 Section 1.823 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.823 Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the... incorporation-by-reference of the Sequence Listing as required by § 1.52(e)(5). The presentation of the...

  16. 37 CFR 1.823 - Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... and/or amino acid sequences as part of the application. 1.823 Section 1.823 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.823 Requirements for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of the... incorporation-by-reference of the Sequence Listing as required by § 1.52(e)(5). The presentation of the...

  17. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the gene encoding the Deinococcus radiodurans surface protein, derived amino acid sequence, and complementary protein chemical studies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peters, J.; Peters, M.; Lottspeich, F.

    1987-11-01

    The complete nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the surface (hexagonally packed intermediate (HPI))-layer polypeptide of Deinococcus radiodurans Sark was determined and found to encode a polypeptide of 1036 amino acids. Amino acid sequence analysis of about 30% of the residues revealed that the mature polypeptide consists of at least 978 amino acids. The N terminus was blocked to Edman degradation. The results of proteolytic modification of the HPI layer in situ and M/sub r/ estimations of the HPI polypeptide expressed in Escherichia coli indicated that there is a leader sequence. The N-terminal region contained a very high percentage (29%)more » of threonine and serine, including a cluster of nine consecutive serine or threonine residues, whereas a stretch near the C terminus was extremely rich in aromatic amino acids (29%). The protein contained at least two disulfide bridges, as well as tightly bound reducing sugars and fatty acids.« less

  18. Amino acid sequence of tyrosinase from Neurospora crassa.

    PubMed Central

    Lerch, K

    1978-01-01

    The amino-acid sequence of tyrosinase from Neurospora crassa (monophenol,dihydroxyphenylalanine:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.14.18.1) is reported. This copper-containing oxidase consists of a single polypeptide chain of 407 amino acids. The primary structure was determined by automated and manual sequence analysis on fragments produced by cleavage with cyanogen bromide and on peptides obtained by digestion with trypsin, pepsin, thermolysin, or chymotrypsin. The amino terminus of the protein is acetylated and the single cysteinyl residue 96 is covalently linked via a thioether bridge to histidyl residue 94. The formation and the possible role of this unusual structure in Neurospora tyrosinase is discussed. Dye-sensitized photooxidation of apotyrosinase and active-site-directed inactivation of the native enzyme indicate the possible involvement of histidyl residues 188, 192, 289, and 305 or 306 as ligands to the active-site copper as well as in the catalytic mechanism of this monooxygenase. PMID:151279

  19. Nanopores and nucleic acids: prospects for ultrarapid sequencing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deamer, D. W.; Akeson, M.

    2000-01-01

    DNA and RNA molecules can be detected as they are driven through a nanopore by an applied electric field at rates ranging from several hundred microseconds to a few milliseconds per molecule. The nanopore can rapidly discriminate between pyrimidine and purine segments along a single-stranded nucleic acid molecule. Nanopore detection and characterization of single molecules represents a new method for directly reading information encoded in linear polymers. If single-nucleotide resolution can be achieved, it is possible that nucleic acid sequences can be determined at rates exceeding a thousand bases per second.

  20. PubDNA Finder: a web database linking full-text articles to sequences of nucleic acids.

    PubMed

    García-Remesal, Miguel; Cuevas, Alejandro; Pérez-Rey, David; Martín, Luis; Anguita, Alberto; de la Iglesia, Diana; de la Calle, Guillermo; Crespo, José; Maojo, Víctor

    2010-11-01

    PubDNA Finder is an online repository that we have created to link PubMed Central manuscripts to the sequences of nucleic acids appearing in them. It extends the search capabilities provided by PubMed Central by enabling researchers to perform advanced searches involving sequences of nucleic acids. This includes, among other features (i) searching for papers mentioning one or more specific sequences of nucleic acids and (ii) retrieving the genetic sequences appearing in different articles. These additional query capabilities are provided by a searchable index that we created by using the full text of the 176 672 papers available at PubMed Central at the time of writing and the sequences of nucleic acids appearing in them. To automatically extract the genetic sequences occurring in each paper, we used an original method we have developed. The database is updated monthly by automatically connecting to the PubMed Central FTP site to retrieve and index new manuscripts. Users can query the database via the web interface provided. PubDNA Finder can be freely accessed at http://servet.dia.fi.upm.es:8080/pubdnafinder

  1. Complete complementary DNA-derived amino acid sequence of canine cardiac phospholamban.

    PubMed Central

    Fujii, J; Ueno, A; Kitano, K; Tanaka, S; Kadoma, M; Tada, M

    1987-01-01

    Complementary DNA (cDNA) clones specific for phospholamban of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes have been isolated from a canine cardiac cDNA library. The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA sequence indicates that phospholamban consists of 52 amino acid residues and lacks an amino-terminal signal sequence. The protein has an inferred mol wt 6,080 that is in agreement with its apparent monomeric mol wt 6,000, estimated previously by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Phospholamban contains two distinct domains, a hydrophilic region at the amino terminus (domain I) and a hydrophobic region at the carboxy terminus (domain II). We propose that domain I is localized at the cytoplasmic surface and offers phosphorylatable sites whereas domain II is anchored into the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. PMID:3793929

  2. Chemical Cleavage of an Asp-Cys Sequence Allows Efficient Production of Recombinant Peptides with an N-Terminal Cysteine Residue.

    PubMed

    Pane, Katia; Verrillo, Mariavittoria; Avitabile, Angela; Pizzo, Elio; Varcamonti, Mario; Zanfardino, Anna; Di Maro, Antimo; Rega, Camilla; Amoresano, Angela; Izzo, Viviana; Di Donato, Alberto; Cafaro, Valeria; Notomista, Eugenio

    2018-04-18

    Peptides with an N-terminal cysteine residue allow site-specific modification of proteins and peptides and chemical synthesis of proteins. They have been widely used to develop new strategies for imaging, drug discovery, diagnostics, and chip technologies. Here we present a method to produce recombinant peptides with an N-terminal cysteine residue as a convenient alternative to chemical synthesis. The method is based on the release of the desired peptide from a recombinant fusion protein by mild acid hydrolysis of an Asp-Cys sequence. To test the general validity of the method we prepared four fusion proteins bearing three different peptides (20-37 amino acid long) at the C-terminus of a ketosteroid isomerase-derived and two Onconase-derived carriers for the production of toxic peptides in E. coli. The chosen peptides were (C)GKY20, an antimicrobial peptide from the C-terminus of human thrombin, (C)ApoB L , an antimicrobial peptide from an inner region of human Apolipoprotein B, and (C)p53pAnt, an anticancer peptide containing the C-terminal region of the p53 protein fused to the cell penetrating peptide Penetratin. Cleavage efficiency of Asp-Cys bonds in the four fusion proteins was studied as a function of pH, temperature, and incubation time. In spite of the differences in the amino acid sequence (GTGDCGKY, GTGDCHVA, GSGTDCGSR, SQGSDCGSR) we obtained for all the proteins a cleavage efficiency of about 70-80% after 24 h incubation at 60 °C and pH 2. All the peptides were produced with very good yield (5-16 mg/L of LB cultures), high purity (>96%), and the expected content of free thiol groups (1 mol per mole of peptide). Furthermore, (C)GKY20 was modified with PyMPO-maleimide, a commercially available fluorophore bearing a thiol reactive group, and with 6-hydroxy-2-cyanobenzothiazole, a reagent specific for N-terminal cysteines, with yields of 100% thus demonstrating that our method is very well suited for the production of fully reactive peptides with an N

  3. The complete amino acid sequence of human erythrocyte diphosphoglycerate mutase.

    PubMed Central

    Haggarty, N W; Dunbar, B; Fothergill, L A

    1983-01-01

    The complete amino acid sequence of human erythrocyte diphosphoglycerate mutase, comprising 239 residues, was determined. The sequence was deduced from the four cyanogen bromide fragments, and from the peptides derived from these fragments after digestion with a number of proteolytic enzymes. Comparison of this sequence with that of the yeast glycolytic enzyme, phosphoglycerate mutase, shows that these enzymes are 47% identical. Most, but not all, of the residues implicated as being important for the activity of the glycolytic mutase are conserved in the erythrocyte diphosphoglycerate mutase. PMID:6313356

  4. Quantum-Sequencing: Biophysics of quantum tunneling through nucleic acids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casamada Ribot, Josep; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

    2014-03-01

    Tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy has extensively been used in physical surface sciences to study quantum tunneling to measure electronic local density of states of nanomaterials and to characterize adsorbed species. Quantum-Sequencing (Q-Seq) is a new method based on tunneling microscopy for electronic sequencing of single molecule of nucleic acids. A major goal of third-generation sequencing technologies is to develop a fast, reliable, enzyme-free single-molecule sequencing method. Here, we present the unique ``electronic fingerprints'' for all nucleotides on DNA and RNA using Q-Seq along their intrinsic biophysical parameters. We have analyzed tunneling spectra for the nucleotides at different pH conditions and analyzed the HOMO, LUMO and energy gap for all of them. In addition we show a number of biophysical parameters to further characterize all nucleobases (electron and hole transition voltage and energy barriers). These results highlight the robustness of Q-Seq as a technique for next-generation sequencing.

  5. Amino acid sequence of the Amur tiger prion protein.

    PubMed

    Wu, Changde; Pang, Wanyong; Zhao, Deming

    2006-10-01

    Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders in human and animal associated with conformational conversion of a cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into the pathologic isoform (PrP(Sc)). Various data indicate that the polymorphisms within the open reading frame (ORF) of PrP are associated with the susceptibility and control the species barrier in prion diseases. In the present study, partial Prnp from 25 Amur tigers (tPrnp) were cloned and screened for polymorphisms. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (T423C, A501G, C511A, A610G) were found; the C511A and A610G nucleotide substitutions resulted in the amino acid changes Lysine171Glutamine and Alanine204Threoine, respectively. The tPrnp amino acid sequence is similar to house cat (Felis catus ) and sheep, but differs significantly from other two cat Prnp sequences that were previously deposited in GenBank.

  6. Method for high-volume sequencing of nucleic acids: random and directed priming with libraries of oligonucleotides

    DOEpatents

    Studier, F. William

    1995-04-18

    Random and directed priming methods for determining nucleotide sequences by enzymatic sequencing techniques, using libraries of primers of lengths 8, 9 or 10 bases, are disclosed. These methods permit direct sequencing of nucleic acids as large as 45,000 base pairs or larger without the necessity for subcloning. Individual primers are used repeatedly to prime sequence reactions in many different nucleic acid molecules. Libraries containing as few as 10,000 octamers, 14,200 nonamers, or 44,000 decamers would have the capacity to determine the sequence of almost any cosmid DNA. Random priming with a fixed set of primers from a smaller library can also be used to initiate the sequencing of individual nucleic acid molecules, with the sequence being completed by directed priming with primers from the library. In contrast to random cloning techniques, a combined random and directed priming strategy is far more efficient.

  7. Method for high-volume sequencing of nucleic acids: random and directed priming with libraries of oligonucleotides

    DOEpatents

    Studier, F.W.

    1995-04-18

    Random and directed priming methods for determining nucleotide sequences by enzymatic sequencing techniques, using libraries of primers of lengths 8, 9 or 10 bases, are disclosed. These methods permit direct sequencing of nucleic acids as large as 45,000 base pairs or larger without the necessity for subcloning. Individual primers are used repeatedly to prime sequence reactions in many different nucleic acid molecules. Libraries containing as few as 10,000 octamers, 14,200 nonamers, or 44,000 decamers would have the capacity to determine the sequence of almost any cosmid DNA. Random priming with a fixed set of primers from a smaller library can also be used to initiate the sequencing of individual nucleic acid molecules, with the sequence being completed by directed priming with primers from the library. In contrast to random cloning techniques, a combined random and directed priming strategy is far more efficient. 2 figs.

  8. Conservation of Shannon's redundancy for proteins. [information theory applied to amino acid sequences

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gatlin, L. L.

    1974-01-01

    Concepts of information theory are applied to examine various proteins in terms of their redundancy in natural originators such as animals and plants. The Monte Carlo method is used to derive information parameters for random protein sequences. Real protein sequence parameters are compared with the standard parameters of protein sequences having a specific length. The tendency of a chain to contain some amino acids more frequently than others and the tendency of a chain to contain certain amino acid pairs more frequently than other pairs are used as randomness measures of individual protein sequences. Non-periodic proteins are generally found to have random Shannon redundancies except in cases of constraints due to short chain length and genetic codes. Redundant characteristics of highly periodic proteins are discussed. A degree of periodicity parameter is derived.

  9. Complete Amino Acid Sequence of a Copper/Zinc-Superoxide Dismutase from Ginger Rhizome.

    PubMed

    Nishiyama, Yuki; Fukamizo, Tamo; Yoneda, Kazunari; Araki, Tomohiro

    2017-04-01

    Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an antioxidant enzyme protecting cells from oxidative stress. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is known for its antioxidant properties, however, there are no data on SODs from ginger rhizomes. In this study, we purified SOD from the rhizome of Z. officinale (Zo-SOD) and determined its complete amino acid sequence using N terminal sequencing, amino acid analysis, and de novo sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry. Zo-SOD consists of 151 amino acids with two signature Cu/Zn-SOD motifs and has high similarity to other plant Cu/Zn-SODs. Multiple sequence alignment showed that Cu/Zn-binding residues and cysteines forming a disulfide bond, which are highly conserved in Cu/Zn-SODs, are also present in Zo-SOD. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that plant Cu/Zn-SODs clustered into distinct chloroplastic, cytoplasmic, and intermediate groups. Among them, only chloroplastic enzymes carried amino acid substitutions in the region functionally important for enzymatic activity, suggesting that chloroplastic SODs may have a function distinct from those of SODs localized in other subcellular compartments. The nucleotide sequence of the Zo-SOD coding region was obtained by reverse-translation, and the gene was synthesized, cloned, and expressed. The recombinant Zo-SOD demonstrated pH stability in the range of 5-10, which is similar to other reported Cu/Zn-SODs, and thermal stability in the range of 10-60 °C, which is higher than that for most plant Cu/Zn-SODs but lower compared to the enzyme from a Z. officinale relative Curcuma aromatica.

  10. Protein location prediction using atomic composition and global features of the amino acid sequence

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cherian, Betsy Sheena, E-mail: betsy.skb@gmail.com; Nair, Achuthsankar S.

    2010-01-22

    Subcellular location of protein is constructive information in determining its function, screening for drug candidates, vaccine design, annotation of gene products and in selecting relevant proteins for further studies. Computational prediction of subcellular localization deals with predicting the location of a protein from its amino acid sequence. For a computational localization prediction method to be more accurate, it should exploit all possible relevant biological features that contribute to the subcellular localization. In this work, we extracted the biological features from the full length protein sequence to incorporate more biological information. A new biological feature, distribution of atomic composition is effectivelymore » used with, multiple physiochemical properties, amino acid composition, three part amino acid composition, and sequence similarity for predicting the subcellular location of the protein. Support Vector Machines are designed for four modules and prediction is made by a weighted voting system. Our system makes prediction with an accuracy of 100, 82.47, 88.81 for self-consistency test, jackknife test and independent data test respectively. Our results provide evidence that the prediction based on the biological features derived from the full length amino acid sequence gives better accuracy than those derived from N-terminal alone. Considering the features as a distribution within the entire sequence will bring out underlying property distribution to a greater detail to enhance the prediction accuracy.« less

  11. Viewing multiple sequence alignments with the JavaScript Sequence Alignment Viewer (JSAV)

    PubMed Central

    Martin, Andrew C. R.

    2014-01-01

    The JavaScript Sequence Alignment Viewer (JSAV) is designed as a simple-to-use JavaScript component for displaying sequence alignments on web pages. The display of sequences is highly configurable with options to allow alternative coloring schemes, sorting of sequences and ’dotifying’ repeated amino acids. An option is also available to submit selected sequences to another web site, or to other JavaScript code. JSAV is implemented purely in JavaScript making use of the JQuery and JQuery-UI libraries. It does not use any HTML5-specific options to help with browser compatibility. The code is documented using JSDOC and is available from http://www.bioinf.org.uk/software/jsav/. PMID:25653836

  12. Viewing multiple sequence alignments with the JavaScript Sequence Alignment Viewer (JSAV).

    PubMed

    Martin, Andrew C R

    2014-01-01

    The JavaScript Sequence Alignment Viewer (JSAV) is designed as a simple-to-use JavaScript component for displaying sequence alignments on web pages. The display of sequences is highly configurable with options to allow alternative coloring schemes, sorting of sequences and 'dotifying' repeated amino acids. An option is also available to submit selected sequences to another web site, or to other JavaScript code. JSAV is implemented purely in JavaScript making use of the JQuery and JQuery-UI libraries. It does not use any HTML5-specific options to help with browser compatibility. The code is documented using JSDOC and is available from http://www.bioinf.org.uk/software/jsav/.

  13. GAWK, a novel human pituitary polypeptide: isolation, immunocytochemical localization and complete amino acid sequence.

    PubMed

    Benjannet, S; Leduc, R; Lazure, C; Seidah, N G; Marcinkiewicz, M; Chrétien, M

    1985-01-16

    During the course of reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) purification of a postulated big ACTH (1) from human pituitary gland extracts, a highly purified peptide bearing no resemblance to any known polypeptide was isolated. The complete sequence of this 74 amino acid polypeptide, called GAWK, has been determined. Search on a computer data bank on the possible homology to any known protein or fragment, using a mutation data matrix, failed to reveal any homology greater than 30%. An antibody produced against a synthetic fragment allowed us to detect several immunoreactive forms. The antisera also enabled us to localize the polypeptide, by immunocytochemistry, in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland.

  14. Human retroviruses and AIDS 1996. A compilation and analysis of nucleic acid and amino acid sequences

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Myers, G.; Foley, B.; Korber, B.

    1997-04-01

    This compendium and the accompanying floppy diskettes are the result of an effort to compile and rapidly publish all relevant molecular data concerning the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and related retroviruses. The scope of the compendium and database is best summarized by the five parts that it comprises: (1) Nuclear Acid Alignments and Sequences; (2) Amino Acid Alignments; (3) Analysis; (4) Related Sequences; and (5) Database Communications. Information within all the parts is updated throughout the year on the Web site, http://hiv-web.lanl.gov. While this publication could take the form of a review or sequence monograph, it is not so conceived.more » Instead, the literature from which the database is derived has simply been summarized and some elementary computational analyses have been performed upon the data. Interpretation and commentary have been avoided insofar as possible so that the reader can form his or her own judgments concerning the complex information. In addition to the general descriptions of the parts of the compendium, the user should read the individual introductions for each part.« less

  15. Streptococcal phosphoenolpyruvate-sugar phosphotransferase system: amino acid sequence and site of ATP-dependent phosphorylation of HPr

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deutscher, J.; Pevec, B.; Beyreuther, K.

    1986-10-21

    The amino acid sequence of histidine-containing protein (HPr) from Streptococcus faecalis has been determined by direct Edman degradation of intact HPr and by amino acid sequence analysis of tryptic peptides, V8 proteolyptic peptides, thermolytic peptides, and cyanogen bromide cleavage products. HPr from S. faecalis was found to contain 89 amino acid residues, corresponding to a molecular weight of 9438. The amino acid sequence of HPr from S. faecalis shows extended homology to the primary structure of HPr proteins from other bacteria. Besides the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphorylation of a histidyl residue in HPr, catalyzed by enzyme I of the bacterial phosphotransferase system,more » HPr was also found to be phosphorylated at a seryl residue in an ATP-dependent protein kinase catalyzed reaction. The site of ATP-dependent phosphorylation in HPr of S faecalis has now been determined. (/sup 32/P)P-Ser-HPr was digested with three different proteases, and in each case, a single labeled peptide was isolated. Following digestion with subtilisin, they obtained a peptide with the sequence -(P)Ser-Ile-Met-. Using chymotrypsin, they isolated a peptide with the sequence -Ser-Val-Asn-Leu-Lys-(P)Ser-Ile-Met-Gly-Val-Met-. The longest labeled peptide was obtained with V8 staphylococcal protease. According to amino acid analysis, this peptide contained 36 out of the 89 amino acid residues of HPr. The following sequence of 12 amino acid residues of the V8 peptide was determined: -Tyr-Lys-Gly-Lys-Ser-Val-Asn-Leu-Lys-(P)Ser-Ile-Met-. Thus, the site of ATP-dependent phosphorylation was determined to be Ser-46 within the primary structure of HPr.« less

  16. Diagnostics based on nucleic acid sequence variant profiling: PCR, hybridization, and NGS approaches.

    PubMed

    Khodakov, Dmitriy; Wang, Chunyan; Zhang, David Yu

    2016-10-01

    Nucleic acid sequence variations have been implicated in many diseases, and reliable detection and quantitation of DNA/RNA biomarkers can inform effective therapeutic action, enabling precision medicine. Nucleic acid analysis technologies being translated into the clinic can broadly be classified into hybridization, PCR, and sequencing, as well as their combinations. Here we review the molecular mechanisms of popular commercial assays, and their progress in translation into in vitro diagnostics. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. "De-novo" amino acid sequence elucidation of protein G'e by combined "top-down" and "bottom-up" mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Yefremova, Yelena; Al-Majdoub, Mahmoud; Opuni, Kwabena F M; Koy, Cornelia; Cui, Weidong; Yan, Yuetian; Gross, Michael L; Glocker, Michael O

    2015-03-01

    Mass spectrometric de-novo sequencing was applied to review the amino acid sequence of a commercially available recombinant protein G´ with great scientific and economic importance. Substantial deviations to the published amino acid sequence (Uniprot Q54181) were found by the presence of 46 additional amino acids at the N-terminus, including a so-called "His-tag" as well as an N-terminal partial α-N-gluconoylation and α-N-phosphogluconoylation, respectively. The unexpected amino acid sequence of the commercial protein G' comprised 241 amino acids and resulted in a molecular mass of 25,998.9 ± 0.2 Da for the unmodified protein. Due to the higher mass that is caused by its extended amino acid sequence compared with the original protein G' (185 amino acids), we named this protein "protein G'e." By means of mass spectrometric peptide mapping, the suggested amino acid sequence, as well as the N-terminal partial α-N-gluconoylations, was confirmed with 100% sequence coverage. After the protein G'e sequence was determined, we were able to determine the expression vector pET-28b from Novagen with the Xho I restriction enzyme cleavage site as the best option that was used for cloning and expressing the recombinant protein G'e in E. coli. A dissociation constant (K(d)) value of 9.4 nM for protein G'e was determined thermophoretically, showing that the N-terminal flanking sequence extension did not cause significant changes in the binding affinity to immunoglobulins.

  18. Correlation between fibroin amino acid sequence and physical silk properties.

    PubMed

    Fedic, Robert; Zurovec, Michal; Sehnal, Frantisek

    2003-09-12

    The fiber properties of lepidopteran silk depend on the amino acid repeats that interact during H-fibroin polymerization. The aim of our research was to relate repeat composition to insect biology and fiber strength. Representative regions of the H-fibroin genes were sequenced and analyzed in three pyralid species: wax moth (Galleria mellonella), European flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella), and Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella). The amino acid repeats are species-specific, evidently a diversification of an ancestral region of 43 residues, and include three types of regularly dispersed motifs: modifications of GSSAASAA sequence, stretches of tripeptides GXZ where X and Z represent bulky residues, and sequences similar to PVIVIEE. No concatenations of GX dipeptide or alanine, which are typical for Bombyx silkworms and Antheraea silk moths, respectively, were found. Despite different repeat structure, the silks of G. mellonella and E. kuehniella exhibit similar tensile strength as the Bombyx and Antheraea silks. We suggest that in these latter two species, variations in the repeat length obstruct repeat alignment, but sufficiently long stretches of iterated residues get superposed to interact. In the pyralid H-fibroins, interactions of the widely separated and diverse motifs depend on the precision of repeat matching; silk is strong in G. mellonella and E. kuehniella, with 2-3 types of long homogeneous repeats, and nearly 10 times weaker in P. interpunctella, with seven types of shorter erratic repeats. The high proportion of large amino acids in the H-fibroin of pyralids has probably evolved in connection with the spinning habit of caterpillars that live in protective silk tubes and spin continuously, enlarging the tubes on one end and partly devouring the other one. The silk serves as a depot of energetically rich and essential amino acids that may be scarce in the diet.

  19. Synthetic oligonucleotide probes deduced from amino acid sequence data. Theoretical and practical considerations.

    PubMed

    Lathe, R

    1985-05-05

    Synthetic probes deduced from amino acid sequence data are widely used to detect cognate coding sequences in libraries of cloned DNA segments. The redundancy of the genetic code dictates that a choice must be made between (1) a mixture of probes reflecting all codon combinations, and (2) a single longer "optimal" probe. The second strategy is examined in detail. The frequency of sequences matching a given probe by chance alone can be determined and also the frequency of sequences closely resembling the probe and contributing to the hybridization background. Gene banks cannot be treated as random associations of the four nucleotides, and probe sequences deduced from amino acid sequence data occur more often than predicted by chance alone. Probe lengths must be increased to confer the necessary specificity. Examination of hybrids formed between unique homologous probes and their cognate targets reveals that short stretches of perfect homology occurring by chance make a significant contribution to the hybridization background. Statistical methods for improving homology are examined, taking human coding sequences as an example, and considerations of codon utilization and dinucleotide frequencies yield an overall homology of greater than 82%. Recommendations for probe design and hybridization are presented, and the choice between using multiple probes reflecting all codon possibilities and a unique optimal probe is discussed.

  20. Complete cDNA sequence and amino acid analysis of a bovine ribonuclease K6 gene.

    PubMed

    Pietrowski, D; Förster, M

    2000-01-01

    The complete cDNA sequence of a ribonuclease k6 gene of Bos Taurus has been determined. It codes for a protein with 154 amino acids and contains the invariant cysteine, histidine and lysine residues as well as the characteristic motifs specific to ribonuclease active sites. The deduced protein sequence is 27 residues longer than other known ribonucleases k6 and shows amino acids exchanges which could reflect a strain specificity or polymorphism within the bovine genome. Based on sequence similarity we have termed the identified gene bovine ribonuclease k6 b (brk6b).

  1. Influence of the Amino Acid Sequence on Protein-Mineral Interactions in Soil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chacon, S. S.; Reardon, P. N.; Purvine, S.; Lipton, M. S.; Washton, N.; Kleber, M.

    2017-12-01

    The intimate associations between protein and mineral surfaces have profound impacts on nutrient cycling in soil. Proteins are an important source of organic C and N, and a subset of proteins, extracellular enzymes (EE), can catalyze the depolymerization of soil organic matter (SOM). Our goal was to determine how variation in the amino acid sequence could influence a protein's susceptibility to become chemically altered by mineral surfaces to infer the fate of adsorbed EE function in soil. We hypothesized that (1) addition of charged amino acids would enhance the adsorption onto oppositely charged mineral surfaces (2) addition of aromatic amino acids would increase adsorption onto zero charged surfaces (3) Increase adsorption of modified proteins would enhance their susceptibility to alterations by redox active minerals. To test these hypotheses, we generated three engineered proxies of a model protein Gb1 (IEP 4.0, 6.2 kDA) by inserting either negatively charged, positively charged or aromatic amino acids in the second loop. These modified proteins were allowed to interact with functionally different mineral surfaces (goethite, montmorillonite, kaolinite and birnessite) at pH 5 and 7. We used LC-MS/MS and solution-state Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence Spectroscopy NMR to observe modifications on engineered proteins as a consequence to mineral interactions. Preliminary results indicate that addition of any amino acids to a protein increase its susceptibility to fragmentation and oxidation by redox active mineral surfaces, and alter adsorption to the other mineral surfaces. This suggest that not all mineral surfaces in soil may act as sorbents for EEs and chemical modification of their structure should also be considered as an explanation for decrease in EE activity. Fragmentation of proteins by minerals can bypass the need to produce proteases, but microbial acquisition of other nutrients that require enzymes such as cellulases, ligninases or phosphatases

  2. Negative Ion In-Source Decay Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Sequencing Acidic Peptides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McMillen, Chelsea L.; Wright, Patience M.; Cassady, Carolyn J.

    2016-05-01

    Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) in-source decay was studied in the negative ion mode on deprotonated peptides to determine its usefulness for obtaining extensive sequence information for acidic peptides. Eight biological acidic peptides, ranging in size from 11 to 33 residues, were studied by negative ion mode ISD (nISD). The matrices 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzamide, 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, 5-amino-1-naphthol, 3-aminoquinoline, and 9-aminoacridine were used with each peptide. Optimal fragmentation was produced with 1,5-diaminonphthalene (DAN), and extensive sequence informative fragmentation was observed for every peptide except hirudin(54-65). Cleavage at the N-Cα bond of the peptide backbone, producing c' and z' ions, was dominant for all peptides. Cleavage of the N-Cα bond N-terminal to proline residues was not observed. The formation of c and z ions is also found in electron transfer dissociation (ETD), electron capture dissociation (ECD), and positive ion mode ISD, which are considered to be radical-driven techniques. Oxidized insulin chain A, which has four highly acidic oxidized cysteine residues, had less extensive fragmentation. This peptide also exhibited the only charged localized fragmentation, with more pronounced product ion formation adjacent to the highly acidic residues. In addition, spectra were obtained by positive ion mode ISD for each protonated peptide; more sequence informative fragmentation was observed via nISD for all peptides. Three of the peptides studied had no product ion formation in ISD, but extensive sequence informative fragmentation was found in their nISD spectra. The results of this study indicate that nISD can be used to readily obtain sequence information for acidic peptides.

  3. Negative Ion In-Source Decay Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Sequencing Acidic Peptides.

    PubMed

    McMillen, Chelsea L; Wright, Patience M; Cassady, Carolyn J

    2016-05-01

    Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) in-source decay was studied in the negative ion mode on deprotonated peptides to determine its usefulness for obtaining extensive sequence information for acidic peptides. Eight biological acidic peptides, ranging in size from 11 to 33 residues, were studied by negative ion mode ISD (nISD). The matrices 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzamide, 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, 5-amino-1-naphthol, 3-aminoquinoline, and 9-aminoacridine were used with each peptide. Optimal fragmentation was produced with 1,5-diaminonphthalene (DAN), and extensive sequence informative fragmentation was observed for every peptide except hirudin(54-65). Cleavage at the N-Cα bond of the peptide backbone, producing c' and z' ions, was dominant for all peptides. Cleavage of the N-Cα bond N-terminal to proline residues was not observed. The formation of c and z ions is also found in electron transfer dissociation (ETD), electron capture dissociation (ECD), and positive ion mode ISD, which are considered to be radical-driven techniques. Oxidized insulin chain A, which has four highly acidic oxidized cysteine residues, had less extensive fragmentation. This peptide also exhibited the only charged localized fragmentation, with more pronounced product ion formation adjacent to the highly acidic residues. In addition, spectra were obtained by positive ion mode ISD for each protonated peptide; more sequence informative fragmentation was observed via nISD for all peptides. Three of the peptides studied had no product ion formation in ISD, but extensive sequence informative fragmentation was found in their nISD spectra. The results of this study indicate that nISD can be used to readily obtain sequence information for acidic peptides.

  4. 37 CFR 1.821 - Nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures in patent applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...” means those amino acids other than “Xaa” and those nucleotide bases other than “n”defined in accordance... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Nucleotide and/or amino acid... Biotechnology Invention Disclosures Application Disclosures Containing Nucleotide And/or Amino Acid Sequences...

  5. 37 CFR 1.821 - Nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures in patent applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...” means those amino acids other than “Xaa” and those nucleotide bases other than “n”defined in accordance... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Nucleotide and/or amino acid... Biotechnology Invention Disclosures Application Disclosures Containing Nucleotide And/or Amino Acid Sequences...

  6. 37 CFR 1.821 - Nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures in patent applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...” means those amino acids other than “Xaa” and those nucleotide bases other than “n”defined in accordance... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Nucleotide and/or amino acid... Biotechnology Invention Disclosures Application Disclosures Containing Nucleotide And/or Amino Acid Sequences...

  7. Full genome virus detection in fecal samples using sensitive nucleic acid preparation, deep sequencing, and a novel iterative sequence classification algorithm.

    PubMed

    Cotten, Matthew; Oude Munnink, Bas; Canuti, Marta; Deijs, Martin; Watson, Simon J; Kellam, Paul; van der Hoek, Lia

    2014-01-01

    We have developed a full genome virus detection process that combines sensitive nucleic acid preparation optimised for virus identification in fecal material with Illumina MiSeq sequencing and a novel post-sequencing virus identification algorithm. Enriched viral nucleic acid was converted to double-stranded DNA and subjected to Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The resulting short reads were processed with a novel iterative Python algorithm SLIM for the identification of sequences with homology to known viruses. De novo assembly was then used to generate full viral genomes. The sensitivity of this process was demonstrated with a set of fecal samples from HIV-1 infected patients. A quantitative assessment of the mammalian, plant, and bacterial virus content of this compartment was generated and the deep sequencing data were sufficient to assembly 12 complete viral genomes from 6 virus families. The method detected high levels of enteropathic viruses that are normally controlled in healthy adults, but may be involved in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection and will provide a powerful tool for virus detection and for analyzing changes in the fecal virome associated with HIV-1 progression and pathogenesis.

  8. Full Genome Virus Detection in Fecal Samples Using Sensitive Nucleic Acid Preparation, Deep Sequencing, and a Novel Iterative Sequence Classification Algorithm

    PubMed Central

    Cotten, Matthew; Oude Munnink, Bas; Canuti, Marta; Deijs, Martin; Watson, Simon J.; Kellam, Paul; van der Hoek, Lia

    2014-01-01

    We have developed a full genome virus detection process that combines sensitive nucleic acid preparation optimised for virus identification in fecal material with Illumina MiSeq sequencing and a novel post-sequencing virus identification algorithm. Enriched viral nucleic acid was converted to double-stranded DNA and subjected to Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The resulting short reads were processed with a novel iterative Python algorithm SLIM for the identification of sequences with homology to known viruses. De novo assembly was then used to generate full viral genomes. The sensitivity of this process was demonstrated with a set of fecal samples from HIV-1 infected patients. A quantitative assessment of the mammalian, plant, and bacterial virus content of this compartment was generated and the deep sequencing data were sufficient to assembly 12 complete viral genomes from 6 virus families. The method detected high levels of enteropathic viruses that are normally controlled in healthy adults, but may be involved in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection and will provide a powerful tool for virus detection and for analyzing changes in the fecal virome associated with HIV-1 progression and pathogenesis. PMID:24695106

  9. [Complete genome sequencing of polymalic acid-producing strain Aureobasidium pullulans CCTCC M2012223].

    PubMed

    Wang, Yongkang; Song, Xiaodan; Li, Xiaorong; Yang, Sang-tian; Zou, Xiang

    2017-01-04

    To explore the genome sequence of Aureobasidium pullulans CCTCC M2012223, analyze the key genes related to the biosynthesis of important metabolites, and provide genetic background for metabolic engineering. Complete genome of A. pullulans CCTCC M2012223 was sequenced by Illumina HiSeq high throughput sequencing platform. Then, fragment assembly, gene prediction, functional annotation, and GO/COG cluster were analyzed in comparison with those of other five A. pullulans varieties. The complete genome sequence of A. pullulans CCTCC M2012223 was 30756831 bp with an average GC content of 47.49%, and 9452 genes were successfully predicted. Genome-wide analysis showed that A. pullulans CCTCC M2012223 had the biggest genome assembly size. Protein sequences involved in the pullulan and polymalic acid pathway were highly conservative in all of six A. pullulans varieties. Although both A. pullulans CCTCC M2012223 and A. pullulans var. melanogenum have a close affinity, some point mutation and inserts were occurred in protein sequences involved in melanin biosynthesis. Genome information of A. pullulans CCTCC M2012223 was annotated and genes involved in melanin, pullulan and polymalic acid pathway were compared, which would provide a theoretical basis for genetic modification of metabolic pathway in A. pullulans.

  10. Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Conservation of a molecular target across species can be used as a line-of-evidence to predict the likelihood of chemical susceptibility. The web-based Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility (SeqAPASS) tool was developed to simplify, streamline, and quantitatively assess protein sequence/structural similarity across taxonomic groups as a means to predict relative intrinsic susceptibility. The intent of the tool is to allow for evaluation of any potential protein target, so it is amenable to variable degrees of protein characterization, depending on available information about the chemical/protein interaction and the molecular target itself. To allow for flexibility in the analysis, a layered strategy was adopted for the tool. The first level of the SeqAPASS analysis compares primary amino acid sequences to a query sequence, calculating a metric for sequence similarity (including detection of candidate orthologs), the second level evaluates sequence similarity within selected domains (e.g., ligand-binding domain, DNA binding domain), and the third level of analysis compares individual amino acid residue positions identified as being of importance for protein conformation and/or ligand binding upon chemical perturbation. Each level of the SeqAPASS analysis provides increasing evidence to apply toward rapid, screening-level assessments of probable cross species susceptibility. Such analyses can support prioritization of chemicals for further ev

  11. Complete amino acid sequence of ananain and a comparison with stem bromelain and other plant cysteine proteases.

    PubMed Central

    Lee, K L; Albee, K L; Bernasconi, R J; Edmunds, T

    1997-01-01

    The amino acid sequences of ananain (EC3.4.22.31) and stem bromelain (3.4.22.32), two cysteine proteases from pineapple stem, are similar yet ananain and stem bromelain possess distinct specificities towards synthetic peptide substrates and different reactivities towards the cysteine protease inhibitors E-64 and chicken egg white cystatin. We present here the complete amino acid sequence of ananain and compare it with the reported sequences of pineapple stem bromelain, papain and chymopapain from papaya and actinidin from kiwifruit. Ananain is comprised of 216 residues with a theoretical mass of 23464 Da. This primary structure includes a sequence insert between residues 170 and 174 not present in stem bromelain or papain and a hydrophobic series of amino acids adjacent to His-157. It is possible that these sequence differences contribute to the different substrate and inhibitor specificities exhibited by ananain and stem bromelain. PMID:9355753

  12. A Novel Cylindrical Representation for Characterizing Intrinsic Properties of Protein Sequences.

    PubMed

    Yu, Jia-Feng; Dou, Xiang-Hua; Wang, Hong-Bo; Sun, Xiao; Zhao, Hui-Ying; Wang, Ji-Hua

    2015-06-22

    The composition and sequence order of amino acid residues are the two most important characteristics to describe a protein sequence. Graphical representations facilitate visualization of biological sequences and produce biologically useful numerical descriptors. In this paper, we propose a novel cylindrical representation by placing the 20 amino acid residue types in a circle and sequence positions along the z axis. This representation allows visualization of the composition and sequence order of amino acids at the same time. Ten numerical descriptors and one weighted numerical descriptor have been developed to quantitatively describe intrinsic properties of protein sequences on the basis of the cylindrical model. Their applications to similarity/dissimilarity analysis of nine ND5 proteins indicated that these numerical descriptors are more effective than several classical numerical matrices. Thus, the cylindrical representation obtained here provides a new useful tool for visualizing and charactering protein sequences. An online server is available at http://biophy.dzu.edu.cn:8080/CNumD/input.jsp .

  13. SNBRFinder: A Sequence-Based Hybrid Algorithm for Enhanced Prediction of Nucleic Acid-Binding Residues.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiaoxia; Wang, Jia; Sun, Jun; Liu, Rong

    2015-01-01

    Protein-nucleic acid interactions are central to various fundamental biological processes. Automated methods capable of reliably identifying DNA- and RNA-binding residues in protein sequence are assuming ever-increasing importance. The majority of current algorithms rely on feature-based prediction, but their accuracy remains to be further improved. Here we propose a sequence-based hybrid algorithm SNBRFinder (Sequence-based Nucleic acid-Binding Residue Finder) by merging a feature predictor SNBRFinderF and a template predictor SNBRFinderT. SNBRFinderF was established using the support vector machine whose inputs include sequence profile and other complementary sequence descriptors, while SNBRFinderT was implemented with the sequence alignment algorithm based on profile hidden Markov models to capture the weakly homologous template of query sequence. Experimental results show that SNBRFinderF was clearly superior to the commonly used sequence profile-based predictor and SNBRFinderT can achieve comparable performance to the structure-based template methods. Leveraging the complementary relationship between these two predictors, SNBRFinder reasonably improved the performance of both DNA- and RNA-binding residue predictions. More importantly, the sequence-based hybrid prediction reached competitive performance relative to our previous structure-based counterpart. Our extensive and stringent comparisons show that SNBRFinder has obvious advantages over the existing sequence-based prediction algorithms. The value of our algorithm is highlighted by establishing an easy-to-use web server that is freely accessible at http://ibi.hzau.edu.cn/SNBRFinder.

  14. ANCAC: amino acid, nucleotide, and codon analysis of COGs--a tool for sequence bias analysis in microbial orthologs.

    PubMed

    Meiler, Arno; Klinger, Claudia; Kaufmann, Michael

    2012-09-08

    The COG database is the most popular collection of orthologous proteins from many different completely sequenced microbial genomes. Per definition, a cluster of orthologous groups (COG) within this database exclusively contains proteins that most likely achieve the same cellular function. Recently, the COG database was extended by assigning to every protein both the corresponding amino acid and its encoding nucleotide sequence resulting in the NUCOCOG database. This extended version of the COG database is a valuable resource connecting sequence features with the functionality of the respective proteins. Here we present ANCAC, a web tool and MySQL database for the analysis of amino acid, nucleotide, and codon frequencies in COGs on the basis of freely definable phylogenetic patterns. We demonstrate the usefulness of ANCAC by analyzing amino acid frequencies, codon usage, and GC-content in a species- or function-specific context. With respect to amino acids we, at least in part, confirm the cognate bias hypothesis by using ANCAC's NUCOCOG dataset as the largest one available for that purpose thus far. Using the NUCOCOG datasets, ANCAC connects taxonomic, amino acid, and nucleotide sequence information with the functional classification via COGs and provides a GUI for flexible mining for sequence-bias. Thereby, to our knowledge, it is the only tool for the analysis of sequence composition in the light of physiological roles and phylogenetic context without requirement of substantial programming-skills.

  15. Identification and Analysis of Novel Amino-Acid Sequence Repeats in Bacillus anthracis str. Ames Proteome Using Computational Tools

    PubMed Central

    Hemalatha, G. R.; Rao, D. Satyanarayana; Guruprasad, L.

    2007-01-01

    We have identified four repeats and ten domains that are novel in proteins encoded by the Bacillus anthracis str. Ames proteome using automated in silico methods. A “repeat” corresponds to a region comprising less than 55-amino-acid residues that occur more than once in the protein sequence and sometimes present in tandem. A “domain” corresponds to a conserved region with greater than 55-amino-acid residues and may be present as single or multiple copies in the protein sequence. These correspond to (1) 57-amino-acid-residue PxV domain, (2) 122-amino-acid-residue FxF domain, (3) 111-amino-acid-residue YEFF domain, (4) 109-amino-acid-residue IMxxH domain, (5) 103-amino-acid-residue VxxT domain, (6) 84-amino-acid-residue ExW domain, (7) 104-amino-acid-residue NTGFIG domain, (8) 36-amino-acid-residue NxGK repeat, (9) 95-amino-acid-residue VYV domain, (10) 75-amino-acid-residue KEWE domain, (11) 59-amino-acid-residue AFL domain, (12) 53-amino-acid-residue RIDVK repeat, (13) (a) 41-amino-acid-residue AGQF repeat and (b) 42-amino-acid-residue GSAL repeat. A repeat or domain type is characterized by specific conserved sequence motifs. We discuss the presence of these repeats and domains in proteins from other genomes and their probable secondary structure. PMID:17538688

  16. Genome sequence of the highly weak-acid-tolerant Zygosaccharomyces bailii IST302, amenable to genetic manipulations and physiological studies.

    PubMed

    Palma, Margarida; Münsterkötter, Martin; Peça, João; Güldener, Ulrich; Sá-Correia, Isabel

    2017-06-01

    Zygosaccharomyces bailii is one of the most problematic spoilage yeast species found in the food and beverage industry particularly in acidic products, due to its exceptional resistance to weak acid stress. This article describes the annotation of the genome sequence of Z. bailii IST302, a strain recently proven to be amenable to genetic manipulations and physiological studies. The work was based on the annotated genomes of strain ISA1307, an interspecies hybrid between Z. bailii and a closely related species, and the Z. bailii reference strain CLIB 213T. The resulting genome sequence of Z. bailii IST302 is distributed through 105 scaffolds, comprising a total of 5142 genes and a size of 10.8 Mb. Contrasting with CLIB 213T, strain IST302 does not form cell aggregates, allowing its manipulation in the laboratory for genetic and physiological studies. Comparative cell cycle analysis with the haploid and diploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains BY4741 and BY4743, respectively, suggests that Z. bailii IST302 is haploid. This is an additional trait that makes this strain attractive for the functional analysis of non-essential genes envisaging the elucidation of mechanisms underlying its high tolerance to weak acid food preservatives, or the investigation and exploitation of the potential of this resilient yeast species as cell factory. © FEMS 2017.

  17. Evidence of Divergent Amino Acid Usage in Comparative Analyses of R5- and X4-Associated HIV-1 Vpr Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Antell, Gregory C.; Zhong, Wen; Kercher, Katherine; Passic, Shendra; Williams, Jean; Liu, Yucheng; James, Tony; Jacobson, Jeffrey M.; Szep, Zsofia

    2017-01-01

    Vpr is an HIV-1 accessory protein that plays numerous roles during viral replication, and some of which are cell type dependent. To test the hypothesis that HIV-1 tropism extends beyond the envelope into the vpr gene, studies were performed to identify the associations between coreceptor usage and Vpr variation in HIV-1-infected patients. Colinear HIV-1 Env-V3 and Vpr amino acid sequences were obtained from the LANL HIV-1 sequence database and from well-suppressed patients in the Drexel/Temple Medicine CNS AIDS Research and Eradication Study (CARES) Cohort. Genotypic classification of Env-V3 sequences as X4 (CXCR4-utilizing) or R5 (CCR5-utilizing) was used to group colinear Vpr sequences. To reveal the sequences associated with a specific coreceptor usage genotype, Vpr amino acid sequences were assessed for amino acid diversity and Jensen-Shannon divergence between the two groups. Five amino acid alphabets were used to comprehensively examine the impact of amino acid substitutions involving side chains with similar physiochemical properties. Positions 36, 37, 41, 89, and 96 of Vpr were characterized by statistically significant divergence across multiple alphabets when X4 and R5 sequence groups were compared. In addition, consensus amino acid switches were found at positions 37 and 41 in comparisons of the R5 and X4 sequence populations. These results suggest an evolutionary link between Vpr and gp120 in HIV-1-infected patients. PMID:28620613

  18. Human Retroviruses and AIDS. A compilation and analysis of nucleic acid and amino acid sequences: I--II; III--V

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Myers, G.; Korber, B.; Wain-Hobson, S.

    1993-12-31

    This compendium and the accompanying floppy diskettes are the result of an effort to compile and rapidly publish all relevant molecular data concerning the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and related retroviruses. The scope of the compendium and database is best summarized by the five parts that it comprises: (I) HIV and SIV Nucleotide Sequences; (II) Amino Acid Sequences; (III) Analyses; (IV) Related Sequences; and (V) Database Communications. Information within all the parts is updated at least twice in each year, which accounts for the modes of binding and pagination in the compendium.

  19. RNAblueprint: flexible multiple target nucleic acid sequence design.

    PubMed

    Hammer, Stefan; Tschiatschek, Birgit; Flamm, Christoph; Hofacker, Ivo L; Findeiß, Sven

    2017-09-15

    Realizing the value of synthetic biology in biotechnology and medicine requires the design of molecules with specialized functions. Due to its close structure to function relationship, and the availability of good structure prediction methods and energy models, RNA is perfectly suited to be synthetically engineered with predefined properties. However, currently available RNA design tools cannot be easily adapted to accommodate new design specifications. Furthermore, complicated sampling and optimization methods are often developed to suit a specific RNA design goal, adding to their inflexibility. We developed a C ++  library implementing a graph coloring approach to stochastically sample sequences compatible with structural and sequence constraints from the typically very large solution space. The approach allows to specify and explore the solution space in a well defined way. Our library also guarantees uniform sampling, which makes optimization runs performant by not only avoiding re-evaluation of already found solutions, but also by raising the probability of finding better solutions for long optimization runs. We show that our software can be combined with any other software package to allow diverse RNA design applications. Scripting interfaces allow the easy adaption of existing code to accommodate new scenarios, making the whole design process very flexible. We implemented example design approaches written in Python to demonstrate these advantages. RNAblueprint , Python implementations and benchmark datasets are available at github: https://github.com/ViennaRNA . s.hammer@univie.ac.at, ivo@tbi.univie.ac.at or sven@tbi.univie.ac.at. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  20. Short peptides allowing preferential detection of Candida albicans hyphae.

    PubMed

    Kaba, Hani E J; Pölderl, Antonia; Bilitewski, Ursula

    2015-09-01

    Whereas the detection of pathogens via recognition of surface structures by specific antibodies and various types of antibody mimics is frequently described, the applicability of short linear peptides as sensor molecules or diagnostic tools is less well-known. We selected peptides which were previously reported to bind to recombinant S. cerevisiae cells, expressing members of the C. albicans Agglutinin-Like-Sequence (ALS) cell wall protein family. We slightly modified amino acid sequences to evaluate peptide sequence properties influencing binding to C. albicans cells. Among the selected peptides, decamer peptides with an "AP"-N-terminus were superior to shorter peptides. The new decamer peptide FBP4 stained viable C. albicans cells more efficiently in their mature hyphal form than in their yeast form. Moreover, it allowed distinction of C. albicans from other related Candida spp. and could thus be the basis for the development of a useful tool for the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis.

  1. GCPred: a web tool for guanylyl cyclase functional centre prediction from amino acid sequence.

    PubMed

    Xu, Nuo; Fu, Dongfang; Li, Shiang; Wang, Yuxuan; Wong, Aloysius

    2018-06-15

    GCPred is a webserver for the prediction of guanylyl cyclase (GC) functional centres from amino acid sequence. GCs are enzymes that generate the signalling molecule cyclic guanosine 3', 5'-monophosphate from guanosine-5'-triphosphate. A novel class of GC centres (GCCs) has been identified in complex plant proteins. Using currently available experimental data, GCPred is created to automate and facilitate the identification of similar GCCs. The server features GCC values that consider in its calculation, the physicochemical properties of amino acids constituting the GCC and the conserved amino acids within the centre. From user input amino acid sequence, the server returns a table of GCC values and graphs depicting deviations from mean values. The utility of this server is demonstrated using plant proteins and the human interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase family of proteins as example. The GCPred server is available at http://gcpred.com. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  2. Method for analyzing nucleic acids by means of a substrate having a microchannel structure containing immobilized nucleic acid probes

    DOEpatents

    Ramsey, J. Michael; Foote, Robert S.

    2003-12-09

    A method and apparatus for analyzing nucleic acids includes immobilizing nucleic probes at specific sites within a microchannel structure and moving target nucleic acids into proximity to the probes in order to allow hybridization and fluorescence detection of specific target sequences.

  3. Method for analyzing nucleic acids by means of a substrate having a microchannel structure containing immobilized nucleic acid probes

    DOEpatents

    Ramsey, J. Michael; Foote, Robert S.

    2002-01-01

    A method and apparatus for analyzing nucleic acids includes immobilizing nucleic probes at specific sites within a microchannel structure and moving target nucleic acids into proximity to the probes in order to allow hybridization and fluorescence detection of specific target sequences.

  4. Allowance trading activity and state regulatory rulings: Evidence from the US Acid Rain Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bailey, E.M.

    1997-12-31

    The US Acid Rain Program is one of the first, and by far the most extensive, applications of a market based approach to pollution control. From the beginning, there has been concern whether utilities would participate in allowance trading, and whether regulatory activity at the state level would further complicate utilities` decision to trade allowances. This paper finds that public utility commission regulation has encouraged allowance trading activity in states with regulatory rulings, but that allowance trading activity has not been limited to states issuing regulations. Until there is evidence suggesting that significant additional cost savings could have been obtainedmore » if additional allowance trading activity had occurred in states without regulations or that utilities in states with regulations are still not taking advantage of all cost saving trading opportunities, this analysis suggests that there is little reason to believe that allowance trading activity is impeded by public utility commission regulations.« less

  5. Parameters of proteome evolution from histograms of amino-acid sequence identities of paralogous proteins

    PubMed Central

    Axelsen, Jacob Bock; Yan, Koon-Kiu; Maslov, Sergei

    2007-01-01

    Background The evolution of the full repertoire of proteins encoded in a given genome is mostly driven by gene duplications, deletions, and sequence modifications of existing proteins. Indirect information about relative rates and other intrinsic parameters of these three basic processes is contained in the proteome-wide distribution of sequence identities of pairs of paralogous proteins. Results We introduce a simple mathematical framework based on a stochastic birth-and-death model that allows one to extract some of this information and apply it to the set of all pairs of paralogous proteins in H. pylori, E. coli, S. cerevisiae, C. elegans, D. melanogaster, and H. sapiens. It was found that the histogram of sequence identities p generated by an all-to-all alignment of all protein sequences encoded in a genome is well fitted with a power-law form ~ p-γ with the value of the exponent γ around 4 for the majority of organisms used in this study. This implies that the intra-protein variability of substitution rates is best described by the Gamma-distribution with the exponent α ≈ 0.33. Different features of the shape of such histograms allow us to quantify the ratio between the genome-wide average deletion/duplication rates and the amino-acid substitution rate. Conclusion We separately measure the short-term ("raw") duplication and deletion rates rdup∗, rdel∗ which include gene copies that will be removed soon after the duplication event and their dramatically reduced long-term counterparts rdup, rdel. High deletion rate among recently duplicated proteins is consistent with a scenario in which they didn't have enough time to significantly change their functional roles and thus are to a large degree disposable. Systematic trends of each of the four duplication/deletion rates with the total number of genes in the genome were analyzed. All but the deletion rate of recent duplicates rdel∗ were shown to systematically increase with Ngenes. Abnormally flat shapes

  6. Nucleotide sequence of the phosphoglycerate kinase gene from the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with that of the mesophilic yeast phosphoglycerate kinase.

    PubMed Central

    Bowen, D; Littlechild, J A; Fothergill, J E; Watson, H C; Hall, L

    1988-01-01

    Using oligonucleotide probes derived from amino acid sequencing information, the structural gene for phosphoglycerate kinase from the extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus, was cloned in Escherichia coli and its complete nucleotide sequence determined. The gene consists of an open reading frame corresponding to a protein of 390 amino acid residues (calculated Mr 41,791) with an extreme bias for G or C (93.1%) in the codon third base position. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with that of the corresponding mesophilic yeast enzyme indicated a number of significant differences. These are discussed in terms of the unusual codon bias and their possible role in enhanced protein thermal stability. Images Fig. 1. PMID:3052437

  7. Quantitative thermodynamic predication of interactions between nucleic acid and non-nucleic acid species using Microsoft excel.

    PubMed

    Zou, Jiaqi; Li, Na

    2013-09-01

    Proper design of nucleic acid sequences is crucial for many applications. We have previously established a thermodynamics-based quantitative model to help design aptamer-based nucleic acid probes by predicting equilibrium concentrations of all interacting species. To facilitate customization of this thermodynamic model for different applications, here we present a generic and easy-to-use platform to implement the algorithm of the model with Microsoft(®) Excel formulas and VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macros. Two Excel spreadsheets have been developed: one for the applications involving only nucleic acid species, the other for the applications involving both nucleic acid and non-nucleic acid species. The spreadsheets take the nucleic acid sequences and the initial concentrations of all species as input, guide the user to retrieve the necessary thermodynamic constants, and finally calculate equilibrium concentrations for all species in various bound and unbound conformations. The validity of both spreadsheets has been verified by comparing the modeling results with the experimental results on nucleic acid sequences reported in the literature. This Excel-based platform described here will allow biomedical researchers to rationalize the sequence design of nucleic acid probes using the thermodynamics-based modeling even without relevant theoretical and computational skills. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. 37 CFR 1.822 - Symbols and format to be used for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... in WIPO Standard ST.25 (1998), Appendix 2, Tables 1 and 3. This incorporation by reference was... ST.25 (1998), Appendix 2, Tables 1 and 3, shall be listed in a given sequence as “n” or “Xaa... acids. (1) The amino acids in a protein or peptide sequence shall be listed using the three-letter...

  9. 37 CFR 1.822 - Symbols and format to be used for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... in WIPO Standard ST.25 (1998), Appendix 2, Tables 1 and 3. This incorporation by reference was... ST.25 (1998), Appendix 2, Tables 1 and 3, shall be listed in a given sequence as “n” or “Xaa... acids. (1) The amino acids in a protein or peptide sequence shall be listed using the three-letter...

  10. 37 CFR 1.822 - Symbols and format to be used for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... in WIPO Standard ST.25 (1998), Appendix 2, Tables 1 and 3. This incorporation by reference was... ST.25 (1998), Appendix 2, Tables 1 and 3, shall be listed in a given sequence as “n” or “Xaa... acids. (1) The amino acids in a protein or peptide sequence shall be listed using the three-letter...

  11. Striking similarities in amino acid sequence among nonstructural proteins encoded by RNA viruses that have dissimilar genomic organization.

    PubMed Central

    Haseloff, J; Goelet, P; Zimmern, D; Ahlquist, P; Dasgupta, R; Kaesberg, P

    1984-01-01

    The plant viruses alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) and brome mosaic virus (BMV) each divide their genetic information among three RNAs while tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) contains a single genomic RNA. Amino acid sequence comparisons suggest that the single proteins encoded by AMV RNA 1 and BMV RNA 1 and by AMV RNA 2 and BMV RNA 2 are related to the NH2-terminal two-thirds and the COOH-terminal one-third, respectively, of the largest protein encoded by TMV. Separating these two domains in the TMV RNA sequence is an amber termination codon, whose partial suppression allows translation of the downstream domain. Many of the residues that the TMV read-through domain and the segmented plant viruses have in common are also conserved in a read-through domain found in the nonstructural polyprotein of the animal alphaviruses Sindbis and Middelburg. We suggest that, despite substantial differences in gene organization and expression, all of these viruses use related proteins for common functions in RNA replication. Reassortment of functional modules of coding and regulatory sequence from preexisting viral or cellular sources, perhaps via RNA recombination, may be an important mechanism in RNA virus evolution. PMID:6611550

  12. Draft genome sequence of the docosahexaenoic acid producing thraustochytrid Aurantiochytrium sp. T66.

    PubMed

    Liu, Bin; Ertesvåg, Helga; Aasen, Inga Marie; Vadstein, Olav; Brautaset, Trygve; Heggeset, Tonje Marita Bjerkan

    2016-06-01

    Thraustochytrids are unicellular, marine protists, and there is a growing industrial interest in these organisms, particularly because some species, including strains belonging to the genus Aurantiochytrium, accumulate high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Aurantiochytrium sp. T66 (ATCC PRA-276), with a size of 43 Mbp, and 11,683 predicted protein-coding sequences. The data has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/Genbank under the accession LNGJ00000000. The genome sequence will contribute new insight into DHA biosynthesis and regulation, providing a basis for metabolic engineering of thraustochytrids.

  13. Novel Peptide Sequence (“IQ-tag”) with High Affinity for NIR Fluorochromes Allows Protein and Cell Specific Labeling for In Vivo Imaging

    PubMed Central

    McCarthy, Jason R.; Weissleder, Ralph

    2007-01-01

    Background Probes that allow site-specific protein labeling have become critical tools for visualizing biological processes. Methods Here we used phage display to identify a novel peptide sequence with nanomolar affinity for near infrared (NIR) (benz)indolium fluorochromes. The developed peptide sequence (“IQ-tag”) allows detection of NIR dyes in a wide range of assays including ELISA, flow cytometry, high throughput screens, microscopy, and optical in vivo imaging. Significance The described method is expected to have broad utility in numerous applications, namely site-specific protein imaging, target identification, cell tracking, and drug development. PMID:17653285

  14. ANCAC: amino acid, nucleotide, and codon analysis of COGs – a tool for sequence bias analysis in microbial orthologs

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The COG database is the most popular collection of orthologous proteins from many different completely sequenced microbial genomes. Per definition, a cluster of orthologous groups (COG) within this database exclusively contains proteins that most likely achieve the same cellular function. Recently, the COG database was extended by assigning to every protein both the corresponding amino acid and its encoding nucleotide sequence resulting in the NUCOCOG database. This extended version of the COG database is a valuable resource connecting sequence features with the functionality of the respective proteins. Results Here we present ANCAC, a web tool and MySQL database for the analysis of amino acid, nucleotide, and codon frequencies in COGs on the basis of freely definable phylogenetic patterns. We demonstrate the usefulness of ANCAC by analyzing amino acid frequencies, codon usage, and GC-content in a species- or function-specific context. With respect to amino acids we, at least in part, confirm the cognate bias hypothesis by using ANCAC’s NUCOCOG dataset as the largest one available for that purpose thus far. Conclusions Using the NUCOCOG datasets, ANCAC connects taxonomic, amino acid, and nucleotide sequence information with the functional classification via COGs and provides a GUI for flexible mining for sequence-bias. Thereby, to our knowledge, it is the only tool for the analysis of sequence composition in the light of physiological roles and phylogenetic context without requirement of substantial programming-skills. PMID:22958836

  15. Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy: Changing the Treatment Sequence to Allow Immediate Free Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Kimberley; Neoh, Derek

    2018-06-16

     Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is traditionally treated with a multimodal approach of chemotherapy, surgery, and postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). The advantages of immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) are well described and include improved aesthetic outcomes, fewer surgical procedures, shorter treatment period, and a higher quality of life. However, this sequence makes immediate free autologous reconstruction more challenging as PMRT can have deleterious and unpredictable effects on the flap. We have reversed this treatment sequence with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, followed by mastectomy and immediate free autologous reconstruction. To our knowledge, this is the first series to assess the outcomes of neoadjuvant radiotherapy on immediate free microvascular breast reconstruction.  A review of patients with LABC who underwent immediate free autologous breast reconstruction post neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy between 2013 and 2017 was conducted. All reconstructions were performed by a single reconstructive team. The primary end points were flap failure and surgical complications. Secondary end points were pathological response rate and disease recurrence.  A total of 40 women with an average age of 48.1 (36-61) and average body mass index of 25.6 (18-37) were included. The most common choice of flap was immediate deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP, 31), followed by transverse or diagonal upper gracilis (5), muscle-sparing transversus abdominis (3), and stacked DIEP (1). Our major complication rate was 12.5% and minor complication 15%. There were no cases of local recurrence and only three cases (7.5%) of distant disease progression.  From our experience, this treatment sequence allows patients to have an immediate gold standard reconstruction without an increase in surgical morbidity. It affords the benefits of IBR without concern in delaying adjuvant therapy and appears to be safe from an oncological perspective. Thieme

  16. Amino acid selective unlabeling for sequence specific resonance assignments in proteins

    PubMed Central

    Krishnarjuna, B.; Jaipuria, Garima; Thakur, Anushikha

    2010-01-01

    Sequence specific resonance assignment constitutes an important step towards high-resolution structure determination of proteins by NMR and is aided by selective identification and assignment of amino acid types. The traditional approach to selective labeling yields only the chemical shifts of the particular amino acid being selected and does not help in establishing a link between adjacent residues along the polypeptide chain, which is important for sequential assignments. An alternative approach is the method of amino acid selective ‘unlabeling’ or reverse labeling, which involves selective unlabeling of specific amino acid types against a uniformly 13C/15N labeled background. Based on this method, we present a novel approach for sequential assignments in proteins. The method involves a new NMR experiment named, {12COi–15Ni+1}-filtered HSQC, which aids in linking the 1HN/15N resonances of the selectively unlabeled residue, i, and its C-terminal neighbor, i + 1, in HN-detected double and triple resonance spectra. This leads to the assignment of a tri-peptide segment from the knowledge of the amino acid types of residues: i − 1, i and i + 1, thereby speeding up the sequential assignment process. The method has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, applicable to 2H labeled protein and can be coupled with cell-free synthesis and/or automated assignment approaches. A detailed survey involving unlabeling of different amino acid types individually or in pairs reveals that the proposed approach is also robust to misincorporation of 14N at undesired sites. Taken together, this study represents the first application of selective unlabeling for sequence specific resonance assignments and opens up new avenues to using this methodology in protein structural studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10858-010-9459-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:21153044

  17. Accurate prediction of hot spot residues through physicochemical characteristics of amino acid sequences.

    PubMed

    Chen, Peng; Li, Jinyan; Wong, Limsoon; Kuwahara, Hiroyuki; Huang, Jianhua Z; Gao, Xin

    2013-08-01

    Hot spot residues of proteins are fundamental interface residues that help proteins perform their functions. Detecting hot spots by experimental methods is costly and time-consuming. Sequential and structural information has been widely used in the computational prediction of hot spots. However, structural information is not always available. In this article, we investigated the problem of identifying hot spots using only physicochemical characteristics extracted from amino acid sequences. We first extracted 132 relatively independent physicochemical features from a set of the 544 properties in AAindex1, an amino acid index database. Each feature was utilized to train a classification model with a novel encoding schema for hot spot prediction by the IBk algorithm, an extension of the K-nearest neighbor algorithm. The combinations of the individual classifiers were explored and the classifiers that appeared frequently in the top performing combinations were selected. The hot spot predictor was built based on an ensemble of these classifiers and to work in a voting manner. Experimental results demonstrated that our method effectively exploited the feature space and allowed flexible weights of features for different queries. On the commonly used hot spot benchmark sets, our method significantly outperformed other machine learning algorithms and state-of-the-art hot spot predictors. The program is available at http://sfb.kaust.edu.sa/pages/software.aspx. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Sequencing, bioinformatic characterization and expression pattern of a putative amino acid transporter from the parasitic cestode Echinococcus granulosus.

    PubMed

    Camicia, Federico; Paredes, Rodolfo; Chalar, Cora; Galanti, Norbel; Kamenetzky, Laura; Gutierrez, Ariana; Rosenzvit, Mara C

    2008-03-31

    We have sequenced and partially characterized an Echinococcus granulosus cDNA, termed egat1, from a protoscolex signal sequence trap (SST) cDNA library. The isolated 1627 bp long cDNA contains an ORF of 489 amino acids and shows an amino acid identity of 30% with neutral and excitatory amino acid transporters members of the Dicarboxylate/Amino Acid Na+ and/or H+ Cation Symporter family (DAACS) (TC 2.A.23). Additional bioinformatics analysis of EgAT1, confirmed the results obtained by similarity searches and showed the presence of 9 to 10 transmembrane domains, consensus sequences for N-glycosylation between the third and fourth transmembrane domain, a highly similar hydropathy profile with ASCT1 (a known member of DAACS family), high score with SDF (Sodium Dicarboxilate Family) and similar motifs with EDTRANSPORT, a fingerprint of excitatory amino acid transporters. The localization of the putative amino acid transporter was analyzed by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence in protoscoleces and associated germinal layer. The in situ hybridization labelling indicates the distribution of egat1 mRNA throughout the tegument. EgAT1 protein, which showed in Western blots a molecular mass of approximately 60 kD, is localized in the subtegumental region of the metacestode, particularly around suckers and rostellum of protoscoleces and layers from brood capsules. The sequence and expression analyses of EgAT1 pave the way for functional analysis of amino acids transporters of E. granulosus and its evaluation as new drug targets against cystic echinococcosis.

  19. Amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequences of proteins coded by gag gene of murine leukemia virus

    PubMed Central

    Oroszlan, Stephen; Henderson, Louis E.; Stephenson, John R.; Copeland, Terry D.; Long, Cedric W.; Ihle, James N.; Gilden, Raymond V.

    1978-01-01

    The amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequences of proteins (p10, p12, p15, and p30) coded by the gag gene of Rauscher and AKR murine leukemia viruses were determined. Among these proteins, p15 from both viruses appears to have a blocked amino end. Proline was found to be the common NH2 terminus of both p30s and both p12s, and alanine of both p10s. The amino-terminal sequences of p30s are identical, as are those of p10s, while the p12 sequences are clearly distinctive but also show substantial homology. The carboxyl-terminal amino acids of both viral p30s and p12s are leucine and phenylalanine, respectively. Rauscher leukemia virus p15 has tyrosine as the carboxyl terminus while AKR virus p15 has phenylalanine in this position. The compositional and sequence data provide definite chemical criteria for the identification of analogous gag gene products and for the comparison of viral proteins isolated in different laboratories. On the basis of amino acid sequences and the previously proposed H-p15-p12-p30-p10-COOH peptide sequence in the precursor polyprotein, a model for cleavage sites involved in the post-translational processing of the precursor coded for by the gag gene is proposed. PMID:206897

  20. Implication of the cause of differences in 3D structures of proteins with high sequence identity based on analyses of amino acid sequences and 3D structures.

    PubMed

    Matsuoka, Masanari; Sugita, Masatake; Kikuchi, Takeshi

    2014-09-18

    Proteins that share a high sequence homology while exhibiting drastically different 3D structures are investigated in this study. Recently, artificial proteins related to the sequences of the GA and IgG binding GB domains of human serum albumin have been designed. These artificial proteins, referred to as GA and GB, share 98% amino acid sequence identity but exhibit different 3D structures, namely, a 3α bundle versus a 4β + α structure. Discriminating between their 3D structures based on their amino acid sequences is a very difficult problem. In the present work, in addition to using bioinformatics techniques, an analysis based on inter-residue average distance statistics is used to address this problem. It was hard to distinguish which structure a given sequence would take only with the results of ordinary analyses like BLAST and conservation analyses. However, in addition to these analyses, with the analysis based on the inter-residue average distance statistics and our sequence tendency analysis, we could infer which part would play an important role in its structural formation. The results suggest possible determinants of the different 3D structures for sequences with high sequence identity. The possibility of discriminating between the 3D structures based on the given sequences is also discussed.

  1. Nucleic Acid Detection Methods

    DOEpatents

    Smith, Cassandra L.; Yaar, Ron; Szafranski, Przemyslaw; Cantor, Charles R.

    1998-05-19

    The invention relates to methods for rapidly determining the sequence and/or length a target sequence. The target sequence may be a series of known or unknown repeat sequences which are hybridized to an array of probes. The hybridized array is digested with a single-strand nuclease and free 3'-hydroxyl groups extended with a nucleic acid polymerase. Nuclease cleaved heteroduplexes can be easily distinguish from nuclease uncleaved heteroduplexes by differential labeling. Probes and target can be differentially labeled with detectable labels. Matched target can be detected by cleaving resulting loops from the hybridized target and creating free 3-hydroxyl groups. These groups are recognized and extended by polymerases added into the reaction system which also adds or releases one label into solution. Analysis of the resulting products using either solid phase or solution. These methods can be used to detect characteristic nucleic acid sequences, to determine target sequence and to screen for genetic defects and disorders. Assays can be conducted on solid surfaces allowing for multiple reactions to be conducted in parallel and, if desired, automated.

  2. Nucleic acid detection methods

    DOEpatents

    Smith, C.L.; Yaar, R.; Szafranski, P.; Cantor, C.R.

    1998-05-19

    The invention relates to methods for rapidly determining the sequence and/or length a target sequence. The target sequence may be a series of known or unknown repeat sequences which are hybridized to an array of probes. The hybridized array is digested with a single-strand nuclease and free 3{prime}-hydroxyl groups extended with a nucleic acid polymerase. Nuclease cleaved heteroduplexes can be easily distinguish from nuclease uncleaved heteroduplexes by differential labeling. Probes and target can be differentially labeled with detectable labels. Matched target can be detected by cleaving resulting loops from the hybridized target and creating free 3-hydroxyl groups. These groups are recognized and extended by polymerases added into the reaction system which also adds or releases one label into solution. Analysis of the resulting products using either solid phase or solution. These methods can be used to detect characteristic nucleic acid sequences, to determine target sequence and to screen for genetic defects and disorders. Assays can be conducted on solid surfaces allowing for multiple reactions to be conducted in parallel and, if desired, automated. 18 figs.

  3. A complete Neandertal mitochondrial genome sequence determined by high-throughput sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Green, Richard E.; Malaspinas, Anna-Sapfo; Krause, Johannes; Briggs, Adrian W.; Johnson, Philip L. F.; Uhler, Caroline; Meyer, Matthias; Good, Jeffrey M.; Maricic, Tomislav; Stenzel, Udo; Prüfer, Kay; Siebauer, Michael; Burbano, Hernán A.; Ronan, Michael; Rothberg, Jonathan M.; Egholm, Michael; Rudan, Pavao; Brajković, Dejana; Kućan, Željko; Gušić, Ivan; Wikström, Mårten; Laakkonen, Liisa; Kelso, Janet; Slatkin, Montgomery; Pääbo, Svante

    2008-01-01

    Summary A complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence was reconstructed from a 38,000-year-old Neandertal individual using 8,341 mtDNA sequences identified among 4.8 Gb of DNA generated from ~0.3 grams of bone. Analysis of the assembled sequence unequivocally establishes that the Neandertal mtDNA falls outside the variation of extant human mtDNAs and allows an estimate of the divergence date between the two mtDNA lineages of 660,000±140,000 years. Of the 13 proteins encoded in the mtDNA, subunit 2 of cytochrome c oxidase of the mitochondrial electron transport chain has experienced the largest number of amino acid substitutions in human ancestors since the separation from Neandertals. There is evidence that purifying selection in the Neandertal mtDNA was reduced compared to other primate lineages suggesting that the effective population size of Neandertals was small. PMID:18692465

  4. Amino acid sequence of the smaller basic protein from rat brain myelin

    PubMed Central

    Dunkley, Peter R.; Carnegie, Patrick R.

    1974-01-01

    1. The complete amino acid sequence of the smaller basic protein from rat brain myelin was determined. This protein differs from myelin basic proteins of other species in having a deletion of a polypeptide of 40 amino acid residues from the centre of the molecule. 2. A detailed comparison is made of the constant and variable regions in a group of myelin basic proteins from six species. 3. An arginine residue in the rat protein was found to be partially methylated. The ratio of methylated to unmethylated arginine at this position differed from that found for the human basic protein. 4. Three tryptic peptides were isolated in more than one form. The differences between the two forms of each peptide are discussed in relation to the electrophoretic heterogeneity of myelin basic proteins, which is known to occur at alkaline pH values. 5. Detailed evidence for the amino acid sequence of the protein has been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50029 at the British Library (Lending Division) (formerly the National Lending Library for Science and Technology), Boston Spa, Yorks. LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies may be obtained on the terms given in Biochem. J. (1973) 131, 5. PMID:4141893

  5. Amino acid sequence analysis of the annexin super-gene family of proteins.

    PubMed

    Barton, G J; Newman, R H; Freemont, P S; Crumpton, M J

    1991-06-15

    The annexins are a widespread family of calcium-dependent membrane-binding proteins. No common function has been identified for the family and, until recently, no crystallographic data existed for an annexin. In this paper we draw together 22 available annexin sequences consisting of 88 similar repeat units, and apply the techniques of multiple sequence alignment, pattern matching, secondary structure prediction and conservation analysis to the characterisation of the molecules. The analysis clearly shows that the repeats cluster into four distinct families and that greatest variation occurs within the repeat 3 units. Multiple alignment of the 88 repeats shows amino acids with conserved physicochemical properties at 22 positions, with only Gly at position 23 being absolutely conserved in all repeats. Secondary structure prediction techniques identify five conserved helices in each repeat unit and patterns of conserved hydrophobic amino acids are consistent with one face of a helix packing against the protein core in predicted helices a, c, d, e. Helix b is generally hydrophobic in all repeats, but contains a striking pattern of repeat-specific residue conservation at position 31, with Arg in repeats 4 and Glu in repeats 2, but unconserved amino acids in repeats 1 and 3. This suggests repeats 2 and 4 may interact via a buried saltbridge. The loop between predicted helices a and b of repeat 3 shows features distinct from the equivalent loop in repeats 1, 2 and 4, suggesting an important structural and/or functional role for this region. No compelling evidence emerges from this study for uteroglobin and the annexins sharing similar tertiary structures, or for uteroglobin representing a derivative of a primordial one-repeat structure that underwent duplication to give the present day annexins. The analyses performed in this paper are re-evaluated in the Appendix, in the light of the recently published X-ray structure for human annexin V. The structure confirms most of

  6. The catalytic chain of human complement subcomponent C1r. Purification and N-terminal amino acid sequences of the major cyanogen bromide-cleavage fragments.

    PubMed

    Arlaud, G J; Gagnon, J; Porter, R R

    1982-01-01

    1. The a- and b-chains of reduced and alkylated human complement subcomponent C1r were separated by high-pressure gel-permeation chromatography and isolated in good yield and in pure form. 2. CNBr cleavage of C1r b-chain yielded eight major peptides, which were purified by gel filtration and high-pressure reversed-phase chromatography. As determined from the sum of their amino acid compositions, these peptides accounted for a minimum molecular weight of 28 000, close to the value 29 100 calculated from the whole b-chain. 3. N-Terminal sequence determinations of C1r b-chain and its CNBr-cleavage peptides allowed the identification of about two-thirds of the amino acids of C1r b-chain. From our results, and on the basis of homology with other serine proteinases, an alignment of the eight CNBr-cleavage peptides from C1r b-chain is proposed. 4. The residues forming the 'charge-relay' system of the active site of serine proteinases (His-57, Asp-102 and Ser-195 in the chymotrypsinogen numbering) are found in the corresponding regions of C1r b-chain, and the amino acid sequence around these residues has been determined. 5. The N-terminal sequence of C1r b-chain has been extended to residue 60 and reveals that C1r b-chain lacks the 'histidine loop', a disulphide bond that is present in all other known serine proteinases.

  7. Solid phase sequencing of biopolymers

    DOEpatents

    Cantor, Charles; Koster, Hubert

    2010-09-28

    This invention relates to methods for detecting and sequencing target nucleic acid sequences, to mass modified nucleic acid probes and arrays of probes useful in these methods, and to kits and systems which contain these probes. Useful methods involve hybridizing the nucleic acids or nucleic acids which represent complementary or homologous sequences of the target to an array of nucleic acid probes. These probes comprise a single-stranded portion, an optional double-stranded portion and a variable sequence within the single-stranded portion. The molecular weights of the hybridized nucleic acids of the set can be determined by mass spectroscopy, and the sequence of the target determined from the molecular weights of the fragments. Nucleic acids whose sequences can be determined include DNA or RNA in biological samples such as patient biopsies and environmental samples. Probes may be fixed to a solid support such as a hybridization chip to facilitate automated molecular weight analysis and identification of the target sequence.

  8. Illumina Synthetic Long Read Sequencing Allows Recovery of Missing Sequences even in the “Finished” C. elegans Genome

    PubMed Central

    Li, Runsheng; Hsieh, Chia-Ling; Young, Amanda; Zhang, Zhihong; Ren, Xiaoliang; Zhao, Zhongying

    2015-01-01

    Most next-generation sequencing platforms permit acquisition of high-throughput DNA sequences, but the relatively short read length limits their use in genome assembly or finishing. Illumina has recently released a technology called Synthetic Long-Read Sequencing that can produce reads of unusual length, i.e., predominately around 10 Kb. However, a systematic assessment of their use in genome finishing and assembly is still lacking. We evaluate the promise and deficiency of the long reads in these aspects using isogenic C. elegans genome with no gap. First, the reads are highly accurate and capable of recovering most types of repetitive sequences. However, the presence of tandem repetitive sequences prevents pre-assembly of long reads in the relevant genomic region. Second, the reads are able to reliably detect missing but not extra sequences in the C. elegans genome. Third, the reads of smaller size are more capable of recovering repetitive sequences than those of bigger size. Fourth, at least 40 Kbp missing genomic sequences are recovered in the C. elegans genome using the long reads. Finally, an N50 contig size of at least 86 Kbp can be achieved with 24×reads but with substantial mis-assembly errors, highlighting a need for novel assembly algorithm for the long reads. PMID:26039588

  9. N-Terminal Amino Acid Sequence Determination of Proteins by N-Terminal Dimethyl Labeling: Pitfalls and Advantages When Compared with Edman Degradation Sequence Analysis.

    PubMed

    Chang, Elizabeth; Pourmal, Sergei; Zhou, Chun; Kumar, Rupesh; Teplova, Marianna; Pavletich, Nikola P; Marians, Kenneth J; Erdjument-Bromage, Hediye

    2016-07-01

    In recent history, alternative approaches to Edman sequencing have been investigated, and to this end, the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) Protein Sequencing Research Group (PSRG) initiated studies in 2014 and 2015, looking into bottom-up and top-down N-terminal (Nt) dimethyl derivatization of standard quantities of intact proteins with the aim to determine Nt sequence information. We have expanded this initiative and used low picomole amounts of myoglobin to determine the efficiency of Nt-dimethylation. Application of this approach on protein domains, generated by limited proteolysis of overexpressed proteins, confirms that it is a universal labeling technique and is very sensitive when compared with Edman sequencing. Finally, we compared Edman sequencing and Nt-dimethylation of the same polypeptide fragments; results confirm that there is agreement in the identity of the Nt amino acid sequence between these 2 methods.

  10. Extension of the COG and arCOG databases by amino acid and nucleotide sequences

    PubMed Central

    Meereis, Florian; Kaufmann, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Background The current versions of the COG and arCOG databases, both excellent frameworks for studies in comparative and functional genomics, do not contain the nucleotide sequences corresponding to their protein or protein domain entries. Results Using sequence information obtained from GenBank flat files covering the completely sequenced genomes of the COG and arCOG databases, we constructed NUCOCOG (nucleotide sequences containing COG databases) as an extended version including all nucleotide sequences and in addition the amino acid sequences originally utilized to construct the current COG and arCOG databases. We make available three comprehensive single XML files containing the complete databases including all sequence information. In addition, we provide a web interface as a utility suitable to browse the NUCOCOG database for sequence retrieval. The database is accessible at . Conclusion NUCOCOG offers the possibility to analyze any sequence related property in the context of the COG and arCOG framework simply by using script languages such as PERL applied to a large but single XML document. PMID:19014535

  11. Conversion of amino-acid sequence in proteins to classical music: search for auditory patterns

    PubMed Central

    2007-01-01

    We have converted genome-encoded protein sequences into musical notes to reveal auditory patterns without compromising musicality. We derived a reduced range of 13 base notes by pairing similar amino acids and distinguishing them using variations of three-note chords and codon distribution to dictate rhythm. The conversion will help make genomic coding sequences more approachable for the general public, young children, and vision-impaired scientists. PMID:17477882

  12. The amino acid motif L/IIxxFE defines a novel actin-binding sequence in PDZ-RhoGEF

    PubMed Central

    Banerjee, Jayashree; Fischer, Christopher C.; Wedegaertner, Philip B.

    2009-01-01

    PDZ-RhoGEF is a member of the regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain-containing RhoGEFs (RGS-RhoGEFs) that link activated heterotrimeric G protein α subunits of the G12 family to activation of the small GTPase RhoA. Unique among the RGS-RhoGEFs, PDZ-RhoGEF contains a short sequence that localizes the protein to the actin cytoskeleton. In this report, we demonstrate that the actin-binding domain, located between amino acids 561–585, directly binds to F-actin in vitro. Extensive mutagenesis identifies isoleucine 568, isoleucine 569, phenylalanine 572, and glutamic acid 573 as necessary for binding to actin and for co-localization with the actin cytoskeleton in cells. These results define a novel actin-binding sequence in PDZ-RhoGEF with a critical amino acid motif of IIxxFE. Moreover, sequence analysis identifies a similar actin-binding motif in the N-terminus of the RhoGEF frabin, and, as with PDZ-RhoGEF, mutagenesis and actin interaction experiments demonstrate a motif of LIxxFE, consisting of the key amino acids leucine 23, isoleucine 24, phenylalanine 27, and glutamic acid 28. Taken together, results with PDZ-RhoGEF and frabin identify a novel actin binding sequence. Lastly, inducible dimerization of the actin-binding region of PDZ-RhoGEF revealed a dimerization-dependent actin bundling activity in vitro. PDZ-RhoGEF exists in cells as a dimer, raising the possibility that PDZ-RhoGEF could influence actin structure independent of its ability to activate RhoA. PMID:19618964

  13. alpha-Amylase gene of Streptomyces limosus: nucleotide sequence, expression motifs, and amino acid sequence homology to mammalian and invertebrate alpha-amylases.

    PubMed Central

    Long, C M; Virolle, M J; Chang, S Y; Chang, S; Bibb, M J

    1987-01-01

    The nucleotide sequence of the coding and regulatory regions of the alpha-amylase gene (aml) of Streptomyces limosus was determined. High-resolution S1 mapping was used to locate the 5' end of the transcript and demonstrated that the gene is transcribed from a unique promoter. The predicted amino acid sequence has considerable identity to mammalian and invertebrate alpha-amylases, but not to those of plant, fungal, or eubacterial origin. Consistent with this is the susceptibility of the enzyme to an inhibitor of mammalian alpha-amylases. The amino-terminal sequence of the extracellular enzyme was determined, revealing the presence of a typical signal peptide preceding the mature form of the alpha-amylase. Images PMID:3500166

  14. Preparation of Nucleic Acid Libraries for Personalized Sequencing Systems Using an Integrated Microfluidic Hub Technology (Seventh Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting 2012)

    ScienceCinema

    Patel, Kamlesh D.

    2018-01-22

    Kamlesh (Ken) Patel from Sandia National Laboratories (Livermore, California) presents "Preparation of Nucleic Acid Libraries for Personalized Sequencing Systems Using an Integrated Microfluidic Hub Technology " at the 7th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting held in June, 2012 in Santa Fe, NM.

  15. Preparation of Nucleic Acid Libraries for Personalized Sequencing Systems Using an Integrated Microfluidic Hub Technology (Seventh Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting 2012)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Patel, Kamlesh D.

    2012-06-01

    Kamlesh (Ken) Patel from Sandia National Laboratories (Livermore, California) presents "Preparation of Nucleic Acid Libraries for Personalized Sequencing Systems Using an Integrated Microfluidic Hub Technology " at the 7th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting held in June, 2012 in Santa Fe, NM.

  16. NNAlign: A Web-Based Prediction Method Allowing Non-Expert End-User Discovery of Sequence Motifs in Quantitative Peptide Data

    PubMed Central

    Andreatta, Massimo; Schafer-Nielsen, Claus; Lund, Ole; Buus, Søren; Nielsen, Morten

    2011-01-01

    Recent advances in high-throughput technologies have made it possible to generate both gene and protein sequence data at an unprecedented rate and scale thereby enabling entirely new “omics”-based approaches towards the analysis of complex biological processes. However, the amount and complexity of data that even a single experiment can produce seriously challenges researchers with limited bioinformatics expertise, who need to handle, analyze and interpret the data before it can be understood in a biological context. Thus, there is an unmet need for tools allowing non-bioinformatics users to interpret large data sets. We have recently developed a method, NNAlign, which is generally applicable to any biological problem where quantitative peptide data is available. This method efficiently identifies underlying sequence patterns by simultaneously aligning peptide sequences and identifying motifs associated with quantitative readouts. Here, we provide a web-based implementation of NNAlign allowing non-expert end-users to submit their data (optionally adjusting method parameters), and in return receive a trained method (including a visual representation of the identified motif) that subsequently can be used as prediction method and applied to unknown proteins/peptides. We have successfully applied this method to several different data sets including peptide microarray-derived sets containing more than 100,000 data points. NNAlign is available online at http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/NNAlign. PMID:22073191

  17. NNAlign: a web-based prediction method allowing non-expert end-user discovery of sequence motifs in quantitative peptide data.

    PubMed

    Andreatta, Massimo; Schafer-Nielsen, Claus; Lund, Ole; Buus, Søren; Nielsen, Morten

    2011-01-01

    Recent advances in high-throughput technologies have made it possible to generate both gene and protein sequence data at an unprecedented rate and scale thereby enabling entirely new "omics"-based approaches towards the analysis of complex biological processes. However, the amount and complexity of data that even a single experiment can produce seriously challenges researchers with limited bioinformatics expertise, who need to handle, analyze and interpret the data before it can be understood in a biological context. Thus, there is an unmet need for tools allowing non-bioinformatics users to interpret large data sets. We have recently developed a method, NNAlign, which is generally applicable to any biological problem where quantitative peptide data is available. This method efficiently identifies underlying sequence patterns by simultaneously aligning peptide sequences and identifying motifs associated with quantitative readouts. Here, we provide a web-based implementation of NNAlign allowing non-expert end-users to submit their data (optionally adjusting method parameters), and in return receive a trained method (including a visual representation of the identified motif) that subsequently can be used as prediction method and applied to unknown proteins/peptides. We have successfully applied this method to several different data sets including peptide microarray-derived sets containing more than 100,000 data points. NNAlign is available online at http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/NNAlign.

  18. Multiplex, Rapid, and Sensitive Isothermal Detection of Nucleic-Acid Sequence by Endonuclease Restriction-Mediated Real-Time Multiple Cross Displacement Amplification.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yi; Wang, Yan; Zhang, Lu; Liu, Dongxin; Luo, Lijuan; Li, Hua; Cao, Xiaolong; Liu, Kai; Xu, Jianguo; Ye, Changyun

    2016-01-01

    We have devised a novel isothermal amplification technology, termed endonuclease restriction-mediated real-time multiple cross displacement amplification (ET-MCDA), which facilitated multiplex, rapid, specific and sensitive detection of nucleic-acid sequences at a constant temperature. The ET-MCDA integrated multiple cross displacement amplification strategy, restriction endonuclease cleavage and real-time fluorescence detection technique. In the ET-MCDA system, the functional cross primer E-CP1 or E-CP2 was constructed by adding a short sequence at the 5' end of CP1 or CP2, respectively, and the new E-CP1 or E-CP2 primer was labeled at the 5' end with a fluorophore and in the middle with a dark quencher. The restriction endonuclease Nb.BsrDI specifically recognized the short sequence and digested the newly synthesized double-stranded terminal sequences (5' end short sequences and their complementary sequences), which released the quenching, resulting on a gain of fluorescence signal. Thus, the ET-MCDA allowed real-time detection of single or multiple targets in only a single reaction, and the positive results were observed in as short as 12 min, detecting down to 3.125 fg of genomic DNA per tube. Moreover, the analytical specificity and the practical application of the ET-MCDA were also successfully evaluated in this study. Here, we provided the details on the novel ET-MCDA technique and expounded the basic ET-MCDA amplification mechanism.

  19. Partial amino acid sequence of the branched chain amino acid aminotransferase (TmB) of E. coli JA199 pDU11

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Feild, M.J.; Armstrong, F.B.

    1987-05-01

    E. coli JA199 pDU11 harbors a multicopy plasmid containing the ilv GEDAY gene cluster of S. typhimurium. TmB, gene product of ilv E, was purified, crystallized, and subjected to Edman degradation using a gas phase sequencer. The intact protein yielded an amino terminal 31 residue sequence. Both carboxymethylated apoenzyme and (/sup 3/H)-NaBH-reduced holoenzyme were then subjected to digestion by trypsin. The digests were fractionated using reversed phase HPLC, and the peptides isolated were sequenced. The borohydride-treated holoenzyme was used to isolate the cofactor-binding peptide. The peptide is 27 residues long and a comparison with known sequences of other aminotransferases revealedmore » limited homology. Peptides accounting for 211 of 288 predicted residues have been sequenced, including 9 residues of the carboxyl terminus. Comparison of peptides with the inferred amino acid sequence of the E. coli K-12 enzyme has helped determine the sequence of the amino terminal 59 residues; only two differences between the sequences are noted in this region.« less

  20. Extensive computation of allowed and forbidden transition probabilities in the potassium isoelectronic sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dixit, Gopal; Deshmukh, Pranawa C.; Manson, Steven T.; Majumder, Sonjoy

    2007-06-01

    Our primary aim in this work is to present both allowed and forbidden transition amplitudes and corresponding wavelengths and oscillator strengths for a few ions in the 19-electron potassium isoelectronic sequence. All of these ions have the configuration [Ar] 3^2D3/2 as their ground state, except in the case of K and Ca^+, where it is [Ar] 4^2S1/2.This difference in ground state configuration arises due to strong contributions of correlation effects in the energy levels of these systems [1]. Allowed and forbidden transitions in these systems are of great importance in astrophysics [2] and in laboratory plasma research [3]. We apply in the present work the relativistic coupled-cluster (RCC) theory [4] to evaluate the energy levels and wave functions of these systems and study amplitudes for electric and magnetic dipole transition amplitudes and also the electric quadrupole transition amplitudes. The contributions of various electron correlation effects to the transition amplitudes are estimated in some detail using the RCC theory. [1] Gopal Dixit et al., Astrophys. J (submitted); arXiv.org: physics/0702066. [2] C. R. Cowley and G. M. Wahlgern, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 447, 681 (2002). [3] J. E. Vernazza, E. M. Reeves, Astrophys. J. Suppl. 37, 485 (1978) [4] I. Lindgren, Physics Scripta, 36, 591 (1987).

  1. 37 CFR 1.822 - Symbols and format to be used for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... base or modified or unusual amino acid may be presented in a given sequence as the corresponding unmodified base or amino acid if the modified base or modified or unusual amino acid is one of those listed... the Feature section. Otherwise, each occurrence of a base or amino acid not appearing in WIPO Standard...

  2. Self-sequencing of amino acids and origins of polyfunctional protocells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fox, S. W.

    1984-01-01

    The role of proteins in the origin of living things is discussed. It has been experimentally established that amino acids can sequence themselves under simulated geological conditions with highly nonrandom products which accordingly contain diverse information. Multiple copies of each type of macromolecule are formed, resulting in greater power for any protoenzymic molecule than would accrue from a single copy of each type. Thermal proteins are readily incorporated into laboratory protocells. The experimental evidence for original polyfunctional protocells is discussed.

  3. Microwave-assisted acid and base hydrolysis of intact proteins containing disulfide bonds for protein sequence analysis by mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Reiz, Bela; Li, Liang

    2010-09-01

    Controlled hydrolysis of proteins to generate peptide ladders combined with mass spectrometric analysis of the resultant peptides can be used for protein sequencing. In this paper, two methods of improving the microwave-assisted protein hydrolysis process are described to enable rapid sequencing of proteins containing disulfide bonds and increase sequence coverage, respectively. It was demonstrated that proteins containing disulfide bonds could be sequenced by MS analysis by first performing hydrolysis for less than 2 min, followed by 1 h of reduction to release the peptides originally linked by disulfide bonds. It was shown that a strong base could be used as a catalyst for microwave-assisted protein hydrolysis, producing complementary sequence information to that generated by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis. However, using either acid or base hydrolysis, amide bond breakages in small regions of the polypeptide chains of the model proteins (e.g., cytochrome c and lysozyme) were not detected. Dynamic light scattering measurement of the proteins solubilized in an acid or base indicated that protein-protein interaction or aggregation was not the cause of the failure to hydrolyze certain amide bonds. It was speculated that there were some unknown local structures that might play a role in preventing an acid or base from reacting with the peptide bonds therein. 2010 American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. 78 FR 26637 - Federal Travel Regulation (FTR); Relocation Allowance-Relocation Income Tax (RIT) Allowable Tables

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-07

    ... GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION [Notice-FTR 2013-02; Docket 2013-0002; Sequence 14] Federal Travel Regulation (FTR); Relocation Allowance--Relocation Income Tax (RIT) Allowable Tables AGENCY: Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP), General Services Administration (GSA). ACTION: Notice of bulletin 13-05. SUMMARY...

  5. Statistical distribution of amino acid sequences: a proof of Darwinian evolution.

    PubMed

    Eitner, Krystian; Koch, Uwe; Gaweda, Tomasz; Marciniak, Jedrzej

    2010-12-01

    The article presents results of the listing of the quantity of amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides for all proteins available in the UNIPROT-TREMBL database and the listing for selected species and enzymes. UNIPROT-TREMBL contains protein sequences associated with computationally generated annotations and large-scale functional characterization. Due to the distinct metabolic pathways of amino acid syntheses and their physicochemical properties, the quantities of subpeptides in proteins vary. We have proved that the distribution of amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides is statistical which confirms that the evolutionary biodiversity development model is subject to the theory of independent events. It seems interesting that certain short peptide combinations occur relatively rarely or even not at all. First, it confirms the Darwinian theory of evolution and second, it opens up opportunities for designing pharmaceuticals among rarely represented short peptide combinations. Furthermore, an innovative approach to the mass analysis of bioinformatic data is presented. eitner@amu.edu.pl Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  6. Purification, characterization, gene cloning and nucleotide sequencing of D: -stereospecific amino acid amidase from soil bacterium: Delftia acidovorans.

    PubMed

    Hongpattarakere, Tipparat; Komeda, Hidenobu; Asano, Yasuhisa

    2005-12-01

    The D-amino acid amidase-producing bacterium was isolated from soil samples using an enrichment culture technique in medium broth containing D-phenylalanine amide as a sole source of nitrogen. The strain exhibiting the strongest activity was identified as Delftia acidovorans strain 16. This strain produced intracellular D-amino acid amidase constitutively. The enzyme was purified about 380-fold to homogeneity and its molecular mass was estimated to be about 50 kDa, on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme was active preferentially toward D-amino acid amides rather than their L-counterparts. It exhibited strong amino acid amidase activity toward aromatic amino acid amides including D-phenylalanine amide, D-tryptophan amide and D-tyrosine amide, yet it was not specifically active toward low-molecular-weight D-amino acid amides such as D-alanine amide, L-alanine amide and L-serine amide. Moreover, it was not specifically active toward oligopeptides. The enzyme showed maximum activity at 40 degrees C and pH 8.5 and appeared to be very stable, with 92.5% remaining activity after the reaction was performed at 45 degrees C for 30 min. However, it was mostly inactivated in the presence of phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride or Cd2+, Ag+, Zn2+, Hg2+ and As3+ . The NH2 terminal and internal amino acid sequences of the enzyme were determined; and the gene was cloned and sequenced. The enzyme gene damA encodes a 466-amino-acid protein (molecular mass 49,860.46 Da); and the deduced amino acid sequence exhibits homology to the D-amino acid amidase from Variovorax paradoxus (67.9% identity), the amidotransferase A subunit from Burkholderia fungorum (50% identity) and other enantioselective amidases.

  7. A Novel Phytase with Sequence Similarity to Purple Acid Phosphatases Is Expressed in Cotyledons of Germinating Soybean Seedlings 1

    PubMed Central

    Hegeman, Carla E.; Grabau, Elizabeth A.

    2001-01-01

    Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate) is the major storage form of phosphorus in plant seeds. During germination, stored reserves are used as a source of nutrients by the plant seedling. Phytic acid is degraded by the activity of phytases to yield inositol and free phosphate. Due to the lack of phytases in the non-ruminant digestive tract, monogastric animals cannot utilize dietary phytic acid and it is excreted into manure. High phytic acid content in manure results in elevated phosphorus levels in soil and water and accompanying environmental concerns. The use of phytases to degrade seed phytic acid has potential for reducing the negative environmental impact of livestock production. A phytase was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from cotyledons of germinated soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.). Peptide sequence data generated from the purified enzyme facilitated the cloning of the phytase sequence (GmPhy) employing a polymerase chain reaction strategy. The introduction of GmPhy into soybean tissue culture resulted in increased phytase activity in transformed cells, which confirmed the identity of the phytase gene. It is surprising that the soybean phytase was unrelated to previously characterized microbial or maize (Zea mays) phytases, which were classified as histidine acid phosphatases. The soybean phytase sequence exhibited a high degree of similarity to purple acid phosphatases, a class of metallophosphoesterases. PMID:11500558

  8. The isolation, purification and amino-acid sequence of insulin from the teleost fish Cottus scorpius (daddy sculpin).

    PubMed

    Cutfield, J F; Cutfield, S M; Carne, A; Emdin, S O; Falkmer, S

    1986-07-01

    Insulin from the principal islets of the teleost fish, Cottus scorpius (daddy sculpin), has been isolated and sequenced. Purification involved acid/alcohol extraction, gel filtration, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to yield nearly 1 mg pure insulin/g wet weight islet tissue. Biological potency was estimated as 40% compared to porcine insulin. The sculpin insulin crystallised in the absence of zinc ions although zinc is known to be present in the islets in significant amounts. Two other hormones, glucagon and pancreatic polypeptide, were copurified with the insulin, and an N-terminal sequence for pancreatic polypeptide was determined. The primary structure of sculpin insulin shows a number of sequence changes unique so far amongst teleost fish. These changes occur at A14 (Arg), A15 (Val), and B2 (Asp). The B chain contains 29 amino acids and there is no N-terminal extension as seen with several other fish. Presumably as a result of the amino acid substitutions, sculpin insulin does not readily form crystals containing zinc-insulin hexamers, despite the presence of the coordinating B10 His.

  9. Design of nucleic acid sequences for DNA computing based on a thermodynamic approach

    PubMed Central

    Tanaka, Fumiaki; Kameda, Atsushi; Yamamoto, Masahito; Ohuchi, Azuma

    2005-01-01

    We have developed an algorithm for designing multiple sequences of nucleic acids that have a uniform melting temperature between the sequence and its complement and that do not hybridize non-specifically with each other based on the minimum free energy (ΔGmin). Sequences that satisfy these constraints can be utilized in computations, various engineering applications such as microarrays, and nano-fabrications. Our algorithm is a random generate-and-test algorithm: it generates a candidate sequence randomly and tests whether the sequence satisfies the constraints. The novelty of our algorithm is that the filtering method uses a greedy search to calculate ΔGmin. This effectively excludes inappropriate sequences before ΔGmin is calculated, thereby reducing computation time drastically when compared with an algorithm without the filtering. Experimental results in silico showed the superiority of the greedy search over the traditional approach based on the hamming distance. In addition, experimental results in vitro demonstrated that the experimental free energy (ΔGexp) of 126 sequences correlated well with ΔGmin (|R| = 0.90) than with the hamming distance (|R| = 0.80). These results validate the rationality of a thermodynamic approach. We implemented our algorithm in a graphic user interface-based program written in Java. PMID:15701762

  10. cis-β-Bromostyrene derivatives from cinnamic acids via a tandem substitutive bromination-decarboxylation sequence.

    PubMed

    Tang, Khanh G; Kent, Greggory T; Erden, Ihsan; Wu, Weiming

    2017-10-04

    cis -β-Bromostyrene derivatives were synthesized stereospecifically from cinnamic acids through β-lactone intermediates. The synthetic sequence did not require the purification of the β-lactone intermediates although they were found to be stable and readily purified in most cases.

  11. Repeat sequence chromosome specific nucleic acid probes and methods of preparing and using

    DOEpatents

    Weier, H.U.G.; Gray, J.W.

    1995-06-27

    A primer directed DNA amplification method to isolate efficiently chromosome-specific repeated DNA wherein degenerate oligonucleotide primers are used is disclosed. The probes produced are a heterogeneous mixture that can be used with blocking DNA as a chromosome-specific staining reagent, and/or the elements of the mixture can be screened for high specificity, size and/or high degree of repetition among other parameters. The degenerate primers are sets of primers that vary in sequence but are substantially complementary to highly repeated nucleic acid sequences, preferably clustered within the template DNA, for example, pericentromeric alpha satellite repeat sequences. The template DNA is preferably chromosome-specific. Exemplary primers and probes are disclosed. The probes of this invention can be used to determine the number of chromosomes of a specific type in metaphase spreads, in germ line and/or somatic cell interphase nuclei, micronuclei and/or in tissue sections. Also provided is a method to select arbitrarily repeat sequence probes that can be screened for chromosome-specificity. 18 figs.

  12. Repeat sequence chromosome specific nucleic acid probes and methods of preparing and using

    DOEpatents

    Weier, Heinz-Ulrich G.; Gray, Joe W.

    1995-01-01

    A primer directed DNA amplification method to isolate efficiently chromosome-specific repeated DNA wherein degenerate oligonucleotide primers are used is disclosed. The probes produced are a heterogeneous mixture that can be used with blocking DNA as a chromosome-specific staining reagent, and/or the elements of the mixture can be screened for high specificity, size and/or high degree of repetition among other parameters. The degenerate primers are sets of primers that vary in sequence but are substantially complementary to highly repeated nucleic acid sequences, preferably clustered within the template DNA, for example, pericentromeric alpha satellite repeat sequences. The template DNA is preferably chromosome-specific. Exemplary primers ard probes are disclosed. The probes of this invention can be used to determine the number of chromosomes of a specific type in metaphase spreads, in germ line and/or somatic cell interphase nuclei, micronuclei and/or in tissue sections. Also provided is a method to select arbitrarily repeat sequence probes that can be screened for chromosome-specificity.

  13. DNA Cloning of Plasmodium falciparum Circumsporozoite Gene: Amino Acid Sequence of Repetitive Epitope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Enea, Vincenzo; Ellis, Joan; Zavala, Fidel; Arnot, David E.; Asavanich, Achara; Masuda, Aoi; Quakyi, Isabella; Nussenzweig, Ruth S.

    1984-08-01

    A clone of complementary DNA encoding the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has been isolated by screening an Escherichia coli complementary DNA library with a monoclonal antibody to the CS protein. The DNA sequence of the complementary DNA insert encodes a four-amino acid sequence: proline-asparagine-alanine-asparagine, tandemly repeated 23 times. The CS β -lactamase fusion protein specifically binds monoclonal antibodies to the CS protein and inhibits the binding of these antibodies to native Plasmodium falciparum CS protein. These findings provide a basis for the development of a vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

  14. Hydroquinone: O-glucosyltransferase from cultivated Rauvolfia cells: enrichment and partial amino acid sequences.

    PubMed

    Arend, J; Warzecha, H; Stöckigt, J

    2000-01-01

    Plant cell suspension cultures of Rauvolfia are able to produce a high amount of arbutin by glucosylation of exogenously added hydroquinone. A four step purification procedure using anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, hydroxyapatite-chromatography and chromatofocusing delivered in a yield of 0.5%, an approximately 390 fold enrichment of the involved glucosyltransferase. SDS-PAGE showed a M(r) for the enzyme of 52 kDa. Proteolysis of the pure enzyme with endoproteinase LysC revealed six peptide fragments with 9-23 amino acids which were sequenced. Sequence alignment of the six peptides showed high homologies to glycosyltransferases from other higher plants.

  15. Partial amino-acid sequence of the precursor of an immunoglobulin light chain containing NH2-terminal pyroglutamic acid.

    PubMed Central

    Burstein, Y; Kantour, F; Schechter, I

    1976-01-01

    Analyses of amino-acid sequences of the total cell-free products programmed by the mRNA of MOPC-104E gamma light (L)-chain show that over 95% of the products have sequences of a distinct protein that correspond to the L-chain precursor. In this precursor an extra piece is coupled to the NH2-terminus of the mature L-chain. Analyses of products labeled with [3H]alanine, [3H]leucine, and [3H]proline demonstrate that the extra piece is composed of at least 18 residues. Analyses of [35S]methione-labeled product indicate that the extra piece may contain an additional NH2-terminal methionine, which is detected in about 10% of the molecules. Partial recovery of the NJ2-terminal methionine (alanine, leucine, and proline are recovered in yields close to theoretical, greater than 95%) suggests that it is the initiator methionine, which is known to be short lived in eukaryotes due to rapid hydrolysis. Thus, the extra piece seems to be 19 residues in length, and it contains one methionine at the NH2-terminus, three alanines at positions 2, 12, and 17, and five leucines at positions 6, 8, 10, 11, and 13. The close gathering of leucine residues, as well as their abundance (26%), suggest that the extra piece would be quite hydrophobic. Hydrophobicity seems to be a general property of the extra piece, since similar clusters of leucine were found in the precursors of 3 KL-chains (Burstein, Y. & Schechter, I. (1976) Biochem. J. 157, 145-151). The NH2-terminus of the mature MOPC-104E gamma L-chain is blocked by pyroglutamic acid. The fact that in the precursor a peptide segment precedes this NH2-terminus establishes that pyroglutamic acid is not the initiator residue for synthesis of the L-chain. Apparently, the pyroglutamic acid is formed by cyclization of glutamic acid or glutamine during cleavage of the extra piece to yield the mature L-chain. Images PMID:822420

  16. Evolution of sequence-defined highly functionalized nucleic acid polymers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhen; Lichtor, Phillip A.; Berliner, Adrian P.; Chen, Jonathan C.; Liu, David R.

    2018-03-01

    The evolution of sequence-defined synthetic polymers made of building blocks beyond those compatible with polymerase enzymes or the ribosome has the potential to generate new classes of receptors, catalysts and materials. Here we describe a ligase-mediated DNA-templated polymerization and in vitro selection system to evolve highly functionalized nucleic acid polymers (HFNAPs) made from 32 building blocks that contain eight chemically diverse side chains on a DNA backbone. Through iterated cycles of polymer translation, selection and reverse translation, we discovered HFNAPs that bind proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and interleukin-6, two protein targets implicated in human diseases. Mutation and reselection of an active PCSK9-binding polymer yielded evolved polymers with high affinity (KD = 3 nM). This evolved polymer potently inhibited the binding between PCSK9 and the low-density lipoprotein receptor. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that specific side chains at defined positions in the polymers are required for binding to their respective targets. Our findings expand the chemical space of evolvable polymers to include densely functionalized nucleic acids with diverse, researcher-defined chemical repertoires.

  17. Sequence similarity is more relevant than species specificity in probabilistic backtranslation.

    PubMed

    Ferro, Alfredo; Giugno, Rosalba; Pigola, Giuseppe; Pulvirenti, Alfredo; Di Pietro, Cinzia; Purrello, Michele; Ragusa, Marco

    2007-02-21

    Backtranslation is the process of decoding a sequence of amino acids into the corresponding codons. All synthetic gene design systems include a backtranslation module. The degeneracy of the genetic code makes backtranslation potentially ambiguous since most amino acids are encoded by multiple codons. The common approach to overcome this difficulty is based on imitation of codon usage within the target species. This paper describes EasyBack, a new parameter-free, fully-automated software for backtranslation using Hidden Markov Models. EasyBack is not based on imitation of codon usage within the target species, but instead uses a sequence-similarity criterion. The model is trained with a set of proteins with known cDNA coding sequences, constructed from the input protein by querying the NCBI databases with BLAST. Unlike existing software, the proposed method allows the quality of prediction to be estimated. When tested on a group of proteins that show different degrees of sequence conservation, EasyBack outperforms other published methods in terms of precision. The prediction quality of a protein backtranslation methis markedly increased by replacing the criterion of most used codon in the same species with a Hidden Markov Model trained with a set of most similar sequences from all species. Moreover, the proposed method allows the quality of prediction to be estimated probabilistically.

  18. An Alignment-Free Algorithm in Comparing the Similarity of Protein Sequences Based on Pseudo-Markov Transition Probabilities among Amino Acids

    PubMed Central

    Li, Yushuang; Yang, Jiasheng; Zhang, Yi

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we have proposed a novel alignment-free method for comparing the similarity of protein sequences. We first encode a protein sequence into a 440 dimensional feature vector consisting of a 400 dimensional Pseudo-Markov transition probability vector among the 20 amino acids, a 20 dimensional content ratio vector, and a 20 dimensional position ratio vector of the amino acids in the sequence. By evaluating the Euclidean distances among the representing vectors, we compare the similarity of protein sequences. We then apply this method into the ND5 dataset consisting of the ND5 protein sequences of 9 species, and the F10 and G11 datasets representing two of the xylanases containing glycoside hydrolase families, i.e., families 10 and 11. As a result, our method achieves a correlation coefficient of 0.962 with the canonical protein sequence aligner ClustalW in the ND5 dataset, much higher than those of other 5 popular alignment-free methods. In addition, we successfully separate the xylanases sequences in the F10 family and the G11 family and illustrate that the F10 family is more heat stable than the G11 family, consistent with a few previous studies. Moreover, we prove mathematically an identity equation involving the Pseudo-Markov transition probability vector and the amino acids content ratio vector. PMID:27918587

  19. Amino acid sequence of human cholinesterase. Annual report, 30 September 1984-30 September 1985

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lockridge, O.

    1985-10-01

    The active-site serine residue is located 198 amino acids from the N-terminal. The active-site peptide was isolated from three different genetic types of human serum cholinesterase: from usual, atypical, and atypical-silent genotypes. It was found that the amino acid sequence of the active-site peptide was identical in all three genotypes. Comparison of the complete sequences of cholinesterase from human serum and acetylcholinesterase from the electric organ of Torpedo californica shows an identity of 53%. Cholinesterase is of interest to the Department of Defense because cholinesterase protects against organophosphate poisons of the type used in chemical warfare. The structural results presentedmore » here will serve as the basis for cloning the gene for cholinesterase. The potential uses of large amounts of cholinesterase would be for cleaning up spills of organophosphates and possibly for detoxifying exposed personnel.« less

  20. The sequence of sequencers: The history of sequencing DNA

    PubMed Central

    Heather, James M.; Chain, Benjamin

    2016-01-01

    Determining the order of nucleic acid residues in biological samples is an integral component of a wide variety of research applications. Over the last fifty years large numbers of researchers have applied themselves to the production of techniques and technologies to facilitate this feat, sequencing DNA and RNA molecules. This time-scale has witnessed tremendous changes, moving from sequencing short oligonucleotides to millions of bases, from struggling towards the deduction of the coding sequence of a single gene to rapid and widely available whole genome sequencing. This article traverses those years, iterating through the different generations of sequencing technology, highlighting some of the key discoveries, researchers, and sequences along the way. PMID:26554401

  1. Two-level QSAR network (2L-QSAR) for peptide inhibitor design based on amino acid properties and sequence positions.

    PubMed

    Du, Q S; Ma, Y; Xie, N Z; Huang, R B

    2014-01-01

    In the design of peptide inhibitors the huge possible variety of the peptide sequences is of high concern. In collaboration with the fast accumulation of the peptide experimental data and database, a statistical method is suggested for peptide inhibitor design. In the two-level peptide prediction network (2L-QSAR) one level is the physicochemical properties of amino acids and the other level is the peptide sequence position. The activity contributions of amino acids are the functions of physicochemical properties and the sequence positions. In the prediction equation two weight coefficient sets {ak} and {bl} are assigned to the physicochemical properties and to the sequence positions, respectively. After the two coefficient sets are optimized based on the experimental data of known peptide inhibitors using the iterative double least square (IDLS) procedure, the coefficients are used to evaluate the bioactivities of new designed peptide inhibitors. The two-level prediction network can be applied to the peptide inhibitor design that may aim for different target proteins, or different positions of a protein. A notable advantage of the two-level statistical algorithm is that there is no need for host protein structural information. It may also provide useful insight into the amino acid properties and the roles of sequence positions.

  2. Amino-acid sequence and predicted three-dimensional structure of pea seed (Pisum sativum) ferritin.

    PubMed Central

    Lobreaux, S; Yewdall, S J; Briat, J F; Harrison, P M

    1992-01-01

    The iron storage protein, ferritin, is widely distributed in the living kingdom. Here the complete cDNA and derived amino-acid sequence of pea seed ferritin are described, together with its predicted secondary structure, namely a four-helix-bundle fold similar to those of mammalian ferritins, with a fifth short helix at the C-terminus. An N-terminal extension of 71 residues contains a transit peptide (first 47 residues) responsible for plastid targetting as in other plant ferritins, and this is cleaved before assembly. The second part of the extension (24 residues) belongs to the mature subunit; it is cleaved during germination. The amino-acid sequence of pea seed ferritin is aligned with those of other ferritins (49% amino-acid identity with H-chains and 40% with L-chains of human liver ferritin in the aligned region). A three-dimensional model has been constructed by fitting the aligned sequence to the coordinates of human H-chains, with appropriate modifications. A folded conformation with an 11-residue helix is predicted for the N-terminal extension. As in mammalian ferritins, 24 subunits assemble into a hollow shell. In pea seed ferritin, its N-terminal extension is exposed on the outside surface of the shell. Within each pea subunit is a ferroxidase centre resembling those of human ferritin H-chains except for a replacement of Glu-62 by His. The channel at the 4-fold-symmetry axes defined by E-helices, is predicted to be hydrophilic in plant ferritins, whereas it is hydrophobic in mammalian ferritins. Images Fig. 3. Fig. 5. Fig. 6. PMID:1472006

  3. Amino acid and nucleotide recurrence in aligned sequences: synonymous substitution patterns in association with global and local base compositions.

    PubMed

    Nishizawa, M; Nishizawa, K

    2000-10-01

    The tendency for repetitiveness of nucleotides in DNA sequences has been reported for a variety of organisms. We show that the tendency for repetitive use of amino acids is widespread and is observed even for segments conserved between human and Drosophila melanogaster at the level of >50% amino acid identity. This indicates that repetitiveness influences not only the weakly constrained segments but also those sequence segments conserved among phyla. Not only glutamine (Q) but also many of the 20 amino acids show a comparable level of repetitiveness. Repetitiveness in bases at codon position 3 is stronger for human than for D.melanogaster, whereas local repetitiveness in intron sequences is similar between the two organisms. While genes for immune system-specific proteins, but not ancient human genes (i.e. human homologs of Escherichia coli genes), have repetitiveness at codon bases 1 and 2, repetitiveness at codon base 3 for these groups is similar, suggesting that the human genome has at least two mechanisms generating local repetitiveness. Neither amino acid nor nucleotide repetitiveness is observed beyond the exon boundary, denying the possibility that such repetitiveness could mainly stem from natural selection on mRNA or protein sequences. Analyses of mammalian sequence alignments show that while the 'between gene' GC content heterogeneity, which is linked to 'isochores', is a principal factor associated with the bias in substitution patterns in human, 'within gene' heterogeneity in nucleotide composition is also associated with such bias on a more local scale. The relationship amongst the various types of repetitiveness is discussed.

  4. Amino acid and nucleotide recurrence in aligned sequences: synonymous substitution patterns in association with global and local base compositions

    PubMed Central

    Nishizawa, Manami; Nishizawa, Kazuhisa

    2000-01-01

    The tendency for repetitiveness of nucleotides in DNA sequences has been reported for a variety of organisms. We show that the tendency for repetitive use of amino acids is widespread and is observed even for segments conserved between human and Drosophila melanogaster at the level of >50% amino acid identity. This indicates that repetitiveness influences not only the weakly constrained segments but also those sequence segments conserved among phyla. Not only glutamine (Q) but also many of the 20 amino acids show a comparable level of repetitiveness. Repetitiveness in bases at codon position 3 is stronger for human than for D.melanogaster, whereas local repetitiveness in intron sequences is similar between the two organisms. While genes for immune system-specific proteins, but not ancient human genes (i.e. human homologs of Escherichia coli genes), have repetitiveness at codon bases 1 and 2, repetitiveness at codon base 3 for these groups is similar, suggesting that the human genome has at least two mechanisms generating local repetitiveness. Neither amino acid nor nucleotide repetitiveness is observed beyond the exon boundary, denying the possibility that such repetitiveness could mainly stem from natural selection on mRNA or protein sequences. Analyses of mammalian sequence alignments show that while the ‘between gene’ GC content heterogeneity, which is linked to ‘isochores’, is a principal factor associated with the bias in substitution patterns in human, ‘within gene’ heterogeneity in nucleotide composition is also associated with such bias on a more local scale. The relationship amongst the various types of repetitiveness is discussed. PMID:11000273

  5. Identification of single amino acid substitutions (SAAS) in neuraminidase from influenza a virus (H1N1) via mass spectrometry analysis coupled with de novo peptide sequencing.

    PubMed

    Peng, Qisheng; Wang, Zijian; Wu, Donglin; Li, Xiaoou; Liu, Xiaofeng; Sun, Wanchun; Liu, Ning

    2016-08-01

    Amino acid substitutions in the neuraminidase of the influenza virus are the main cause of the emergence of resistance to zanamivir or oseltamivir during seasonal influenza treatment; they are the result of non-synonymous mutations in the viral genome that can be successfully detected by polymer chain reaction (PCR)-based approaches. There is always an urgent need to detect variation in amino acid sequences directly at the protein level. Mass spectrometry coupled with de novo sequencing has been explored as an alternative and straightforward strategy for detecting amino acid substitutions, as well - this approach is the primary focus of the present study. Influenza virus (A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 H1N1) propagated in embryonated chicken eggs was purified by ultracentrifugation, followed by PNGase F treatment. The deglycosylated virion was lysed and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The gel band corresponding to neuraminidase was picked up and subjected to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. LC-MS/MS analyses, coupled with manual de novo sequencing, allowed the determination of three amino acid substitutions: R346K, S349 N, and S370I/L, in the neuraminidase from the influenza virus (A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 H1N1), which were located in three mutated peptides of the neuraminidase: YGNGVWIGK, TKNHSSR, and PNGWTETDI/LK, respectively. We found that the amino acid substitutions in the proteins of RNA viruses (including influenza A virus) resulting from non-synonymous gene mutations can indeed be directly analyzed via mass spectrometry, and that manual interpretation of the MS/MS data may be beneficial. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Amino Acid Properties Conserved in Molecular Evolution

    PubMed Central

    Rudnicki, Witold R.; Mroczek, Teresa; Cudek, Paweł

    2014-01-01

    That amino acid properties are responsible for the way protein molecules evolve is natural and is also reasonably well supported both by the structure of the genetic code and, to a large extent, by the experimental measures of the amino acid similarity. Nevertheless, there remains a significant gap between observed similarity matrices and their reconstructions from amino acid properties. Therefore, we introduce a simple theoretical model of amino acid similarity matrices, which allows splitting the matrix into two parts – one that depends only on mutabilities of amino acids and another that depends on pairwise similarities between them. Then the new synthetic amino acid properties are derived from the pairwise similarities and used to reconstruct similarity matrices covering a wide range of information entropies. Our model allows us to explain up to 94% of the variability in the BLOSUM family of the amino acids similarity matrices in terms of amino acid properties. The new properties derived from amino acid similarity matrices correlate highly with properties known to be important for molecular evolution such as hydrophobicity, size, shape and charge of amino acids. This result closes the gap in our understanding of the influence of amino acids on evolution at the molecular level. The methods were applied to the single family of similarity matrices used often in general sequence homology searches, but it is general and can be used also for more specific matrices. The new synthetic properties can be used in analyzes of protein sequences in various biological applications. PMID:24967708

  7. Discovery of Escherichia coli CRISPR sequences in an undergraduate laboratory.

    PubMed

    Militello, Kevin T; Lazatin, Justine C

    2017-05-01

    Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) represent a novel type of adaptive immune system found in eubacteria and archaebacteria. CRISPRs have recently generated a lot of attention due to their unique ability to catalog foreign nucleic acids, their ability to destroy foreign nucleic acids in a mechanism that shares some similarity to RNA interference, and the ability to utilize reconstituted CRISPR systems for genome editing in numerous organisms. In order to introduce CRISPR biology into an undergraduate upper-level laboratory, a five-week set of exercises was designed to allow students to examine the CRISPR status of uncharacterized Escherichia coli strains and to allow the discovery of new repeats and spacers. Students started the project by isolating genomic DNA from E. coli and amplifying the iap CRISPR locus using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were analyzed by Sanger DNA sequencing, and the sequences were examined for the presence of CRISPR repeat sequences. The regions between the repeats, the spacers, were extracted and analyzed with BLASTN searches. Overall, CRISPR loci were sequenced from several previously uncharacterized E. coli strains and one E. coli K-12 strain. Sanger DNA sequencing resulted in the discovery of 36 spacer sequences and their corresponding surrounding repeat sequences. Five of the spacers were homologous to foreign (non-E. coli) DNA. Assessment of the laboratory indicates that improvements were made in the ability of students to answer questions relating to the structure and function of CRISPRs. Future directions of the laboratory are presented and discussed. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(3):262-269, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  8. Amino acid sequence of bovine muzzle epithelial desmocollin derived from cloned cDNA: a novel subtype of desmosomal cadherins.

    PubMed

    Koch, P J; Goldschmidt, M D; Walsh, M J; Zimbelmann, R; Schmelz, M; Franke, W W

    1991-05-01

    Desmosomes are cell-type-specific intercellular junctions found in epithelium, myocardium and certain other tissues. They consist of assemblies of molecules involved in the adhesion of specific cell types and in the anchorage of cell-type-specific cytoskeletal elements, the intermediate-size filaments, to the plasma membrane. To explore the individual desmosomal components and their functions we have isolated DNA clones encoding the desmosomal glycoprotein, desmocollin, using antibodies and a cDNA expression library from bovine muzzle epithelium. The cDNA-deduced amino-acid sequence of desmocollin (presently we cannot decide to which of the two desmocollins, DC I or DC II, this clone relates) defines a polypeptide with a calculated molecular weight of 85,000, with a single candidate sequence of 24 amino acids sufficiently long for a transmembrane arrangement, and an extracellular aminoterminal portion of 561 amino acid residues, compared to a cytoplasmic part of only 176 amino acids. Amino acid sequence comparisons have revealed that desmocollin is highly homologous to members of the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules, including the previously sequenced desmoglein, another desmosome-specific cadherin. Using riboprobes derived from cDNAs for Northern-blot analyses, we have identified an mRNA of approximately 6 kb in stratified epithelia such as muzzle epithelium and tongue mucosa but not in two epithelial cell culture lines containing desmosomes and desmoplakins. The difference may indicate drastic differences in mRNA concentration or the existence of cell-type-specific desmocollin subforms. The molecular topology of desmocollin(s) is discussed in relation to possible functions of the individual molecular domains.

  9. The amino acid sequence around the active-site cysteine and histidine residues of stem bromelain

    PubMed Central

    Husain, S. S.; Lowe, G.

    1970-01-01

    Stem bromelain that had been irreversibly inhibited with 1,3-dibromo[2-14C]-acetone was reduced with sodium borohydride and carboxymethylated with iodoacetic acid. After digestion with trypsin and α-chymotrypsin three radioactive peptides were isolated chromatographically. The amino acid sequences around the cross-linked cysteine and histidine residues were determined and showed a high degree of homology with those around the active-site cysteine and histidine residues of papain and ficin. PMID:5420046

  10. Predicted secondary structure similarity in the absence of primary amino acid sequence homology: hepatitis B virus open reading frames.

    PubMed Central

    Schaeffer, E; Sninsky, J J

    1984-01-01

    Proteins that are related evolutionarily may have diverged at the level of primary amino acid sequence while maintaining similar secondary structures. Computer analysis has been used to compare the open reading frames of the hepatitis B virus to those of the woodchuck hepatitis virus at the level of amino acid sequence, and to predict the relative hydrophilic character and the secondary structure of putative polypeptides. Similarity is seen at the levels of relative hydrophilicity and secondary structure, in the absence of sequence homology. These data reinforce the proposal that these open reading frames encode viral proteins. Computer analysis of this type can be more generally used to establish structural similarities between proteins that do not share obvious sequence homology as well as to assess whether an open reading frame is fortuitous or codes for a protein. PMID:6585835

  11. Biopolymers Containing Unnatural Amino Acids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schultz, Peter

    Although the main chain structure of polymers has a profound effect on their materials properties, the side groups can also have dramatic effects on their properties including conductivity, liquid crystallinity, hydrophobicity, elasticity and biodegradability. Unfortunately control over the side chain structure of polymers remains a challenge – it is difficult to control the sequence of chain elongation when mixtures of monomers are polymerized, and postpolymerization side chain modification is made difficult by polymer effects on side chain reactivity. In contrast, the mRNA templated synthesis of polypeptides on the ribosome affords absolute control over the primary sequence of the twenty aminomore » acid monomers. Moreover, the length of the biopolymer is precisely controlled as are sites of crosslinking. However, whereas synthetic polymers can be synthesized from monomers with a wide range of chemically defined structures, ribosomal biosynthesis is largely limited to the 20 canonical amino acids. For many applications in material sciences, additional building blocks would be desirable, for example, amino acids containing metallocene, photoactive, and halogenated side chains. To overcome this natural constraint we have developed a method that allows unnatural amino acids, beyond the common twenty, to be genetically encoded in response to nonsense or frameshift codons in bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells with high fidelity and good yields. Here we have developed methods that allow identical or distinct noncanonical amino acids to be incorporated at multiple sites in a polypeptide chain, potentially leading to a new class of templated biopolymers. We have also developed improved methods for genetically encoding unnatural amino acids. In addition, we have genetically encoded new amino acids with novel physical and chemical properties that allow selective modification of proteins with synthetic agents. Finally, we have evolved new metal-ion binding sites in

  12. Integrated databanks access and sequence/structure analysis services at the PBIL.

    PubMed

    Perrière, Guy; Combet, Christophe; Penel, Simon; Blanchet, Christophe; Thioulouse, Jean; Geourjon, Christophe; Grassot, Julien; Charavay, Céline; Gouy, Manolo; Duret, Laurent; Deléage, Gilbert

    2003-07-01

    The World Wide Web server of the PBIL (Pôle Bioinformatique Lyonnais) provides on-line access to sequence databanks and to many tools of nucleic acid and protein sequence analyses. This server allows to query nucleotide sequence banks in the EMBL and GenBank formats and protein sequence banks in the SWISS-PROT and PIR formats. The query engine on which our data bank access is based is the ACNUC system. It allows the possibility to build complex queries to access functional zones of biological interest and to retrieve large sequence sets. Of special interest are the unique features provided by this system to query the data banks of gene families developed at the PBIL. The server also provides access to a wide range of sequence analysis methods: similarity search programs, multiple alignments, protein structure prediction and multivariate statistics. An originality of this server is the integration of these two aspects: sequence retrieval and sequence analysis. Indeed, thanks to the introduction of re-usable lists, it is possible to perform treatments on large sets of data. The PBIL server can be reached at: http://pbil.univ-lyon1.fr.

  13. The sequence of sequencers: The history of sequencing DNA.

    PubMed

    Heather, James M; Chain, Benjamin

    2016-01-01

    Determining the order of nucleic acid residues in biological samples is an integral component of a wide variety of research applications. Over the last fifty years large numbers of researchers have applied themselves to the production of techniques and technologies to facilitate this feat, sequencing DNA and RNA molecules. This time-scale has witnessed tremendous changes, moving from sequencing short oligonucleotides to millions of bases, from struggling towards the deduction of the coding sequence of a single gene to rapid and widely available whole genome sequencing. This article traverses those years, iterating through the different generations of sequencing technology, highlighting some of the key discoveries, researchers, and sequences along the way. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The Biomolecule Sequencer Project: Nanopore Sequencing as a Dual-Use Tool for Crew Health and Astrobiology Investigations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    John, K. K.; Botkin, D. S.; Burton, A. S.; Castro-Wallace, S. L.; Chaput, J. D.; Dworkin, J. P.; Lehman, N.; Lupisella, M. L.; Mason, C. E.; Smith, D. J.; hide

    2016-01-01

    Human missions to Mars will fundamentally transform how the planet is explored, enabling new scientific discoveries through more sophisticated sample acquisition and processing than can currently be implemented in robotic exploration. The presence of humans also poses new challenges, including ensuring astronaut safety and health and monitoring contamination. Because the capability to transfer materials to Earth will be extremely limited, there is a strong need for in situ diagnostic capabilities. Nucleotide sequencing is a particularly powerful tool because it can be used to: (1) mitigate microbial risks to crew by allowing identification of microbes in water, in air, and on surfaces; (2) identify optimal treatment strategies for infections that arise in crew members; and (3) track how crew members, microbes, and mission-relevant organisms (e.g., farmed plants) respond to conditions on Mars through transcriptomic and genomic changes. Sequencing would also offer benefits for science investigations occurring on the surface of Mars by permitting identification of Earth-derived contamination in samples. If Mars contains indigenous life, and that life is based on nucleic acids or other closely related molecules, sequencing would serve as a critical tool for the characterization of those molecules. Therefore, spaceflight-compatible nucleic acid sequencing would be an important capability for both crew health and astrobiology exploration. Advances in sequencing technology on Earth have been driven largely by needs for higher throughput and read accuracy. Although some reduction in size has been achieved, nearly all commercially available sequencers are not compatible with spaceflight due to size, power, and operational requirements. Exceptions are nanopore-based sequencers that measure changes in current caused by DNA passing through pores; these devices are inherently much smaller and require significantly less power than sequencers using other detection methods

  15. SequenceCEROSENE: a computational method and web server to visualize spatial residue neighborhoods at the sequence level.

    PubMed

    Heinke, Florian; Bittrich, Sebastian; Kaiser, Florian; Labudde, Dirk

    2016-01-01

    To understand the molecular function of biopolymers, studying their structural characteristics is of central importance. Graphics programs are often utilized to conceive these properties, but with the increasing number of available structures in databases or structure models produced by automated modeling frameworks this process requires assistance from tools that allow automated structure visualization. In this paper a web server and its underlying method for generating graphical sequence representations of molecular structures is presented. The method, called SequenceCEROSENE (color encoding of residues obtained by spatial neighborhood embedding), retrieves the sequence of each amino acid or nucleotide chain in a given structure and produces a color coding for each residue based on three-dimensional structure information. From this, color-highlighted sequences are obtained, where residue coloring represent three-dimensional residue locations in the structure. This color encoding thus provides a one-dimensional representation, from which spatial interactions, proximity and relations between residues or entire chains can be deduced quickly and solely from color similarity. Furthermore, additional heteroatoms and chemical compounds bound to the structure, like ligands or coenzymes, are processed and reported as well. To provide free access to SequenceCEROSENE, a web server has been implemented that allows generating color codings for structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank or structure models uploaded by the user. Besides retrieving visualizations in popular graphic formats, underlying raw data can be downloaded as well. In addition, the server provides user interactivity with generated visualizations and the three-dimensional structure in question. Color encoded sequences generated by SequenceCEROSENE can aid to quickly perceive the general characteristics of a structure of interest (or entire sets of complexes), thus supporting the researcher in the initial

  16. From amino acid sequence to bioactivity: The biomedical potential of antitumor peptides.

    PubMed

    Blanco-Míguez, Aitor; Gutiérrez-Jácome, Alberto; Pérez-Pérez, Martín; Pérez-Rodríguez, Gael; Catalán-García, Sandra; Fdez-Riverola, Florentino; Lourenço, Anália; Sánchez, Borja

    2016-06-01

    Chemoprevention is the use of natural and/or synthetic substances to block, reverse, or retard the process of carcinogenesis. In this field, the use of antitumor peptides is of interest as, (i) these molecules are small in size, (ii) they show good cell diffusion and permeability, (iii) they affect one or more specific molecular pathways involved in carcinogenesis, and (iv) they are not usually genotoxic. We have checked the Web of Science Database (23/11/2015) in order to collect papers reporting on bioactive peptide (1691 registers), which was further filtered searching terms such as "antiproliferative," "antitumoral," or "apoptosis" among others. Works reporting the amino acid sequence of an antiproliferative peptide were kept (60 registers), and this was complemented with the peptides included in CancerPPD, an extensive resource for antiproliferative peptides and proteins. Peptides were grouped according to one of the following mechanism of action: inhibition of cell migration, inhibition of tumor angiogenesis, antioxidative mechanisms, inhibition of gene transcription/cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, disorganization of tubulin structure, cytotoxicity, or unknown mechanisms. The main mechanisms of action of those antiproliferative peptides with known amino acid sequences are presented and finally, their potential clinical usefulness and future challenges on their application is discussed. © 2016 The Protein Society.

  17. From amino acid sequence to bioactivity: The biomedical potential of antitumor peptides

    PubMed Central

    Blanco‐Míguez, Aitor; Gutiérrez‐Jácome, Alberto; Pérez‐Pérez, Martín; Pérez‐Rodríguez, Gael; Catalán‐García, Sandra; Fdez‐Riverola, Florentino; Lourenço, Anália

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Chemoprevention is the use of natural and/or synthetic substances to block, reverse, or retard the process of carcinogenesis. In this field, the use of antitumor peptides is of interest as, (i) these molecules are small in size, (ii) they show good cell diffusion and permeability, (iii) they affect one or more specific molecular pathways involved in carcinogenesis, and (iv) they are not usually genotoxic. We have checked the Web of Science Database (23/11/2015) in order to collect papers reporting on bioactive peptide (1691 registers), which was further filtered searching terms such as “antiproliferative,” “antitumoral,” or “apoptosis” among others. Works reporting the amino acid sequence of an antiproliferative peptide were kept (60 registers), and this was complemented with the peptides included in CancerPPD, an extensive resource for antiproliferative peptides and proteins. Peptides were grouped according to one of the following mechanism of action: inhibition of cell migration, inhibition of tumor angiogenesis, antioxidative mechanisms, inhibition of gene transcription/cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, disorganization of tubulin structure, cytotoxicity, or unknown mechanisms. The main mechanisms of action of those antiproliferative peptides with known amino acid sequences are presented and finally, their potential clinical usefulness and future challenges on their application is discussed. PMID:27010507

  18. Complete nucleotide and derived amino acid sequence of cDNA encoding the mitochondrial uncoupling protein of rat brown adipose tissue: lack of a mitochondrial targeting presequence.

    PubMed Central

    Ridley, R G; Patel, H V; Gerber, G E; Morton, R C; Freeman, K B

    1986-01-01

    A cDNA clone spanning the entire amino acid sequence of the nuclear-encoded uncoupling protein of rat brown adipose tissue mitochondria has been isolated and sequenced. With the exception of the N-terminal methionine the deduced N-terminus of the newly synthesized uncoupling protein is identical to the N-terminal 30 amino acids of the native uncoupling protein as determined by protein sequencing. This proves that the protein contains no N-terminal mitochondrial targeting prepiece and that a targeting region must reside within the amino acid sequence of the mature protein. Images PMID:3012461

  19. Fatty Acid Profile and Unigene-Derived Simple Sequence Repeat Markers in Tung Tree (Vernicia fordii)

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Lin; Jia, Baoguang; Tan, Xiaofeng; Thammina, Chandra S.; Long, Hongxu; Liu, Min; Wen, Shanna; Song, Xianliang; Cao, Heping

    2014-01-01

    Tung tree (Vernicia fordii) provides the sole source of tung oil widely used in industry. Lack of fatty acid composition and molecular markers hinders biochemical, genetic and breeding research. The objectives of this study were to determine fatty acid profiles and develop unigene-derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in tung tree. Fatty acid profiles of 41 accessions showed that the ratio of α-eleostearic acid was increasing continuously with a parallel trend to the amount of tung oil accumulation while the ratios of other fatty acids were decreasing in different stages of the seeds and that α-eleostearic acid (18∶3) consisted of 77% of the total fatty acids in tung oil. Transcriptome sequencing identified 81,805 unigenes from tung cDNA library constructed using seed mRNA and discovered 6,366 SSRs in 5,404 unigenes. The di- and tri-nucleotide microsatellites accounted for 92% of the SSRs with AG/CT and AAG/CTT being the most abundant SSR motifs. Fifteen polymorphic genic-SSR markers were developed from 98 unigene loci tested in 41 cultivated tung accessions by agarose gel and capillary electrophoresis. Genbank database search identified 10 of them putatively coding for functional proteins. Quantitative PCR demonstrated that all 15 polymorphic SSR-associated unigenes were expressed in tung seeds and some of them were highly correlated with oil composition in the seeds. Dendrogram revealed that most of the 41 accessions were clustered according to the geographic region. These new polymorphic genic-SSR markers will facilitate future studies on genetic diversity, molecular fingerprinting, comparative genomics and genetic mapping in tung tree. The lipid profiles in the seeds of 41 tung accessions will be valuable for biochemical and breeding studies. PMID:25167054

  20. Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus Strain CASL, an Efficient l-Lactic Acid Producer from Cheap Substrate Cassava

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Bo; Su, Fei; Wang, Limin; Zhao, Bo; Qin, Jiayang; Ma, Cuiqing; Xu, Ping; Ma, Yanhe

    2011-01-01

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus is a type of probiotic bacteria with industrial potential for l-lactic acid production. We announce the draft genome sequence of L. rhamnosus CASL (2,855,156 bp with a G+C content of 46.6%), which is an efficient producer of l-lactic acid from cheap, nonfood substrate cassava with a high production titer. PMID:22123765

  1. Fluorescence energy transfer as a probe for nucleic acid structures and sequences.

    PubMed Central

    Mergny, J L; Boutorine, A S; Garestier, T; Belloc, F; Rougée, M; Bulychev, N V; Koshkin, A A; Bourson, J; Lebedev, A V; Valeur, B

    1994-01-01

    The primary or secondary structure of single-stranded nucleic acids has been investigated with fluorescent oligonucleotides, i.e., oligonucleotides covalently linked to a fluorescent dye. Five different chromophores were used: 2-methoxy-6-chloro-9-amino-acridine, coumarin 500, fluorescein, rhodamine and ethidium. The chemical synthesis of derivatized oligonucleotides is described. Hybridization of two fluorescent oligonucleotides to adjacent nucleic acid sequences led to fluorescence excitation energy transfer between the donor and the acceptor dyes. This phenomenon was used to probe primary and secondary structures of DNA fragments and the orientation of oligodeoxynucleotides synthesized with the alpha-anomers of nucleoside units. Fluorescence energy transfer can be used to reveal the formation of hairpin structures and the translocation of genes between two chromosomes. PMID:8152922

  2. Poliovirus replication proteins: RNA sequence encoding P3-1b and the sites of proteolytic processing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Semler, B.L.; Anderson, C.W.; Kitamura, N.

    1981-06-01

    A partial amino-terminal amino acid sequence of each of the major proteins encoded by the replicase region of the poliovirus genome has been determined. A comparison of this sequence information with the amino acid sequence predicted from the RNA sequence that has been determined for the 3' region of the poliovirus genome has allowed us to locate precisely the proteolytic cleavage sites at which the initial polyprotein is processed to create the poliovirus products P3-1b (NCVP1b), P3-2 (NCVP2), P3-4b (NCVP4b), and P3-7c (NCVP7c). For each of these products, as well as for the small genome-linked protein VPg, proteolytic cleavage occursmore » between a glutamine and a glycine residue to create the amino terminus of each protein. This result suggests that a single proteinase may be responsible for all of these cleavages. The sequence data also allow the precise positioning of the genome-linked protein VPg within the precursor P3-1b just proximal to the amino terminus of polypeptide P3-2.« less

  3. Relative quantification of 40 nucleic acid sequences by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification

    PubMed Central

    Schouten, Jan P.; McElgunn, Cathal J.; Waaijer, Raymond; Zwijnenburg, Danny; Diepvens, Filip; Pals, Gerard

    2002-01-01

    We describe a new method for relative quantification of 40 different DNA sequences in an easy to perform reaction requiring only 20 ng of human DNA. Applications shown of this multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technique include the detection of exon deletions and duplications in the human BRCA1, MSH2 and MLH1 genes, detection of trisomies such as Down’s syndrome, characterisation of chromosomal aberrations in cell lines and tumour samples and SNP/mutation detection. Relative quantification of mRNAs by MLPA will be described elsewhere. In MLPA, not sample nucleic acids but probes added to the samples are amplified and quantified. Amplification of probes by PCR depends on the presence of probe target sequences in the sample. Each probe consists of two oligonucleotides, one synthetic and one M13 derived, that hybridise to adjacent sites of the target sequence. Such hybridised probe oligonucleotides are ligated, permitting subsequent amplification. All ligated probes have identical end sequences, permitting simultaneous PCR amplification using only one primer pair. Each probe gives rise to an amplification product of unique size between 130 and 480 bp. Probe target sequences are small (50–70 nt). The prerequisite of a ligation reaction provides the opportunity to discriminate single nucleotide differences. PMID:12060695

  4. Relative quantification of 40 nucleic acid sequences by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification.

    PubMed

    Schouten, Jan P; McElgunn, Cathal J; Waaijer, Raymond; Zwijnenburg, Danny; Diepvens, Filip; Pals, Gerard

    2002-06-15

    We describe a new method for relative quantification of 40 different DNA sequences in an easy to perform reaction requiring only 20 ng of human DNA. Applications shown of this multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technique include the detection of exon deletions and duplications in the human BRCA1, MSH2 and MLH1 genes, detection of trisomies such as Down's syndrome, characterisation of chromosomal aberrations in cell lines and tumour samples and SNP/mutation detection. Relative quantification of mRNAs by MLPA will be described elsewhere. In MLPA, not sample nucleic acids but probes added to the samples are amplified and quantified. Amplification of probes by PCR depends on the presence of probe target sequences in the sample. Each probe consists of two oligonucleotides, one synthetic and one M13 derived, that hybridise to adjacent sites of the target sequence. Such hybridised probe oligonucleotides are ligated, permitting subsequent amplification. All ligated probes have identical end sequences, permitting simultaneous PCR amplification using only one primer pair. Each probe gives rise to an amplification product of unique size between 130 and 480 bp. Probe target sequences are small (50-70 nt). The prerequisite of a ligation reaction provides the opportunity to discriminate single nucleotide differences.

  5. Integrating mRNA and protein sequencing enables the detection and quantitative profiling of natural protein sequence variants of Populus trichocarpa

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abraham, Paul E.; Wang, Xiaojing; Ranjan, Priya

    The availability of next-generation sequencing technologies has rapidly transformed our ability to link genotypes to phenotypes, and as such, promises to facilitate the dissection of genetic contribution to complex traits. Although discoveries of genetic associations will further our understanding of biology, once candidate variants have been identified, investigators are faced with the challenge of characterizing the functional effects on proteins encoded by such genes. Here we show how next-generation RNA sequencing data can be exploited to construct genotype-specific protein sequence databases, which provide a clearer picture of the molecular toolbox underlying cellular and organismal processes and their variation in amore » natural population. For this study, we used two individual genotypes (DENA-17-3 and VNDL-27-4) from a recent genome wide association (GWA) study of Populus trichocarpa, an obligate outcrosser that exhibits tremendous phenotypic variation across the natural population. This strategy allowed us to comprehensively catalogue proteins containing single amino acid polymorphisms (SAAPs) and insertions and deletions (INDELS). Based on large-scale identification of SAAPs, we profiled the frequency of 128 types of naturally occurring amino acid substitutions, with a subset of SAAPs occurring in regions of the genome having strong polymorphism patterns consistent with recent positive and/or divergent selection. In addition, we were able to explore the diploid landscape of Populus at the proteome-level, allowing the characterization of heterozygous variants.« less

  6. Integrating mRNA and protein sequencing enables the detection and quantitative profiling of natural protein sequence variants of Populus trichocarpa

    DOE PAGES

    Abraham, Paul E.; Wang, Xiaojing; Ranjan, Priya; ...

    2015-10-20

    The availability of next-generation sequencing technologies has rapidly transformed our ability to link genotypes to phenotypes, and as such, promises to facilitate the dissection of genetic contribution to complex traits. Although discoveries of genetic associations will further our understanding of biology, once candidate variants have been identified, investigators are faced with the challenge of characterizing the functional effects on proteins encoded by such genes. Here we show how next-generation RNA sequencing data can be exploited to construct genotype-specific protein sequence databases, which provide a clearer picture of the molecular toolbox underlying cellular and organismal processes and their variation in amore » natural population. For this study, we used two individual genotypes (DENA-17-3 and VNDL-27-4) from a recent genome wide association (GWA) study of Populus trichocarpa, an obligate outcrosser that exhibits tremendous phenotypic variation across the natural population. This strategy allowed us to comprehensively catalogue proteins containing single amino acid polymorphisms (SAAPs) and insertions and deletions (INDELS). Based on large-scale identification of SAAPs, we profiled the frequency of 128 types of naturally occurring amino acid substitutions, with a subset of SAAPs occurring in regions of the genome having strong polymorphism patterns consistent with recent positive and/or divergent selection. In addition, we were able to explore the diploid landscape of Populus at the proteome-level, allowing the characterization of heterozygous variants.« less

  7. Evolutionary Distance of Amino Acid Sequence Orthologs across Macaque Subspecies: Identifying Candidate Genes for SIV Resistance in Chinese Rhesus Macaques

    PubMed Central

    Ross, Cody T.; Roodgar, Morteza; Smith, David Glenn

    2015-01-01

    We use the Reciprocal Smallest Distance (RSD) algorithm to identify amino acid sequence orthologs in the Chinese and Indian rhesus macaque draft sequences and estimate the evolutionary distance between such orthologs. We then use GOanna to map gene function annotations and human gene identifiers to the rhesus macaque amino acid sequences. We conclude methodologically by cross-tabulating a list of amino acid orthologs with large divergence scores with a list of genes known to be involved in SIV or HIV pathogenesis. We find that many of the amino acid sequences with large evolutionary divergence scores, as calculated by the RSD algorithm, have been shown to be related to HIV pathogenesis in previous laboratory studies. Four of the strongest candidate genes for SIVmac resistance in Chinese rhesus macaques identified in this study are CDK9, CXCL12, TRIM21, and TRIM32. Additionally, ANKRD30A, CTSZ, GORASP2, GTF2H1, IL13RA1, MUC16, NMDAR1, Notch1, NT5M, PDCD5, RAD50, and TM9SF2 were identified as possible candidates, among others. We failed to find many laboratory experiments contrasting the effects of Indian and Chinese orthologs at these sites on SIVmac pathogenesis, but future comparative studies might hold fertile ground for research into the biological mechanisms underlying innate resistance to SIVmac in Chinese rhesus macaques. PMID:25884674

  8. Enrichment allows identification of diverse, rare elements in metagenomic resistome-virulome sequencing.

    PubMed

    Noyes, Noelle R; Weinroth, Maggie E; Parker, Jennifer K; Dean, Chris J; Lakin, Steven M; Raymond, Robert A; Rovira, Pablo; Doster, Enrique; Abdo, Zaid; Martin, Jennifer N; Jones, Kenneth L; Ruiz, Jaime; Boucher, Christina A; Belk, Keith E; Morley, Paul S

    2017-10-17

    Shotgun metagenomic sequencing is increasingly utilized as a tool to evaluate ecological-level dynamics of antimicrobial resistance and virulence, in conjunction with microbiome analysis. Interest in use of this method for environmental surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic microorganisms is also increasing. In published metagenomic datasets, the total of all resistance- and virulence-related sequences accounts for < 1% of all sequenced DNA, leading to limitations in detection of low-abundance resistome-virulome elements. This study describes the extent and composition of the low-abundance portion of the resistome-virulome, using a bait-capture and enrichment system that incorporates unique molecular indices to count DNA molecules and correct for enrichment bias. The use of the bait-capture and enrichment system significantly increased on-target sequencing of the resistome-virulome, enabling detection of an additional 1441 gene accessions and revealing a low-abundance portion of the resistome-virulome that was more diverse and compositionally different than that detected by more traditional metagenomic assays. The low-abundance portion of the resistome-virulome also contained resistance genes with public health importance, such as extended-spectrum betalactamases, that were not detected using traditional shotgun metagenomic sequencing. In addition, the use of the bait-capture and enrichment system enabled identification of rare resistance gene haplotypes that were used to discriminate between sample origins. These results demonstrate that the rare resistome-virulome contains valuable and unique information that can be utilized for both surveillance and population genetic investigations of resistance. Access to the rare resistome-virulome using the bait-capture and enrichment system validated in this study can greatly advance our understanding of microbiome-resistome dynamics.

  9. Conformational Entropy of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins from Amino Acid Triads

    PubMed Central

    Baruah, Anupaul; Rani, Pooja; Biswas, Parbati

    2015-01-01

    This work quantitatively characterizes intrinsic disorder in proteins in terms of sequence composition and backbone conformational entropy. Analysis of the normalized relative composition of the amino acid triads highlights a distinct boundary between globular and disordered proteins. The conformational entropy is calculated from the dihedral angles of the middle amino acid in the amino acid triad for the conformational ensemble of the globular, partially and completely disordered proteins relative to the non-redundant database. Both Monte Carlo (MC) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations are used to characterize the conformational ensemble of the representative proteins of each group. The results show that the globular proteins span approximately half of the allowed conformational states in the Ramachandran space, while the amino acid triads in disordered proteins sample the entire range of the allowed dihedral angle space following Flory’s isolated-pair hypothesis. Therefore, only the sequence information in terms of the relative amino acid triad composition may be sufficient to predict protein disorder and the backbone conformational entropy, even in the absence of well-defined structure. The predicted entropies are found to agree with those calculated using mutual information expansion and the histogram method. PMID:26138206

  10. Synthetic signal sequences that enable efficient secretory protein production in the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus.

    PubMed

    Yarimizu, Tohru; Nakamura, Mikiko; Hoshida, Hisashi; Akada, Rinji

    2015-02-14

    Targeting of cellular proteins to the extracellular environment is directed by a secretory signal sequence located at the N-terminus of a secretory protein. These signal sequences usually contain an N-terminal basic amino acid followed by a stretch containing hydrophobic residues, although no consensus signal sequence has been identified. In this study, simple modeling of signal sequences was attempted using Gaussia princeps secretory luciferase (GLuc) in the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus, which allowed comprehensive recombinant gene construction to substitute synthetic signal sequences. Mutational analysis of the GLuc signal sequence revealed that the GLuc hydrophobic peptide length was lower limit for effective secretion and that the N-terminal basic residue was indispensable. Deletion of the 16th Glu caused enhanced levels of secreted protein, suggesting that this hydrophilic residue defined the boundary of a hydrophobic peptide stretch. Consequently, we redesigned this domain as a repeat of a single hydrophobic amino acid between the N-terminal Lys and C-terminal Glu. Stretches consisting of Phe, Leu, Ile, or Met were effective for secretion but the number of residues affected secretory activity. A stretch containing sixteen consecutive methionine residues (M16) showed the highest activity; the M16 sequence was therefore utilized for the secretory production of human leukemia inhibitory factor protein in yeast, resulting in enhanced secreted protein yield. We present a new concept for the provision of secretory signal sequence ability in the yeast K. marxianus, determined by the number of residues of a single hydrophobic residue located between N-terminal basic and C-terminal acidic amino acid boundaries.

  11. Identification of a novel bovine enterovirus possessing highly divergent amino acid sequences in capsid protein.

    PubMed

    Tsuchiaka, Shinobu; Rahpaya, Sayed Samim; Otomaru, Konosuke; Aoki, Hiroshi; Kishimoto, Mai; Naoi, Yuki; Omatsu, Tsutomu; Sano, Kaori; Okazaki-Terashima, Sachiko; Katayama, Yukie; Oba, Mami; Nagai, Makoto; Mizutani, Tetsuya

    2017-01-17

    Bovine enterovirus (BEV) belongs to the species Enterovirus E or F, genus Enterovirus and family Picornaviridae. Although numerous studies have identified BEVs in the feces of cattle with diarrhea, the pathogenicity of BEVs remains unclear. Previously, we reported the detection of novel kobu-like virus in calf feces, by metagenomics analysis. In the present study, we identified a novel BEV in diarrheal feces collected for that survey. Complete genome sequences were determined by deep sequencing in feces. Secondary RNA structure analysis of the 5' untranslated region (UTR), phylogenetic tree construction and pairwise identity analysis were conducted. The complete genome sequences of BEV were genetically distant from other EVs and the VP1 coding region contained novel and unique amino acid sequences. We named this strain as BEV AN12/Bos taurus/JPN/2014 (referred to as BEV-AN12). According to genome analysis, the genome length of this virus is 7414 nucleotides excluding the poly (A) tail and its genome consists of a 5'UTR, open reading frame encoding a single polyprotein, and 3'UTR. The results of secondary RNA structure analysis showed that in the 5'UTR, BEV-AN12 had an additional clover leaf structure and small stem loop structure, similarly to other BEVs. In pairwise identity analysis, BEV-AN12 showed high amino acid (aa) identities to Enterovirus F in the polyprotein, P2 and P3 regions (aa identity ≥82.4%). Therefore, BEV-AN12 is closely related to Enterovirus F. However, aa sequences in the capsid protein regions, particularly the VP1 encoding region, showed significantly low aa identity to other viruses in genus Enterovirus (VP1 aa identity ≤58.6%). In addition, BEV-AN12 branched separately from Enterovirus E and F in phylogenetic trees based on the aa sequences of P1 and VP1, although it clustered with Enterovirus F in trees based on sequences in the P2 and P3 genome region. We identified novel BEV possessing highly divergent aa sequences in the VP1 coding

  12. Purification, amino acid sequence and characterisation of kangaroo IGF-I.

    PubMed

    Yandell, C A; Francis, G L; Wheldrake, J F; Upton, Z

    1998-01-01

    Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II have been purified to homogeneity from kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) serum, thus this represents the first report of the purification, sequencing and characterisation of marsupial IGFs. N-Terminal protein sequencing reveals that there are six amino acid differences between kangaroo and human IGF-I. Kangaroo IGF-II has been partially sequenced and no differences were found between human and kangaroo IGF-II in the 53 residues identified. Thus the IGFs appear to be remarkably structurally conserved during mammalian radiation. In addition, in vitro characterisation of kangaroo IGF-I demonstrated that the functional properties of human, kangaroo and chicken IGF-I are very similar. In an assay measuring the ability of the proteins to stimulate protein synthesis in rat L6 myoblasts, all IGF-I proteins were found to be equally potent. The ability of all three proteins to compete for binding with radiolabelled human IGF-I to type-1 IGF receptors in L6 myoblasts and in Sminthopsis crassicaudata transformed lung fibroblasts, a marsupial cell line, was comparable. Furthermore, kangaroo and human IGF-I react equally in a human IGF-I RIA using a human reference standard, radiolabelled human IGF-I and a polyclonal antibody raised against recombinant human IGF-I. This study indicates that not only is the primary structure of eutherian and metatherian IGF-I conserved, but also the proteins appear to be functionally similar.

  13. Construction Strategy for an Internal Amplification Control for Real-Time Diagnostic Assays Using Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification: Development and Clinical Application

    PubMed Central

    Rodríguez-Lázaro, David; D'Agostino, Martin; Pla, Maria; Cook, Nigel

    2004-01-01

    An important analytical control in molecular amplification-based methods is an internal amplification control (IAC), which should be included in each reaction mixture. An IAC is a nontarget nucleic acid sequence which is coamplified simultaneously with the target sequence. With negative results for the target nucleic acid, the absence of an IAC signal indicates that amplification has failed. A general strategy for the construction of an IAC for inclusion in molecular beacon-based real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) assays is presented. Construction proceeds in two phases. In the first phase, a double-stranded DNA molecule that contains nontarget sequences flanked by target sequences complementary to the NASBA primers is produced. At the 5′ end of this DNA molecule is a T7 RNA polymerase binding sequence. In the second phase of construction, RNA transcripts are produced from the DNA by T7 RNA polymerase. This RNA is the IAC; it is amplified by the target NASBA primers and is detected by a molecular beacon probe complementary to the internal nontarget sequences. As a practical example, an IAC for use in an assay for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is described, its incorporation and optimization within the assay are detailed, and its application to spiked and natural clinical samples is shown to illustrate the correct interpretation of the diagnostic results. PMID:15583319

  14. Amino acid sequences of peptides from a chymotryptic digest of a urea-soluble protein fraction (U.S.3) from oxidized wool

    PubMed Central

    Corfield, M. C.; Fletcher, J. C.

    1969-01-01

    1. A chymotryptic digest of the protein fraction U.S.3. from oxidized wool was separated into 51 peptide fractions by chromatography on a column of cation-exchange resin. 2. The less acidic fractions were separated into their component peptides by a combination of cation-exchange-resin chromatography, paper chromatography and paper electrophoresis. 3. The amino acid sequences of 34 of these peptides were elucidated, and those of 14 others partially determined. 4. Overlaps between the tryptic and chymotryptic peptides from fraction U.S.3 have enabled ten extended amino acid sequences to be deduced, the longest containing 20 amino acid residues. 5. The relevance of the results to the structures of the helical and non-helical regions of wool is discussed. PMID:5395876

  15. Epidemiology of transmissible diseases: Array hybridization and next generation sequencing as universal nucleic acid-mediated typing tools.

    PubMed

    Michael Dunne, W; Pouseele, Hannes; Monecke, Stefan; Ehricht, Ralf; van Belkum, Alex

    2017-09-21

    The magnitude of interest in the epidemiology of transmissible human diseases is reflected in the vast number of tools and methods developed recently with the expressed purpose to characterize and track evolutionary changes that occur in agents of these diseases over time. Within the past decade a new suite of such tools has become available with the emergence of the so-called "omics" technologies. Among these, two are exponents of the ongoing genomic revolution. Firstly, high-density nucleic acid probe arrays have been proposed and developed using various chemical and physical approaches. Via hybridization-mediated detection of entire genes or genetic polymorphisms in such genes and intergenic regions these so called "DNA chips" have been successfully applied for distinguishing very closely related microbial species and strains. Second and even more phenomenal, next generation sequencing (NGS) has facilitated the assessment of the complete nucleotide sequence of entire microbial genomes. This technology currently provides the most detailed level of bacterial genotyping and hence allows for the resolution of microbial spread and short-term evolution in minute detail. We will here review the very recent history of these two technologies, sketch their usefulness in the elucidation of the spread and epidemiology of mostly hospital-acquired infections and discuss future developments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. A sequence database allowing automated genotyping of Classical swine fever virus isolates.

    PubMed

    Dreier, Sabrina; Zimmermann, Bernd; Moennig, Volker; Greiser-Wilke, Irene

    2007-03-01

    Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs. According to the OIE classification of diseases it is classified as a notifiable (previously List A) disease, thus having the potential for causing severe socio-economic problems and affecting severely the international trade of pigs and pig products. Effective control measures are compulsory, and to expose weaknesses a reliable tracing of the spread of the virus is necessary. Genetic typing has proved to be the method of choice. However, genotyping involves the use of multiple software applications, which is laborious and complex. The implementation of a sequence database, which is accessible by the World Wide Web with the option to type automatically new CSF virus isolates once the sequence is available is described. The sequence to be typed is tested for correct orientation and, if necessary, adjusted to the right length. The alignment and the neighbor-joining phylogenetic analysis with a standard set of sequences can then be calculated. The results are displayed as a graph. As an example, the determination is shown of the genetic subgroup of the isolate obtained from the outbreaks registered in Russia, in 2005. After registration (Irene.greiser-wilke@tiho-hannover.de) the database including the module for genotyping are accessible under http://viro08.tiho-hannover.de/eg/eurl_virus_db.htm.

  17. Occurrence probability of structured motifs in random sequences.

    PubMed

    Robin, S; Daudin, J-J; Richard, H; Sagot, M-F; Schbath, S

    2002-01-01

    The problem of extracting from a set of nucleic acid sequences motifs which may have biological function is more and more important. In this paper, we are interested in particular motifs that may be implicated in the transcription process. These motifs, called structured motifs, are composed of two ordered parts separated by a variable distance and allowing for substitutions. In order to assess their statistical significance, we propose approximations of the probability of occurrences of such a structured motif in a given sequence. An application of our method to evaluate candidate promoters in E. coli and B. subtilis is presented. Simulations show the goodness of the approximations.

  18. Reproducibility of Illumina platform deep sequencing errors allows accurate determination of DNA barcodes in cells.

    PubMed

    Beltman, Joost B; Urbanus, Jos; Velds, Arno; van Rooij, Nienke; Rohr, Jan C; Naik, Shalin H; Schumacher, Ton N

    2016-04-02

    Next generation sequencing (NGS) of amplified DNA is a powerful tool to describe genetic heterogeneity within cell populations that can both be used to investigate the clonal structure of cell populations and to perform genetic lineage tracing. For applications in which both abundant and rare sequences are biologically relevant, the relatively high error rate of NGS techniques complicates data analysis, as it is difficult to distinguish rare true sequences from spurious sequences that are generated by PCR or sequencing errors. This issue, for instance, applies to cellular barcoding strategies that aim to follow the amount and type of offspring of single cells, by supplying these with unique heritable DNA tags. Here, we use genetic barcoding data from the Illumina HiSeq platform to show that straightforward read threshold-based filtering of data is typically insufficient to filter out spurious barcodes. Importantly, we demonstrate that specific sequencing errors occur at an approximately constant rate across different samples that are sequenced in parallel. We exploit this observation by developing a novel approach to filter out spurious sequences. Application of our new method demonstrates its value in the identification of true sequences amongst spurious sequences in biological data sets.

  19. Sequence-independent construction of ordered combinatorial libraries with predefined crossover points.

    PubMed

    Jézéquel, Laetitia; Loeper, Jacqueline; Pompon, Denis

    2008-11-01

    Combinatorial libraries coding for mosaic enzymes with predefined crossover points constitute useful tools to address and model structure-function relationships and for functional optimization of enzymes based on multivariate statistics. The presented method, called sequence-independent generation of a chimera-ordered library (SIGNAL), allows easy shuffling of any predefined amino acid segment between two or more proteins. This method is particularly well adapted to the exchange of protein structural modules. The procedure could also be well suited to generate ordered combinatorial libraries independent of sequence similarities in a robotized manner. Sequence segments to be recombined are first extracted by PCR from a single-stranded template coding for an enzyme of interest using a biotin-avidin-based method. This technique allows the reduction of parental template contamination in the final library. Specific PCR primers allow amplification of two complementary mosaic DNA fragments, overlapping in the region to be exchanged. Fragments are finally reassembled using a fusion PCR. The process is illustrated via the construction of a set of mosaic CYP2B enzymes using this highly modular approach.

  20. Prediction of beta-turns from amino acid sequences using the residue-coupled model.

    PubMed

    Guruprasad, K; Shukla, S

    2003-04-01

    We evaluated the prediction of beta-turns from amino acid sequences using the residue-coupled model with an enlarged representative protein data set selected from the Protein Data Bank. Our results show that the probability values derived from a data set comprising 425 protein chains yielded an overall beta-turn prediction accuracy 68.74%, compared with 94.7% reported earlier on a data set of 30 proteins using the same method. However, we noted that the overall beta-turn prediction accuracy using probability values derived from the 30-protein data set reduces to 40.74% when tested on the data set comprising 425 protein chains. In contrast, using probability values derived from the 425 data set used in this analysis, the overall beta-turn prediction accuracy yielded consistent results when tested on either the 30-protein data set (64.62%) used earlier or a more recent representative data set comprising 619 protein chains (64.66%) or on a jackknife data set comprising 476 representative protein chains (63.38%). We therefore recommend the use of probability values derived from the 425 representative protein chains data set reported here, which gives more realistic and consistent predictions of beta-turns from amino acid sequences.

  1. The shikimate pathway: review of amino acid sequence, function and three-dimensional structures of the enzymes.

    PubMed

    Mir, Rafia; Jallu, Shais; Singh, T P

    2015-06-01

    The aromatic compounds such as aromatic amino acids, vitamin K and ubiquinone are important prerequisites for the metabolism of an organism. All organisms can synthesize these aromatic metabolites through shikimate pathway, except for mammals which are dependent on their diet for these compounds. The pathway converts phosphoenolpyruvate and erythrose 4-phosphate to chorismate through seven enzymatically catalyzed steps and chorismate serves as a precursor for the synthesis of variety of aromatic compounds. These enzymes have shown to play a vital role for the viability of microorganisms and thus are suggested to present attractive molecular targets for the design of novel antimicrobial drugs. This review focuses on the seven enzymes of the shikimate pathway, highlighting their primary sequences, functions and three-dimensional structures. The understanding of their active site amino acid maps, functions and three-dimensional structures will provide a framework on which the rational design of antimicrobial drugs would be based. Comparing the full length amino acid sequences and the X-ray crystal structures of these enzymes from bacteria, fungi and plant sources would contribute in designing a specific drug and/or in developing broad-spectrum compounds with efficacy against a variety of pathogens.

  2. Fast computational methods for predicting protein structure from primary amino acid sequence

    DOEpatents

    Agarwal, Pratul Kumar [Knoxville, TN

    2011-07-19

    The present invention provides a method utilizing primary amino acid sequence of a protein, energy minimization, molecular dynamics and protein vibrational modes to predict three-dimensional structure of a protein. The present invention also determines possible intermediates in the protein folding pathway. The present invention has important applications to the design of novel drugs as well as protein engineering. The present invention predicts the three-dimensional structure of a protein independent of size of the protein, overcoming a significant limitation in the prior art.

  3. Complete amino acid sequence of the myoglobin from the Pacific sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis.

    PubMed

    Jones, B N; Rothgeb, T M; England, R D; Gurd, F R

    1979-04-25

    The complete amino acid sequence of the major component myoglobin from Pacific sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis, was determined by specific cleavage of the protein to obtain large peptides which are readily degraded by the automatic sequencer. The acetimidated apomyoglobin was selectively cleaved at its two methionyl residues with cyanogen bromide and at its three arginyl residues by trypsin. From the sequence analysis of four of these peptides and the apomyoglobin, over 75% of the covalent structure of the protein was obtained. The remainder of the primary structure was determined by the sequence analysis of peptides that resulted from further digestion of the amino-terminal and central cyanogen bromide fragments. The amino-terminal fragment was specifically cleaved at its two tryptophanyl residues with N-chlorosuccinimide and the central cyanogen bromide fragment was cleaved at its glutamyl residues with staphylococcal protease and at its single tyrosyl residue with N-bromosuccinimide. The primary structure of this myoglobin proved identical with that from the gray whale but differs from that of the finback whale at four positions, from that of the minke whale at three positions and from the myoglobin of the humpback whale at one position. The above sequence identities and differences reflect the close taxonomic relationship of these five species of Cetacea.

  4. Predicting protein amidation sites by orchestrating amino acid sequence features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Shuqiu; Yu, Hua; Gong, Xiujun

    2017-08-01

    Amidation is the fourth major category of post-translational modifications, which plays an important role in physiological and pathological processes. Identifying amidation sites can help us understanding the amidation and recognizing the original reason of many kinds of diseases. But the traditional experimental methods for predicting amidation sites are often time-consuming and expensive. In this study, we propose a computational method for predicting amidation sites by orchestrating amino acid sequence features. Three kinds of feature extraction methods are used to build a feature vector enabling to capture not only the physicochemical properties but also position related information of the amino acids. An extremely randomized trees algorithm is applied to choose the optimal features to remove redundancy and dependence among components of the feature vector by a supervised fashion. Finally the support vector machine classifier is used to label the amidation sites. When tested on an independent data set, it shows that the proposed method performs better than all the previous ones with the prediction accuracy of 0.962 at the Matthew's correlation coefficient of 0.89 and area under curve of 0.964.

  5. Structured oligonucleotides for target indexing to allow single-vessel PCR amplification and solid support microarray hybridization.

    PubMed

    Girard, Laurie D; Boissinot, Karel; Peytavi, Régis; Boissinot, Maurice; Bergeron, Michel G

    2015-02-07

    The combination of molecular diagnostic technologies is increasingly used to overcome limitations on sensitivity, specificity or multiplexing capabilities, and provide efficient lab-on-chip devices. Two such techniques, PCR amplification and microarray hybridization are used serially to take advantage of the high sensitivity and specificity of the former combined with high multiplexing capacities of the latter. These methods are usually performed in different buffers and reaction chambers. However, these elaborate methods have high complexity and cost related to reagent requirements, liquid storage and the number of reaction chambers to integrate into automated devices. Furthermore, microarray hybridizations have a sequence dependent efficiency not always predictable. In this work, we have developed the concept of a structured oligonucleotide probe which is activated by cleavage from polymerase exonuclease activity. This technology is called SCISSOHR for Structured Cleavage Induced Single-Stranded Oligonucleotide Hybridization Reaction. The SCISSOHR probes enable indexing the target sequence to a tag sequence. The SCISSOHR technology also allows the combination of nucleic acid amplification and microarray hybridization in a single vessel in presence of the PCR buffer only. The SCISSOHR technology uses an amplification probe that is irreversibly modified in presence of the target, releasing a single-stranded DNA tag for microarray hybridization. Each tag is composed of a 3-nucleotide sequence-dependent segment and a unique "target sequence-independent" 14-nucleotide segment allowing for optimal hybridization with minimal cross-hybridization. We evaluated the performance of five (5) PCR buffers to support microarray hybridization, compared to a conventional hybridization buffer. Finally, as a proof of concept, we developed a multiplexed assay for the amplification, detection, and identification of three (3) DNA targets. This new technology will facilitate the design

  6. Differences in acid tolerance between Bifidobacterium breve BB8 and its acid-resistant derivative B. breve BB8dpH, revealed by RNA-sequencing and physiological analysis.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xu; Hang, Xiaomin; Tan, Jing; Yang, Hong

    2015-06-01

    Bifidobacteria are common inhabitants of the human gastrointestinal tract, and their application has increased dramatically in recent years due to their health-promoting effects. The ability of bifidobacteria to tolerate acidic environments is particularly important for their function as probiotics because they encounter such environments in food products and during passage through the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, we generated a derivative, Bifidobacterium breve BB8dpH, which displayed a stable, acid-resistant phenotype. To investigate the possible reasons for the higher acid tolerance of B. breve BB8dpH, as compared with its parental strain B. breve BB8, a combined transcriptome and physiological approach was used to characterize differences between the two strains. An analysis of the transcriptome by RNA-sequencing indicated that the expression of 121 genes was increased by more than 2-fold, while the expression of 146 genes was reduced more than 2-fold, in B. breve BB8dpH. Validation of the RNA-sequencing data using real-time quantitative PCR analysis demonstrated that the RNA-sequencing results were highly reliable. The comparison analysis, based on differentially expressed genes, suggested that the acid tolerance of B. breve BB8dpH was enhanced by regulating the expression of genes involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism, energy production, synthesis of cell envelope components (peptidoglycan and exopolysaccharide), synthesis and transport of glutamate and glutamine, and histidine synthesis. Furthermore, an analysis of physiological data showed that B. breve BB8dpH displayed higher production of exopolysaccharide and lower H(+)-ATPase activity than B. breve BB8. The results presented here will improve our understanding of acid tolerance in bifidobacteria, and they will lead to the development of new strategies to enhance the acid tolerance of bifidobacterial strains. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Protein Design Using Unnatural Amino Acids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilgiçer, Basar; Kumar, Krishna

    2003-11-01

    With the increasing availability of whole organism genome sequences, understanding protein structure and function is of capital importance. Recent developments in the methodology of incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins allow the exploration of proteins at a very detailed level. Furthermore, de novo design of novel protein structures and function is feasible with unprecedented sophistication. Using examples from the literature, this article describes the available methods for unnatural amino acid incorporation and highlights some recent applications including the design of hyperstable protein folds.

  8. A "push and slide" mechanism allows sequence-insensitive translocation of secretory proteins by the SecA ATPase.

    PubMed

    Bauer, Benedikt W; Shemesh, Tom; Chen, Yu; Rapoport, Tom A

    2014-06-05

    In bacteria, most secretory proteins are translocated across the plasma membrane by the interplay of the SecA ATPase and the SecY channel. How SecA moves a broad range of polypeptide substrates is only poorly understood. Here we show that SecA moves polypeptides through the SecY channel by a "push and slide" mechanism. In its ATP-bound state, SecA interacts through a two-helix finger with a subset of amino acids in a substrate, pushing them into the channel. A polypeptide can also passively slide back and forth when SecA is in the predominant ADP-bound state or when SecA encounters a poorly interacting amino acid in its ATP-bound state. SecA performs multiple rounds of ATP hydrolysis before dissociating from SecY. The proposed push and slide mechanism is supported by a mathematical model and explains how SecA allows translocation of a wide range of polypeptides. This mechanism may also apply to hexameric polypeptide-translocating ATPases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Synthesis and evaluations of an acid-cleavable, fluorescently labeled nucleotide as a reversible terminator for DNA sequencing.

    PubMed

    Tan, Lianjiang; Liu, Yazhi; Li, Xiaowei; Wu, Xin-Yan; Gong, Bing; Shen, Yu-Mei; Shao, Zhifeng

    2016-02-11

    An acid-cleavable linker based on a dimethylketal moiety was synthesized and used to connect a nucleotide with a fluorophore to produce a 3'-OH unblocked nucleotide analogue as an excellent reversible terminator for DNA sequencing by synthesis.

  10. Statistical potential-based amino acid similarity matrices for aligning distantly related protein sequences.

    PubMed

    Tan, Yen Hock; Huang, He; Kihara, Daisuke

    2006-08-15

    Aligning distantly related protein sequences is a long-standing problem in bioinformatics, and a key for successful protein structure prediction. Its importance is increasing recently in the context of structural genomics projects because more and more experimentally solved structures are available as templates for protein structure modeling. Toward this end, recent structure prediction methods employ profile-profile alignments, and various ways of aligning two profiles have been developed. More fundamentally, a better amino acid similarity matrix can improve a profile itself; thereby resulting in more accurate profile-profile alignments. Here we have developed novel amino acid similarity matrices from knowledge-based amino acid contact potentials. Contact potentials are used because the contact propensity to the other amino acids would be one of the most conserved features of each position of a protein structure. The derived amino acid similarity matrices are tested on benchmark alignments at three different levels, namely, the family, the superfamily, and the fold level. Compared to BLOSUM45 and the other existing matrices, the contact potential-based matrices perform comparably in the family level alignments, but clearly outperform in the fold level alignments. The contact potential-based matrices perform even better when suboptimal alignments are considered. Comparing the matrices themselves with each other revealed that the contact potential-based matrices are very different from BLOSUM45 and the other matrices, indicating that they are located in a different basin in the amino acid similarity matrix space.

  11. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the envelope gene of the Vasilchenko strain of TBE virus; comparison with other flaviviruses.

    PubMed

    Gritsun, T S; Frolova, T V; Pogodina, V V; Lashkevich, V A; Venugopal, K; Gould, E A

    1993-02-01

    A strain of tick-borne encephalitis virus known as Vasilchenko (Vs) exhibits relatively low virulence characteristics in monkeys, Syrian hamsters and humans. The gene encoding the envelope glycoprotein of this virus was cloned and sequenced. Alignment of the sequence with those of other known tick-borne flaviviruses and identification of the recognised amino acid genetic marker EHLPTA confirmed its identity as a member of the TBE complex. However, Vs virus was distinguishable from eastern and western tick-borne serotypes by the presence of the sequence AQQ at amino acid positions 232-234 and also by the presence of other specific amino acid substitutions which may be genetic markers for these viruses and could determine their pathogenetic characteristics. When compared with other tick-borne flaviviruses, Vs virus had 12 unique amino acid substitutions including an additional potential glycosylation site at position (315-317). The Vs virus strain shared closest nucleotide and amino acid homology (84.5% and 95.5% respectively) with western and far eastern strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus. Comparison with the far eastern serotype of tick-borne encephalitis virus, by cross-immunoelectrophoresis of Vs virions and PAGE analysis of the extracted virion proteins, revealed differences in surface charge and virus stability that may account for the different virulence characteristics of Vs virus. These results support and enlarge upon previous data obtained from molecular and serological analysis.

  12. Sequence Similarity Presenter: a tool for the graphic display of similarities of long sequences for use in presentations.

    PubMed

    Fröhlich, K U

    1994-04-01

    A new method for the presentation of alignments of long sequences is described. The degree of identity for the aligned sequences is averaged for sections of a fixed number of residues. The resulting values are converted to shades of gray, with white corresponding to lack of identity and black corresponding to perfect identity. A sequence alignment is represented as a bar filled with varying shades of gray. The display is compact and allows for a fast and intuitive recognition of the distribution of regions with a high similarity. It is well suited for the presentation of alignments of long sequences, e.g. of protein superfamilies, in plenary lectures. The method is implemented as a HyperCard stack for Apple Macintosh computers. Several options for the modification of the output are available (e.g. background reduction, size of the summation window, consideration of amino acid similarity, inclusion of graphic markers to indicate specific domains). The output is a PostScript file which can be printed, imported as EPS or processed further with Adobe Illustrator.

  13. Cleavage of nucleic acids

    DOEpatents

    Prudent, James R.; Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor L.; Brow, Mary Ann D.; Dahlberg, James E.

    2007-12-11

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof.

  14. Cleavage of nucleic acids

    DOEpatents

    Prudent, James R.; Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor I.; Brow; Mary Ann D.; Dahlberg, James E.

    2010-11-09

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof.

  15. Cleavage of nucleic acids

    DOEpatents

    Prudent, James R.; Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor I.; Brow, Mary Ann D.; Dahlberg, James E.

    2000-01-01

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof.

  16. Nucleic acid detection assays

    DOEpatents

    Prudent, James R.; Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor I.; Brow, Mary Ann; Dahlberg, James E.

    2005-04-05

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof.

  17. Molecular Design of Performance Proteins With Repetitive Sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vendrely, Charlotte; Ackerschott, Christian; Römer, Lin; Scheibel, Thomas

    Most performance proteins responsible for the mechanical stability of cells and organisms reveal highly repetitive sequences. Mimicking such performance proteins is of high interest for the design of nanostructured biomaterials. In this article, flagelliform silk is exemplary introduced to describe a general principle for designing genes of repetitive performance proteins for recombinant expression in Escherichia coli . In the first step, repeating amino acid sequence motifs are reversely transcripted into DNA cassettes, which can in a second step be seamlessly ligated, yielding a designed gene. Recombinant expression thereof leads to proteins mimicking the natural ones. The recombinant proteins can be assembled into nanostructured materials in a controlled manner, allowing their use in several applications.

  18. Complete Genome Sequence of a thermotolerant sporogenic lactic acid bacterium, Bacillus coagulans strain 36D1

    PubMed Central

    Rhee, Mun Su; Moritz, Brélan E.; Xie, Gary; Glavina del Rio, T.; Dalin, E.; Tice, H.; Bruce, D.; Goodwin, L.; Chertkov, O.; Brettin, T.; Han, C.; Detter, C.; Pitluck, S.; Land, Miriam L.; Patel, Milind; Ou, Mark; Harbrucker, Roberta; Ingram, Lonnie O.; Shanmugam, K. T.

    2011-01-01

    Bacillus coagulans is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that grows at 50-55 °C and pH 5.0 and ferments various sugars that constitute plant biomass to L (+)-lactic acid. The ability of this sporogenic lactic acid bacterium to grow at 50-55 °C and pH 5.0 makes this organism an attractive microbial biocatalyst for production of optically pure lactic acid at industrial scale not only from glucose derived from cellulose but also from xylose, a major constituent of hemicellulose. This bacterium is also considered as a potential probiotic. Complete genome sequence of a representative strain, B. coagulans strain 36D1, is presented and discussed. PMID:22675583

  19. Identification of multiple mRNA and DNA sequences from small tissue samples isolated by laser-assisted microdissection.

    PubMed

    Bernsen, M R; Dijkman, H B; de Vries, E; Figdor, C G; Ruiter, D J; Adema, G J; van Muijen, G N

    1998-10-01

    Molecular analysis of small tissue samples has become increasingly important in biomedical studies. Using a laser dissection microscope and modified nucleic acid isolation protocols, we demonstrate that multiple mRNA as well as DNA sequences can be identified from a single-cell sample. In addition, we show that the specificity of procurement of tissue samples is not compromised by smear contamination resulting from scraping of the microtome knife during sectioning of lesions. The procedures described herein thus allow for efficient RT-PCR or PCR analysis of multiple nucleic acid sequences from small tissue samples obtained by laser-assisted microdissection.

  20. The hypervariable region 1 protein of hepatitis C virus broadly reactive with sera of patients with chronic hepatitis C has a similar amino acid sequence with the consensus sequence.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, K; Yoshioka, K; Ito, H; Ishigami, M; Takagi, K; Utsunomiya, S; Kobayashi, M; Kishimoto, H; Yano, M; Kakumu, S

    1999-11-10

    Hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) proteins of hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been reported to react broadly with sera of patients with HCV infection. However, the variability of the broad reactivity of individual HVR1 proteins has not been elucidated. We assessed the reactivity of 25 different HVR1 proteins (genotype 1b) with sera of 81 patients with HCV infection (genotype 1b) by Western blot. HVR1 proteins reacted with 2-60 sera. The number of sera reactive with each HVR1 protein significantly correlated with the number of amino acid residues identical to the consensus sequence defined by Puntoriero et al. (G. Puntoriero, A. Lahm, S. Zucchelli, B. B. Ercole, R. Tafi, M. Penzzanera, M. U. Mondelli, R. Cortese, A. Tramontano, G. Galfre', and A. Nicosia. 1998. EMBO J. 17, 3521-3533. ) (r = 0.561, P < 0.005). The most widely reactive HVR1 protein, 12-22, had a sequence similar to the consensus sequence. The peptide with C-terminal 13-amino-acids sequence of HVR1 protein 12-22 (NH2-CSFTSLFTPGPSQK) was injected into rabbits as an immunogen. The rabbit immune sera reacted with 9 of 25 HVR1 proteins of genotype 1b including HVR1 protein 12-22 and with 3 of 12 proteins of genotype 2a. These results indicate that the HVR1 protein broadly reactive with patients' sera has a sequence similar to the consensus sequence, can induce broadly reactive sera, and could be one of the candidate immunogens in a prophylactic vaccine against HCV. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

  1. Position-dependent effects of locked nucleic acid (LNA) on DNA sequencing and PCR primers

    PubMed Central

    Levin, Joshua D.; Fiala, Dean; Samala, Meinrado F.; Kahn, Jason D.; Peterson, Raymond J.

    2006-01-01

    Genomes are becoming heavily annotated with important features. Analysis of these features often employs oligonucleotides that hybridize at defined locations. When the defined location lies in a poor sequence context, traditional design strategies may fail. Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) can enhance oligonucleotide affinity and specificity. Though LNA has been used in many applications, formal design rules are still being defined. To further this effort we have investigated the effect of LNA on the performance of sequencing and PCR primers in AT-rich regions, where short primers yield poor sequencing reads or PCR yields. LNA was used in three positional patterns: near the 5′ end (LNA-5′), near the 3′ end (LNA-3′) and distributed throughout (LNA-Even). Quantitative measures of sequencing read length (Phred Q30 count) and real-time PCR signal (cycle threshold, CT) were characterized using two-way ANOVA. LNA-5′ increased the average Phred Q30 score by 60% and it was never observed to decrease performance. LNA-5′ generated cycle thresholds in quantitative PCR that were comparable to high-yielding conventional primers. In contrast, LNA-3′ and LNA-Even did not improve read lengths or CT. ANOVA demonstrated the statistical significance of these results and identified significant interaction between the positional design rule and primer sequence. PMID:17071964

  2. Comparison of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the RsrI and EcoRI restriction endonucleases.

    PubMed

    Stephenson, F H; Ballard, B T; Boyer, H W; Rosenberg, J M; Greene, P J

    1989-12-21

    The RsrI endonuclease, a type-II restriction endonuclease (ENase) found in Rhodobacter sphaeroides, is an isoschizomer of the EcoRI ENase. A clone containing an 11-kb BamHI fragment was isolated from an R. sphaeroides genomic DNA library by hybridization with synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide probes based on the N-terminal amino acid (aa) sequence of RsrI. Extracts of E. coli containing a subclone of the 11-kb fragment display RsrI activity. Nucleotide sequence analysis reveals an 831-bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 277 aa. A 50% identity exists within a 266-aa overlap between the deduced aa sequences of RsrI and EcoRI. Regions of 75-100% aa sequence identity correspond to key structural and functional regions of EcoRI. The type-II ENases have many common properties, and a common origin might have been expected. Nevertheless, this is the first demonstration of aa sequence similarity between ENases produced by different organisms.

  3. Draft Genome Sequence of the Butyric Acid Producer Clostridium tyrobutyricum Strain CIP I-776 (IFP923).

    PubMed

    Wasels, François; Clément, Benjamin; Lopes Ferreira, Nicolas

    2016-03-03

    Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Clostridium tyrobutyricum CIP I-776 (IFP923), an efficient producer of butyric acid. The genome consists of a single chromosome of 3.19 Mb and provides useful data concerning the metabolic capacities of the strain. Copyright © 2016 Wasels et al.

  4. Integrating mRNA and Protein Sequencing Enables the Detection and Quantitative Profiling of Natural Protein Sequence Variants of Populus trichocarpa.

    PubMed

    Abraham, Paul E; Wang, Xiaojing; Ranjan, Priya; Nookaew, Intawat; Zhang, Bing; Tuskan, Gerald A; Hettich, Robert L

    2015-12-04

    Next-generation sequencing has transformed the ability to link genotypes to phenotypes and facilitates the dissection of genetic contribution to complex traits. However, it is challenging to link genetic variants with the perturbed functional effects on proteins encoded by such genes. Here we show how RNA sequencing can be exploited to construct genotype-specific protein sequence databases to assess natural variation in proteins, providing information about the molecular toolbox driving cellular processes. For this study, we used two natural genotypes selected from a recent genome-wide association study of Populus trichocarpa, an obligate outcrosser with tremendous phenotypic variation across the natural population. This strategy allowed us to comprehensively catalogue proteins containing single amino acid polymorphisms (SAAPs), as well as insertions and deletions. We profiled the frequency of 128 types of naturally occurring amino acid substitutions, including both expected (neutral) and unexpected (non-neutral) SAAPs, with a subset occurring in regions of the genome having strong polymorphism patterns consistent with recent positive and/or divergent selection. By zeroing in on the molecular signatures of these important regions that might have previously been uncharacterized, we now provide a high-resolution molecular inventory that should improve accessibility and subsequent identification of natural protein variants in future genotype-to-phenotype studies.

  5. Large-Scale Concatenation cDNA Sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Wei; Andersson, Björn; Worley, Kim C.; Muzny, Donna M.; Ding, Yan; Liu, Wen; Ricafrente, Jennifer Y.; Wentland, Meredith A.; Lennon, Greg; Gibbs, Richard A.

    1997-01-01

    A total of 100 kb of DNA derived from 69 individual human brain cDNA clones of 0.7–2.0 kb were sequenced by concatenated cDNA sequencing (CCS), whereby multiple individual DNA fragments are sequenced simultaneously in a single shotgun library. The method yielded accurate sequences and a similar efficiency compared with other shotgun libraries constructed from single DNA fragments (>20 kb). Computer analyses were carried out on 65 cDNA clone sequences and their corresponding end sequences to examine both nucleic acid and amino acid sequence similarities in the databases. Thirty-seven clones revealed no DNA database matches, 12 clones generated exact matches (≥98% identity), and 16 clones generated nonexact matches (57%–97% identity) to either known human or other species genes. Of those 28 matched clones, 8 had corresponding end sequences that failed to identify similarities. In a protein similarity search, 27 clone sequences displayed significant matches, whereas only 20 of the end sequences had matches to known protein sequences. Our data indicate that full-length cDNA insert sequences provide significantly more nucleic acid and protein sequence similarity matches than expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for database searching. [All 65 cDNA clone sequences described in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank data library under accession nos. U79240–U79304.] PMID:9110174

  6. Peptides derivatized with bicyclic quaternary ammonium ionization tags. Sequencing via tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Setner, Bartosz; Rudowska, Magdalena; Klem, Ewelina; Cebrat, Marek; Szewczuk, Zbigniew

    2014-10-01

    Improving the sensitivity of detection and fragmentation of peptides to provide reliable sequencing of peptides is an important goal of mass spectrometric analysis. Peptides derivatized by bicyclic quaternary ammonium ionization tags: 1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (ABCO) or 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO), are characterized by an increased detection sensitivity in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and longer retention times on the reverse-phase (RP) chromatography columns. The improvement of the detection limit was observed even for peptides dissolved in 10 mM NaCl. Collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry of quaternary ammonium salts derivatives of peptides showed dominant a- and b-type ions, allowing facile sequencing of peptides. The bicyclic ionization tags are stable in collision-induced dissociation experiments, and the resulted fragmentation pattern is not significantly influenced by either acidic or basic amino acid residues in the peptide sequence. Obtained results indicate the general usefulness of the bicyclic quaternary ammonium ionization tags for ESI-MS/MS sequencing of peptides. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Increasing Sequence Diversity with Flexible Backbone Protein Design: The Complete Redesign of a Protein Hydrophobic Core

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Murphy, Grant S.; Mills, Jeffrey L.; Miley, Michael J.

    2015-10-15

    Protein design tests our understanding of protein stability and structure. Successful design methods should allow the exploration of sequence space not found in nature. However, when redesigning naturally occurring protein structures, most fixed backbone design algorithms return amino acid sequences that share strong sequence identity with wild-type sequences, especially in the protein core. This behavior places a restriction on functional space that can be explored and is not consistent with observations from nature, where sequences of low identity have similar structures. Here, we allow backbone flexibility during design to mutate every position in the core (38 residues) of a four-helixmore » bundle protein. Only small perturbations to the backbone, 12 {angstrom}, were needed to entirely mutate the core. The redesigned protein, DRNN, is exceptionally stable (melting point >140C). An NMR and X-ray crystal structure show that the side chains and backbone were accurately modeled (all-atom RMSD = 1.3 {angstrom}).« less

  8. Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus sakei LK-145 Isolated from a Japanese Sake Cellar as a High Producer of d-Amino Acids

    PubMed Central

    Kato, Shiro

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT This announcement reports the complete genome sequence of strain LK-145 of Lactobacillus sakei isolated from a Japanese sake cellar as a potent strain for the production of large amounts of d-amino acids. Three putative genes encoding an amino acid racemase were identified. PMID:28818888

  9. Taxing sulfur dioxide emission allowances

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nelson, G.L.

    1993-09-15

    The acid rain control program authorized by Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) was designed to reduce the adverse effects of acid rain by limiting emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO[sub 2]) into the atmosphere. The program is a complex scheme involving the issuance, consumption, holding, and trading of emission allowances for SO[sub 2]. Not surprisingly, electric utilities will face federal income tax issues in connection with the program. Under the emission allowance program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue emission allowance to owners or operators of certain utility power plants at no costmore » to the recipients. An emission allowance is an authorization to emit one ton of SO[sub 2] during or after the calendar year for which it is issued. If a utility power plant subject to the program emits SO[sub 2] in excess of its allowances, the owner or operator will be subject to a penalty of $2,000 a ton, and must offset the excess emissions with allowances in the subsequent year. Allowances may be bought and sold. Phase I of the program begins January 1, 1995, and will apply to 110 utility generating units. Phase II takes effect January 1, 2000, and will include most electric utility generating units. EPA will withhold a specified number of allowances for direct sale and auction. The resulting proceeds will be paid to the utilities from which the allowances were withheld. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has provided somewhat limited guidance on several tax issues raised by the program. Significant tax issues and the positions articulated by the IRS (if any) are discussed in this article.« less

  10. Genome sequence of the thermophilic strain Bacillus coagulans 2-6, an efficient producer of high-optical-purity L-lactic acid.

    PubMed

    Su, Fei; Yu, Bo; Sun, Jibin; Ou, Hong-Yu; Zhao, Bo; Wang, Limin; Qin, Jiayang; Tang, Hongzhi; Tao, Fei; Jarek, Michael; Scharfe, Maren; Ma, Cuiqing; Ma, Yanhe; Xu, Ping

    2011-09-01

    Bacillus coagulans 2-6 is an efficient producer of lactic acid. The genome of B. coagulans 2-6 has the smallest genome among the members of the genus Bacillus known to date. The frameshift mutation at the start of the d-lactate dehydrogenase sequence might be responsible for the production of high-optical-purity l-lactic acid.

  11. Analyses of mitochondrial amino acid sequence datasets support the proposal that specimens of Hypodontus macropi from three species of macropodid hosts represent distinct species

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Hypodontus macropi is a common intestinal nematode of a range of kangaroos and wallabies (macropodid marsupials). Based on previous multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE) and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data sets, H. macropi has been proposed to be complex of species. To test this proposal using independent molecular data, we sequenced the whole mitochondrial (mt) genomes of individuals of H. macropi from three different species of hosts (Macropus robustus robustus, Thylogale billardierii and Macropus [Wallabia] bicolor) as well as that of Macropicola ocydromi (a related nematode), and undertook a comparative analysis of the amino acid sequence datasets derived from these genomes. Results The mt genomes sequenced by next-generation (454) technology from H. macropi from the three host species varied from 13,634 bp to 13,699 bp in size. Pairwise comparisons of the amino acid sequences predicted from these three mt genomes revealed differences of 5.8% to 18%. Phylogenetic analysis of the amino acid sequence data sets using Bayesian Inference (BI) showed that H. macropi from the three different host species formed distinct, well-supported clades. In addition, sliding window analysis of the mt genomes defined variable regions for future population genetic studies of H. macropi in different macropodid hosts and geographical regions around Australia. Conclusions The present analyses of inferred mt protein sequence datasets clearly supported the hypothesis that H. macropi from M. robustus robustus, M. bicolor and T. billardierii represent distinct species. PMID:24261823

  12. Taste, umami-enhance effect and amino acid sequence of peptides separated from silkworm pupa hydrolysate.

    PubMed

    Yu, Zilin; Jiang, Hongrui; Guo, Rongcan; Yang, Bo; You, Gang; Zhao, Mouming; Liu, Xiaoling

    2018-06-01

    Four umami peptides were separated and purified by ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography and identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), the amino acid sequences of four peptides are Val-Pro-Tyr (VPY), Thr-Ala-Tyr (TAY), Ala-Ala-Pro-Tyr (AAPY) and Gly-Phe-Pro (GFP). The result illustrates that the umami amino acids are not the content of umami peptides, but bitter amino acids are included. The threshold of VPY, TAY, AAPY and GFP were 1.65 mmol/L, 1.76 mmol/L, 2.97 mmol/L and 6.26 mmol/L, respectively. The peptide TAY, VPY and AAPY had an umami-enhancement effect on the monosodium glutamate (MSG) + sodium chloride (NaCl) solution, their concentrations were 2.5 g/L, 5 g/L and 5 g/L, respectively, while GFP has no significant umami-enhancement effect in solution. In addition, the peptides have better taste than its composing amino acids, which indicates that the taste of peptide does not depend on its composing amino acids. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. The nucleotide sequence of HLA-B{sup *}2704 reveals a new amino acid substitution in exon 4 which is also present in HLA-B{sup *}2706

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rudwaleit, M.; Bowness, P.; Wordsworth, P.

    1996-12-31

    The HLA-B27 subtype HLA-B{sup *}2704 is virtually absent in Caucasians but common in Orientals, where it is associated with ankylosing spondylitis. The amino acid sequence of HLA-B{sup *}2704 has been established by peptide mapping and was shown to differ by two amino acids from HLA-B{sup *}2705, HLA-B{sup *}2704 is characterized by a serine for aspartic acid substitution at position 77 and glutamic acid for valine at position 152. To date, however, no nucleotide sequence confirming these changes at the DNA level has been published. 13 refs., 2 figs.

  14. Nucleic acid arrays and methods of synthesis

    DOEpatents

    Sabanayagam, Chandran R.; Sano, Takeshi; Misasi, John; Hatch, Anson; Cantor, Charles

    2001-01-01

    The present invention generally relates to high density nucleic acid arrays and methods of synthesizing nucleic acid sequences on a solid surface. Specifically, the present invention contemplates the use of stabilized nucleic acid primer sequences immobilized on solid surfaces, and circular nucleic acid sequence templates combined with the use of isothermal rolling circle amplification to thereby increase nucleic acid sequence concentrations in a sample or on an array of nucleic acid sequences.

  15. Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing and Sequencing Combined with Acid-Fast Staining in Needle Biopsy Lung Tissues for the Diagnosis of Smear-Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Faming; Huang, Weiwei; Wang, Ye; Tian, Panwen; Chen, Xuerong; Liang, Zongan

    2016-01-01

    Smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is common and difficult to diagnose. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic value of nucleic acid amplification testing and sequencing combined with acid-fast bacteria (AFB) staining of needle biopsy lung tissues for patients with suspected smear-negative PTB. Patients with suspected smear-negative PTB who underwent percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy between May 1, 2012, and June 30, 2015, were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients with AFB in sputum smears were excluded. All lung biopsy specimens were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin, and subjected to acid-fast staining and tuberculous polymerase chain reaction (TB-PCR). For patients with positive AFB and negative TB-PCR results in lung tissues, probe assays and 16S rRNA sequencing were used for identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of PCR and AFB staining were calculated separately and in combination. Among the 220 eligible patients, 133 were diagnosed with TB (men/women: 76/57; age range: 17-80 years, confirmed TB: 9, probable TB: 124). Forty-eight patients who were diagnosed with other specific diseases were assigned as negative controls, and 39 patients with indeterminate final diagnosis were excluded from statistical analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of histological AFB (HAFB) for the diagnosis of smear-negative were 61.7% (82/133), 100% (48/48), 100% (82/82), 48.5% (48/181), and 71.8% (130/181), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of histological PCR were 89.5% (119/133), 95.8% (46/48), 98.3% (119/121), and 76.7% (46/60), respectively, demonstrating that histological PCR had significantly higher accuracy (91.2% [165/181]) than histological acid-fast staining (71.8% [130/181]), P < 0.001. Parallel testing of histological AFB staining and PCR showed the

  16. Invasive cleavage of nucleic acids

    DOEpatents

    Prudent, James R.; Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor I.; Brow, Mary Ann D.; Dahlberg, James E.

    1999-01-01

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof.

  17. Invasive cleavage of nucleic acids

    DOEpatents

    Prudent, James R.; Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor I.; Brow, Mary Ann D.; Dahlberg, James E.

    2002-01-01

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof.

  18. Structured oligonucleotides for target indexing to allow single-vessel PCR amplification and solid support microarray hybridization

    PubMed Central

    Girard, Laurie D.; Boissinot, Karel; Peytavi, Régis; Boissinot, Maurice; Bergeron, Michel G.

    2014-01-01

    The combination of molecular diagnostic technologies is increasingly used to overcome limitations on sensitivity, specificity or multiplexing capabilities, and provide efficient lab-on-chip devices. Two such techniques, PCR amplification and microarray hybridization are used serially to take advantage of the high sensitivity and specificity of the former combined with high multiplexing capacities of the latter. These methods are usually performed in different buffers and reaction chambers. However, these elaborate methods have a high complexity cost related to reagent requirements, liquid storage and the number of reaction chambers to integrate into automated devices. Furthermore, microarray hybridizations have a sequence dependent efficiency not always predictable. In this work, we have developed the concept of a structured oligonucleotide probe which is activated by cleavage from polymerase exonuclease activity. This technology is called SCISSOHR for Structured Cleavage Induced Single-Stranded Oligonucleotide Hybridization Reaction. The SCISSOHR probes enable indexing the target sequence to a tag sequence. The SCISSOHR technology also allows the combination of nucleic acid amplification and microarray hybridization in a single vessel in presence of the PCR buffer only. The SCISSOHR technology uses an amplification probe that is irreversibly modified in presence of the target, releasing a single-stranded DNA tag for microarray hybridization. Each tag is composed of a 3-nucleotidesequence-dependent segment and a unique “target sequence-independent” 14-nucleotide segment allowing for optimal hybridization with minimal cross-hybridization. We evaluated the performance of five (5) PCR buffers to support microarray hybridization, compared to a conventional hybridization buffer. Finally, as a proof of concept, we developed a multiplexed assay for the amplification, detection, and identification of three (3) DNA targets. This new technology will facilitate the design

  19. Genome Sequence of Sphingomonas wittichii DP58, the First Reported Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid-Degrading Strain

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Zhiwei; Shen, Xuemei; Wang, Wei; Peng, Huasong; Xu, Ping; Zhang, Xuehong

    2012-01-01

    Sphingomonas wittichii DP58 (CCTCC M 2012027), the first reported phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA)-degrading strain, was isolated from pimiento rhizosphere soils. Here we present a 5.6-Mb assembly of its genome. This sequence would contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of PCA degradation to improve the antifungal's effectiveness or remove superfluous PCA. PMID:22689229

  20. Computer-aided visualization and analysis system for sequence evaluation

    DOEpatents

    Chee, Mark S.; Wang, Chunwei; Jevons, Luis C.; Bernhart, Derek H.; Lipshutz, Robert J.

    2004-05-11

    A computer system for analyzing nucleic acid sequences is provided. The computer system is used to perform multiple methods for determining unknown bases by analyzing the fluorescence intensities of hybridized nucleic acid probes. The results of individual experiments are improved by processing nucleic acid sequences together. Comparative analysis of multiple experiments is also provided by displaying reference sequences in one area and sample sequences in another area on a display device.

  1. Computer-aided visualization and analysis system for sequence evaluation

    DOEpatents

    Chee, Mark S.

    1998-08-18

    A computer system for analyzing nucleic acid sequences is provided. The computer system is used to perform multiple methods for determining unknown bases by analyzing the fluorescence intensities of hybridized nucleic acid probes. The results of individual experiments are improved by processing nucleic acid sequences together. Comparative analysis of multiple experiments is also provided by displaying reference sequences in one area and sample sequences in another area on a display device.

  2. Nonenzymatic chemiluminescent detection and quantitation of total protein on Western and slot blots allowing subsequent immunodetection and sequencing.

    PubMed

    Alba, F J; Daban, J R

    1997-10-01

    We have studied the light emission efficiency of proteins labeled with different fluorescent dyes chemically excited by the bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate (TCPO)-H2O2 reaction. Using this peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence system, the best results were obtained with proteins covalently labeled with 2-methoxy-2,4-diphenyl-3(2H)-furanone (MDPF). Blotted proteins on polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes can be labeled rapidly with MDPF. Our results demonstrate that energy from the excited intermediate produced in the TCPO-H2O2 reaction can be efficiently transferred to MDPF-labeled proteins in solution and on PVDF membranes. Although this nonenzymatic chemiluminescent system produces a background emission that reduces the sensitivity, the method developed in this work allows detection of 5 ng of protein in blots after 5 min exposure to X-ray film. Chemiluminescence of MDPF-labeled proteins on Western and slot blots may also be detected and quantified using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera or a storage phosphor imaging system. This chemiluminescent method allows the staining of the total electrophoretic pattern but does not preclude further N-terminal sequencing and immunodetection of specific bands.

  3. First draft genome sequencing of indole acetic acid producing and plant growth promoting fungus Preussia sp. BSL10.

    PubMed

    Khan, Abdul Latif; Asaf, Sajjad; Khan, Abdur Rahim; Al-Harrasi, Ahmed; Al-Rawahi, Ahmed; Lee, In-Jung

    2016-05-10

    Preussia sp. BSL10, family Sporormiaceae, was actively producing phytohormone (indole-3-acetic acid) and extra-cellular enzymes (phosphatases and glucosidases). The fungus was also promoting the growth of arid-land tree-Boswellia sacra. Looking at such prospects of this fungus, we sequenced its draft genome for the first time. The Illumina based sequence analysis reveals an approximate genome size of 31.4Mbp for Preussia sp. BSL10. Based on ab initio gene prediction, total 32,312 coding sequences were annotated consisting of 11,967 coding genes, pseudogenes, and 221 tRNA genes. Furthermore, 321 carbohydrate-active enzymes were predicted and classified into many functional families. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Computer-aided visualization and analysis system for sequence evaluation

    DOEpatents

    Chee, M.S.

    1998-08-18

    A computer system for analyzing nucleic acid sequences is provided. The computer system is used to perform multiple methods for determining unknown bases by analyzing the fluorescence intensities of hybridized nucleic acid probes. The results of individual experiments are improved by processing nucleic acid sequences together. Comparative analysis of multiple experiments is also provided by displaying reference sequences in one area and sample sequences in another area on a display device. 27 figs.

  5. Computer-aided visualization and analysis system for sequence evaluation

    DOEpatents

    Chee, Mark S.

    2003-08-19

    A computer system for analyzing nucleic acid sequences is provided. The computer system is used to perform multiple methods for determining unknown bases by analyzing the fluorescence intensities of hybridized nucleic acid probes. The results of individual experiments may be improved by processing nucleic acid sequences together. Comparative analysis of multiple experiments is also provided by displaying reference sequences in one area and sample sequences in another area on a display device.

  6. Amino acid sequences of ribosomal proteins S11 from Bacillus stearothermophilus and S19 from Halobacterium marismortui. Comparison of the ribosomal protein S11 family.

    PubMed

    Kimura, M; Kimura, J; Hatakeyama, T

    1988-11-21

    The complete amino acid sequences of ribosomal proteins S11 from the Gram-positive eubacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus and of S19 from the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui have been determined. A search for homologous sequences of these proteins revealed that they belong to the ribosomal protein S11 family. Homologous proteins have previously been sequenced from Escherichia coli as well as from chloroplast, yeast and mammalian ribosomes. A pairwise comparison of the amino acid sequences showed that Bacillus protein S11 shares 68% identical residues with S11 from Escherichia coli and a slightly lower homology (52%) with the homologous chloroplast protein. The halophilic protein S19 is more related to the eukaryotic (45-49%) than to the eubacterial counterparts (35%).

  7. Chemical Inactivation of the Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase Allows for the Accumulation of Salicylic Acid in Elicited Cells1

    PubMed Central

    Schoch, Guillaume A.; Nikov, Georgi N.; Alworth, William L.; Werck-Reichhart, Danièle

    2002-01-01

    The cinnamate (CA) 4-hydroxylase (C4H) is a cytochrome P450 that catalyzes the second step of the main phenylpropanoid pathway, leading to the synthesis of lignin, pigments, and many defense molecules. Salicylic acid (SA) is an essential trigger of plant disease resistance. Some plant species can synthesize SA from CA by a mechanism not yet understood. A set of specific inhibitors of the C4H, including competitive, tight-binding, mechanism-based irreversible, and quasi-irreversible inhibitors have been developed with the main objective to redirect cinnamic acid to the synthesis of SA. Competitive inhibitors such as 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid and the heme-coordinating compound 3-(4-pyridyl)-acrylic acid allowed strong inhibition of C4H activity in a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Bright Yellow [BY]) cell suspension culture. This inhibition was however rapidly relieved either because of substrate accumulation or because of inhibitor metabolism. Substrate analogs bearing a methylenedioxo function such as piperonylic acid (PIP) or a terminal acetylene such as 4-propynyloxybenzoic acid (4PB), 3-propynyloxybenzoic acid, and 4-propynyloxymethylbenzoic acid are potent mechanism-based inactivators of the C4H. PIP and 4PB, the best inactivators in vitro, were also efficient inhibitors of the enzyme in BY cells. Inhibition was not reversed 46 h after cell treatment. Cotreatment of BY cells with the fungal elicitor β-megaspermin and PIP or 4PB led to a dramatic increase in SA accumulation. PIP and 4PB do not trigger SA accumulation in nonelicited cells in which the SA biosynthetic pathway is not activated. Mechanism-based C4H inactivators, thus, are promising tools for the elucidation of the CA-derived SA biosynthetic pathway and for the potentiation of plant defense. PMID:12376665

  8. CAFE: aCcelerated Alignment-FrEe sequence analysis.

    PubMed

    Lu, Yang Young; Tang, Kujin; Ren, Jie; Fuhrman, Jed A; Waterman, Michael S; Sun, Fengzhu

    2017-07-03

    Alignment-free genome and metagenome comparisons are increasingly important with the development of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. Recently developed state-of-the-art k-mer based alignment-free dissimilarity measures including CVTree, $d_2^*$ and $d_2^S$ are more computationally expensive than measures based solely on the k-mer frequencies. Here, we report a standalone software, aCcelerated Alignment-FrEe sequence analysis (CAFE), for efficient calculation of 28 alignment-free dissimilarity measures. CAFE allows for both assembled genome sequences and unassembled NGS shotgun reads as input, and wraps the output in a standard PHYLIP format. In downstream analyses, CAFE can also be used to visualize the pairwise dissimilarity measures, including dendrograms, heatmap, principal coordinate analysis and network display. CAFE serves as a general k-mer based alignment-free analysis platform for studying the relationships among genomes and metagenomes, and is freely available at https://github.com/younglululu/CAFE. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  9. Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the Nazarov Cyclization/Wagner-Meerwein Rearrangement Sequence

    PubMed Central

    Lebœuf, David; Ciesielski, Jennifer

    2012-01-01

    Highly functionalized cyclopentenones can be generated stereospecifically by a chemoselective copper(II)-mediated Nazarov/Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement sequence of divinyl ketones. A detailed investigation of this sequence is described including a study of substrate scope and limitations. After the initial 4π electrocyclization, this reaction proceeds via two different sequential [1,2]-shifts, with selectivity that depends upon either migratory ability or the steric bulkiness of the substituents at C1 and C5. This methodology allows the creation of vicinal stereogenic centers, including adjacent quaternary centers. This sequence can also be achieved by using a catalytic amount of copper(II) in combination with NaBAr4f, a weak Lewis acid. During the study of the scope of the reaction, a partial or complete E / Z isomerization of the enone moiety was observed in some cases prior to the cyclization, which resulted in a mixture of diastereomeric products. Use of a Cu(II)-bisoxazoline complex prevented the isomerization, allowing high diastereoselectivity to be obtained in all substrate types. In addition, the reaction sequence was studied by DFT computations at the UB3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level, which are consistent with the proposed sequences observed, including E / Z isomerizations and chemoselective Wagner-Meerwein shifts. PMID:22471833

  10. History of retinoic acid receptors.

    PubMed

    Benbrook, Doris M; Chambon, Pierre; Rochette-Egly, Cécile; Asson-Batres, Mary Ann

    2014-01-01

    The discovery of retinoic acid receptors arose from research into how vitamins are essential for life. Early studies indicated that Vitamin A was metabolized into an active factor, retinoic acid (RA), which regulates RNA and protein expression in cells. Each step forward in our understanding of retinoic acid in human health was accomplished by the development and application of new technologies. Development cDNA cloning techniques and discovery of nuclear receptors for steroid hormones provided the basis for identification of two classes of retinoic acid receptors, RARs and RXRs, each of which has three isoforms, α, β and ɣ. DNA manipulation and crystallographic studies revealed that the receptors contain discrete functional domains responsible for binding to DNA, ligands and cofactors. Ligand binding was shown to induce conformational changes in the receptors that cause release of corepressors and recruitment of coactivators to create functional complexes that are bound to consensus promoter DNA sequences called retinoic acid response elements (RAREs) and that cause opening of chromatin and transcription of adjacent genes. Homologous recombination technology allowed the development of mice lacking expression of retinoic acid receptors, individually or in various combinations, which demonstrated that the receptors exhibit vital, but redundant, functions in fetal development and in vision, reproduction, and other functions required for maintenance of adult life. More recent advancements in sequencing and proteomic technologies reveal the complexity of retinoic acid receptor involvement in cellular function through regulation of gene expression and kinase activity. Future directions will require systems biology approaches to decipher how these integrated networks affect human stem cells, health, and disease.

  11. Computer-aided visualization and analysis system for sequence evaluation

    DOEpatents

    Chee, Mark S.

    1999-10-26

    A computer system (1) for analyzing nucleic acid sequences is provided. The computer system is used to perform multiple methods for determining unknown bases by analyzing the fluorescence intensities of hybridized nucleic acid probes. The results of individual experiments may be improved by processing nucleic acid sequences together. Comparative analysis of multiple experiments is also provided by displaying reference sequences in one area (814) and sample sequences in another area (816) on a display device (3).

  12. Computer-aided visualization and analysis system for sequence evaluation

    DOEpatents

    Chee, Mark S.

    2001-06-05

    A computer system (1) for analyzing nucleic acid sequences is provided. The computer system is used to perform multiple methods for determining unknown bases by analyzing the fluorescence intensities of hybridized nucleic acid probes. The results of individual experiments may be improved by processing nucleic acid sequences together. Comparative analysis of multiple experiments is also provided by displaying reference sequences in one area (814) and sample sequences in another area (816) on a display device (3).

  13. Nucleic acid detection kits

    DOEpatents

    Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor I.; Mast, Andrea L.; Brow, Mary Ann; Kwiatkowski, Robert W.; Vavra, Stephanie H.

    2005-03-29

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof. The present invention further relates to methods and devices for the separation of nucleic acid molecules based on charge. The present invention also provides methods for the detection of non-target cleavage products via the formation of a complete and activated protein binding region. The invention further provides sensitive and specific methods for the detection of nucleic acid from various viruses in a sample.

  14. Quantum-Sequencing: Fast electronic single DNA molecule sequencing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casamada Ribot, Josep; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

    2014-03-01

    A major goal of third-generation sequencing technologies is to develop a fast, reliable, enzyme-free, high-throughput and cost-effective, single-molecule sequencing method. Here, we present the first demonstration of unique ``electronic fingerprint'' of all nucleotides (A, G, T, C), with single-molecule DNA sequencing, using Quantum-tunneling Sequencing (Q-Seq) at room temperature. We show that the electronic state of the nucleobases shift depending on the pH, with most distinct states identified at acidic pH. We also demonstrate identification of single nucleotide modifications (methylation here). Using these unique electronic fingerprints (or tunneling data), we report a partial sequence of beta lactamase (bla) gene, which encodes resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, with over 95% success rate. These results highlight the potential of Q-Seq as a robust technique for next-generation sequencing.

  15. Comparative sequence analysis of acid sensitive/resistance proteins in Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri

    PubMed Central

    Manikandan, Selvaraj; Balaji, Seetharaaman; Kumar, Anil; Kumar, Rita

    2007-01-01

    The molecular basis for the survival of bacteria under extreme conditions in which growth is inhibited is a question of great current interest. A preliminary study was carried out to determine residue pattern conservation among the antiporters of enteric bacteria, responsible for extreme acid sensitivity especially in Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. Here we found the molecular evidence that proved the relationship between E. coli and S. flexneri. Multiple sequence alignment of the gadC coded acid sensitive antiporter showed many conserved residue patterns at regular intervals at the N-terminal region. It was observed that as the alignment approaches towards the C-terminal, the number of conserved residues decreases, indicating that the N-terminal region of this protein has much active role when compared to the carboxyl terminal. The motif, FHLVFFLLLGG, is well conserved within the entire gadC coded protein at the amino terminal. The motif is also partially conserved among other antiporters (which are not coded by gadC) but involved in acid sensitive/resistance mechanism. Phylogenetic cluster analysis proves the relationship of Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. The gadC coded proteins are converged as a clade and diverged from other antiporters belongs to the amino acid-polyamine-organocation (APC) superfamily. PMID:21670792

  16. Optimization and validation of sample preparation for metagenomic sequencing of viruses in clinical samples.

    PubMed

    Lewandowska, Dagmara W; Zagordi, Osvaldo; Geissberger, Fabienne-Desirée; Kufner, Verena; Schmutz, Stefan; Böni, Jürg; Metzner, Karin J; Trkola, Alexandra; Huber, Michael

    2017-08-08

    Sequence-specific PCR is the most common approach for virus identification in diagnostic laboratories. However, as specific PCR only detects pre-defined targets, novel virus strains or viruses not included in routine test panels will be missed. Recently, advances in high-throughput sequencing allow for virus-sequence-independent identification of entire virus populations in clinical samples, yet standardized protocols are needed to allow broad application in clinical diagnostics. Here, we describe a comprehensive sample preparation protocol for high-throughput metagenomic virus sequencing using random amplification of total nucleic acids from clinical samples. In order to optimize metagenomic sequencing for application in virus diagnostics, we tested different enrichment and amplification procedures on plasma samples spiked with RNA and DNA viruses. A protocol including filtration, nuclease digestion, and random amplification of RNA and DNA in separate reactions provided the best results, allowing reliable recovery of viral genomes and a good correlation of the relative number of sequencing reads with the virus input. We further validated our method by sequencing a multiplexed viral pathogen reagent containing a range of human viruses from different virus families. Our method proved successful in detecting the majority of the included viruses with high read numbers and compared well to other protocols in the field validated against the same reference reagent. Our sequencing protocol does work not only with plasma but also with other clinical samples such as urine and throat swabs. The workflow for virus metagenomic sequencing that we established proved successful in detecting a variety of viruses in different clinical samples. Our protocol supplements existing virus-specific detection strategies providing opportunities to identify atypical and novel viruses commonly not accounted for in routine diagnostic panels.

  17. A new multiplex method for the diagnosis of peroxisomal disorders allowing simultaneous determination of plasma very-long-chain fatty acids, phytanic, pristanic, docosahexaenoic and bile acids by high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Semeraro, Michela; Rizzo, Cristiano; Boenzi, Sara; Cappa, Marco; Bertini, Enrico; Antonetti, Giacomo; Dionisi-Vici, Carlo

    2016-07-01

    Peroxisomal disorders (PDs) present with wide phenotypic variability. An appropriate diagnosis requires a complete analysis of peroxisomal metabolites. We developed a multiplex LC-MS/MS method, using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization allowing the simultaneous determination in plasma of very-long-chain fatty acids, phytanic, pristanic, docosahexaenoic acids and di- and tri-hydroxycolestanoic bile acids. Two hundred microliters of plasma extracted with acetonitrile and 200μl extracted with hexane after an acid hydrolysis were combined, evaporated, dissolved in 10μl of methanol and analyzed. The acquisition was in negative-ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring. The method was validated analytically and clinically. Linearity was 0.1-200μmol/l for docosanoic, cis-13-docosenoic, tetracosanoic, cis-15-tetracosenoic and phytanic acids; 0.01-10μmol/l for hexacosanoic acid; 0.02-20μmol/l for di-hydroxycolestanoic, tri-hydroxycolestanoic and pristanic acids; 0.3-300μmol/l for docosahexaenoic acid. Intra-day and inter-day CVs were below 3.88 and 3.98 respectively for all compounds. Samples from patients with known peroxisomal disorders were compared with controls and the method allowed to confirm the diagnosis in all subjects with a 100% sensitivity. The advantage of this multiplex method is to allow in a single chromatographic run the simultaneous determination of a large number of peroxisome biomarkers with a simple preparative phase without derivatization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. New partial sequences of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase as molecular phylogenetic markers.

    PubMed

    Gehrig, H; Heute, V; Kluge, M

    2001-08-01

    To better understand the evolution of the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and to test its versatility as a molecular character in phylogenetic and taxonomic studies, we have characterized and compared 70 new partial PEPC nucleotide and amino acid sequences (about 1100 bp of the 3' side of the gene) from 50 plant species (24 species of Bryophyta, 1 of Pteridophyta, and 25 of Spermatophyta). Together with previously published data, the new set of sequences allowed us to construct the up to now most complete phylogenetic tree of PEPC, where the PEPC sequences cluster according to both the taxonomic positions of the donor plants and the assumed specific function of the PEPC isoforms. Altogether, the study further strengthens the view that PEPC sequences can provide interesting information for the reconstruction of phylogenetic relations between organisms and metabolic pathways. To avoid confusion in future discussion, we propose a new nomenclature for the denotation of PEPC isoforms. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

  19. DNA tetrominoes: the construction of DNA nanostructures using self-organised heterogeneous deoxyribonucleic acids shapes.

    PubMed

    Ong, Hui San; Rahim, Mohd Syafiq; Firdaus-Raih, Mohd; Ramlan, Effirul Ikhwan

    2015-01-01

    The unique programmability of nucleic acids offers alternative in constructing excitable and functional nanostructures. This work introduces an autonomous protocol to construct DNA Tetris shapes (L-Shape, B-Shape, T-Shape and I-Shape) using modular DNA blocks. The protocol exploits the rich number of sequence combinations available from the nucleic acid alphabets, thus allowing for diversity to be applied in designing various DNA nanostructures. Instead of a deterministic set of sequences corresponding to a particular design, the protocol promotes a large pool of DNA shapes that can assemble to conform to any desired structures. By utilising evolutionary programming in the design stage, DNA blocks are subjected to processes such as sequence insertion, deletion and base shifting in order to enrich the diversity of the resulting shapes based on a set of cascading filters. The optimisation algorithm allows mutation to be exerted indefinitely on the candidate sequences until these sequences complied with all the four fitness criteria. Generated candidates from the protocol are in agreement with the filter cascades and thermodynamic simulation. Further validation using gel electrophoresis indicated the formation of the designed shapes. Thus, supporting the plausibility of constructing DNA nanostructures in a more hierarchical, modular, and interchangeable manner.

  20. Method of increasing conversion of a fatty acid to its corresponding dicarboxylic acid

    DOEpatents

    Craft, David L.; Wilson, C. Ron; Eirich, Dudley; Zhang, Yeyan

    2004-09-14

    A nucleic acid sequence including a CYP promoter operably linked to nucleic acid encoding a heterologous protein is provided to increase transcription of the nucleic acid. Expression vectors and host cells containing the nucleic acid sequence are also provided. The methods and compositions described herein are especially useful in the production of polycarboxylic acids by yeast cells.

  1. Ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry for peptide de novo amino acid sequencing for a seven-protein mixture by paired single-residue transposed Lys-N and Lys-C digestion.

    PubMed

    Guan, Xiaoyan; Brownstein, Naomi C; Young, Nicolas L; Marshall, Alan G

    2017-01-30

    Bottom-up tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is regularly used in proteomics to identify proteins from a sequence database. De novo sequencing is also available for sequencing peptides with relatively short sequence lengths. We recently showed that paired Lys-C and Lys-N proteases produce peptides of identical mass and similar retention time, but different tandem mass spectra. Such parallel experiments provide complementary information, and allow for up to 100% MS/MS sequence coverage. Here, we report digestion by paired Lys-C and Lys-N proteases of a seven-protein mixture: human hemoglobin alpha, bovine carbonic anhydrase 2, horse skeletal muscle myoglobin, hen egg white lysozyme, bovine pancreatic ribonuclease, bovine rhodanese, and bovine serum albumin, followed by reversed-phase nanoflow liquid chromatography, collision-induced dissociation, and 14.5 T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Matched pairs of product peptide ions of equal precursor mass and similar retention times from each digestion are compared, leveraging single-residue transposed information with independent interferences to confidently identify fragment ion types, residues, and peptides. Selected pairs of product ion mass spectra for de novo sequenced protein segments from each member of the mixture are presented. Pairs of the transposed product ions as well as complementary information from the parallel experiments allow for both high MS/MS coverage for long peptide sequences and high confidence in the amino acid identification. Moreover, the parallel experiments in the de novo sequencing reduce false-positive matches of product ions from the single-residue transposed peptides from the same segment, and thereby further improve the confidence in protein identification. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Amino acid sequences of peptides from a tryptic digest of a urea-soluble protein fraction (U.S.3) from oxidized wool

    PubMed Central

    Corfield, M. C.; Fletcher, J. C.; Robson, A.

    1967-01-01

    1. A tryptic digest of the protein fraction U.S.3 from oxidized wool has been separated into 32 peptide fractions by cation-exchange resin chromatography. 2. Most of these fractions have been resolved into their component peptides by a combination of the techniques of cation-exchange resin chromatography, paper chromatography and paper electrophoresis. 3. The amino acid compositions of 58 of the peptides in the digest present in the largest amounts have been determined. 4. The amino acid sequences of 38 of these have been completely elucidated and those of six others partially derived. 5. These findings indicate that the parent protein in wool from which the protein fraction U.S.3 is derived has a minimum molecular weight of 74000. 6. The structures of wool proteins are discussed in the light of the peptide sequences determined, and, in particular, of those sequences in fraction U.S.3 that could not be elucidated. PMID:16742497

  3. SeqAPASS: Sequence alignment to predict across-species ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Efforts to shift the toxicity testing paradigm from whole organism studies to those focused on the initiation of toxicity and relevant pathways have led to increased utilization of in vitro and in silico methods. Hence the emergence of high through-put screening (HTS) programs, such as U.S. EPA ToxCast, and application of the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework for identifying and defining biological key events triggered upon perturbation of molecular initiating events and leading to adverse outcomes occuring at a level of organization relevant for risk assessment [1]. With these recent initiatives to harness the power of “the pathway” in describing and evaluating toxicity comes the need to extrapolate data beyond the model species. Sequence alignment to predict across-species susceptibilty (SeqAPASS) is a web-based tool that allows the user to begin to understand how broadly HTS data or AOP constructs may plausibly be extrapolated across species, while describing the relative intrinsic susceptibiltiy of different taxa to chemicals with known modes of action (e.g., pharmaceuticals and pesticides). The tool rapidly and strategically assesses available molecular target information to describe protein sequence similarity at the primary amino acid sequence, conserved domain, and individual amino acid residue levels. This in silico approach to species extrapolation was designed to automate and streamline the relatively complex and time-consuming process of co

  4. Multilocus sequence typing of total-genome-sequenced bacteria.

    PubMed

    Larsen, Mette V; Cosentino, Salvatore; Rasmussen, Simon; Friis, Carsten; Hasman, Henrik; Marvig, Rasmus Lykke; Jelsbak, Lars; Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas; Ussery, David W; Aarestrup, Frank M; Lund, Ole

    2012-04-01

    Accurate strain identification is essential for anyone working with bacteria. For many species, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) is considered the "gold standard" of typing, but it is traditionally performed in an expensive and time-consuming manner. As the costs of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) continue to decline, it becomes increasingly available to scientists and routine diagnostic laboratories. Currently, the cost is below that of traditional MLST. The new challenges will be how to extract the relevant information from the large amount of data so as to allow for comparison over time and between laboratories. Ideally, this information should also allow for comparison to historical data. We developed a Web-based method for MLST of 66 bacterial species based on WGS data. As input, the method uses short sequence reads from four sequencing platforms or preassembled genomes. Updates from the MLST databases are downloaded monthly, and the best-matching MLST alleles of the specified MLST scheme are found using a BLAST-based ranking method. The sequence type is then determined by the combination of alleles identified. The method was tested on preassembled genomes from 336 isolates covering 56 MLST schemes, on short sequence reads from 387 isolates covering 10 schemes, and on a small test set of short sequence reads from 29 isolates for which the sequence type had been determined by traditional methods. The method presented here enables investigators to determine the sequence types of their isolates on the basis of WGS data. This method is publicly available at www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/MLST.

  5. RNA-seq based transcriptomic analysis uncovers α-linolenic acid and jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathways respond to cold acclimation in Camellia japonica

    PubMed Central

    Li, Qingyuan; Lei, Sheng; Du, Kebing; Li, Lizhi; Pang, Xufeng; Wang, Zhanchang; Wei, Ming; Fu, Shao; Hu, Limin; Xu, Lin

    2016-01-01

    Camellia is a well-known ornamental flower native to Southeast of Asia, including regions such as Japan, Korea and South China. However, most species in the genus Camellia are cold sensitive. To elucidate the cold stress responses in camellia plants, we carried out deep transcriptome sequencing of ‘Jiangxue’, a cold-tolerant cultivar of Camellia japonica, and approximately 1,006 million clean reads were generated using Illumina sequencing technology. The assembly of the clean reads produced 367,620 transcripts, including 207,592 unigenes. Overall, 28,038 differentially expressed genes were identified during cold acclimation. Detailed elucidation of responses of transcription factors, protein kinases and plant hormone signalling-related genes described the interplay of signal that allowed the plant to fine-tune cold stress responses. On the basis of global gene regulation of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis- and jasmonic acid biosynthesis-related genes, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathways were deduced to be involved in the low temperature responses in C. japonica. These results were supported by the determination of the fatty acid composition and jasmonic acid content. Our results provide insights into the genetic and molecular basis of the responses to cold acclimation in camellia plants. PMID:27819341

  6. Isolation, sequencing and expression of RED, a novel human gene encoding an acidic-basic dipeptide repeat.

    PubMed

    Assier, E; Bouzinba-Segard, H; Stolzenberg, M C; Stephens, R; Bardos, J; Freemont, P; Charron, D; Trowsdale, J; Rich, T

    1999-04-16

    A novel human gene RED, and the murine homologue, MuRED, were cloned. These genes were named after the extensive stretch of alternating arginine (R) and glutamic acid (E) or aspartic acid (D) residues that they contain. We term this the 'RED' repeat. The genes of both species were expressed in a wide range of tissues and we have mapped the human gene to chromosome 5q22-24. MuRED and RED shared 98% sequence identity at the amino acid level. The open reading frame of both genes encodes a 557 amino acid protein. RED fused to a fluorescent tag was expressed in nuclei of transfected cells and localised to nuclear dots. Co-localisation studies showed that these nuclear dots did not contain either PML or Coilin, which are commonly found in the POD or coiled body nuclear compartments. Deletion of the amino terminal 265 amino acids resulted in a failure to sort efficiently to the nucleus, though nuclear dots were formed. Deletion of a further 50 amino acids from the amino terminus generates a protein that can sort to the nucleus but is unable to generate nuclear dots. Neither construct localised to the nucleolus. The characteristics of RED and its nuclear localisation implicate it as a regulatory protein, possibly involved in transcription.

  7. Depletion of Unwanted Nucleic Acid Templates by Selective Cleavage: LNAzymes, Catalytically Active Oligonucleotides Containing Locked Nucleic Acids, Open a New Window for Detecting Rare Microbial Community Members

    PubMed Central

    Dolinšek, Jan; Dorninger, Christiane; Lagkouvardos, Ilias; Wagner, Michael

    2013-01-01

    Many studies of molecular microbial ecology rely on the characterization of microbial communities by PCR amplification, cloning, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of genes encoding rRNAs or functional marker enzymes. However, if the established clone libraries are dominated by one or a few sequence types, the cloned diversity is difficult to analyze by random clone sequencing. Here we present a novel approach to deplete unwanted sequence types from complex nucleic acid mixtures prior to cloning and downstream analyses. It employs catalytically active oligonucleotides containing locked nucleic acids (LNAzymes) for the specific cleavage of selected RNA targets. When combined with in vitro transcription and reverse transcriptase PCR, this LNAzyme-based technique can be used with DNA or RNA extracts from microbial communities. The simultaneous application of more than one specific LNAzyme allows the concurrent depletion of different sequence types from the same nucleic acid preparation. This new method was evaluated with defined mixtures of cloned 16S rRNA genes and then used to identify accompanying bacteria in an enrichment culture dominated by the nitrite oxidizer “Candidatus Nitrospira defluvii.” In silico analysis revealed that the majority of publicly deposited rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes may be used as specific LNAzymes with no or only minor sequence modifications. This efficient and cost-effective approach will greatly facilitate tasks such as the identification of microbial symbionts in nucleic acid preparations dominated by plastid or mitochondrial rRNA genes from eukaryotic hosts, the detection of contaminants in microbial cultures, and the analysis of rare organisms in microbial communities of highly uneven composition. PMID:23263968

  8. Isolation and amino acid sequences of squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciurea) insulin and glucagon

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yu, Jinghua; Eng, J.; Yalow, R.S.

    1990-12-01

    It was reported two decades ago that insulin was not detectable in the glucose-stimulated state in Saimiri sciurea, the New World squirrel monkey, by a radioimmunoassay system developed with guinea pig anti-pork insulin antibody and labeled park insulin. With the same system, reasonable levels were observed in rhesus monkeys and chimpanzees. This suggested that New World monkeys, like the New World hystricomorph rodents such as the guinea pig and the coypu, might have insulins whose sequences differ markedly from those of Old World mammals. In this report the authors describe the purification and amino acid sequences of squirrel monkey insulinmore » and glucagon. They demonstrate that the substitutions at B29, B27, A2, A4, and A17 of squirrel monkey insulin are identical with those previously found in another New World primate, the owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus). The immunologic cross-reactivity of this insulin in their immunoassay system is only a few percent of that of human insulin. It appears that the peptides of the New World monkeys have diverged less from those of the Old World mammals than have those of the New World hystricomorph rodents. The striking improvements in peptide purification and sequencing have the potential for adding new information concerning the evolutionary divergence of species.« less

  9. JRC GMO-Amplicons: a collection of nucleic acid sequences related to genetically modified organisms

    PubMed Central

    Petrillo, Mauro; Angers-Loustau, Alexandre; Henriksson, Peter; Bonfini, Laura; Patak, Alex; Kreysa, Joachim

    2015-01-01

    The DNA target sequence is the key element in designing detection methods for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Unfortunately this information is frequently lacking, especially for unauthorized GMOs. In addition, patent sequences are generally poorly annotated, buried in complex and extensive documentation and hard to link to the corresponding GM event. Here, we present the JRC GMO-Amplicons, a database of amplicons collected by screening public nucleotide sequence databanks by in silico determination of PCR amplification with reference methods for GMO analysis. The European Union Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EU-RL GMFF) provides these methods in the GMOMETHODS database to support enforcement of EU legislation and GM food/feed control. The JRC GMO-Amplicons database is composed of more than 240 000 amplicons, which can be easily accessed and screened through a web interface. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at pooling and collecting publicly available sequences related to GMOs in food and feed. The JRC GMO-Amplicons supports control laboratories in the design and assessment of GMO methods, providing inter-alia in silico prediction of primers specificity and GM targets coverage. The new tool can assist the laboratories in the analysis of complex issues, such as the detection and identification of unauthorized GMOs. Notably, the JRC GMO-Amplicons database allows the retrieval and characterization of GMO-related sequences included in patents documentation. Finally, it can help annotating poorly described GM sequences and identifying new relevant GMO-related sequences in public databases. The JRC GMO-Amplicons is freely accessible through a web-based portal that is hosted on the EU-RL GMFF website. Database URL: http://gmo-crl.jrc.ec.europa.eu/jrcgmoamplicons/ PMID:26424080

  10. JRC GMO-Amplicons: a collection of nucleic acid sequences related to genetically modified organisms.

    PubMed

    Petrillo, Mauro; Angers-Loustau, Alexandre; Henriksson, Peter; Bonfini, Laura; Patak, Alex; Kreysa, Joachim

    2015-01-01

    The DNA target sequence is the key element in designing detection methods for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Unfortunately this information is frequently lacking, especially for unauthorized GMOs. In addition, patent sequences are generally poorly annotated, buried in complex and extensive documentation and hard to link to the corresponding GM event. Here, we present the JRC GMO-Amplicons, a database of amplicons collected by screening public nucleotide sequence databanks by in silico determination of PCR amplification with reference methods for GMO analysis. The European Union Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EU-RL GMFF) provides these methods in the GMOMETHODS database to support enforcement of EU legislation and GM food/feed control. The JRC GMO-Amplicons database is composed of more than 240 000 amplicons, which can be easily accessed and screened through a web interface. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at pooling and collecting publicly available sequences related to GMOs in food and feed. The JRC GMO-Amplicons supports control laboratories in the design and assessment of GMO methods, providing inter-alia in silico prediction of primers specificity and GM targets coverage. The new tool can assist the laboratories in the analysis of complex issues, such as the detection and identification of unauthorized GMOs. Notably, the JRC GMO-Amplicons database allows the retrieval and characterization of GMO-related sequences included in patents documentation. Finally, it can help annotating poorly described GM sequences and identifying new relevant GMO-related sequences in public databases. The JRC GMO-Amplicons is freely accessible through a web-based portal that is hosted on the EU-RL GMFF website. Database URL: http://gmo-crl.jrc.ec.europa.eu/jrcgmoamplicons/. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  11. Subcellular location prediction of proteins using support vector machines with alignment of block sequences utilizing amino acid composition.

    PubMed

    Tamura, Takeyuki; Akutsu, Tatsuya

    2007-11-30

    Subcellular location prediction of proteins is an important and well-studied problem in bioinformatics. This is a problem of predicting which part in a cell a given protein is transported to, where an amino acid sequence of the protein is given as an input. This problem is becoming more important since information on subcellular location is helpful for annotation of proteins and genes and the number of complete genomes is rapidly increasing. Since existing predictors are based on various heuristics, it is important to develop a simple method with high prediction accuracies. In this paper, we propose a novel and general predicting method by combining techniques for sequence alignment and feature vectors based on amino acid composition. We implemented this method with support vector machines on plant data sets extracted from the TargetP database. Through fivefold cross validation tests, the obtained overall accuracies and average MCC were 0.9096 and 0.8655 respectively. We also applied our method to other datasets including that of WoLF PSORT. Although there is a predictor which uses the information of gene ontology and yields higher accuracy than ours, our accuracies are higher than existing predictors which use only sequence information. Since such information as gene ontology can be obtained only for known proteins, our predictor is considered to be useful for subcellular location prediction of newly-discovered proteins. Furthermore, the idea of combination of alignment and amino acid frequency is novel and general so that it may be applied to other problems in bioinformatics. Our method for plant is also implemented as a web-system and available on http://sunflower.kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~tamura/slpfa.html.

  12. Amino acid sequences of the ribosomal proteins HL30 and HmaL5 from the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui.

    PubMed

    Hatakeyama, T; Hatakeyama, T

    1990-07-06

    The complete amino acid sequences of the ribosomal proteins HL30 and HmaL5 from the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui were determined. Protein HL30 was found to be acetylated at its N-terminal amino acid and shows homology to the eukaryotic ribosomal proteins YL34 from yeast and RL31 from rat. Protein HmaL5 was homologous to the protein L5 from Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus as well as to YL16 from yeast. HmaL5 shows more similarities to its eukaryotic counterpart than to eubacterial ones.

  13. A putative carbohydrate-binding domain of the lactose-binding Cytisus sessilifolius anti-H(O) lectin has a similar amino acid sequence to that of the L-fucose-binding Ulex europaeus anti-H(O) lectin.

    PubMed

    Konami, Y; Yamamoto, K; Osawa, T; Irimura, T

    1995-04-01

    The complete amino acid sequence of a lactose-binding Cytisus sessilifolius anti-H(O) lectin II (CSA-II) was determined using a protein sequencer. After digestion of CSA-II with endoproteinase Lys-C or Asp-N, the resulting peptides were purified by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and then subjected to sequence analysis. Comparison of the complete amino acid sequence of CSA-II with the sequences of other leguminous seed lectins revealed regions of extensive homology. The amino acid sequence of a putative carbohydrate-binding domain of CSA-II was found to be similar to those of several anti-H(O) leguminous lectins, especially to that of the L-fucose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin I (UEA-I).

  14. Sequence quality analysis tool for HIV type 1 protease and reverse transcriptase.

    PubMed

    Delong, Allison K; Wu, Mingham; Bennett, Diane; Parkin, Neil; Wu, Zhijin; Hogan, Joseph W; Kantor, Rami

    2012-08-01

    Access to antiretroviral therapy is increasing globally and drug resistance evolution is anticipated. Currently, protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) sequence generation is increasing, including the use of in-house sequencing assays, and quality assessment prior to sequence analysis is essential. We created a computational HIV PR/RT Sequence Quality Analysis Tool (SQUAT) that runs in the R statistical environment. Sequence quality thresholds are calculated from a large dataset (46,802 PR and 44,432 RT sequences) from the published literature ( http://hivdb.Stanford.edu ). Nucleic acid sequences are read into SQUAT, identified, aligned, and translated. Nucleic acid sequences are flagged if with >five 1-2-base insertions; >one 3-base insertion; >one deletion; >six PR or >18 RT ambiguous bases; >three consecutive PR or >four RT nucleic acid mutations; >zero stop codons; >three PR or >six RT ambiguous amino acids; >three consecutive PR or >four RT amino acid mutations; >zero unique amino acids; or <0.5% or >15% genetic distance from another submitted sequence. Thresholds are user modifiable. SQUAT output includes a summary report with detailed comments for troubleshooting of flagged sequences, histograms of pairwise genetic distances, neighbor joining phylogenetic trees, and aligned nucleic and amino acid sequences. SQUAT is a stand-alone, free, web-independent tool to ensure use of high-quality HIV PR/RT sequences in interpretation and reporting of drug resistance, while increasing awareness and expertise and facilitating troubleshooting of potentially problematic sequences.

  15. CodonLogo: a sequence logo-based viewer for codon patterns.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Virag; Murphy, David P; Provan, Gregory; Baranov, Pavel V

    2012-07-15

    Conserved patterns across a multiple sequence alignment can be visualized by generating sequence logos. Sequence logos show each column in the alignment as stacks of symbol(s) where the height of a stack is proportional to its informational content, whereas the height of each symbol within the stack is proportional to its frequency in the column. Sequence logos use symbols of either nucleotide or amino acid alphabets. However, certain regulatory signals in messenger RNA (mRNA) act as combinations of codons. Yet no tool is available for visualization of conserved codon patterns. We present the first application which allows visualization of conserved regions in a multiple sequence alignment in the context of codons. CodonLogo is based on WebLogo3 and uses the same heuristics but treats codons as inseparable units of a 64-letter alphabet. CodonLogo can discriminate patterns of codon conservation from patterns of nucleotide conservation that appear indistinguishable in standard sequence logos. The CodonLogo source code and its implementation (in a local version of the Galaxy Browser) are available at http://recode.ucc.ie/CodonLogo and through the Galaxy Tool Shed at http://toolshed.g2.bx.psu.edu/.

  16. TALEN-mediated targeted mutagenesis of fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) promotes the accumulation of oleic acid.

    PubMed

    Wen, Shijie; Liu, Hao; Li, Xingyu; Chen, Xiaoping; Hong, Yanbin; Li, Haifen; Lu, Qing; Liang, Xuanqiang

    2018-05-01

    A first creation of high oleic acid peanut varieties by using transcription activator-like effecter nucleases (TALENs) mediated targeted mutagenesis of Fatty Acid Desaturase 2 (FAD2). Transcription activator like effector nucleases (TALENs), which allow the precise editing of DNA, have already been developed and applied for genome engineering in diverse organisms. However, they are scarcely used in higher plant study and crop improvement, especially in allopolyploid plants. In the present study, we aimed to create targeted mutagenesis by TALENs in peanut. Targeted mutations in the conserved coding sequence of Arachis hypogaea fatty acid desaturase 2 (AhFAD2) were created by TALENs. Genetic stability of AhFAD2 mutations was identified by DNA sequencing in up to 9.52 and 4.11% of the regeneration plants at two different targeted sites, respectively. Mutation frequencies among AhFAD2 mutant lines were significantly correlated to oleic acid accumulation. Genetically, stable individuals of positive mutant lines displayed a 0.5-2 fold increase in the oleic acid content compared with non-transgenic controls. This finding suggested that TALEN-mediated targeted mutagenesis could increase the oleic acid content in edible peanut oil. Furthermore, this was the first report on peanut genome editing event, and the obtained high oleic mutants could serve for peanut breeding project.

  17. Structure-related statistical singularities along protein sequences: a correlation study.

    PubMed

    Colafranceschi, Mauro; Colosimo, Alfredo; Zbilut, Joseph P; Uversky, Vladimir N; Giuliani, Alessandro

    2005-01-01

    A data set composed of 1141 proteins representative of all eukaryotic protein sequences in the Swiss-Prot Protein Knowledge base was coded by seven physicochemical properties of amino acid residues. The resulting numerical profiles were submitted to correlation analysis after the application of a linear (simple mean) and a nonlinear (Recurrence Quantification Analysis, RQA) filter. The main RQA variables, Recurrence and Determinism, were subsequently analyzed by Principal Component Analysis. The RQA descriptors showed that (i) within protein sequences is embedded specific information neither present in the codes nor in the amino acid composition and (ii) the most sensitive code for detecting ordered recurrent (deterministic) patterns of residues in protein sequences is the Miyazawa-Jernigan hydrophobicity scale. The most deterministic proteins in terms of autocorrelation properties of primary structures were found (i) to be involved in protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions and (ii) to display a significantly higher proportion of structural disorder with respect to the average data set. A study of the scaling behavior of the average determinism with the setting parameters of RQA (embedding dimension and radius) allows for the identification of patterns of minimal length (six residues) as possible markers of zones specifically prone to inter- and intramolecular interactions.

  18. Genomic Enzymology: Web Tools for Leveraging Protein Family Sequence-Function Space and Genome Context to Discover Novel Functions.

    PubMed

    Gerlt, John A

    2017-08-22

    The exponentially increasing number of protein and nucleic acid sequences provides opportunities to discover novel enzymes, metabolic pathways, and metabolites/natural products, thereby adding to our knowledge of biochemistry and biology. The challenge has evolved from generating sequence information to mining the databases to integrating and leveraging the available information, i.e., the availability of "genomic enzymology" web tools. Web tools that allow identification of biosynthetic gene clusters are widely used by the natural products/synthetic biology community, thereby facilitating the discovery of novel natural products and the enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis. However, many novel enzymes with interesting mechanisms participate in uncharacterized small-molecule metabolic pathways; their discovery and functional characterization also can be accomplished by leveraging information in protein and nucleic acid databases. This Perspective focuses on two genomic enzymology web tools that assist the discovery novel metabolic pathways: (1) Enzyme Function Initiative-Enzyme Similarity Tool (EFI-EST) for generating sequence similarity networks to visualize and analyze sequence-function space in protein families and (2) Enzyme Function Initiative-Genome Neighborhood Tool (EFI-GNT) for generating genome neighborhood networks to visualize and analyze the genome context in microbial and fungal genomes. Both tools have been adapted to other applications to facilitate target selection for enzyme discovery and functional characterization. As the natural products community has demonstrated, the enzymology community needs to embrace the essential role of web tools that allow the protein and genome sequence databases to be leveraged for novel insights into enzymological problems.

  19. Dna Sequencing

    DOEpatents

    Tabor, Stanley; Richardson, Charles C.

    1995-04-25

    A method for sequencing a strand of DNA, including the steps off: providing the strand of DNA; annealing the strand with a primer able to hybridize to the strand to give an annealed mixture; incubating the mixture with four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, a DNA polymerase, and at least three deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates in different amounts, under conditions in favoring primer extension to form nucleic acid fragments complementory to the DNA to be sequenced; labelling the nucleic and fragments; separating them and determining the position of the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates by differences in the intensity of the labels, thereby to determine the DNA sequence.

  20. Sequence of a cDNA encoding pancreatic preprosomatostatin-22.

    PubMed Central

    Magazin, M; Minth, C D; Funckes, C L; Deschenes, R; Tavianini, M A; Dixon, J E

    1982-01-01

    We report the nucleotide sequence of a precursor to somatostatin that upon proteolytic processing may give rise to a hormone of 22 amino acids. The nucleotide sequence of a cDNA from the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) encodes a precursor to somatostatin that is 105 amino acids (Mr, 11,500). The cDNA coding for somatostatin-22 consists of 36 nucleotides in the 5' untranslated region, 315 nucleotides that code for the precursor to somatostatin-22, 269 nucleotides at the 3' untranslated region, and a variable length of poly(A). The putative preprohormone contains a sequence of hydrophobic amino acids at the amino terminus that has the properties of a "signal" peptide. A connecting sequence of approximately 57 amino acids is followed by a single Arg-Arg sequence, which immediately precedes the hormone. Somatostatin-22 is homologous to somatostatin-14 in 7 of the 14 amino acids, including the Phe-Trp-Lys sequence. Hybridization selection of mRNA, followed by its translation in a wheat germ cell-free system, resulted in the synthesis of a single polypeptide having a molecular weight of approximately 10,000 as estimated on Na-DodSO4/polyacrylamide gels. Images PMID:6127673

  1. Clean Air Markets - Allowances Query Wizard

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Allowances Query Wizard is part of a suite of Clean Air Markets-related tools that are accessible at http://camddataandmaps.epa.gov/gdm/index.cfm. The Allowances module allows the user to view allowance data associated with EPA's emissions trading programs. Allowance data can be specified and organized using the Allowance Query Wizard to find allowances information associated with specific accounts, companies, transactions, programs, facilities, representatives, allowance type, or by date. Quick Reports and Prepackaged Datasets are also available for data that are commonly requested.EPA's Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) includes several market-based regulatory programs designed to improve air quality and ecosystems. The most well-known of these programs are EPA's Acid Rain Program and the NOx Programs, which reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)-compounds that adversely affect air quality, the environment, and public health. CAMD also plays an integral role in the development and implementation of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR).

  2. RoboOligo: software for mass spectrometry data to support manual and de novo sequencing of post-transcriptionally modified ribonucleic acids

    PubMed Central

    Sample, Paul J.; Gaston, Kirk W.; Alfonzo, Juan D.; Limbach, Patrick A.

    2015-01-01

    Ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA), transfer RNA and other biological or synthetic RNA polymers can contain nucleotides that have been modified by the addition of chemical groups. Traditional Sanger sequencing methods cannot establish the chemical nature and sequence of these modified-nucleotide containing oligomers. Mass spectrometry (MS) has become the conventional approach for determining the nucleotide composition, modification status and sequence of modified RNAs. Modified RNAs are analyzed by MS using collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID MS/MS), which produces a complex dataset of oligomeric fragments that must be interpreted to identify and place modified nucleosides within the RNA sequence. Here we report the development of RoboOligo, an interactive software program for the robust analysis of data generated by CID MS/MS of RNA oligomers. There are three main functions of RoboOligo: (i) automated de novo sequencing via the local search paradigm. (ii) Manual sequencing with real-time spectrum labeling and cumulative intensity scoring. (iii) A hybrid approach, coined ‘variable sequencing’, which combines the user intuition of manual sequencing with the high-throughput sampling of automated de novo sequencing. PMID:25820423

  3. Multi-Harmony: detecting functional specificity from sequence alignment

    PubMed Central

    Brandt, Bernd W.; Feenstra, K. Anton; Heringa, Jaap

    2010-01-01

    Many protein families contain sub-families with functional specialization, such as binding different ligands or being involved in different protein–protein interactions. A small number of amino acids generally determine functional specificity. The identification of these residues can aid the understanding of protein function and help finding targets for experimental analysis. Here, we present multi-Harmony, an interactive web sever for detecting sub-type-specific sites in proteins starting from a multiple sequence alignment. Combining our Sequence Harmony (SH) and multi-Relief (mR) methods in one web server allows simultaneous analysis and comparison of specificity residues; furthermore, both methods have been significantly improved and extended. SH has been extended to cope with more than two sub-groups. mR has been changed from a sampling implementation to a deterministic one, making it more consistent and user friendly. For both methods Z-scores are reported. The multi-Harmony web server produces a dynamic output page, which includes interactive connections to the Jalview and Jmol applets, thereby allowing interactive analysis of the results. Multi-Harmony is available at http://www.ibi.vu.nl/ programs/shmrwww. PMID:20525785

  4. TaALMT1 promoter sequence compositions, acid tolerance, and Al tolerance in wheat cultivars and landraces from Sichuan in China.

    PubMed

    Han, C; Dai, S F; Liu, D C; Pu, Z J; Wei, Y M; Zheng, Y L; Wen, D J; Zhao, L; Yan, Z H

    2013-11-18

    Previous genetic studies on wheat from various sources have indicated that aluminum (Al) tolerance may have originated independently in USA, Brazil, and China. Here, TaALMT1 promoter sequences of 92 landraces and cultivars from Sichuan, China, were sequenced. Five promoter types (I', II, III, IV, and V) were observed in 39 cultivars, and only three promoter types (I, II, and III) were observed in 53 landraces. Among the wheat collections worldwide, only the Chinese Spring (CS) landrace native to Sichuan, China, carried the TaALMT1 promoter type III. Besides CS, two other Sichuan-bred landraces and six cultivars with TaALMT1 promoter type III were identified in this study. In the phylogenetic tree constructed based on the TaALMT1 promoter sequences, type III formed a separate branch, which was supported by a high bootstrap value. It is likely that TaALMT1 promoter type III originated from Sichuan-bred wheat landraces of China. In addition, the landraces with promoter type I showed the lowest Al tolerance among all landraces and cultivars. Furthermore, the cultivars with promoter type IV showed better Al tolerance than landraces with promoter type II. A comparison of acid tolerance and Al tolerance between cultivars and landraces showed that the landraces had better acid tolerance than the cultivars, whereas the cultivars showed better Al tolerance than the landraces. Moreover, significant difference in Al tolerance was also observed between the cultivars raised by the National Ministry of Agriculture and by Sichuan Province. Among the landraces from different regions, those from the East showed better acid tolerance and Al tolerance than those from the South and West of Sichuan. Additional Al-tolerant and acid-tolerant wheat lines were also identified.

  5. Complete amino acid sequences of the ribosomal proteins L25, L29 and L31 from the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui.

    PubMed

    Hatakeyama, T; Kimura, M

    1988-03-15

    Ribosomal proteins were extracted from 50S ribosomal subunits of the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui by decreasing the concentration of Mg2+ and K+, and the proteins were separated and purified by ion-exchange column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Ten proteins were purified to homogeneity and three of these proteins were subjected to sequence analysis. The complete amino acid sequences of the ribosomal proteins L25, L29 and L31 were established by analyses of the peptides obtained by enzymatic digestion with trypsin, Staphylococcus aureus protease, chymotrypsin and lysylendopeptidase. Proteins L25, L29 and L31 consist of 84, 115 and 95 amino acid residues with the molecular masses of 9472 Da, 12293 Da and 10418 Da respectively. A comparison of their sequences with those of other large-ribosomal-subunit proteins from other organisms revealed that protein L25 from H. marismortui is homologous to protein L23 from Escherichia coli (34.6%), Bacillus stearothermophilus (41.8%), and tobacco chloroplasts (16.3%) as well as to protein L25 from yeast (38.0%). Proteins L29 and L31 do not appear to be homologous to any other ribosomal proteins whose structures are so far known.

  6. The EMBL nucleotide sequence database

    PubMed Central

    Stoesser, Guenter; Baker, Wendy; van den Broek, Alexandra; Camon, Evelyn; Garcia-Pastor, Maria; Kanz, Carola; Kulikova, Tamara; Lombard, Vincent; Lopez, Rodrigo; Parkinson, Helen; Redaschi, Nicole; Sterk, Peter; Stoehr, Peter; Tuli, Mary Ann

    2001-01-01

    The EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/embl/) is maintained at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) in an international collaboration with the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ) and GenBank at the NCBI (USA). Data is exchanged amongst the collaborating databases on a daily basis. The major contributors to the EMBL database are individual authors and genome project groups. Webin is the preferred web-based submission system for individual submitters, whilst automatic procedures allow incorporation of sequence data from large-scale genome sequencing centres and from the European Patent Office (EPO). Database releases are produced quarterly. Network services allow free access to the most up-to-date data collection via ftp, email and World Wide Web interfaces. EBI’s Sequence Retrieval System (SRS), a network browser for databanks in molecular biology, integrates and links the main nucleotide and protein databases plus many specialized databases. For sequence similarity searching a variety of tools (e.g. Blitz, Fasta, BLAST) are available which allow external users to compare their own sequences against the latest data in the EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database and SWISS-PROT. PMID:11125039

  7. Assignment of fatty acid-beta-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria to Syntrophomonadaceae fam. nov. on the basis of 16S rRNA sequence analyses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhao, H.; Yang, D.; Woese, C. R.; Bryant, M. P.

    1993-01-01

    After enrichment from Chinese rural anaerobic digestor sludge, anaerobic, sporing and nonsporing, saturated fatty acid-beta-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria were isolated as cocultures with H2- and formate-utilizing Methanospirillum hungatei or Desulfovibrio sp. strain G-11. The syntrophs degraded C4 to C8 saturated fatty acids, including isobutyrate and 2-methylbutyrate. They were adapted to grow on crotonate and were isolated as pure cultures. The crotonate-grown pure cultures alone did not grow on butyrate in either the presence or the absence of some common electron acceptors. However, when they were reconstituted with M. hungatei, growth on butyrate again occurred. In contrast, crotonate-grown Clostridium kluyveri and Clostridium sticklandii, as well as Clostridium sporogenes, failed to grow on butyrate when these organisms were cocultured with M. hungatei. The crotonate-grown pure subcultures of the syntrophs described above were subjected to 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Several previously documented fatty acid-beta-oxidizing syntrophs grown in pure cultures with crotonate were also subjected to comparative sequence analyses. The sequence analyses revealed that the new sporing and nonsporing isolates and other syntrophs that we sequenced, which had either gram-negative or gram-positive cell wall ultrastructure, all belonged to the phylogenetically gram-positive phylum. They were not closely related to any of the previously known subdivisions in the gram-positive phylum with which they were compared, but were closely related to each other, forming a new subdivision in the phylum. We recommend that this group be designated Syntrophomonadaceae fam. nov.; a description is given.

  8. Next-generation sequencing of the Trichinella murrelli mitochondrial genome allows comprehensive comparison of its divergence from the principal agent of human trichinellosis, Trichinella spiralis.

    PubMed

    Webb, Kristen M; Rosenthal, Benjamin M

    2011-01-01

    The mitochondrial genome's non-recombinant mode of inheritance and relatively rapid rate of evolution has promoted its use as a marker for studying the biogeographic history and evolutionary interrelationships among many metazoan species. A modest portion of the mitochondrial genome has been defined for 12 species and genotypes of parasites in the genus Trichinella, but its adequacy in representing the mitochondrial genome as a whole remains unclear, as the complete coding sequence has been characterized only for Trichinella spiralis. Here, we sought to comprehensively describe the extent and nature of divergence between the mitochondrial genomes of T. spiralis (which poses the most appreciable zoonotic risk owing to its capacity to establish persistent infections in domestic pigs) and Trichinella murrelli (which is the most prevalent species in North American wildlife hosts, but which poses relatively little risk to the safety of pork). Next generation sequencing methodologies and scaffold and de novo assembly strategies were employed. The entire protein-coding region was sequenced (13,917 bp), along with a portion of the highly repetitive non-coding region (1524 bp) of the mitochondrial genome of T. murrelli with a combined average read depth of 250 reads. The accuracy of base calling, estimated from coding region sequence was found to exceed 99.3%. Genome content and gene order was not found to be significantly different from that of T. spiralis. An overall inter-species sequence divergence of 9.5% was estimated. Significant variation was identified when the amount of variation between species at each gene is compared to the average amount of variation between species across the coding region. Next generation sequencing is a highly effective means to obtain previously unknown mitochondrial genome sequence. Particular to parasites, the extremely deep coverage achieved through this method allows for the detection of sequence heterogeneity between the multiple

  9. An improved TCF sequence for biobleaching kenaf pulp: influence of the hexenuronic acid content and the use of xylanase.

    PubMed

    Andreu, Glòria; Vidal, Teresa

    2014-01-01

    Enzymatic delignification with laccase from Trametes villosa used in combination with chemical mediators (acetosyringone, acetovanillone and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole) to improve the totally chlorine-free (TCF) bleaching of kenaf pulp was studied. The best final pulp properties were obtained by using an LHBTQPo sequence developed by incorporating a laccase-mediator stage into an industrial bleaching sequence involving chelation and peroxide stages. The new sequence resulted in increased kenaf pulp delignification (90.4%) and brightness (77.2%ISO) relative to a conventional TCF chemical sequence (74.5% delignification and 74.5% brightness). Also, the sequence provided bleached kenaf fibers with high cellulose content (pulp viscosity of 890 g·mL(-1) vs 660 g·mL(-1)). Scanning electron micrographs revealed that xylanase altered fiber surfaces and facilitated reagent access as a result. However, the LHBTX (xylanase) stage removed 21% of hexenuronic acids in kenaf pulp. These recalcitrant compounds spent additional bleaching reagents and affected pulp properties after peroxide stage. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Purification, characterization and sequence analysis of Omp50,a new porin isolated from Campylobacter jejuni.

    PubMed Central

    Bolla, J M; Dé, E; Dorez, A; Pagès, J M

    2000-01-01

    A novel pore-forming protein identified in Campylobacter was purified by ion-exchange chromatography and named Omp50 according to both its molecular mass and its outer membrane localization. We observed a pore-forming ability of Omp50 after re-incorporation into artificial membranes. The protein induced cation-selective channels with major conductance values of 50-60 pS in 1 M NaCl. N-terminal sequencing allowed us to identify the predicted coding sequence Cj1170c from the Campylobacter jejuni genome database as the corresponding gene in the NCTC 11168 genome sequence. The gene, designated omp50, consists of a 1425 bp open reading frame encoding a deduced 453-amino acid protein with a calculated pI of 5.81 and a molecular mass of 51169.2 Da. The protein possessed a 20-amino acid leader sequence. No significant similarity was found between Omp50 and porin protein sequences already determined. Moreover, the protein showed only weak sequence identity with the major outer-membrane protein (MOMP) of Campylobacter, correlating with the absence of antigenic cross-reactivity between these two proteins. Omp50 is expressed in C. jejuni and Campylobacter lari but not in Campylobacter coli. The gene, however, was detected in all three species by PCR. According to its conformation and functional properties, the protein would belong to the family of outer-membrane monomeric porins. PMID:11104668

  11. alpha-Crystallin A sequences of Alligator mississippiensis and the lizard Tupinambis teguixin: molecular evolution and reptilian phylogeny.

    PubMed

    de Jong, W W; Zweers, A; Versteeg, M; Dessauer, H C; Goodman, M

    1985-11-01

    The amino acid sequences of the eye lens protein alpha-crystallin A from many mammalian and avian species, two frog species, and a dogfish have provided detailed information about the molecular evolution of this protein and allowed some useful inferences about phylogenetic relationships among these species. We now have isolated and sequenced the alpha-crystallins of the American alligator and the common tegu lizard. The reptilian alpha A chains appear to have evolved as slowly as those of other vertebrates, i.e., at two to three amino acid replacements per 100 residues in 100 Myr. The lack of charged replacements and the general types and distribution of replacements also are similar to those in other vertebrate alpha A chains. Maximum-parsimony analyses of the total data set of 67 vertebrate alpha A sequences support the monophyletic origin of alligator, tegu, and birds and favor the grouping of crocodilians and birds as surviving sister groups in the subclass Archosauria.

  12. Human somatostatin I: sequence of the cDNA.

    PubMed Central

    Shen, L P; Pictet, R L; Rutter, W J

    1982-01-01

    RNA has been isolated from a human pancreatic somatostatinoma and used to prepare a cDNA library. After prescreening, clones containing somatostatin I sequences were identified by hybridization with an anglerfish somatostatin I-cloned cDNA probe. From the nucleotide sequence of two of these clones, we have deduced an essentially full-length mRNA sequence, including the preprosomatostatin coding region, 105 nucleotides from the 5' untranslated region and the complete 150-nucleotide 3' untranslated region. The coding region predicts a 116-amino acid precursor protein (Mr, 12.727) that contains somatostatin-14 and -28 at its COOH terminus. The predicted amino acid sequence of human somatostatin-28 is identical to that of somatostatin-28 isolated from the porcine and ovine species. A comparison of the amino acid sequences of human and anglerfish preprosomatostatin I indicated that the COOH-terminal region encoding somatostatin-14 and the adjacent 6 amino acids are highly conserved, whereas the remainder of the molecule, including the signal peptide region, is more divergent. However, many of the amino acid differences found in the pro region of the human and anglerfish proteins are conservative changes. This suggests that the propeptides have a similar secondary structure, which in turn may imply a biological function for this region of the molecule. Images PMID:6126875

  13. A Single Electrochemical Probe Used for Analysis of Multiple Nucleic Acid Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Mills, Dawn M.; Calvo-Marzal, Percy; Pinzon, Jeffer M.; Armas, Stephanie; Kolpashchikov, Dmitry M.; Chumbimuni-Torres, Karin Y.

    2017-01-01

    Electrochemical hybridization sensors have been explored extensively for analysis of specific nucleic acids. However, commercialization of the platform is hindered by the need for attachment of separate oligonucleotide probes complementary to a RNA or DNA target to an electrode’s surface. Here we demonstrate that a single probe can be used to analyze several nucleic acid targets with high selectivity and low cost. The universal electrochemical four-way junction (4J)-forming (UE4J) sensor consists of a universal DNA stem-loop (USL) probe attached to the electrode’s surface and two adaptor strands (m and f) which hybridize to the USL probe and the analyte to form a 4J associate. The m adaptor strand was conjugated with a methylene blue redox marker for signal ON sensing and monitored using square wave voltammetry. We demonstrated that a single sensor can be used for detection of several different DNA/RNA sequences and can be regenerated in 30 seconds by a simple water rinse. The UE4J sensor enables a high selectivity by recognition of a single base substitution, even at room temperature. The UE4J sensor opens a venue for a re-useable universal platform that can be adopted at low cost for the analysis of DNA or RNA targets. PMID:29371782

  14. Formation of specific amino acid sequences during carbodiimide-mediated condensation of amino acids in aqueous solution, and computer-simulated sequence generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartmann, Jürgen; Nawroth, Thomas; Dose, Klaus

    1984-12-01

    Carbodiimide-mediated peptide synthesis in aqueous solution has been studied with respect to self-ordering of amino acids. The copolymerisation of amino acids in the presence of glutamic acid or pyroglutamic acid leads to short pyroglutamyl peptides. Without pyroglutamic acid the formation of higher polymers is favoured. The interactions of the amino acids and the peptides, however, are very complex. Therefore, the experimental results are rather difficult to explain. Some of the experimental results, however, can be explained with the aid of computer simulation programs. Regarding only the tripeptide fraction the copolymerisation of pyroGlu, Ala and Leu, as well as the simulated copolymerisation lead to pyroGlu-Ala-Leu as the main reaction product. The amino acid composition of the insoluble peptides formed during the copolymerisation of Ser, Gly, Ala, Val, Phe, Leu and Ile corresponds in part to the computer-simulated copolymerisation data.

  15. Digital RNA sequencing minimizes sequence-dependent bias and amplification noise with optimized single-molecule barcodes

    PubMed Central

    Shiroguchi, Katsuyuki; Jia, Tony Z.; Sims, Peter A.; Xie, X. Sunney

    2012-01-01

    RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a powerful tool for transcriptome profiling, but is hampered by sequence-dependent bias and inaccuracy at low copy numbers intrinsic to exponential PCR amplification. We developed a simple strategy for mitigating these complications, allowing truly digital RNA-Seq. Following reverse transcription, a large set of barcode sequences is added in excess, and nearly every cDNA molecule is uniquely labeled by random attachment of barcode sequences to both ends. After PCR, we applied paired-end deep sequencing to read the two barcodes and cDNA sequences. Rather than counting the number of reads, RNA abundance is measured based on the number of unique barcode sequences observed for a given cDNA sequence. We optimized the barcodes to be unambiguously identifiable, even in the presence of multiple sequencing errors. This method allows counting with single-copy resolution despite sequence-dependent bias and PCR-amplification noise, and is analogous to digital PCR but amendable to quantifying a whole transcriptome. We demonstrated transcriptome profiling of Escherichia coli with more accurate and reproducible quantification than conventional RNA-Seq. PMID:22232676

  16. Nucleic and amino acid sequences relating to a novel transketolase, and methods for the expression thereof

    DOEpatents

    Croteau, Rodney Bruce; Wildung, Mark Raymond; Lange, Bernd Markus; McCaskill, David G.

    2001-01-01

    cDNAs encoding 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase from peppermint (Mentha piperita) have been isolated and sequenced, and the corresponding amino acid sequences have been determined. Accordingly, isolated DNA sequences (SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7) are provided which code for the expression of 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase from plants. In another aspect the present invention provides for isolated, recombinant DXPS proteins, such as the proteins having the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:8. In other aspects, replicable recombinant cloning vehicles are provided which code for plant 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthases, or for a base sequence sufficiently complementary to at least a portion of 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase DNA or RNA to enable hybridization therewith. In yet other aspects, modified host cells are provided that have been transformed, transfected, infected and/or injected with a recombinant cloning vehicle and/or DNA sequence encoding a plant 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase. Thus, systems and methods are provided for the recombinant expression of the aforementioned recombinant 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase that may be used to facilitate its production, isolation and purification in significant amounts. Recombinant 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase may be used to obtain expression or enhanced expression of 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase in plants in order to enhance the production of 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate, or its derivatives such as isopentenyl diphosphate (BP), or may be otherwise employed for the regulation or expression of 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase, or the production of its products.

  17. Are Recommended Daily Allowances for Vitamin C Adequate?

    PubMed Central

    Pauling, Linus

    1974-01-01

    The Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) for adults has now been set at 45 mg day-1 by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board. This intake suffices to prevent scurvy in most people. It is, however, much less than the optimum intake, the intake that leads to the best of health. A larger intake decreases the incidence and severity of the common cold and other diseases. Ascorbic acid has antiviral and antibacterial activity and is required for phagocytic activity of leukocytes. Several arguments indicate that for different human beings the optimum intake lies between 250 mg day-1 and a much higher value, 5000 mg day-1 or more. It is proposed that the present Recommended Dietary Allowance of 45 mg day-1 of vitamin C for adults be renamed the Minimum Dietary Allowance, defined as the amount needed to prevent scurvy, and that, after consideration of the evidence about intake and the best of health, there be formulated another category of values, the Recommended Daily Intake, with the suggested range of 250 mg day-1 to 4000 mg day-1 of ascorbic acid for an adult. PMID:4612519

  18. From a marine neuropeptide to antimicrobial pseudopeptides containing aza-β(3)-amino acids: structure and activity

    PubMed Central

    Laurencin, Mathieu; Legrand, Baptiste; Duval, Emilie; Henry, Joël; Baudy-Floc'H, Michèle; Zatylny-Gaudin, Céline; Bondon, Arnaud

    2012-01-01

    Incorporation of aza-β3-amino acids into endogenous neuropeptide from mollusks (ALSGDAFLRF-NH2) with weak antimicrobial activities allows us to design new AMPs sequences. We find that, depending on the nature of the substitution, these could result either in inactive pseudopeptides or in a drastic enhancement of the antimicrobial activity without high cytotoxicity resulted. Structural studies perform by NMR and circular dichroism on the pseudopeptides show the impact of aza-β3-amino acids on the peptide structures. We obtain the first three-dimensional structures of pseudopeptides containing aza-β3-amino acids in aqueous micellar SDS and demonstrate that hydrazino turn can be formed in aqueous solution. Overall, these results demonstrate the ability to modulate AMPs activities through structural modifications induced by the nature and the position of these amino acid analogs in the peptide sequences. PMID:22320306

  19. Whole-Genome Sequence of the Anaerobic Isosaccharinic Acid Degrading Isolate, Macellibacteroides fermentans Strain HH-ZS

    PubMed Central

    Rout, Simon P.; Salah, Zohier B.; Charles, Christopher J.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The ability of micro-organisms to degrade isosaccharinic acids (ISAs) while tolerating hyperalkaline conditions is pivotal to our understanding of the biogeochemistry associated within these environs, but also in scenarios pertaining to the cementitious disposal of radioactive wastes. An alkalitolerant, ISA degrading micro-organism was isolated from the hyperalkaline soils resulting from lime depositions. Here, we report the first whole-genome sequence, ISA degradation profile and carbohydrate preoteome of a Macellibacteroides fermentans strain HH-ZS, 4.08 Mb in size, coding 3,241 proteins, 64 tRNA, and 1 rRNA. PMID:28859355

  20. Exome sequencing and SNP analysis detect novel compound heterozygosity in fatty acid hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration

    PubMed Central

    Pierson, Tyler Mark; Simeonov, Dimitre R; Sincan, Murat; Adams, David A; Markello, Thomas; Golas, Gretchen; Fuentes-Fajardo, Karin; Hansen, Nancy F; Cherukuri, Praveen F; Cruz, Pedro; Blackstone, Craig; Tifft, Cynthia; Boerkoel, Cornelius F; Gahl, William A

    2012-01-01

    Fatty acid hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration due to fatty acid 2-hydroxylase deficiency presents with a wide range of phenotypes including spastic paraplegia, leukodystrophy, and/or brain iron deposition. All previously described families with this disorder were consanguineous, with homozygous mutations in the probands. We describe a 10-year-old male, from a non-consanguineous family, with progressive spastic paraplegia, dystonia, ataxia, and cognitive decline associated with a sural axonal neuropathy. The use of high-throughput sequencing techniques combined with SNP array analyses revealed a novel paternally derived missense mutation and an overlapping novel maternally derived ∼28-kb genomic deletion in FA2H. This patient provides further insight into the consistent features of this disorder and expands our understanding of its phenotypic presentation. The presence of a sural nerve axonal neuropathy had not been previously associated with this disorder and so may extend the phenotype. PMID:22146942

  1. In vitro selection of functional nucleic acids

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, D. S.; Szostak, J. W.

    1999-01-01

    In vitro selection allows rare functional RNA or DNA molecules to be isolated from pools of over 10(15) different sequences. This approach has been used to identify RNA and DNA ligands for numerous small molecules, and recent three-dimensional structure solutions have revealed the basis for ligand recognition in several cases. By selecting high-affinity and -specificity nucleic acid ligands for proteins, promising new therapeutic and diagnostic reagents have been identified. Selection experiments have also been carried out to identify ribozymes that catalyze a variety of chemical transformations, including RNA cleavage, ligation, and synthesis, as well as alkylation and acyl-transfer reactions and N-glycosidic and peptide bond formation. The existence of such RNA enzymes supports the notion that ribozymes could have directed a primitive metabolism before the evolution of protein synthesis. New in vitro protein selection techniques should allow for a direct comparison of the frequency of ligand binding and catalytic structures in pools of random sequence polynucleotides versus polypeptides.

  2. Genome wide identification of microRNAs involved in fatty acid and lipid metabolism of Brassica napus by small RNA and degradome sequencing.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhiwei; Qiao, Yan; Zhang, Jingjing; Shi, Wenhui; Zhang, Jinwen

    2017-07-01

    Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is an important cash crop considered as the third largest oil crop worldwide. Rapeseed oil contains various saturation or unsaturation fatty acids, these fatty acids, whose could incorporation with TAG form into lipids stored in seeds play various roles in the metabolic activity. The different fatty acids in B. napus seeds determine oil quality, define if the oil is edible or must be used as industrial material. miRNAs are kind of non-coding sRNAs that could regulate gene expressions through post-transcriptional modification to their target transcripts playing important roles in plant metabolic activities. We employed high-throughput sequencing to identify the miRNAs and their target transcripts involved in fatty acids and lipids metabolism in different development of B. napus seeds. As a result, we identified 826 miRNA sequences, including 523 conserved and 303 newly miRNAs. From the degradome sequencing, we found 589 mRNA could be targeted by 236 miRNAs, it includes 49 novel miRNAs and 187 conserved miRNAs. The miRNA-target couple suggests that bna-5p-163957_18, bna-5p-396192_7, miR9563a-p3, miR9563b-p5, miR838-p3, miR156e-p3, miR159c and miR1134 could target PDP, LACS9, MFPA, ADSL1, ACO32, C0401, GDL73, PlCD6, OLEO3 and WSD1. These target transcripts are involving in acetyl-CoA generate and carbon chain desaturase, regulating the levels of very long chain fatty acids, β-oxidation and lipids transport and metabolism process. At the same, we employed the q-PCR to valid the expression of miRNAs and their target transcripts that involve in fatty acid and lipid metabolism, the result suggested that the miRNA and their transcript expression are negative correlation, which in accord with the expression of miRNA and its target transcript. The study findings suggest that the identified miRNA may play important role in the fatty acids and lipids metabolism in seeds of B. napus. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All

  3. PASTA: Ultra-Large Multiple Sequence Alignment for Nucleotide and Amino-Acid Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Mirarab, Siavash; Nguyen, Nam; Guo, Sheng; Wang, Li-San; Kim, Junhyong

    2015-01-01

    Abstract We introduce PASTA, a new multiple sequence alignment algorithm. PASTA uses a new technique to produce an alignment given a guide tree that enables it to be both highly scalable and very accurate. We present a study on biological and simulated data with up to 200,000 sequences, showing that PASTA produces highly accurate alignments, improving on the accuracy and scalability of the leading alignment methods (including SATé). We also show that trees estimated on PASTA alignments are highly accurate—slightly better than SATé trees, but with substantial improvements relative to other methods. Finally, PASTA is faster than SATé, highly parallelizable, and requires relatively little memory. PMID:25549288

  4. PASTA: Ultra-Large Multiple Sequence Alignment for Nucleotide and Amino-Acid Sequences.

    PubMed

    Mirarab, Siavash; Nguyen, Nam; Guo, Sheng; Wang, Li-San; Kim, Junhyong; Warnow, Tandy

    2015-05-01

    We introduce PASTA, a new multiple sequence alignment algorithm. PASTA uses a new technique to produce an alignment given a guide tree that enables it to be both highly scalable and very accurate. We present a study on biological and simulated data with up to 200,000 sequences, showing that PASTA produces highly accurate alignments, improving on the accuracy and scalability of the leading alignment methods (including SATé). We also show that trees estimated on PASTA alignments are highly accurate--slightly better than SATé trees, but with substantial improvements relative to other methods. Finally, PASTA is faster than SATé, highly parallelizable, and requires relatively little memory.

  5. Complete Genome Sequence of Moraxella osloensis Strain KMC41, a Producer of 4-Methyl-3-Hexenoic Acid, a Major Malodor Compound in Laundry

    PubMed Central

    Hirakawa, Hideki; Morita, Yuji; Tomida, Junko; Sato, Jun; Matsumura, Yuta; Mitani, Asako; Niwano, Yu; Takeuchi, Kohei; Kubota, Hiromi; Kawamura, Yoshiaki

    2016-01-01

    We report the complete genome sequence of Moraxella osloensis strain KMC41, isolated from laundry with malodor. The KMC41 genome comprises a 2,445,556-bp chromosome and three plasmids. A fatty acid desaturase and at least four β-oxidation-related genes putatively associated with 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid generation were detected in the KMC41 chromosome. PMID:27445387

  6. Biosynthesis of Lipoic Acid in Arabidopsis: Cloning and Characterization of the cDNA for Lipoic Acid Synthase1

    PubMed Central

    Yasuno, Rie; Wada, Hajime

    1998-01-01

    Lipoic acid is a coenzyme that is essential for the activity of enzyme complexes such as those of pyruvate dehydrogenase and glycine decarboxylase. We report here the isolation and characterization of LIP1 cDNA for lipoic acid synthase of Arabidopsis. The Arabidopsis LIP1 cDNA was isolated using an expressed sequence tag homologous to the lipoic acid synthase of Escherichia coli. This cDNA was shown to code for Arabidopsis lipoic acid synthase by its ability to complement a lipA mutant of E. coli defective in lipoic acid synthase. DNA-sequence analysis of the LIP1 cDNA revealed an open reading frame predicting a protein of 374 amino acids. Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequence with those of E. coli and yeast lipoic acid synthase homologs showed a high degree of sequence similarity and the presence of a leader sequence presumably required for import into the mitochondria. Southern-hybridization analysis suggested that LIP1 is a single-copy gene in Arabidopsis. Western analysis with an antibody against lipoic acid synthase demonstrated that this enzyme is located in the mitochondrial compartment in Arabidopsis cells as a 43-kD polypeptide. PMID:9808738

  7. 5S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequences in Bacteroides and Fusobacterium: evolutionary relationships within these genera and among eubacteria in general

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Van den Eynde, H.; De Baere, R.; Shah, H. N.; Gharbia, S. E.; Fox, G. E.; Michalik, J.; Van de Peer, Y.; De Wachter, R.

    1989-01-01

    The 5S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequences were determined for Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides capillosus, Bacteroides veroralis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Anaerorhabdus furcosus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Fusobacterium mortiferum, and Fusobacterium varium. A dendrogram constructed by a clustering algorithm from these sequences, which were aligned with all other hitherto known eubacterial 5S rRNA sequences, showed differences as well as similarities with respect to results derived from 16S rRNA analyses. In the 5S rRNA dendrogram, Bacteroides clustered together with Cytophaga and Fusobacterium, as in 16S rRNA analyses. Intraphylum relationships deduced from 5S rRNAs suggested that Bacteroides is specifically related to Cytophaga rather than to Fusobacterium, as was suggested by 16S rRNA analyses. Previous taxonomic considerations concerning the genus Bacteroides, based on biochemical and physiological data, were confirmed by the 5S rRNA sequence analysis.

  8. Visualization of nucleic acids with synthetic exciton-controlled fluorescent oligonucleotide probes.

    PubMed

    Wang, Dan Ohtan; Okamoto, Akimitsu

    2015-01-01

    Engineered probes to adapt new photochemical properties upon recognition of target nucleic acids offer powerful tools to DNA and RNA visualization technologies. Herein, we describe a rapid and effective visualization method of nucleic acids in both fixed and living cells with hybridization-sensitive fluorescent oligonucleotide probes. These probes are efficiently quenched in an aqueous environment due to the homodimeric, excitonic interactions between fluorophores but become highly fluorescent upon hybridization to DNA or RNA with complementary sequences. The fast hybridization kinetics and quick fluorescence activation of the new probes allow applications to simplify the conventional fluorescent in situ hybridization protocols and reduce the amount of time to process the samples. Furthermore, hybridization-sensitive fluorescence emission of the probes allows monitoring dynamic behaviors of RNA in living cells.

  9. Reconstruction of diaminopimelic acid biosynthesis allows characterisation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase

    PubMed Central

    Usha, Veeraraghavan; Lloyd, Adrian J.; Roper, David I.; Dowson, Christopher G.; Kozlov, Guennadi; Gehring, Kalle; Chauhan, Smita; Imam, Hasan T.; Blindauer, Claudia A.; Besra, Gurdyal S.

    2016-01-01

    With the increased incidence of tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis there is an urgent need for new and better anti-tubercular drugs. N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) is a key enzyme in the succinylase pathway for the biosynthesis of meso-diaminopimelic acid (meso-DAP) and L-lysine. DapE is a zinc containing metallohydrolase which hydrolyses N-succinyl L,L diaminopimelic acid (L,L-NSDAP) to L,L-diaminopimelic acid (L,L-DAP) and succinate. M. tuberculosis DapE (MtDapE) was cloned, over-expressed and purified as an N-terminal hexahistidine ((His)6) tagged fusion containing one zinc ion per DapE monomer. We redesigned the DAP synthetic pathway to generate L,L-NSDAP and other L,L-NSDAP derivatives and have characterised MtDapE with these substrates. In contrast to its other Gram negative homologues, the MtDapE was insensitive to inhibition by L-captopril which we show is consistent with novel mycobacterial alterations in the binding site of this drug. PMID:26976706

  10. Reconstruction of diaminopimelic acid biosynthesis allows characterisation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase.

    PubMed

    Usha, Veeraraghavan; Lloyd, Adrian J; Roper, David I; Dowson, Christopher G; Kozlov, Guennadi; Gehring, Kalle; Chauhan, Smita; Imam, Hasan T; Blindauer, Claudia A; Besra, Gurdyal S

    2016-03-15

    With the increased incidence of tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis there is an urgent need for new and better anti-tubercular drugs. N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) is a key enzyme in the succinylase pathway for the biosynthesis of meso-diaminopimelic acid (meso-DAP) and L-lysine. DapE is a zinc containing metallohydrolase which hydrolyses N-succinyl L,L diaminopimelic acid (L,L-NSDAP) to L,L-diaminopimelic acid (L,L-DAP) and succinate. M. tuberculosis DapE (MtDapE) was cloned, over-expressed and purified as an N-terminal hexahistidine ((His)6) tagged fusion containing one zinc ion per DapE monomer. We redesigned the DAP synthetic pathway to generate L,L-NSDAP and other L,L-NSDAP derivatives and have characterised MtDapE with these substrates. In contrast to its other Gram negative homologues, the MtDapE was insensitive to inhibition by L-captopril which we show is consistent with novel mycobacterial alterations in the binding site of this drug.

  11. DNA sequence similarity recognition by hybridization to short oligomers

    DOEpatents

    Milosavljevic, Aleksandar

    1999-01-01

    Methods are disclosed for the comparison of nucleic acid sequences. Data is generated by hybridizing sets of oligomers with target nucleic acids. The data thus generated is manipulated simultaneously with respect to both (i) matching between oligomers and (ii) matching between oligomers and putative reference sequences available in databases. Using data compression methods to manipulate this mutual information, sequences for the target can be constructed.

  12. Genome Sequence Analysis of the Naphthenic Acid Degrading and Metal Resistant Bacterium Cupriavidus gilardii CR3

    PubMed Central

    Xiao, Jingfa; Hao, Lirui; Crowley, David E.; Zhang, Zhewen; Yu, Jun; Huang, Ning; Huo, Mingxin; Wu, Jiayan

    2015-01-01

    Cupriavidus sp. are generally heavy metal tolerant bacteria with the ability to degrade a variety of aromatic hydrocarbon compounds, although the degradation pathways and substrate versatilities remain largely unknown. Here we studied the bacterium Cupriavidus gilardii strain CR3, which was isolated from a natural asphalt deposit, and which was shown to utilize naphthenic acids as a sole carbon source. Genome sequencing of C. gilardii CR3 was carried out to elucidate possible mechanisms for the naphthenic acid biodegradation. The genome of C. gilardii CR3 was composed of two circular chromosomes chr1 and chr2 of respectively 3,539,530 bp and 2,039,213 bp in size. The genome for strain CR3 encoded 4,502 putative protein-coding genes, 59 tRNA genes, and many other non-coding genes. Many genes were associated with xenobiotic biodegradation and metal resistance functions. Pathway prediction for degradation of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, a representative naphthenic acid, suggested that naphthenic acid undergoes initial ring-cleavage, after which the ring fission products can be degraded via several plausible degradation pathways including a mechanism similar to that used for fatty acid oxidation. The final metabolic products of these pathways are unstable or volatile compounds that were not toxic to CR3. Strain CR3 was also shown to have tolerance to at least 10 heavy metals, which was mainly achieved by self-detoxification through ion efflux, metal-complexation and metal-reduction, and a powerful DNA self-repair mechanism. Our genomic analysis suggests that CR3 is well adapted to survive the harsh environment in natural asphalts containing naphthenic acids and high concentrations of heavy metals. PMID:26301592

  13. Complete nucleotide sequences of the coat protein messenger RNAs of brome mosaic virus and cowpea chlorotic mottle virus.

    PubMed Central

    Dasgupta, R; Kaesberg, P

    1982-01-01

    The nucleotide sequences of the subgenomic coat protein messengers (RNA4's) of two related bromoviruses, brome mosaic virus (BMV) and cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV), have been determined by direct RNA and CDNA sequencing without cloning. BMV RNA4 is 876 b long including a 5' noncoding region of nine nucleotides and a 3' noncoding region of 300 nucleotides. CCMV RNA 4 is 824 b long, including a 5' noncoding region of 10 nucleotides and a 3' noncoding region of 244 nucleotides. The encoded coat proteins are similar in length (188 amino acids for BMV and 189 amino acids for CCMV) and display about 70% homology in their amino acid sequences. Length difference between the two RNAs is due mostly to a single deletion, in CCMV with respect to BMV, of about 57 b immediately following the coding region. Allowing for this deletion the RNAs are indicate that mutations leading to divergence were constrained in the coding region primarily by the requirement of maintaining a favorable coat protein structure and in the 3' noncoding region primarily by the requirement of maintaining a favorable RNA spatial configuration. PMID:6895941

  14. Amino acid sequence surrounding the chondroitin sulfate attachment site of thrombomodulin regulates chondroitin polymerization.

    PubMed

    Izumikawa, Tomomi; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

    2015-05-01

    Thrombomodulin (TM) is a cell-surface glycoprotein and a critical mediator of endothelial anticoagulant function. TM exists as both a chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycan (PG) form and a non-PG form lacking a CS chain (α-TM); therefore, TM can be described as a part-time PG. Previously, we reported that α-TM bears an immature, truncated linkage tetrasaccharide structure (GlcAβ1-3Galβ1-3Galβ1-4Xyl). However, the biosynthetic mechanism to generate part-time PGs remains unclear. In this study, we used several mutants to demonstrate that the amino acid sequence surrounding the CS attachment site influences the efficiency of chondroitin polymerization. In particular, the presence of acidic residues surrounding the CS attachment site was indispensable for the elongation of CS. In addition, mutants defective in CS elongation did not exhibit anti-coagulant activity, as in the case with α-TM. Together, these data support a model for CS chain assembly in which specific core protein determinants are recognized by a key biosynthetic enzyme involved in chondroitin polymerization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Evolutionary connections of biological kingdoms based on protein and nucleic acid sequence evidence

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dayhoff, M. O.

    1983-01-01

    Prokaryotic and eukaryotic evolutionary trees are developed from protein and nucleic-acid sequences by the methods of numerical taxonomy. Trees are presented for bacterial ferredoxins, 5S ribosomal RNA, c-type cytochromes , cytochromes c2 and c', and 5.8S ribosomal RNA; the implications for early evolution are discussed; and a composite tree showing the branching of the anaerobes, aerobes, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes is shown. Single lines are found for all oxygen-evolving photosynthetic forms and for the salt-loving and high-temperature forms of archaebacteria. It is argued that the eukaryote mitochondria, chloroplasts, and cytoplasmic host material are descended from free-living prokaryotes that formed symbiotic associations, with more than one symbiotic event involved in the evolution of each organelle.

  16. Sequencing proteins with transverse ionic transport in nanochannels.

    PubMed

    Boynton, Paul; Di Ventra, Massimiliano

    2016-05-03

    De novo protein sequencing is essential for understanding cellular processes that govern the function of living organisms and all sequence modifications that occur after a protein has been constructed from its corresponding DNA code. By obtaining the order of the amino acids that compose a given protein one can then determine both its secondary and tertiary structures through structure prediction, which is used to create models for protein aggregation diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease. Here, we propose a new technique for de novo protein sequencing that involves translocating a polypeptide through a synthetic nanochannel and measuring the ionic current of each amino acid through an intersecting perpendicular nanochannel. We find that the distribution of ionic currents for each of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids encoded by eukaryotic genes is statistically distinct, showing this technique's potential for de novo protein sequencing.

  17. Rational design of DNA sequences for nanotechnology, microarrays and molecular computers using Eulerian graphs.

    PubMed

    Pancoska, Petr; Moravek, Zdenek; Moll, Ute M

    2004-01-01

    Nucleic acids are molecules of choice for both established and emerging nanoscale technologies. These technologies benefit from large functional densities of 'DNA processing elements' that can be readily manufactured. To achieve the desired functionality, polynucleotide sequences are currently designed by a process that involves tedious and laborious filtering of potential candidates against a series of requirements and parameters. Here, we present a complete novel methodology for the rapid rational design of large sets of DNA sequences. This method allows for the direct implementation of very complex and detailed requirements for the generated sequences, thus avoiding 'brute force' filtering. At the same time, these sequences have narrow distributions of melting temperatures. The molecular part of the design process can be done without computer assistance, using an efficient 'human engineering' approach by drawing a single blueprint graph that represents all generated sequences. Moreover, the method eliminates the necessity for extensive thermodynamic calculations. Melting temperature can be calculated only once (or not at all). In addition, the isostability of the sequences is independent of the selection of a particular set of thermodynamic parameters. Applications are presented for DNA sequence designs for microarrays, universal microarray zip sequences and electron transfer experiments.

  18. Development and Evaluation of Novel Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assays with Locked Nucleic Acid Probes Targeting Leader Sequences of Human-Pathogenic Coronaviruses

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Jasper Fuk-Woo; Choi, Garnet Kwan-Yue; Tsang, Alan Ka-Lun; Tee, Kah-Meng; Lam, Ho-Yin; Yip, Cyril Chik-Yan; To, Kelvin Kai-Wang; Cheng, Vincent Chi-Chung; Yeung, Man-Lung; Lau, Susanna Kar-Pui; Woo, Patrick Chiu-Yat; Chan, Kwok-Hung; Tang, Bone Siu-Fai

    2015-01-01

    Based on findings in small RNA-sequencing (Seq) data analysis, we developed highly sensitive and specific real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays with locked nucleic acid probes targeting the abundantly expressed leader sequences of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and other human coronaviruses. Analytical and clinical evaluations showed their noninferiority to a commercial multiplex PCR test for the detection of these coronaviruses. PMID:26019210

  19. Complete Genome Sequence of Moraxella osloensis Strain KMC41, a Producer of 4-Methyl-3-Hexenoic Acid, a Major Malodor Compound in Laundry.

    PubMed

    Goto, Takatsugu; Hirakawa, Hideki; Morita, Yuji; Tomida, Junko; Sato, Jun; Matsumura, Yuta; Mitani, Asako; Niwano, Yu; Takeuchi, Kohei; Kubota, Hiromi; Kawamura, Yoshiaki

    2016-07-21

    We report the complete genome sequence of Moraxella osloensis strain KMC41, isolated from laundry with malodor. The KMC41 genome comprises a 2,445,556-bp chromosome and three plasmids. A fatty acid desaturase and at least four β-oxidation-related genes putatively associated with 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid generation were detected in the KMC41 chromosome. Copyright © 2016 Goto et al.

  20. EGVII endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2014-02-25

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl7, and the corresponding EGVII amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVII, recombinant EGVII proteins and methods for producing the same.

  1. EGVII endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2006-05-16

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl7, and the corresponding EGVII amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVII, recombinant EGVII proteins and methods for producing the same.

  2. EGVI endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Goedegebuur, Frits [Vlaardingen, NL; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA; Yao, Jian [Sunnyvale, CA

    2008-04-01

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl6, and the corresponding EGVI amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVI, recombinant EGVI proteins and methods for producing the same.

  3. EGVI endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2010-10-12

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl6, and the corresponding EGVI amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVI, recombinant EGVI proteins and methods for producing the same.

  4. EGVIII endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2006-05-23

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl8, and the corresponding EGVIII amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVIII, recombinant EGVIII proteins and methods for producing the same.

  5. EGVI endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2010-10-05

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl6, and the corresponding EGVI amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVI, recombinant EGVI proteins and methods for producing the same.

  6. EGVI endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2006-06-06

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl6, and the corresponding EGVI amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVI, recombinant EGVI proteins and methods for producing the same.

  7. EGVII endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Goedegebuur, Frits [Vlaardingen, NL; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA; Yao, Jian [Sunnyvale, CA

    2009-05-05

    The present invention provides an endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl7, and the corresponding EGVII amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVII, recombinant EGVII proteins and methods for producing the same.

  8. EGVII endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2013-07-16

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl7, and the corresponding EGVII amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVII, recombinant EGVII proteins and methods for producing the same.

  9. EGVII endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Goedegebuur, Frits [Vlaardingen, NL; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA; Yao, Jian [Sunnyvale, CA

    2012-02-14

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl7, and the corresponding EGVII amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVII, recombinant EGVII proteins and methods for producing the same.

  10. EGVII endoglucanase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2015-04-14

    The present invention provides a novel endoglucanase nucleic acid sequence, designated egl7, and the corresponding EGVII amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding EGVII, recombinant EGVII proteins and methods for producing the same.

  11. Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the gene coding for bile acid 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708.

    PubMed Central

    Baron, S F; Franklund, C V; Hylemon, P B

    1991-01-01

    Southern blot analysis indicated that the gene encoding the constitutive, NADP-linked bile acid 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 was located on a 6.5-kb EcoRI fragment of the chromosomal DNA. This fragment was cloned into bacteriophage lambda gt11, and a 2.9-kb piece of this insert was subcloned into pUC19, yielding the recombinant plasmid pBH51. DNA sequence analysis of the 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene in pBH51 revealed a 798-bp open reading frame, coding for a protein with a calculated molecular weight of 28,500. A putative promoter sequence and ribosome binding site were identified. The 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA transcript in Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 was about 0.94 kb in length, suggesting that it is monocistronic. An Escherichia coli DH5 alpha transformant harboring pBH51 had approximately 30-fold greater levels of 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA, immunoreactive protein, and specific activity than Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708. The 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase purified from the pBH51 transformant was similar in subunit molecular weight, specific activity, and kinetic properties to that from Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708, and it reached with antiserum raised against the authentic enzyme on Western immunoblots. Alignment of the amino acid sequence of the 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase with those of 10 other pyridine nucleotide-linked alcohol/polyol dehydrogenases revealed six conserved amino acid residues in the N-terminal regions thought to function in coenzyme binding. Images PMID:1856160

  12. Sequence Diversity Diagram for comparative analysis of multiple sequence alignments.

    PubMed

    Sakai, Ryo; Aerts, Jan

    2014-01-01

    The sequence logo is a graphical representation of a set of aligned sequences, commonly used to depict conservation of amino acid or nucleotide sequences. Although it effectively communicates the amount of information present at every position, this visual representation falls short when the domain task is to compare between two or more sets of aligned sequences. We present a new visual presentation called a Sequence Diversity Diagram and validate our design choices with a case study. Our software was developed using the open-source program called Processing. It loads multiple sequence alignment FASTA files and a configuration file, which can be modified as needed to change the visualization. The redesigned figure improves on the visual comparison of two or more sets, and it additionally encodes information on sequential position conservation. In our case study of the adenylate kinase lid domain, the Sequence Diversity Diagram reveals unexpected patterns and new insights, for example the identification of subgroups within the protein subfamily. Our future work will integrate this visual encoding into interactive visualization tools to support higher level data exploration tasks.

  13. Amino acid sequence and the cellular location of the Na(+)-dependent D-glucose symporters (SGLT1) in the ovine enterocyte and the parotid acinar cell.

    PubMed Central

    Tarpey, P S; Wood, I S; Shirazi-Beechey, S P; Beechey, R B

    1995-01-01

    The Na(+)-dependent D-glucose symporter has been shown to be located on the basolateral domain of the plasma membrane of ovine parotid acinar cells. This is in contrast to the apical location of this transporter in the ovine enterocyte. The amino acid sequences of these two proteins have been determined. They are identical. The results indicated that the signals responsible for the differential targeting of these two proteins to the apical and the basal domains of the plasma membrane are not contained within the primary amino acid sequence. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 PMID:7492327

  14. Characterization of HIV Type 1 Envelope Sequence Among Viral Isolates Circulating in the Northern Region of Colombia, South America

    PubMed Central

    Villarreal, José-Luis; Gutiérrez, Jaime; Palacio, Lucy; Peñuela, Martha; Hernández, Robin; Lemay, Guy

    2012-01-01

    Abstract To characterize human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) strains circulating in the Northern region of Colombia in South America, sequences of the viral envelope C2V3C3 region were obtained from patients with different high-risk practices. Close to 60% of the sequences were predicted to belong to macrophage-tropic viruses, according to the positions of acidic amino acids and putative N-linked glycosylation sites. This is in agreement with the fact that most of the patients were recently diagnosed individuals. Phylogenic analysis then allowed assignment of all 35 samples to subtype B viruses. This same subtype was found in previous studies carried out in other Colombian regions. This study thus expands previous analyses with previously missing data from the Northern region of the country. The number and the length of the sequences examined also help to provide a clearer picture of the prevailing situation of the present HIV epidemics in this country. PMID:22482735

  15. An intuitive graphical webserver for multiple-choice protein sequence search.

    PubMed

    Banky, Daniel; Szalkai, Balazs; Grolmusz, Vince

    2014-04-10

    Every day tens of thousands of sequence searches and sequence alignment queries are submitted to webservers. The capitalized word "BLAST" becomes a verb, describing the act of performing sequence search and alignment. However, if one needs to search for sequences that contain, for example, two hydrophobic and three polar residues at five given positions, the query formation on the most frequently used webservers will be difficult. Some servers support the formation of queries with regular expressions, but most of the users are unfamiliar with their syntax. Here we present an intuitive, easily applicable webserver, the Protein Sequence Analysis server, that allows the formation of multiple choice queries by simply drawing the residues to their positions; if more than one residue are drawn to the same position, then they will be nicely stacked on the user interface, indicating the multiple choice at the given position. This computer-game-like interface is natural and intuitive, and the coloring of the residues makes possible to form queries requiring not just certain amino acids in the given positions, but also small nonpolar, negatively charged, hydrophobic, positively charged, or polar ones. The webserver is available at http://psa.pitgroup.org. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Sequence repeats and protein structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoang, Trinh X.; Trovato, Antonio; Seno, Flavio; Banavar, Jayanth R.; Maritan, Amos

    2012-11-01

    Repeats are frequently found in known protein sequences. The level of sequence conservation in tandem repeats correlates with their propensities to be intrinsically disordered. We employ a coarse-grained model of a protein with a two-letter amino acid alphabet, hydrophobic (H) and polar (P), to examine the sequence-structure relationship in the realm of repeated sequences. A fraction of repeated sequences comprises a distinct class of bad folders, whose folding temperatures are much lower than those of random sequences. Imperfection in sequence repetition improves the folding properties of the bad folders while deteriorating those of the good folders. Our results may explain why nature has utilized repeated sequences for their versatility and especially to design functional proteins that are intrinsically unstructured at physiological temperatures.

  17. Draft genome sequence of the extremely acidophilic biomining bacterium Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans ATCC 19377 provides insights into the evolution of the Acidithiobacillus genus.

    PubMed

    Valdes, Jorge; Ossandon, Francisco; Quatrini, Raquel; Dopson, Mark; Holmes, David S

    2011-12-01

    Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans is a mesophilic, extremely acidophilic, chemolithoautotrophic gammaproteobacterium that derives energy from the oxidation of sulfur and inorganic sulfur compounds. Here we present the draft genome sequence of A. thiooxidans ATCC 19377, which has allowed the identification of genes for survival and colonization of extremely acidic environments.

  18. Draft Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CFL1, a Lactic Acid Bacterium Isolated from French Handcrafted Fermented Milk.

    PubMed

    Meneghel, Julie; Dugat-Bony, Eric; Irlinger, Françoise; Loux, Valentin; Vidal, Marie; Passot, Stéphanie; Béal, Catherine; Layec, Séverine; Fonseca, Fernanda

    2016-03-03

    Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus) is a lactic acid bacterium widely used for the production of yogurt and cheeses. Here, we report the genome sequence of L. bulgaricus CFL1 to improve our knowledge on its stress-induced damages following production and end-use processes. Copyright © 2016 Meneghel et al.

  19. Mapping a nucleolar targeting sequence of an RNA binding nucleolar protein, Nop25

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fujiwara, Takashi; Suzuki, Shunji; Kanno, Motoko

    2006-06-10

    Nop25 is a putative RNA binding nucleolar protein associated with rRNA transcription. The present study was undertaken to determine the mechanism of Nop25 localization in the nucleolus. Deletion experiments of Nop25 amino acid sequence showed Nop25 to contain a nuclear targeting sequence in the N-terminal and a nucleolar targeting sequence in the C-terminal. By expressing derivative peptides from the C-terminal as GFP-fusion proteins in the cells, a lysine and arginine residue-enriched peptide (KRKHPRRAQDSTKKPPSATRTSKTQRRRR) allowed a GFP-fusion protein to be transported and fully retained in the nucleolus. When the peptide was fused with cMyc epitope and expressed in the cells, amore » cMyc epitope was then detected in the nucleolus. Nop25 did not localize in the nucleolus by deletion of the peptide from Nop25. Furthermore, deletion of a subdomain (KRKHPRRAQ) in the peptide or amino acid substitution of lysine and arginine residues in the subdomain resulted in the loss of Nop25 nucleolar localization. These results suggest that the lysine and arginine residue-enriched peptide is the most prominent nucleolar targeting sequence of Nop25 and that the long stretch of basic residues might play an important role in the nucleolar localization of Nop25. Although Nop25 contained putative SUMOylation, phosphorylation and glycosylation sites, the amino acid substitution in these sites had no effect on the nucleolar localization, thus suggesting that these post-translational modifications did not contribute to the localization of Nop25 in the nucleolus. The treatment of the cells, which expressed a GFP-fusion protein with a nucleolar targeting sequence of Nop25, with RNase A resulted in a complete dislocation of the protein from the nucleolus. These data suggested that the nucleolar targeting sequence might therefore play an important role in the binding of Nop25 to RNA molecules and that the RNA binding of Nop25 might be essential for the nucleolar localization of Nop25.« less

  20. Graphene Nanopores for Protein Sequencing.

    PubMed

    Wilson, James; Sloman, Leila; He, Zhiren; Aksimentiev, Aleksei

    2016-07-19

    An inexpensive, reliable method for protein sequencing is essential to unraveling the biological mechanisms governing cellular behavior and disease. Current protein sequencing methods suffer from limitations associated with the size of proteins that can be sequenced, the time, and the cost of the sequencing procedures. Here, we report the results of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations that investigated the feasibility of using graphene nanopores for protein sequencing. We focus our study on the biologically significant phenylalanine-glycine repeat peptides (FG-nups)-parts of the nuclear pore transport machinery. Surprisingly, we found FG-nups to behave similarly to single stranded DNA: the peptides adhere to graphene and exhibit step-wise translocation when subject to a transmembrane bias or a hydrostatic pressure gradient. Reducing the peptide's charge density or increasing the peptide's hydrophobicity was found to decrease the translocation speed. Yet, unidirectional and stepwise translocation driven by a transmembrane bias was observed even when the ratio of charged to hydrophobic amino acids was as low as 1:8. The nanopore transport of the peptides was found to produce stepwise modulations of the nanopore ionic current correlated with the type of amino acids present in the nanopore, suggesting that protein sequencing by measuring ionic current blockades may be possible.

  1. Axolotl hemoglobin: cDNA-derived amino acid sequences of two alpha globins and a beta globin from an adult Ambystoma mexicanum.

    PubMed

    Shishikura, Fumio; Takeuchi, Hiro-aki; Nagai, Takatoshi

    2005-11-01

    Erythrocytes of the adult axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, have multiple hemoglobins. We separated and purified two kinds of hemoglobin, termed major hemoglobin (Hb M) and minor hemoglobin (Hb m), from a five-year-old male by hydrophobic interaction column chromatography on Alkyl Superose. The hemoglobins have two distinct alpha type globin polypeptides (alphaM and alpham) and a common beta globin polypeptide, all of which were purified in FPLC on a reversed-phase column after S-pyridylethylation. The complete amino acid sequences of the three globin chains were determined separately using nucleotide sequencing with the assistance of protein sequencing. The mature globin molecules were composed of 141 amino acid residues for alphaM globin, 143 for alpham globin and 146 for beta globin. Comparing primary structures of the five kinds of axolotl globins, including two previously established alpha type globins from the same species, with other known globins of amphibians and representatives of other vertebrates, we constructed phylogenetic trees for amphibian hemoglobins and tetrapod hemoglobins. The molecular trees indicated that alphaM, alpham, beta and the previously known alpha major globin were adult types of globins and the other known alpha globin was a larval type. The existence of two to four more globins in the axolotl erythrocyte is predicted.

  2. An improved divergent synthesis of comb-type branched oligodeoxyribonucleotides (bDNA) containing multiple secondary sequences.

    PubMed

    Horn, T; Chang, C A; Urdea, M S

    1997-12-01

    The divergent synthesis of branched DNA (bDNA) comb structures is described. This new type of bDNA contains one unique oligonucleotide, the primary sequence, covalently attached through a comb-like branch network to many identical copies of a different oligonucleotide, the secondary sequence. The bDNA comb structures were assembled on a solid support and several synthesis parameters were investigated and optimized. The bDNA comb molecules were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic methods and by controlled cleavage at periodate-cleavable moieties incorporated during synthesis. The developed chemistry allows synthesis of bDNA comb molecules containing multiple secondary sequences. In the accompanying article we describe the synthesis and characterization of large bDNA combs containing all four deoxynucleotides for use as signal amplifiers in nucleic acid quantification assays.

  3. An improved divergent synthesis of comb-type branched oligodeoxyribonucleotides (bDNA) containing multiple secondary sequences.

    PubMed Central

    Horn, T; Chang, C A; Urdea, M S

    1997-01-01

    The divergent synthesis of branched DNA (bDNA) comb structures is described. This new type of bDNA contains one unique oligonucleotide, the primary sequence, covalently attached through a comb-like branch network to many identical copies of a different oligonucleotide, the secondary sequence. The bDNA comb structures were assembled on a solid support and several synthesis parameters were investigated and optimized. The bDNA comb molecules were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic methods and by controlled cleavage at periodate-cleavable moieties incorporated during synthesis. The developed chemistry allows synthesis of bDNA comb molecules containing multiple secondary sequences. In the accompanying article we describe the synthesis and characterization of large bDNA combs containing all four deoxynucleotides for use as signal amplifiers in nucleic acid quantification assays. PMID:9365265

  4. Chameleon sequences in neurodegenerative diseases.

    PubMed

    Bahramali, Golnaz; Goliaei, Bahram; Minuchehr, Zarrin; Salari, Ali

    2016-03-25

    Chameleon sequences can adopt either alpha helix sheet or a coil conformation. Defining chameleon sequences in PDB (Protein Data Bank) may yield to an insight on defining peptides and proteins responsible in neurodegeneration. In this research, we benefitted from the large PDB and performed a sequence analysis on Chameleons, where we developed an algorithm to extract peptide segments with identical sequences, but different structures. In order to find new chameleon sequences, we extracted a set of 8315 non-redundant protein sequences from the PDB with an identity less than 25%. Our data was classified to "helix to strand (HE)", "helix to coil (HC)" and "strand to coil (CE)" alterations. We also analyzed the occurrence of singlet and doublet amino acids and the solvent accessibility in the chameleon sequences; we then sorted out the proteins with the most number of chameleon sequences and named them Chameleon Flexible Proteins (CFPs) in our dataset. Our data revealed that Gly, Val, Ile, Tyr and Phe, are the major amino acids in Chameleons. We also found that there are proteins such as Insulin Degrading Enzyme IDE and GTP-binding nuclear protein Ran (RAN) with the most number of chameleons (640 and 405 respectively). These proteins have known roles in neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore it can be inferred that other CFP's can serve as key proteins in neurodegeneration, and a study on them can shed light on curing and preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Chameleon sequences in neurodegenerative diseases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bahramali, Golnaz; Goliaei, Bahram, E-mail: goliaei@ut.ac.ir; Minuchehr, Zarrin, E-mail: minuchehr@nigeb.ac.ir

    2016-03-25

    Chameleon sequences can adopt either alpha helix sheet or a coil conformation. Defining chameleon sequences in PDB (Protein Data Bank) may yield to an insight on defining peptides and proteins responsible in neurodegeneration. In this research, we benefitted from the large PDB and performed a sequence analysis on Chameleons, where we developed an algorithm to extract peptide segments with identical sequences, but different structures. In order to find new chameleon sequences, we extracted a set of 8315 non-redundant protein sequences from the PDB with an identity less than 25%. Our data was classified to “helix to strand (HE)”, “helix tomore » coil (HC)” and “strand to coil (CE)” alterations. We also analyzed the occurrence of singlet and doublet amino acids and the solvent accessibility in the chameleon sequences; we then sorted out the proteins with the most number of chameleon sequences and named them Chameleon Flexible Proteins (CFPs) in our dataset. Our data revealed that Gly, Val, Ile, Tyr and Phe, are the major amino acids in Chameleons. We also found that there are proteins such as Insulin Degrading Enzyme IDE and GTP-binding nuclear protein Ran (RAN) with the most number of chameleons (640 and 405 respectively). These proteins have known roles in neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore it can be inferred that other CFP's can serve as key proteins in neurodegeneration, and a study on them can shed light on curing and preventing neurodegenerative diseases.« less

  6. Cloning and sequencing of the allophycocyanin genes from Spirulina maxima (Cyanophyta)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Song; Hiroyuki, Kojima; Yoshikazu, Kawata; Shin-Ichi, Yano; Zeng, Cheng-Kui

    1998-03-01

    The genes coding for the α-and β-subunit of allophycocyanin ( apcA and apcB) from the cyanophyte Spirulina maxima were cloned and sequenced. The results revealed 44.4% of nucleotide sequence similarity and 30.4% of similarity of deduced amino acid sequence between them. The amino acid sequence identities between S. maxima and S. platensis are 99.4% for α subunit and 100% for β subunit.

  7. Synthetic biology for the directed evolution of protein biocatalysts: navigating sequence space intelligently

    PubMed Central

    Currin, Andrew; Swainston, Neil; Day, Philip J.

    2015-01-01

    The amino acid sequence of a protein affects both its structure and its function. Thus, the ability to modify the sequence, and hence the structure and activity, of individual proteins in a systematic way, opens up many opportunities, both scientifically and (as we focus on here) for exploitation in biocatalysis. Modern methods of synthetic biology, whereby increasingly large sequences of DNA can be synthesised de novo, allow an unprecedented ability to engineer proteins with novel functions. However, the number of possible proteins is far too large to test individually, so we need means for navigating the ‘search space’ of possible protein sequences efficiently and reliably in order to find desirable activities and other properties. Enzymologists distinguish binding (K d) and catalytic (k cat) steps. In a similar way, judicious strategies have blended design (for binding, specificity and active site modelling) with the more empirical methods of classical directed evolution (DE) for improving k cat (where natural evolution rarely seeks the highest values), especially with regard to residues distant from the active site and where the functional linkages underpinning enzyme dynamics are both unknown and hard to predict. Epistasis (where the ‘best’ amino acid at one site depends on that or those at others) is a notable feature of directed evolution. The aim of this review is to highlight some of the approaches that are being developed to allow us to use directed evolution to improve enzyme properties, often dramatically. We note that directed evolution differs in a number of ways from natural evolution, including in particular the available mechanisms and the likely selection pressures. Thus, we stress the opportunities afforded by techniques that enable one to map sequence to (structure and) activity in silico, as an effective means of modelling and exploring protein landscapes. Because known landscapes may be assessed and reasoned about as a whole

  8. Detection and quantification of Plasmodium falciparum in blood samples using quantitative nucleic acid sequence-based amplification.

    PubMed

    Schoone, G J; Oskam, L; Kroon, N C; Schallig, H D; Omar, S A

    2000-11-01

    A quantitative nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (QT-NASBA) assay for the detection of Plasmodium parasites has been developed. Primers and probes were selected on the basis of the sequence of the small-subunit rRNA gene. Quantification was achieved by coamplification of the RNA in the sample with one modified in vitro RNA as a competitor in a single-tube NASBA reaction. Parasite densities ranging from 10 to 10(8) Plasmodium falciparum parasites per ml could be demonstrated and quantified in whole blood. This is approximately 1,000 times more sensitive than conventional microscopy analysis of thick blood smears. Comparison of the parasite densities obtained by microscopy and QT-NASBA with 120 blood samples from Kenyan patients with clinical malaria revealed that for 112 of 120 (93%) of the samples results were within a 1-log difference. QT-NASBA may be especially useful for the detection of low parasite levels in patients with early-stage malaria and for the monitoring of the efficacy of drug treatment.

  9. Nucleic acid analysis using terminal-phosphate-labeled nucleotides

    DOEpatents

    Korlach, Jonas [Ithaca, NY; Webb, Watt W [Ithaca, NY; Levene, Michael [Ithaca, NY; Turner, Stephen [Ithaca, NY; Craighead, Harold G [Ithaca, NY; Foquet, Mathieu [Ithaca, NY

    2008-04-22

    The present invention is directed to a method of sequencing a target nucleic acid molecule having a plurality of bases. In its principle, the temporal order of base additions during the polymerization reaction is measured on a molecule of nucleic acid, i.e. the activity of a nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme on the template nucleic acid molecule to be sequenced is followed in real time. The sequence is deduced by identifying which base is being incorporated into the growing complementary strand of the target nucleic acid by the catalytic activity of the nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme at each step in the sequence of base additions. A polymerase on the target nucleic acid molecule complex is provided in a position suitable to move along the target nucleic acid molecule and extend the oligonucleotide primer at an active site. A plurality of labelled types of nucleotide analogs are provided proximate to the active site, with each distinguishable type of nucleotide analog being complementary to a different nucleotide in the target nucleic acid sequence. The growing nucleic acid strand is extended by using the polymerase to add a nucleotide analog to the nucleic acid strand at the active site, where the nucleotide analog being added is complementary to the nucleotide of the target nucleic acid at the active site. The nucleotide analog added to the oligonucleotide primer as a result of the polymerizing step is identified. The steps of providing labelled nucleotide analogs, polymerizing the growing nucleic acid strand, and identifying the added nucleotide analog are repeated so that the nucleic acid strand is further extended and the sequence of the target nucleic acid is determined.

  10. Terminal sequence importance of de novo proteins from binary-patterned library: stable artificial proteins with 11- or 12-amino acid alphabet.

    PubMed

    Okura, Hiromichi; Takahashi, Tsuyoshi; Mihara, Hisakazu

    2012-06-01

    Successful approaches of de novo protein design suggest a great potential to create novel structural folds and to understand natural rules of protein folding. For these purposes, smaller and simpler de novo proteins have been developed. Here, we constructed smaller proteins by removing the terminal sequences from stable de novo vTAJ proteins and compared stabilities between mutant and original proteins. vTAJ proteins were screened from an α3β3 binary-patterned library which was designed with polar/ nonpolar periodicities of α-helix and β-sheet. vTAJ proteins have the additional terminal sequences due to the method of constructing the genetically repeated library sequences. By removing the parts of the sequences, we successfully obtained the stable smaller de novo protein mutants with fewer amino acid alphabets than the originals. However, these mutants showed the differences on ANS binding properties and stabilities against denaturant and pH change. The terminal sequences, which were designed just as flexible linkers not as secondary structure units, sufficiently affected these physicochemical details. This study showed implications for adjusting protein stabilities by designing N- and C-terminal sequences.

  11. Sequence search on a supercomputer.

    PubMed

    Gotoh, O; Tagashira, Y

    1986-01-10

    A set of programs was developed for searching nucleic acid and protein sequence data bases for sequences similar to a given sequence. The programs, written in FORTRAN 77, were optimized for vector processing on a Hitachi S810-20 supercomputer. A search of a 500-residue protein sequence against the entire PIR data base Ver. 1.0 (1) (0.5 M residues) is carried out in a CPU time of 45 sec. About 4 min is required for an exhaustive search of a 1500-base nucleotide sequence against all mammalian sequences (1.2M bases) in Genbank Ver. 29.0. The CPU time is reduced to about a quarter with a faster version.

  12. Helicase-dependent amplification of nucleic acids.

    PubMed

    Cao, Yun; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Li, Ying; Kong, Huimin; Lemieux, Bertrand

    2013-10-11

    Helicase-dependent amplification (HDA) is a novel method for the isothermal in vitro amplification of nucleic acids. The HDA reaction selectively amplifies a target sequence by extension of two oligonucleotide primers. Unlike the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HDA uses a helicase enzyme to separate the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strands, rather than heat denaturation. This allows DNA amplification without the need for thermal cycling. The helicase used in HDA is a helicase super family II protein obtained from a thermophilic organism, Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis (TteUvrD). This thermostable helicase is capable of unwinding blunt-end nucleic acid substrates at elevated temperatures (60° to 65°C). The HDA reaction can also be coupled with reverse transcription for ribonucleic acid (RNA) amplification. The products of this reaction can be detected during the reaction using fluorescent probes when incubations are conducted in a fluorimeter. Alternatively, products can be detected after amplification using a disposable amplicon containment device that contains an embedded lateral flow strip. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  13. Computational structural analysis of an anti-l-amino acid antibody and inversion of its stereoselectivity

    PubMed Central

    Ranieri, Daniel I.; Hofstetter, Heike; Hofstetter, Oliver

    2009-01-01

    The binding site of a monoclonal anti-l-amino acid antibody was modeled using the program SWISS-MODEL. Docking experiments with the enantiomers of phenylalanine revealed that the antibody interacts with l-phenylalanine via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts, whereas the d-enantiomer is rejected due to steric hindrance. Comparison of the sequences of this antibody and an anti-d-amino acid antibody indicates that both immunoglobulins derived from the same germline progenitor. Substitution of four amino acids residues, three in the framework and one in the complementarity determining regions, allowed in silico conversion of the anti-l-amino acid antibody into an antibody that stereoselectively binds d-phenylalanine. PMID:19472280

  14. The amino acid sequences of carboxypeptidases I and II from Aspergillus niger and their stability in the presence of divalent cations.

    PubMed

    Svendsen, I; Dal Degan, F

    1998-09-08

    The amino acid sequences of serine carboxypeptidase I (CPD-I) and II (CPD-II), respectively, from Aspergillus niger have been determined by conventional Edman degradation of the reduced and vinylpyridinated enzymes and peptides hereof generated by cleavage with cyanogen bromide, iodobenzoic acid, glutamic acid cleaving enzyme, AspN-endoproteinase and EndoLysC proteinase. CPD-I consists of a single peptide chain of 471 amino acid residues, three disulfide bridges and nine N-glycosylated asparaginyl residues, while CPD-II consists of a single peptide chain of 481 amino acid residues, has three disulfide bridges, one free cysteinyl residue and nine glycosylated asparaginyl residues. The enzymes are closely related to carboxypeptidase S3 from Penicillium janthinellum. Both Ca2+ and Mg2+ stabilize CPD-I as well as CPD-II, at basic pH values, Ca2+ being most effective, while the divalent ions have no effect on the activity of the two enzymes.

  15. Arrays of probes for positional sequencing by hybridization

    DOEpatents

    Cantor, Charles R [Boston, MA; Prezetakiewiczr, Marek [East Boston, MA; Smith, Cassandra L [Boston, MA; Sano, Takeshi [Waltham, MA

    2008-01-15

    This invention is directed to methods and reagents useful for sequencing nucleic acid targets utilizing sequencing by hybridization technology comprising probes, arrays of probes and methods whereby sequence information is obtained rapidly and efficiently in discrete packages. That information can be used for the detection, identification, purification and complete or partial sequencing of a particular target nucleic acid. When coupled with a ligation step, these methods can be performed under a single set of hybridization conditions. The invention also relates to the replication of probe arrays and methods for making and replicating arrays of probes which are useful for the large scale manufacture of diagnostic aids used to screen biological samples for specific target sequences. Arrays created using PCR technology may comprise probes with 5'- and/or 3'-overhangs.

  16. MRO Sequence Checking Tool

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fisher, Forest; Gladden, Roy; Khanampornpan, Teerapat

    2008-01-01

    The MRO Sequence Checking Tool program, mro_check, automates significant portions of the MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) sequence checking procedure. Though MRO has similar checks to the ODY s (Mars Odyssey) Mega Check tool, the checks needed for MRO are unique to the MRO spacecraft. The MRO sequence checking tool automates the majority of the sequence validation procedure and check lists that are used to validate the sequences generated by MRO MPST (mission planning and sequencing team). The tool performs more than 50 different checks on the sequence. The automation varies from summarizing data about the sequence needed for visual verification of the sequence, to performing automated checks on the sequence and providing a report for each step. To allow for the addition of new checks as needed, this tool is built in a modular fashion.

  17. RIKEN Integrated Sequence Analysis (RISA) System—384-Format Sequencing Pipeline with 384 Multicapillary Sequencer

    PubMed Central

    Shibata, Kazuhiro; Itoh, Masayoshi; Aizawa, Katsunori; Nagaoka, Sumiharu; Sasaki, Nobuya; Carninci, Piero; Konno, Hideaki; Akiyama, Junichi; Nishi, Katsuo; Kitsunai, Tokuji; Tashiro, Hideo; Itoh, Mari; Sumi, Noriko; Ishii, Yoshiyuki; Nakamura, Shin; Hazama, Makoto; Nishine, Tsutomu; Harada, Akira; Yamamoto, Rintaro; Matsumoto, Hiroyuki; Sakaguchi, Sumito; Ikegami, Takashi; Kashiwagi, Katsuya; Fujiwake, Syuji; Inoue, Kouji; Togawa, Yoshiyuki; Izawa, Masaki; Ohara, Eiji; Watahiki, Masanori; Yoneda, Yuko; Ishikawa, Tomokazu; Ozawa, Kaori; Tanaka, Takumi; Matsuura, Shuji; Kawai, Jun; Okazaki, Yasushi; Muramatsu, Masami; Inoue, Yorinao; Kira, Akira; Hayashizaki, Yoshihide

    2000-01-01

    The RIKEN high-throughput 384-format sequencing pipeline (RISA system) including a 384-multicapillary sequencer (the so-called RISA sequencer) was developed for the RIKEN mouse encyclopedia project. The RISA system consists of colony picking, template preparation, sequencing reaction, and the sequencing process. A novel high-throughput 384-format capillary sequencer system (RISA sequencer system) was developed for the sequencing process. This system consists of a 384-multicapillary auto sequencer (RISA sequencer), a 384-multicapillary array assembler (CAS), and a 384-multicapillary casting device. The RISA sequencer can simultaneously analyze 384 independent sequencing products. The optical system is a scanning system chosen after careful comparison with an image detection system for the simultaneous detection of the 384-capillary array. This scanning system can be used with any fluorescent-labeled sequencing reaction (chain termination reaction), including transcriptional sequencing based on RNA polymerase, which was originally developed by us, and cycle sequencing based on thermostable DNA polymerase. For long-read sequencing, 380 out of 384 sequences (99.2%) were successfully analyzed and the average read length, with more than 99% accuracy, was 654.4 bp. A single RISA sequencer can analyze 216 kb with >99% accuracy in 2.7 h (90 kb/h). For short-read sequencing to cluster the 3′ end and 5′ end sequencing by reading 350 bp, 384 samples can be analyzed in 1.5 h. We have also developed a RISA inoculator, RISA filtrator and densitometer, RISA plasmid preparator which can handle throughput of 40,000 samples in 17.5 h, and a high-throughput RISA thermal cycler which has four 384-well sites. The combination of these technologies allowed us to construct the RISA system consisting of 16 RISA sequencers, which can process 50,000 DNA samples per day. One haploid genome shotgun sequence of a higher organism, such as human, mouse, rat, domestic animals, and plants, can

  18. Allowance trading: Correcting the past and looking to the future

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shah, A.Y.; Canter, L.W.

    1995-09-01

    Allowance trading is basic to the Title IV acid rain provisions of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) in the United States; the provisions seek to achieve a 10-million-ton reduction in annual sulfur dioxide emissions from the electric power utility industry. Allowance trading, a market-based approach, is conceptually similar to the emissions trading policy of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). An allowance is defined as the authorization to emit, during or after a specified calendar year, one ton of sulfur dioxide. This paper provides an overview of the allowance trading program by summarizing some important features, particularly asmore » they are responsive to limitations and concern as related to the precursor emissions trading program in the early to mid-1980s. Such features include a simple definition of baseline emission levels, encouragements for nationwide trading, disincentives for accumulation of excess allowance,s opportunities for leasing other short-term allowance transfer arrangements, enforcement provisions, and benefits of bonus allowances and early emission reductions. Adherence to implementation protocols for the acid rain provisions of Title IV of the CAAA will provide a good opportunity to evaluate this market-based approach for environmental quality management.« less

  19. Creation of a data base for sequences of ribosomal nucleic acids and detection of conserved restriction endonucleases sites through computerized processing.

    PubMed Central

    Patarca, R; Dorta, B; Ramirez, J L

    1982-01-01

    As part of a project pertaining the organization of ribosomal genes in Kinetoplastidae, we have created a data base for published sequences of ribosomal nucleic acids, with information in Spanish. As a first step in their processing, we have written a computer program which introduces the new feature of determining the length of the fragments produced after single or multiple digestion with any of the known restriction enzymes. With this information we have detected conserved SAU 3A sites: (i) at the 5' end of the 5.8S rRNA and at the 3' end of the small subunit rRNA, both included in similar larger sequences; (ii) in the 5.8S rRNA of vertebrates (a second one), which is not present in lower eukaryotes, showing a clear evolutive divergence; and, (iii) at the 5' terminal of the small subunit rRNA, included in a larger conserved sequence. The possible biological importance of these sequences is discussed. PMID:6278402

  20. Full genome sequence of Rocio virus reveal substantial variations from the prototype Rocio virus SPH 34675 sequence.

    PubMed

    Setoh, Yin Xiang; Amarilla, Alberto A; Peng, Nias Y; Slonchak, Andrii; Periasamy, Parthiban; Figueiredo, Luiz T M; Aquino, Victor H; Khromykh, Alexander A

    2018-01-01

    Rocio virus (ROCV) is an arbovirus belonging to the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. We present an updated sequence of ROCV strain SPH 34675 (GenBank: AY632542.4), the only available full genome sequence prior to this study. Using next-generation sequencing of the entire genome, we reveal substantial sequence variation from the prototype sequence, with 30 nucleotide differences amounting to 14 amino acid changes, as well as significant changes to predicted 3'UTR RNA structures. Our results present an updated and corrected sequence of a potential emerging human-virulent flavivirus uniquely indigenous to Brazil (GenBank: MF461639).

  1. KM+, a mannose-binding lectin from Artocarpus integrifolia: amino acid sequence, predicted tertiary structure, carbohydrate recognition, and analysis of the beta-prism fold.

    PubMed Central

    Rosa, J. C.; De Oliveira, P. S.; Garratt, R.; Beltramini, L.; Resing, K.; Roque-Barreira, M. C.; Greene, L. J.

    1999-01-01

    The complete amino acid sequence of the lectin KM+ from Artocarpus integrifolia (jackfruit), which contains 149 residues/mol, is reported and compared to those of other members of the Moraceae family, particularly that of jacalin, also from jackfruit, with which it shares 52% sequence identity. KM+ presents an acetyl-blocked N-terminus and is not posttranslationally modified by proteolytic cleavage as is the case for jacalin. Rather, it possesses a short, glycine-rich linker that unites the regions homologous to the alpha- and beta-chains of jacalin. The results of homology modeling implicate the linker sequence in sterically impeding rotation of the side chain of Asp141 within the binding site pocket. As a consequence, the aspartic acid is locked into a conformation adequate only for the recognition of equatorial hydroxyl groups on the C4 epimeric center (alpha-D-mannose, alpha-D-glucose, and their derivatives). In contrast, the internal cleavage of the jacalin chain permits free rotation of the homologous aspartic acid, rendering it capable of accepting hydrogen bonds from both possible hydroxyl configurations on C4. We suggest that, together with direct recognition of epimeric hydroxyls and the steric exclusion of disfavored ligands, conformational restriction of the lectin should be considered to be a new mechanism by which selectivity may be built into carbohydrate binding sites. Jacalin and KM+ adopt the beta-prism fold already observed in two unrelated protein families. Despite presenting little or no sequence similarity, an analysis of the beta-prism reveals a canonical feature repeatedly present in all such structures, which is based on six largely hydrophobic residues within a beta-hairpin containing two classic-type beta-bulges. We suggest the term beta-prism motif to describe this feature. PMID:10210179

  2. MultiSeq: unifying sequence and structure data for evolutionary analysis

    PubMed Central

    Roberts, Elijah; Eargle, John; Wright, Dan; Luthey-Schulten, Zaida

    2006-01-01

    Background Since the publication of the first draft of the human genome in 2000, bioinformatic data have been accumulating at an overwhelming pace. Currently, more than 3 million sequences and 35 thousand structures of proteins and nucleic acids are available in public databases. Finding correlations in and between these data to answer critical research questions is extremely challenging. This problem needs to be approached from several directions: information science to organize and search the data; information visualization to assist in recognizing correlations; mathematics to formulate statistical inferences; and biology to analyze chemical and physical properties in terms of sequence and structure changes. Results Here we present MultiSeq, a unified bioinformatics analysis environment that allows one to organize, display, align and analyze both sequence and structure data for proteins and nucleic acids. While special emphasis is placed on analyzing the data within the framework of evolutionary biology, the environment is also flexible enough to accommodate other usage patterns. The evolutionary approach is supported by the use of predefined metadata, adherence to standard ontological mappings, and the ability for the user to adjust these classifications using an electronic notebook. MultiSeq contains a new algorithm to generate complete evolutionary profiles that represent the topology of the molecular phylogenetic tree of a homologous group of distantly related proteins. The method, based on the multidimensional QR factorization of multiple sequence and structure alignments, removes redundancy from the alignments and orders the protein sequences by increasing linear dependence, resulting in the identification of a minimal basis set of sequences that spans the evolutionary space of the homologous group of proteins. Conclusion MultiSeq is a major extension of the Multiple Alignment tool that is provided as part of VMD, a structural visualization program for

  3. Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the alpha and beta subunits of allophycocyanin from the cyanelle genome of Cyanophora paradoxa.

    PubMed Central

    Bryant, D A; de Lorimier, R; Lambert, D H; Dubbs, J M; Stirewalt, V L; Stevens, S E; Porter, R D; Tam, J; Jay, E

    1985-01-01

    The genes for the alpha- and beta-subunit apoproteins of allophycocyanin (AP) were isolated from the cyanelle genome of Cyanophora paradoxa and subjected to nucleotide sequence analysis. The AP beta-subunit apoprotein gene was localized to a 7.8-kilobase-pair Pst I restriction fragment from cyanelle DNA by hybridization with a tetradecameric oligonucleotide probe. Sequence analysis using that oligonucleotide and its complement as primers for the dideoxy chain-termination sequencing method confirmed the presence of both AP alpha- and beta-subunit genes on this restriction fragment. Additional oligonucleotide primers were synthesized as sequencing progressed and were used to determine rapidly the nucleotide sequence of a 1336-base-pair region of this cloned fragment. This strategy allowed the sequencing to be completed without a detailed restriction map and without extensive and time-consuming subcloning. The sequenced region contains two open reading frames whose deduced amino acid sequences are 81-85% homologous to cyanobacterial and red algal AP subunits whose amino acid sequences have been determined. The two open reading frames are in the same orientation and are separated by 39 base pairs. AP alpha is 5' to AP beta and both coding sequences are preceded by a polypurine, Shine-Dalgarno-type sequence. Sequences upstream from AP alpha closely resemble the Escherichia coli consensus promoter sequences and also show considerable homology to promoter sequences for several chloroplast-encoded psbA genes. A 56-base-pair palindromic sequence downstream from the AP beta gene could play a role in the termination of transcription or translation. The allophycocyanin apoprotein subunit genes are located on the large single-copy region of the cyanelle genome. PMID:2987916

  4. Effects of the amino acid sequence on thermal conduction through β-sheet crystals of natural silk protein.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Lin; Bai, Zhitong; Ban, Heng; Liu, Ling

    2015-11-21

    Recent experiments have discovered very different thermal conductivities between the spider silk and the silkworm silk. Decoding the molecular mechanisms underpinning the distinct thermal properties may guide the rational design of synthetic silk materials and other biomaterials for multifunctionality and tunable properties. However, such an understanding is lacking, mainly due to the complex structure and phonon physics associated with the silk materials. Here, using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics, we demonstrate that the amino acid sequence plays a key role in the thermal conduction process through β-sheets, essential building blocks of natural silks and a variety of other biomaterials. Three representative β-sheet types, i.e. poly-A, poly-(GA), and poly-G, are shown to have distinct structural features and phonon dynamics leading to different thermal conductivities. A fundamental understanding of the sequence effects may stimulate the design and engineering of polymers and biopolymers for desired thermal properties.

  5. Assessment of Epstein-Barr virus nucleic acids in gastric but not in breast cancer by next-generation sequencing of pooled Mexican samples

    PubMed Central

    Fuentes-Pananá, Ezequiel M; Larios-Serrato, Violeta; Méndez-Tenorio, Alfonso; Morales-Sánchez, Abigail; Arias, Carlos F; Torres, Javier

    2016-01-01

    Gastric (GC) and breast (BrC) cancer are two of the most common and deadly tumours. Different lines of evidence suggest a possible causative role of viral infections for both GC and BrC. Wide genome sequencing (WGS) technologies allow searching for viral agents in tissues of patients with cancer. These technologies have already contributed to establish virus-cancer associations as well as to discovery new tumour viruses. The objective of this study was to document possible associations of viral infection with GC and BrC in Mexican patients. In order to gain idea about cost effective conditions of experimental sequencing, we first carried out an in silico simulation of WGS. The next-generation-platform IlluminaGallx was then used to sequence GC and BrC tumour samples. While we did not find viral sequences in tissues from BrC patients, multiple reads matching Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) sequences were found in GC tissues. An end-point polymerase chain reaction confirmed an enrichment of EBV sequences in one of the GC samples sequenced, validating the next-generation sequencing-bioinformatics pipeline. PMID:26910355

  6. Assessment of Epstein-Barr virus nucleic acids in gastric but not in breast cancer by next-generation sequencing of pooled Mexican samples.

    PubMed

    Fuentes-Pananá, Ezequiel M; Larios-Serrato, Violeta; Méndez-Tenorio, Alfonso; Morales-Sánchez, Abigail; Arias, Carlos F; Torres, Javier

    2016-03-01

    Gastric (GC) and breast (BrC) cancer are two of the most common and deadly tumours. Different lines of evidence suggest a possible causative role of viral infections for both GC and BrC. Wide genome sequencing (WGS) technologies allow searching for viral agents in tissues of patients with cancer. These technologies have already contributed to establish virus-cancer associations as well as to discovery new tumour viruses. The objective of this study was to document possible associations of viral infection with GC and BrC in Mexican patients. In order to gain idea about cost effective conditions of experimental sequencing, we first carried out an in silico simulation of WGS. The next-generation-platform IlluminaGallx was then used to sequence GC and BrC tumour samples. While we did not find viral sequences in tissues from BrC patients, multiple reads matching Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) sequences were found in GC tissues. An end-point polymerase chain reaction confirmed an enrichment of EBV sequences in one of the GC samples sequenced, validating the next-generation sequencing-bioinformatics pipeline.

  7. The cDNA sequence of a neutral horseradish peroxidase.

    PubMed

    Bartonek-Roxå, E; Eriksson, H; Mattiasson, B

    1991-02-16

    A cDNA clone encoding a horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) peroxidase has been isolated and characterized. The cDNA contains 1378 nucleotides excluding the poly(A) tail and the deduced protein contains 327 amino acids which includes a 28 amino acid leader sequence. The predicted amino acid sequence is nine amino acids shorter than the major isoenzyme belonging to the horseradish peroxidase C group (HRP-C) and the sequence shows 53.7% identity with this isoenzyme. The described clone encodes nine cysteines of which eight correspond well with the cysteines found in HRP-C. Five potential N-glycosylation sites with the general sequence Asn-X-Thr/Ser are present in the deduced sequence. Compared to the earlier described HRP-C this is three glycosylation sites less. The shorter sequence and fewer N-glycosylation sites give the native isoenzyme a molecular weight of several thousands less than the horseradish peroxidase C isoenzymes. Comparison with the net charge value of HRP-C indicates that the described cDNA clone encodes a peroxidase which has either the same or a slightly less basic pI value, depending on whether the encoded protein is N-terminally blocked or not. This excludes the possibility that HRP-n could belong to either the HRP-A, -D or -E groups. The low sequence identity (53.7%) with HRP-C indicates that the described clone does not belong to the HRP-C isoenzyme group and comparison of the total amino acid composition with the HRP-B group does not place the described clone within this isoenzyme group. Our conclusion is that the described cDNA clone encodes a neutral horseradish peroxidase which belongs to a new, not earlier described, horseradish peroxidase group.

  8. preAssemble: a tool for automatic sequencer trace data processing.

    PubMed

    Adzhubei, Alexei A; Laerdahl, Jon K; Vlasova, Anna V

    2006-01-17

    Trace or chromatogram files (raw data) are produced by automatic nucleic acid sequencing equipment or sequencers. Each file contains information which can be interpreted by specialised software to reveal the sequence (base calling). This is done by the sequencer proprietary software or publicly available programs. Depending on the size of a sequencing project the number of trace files can vary from just a few to thousands of files. Sequencing quality assessment on various criteria is important at the stage preceding clustering and contig assembly. Two major publicly available packages--Phred and Staden are used by preAssemble to perform sequence quality processing. The preAssemble pre-assembly sequence processing pipeline has been developed for small to large scale automatic processing of DNA sequencer chromatogram (trace) data. The Staden Package Pregap4 module and base-calling program Phred are utilized in the pipeline, which produces detailed and self-explanatory output that can be displayed with a web browser. preAssemble can be used successfully with very little previous experience, however options for parameter tuning are provided for advanced users. preAssemble runs under UNIX and LINUX operating systems. It is available for downloading and will run as stand-alone software. It can also be accessed on the Norwegian Salmon Genome Project web site where preAssemble jobs can be run on the project server. preAssemble is a tool allowing to perform quality assessment of sequences generated by automatic sequencing equipment. preAssemble is flexible since both interactive jobs on the preAssemble server and the stand alone downloadable version are available. Virtually no previous experience is necessary to run a default preAssemble job, on the other hand options for parameter tuning are provided. Consequently preAssemble can be used as efficiently for just several trace files as for large scale sequence processing.

  9. Universal sequence map (USM) of arbitrary discrete sequences

    PubMed Central

    2002-01-01

    Background For over a decade the idea of representing biological sequences in a continuous coordinate space has maintained its appeal but not been fully realized. The basic idea is that any sequence of symbols may define trajectories in the continuous space conserving all its statistical properties. Ideally, such a representation would allow scale independent sequence analysis – without the context of fixed memory length. A simple example would consist on being able to infer the homology between two sequences solely by comparing the coordinates of any two homologous units. Results We have successfully identified such an iterative function for bijective mappingψ of discrete sequences into objects of continuous state space that enable scale-independent sequence analysis. The technique, named Universal Sequence Mapping (USM), is applicable to sequences with an arbitrary length and arbitrary number of unique units and generates a representation where map distance estimates sequence similarity. The novel USM procedure is based on earlier work by these and other authors on the properties of Chaos Game Representation (CGR). The latter enables the representation of 4 unit type sequences (like DNA) as an order free Markov Chain transition table. The properties of USM are illustrated with test data and can be verified for other data by using the accompanying web-based tool:http://bioinformatics.musc.edu/~jonas/usm/. Conclusions USM is shown to enable a statistical mechanics approach to sequence analysis. The scale independent representation frees sequence analysis from the need to assume a memory length in the investigation of syntactic rules. PMID:11895567

  10. Lactobacillus kefiri shows inter-strain variations in the amino acid sequence of the S-layer proteins.

    PubMed

    Malamud, Mariano; Carasi, Paula; Bronsoms, Sílvia; Trejo, Sebastián A; Serradell, María de Los Angeles

    2017-04-01

    The S-layer is a proteinaceous envelope constituted by subunits that self-assemble to form a two-dimensional lattice that covers the surface of different species of Bacteria and Archaea, and it could be involved in cell recognition of microbes among other several distinct functions. In this work, both proteomic and genomic approaches were used to gain knowledge about the sequences of the S-layer protein (SLPs) encoding genes expressed by six aggregative and sixteen non-aggregative strains of potentially probiotic Lactobacillus kefiri. Peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) analysis confirmed the identity of SLPs extracted from L. kefiri, and based on the homology with phylogenetically related species, primers located outside and inside the SLP-genes were employed to amplify genomic DNA. The O-glycosylation site SASSAS was found in all L. kefiri SLPs. Ten strains were selected for sequencing of the complete genes. The total length of the mature proteins varies from 492 to 576 amino acids, and all SLPs have a calculated pI between 9.37 and 9.60. The N-terminal region is relatively conserved and shows a high percentage of positively charged amino acids. Major differences among strains are found in the C-terminal region. Different groups could be distinguished regarding the mature SLPs and the similarities observed in the PMF spectra. Interestingly, SLPs of the aggregative strains are 100% homologous, although these strains were isolated from different kefir grains. This knowledge provides relevant data for better understanding of the mechanisms involved in SLPs functionality and could contribute to the development of products of biotechnological interest from potentially probiotic bacteria.

  11. Modular probes for enriching and detecting complex nucleic acid sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Juexiao Sherry; Yan, Yan Helen; Zhang, David Yu

    2017-12-01

    Complex DNA sequences are difficult to detect and profile, but are important contributors to human health and disease. Existing hybridization probes lack the capability to selectively bind and enrich hypervariable, long or repetitive sequences. Here, we present a generalized strategy for constructing modular hybridization probes (M-Probes) that overcomes these challenges. We demonstrate that M-Probes can tolerate sequence variations of up to 7 nt at prescribed positions while maintaining single nucleotide sensitivity at other positions. M-Probes are also shown to be capable of sequence-selectively binding a continuous DNA sequence of more than 500 nt. Furthermore, we show that M-Probes can detect genes with triplet repeats exceeding a programmed threshold. As a demonstration of this technology, we have developed a hybrid capture method to determine the exact triplet repeat expansion number in the Huntington's gene of genomic DNA using quantitative PCR.

  12. Unified Sequence-Based Association Tests Allowing for Multiple Functional Annotations and Meta-analysis of Noncoding Variation in Metabochip Data.

    PubMed

    He, Zihuai; Xu, Bin; Lee, Seunggeun; Ionita-Laza, Iuliana

    2017-09-07

    Substantial progress has been made in the functional annotation of genetic variation in the human genome. Integrative analysis that incorporates such functional annotations into sequencing studies can aid the discovery of disease-associated genetic variants, especially those with unknown function and located outside protein-coding regions. Direct incorporation of one functional annotation as weight in existing dispersion and burden tests can suffer substantial loss of power when the functional annotation is not predictive of the risk status of a variant. Here, we have developed unified tests that can utilize multiple functional annotations simultaneously for integrative association analysis with efficient computational techniques. We show that the proposed tests significantly improve power when variant risk status can be predicted by functional annotations. Importantly, when functional annotations are not predictive of risk status, the proposed tests incur only minimal loss of power in relation to existing dispersion and burden tests, and under certain circumstances they can even have improved power by learning a weight that better approximates the underlying disease model in a data-adaptive manner. The tests can be constructed with summary statistics of existing dispersion and burden tests for sequencing data, therefore allowing meta-analysis of multiple studies without sharing individual-level data. We applied the proposed tests to a meta-analysis of noncoding rare variants in Metabochip data on 12,281 individuals from eight studies for lipid traits. By incorporating the Eigen functional score, we detected significant associations between noncoding rare variants in SLC22A3 and low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, associations that are missed by standard dispersion and burden tests. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Identifying a base in a nucleic acid

    DOEpatents

    Fodor, Stephen P. A.; Lipshutz, Robert J.; Huang, Xiaohua

    2005-02-08

    Devices and techniques for hybridization of nucleic acids and for determining the sequence of nucleic acids. Arrays of nucleic acids are formed by techniques, preferably high resolution, light-directed techniques. Positions of hybridization of a target nucleic acid are determined by, e.g., epifluorescence microscopy. Devices and techniques are proposed to determine the sequence of a target nucleic acid more efficiently and more quickly through such synthesis and detection techniques.

  14. Variation of amino acid sequences of serum amyloid a (SAA) and immunohistochemical analysis of amyloid a (AA) in Japanese domestic cats.

    PubMed

    Tei, Meina; Uchida, Kazuyuki; Chambers, James K; Watanabe, Ken-Ichi; Tamamoto, Takashi; Ohno, Koichi; Nakayama, Hiroyuki

    2018-02-02

    Amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, a fatal systemic amyloid disease, occurs secondary to chronic inflammatory conditions in humans. Although persistently elevated serum amyloid A (SAA) levels are required for its pathogenesis, not all individuals with chronic inflammation necessarily develop AA amyloidosis. Furthermore, many diseases in cats are associated with the elevated production of SAA, whereas only a small number actually develop AA amyloidosis. We hypothesized that a genetic mutation in the SAA gene may strongly contribute to the pathogenesis of feline AA amyloidosis. In the present study, genomic DNA from four Japanese domestic cats (JDCs) with AA amyloidosis and from five without amyloidosis was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and direct sequencing. We identified the novel variation combination of 45R-51A in the deduced amino acid sequences of four JDCs with amyloidosis and five without. However, there was no relationship between amino acid variations and the distribution of AA amyloid deposits, indicating that differences in SAA sequences do not contribute to the pathogenesis of AA amyloidosis. Immunohistochemical analysis using antisera against the three different parts of the feline SAA protein-i.e., the N-terminal, central, and C-terminal regions-revealed that feline AA contained the C-terminus, unlike human AA. These results indicate that the cleavage and degradation of the C-terminus are not essential for amyloid fibril formation in JDCs.

  15. Predicting membrane protein types by fusing composite protein sequence features into pseudo amino acid composition.

    PubMed

    Hayat, Maqsood; Khan, Asifullah

    2011-02-21

    Membrane proteins are vital type of proteins that serve as channels, receptors, and energy transducers in a cell. Prediction of membrane protein types is an important research area in bioinformatics. Knowledge of membrane protein types provides some valuable information for predicting novel example of the membrane protein types. However, classification of membrane protein types can be both time consuming and susceptible to errors due to the inherent similarity of membrane protein types. In this paper, neural networks based membrane protein type prediction system is proposed. Composite protein sequence representation (CPSR) is used to extract the features of a protein sequence, which includes seven feature sets; amino acid composition, sequence length, 2 gram exchange group frequency, hydrophobic group, electronic group, sum of hydrophobicity, and R-group. Principal component analysis is then employed to reduce the dimensionality of the feature vector. The probabilistic neural network (PNN), generalized regression neural network, and support vector machine (SVM) are used as classifiers. A high success rate of 86.01% is obtained using SVM for the jackknife test. In case of independent dataset test, PNN yields the highest accuracy of 95.73%. These classifiers exhibit improved performance using other performance measures such as sensitivity, specificity, Mathew's correlation coefficient, and F-measure. The experimental results show that the prediction performance of the proposed scheme for classifying membrane protein types is the best reported, so far. This performance improvement may largely be credited to the learning capabilities of neural networks and the composite feature extraction strategy, which exploits seven different properties of protein sequences. The proposed Mem-Predictor can be accessed at http://111.68.99.218/Mem-Predictor. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Amino acid "little Big Bang": representing amino acid substitution matrices as dot products of Euclidian vectors.

    PubMed

    Zimmermann, Karel; Gibrat, Jean-François

    2010-01-04

    Sequence comparisons make use of a one-letter representation for amino acids, the necessary quantitative information being supplied by the substitution matrices. This paper deals with the problem of finding a representation that provides a comprehensive description of amino acid intrinsic properties consistent with the substitution matrices. We present a Euclidian vector representation of the amino acids, obtained by the singular value decomposition of the substitution matrices. The substitution matrix entries correspond to the dot product of amino acid vectors. We apply this vector encoding to the study of the relative importance of various amino acid physicochemical properties upon the substitution matrices. We also characterize and compare the PAM and BLOSUM series substitution matrices. This vector encoding introduces a Euclidian metric in the amino acid space, consistent with substitution matrices. Such a numerical description of the amino acid is useful when intrinsic properties of amino acids are necessary, for instance, building sequence profiles or finding consensus sequences, using machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machine and Neural Networks algorithms.

  17. The DynaMine webserver: predicting protein dynamics from sequence.

    PubMed

    Cilia, Elisa; Pancsa, Rita; Tompa, Peter; Lenaerts, Tom; Vranken, Wim F

    2014-07-01

    Protein dynamics are important for understanding protein function. Unfortunately, accurate protein dynamics information is difficult to obtain: here we present the DynaMine webserver, which provides predictions for the fast backbone movements of proteins directly from their amino-acid sequence. DynaMine rapidly produces a profile describing the statistical potential for such movements at residue-level resolution. The predicted values have meaning on an absolute scale and go beyond the traditional binary classification of residues as ordered or disordered, thus allowing for direct dynamics comparisons between protein regions. Through this webserver, we provide molecular biologists with an efficient and easy to use tool for predicting the dynamical characteristics of any protein of interest, even in the absence of experimental observations. The prediction results are visualized and can be directly downloaded. The DynaMine webserver, including instructive examples describing the meaning of the profiles, is available at http://dynamine.ibsquare.be. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. Activity of human kallikrein-related peptidase 6 (KLK6) on substrates containing sequences of basic amino acids. Is it a processing protease?

    PubMed

    Silva, Roberta N; Oliveira, Lilian C G; Parise, Carolina B; Oliveira, Juliana R; Severino, Beatrice; Corvino, Angela; di Vaio, Paola; Temussi, Piero A; Caliendo, Giuseppe; Santagada, Vincenzo; Juliano, Luiz; Juliano, Maria A

    2017-05-01

    Human kallikrein 6 (KLK6) is highly expressed in the central nervous system and with elevated level in demyelinating disease. KLK6 has a very restricted specificity for arginine (R) and hydrolyses myelin basic protein, protein activator receptors and human ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits. Here we report a previously unreported activity of KLK6 on peptides containing clusters of basic amino acids, as in synthetic fluorogenic peptidyl-Arg-7-amino-4-carbamoylmethylcoumarin (peptidyl-ACC) peptides and FRET peptides in the format of Abz-peptidyl-Q-EDDnp (where Abz=ortho-aminobenzoic acid and Q-EDDnp=glutaminyl-N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) ethylenediamine), in which pairs or sequences of basic amino acids (R or K) were introduced. Surprisingly, KLK6 hydrolyzed the fluorogenic peptides Bz-A-R ↓ R-ACC and Z-R ↓ R-MCA between the two R groups, resulting in non-fluorescent products. FRET peptides containing furin processing sequences of human MMP-14, nerve growth factor (NGF), Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and Neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) were cleaved by KLK6 at the same position expected by furin. Finally, KLK6 cleaved FRET peptides derived from human proenkephalin after the KR, the more frequent basic residues flanking enkephalins in human proenkephalin sequence. This result suggests the ability of KLK6 to release enkephalin from proenkephalin precursors and resembles furin a canonical processing proteolytic enzyme. Molecular models of peptides were built into the KLK6 structure and the marked preference of the cut between the two R of the examined peptides was related to the extended conformation of the substrates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Method for nucleic acid hybridization using single-stranded DNA binding protein

    DOEpatents

    Tabor, Stanley; Richardson, Charles C.

    1996-01-01

    Method of nucleic acid hybridization for detecting the presence of a specific nucleic acid sequence in a population of different nucleic acid sequences using a nucleic acid probe. The nucleic acid probe hybridizes with the specific nucleic acid sequence but not with other nucleic acid sequences in the population. The method includes contacting a sample (potentially including the nucleic acid sequence) with the nucleic acid probe under hybridizing conditions in the presence of a single-stranded DNA binding protein provided in an amount which stimulates renaturation of a dilute solution (i.e., one in which the t.sub.1/2 of renaturation is longer than 3 weeks) of single-stranded DNA greater than 500 fold (i.e., to a t.sub.1/2 less than 60 min, preferably less than 5 min, and most preferably about 1 min.) in the absence of nucleotide triphosphates.

  20. RNA sequencing reveals sexually dimorphic gene expression before gonadal differentiation in chicken and allows comprehensive annotation of the W-chromosome

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Birds have a ZZ male: ZW female sex chromosome system and while the Z-linked DMRT1 gene is necessary for testis development, the exact mechanism of sex determination in birds remains unsolved. This is partly due to the poor annotation of the W chromosome, which is speculated to carry a female determinant. Few genes have been mapped to the W and little is known of their expression. Results We used RNA-seq to produce a comprehensive profile of gene expression in chicken blastoderms and embryonic gonads prior to sexual differentiation. We found robust sexually dimorphic gene expression in both tissues pre-dating gonadogenesis, including sex-linked and autosomal genes. This supports the hypothesis that sexual differentiation at the molecular level is at least partly cell autonomous in birds. Different sets of genes were sexually dimorphic in the two tissues, indicating that molecular sexual differentiation is tissue specific. Further analyses allowed the assembly of full-length transcripts for 26 W chromosome genes, providing a view of the W transcriptome in embryonic tissues. This is the first extensive analysis of W-linked genes and their expression profiles in early avian embryos. Conclusion Sexual differentiation at the molecular level is established in chicken early in embryogenesis, before gonadal sex differentiation. We find that the W chromosome is more transcriptionally active than previously thought, expand the number of known genes to 26 and present complete coding sequences for these W genes. This includes two novel W-linked sequences and three small RNAs reassigned to the W from the Un_Random chromosome. PMID:23531366

  1. Draft Genome Sequence of Sporolactobacillus inulinus Strain CASD, an Efficient d-Lactic Acid-Producing Bacterium with High-Concentration Lactate Tolerance Capability

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Bo; Su, Fei; Wang, Limin; Xu, Ke; Zhao, Bo; Xu, Ping

    2011-01-01

    Sporolactobacillus inulinus CASD is an efficient d-lactic acid producer with high optical purity. Here we report for the first time the draft genome sequence of S. inulinus (2,930,096 bp). The large number of annotated two-component system genes makes it possible to explore the mechanism of extraordinary lactate tolerance of S. inulinus CASD. PMID:21952540

  2. Draft genome sequence of Sporolactobacillus inulinus strain CASD, an efficient D-lactic acid-producing bacterium with high-concentration lactate tolerance capability.

    PubMed

    Yu, Bo; Su, Fei; Wang, Limin; Xu, Ke; Zhao, Bo; Xu, Ping

    2011-10-01

    Sporolactobacillus inulinus CASD is an efficient D-lactic acid producer with high optical purity. Here we report for the first time the draft genome sequence of S. inulinus (2,930,096 bp). The large number of annotated two-component system genes makes it possible to explore the mechanism of extraordinary lactate tolerance of S. inulinus CASD.

  3. Sequence dependent aggregation of peptides and fibril formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hung, Nguyen Ba; Le, Duy-Manh; Hoang, Trinh X.

    2017-09-01

    Deciphering the links between amino acid sequence and amyloid fibril formation is key for understanding protein misfolding diseases. Here we use Monte Carlo simulations to study the aggregation of short peptides in a coarse-grained model with hydrophobic-polar (HP) amino acid sequences and correlated side chain orientations for hydrophobic contacts. A significant heterogeneity is observed in the aggregate structures and in the thermodynamics of aggregation for systems of different HP sequences and different numbers of peptides. Fibril-like ordered aggregates are found for several sequences that contain the common HPH pattern, while other sequences may form helix bundles or disordered aggregates. A wide variation of the aggregation transition temperatures among sequences, even among those of the same hydrophobic fraction, indicates that not all sequences undergo aggregation at a presumable physiological temperature. The transition is found to be the most cooperative for sequences forming fibril-like structures. For a fibril-prone sequence, it is shown that fibril formation follows the nucleation and growth mechanism. Interestingly, a binary mixture of peptides of an aggregation-prone and a non-aggregation-prone sequence shows the association and conversion of the latter to the fibrillar structure. Our study highlights the role of a sequence in selecting fibril-like aggregates and also the impact of a structural template on fibril formation by peptides of unrelated sequences.

  4. BGL7 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Ward, Michael

    2013-01-29

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl7, and the corresponding BGL7 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL7, recombinant BGL7 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  5. BGL6 .beta.-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Ward, Michael

    2012-10-02

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl6, and the corresponding BGL6 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL6, recombinant BGL6 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  6. BGL5 .beta.-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2006-02-28

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl5, and the corresponding BGL5 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL5, recombinant BGL5 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  7. BGL5 .beta.-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Goedegebuur, Frits [Vlaardingen, NL; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA; Yao, Jian [Sunnyvale, CA

    2008-03-18

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl5, and the corresponding BGL5 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL5, recombinant BGL5 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  8. BGL3 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2007-09-25

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl3, and the corresponding BGL3 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL3, recombinant BGL3 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  9. BGL3 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Goedegebuur, Frits [Vlaardingen, NL; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA; Yao, Jian [Sunnyvale, CA

    2008-04-01

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl3, and the corresponding BGL3 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL3, recombinant BGL3 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  10. BGL4 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Goedegebuur, Frits [Vlaardingen, NL; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA; Yao, Jian [Sunnyvale, CA

    2011-12-06

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl4, and the corresponding BGL4 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL4, recombinant BGL4 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  11. BGL4 .beta.-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2006-05-16

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl4, and the corresponding BGL4 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL4, recombinant BGL4 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  12. BGL3 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Goedegebuur, Frits [Vlaardingen, NL; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA; Yao, Jian [Sunnyvale, CA

    2011-06-14

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl3, and the corresponding BGL3 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL3, recombinant BGL3 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  13. BGL6 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA

    2009-09-01

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl6, and the corresponding BGL6 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL6, recombinant BGL6 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  14. BGL3 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Goedegebuur, Frits; Ward, Michael; Yao, Jian

    2012-10-30

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl3, and the corresponding BGL3 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL3, recombinant BGL3 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  15. BGL4 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel [Los Gatos, CA; Goedegebuur, Frits [Vlaardingen, NL; Ward, Michael [San Francisco, CA; Yao, Jian [Sunnyvale, CA

    2008-01-22

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl4, and the corresponding BGL4 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL4, recombinant BGL4 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  16. BGL6 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Ward, Michael

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl6, and the corresponding BGL6 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL6, recombinant BGL6 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  17. BGL6 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Ward, Michael

    2014-03-04

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl6, and the corresponding BGL6 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL6, recombinant BGL6 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  18. BGL7 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Ward, Michael

    2015-04-14

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl7, and the corresponding BGL7 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL7, recombinant BGL7 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  19. BGL7 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Ward, Michael

    2014-03-25

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl7, and the corresponding BGL7 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL7, recombinant BGL7 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  20. BGL6 beta-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same

    DOEpatents

    Dunn-Coleman, Nigel; Ward, Michael

    2015-08-11

    The present invention provides a novel .beta.-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl6, and the corresponding BGL6 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL6, recombinant BGL6 proteins and methods for producing the same.

  1. Nonparametric Combinatorial Sequence Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wauthier, Fabian L.; Jordan, Michael I.; Jojic, Nebojsa

    This work considers biological sequences that exhibit combinatorial structures in their composition: groups of positions of the aligned sequences are "linked" and covary as one unit across sequences. If multiple such groups exist, complex interactions can emerge between them. Sequences of this kind arise frequently in biology but methodologies for analyzing them are still being developed. This paper presents a nonparametric prior on sequences which allows combinatorial structures to emerge and which induces a posterior distribution over factorized sequence representations. We carry out experiments on three sequence datasets which indicate that combinatorial structures are indeed present and that combinatorial sequence models can more succinctly describe them than simpler mixture models. We conclude with an application to MHC binding prediction which highlights the utility of the posterior distribution induced by the prior. By integrating out the posterior our method compares favorably to leading binding predictors.

  2. MIPS: a database for genomes and protein sequences.

    PubMed

    Mewes, H W; Frishman, D; Güldener, U; Mannhaupt, G; Mayer, K; Mokrejs, M; Morgenstern, B; Münsterkötter, M; Rudd, S; Weil, B

    2002-01-01

    The Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences (MIPS-GSF, Neuherberg, Germany) continues to provide genome-related information in a systematic way. MIPS supports both national and European sequencing and functional analysis projects, develops and maintains automatically generated and manually annotated genome-specific databases, develops systematic classification schemes for the functional annotation of protein sequences, and provides tools for the comprehensive analysis of protein sequences. This report updates the information on the yeast genome (CYGD), the Neurospora crassa genome (MNCDB), the databases for the comprehensive set of genomes (PEDANT genomes), the database of annotated human EST clusters (HIB), the database of complete cDNAs from the DHGP (German Human Genome Project), as well as the project specific databases for the GABI (Genome Analysis in Plants) and HNB (Helmholtz-Netzwerk Bioinformatik) networks. The Arabidospsis thaliana database (MATDB), the database of mitochondrial proteins (MITOP) and our contribution to the PIR International Protein Sequence Database have been described elsewhere [Schoof et al. (2002) Nucleic Acids Res., 30, 91-93; Scharfe et al. (2000) Nucleic Acids Res., 28, 155-158; Barker et al. (2001) Nucleic Acids Res., 29, 29-32]. All databases described, the protein analysis tools provided and the detailed descriptions of our projects can be accessed through the MIPS World Wide Web server (http://mips.gsf.de).

  3. Deep sequencing analysis of viral infection and evolution allows rapid and detailed characterization of viral mutant spectrum.

    PubMed

    Isakov, Ofer; Bordería, Antonio V; Golan, David; Hamenahem, Amir; Celniker, Gershon; Yoffe, Liron; Blanc, Hervé; Vignuzzi, Marco; Shomron, Noam

    2015-07-01

    The study of RNA virus populations is a challenging task. Each population of RNA virus is composed of a collection of different, yet related genomes often referred to as mutant spectra or quasispecies. Virologists using deep sequencing technologies face major obstacles when studying virus population dynamics, both experimentally and in natural settings due to the relatively high error rates of these technologies and the lack of high performance pipelines. In order to overcome these hurdles we developed a computational pipeline, termed ViVan (Viral Variance Analysis). ViVan is a complete pipeline facilitating the identification, characterization and comparison of sequence variance in deep sequenced virus populations. Applying ViVan on deep sequenced data obtained from samples that were previously characterized by more classical approaches, we uncovered novel and potentially crucial aspects of virus populations. With our experimental work, we illustrate how ViVan can be used for studies ranging from the more practical, detection of resistant mutations and effects of antiviral treatments, to the more theoretical temporal characterization of the population in evolutionary studies. Freely available on the web at http://www.vivanbioinfo.org : nshomron@post.tau.ac.il Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  4. Characterization of a dam Mutant of Serratia marcescens and Nucleotide Sequence of the dam Region

    PubMed Central

    Ostendorf, Tammo; Cherepanov, Peter; de Vries, Johann; Wackernagel, Wilfried

    1999-01-01

    The DNA of Serratia marcescens has N6-adenine methylation in GATC sequences. Among 2-aminopurine-sensitive mutants isolated from S. marcescens Sr41, one was identified which lacked GATC methylation. The mutant showed up to 30-fold increased spontaneous mutability and enhanced mutability after treatment with 2-aminopurine, ethyl methanesulfonate, or UV light. The gene (dam) coding for the adenine methyltransferase (Dam enzyme) of S. marcescens was identified on a gene bank plasmid which alleviated the 2-aminopurine sensitivity and the higher mutability of a dam-13::Tn9 mutant of Escherichia coli. Nucleotide sequencing revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of Dam (270 amino acids; molecular mass, 31.3 kDa) has 72% identity to the Dam enzyme of E. coli. The dam gene is located between flanking genes which are similar to those found to the sides of the E. coli dam gene. The results of complementation studies indicated that like Dam of E. coli and unlike Dam of Vibrio cholerae, the Dam enzyme of S. marcescens plays an important role in mutation avoidance by allowing the mismatch repair enzymes to discriminate between the parental and newly synthesized strands during correction of replication errors. PMID:10383952

  5. Pipeline for large-scale microdroplet bisulfite PCR-based sequencing allows the tracking of hepitype evolution in tumors.

    PubMed

    Herrmann, Alexander; Haake, Andrea; Ammerpohl, Ole; Martin-Guerrero, Idoia; Szafranski, Karol; Stemshorn, Kathryn; Nothnagel, Michael; Kotsopoulos, Steve K; Richter, Julia; Warner, Jason; Olson, Jeff; Link, Darren R; Schreiber, Stefan; Krawczak, Michael; Platzer, Matthias; Nürnberg, Peter; Siebert, Reiner; Hampe, Jochen

    2011-01-01

    Cytosine methylation provides an epigenetic level of cellular plasticity that is important for development, differentiation and cancerogenesis. We adopted microdroplet PCR to bisulfite treated target DNA in combination with second generation sequencing to simultaneously assess DNA sequence and methylation. We show measurement of methylation status in a wide range of target sequences (total 34 kb) with an average coverage of 95% (median 100%) and good correlation to the opposite strand (rho = 0.96) and to pyrosequencing (rho = 0.87). Data from lymphoma and colorectal cancer samples for SNRPN (imprinted gene), FGF6 (demethylated in the cancer samples) and HS3ST2 (methylated in the cancer samples) serve as a proof of principle showing the integration of SNP data and phased DNA-methylation information into "hepitypes" and thus the analysis of DNA methylation phylogeny in the somatic evolution of cancer.

  6. Detection of nucleic acids by multiple sequential invasive cleavages

    DOEpatents

    Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor I.; Mast, Andrea L.; Brow, Mary Ann D.

    1999-01-01

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof. The present invention further relates to methods and devices for the separation of nucleic acid molecules based on charge. The present invention also provides methods for the detection of non-target cleavage products via the formation of a complete and activated protein binding region. The invention further provides sensitive and specific methods for the detection of human cytomegalovirus nucleic acid in a sample.

  7. Detection of nucleic acids by multiple sequential invasive cleavages

    DOEpatents

    Hall, Jeff G; Lyamichev, Victor I; Mast, Andrea L; Brow, Mary Ann D

    2012-10-16

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof. The present invention further relates to methods and devices for the separation of nucleic acid molecules based on charge. The present invention also provides methods for the detection of non-target cleavage products via the formation of a complete and activated protein binding region. The invention further provides sensitive and specific methods for the detection of human cytomegalovirus nucleic acid in a sample.

  8. Pulse sequence programming in a dynamic visual environment: SequenceTree.

    PubMed

    Magland, Jeremy F; Li, Cheng; Langham, Michael C; Wehrli, Felix W

    2016-01-01

    To describe SequenceTree, an open source, integrated software environment for implementing MRI pulse sequences and, ideally, exporting them to actual MRI scanners. The software is a user-friendly alternative to vendor-supplied pulse sequence design and editing tools and is suited for programmers and nonprogrammers alike. The integrated user interface was programmed using the Qt4/C++ toolkit. As parameters and code are modified, the pulse sequence diagram is automatically updated within the user interface. Several aspects of pulse programming are handled automatically, allowing users to focus on higher-level aspects of sequence design. Sequences can be simulated using a built-in Bloch equation solver and then exported for use on a Siemens MRI scanner. Ideally, other types of scanners will be supported in the future. SequenceTree has been used for 8 years in our laboratory and elsewhere and has contributed to more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in areas such as cardiovascular imaging, solid state and nonproton NMR, MR elastography, and high-resolution structural imaging. SequenceTree is an innovative, open source, visual pulse sequence environment for MRI combining simplicity with flexibility and is ideal both for advanced users and users with limited programming experience. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Sequence determination of synthesized chondroitin sulfate dodecasaccharides.

    PubMed

    Shioiri, Tatsumasa; Tsuchimoto, Jun; Watanabe, Hideto; Sugiura, Nobuo

    2016-06-01

    Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a linear acidic polysaccharide composed of repeating disaccharide units of glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-d-galactosamine. The polysaccharide is modified with sulfate groups at different positions by a variety of sulfotransferases. CS chains exhibit various biological and pathological functions by interacting with cytokines and growth factors and regulating their signal transduction. The fine structure of the CS chain defines its specific biological roles. However, structural analysis of CS has been restricted to disaccharide analysis, hampering the understanding of the structure-function relationship of CS chains. Here, we chemo-enzymatically synthesized CS dodecasaccharides having various sulfate modifications using a bioreactor system of bacterial chondroitin polymerase mutants and various CS sulfotransferases. We developed a sequencing method for CS chains using the CS dodecasaccharides. The method consists of (i) labeling a reducing end with 2-aminopyridine (PA), (ii) partial digestion of CS with testicular hyaluronidase, followed by separation of PA-conjugated oligosaccharides with different chain lengths, (iii) limited digestion of these oligosaccharides with chondroitin lyase AC II into disaccharides, followed by labeling with 2-aminobenzamide, (iv) CS disaccharide analysis using a dual-fluorescence HPLC system (reversed-phase ion-pair and ion-exchange chromatography), and (v) estimation of the composition by calculating individual disaccharide ratios. This CS chain sequencing allows characterization of CS-modifying enzymes and provides a useful tool toward understanding the structure-function relationship of CS chains. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Programming the Assembly of Unnatural Materials with Nucleic Acids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirkin, Chad

    Nature directs the assembly of enormously complex and highly functional materials through an encoded class of biomolecules, nucleic acids. The establishment of a similarly programmable code for the construction of synthetic, unnatural materials would allow researchers to impart functionality by precisely positioning all material components. Although it is exceedingly difficult to control the complex interactions between atomic and molecular species in such a manner, interactions between nanoscale components can be directed through the ligands attached to their surface. Our group has shown that nucleic acids can be used as highly programmable surface ligands to control the spacing and symmetry of nanoparticle building blocks in structurally sophisticated and functional materials. These nucleic acids function as programmable ``bonds'' between nanoparticle ``atoms,'' analogous to a nanoscale genetic code for assembling materials. The sequence and length tunability of nucleic acid bonds has allowed us to define a powerful set of design rules for the construction of nanoparticle superlattices with more than 30 unique lattice symmetries, tunable defect structures and interparticle spacings, and several well-defined crystal habits. Further, the nature of the nucleic acid bond enables an additional level of structural control: temporal regulation of dynamic material response to external biomolecular and chemical stimuli. This control allows for the reversible transformation between thermodynamic states with different crystal symmetries, particle stoichiometries, thermal stabilities, and interparticle spacings on demand. Notably, our unique genetic approach affords functional nanoparticle architectures that, among many other applications, can be used to systematically explore and manipulate optoelectronic material properties, such as tunable interparticle plasmonic interactions, microstructure-directed energy emission, and coupled plasmonic and photonic modes.

  11. Sterically allowed configuration space for amino acid dipeptides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caballero, Diego; Maatta, Jukka; Sammalkorpi, Maria; O'Hern, Corey; Regan, Lynne

    2014-03-01

    Despite recent improvements in computational methods for protein design, we still lack a quantitative, predictive understanding of the intrinsic propensities for amino acids to be in particular backbone or side-chain conformations. This question has remained unsettled for years because of the discrepancies between different experimental approaches. To address it, I performed all-atom hard-sphere simulations of hydrophobic residues with stereo-chemical constraints and non-attractive steric interactions between non-bonded atoms for ALA, ILE, LEU and VAL dipeptide mimetics. For these hard-sphere MD simulations, I show that transitions between α-helix and β-sheet structures only occur when the bond angle τ(N -Cα - C) >110° , and the probability distribution of bond angles for structures in the `bridge' region of ϕ- ψ space is shifted to larger angles compared to that in other regions. In contrast, the relevant bond-angle distributions obtained from most molecular dynamics packages are broader and shifter to larger values. I encounter similar correlations between bond angles and side-chain dihedral angles. The success of these studies is an argument for re-incorporating local stereochemical constraints into computational protein design methodology.

  12. Asparagine-linked oligosaccharides present on a non-consensus amino acid sequence in the CH1 domain of human antibodies.

    PubMed

    Valliere-Douglass, John F; Kodama, Paul; Mujacic, Mirna; Brady, Lowell J; Wang, Wes; Wallace, Alison; Yan, Boxu; Reddy, Pranhitha; Treuheit, Michael J; Balland, Alain

    2009-11-20

    We report that N-linked oligosaccharide structures can be present on an asparagine residue not adhering to the consensus site motif NX(S/T), where X is not proline, described in the literature. We have observed oligosaccharides on a non-consensus asparaginyl residue in the C(H)1 constant domain of IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies. The initial findings were obtained from characterization of charge variant populations evident in a recombinant human antibody of the IgG2 subclass. HPLC-MS results indicated that cation-exchange chromatography acidic variant populations were enriched in antibody with a second glycosylation site, in addition to the well documented canonical glycosylation site located in the C(H)2 domain. Subsequent tryptic and chymotryptic peptide map data indicated that the second glycosylation site was associated with the amino acid sequence TVSWN(162)SGAL in the C(H)1 domain of the antibody. This highly atypical modification is present at levels of 0.5-2.0% on most of the recombinant antibodies that have been tested and has also been observed in IgG1 antibodies derived from human donors. Site-directed mutagenesis of the C(H)1 domain sequence in a recombinant-human IgG1 antibody resulted in an increase in non-consensus glycosylation to 3.15%, a greater than 4-fold increase over the level observed in the wild type, by changing the -1 and +1 amino acids relative to the asparagine residue at position 162. We believe that further understanding of the phenomenon of non-consensus glycosylation can be used to gain fundamental insights into the fidelity of the cellular glycosylation machinery.

  13. Human jagged polypeptide, encoding nucleic acids and methods of use

    DOEpatents

    Li, Linheng; Hood, Leroy

    2000-01-01

    The present invention provides an isolated polypeptide exhibiting substantially the same amino acid sequence as JAGGED, or an active fragment thereof, provided that the polypeptide does not have the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:6. The invention further provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule containing a nucleotide sequence encoding substantially the same amino acid sequence as JAGGED, or an active fragment thereof, provided that the nucleotide sequence does not encode the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:6. Also provided herein is a method of inhibiting differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells by contacting the progenitor cells with an isolated JAGGED polypeptide, or active fragment thereof. The invention additionally provides a method of diagnosing Alagille Syndrome in an individual. The method consists of detecting an Alagille Syndrome disease-associated mutation linked to a JAGGED locus.

  14. The protein cofactor allows the sequence of an RNase P ribozyme to diversify by maintaining the catalytically active structure of the enzyme.

    PubMed Central

    Kim, J J; Kilani, A F; Zhan, X; Altman, S; Liu, F

    1997-01-01

    To study the effect proteins have on the catalysis and evolution of RNA enzymes, we simulated evolution of RNase P catalytic M1 RNA in vitro, in the presence and absence of its C5 protein cofactor. In the presence of C5, functional M1 sequence variants (not catalytically active in the absence of C5) were selected in addition to those identical to M1. C5 maintains the catalytically active structure of the variants and allows for an enhanced spectrum of M1 molecules to function in the context of a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. The generation of an RNP enzyme, requiring both RNA and protein components, from a catalytically active RNA molecule has implications for how modern RNP complexes evolved from ancestral RNAs. PMID:9174096

  15. On site DNA barcoding by nanopore sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Menegon, Michele; Cantaloni, Chiara; Rodriguez-Prieto, Ana; Centomo, Cesare; Abdelfattah, Ahmed; Rossato, Marzia; Bernardi, Massimo; Xumerle, Luciano; Loader, Simon; Delledonne, Massimo

    2017-01-01

    Biodiversity research is becoming increasingly dependent on genomics, which allows the unprecedented digitization and understanding of the planet’s biological heritage. The use of genetic markers i.e. DNA barcoding, has proved to be a powerful tool in species identification. However, full exploitation of this approach is hampered by the high sequencing costs and the absence of equipped facilities in biodiversity-rich countries. In the present work, we developed a portable sequencing laboratory based on the portable DNA sequencer from Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the MinION. Complementary laboratory equipment and reagents were selected to be used in remote and tough environmental conditions. The performance of the MinION sequencer and the portable laboratory was tested for DNA barcoding in a mimicking tropical environment, as well as in a remote rainforest of Tanzania lacking electricity. Despite the relatively high sequencing error-rate of the MinION, the development of a suitable pipeline for data analysis allowed the accurate identification of different species of vertebrates including amphibians, reptiles and mammals. In situ sequencing of a wild frog allowed us to rapidly identify the species captured, thus confirming that effective DNA barcoding in the field is possible. These results open new perspectives for real-time-on-site DNA sequencing thus potentially increasing opportunities for the understanding of biodiversity in areas lacking conventional laboratory facilities. PMID:28977016

  16. Solid-Phase Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification and Length-Scale Effects during RNA Amplification.

    PubMed

    Ma, Youlong; Teng, Feiyue; Libera, Matthew

    2018-06-05

    Solid-phase oligonucleotide amplification is of interest because of possible applications to next-generation sequencing, multiplexed microarray-based detection, and cell-free synthetic biology. Its efficiency is, however, less than that of traditional liquid-phase amplification involving unconstrained primers and enzymes, and understanding how to optimize the solid-phase amplification process remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate the concept of solid-phase nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (SP-NASBA) and use it to study the effect of tethering density on amplification efficiency. SP-NASBA involves two enzymes, avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase (AMV-RT) and RNase H, to convert tethered forward and reverse primers into tethered double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) bridges from which RNA - amplicons can be generated by a third enzyme, T7 RNA polymerase. We create microgels on silicon surfaces using electron-beam patterning of thin-film blends of hydroxyl-terminated and biotin-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-OH, PEG-B). The tethering density is linearly related to the PEG-B concentration, and biotinylated primers and molecular beacon detection probes are tethered to streptavidin-activated microgels. While SP-NASBA is very efficient at low tethering densities, the efficiency decreases dramatically with increasing tethering density due to three effects: (a) a reduced hybridization efficiency of tethered molecular beacon detection probes; (b) a decrease in T7 RNA polymerase efficiency; (c) inhibition of T7 RNA polymerase activity by AMV-RT.

  17. Cloning and sequence analysis of sucrose phosphate synthase gene from varieties of Pennisetum species.

    PubMed

    Li, H C; Lu, H B; Yang, F Y; Liu, S J; Bai, C J; Zhang, Y W

    2015-03-31

    Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) is an enzyme used by higher plants for sucrose synthesis. In this study, three primer sets were designed on the basis of known SPS sequences from maize (GenBank: NM_001112224.1) and sugarcane (GenBank: JN584485.1), and five novel SPS genes were identified by RT-PCR from the genomes of Pennisetum spp (the hybrid P. americanum x P. purpureum, P. purpureum Schum., P. purpureum Schum. cv. Red, P. purpureum Schum. cv. Taiwan, and P. purpureum Schum. cv. Mott). The cloned sequences showed 99.9% identity and 80-88% similarity to the SPS sequences of other plants. The SPS gene of hybrid Pennisetum had one nucleotide and four amino acid polymorphisms compared to the other four germplasms, and cluster analysis was performed to assess genetic diversity in this species. Additional characterization of the SPS gene product can potentially allow Pennisetum to be exploited as a biofuel source.

  18. Terminal region sequence variations in variola virus DNA.

    PubMed

    Massung, R F; Loparev, V N; Knight, J C; Totmenin, A V; Chizhikov, V E; Parsons, J M; Safronov, P F; Gutorov, V V; Shchelkunov, S N; Esposito, J J

    1996-07-15

    Genome DNA terminal region sequences were determined for a Brazilian alastrim variola minor virus strain Garcia-1966 that was associated with an 0.8% case-fatality rate and African smallpox strains Congo-1970 and Somalia-1977 associated with variola major (9.6%) and minor (0.4%) mortality rates, respectively. A base sequence identity of > or = 98.8% was determined after aligning 30 kb of the left- or right-end region sequences with cognate sequences previously determined for Asian variola major strains India-1967 (31% death rate) and Bangladesh-1975 (18.5% death rate). The deduced amino acid sequences of putative proteins of > or = 65 amino acids also showed relatively high identity, although the Asian and African viruses were clearly more related to each other than to alastrim virus. Alastrim virus contained only 10 of 70 proteins that were 100% identical to homologs in Asian strains, and 7 alastrim-specific proteins were noted.

  19. Phylo-mLogo: an interactive and hierarchical multiple-logo visualization tool for alignment of many sequences

    PubMed Central

    Shih, Arthur Chun-Chieh; Lee, DT; Peng, Chin-Lin; Wu, Yu-Wei

    2007-01-01

    Background When aligning several hundreds or thousands of sequences, such as epidemic virus sequences or homologous/orthologous sequences of some big gene families, to reconstruct the epidemiological history or their phylogenies, how to analyze and visualize the alignment results of many sequences has become a new challenge for computational biologists. Although there are several tools available for visualization of very long sequence alignments, few of them are applicable to the alignments of many sequences. Results A multiple-logo alignment visualization tool, called Phylo-mLogo, is presented in this paper. Phylo-mLogo calculates the variabilities and homogeneities of alignment sequences by base frequencies or entropies. Different from the traditional representations of sequence logos, Phylo-mLogo not only displays the global logo patterns of the whole alignment of multiple sequences, but also demonstrates their local homologous logos for each clade hierarchically. In addition, Phylo-mLogo also allows the user to focus only on the analysis of some important, structurally or functionally constrained sites in the alignment selected by the user or by built-in automatic calculation. Conclusion With Phylo-mLogo, the user can symbolically and hierarchically visualize hundreds of aligned sequences simultaneously and easily check the changes of their amino acid sites when analyzing many homologous/orthologous or influenza virus sequences. More information of Phylo-mLogo can be found at URL . PMID:17319966

  20. WebLogo: A Sequence Logo Generator

    PubMed Central

    Crooks, Gavin E.; Hon, Gary; Chandonia, John-Marc; Brenner, Steven E.

    2004-01-01

    WebLogo generates sequence logos, graphical representations of the patterns within a multiple sequence alignment. Sequence logos provide a richer and more precise description of sequence similarity than consensus sequences and can rapidly reveal significant features of the alignment otherwise difficult to perceive. Each logo consists of stacks of letters, one stack for each position in the sequence. The overall height of each stack indicates the sequence conservation at that position (measured in bits), whereas the height of symbols within the stack reflects the relative frequency of the corresponding amino or nucleic acid at that position. WebLogo has been enhanced recently with additional features and options, to provide a convenient and highly configurable sequence logo generator. A command line interface and the complete, open WebLogo source code are available for local installation and customization. PMID:15173120

  1. Cloning and sequence analysis of Hemonchus contortus HC58cDNA.

    PubMed

    Muleke, Charles I; Ruofeng, Yan; Lixin, Xu; Xinwen, Bo; Xiangrui, Li

    2007-06-01

    The complete coding sequence of Hemonchus contortus HC58cDNA was generated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and polymerase chain reaction using primers based on the 5' and 3' ends of the parasite mRNA, accession no. AF305964. The HC58cDNA gene was 851 bp long, with open reading frame of 717 bp, precursors to 239 amino acids coding for approximately 27 kDa protein. Analysis of amino acid sequence revealed conserved residues of cysteine, histidine, asparagine, occluding loop pattern, hemoglobinase motif and glutamine of the oxyanion hole characteristic of cathepsin B like proteases (CBL). Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences showed the protein shared 33.5-58.7% identity to cathepsin B homologues in the papain clan CA family (family C1). Phylogenetic analysis revealed close evolutionary proximity of the protein sequence to counterpart sequences in the CBL, suggesting that HC58cDNA was a member of the papain family.

  2. Analysis of Endogenous D-Amino Acid-Containing Peptides in Metazoa

    PubMed Central

    Bai, Lu; Sheeley, Sarah; Sweedler, Jonathan V.

    2010-01-01

    Peptides are chiral molecules with their structure determined by the composition and configuration of their amino acid building blocks. The naturally occurring amino acids, except glycine, possess two chiral forms. This allows the formation of multiple peptide diastereomers that have the same sequence. Although living organisms use L-amino acids to make proteins, a group of D-amino acid-containing peptides (DAACPs) has been discovered in animals that have at least one of their residues isomerized to the D-form via an enzyme-catalyzed process. In many cases, the biological functions of these peptides are enhanced due to this structural conversion. These DAACPs are different from those known to occur in bacterial cell wall and antibiotic peptides, the latter of which are synthesized in a ribosome-independent manner. DAACPs have now also been identified in a number of distinct groups throughout the Metazoa. Their serendipitous discovery has often resulted from discrepancies observed in bioassays or in chromatographic behavior between natural peptide fractions and peptides synthesized according to a presumed all-L sequence. Because this L-to-D post-translational modification is subtle and not detectable by most sequence determination approaches, it is reasonable to suspect that many studies have overlooked this change; accordingly, DAACPs may be more prevalent than currently thought. Although diastereomer separation techniques developed with synthetic peptides in recent years have greatly aided in the discovery of natural DAACPs, there is a need for new, more robust methods for naturally complex samples. In this review, a brief history of DAACPs in animals is presented, followed by discussion of a variety of analytical methods that have been used for diastereomeric separation and detection of peptides. PMID:20490347

  3. How Many Protein Sequences Fold to a Given Structure? A Coevolutionary Analysis.

    PubMed

    Tian, Pengfei; Best, Robert B

    2017-10-17

    Quantifying the relationship between protein sequence and structure is key to understanding the protein universe. A fundamental measure of this relationship is the total number of amino acid sequences that can fold to a target protein structure, known as the "sequence capacity," which has been suggested as a proxy for how designable a given protein fold is. Although sequence capacity has been extensively studied using lattice models and theory, numerical estimates for real protein structures are currently lacking. In this work, we have quantitatively estimated the sequence capacity of 10 proteins with a variety of different structures using a statistical model based on residue-residue co-evolution to capture the variation of sequences from the same protein family. Remarkably, we find that even for the smallest protein folds, such as the WW domain, the number of foldable sequences is extremely large, exceeding the Avogadro constant. In agreement with earlier theoretical work, the calculated sequence capacity is positively correlated with the size of the protein, or better, the density of contacts. This allows the absolute sequence capacity of a given protein to be approximately predicted from its structure. On the other hand, the relative sequence capacity, i.e., normalized by the total number of possible sequences, is an extremely tiny number and is strongly anti-correlated with the protein length. Thus, although there may be more foldable sequences for larger proteins, it will be much harder to find them. Lastly, we have correlated the evolutionary age of proteins in the CATH database with their sequence capacity as predicted by our model. The results suggest a trade-off between the opposing requirements of high designability and the likelihood of a novel fold emerging by chance. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Methods for making nucleotide probes for sequencing and synthesis

    DOEpatents

    Church, George M; Zhang, Kun; Chou, Joseph

    2014-07-08

    Compositions and methods for making a plurality of probes for analyzing a plurality of nucleic acid samples are provided. Compositions and methods for analyzing a plurality of nucleic acid samples to obtain sequence information in each nucleic acid sample are also provided.

  5. Replica amplification of nucleic acid arrays

    DOEpatents

    Church, George M.; Mitra, Robi D.

    2010-08-31

    Disclosed are improved methods of making and using immobilized arrays of nucleic acids, particularly methods for producing replicas of such arrays. Included are methods for producing high density arrays of nucleic acids and replicas of such arrays, as well as methods for preserving the resolution of arrays through rounds of replication. Also included are methods which take advantage of the availability of replicas of arrays for increased sensitivity in detection of sequences on arrays. Improved methods of sequencing nucleic acids immobilized on arrays utilizing single copies of arrays and methods taking further advantage of the availability of replicas of arrays are disclosed. The improvements lead to higher fidelity and longer read lengths of sequences immobilized on arrays. Methods are also disclosed which improve the efficiency of multiplex PCR using arrays of immobilized nucleic acids.

  6. MSLICE Sequencing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crockett, Thomas M.; Joswig, Joseph C.; Shams, Khawaja S.; Norris, Jeffrey S.; Morris, John R.

    2011-01-01

    MSLICE Sequencing is a graphical tool for writing sequences and integrating them into RML files, as well as for producing SCMF files for uplink. When operated in a testbed environment, it also supports uplinking these SCMF files to the testbed via Chill. This software features a free-form textural sequence editor featuring syntax coloring, automatic content assistance (including command and argument completion proposals), complete with types, value ranges, unites, and descriptions from the command dictionary that appear as they are typed. The sequence editor also has a "field mode" that allows tabbing between arguments and displays type/range/units/description for each argument as it is edited. Color-coded error and warning annotations on problematic tokens are included, as well as indications of problems that are not visible in the current scroll range. "Quick Fix" suggestions are made for resolving problems, and all the features afforded by modern source editors are also included such as copy/cut/paste, undo/redo, and a sophisticated find-and-replace system optionally using regular expressions. The software offers a full XML editor for RML files, which features syntax coloring, content assistance and problem annotations as above. There is a form-based, "detail view" that allows structured editing of command arguments and sequence parameters when preferred. The "project view" shows the user s "workspace" as a tree of "resources" (projects, folders, and files) that can subsequently be opened in editors by double-clicking. Files can be added, deleted, dragged-dropped/copied-pasted between folders or projects, and these operations are undoable and redoable. A "problems view" contains a tabular list of all problems in the current workspace. Double-clicking on any row in the table opens an editor for the appropriate sequence, scrolling to the specific line with the problem, and highlighting the problematic characters. From there, one can invoke "quick fix" as described

  7. A Single Molecular Beacon Probe Is Sufficient for the Analysis of Multiple Nucleic Acid Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Gerasimova, Yulia V.; Hayson, Aaron; Ballantyne, Jack; Kolpashchikov, Dmitry M.

    2010-01-01

    Molecular beacon (MB) probes are dual-labeled hairpin-shaped oligodeoxyribonucleotides that are extensively used for real-time detection of specific RNA/DNA analytes. In the MB probe, the loop fragment is complementary to the analyte: therefore, a unique probe is required for the analysis of each new analyte sequence. The conjugation of an oligonucleotide with two dyes and subsequent purification procedures add to the cost of MB probes, thus reducing their application in multiplex formats. Here we demonstrate how one MB probe can be used for the analysis of an arbitrary nucleic acid. The approach takes advantage of two oligonucleotide adaptor strands, each of which contains a fragment complementary to the analyte and a fragment complementary to an MB probe. The presence of the analyte leads to association of MB probe and the two DNA strands in quadripartite complex. The MB probe fluorescently reports the formation of this complex. In this design, the MB does not bind the analyte directly; therefore, the MB sequence is independent of the analyte. In this study one universal MB probe was used to genotype three human polymorphic sites. This approach promises to reduce the cost of multiplex real-time assays and improve the accuracy of single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping. PMID:20665615

  8. Deep sequencing of the Mexican avocado transcriptome, an ancient angiosperm with a high content of fatty acids.

    PubMed

    Ibarra-Laclette, Enrique; Méndez-Bravo, Alfonso; Pérez-Torres, Claudia Anahí; Albert, Victor A; Mockaitis, Keithanne; Kilaru, Aruna; López-Gómez, Rodolfo; Cervantes-Luevano, Jacob Israel; Herrera-Estrella, Luis

    2015-08-13

    Avocado (Persea americana) is an economically important tropical fruit considered to be a good source of fatty acids. Despite its importance, the molecular and cellular characterization of biochemical and developmental processes in avocado is limited due to the lack of transcriptome and genomic information. The transcriptomes of seeds, roots, stems, leaves, aerial buds and flowers were determined using different sequencing platforms. Additionally, the transcriptomes of three different stages of fruit ripening (pre-climacteric, climacteric and post-climacteric) were also analyzed. The analysis of the RNAseqatlas presented here reveals strong differences in gene expression patterns between different organs, especially between root and flower, but also reveals similarities among the gene expression patterns in other organs, such as stem, leaves and aerial buds (vegetative organs) or seed and fruit (storage organs). Important regulators, functional categories, and differentially expressed genes involved in avocado fruit ripening were identified. Additionally, to demonstrate the utility of the avocado gene expression atlas, we investigated the expression patterns of genes implicated in fatty acid metabolism and fruit ripening. A description of transcriptomic changes occurring during fruit ripening was obtained in Mexican avocado, contributing to a dynamic view of the expression patterns of genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and the fruit ripening process.

  9. Design of DNA pooling to allow incorporation of covariates in rare variants analysis.

    PubMed

    Guan, Weihua; Li, Chun

    2014-01-01

    Rapid advances in next-generation sequencing technologies facilitate genetic association studies of an increasingly wide array of rare variants. To capture the rare or less common variants, a large number of individuals will be needed. However, the cost of a large scale study using whole genome or exome sequencing is still high. DNA pooling can serve as a cost-effective approach, but with a potential limitation that the identity of individual genomes would be lost and therefore individual characteristics and environmental factors could not be adjusted in association analysis, which may result in power loss and a biased estimate of genetic effect. For case-control studies, we propose a design strategy for pool creation and an analysis strategy that allows covariate adjustment, using multiple imputation technique. Simulations show that our approach can obtain reasonable estimate for genotypic effect with only slight loss of power compared to the much more expensive approach of sequencing individual genomes. Our design and analysis strategies enable more powerful and cost-effective sequencing studies of complex diseases, while allowing incorporation of covariate adjustment.

  10. Mutant fatty acid desaturase

    DOEpatents

    Shanklin, John; Cahoon, Edgar B.

    2004-02-03

    The present invention relates to a method for producing mutants of a fatty acid desaturase having a substantially increased activity towards fatty acid substrates with chains containing fewer than 18 carbons relative to an unmutagenized precursor desaturase having an 18 carbon atom chain length substrate specificity. The method involves inducing one or more mutations in the nucleic acid sequence encoding the precursor desaturase, transforming the mutated sequence into an unsaturated fatty acid auxotroph cell such as MH13 E. coli, culturing the cells in the absence of supplemental unsaturated fatty acids, thereby selecting for recipient cells which have received and which express a mutant fatty acid desaturase with an elevated specificity for fatty acid substrates having chain lengths of less than 18 carbon atoms. A variety of mutants having 16 or fewer carbon atom chain length substrate specificities are produced by this method. Mutant desaturases produced by this method can be introduced via expression vectors into prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and can also be used in the production of transgenic plants which may be used to produce specific fatty acid products.

  11. Random Amplification and Pyrosequencing for Identification of Novel Viral Genome Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Hang, Jun; Forshey, Brett M.; Kochel, Tadeusz J.; Li, Tao; Solórzano, Víctor Fiestas; Halsey, Eric S.; Kuschner, Robert A.

    2012-01-01

    ssRNA viruses have high levels of genomic divergence, which can lead to difficulty in genomic characterization of new viruses using traditional PCR amplification and sequencing methods. In this study, random reverse transcription, anchored random PCR amplification, and high-throughput pyrosequencing were used to identify orthobunyavirus sequences from total RNA extracted from viral cultures of acute febrile illness specimens. Draft genome sequence for the orthobunyavirus L segment was assembled and sequentially extended using de novo assembly contigs from pyrosequencing reads and orthobunyavirus sequences in GenBank as guidance. Accuracy and continuous coverage were achieved by mapping all reads to the L segment draft sequence. Subsequently, RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing were used to complete the genome sequence. The complete L segment was found to be 6936 bases in length, encoding a 2248-aa putative RNA polymerase. The identified L segment was distinct from previously published South American orthobunyaviruses, sharing 63% and 54% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid level, respectively, with the complete Oropouche virus L segment and 73% and 81% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid level, respectively, with a partial Caraparu virus L segment. The result demonstrated the effectiveness of a sequence-independent amplification and next-generation sequencing approach for obtaining complete viral genomes from total nucleic acid extracts and its use in pathogen discovery. PMID:22468136

  12. Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus plantarum Strain UCMA 3037.

    PubMed

    Naz, Saima; Tareb, Raouf; Bernardeau, Marion; Vaisse, Melissa; Lucchetti-Miganeh, Celine; Rechenmann, Mathias; Vernoux, Jean-Paul

    2013-05-23

    Nucleic acid of the strain Lactobacillus plantarum UCMA 3037, isolated from raw milk camembert cheese in our laboratory, was sequenced. We present its draft genome sequence with the aim of studying its functional properties and relationship to the cheese ecosystem.

  13. Rapid identification of acetic acid bacteria using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Andrés-Barrao, Cristina; Benagli, Cinzia; Chappuis, Malou; Ortega Pérez, Ruben; Tonolla, Mauro; Barja, François

    2013-03-01

    Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are widespread microorganisms characterized by their ability to transform alcohols and sugar-alcohols into their corresponding organic acids. The suitability of matrix-assisted laser desorption-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of cultured AAB involved in the industrial production of vinegar was evaluated on 64 reference strains from the genera Acetobacter, Gluconacetobacter and Gluconobacter. Analysis of MS spectra obtained from single colonies of these strains confirmed their basic classification based on comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. MALDI-TOF analyses of isolates from vinegar cross-checked by comparative sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments allowed AAB to be identified, and it was possible to differentiate them from mixed cultures and non-AAB. The results showed that MALDI-TOF MS analysis was a rapid and reliable method for the clustering and identification of AAB species. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  14. Single-cell sequencing unveils the lifestyle and CRISPR-based population history of Hydrotalea sp. in acid mine drainage.

    PubMed

    Medeiros, J D; Leite, L R; Pylro, V S; Oliveira, F S; Almeida, V M; Fernandes, G R; Salim, A C M; Araújo, F M G; Volpini, A C; Oliveira, G; Cuadros-Orellana, S

    2017-10-01

    Acid mine drainage (AMD) is characterized by an acid and metal-rich run-off that originates from mining systems. Despite having been studied for many decades, much remains unknown about the microbial community dynamics in AMD sites, especially during their early development, when the acidity is moderate. Here, we describe draft genome assemblies from single cells retrieved from an early-stage AMD sample. These cells belong to the genus Hydrotalea and are closely related to Hydrotalea flava. The phylogeny and average nucleotide identity analysis suggest that all single amplified genomes (SAGs) form two clades that may represent different strains. These cells have the genomic potential for denitrification, copper and other metal resistance. Two coexisting CRISPR-Cas loci were recovered across SAGs, and we observed heterogeneity in the population with regard to the spacer sequences, together with the loss of trailer-end spacers. Our results suggest that the genomes of Hydrotalea sp. strains studied here are adjusting to a quickly changing selective pressure at the microhabitat scale, and an important form of this selective pressure is infection by foreign DNA. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Comparative RNA-Sequence Transcriptome Analysis of Phenolic Acid Metabolism in Salvia miltiorrhiza, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Model Plant

    PubMed Central

    Song, Zhenqiao; Guo, Linlin; Liu, Tian; Lin, Caicai; Wang, Jianhua

    2017-01-01

    Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is an important traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this study, two S. miltiorrhiza genotypes (BH18 and ZH23) with different phenolic acid concentrations were used for de novo RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 170,787 transcripts and 56,216 unigenes were obtained. There were 670 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified between BH18 and ZH23, 250 of which were upregulated in ZH23, with genes involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway being the most upregulated genes. Nine genes involved in the lignin biosynthesis pathway were upregulated in BH18 and thus result in higher lignin content in BH18. However, expression profiles of most genes involved in the core common upstream phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway were higher in ZH23 than that in BH18. These results indicated that genes involved in the core common upstream phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway might play an important role in downstream secondary metabolism and demonstrated that lignin biosynthesis was a putative partially competing pathway with phenolic acid biosynthesis. The results of this study expanded our understanding of the regulation of phenolic acid biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza. PMID:28194403

  16. A comparison of anaerobic 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid degradation in single-fed and sequencing batch reactor systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elefsiniotis, P.; Wareham, D. G.; Fongsatitukul, P.

    2017-08-01

    This paper compares the practical limits of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) degradation that can be obtained in two laboratory-scale anaerobic digestion systems; namely, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and a single-fed batch reactor (SFBR) system. The comparison involved synthesizing a decade of research conducted by the lead author and drawing summative conclusions about the ability of each system to accommodate industrial-strength concentrations of 2,4-D. In the main, 2 L liquid volume anaerobic SBRs were used with glucose as a supplemental carbon source for both acid-phase and two-phase conditions. Volatile fatty acids however were used as a supplemental carbon source for the methanogenic SBRs. The anaerobic SBRs were operated at an hydraulic retention time of 48 hours, while being subjected to increasing concentrations of 2,4-D. The SBRs were able to degrade between 130 and 180 mg/L of 2,4-D depending upon whether they were operated in the acid-phase or two-phase regime. The methanogenic-only phase did not achieve 2,4-D degradation however this was primarily attributed to difficulties with obtaining a sufficiently long SRT. For the two-phase SFBR system, 3.5 L liquid-volume digesters were used and no difficulty was experienced with degrading 100 % of the 2,4-D concentration applied (300 mg/L).

  17. MIPS: a database for genomes and protein sequences

    PubMed Central

    Mewes, H. W.; Frishman, D.; Güldener, U.; Mannhaupt, G.; Mayer, K.; Mokrejs, M.; Morgenstern, B.; Münsterkötter, M.; Rudd, S.; Weil, B.

    2002-01-01

    The Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences (MIPS-GSF, Neuherberg, Germany) continues to provide genome-related information in a systematic way. MIPS supports both national and European sequencing and functional analysis projects, develops and maintains automatically generated and manually annotated genome-specific databases, develops systematic classification schemes for the functional annotation of protein sequences, and provides tools for the comprehensive analysis of protein sequences. This report updates the information on the yeast genome (CYGD), the Neurospora crassa genome (MNCDB), the databases for the comprehensive set of genomes (PEDANT genomes), the database of annotated human EST clusters (HIB), the database of complete cDNAs from the DHGP (German Human Genome Project), as well as the project specific databases for the GABI (Genome Analysis in Plants) and HNB (Helmholtz–Netzwerk Bioinformatik) networks. The Arabidospsis thaliana database (MATDB), the database of mitochondrial proteins (MITOP) and our contribution to the PIR International Protein Sequence Database have been described elsewhere [Schoof et al. (2002) Nucleic Acids Res., 30, 91–93; Scharfe et al. (2000) Nucleic Acids Res., 28, 155–158; Barker et al. (2001) Nucleic Acids Res., 29, 29–32]. All databases described, the protein analysis tools provided and the detailed descriptions of our projects can be accessed through the MIPS World Wide Web server (http://mips.gsf.de). PMID:11752246

  18. An improved procedure, involving mass spectrometry, for N-terminal amino acid sequence determination of proteins which are N alpha-blocked.

    PubMed Central

    Rose, K; Kocher, H P; Blumberg, B M; Kolakofsky, D

    1984-01-01

    A modification to a previously described procedure [Gray & del Valle (1970) Biochemistry 9, 2134-2137; Rose, Simona & Offord (1983) Biochem. J. 215, 261-272] for mass-spectral identification of the N-terminal regions of proteins is shown to be useful in cases where the N-terminus is blocked. Three proteins were studied: vesicular-stomatitis-virus N protein, Sendai-virus NP protein, and a rabbit immunoglobulin lambda-light chain. These proteins, found to be blocked at the N-terminus with either the acetyl group or a pyroglutamic acid residue, had all failed to yield to attempted Edman degradation, in one case even after attempted enzymic removal of the pyroglutamic acid residue. The N-terminal regions of all three proteins were sequenced by using the new procedure. PMID:6421284

  19. Chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting via specific homo- and complementary-duplex formations

    PubMed Central

    Makiguchi, Wataru; Tanabe, Junki; Yamada, Hidekazu; Iida, Hiroki; Taura, Daisuke; Ousaka, Naoki; Yashima, Eiji

    2015-01-01

    Self-recognition and self-discrimination within complex mixtures are of fundamental importance in biological systems, which entirely rely on the preprogrammed monomer sequences and homochirality of biological macromolecules. Here we report artificial chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting of chiral dimeric strands bearing carboxylic acid or amidine groups joined by chiral amide linkers with different sequences through homo- and complementary-duplex formations. A mixture of carboxylic acid dimers linked by racemic-1,2-cyclohexane bis-amides with different amide sequences (NHCO or CONH) self-associate to form homoduplexes in a completely sequence-selective way, the structures of which are different from each other depending on the linker amide sequences. The further addition of an enantiopure amide-linked amidine dimer to a mixture of the racemic carboxylic acid dimers resulted in the formation of a single optically pure complementary duplex with a 100% diastereoselectivity and complete sequence specificity stabilized by the amidinium–carboxylate salt bridges, leading to the perfect chirality- and sequence-selective duplex formation. PMID:26051291

  20. Automated Sanger Analysis Pipeline (ASAP): A Tool for Rapidly Analyzing Sanger Sequencing Data with Minimum User Interference.

    PubMed

    Singh, Aditya; Bhatia, Prateek

    2016-12-01

    Sanger sequencing platforms, such as applied biosystems instruments, generate chromatogram files. Generally, for 1 region of a sequence, we use both forward and reverse primers to sequence that area, in that way, we have 2 sequences that need to be aligned and a consensus generated before mutation detection studies. This work is cumbersome and takes time, especially if the gene is large with many exons. Hence, we devised a rapid automated command system to filter, build, and align consensus sequences and also optionally extract exonic regions, translate them in all frames, and perform an amino acid alignment starting from raw sequence data within a very short time. In full capabilities of Automated Mutation Analysis Pipeline (ASAP), it is able to read "*.ab1" chromatogram files through command line interface, convert it to the FASTQ format, trim the low-quality regions, reverse-complement the reverse sequence, create a consensus sequence, extract the exonic regions using a reference exonic sequence, translate the sequence in all frames, and align the nucleic acid and amino acid sequences to reference nucleic acid and amino acid sequences, respectively. All files are created and can be used for further analysis. ASAP is available as Python 3.x executable at https://github.com/aditya-88/ASAP. The version described in this paper is 0.28.

  1. Detection of nucleic acids by multiple sequential invasive cleavages 02

    DOEpatents

    Hall, Jeff G.; Lyamichev, Victor I.; Mast, Andrea L.; Brow, Mary Ann D.

    2002-01-01

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The structure-specific nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof. The present invention further relates to methods and devices for the separation of nucleic acid molecules based on charge. The present invention also provides methods for the detection of non-target cleavage products via the formation of a complete and activated protein binding region. The invention further provides sensitive and specific methods for the detection of human cytomegalovirus nucleic acid in a sample.

  2. MALDI Top-Down sequencing: calling N- and C-terminal protein sequences with high confidence and speed.

    PubMed

    Suckau, Detlev; Resemann, Anja

    2009-12-01

    The ability to match Top-Down protein sequencing (TDS) results by MALDI-TOF to protein sequences by classical protein database searching was evaluated in this work. Resulting from these analyses were the protein identity, the simultaneous assignment of the N- and C-termini and protein sequences of up to 70 residues from either terminus. In combination with de novo sequencing using the MALDI-TDS data, even fusion proteins were assigned and the detailed sequence around the fusion site was elucidated. MALDI-TDS allowed to efficiently match protein sequences quickly and to validate recombinant protein structures-in particular, protein termini-on the level of undigested proteins.

  3. Computational analysis of sequence selection mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Meyerguz, Leonid; Grasso, Catherine; Kleinberg, Jon; Elber, Ron

    2004-04-01

    Mechanisms leading to gene variations are responsible for the diversity of species and are important components of the theory of evolution. One constraint on gene evolution is that of protein foldability; the three-dimensional shapes of proteins must be thermodynamically stable. We explore the impact of this constraint and calculate properties of foldable sequences using 3660 structures from the Protein Data Bank. We seek a selection function that receives sequences as input, and outputs survival probability based on sequence fitness to structure. We compute the number of sequences that match a particular protein structure with energy lower than the native sequence, the density of the number of sequences, the entropy, and the "selection" temperature. The mechanism of structure selection for sequences longer than 200 amino acids is approximately universal. For shorter sequences, it is not. We speculate on concrete evolutionary mechanisms that show this behavior.

  4. The myoglobin of Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): amino acid sequence and functional adaptation to extreme conditions.

    PubMed

    Tamburrini, M; Romano, M; Giardina, B; di Prisco, G

    1999-02-01

    In the framework of a study on molecular adaptations of the oxygen-transport and storage systems to extreme conditions in Antarctic marine organisms, we have investigated the structure/function relationship in Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) myoglobin, in search of correlation with the bird life style. In contrast with previous reports, the revised amino acid sequence contains one additional residue and 15 differences. The oxygen-binding parameters seem well adapted to the diving behaviour of the penguin and to the environmental conditions of the Antarctic habitat. Addition of lactate has no major effect on myoglobin oxygenation over a large temperature range. Therefore, metabolic acidosis does not impair myoglobin function under conditions of prolonged physical effort, such as diving.

  5. Identification of metal ion binding sites based on amino acid sequences.

    PubMed

    Cao, Xiaoyong; Hu, Xiuzhen; Zhang, Xiaojin; Gao, Sujuan; Ding, Changjiang; Feng, Yonge; Bao, Weihua

    2017-01-01

    The identification of metal ion binding sites is important for protein function annotation and the design of new drug molecules. This study presents an effective method of analyzing and identifying the binding residues of metal ions based solely on sequence information. Ten metal ions were extracted from the BioLip database: Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Na+, K+ and Co2+. The analysis showed that Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Co2+ were sensitive to the conservation of amino acids at binding sites, and promising results can be achieved using the Position Weight Scoring Matrix algorithm, with an accuracy of over 79.9% and a Matthews correlation coefficient of over 0.6. The binding sites of other metals can also be accurately identified using the Support Vector Machine algorithm with multifeature parameters as input. In addition, we found that Ca2+ was insensitive to hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity information and Mn2+ was insensitive to polarization charge information. An online server was constructed based on the framework of the proposed method and is freely available at http://60.31.198.140:8081/metal/HomePage/HomePage.html.

  6. Identification of metal ion binding sites based on amino acid sequences

    PubMed Central

    Cao, Xiaoyong; Zhang, Xiaojin; Gao, Sujuan; Ding, Changjiang; Feng, Yonge; Bao, Weihua

    2017-01-01

    The identification of metal ion binding sites is important for protein function annotation and the design of new drug molecules. This study presents an effective method of analyzing and identifying the binding residues of metal ions based solely on sequence information. Ten metal ions were extracted from the BioLip database: Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Na+, K+ and Co2+. The analysis showed that Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Co2+ were sensitive to the conservation of amino acids at binding sites, and promising results can be achieved using the Position Weight Scoring Matrix algorithm, with an accuracy of over 79.9% and a Matthews correlation coefficient of over 0.6. The binding sites of other metals can also be accurately identified using the Support Vector Machine algorithm with multifeature parameters as input. In addition, we found that Ca2+ was insensitive to hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity information and Mn2+ was insensitive to polarization charge information. An online server was constructed based on the framework of the proposed method and is freely available at http://60.31.198.140:8081/metal/HomePage/HomePage.html. PMID:28854211

  7. Microbial community structure in fermentation process of Shaoxing rice wine by Illumina-based metagenomic sequencing.

    PubMed

    Xie, Guangfa; Wang, Lan; Gao, Qikang; Yu, Wenjing; Hong, Xutao; Zhao, Lingyun; Zou, Huijun

    2013-09-01

    To understand the role of the community structure of microbes in the environment in the fermentation of Shaoxing rice wine, samples collected from a wine factory were subjected to Illumina-based metagenomic sequencing. De novo assembly of the sequencing reads allowed the characterisation of more than 23 thousand microbial genes derived from 1.7 and 1.88 Gbp of sequences from two samples fermented for 5 and 30 days respectively. The microbial community structure at different fermentation times of Shaoxing rice wine was revealed, showing the different roles of the microbiota in the fermentation process of Shaoxing rice wine. The gene function of both samples was also studied in the COG database, with most genes belonging to category S (function unknown), category E (amino acid transport and metabolism) and unclassified group. The results show that both the microbial community structure and gene function composition change greatly at different time points of Shaoxing rice wine fermentation. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  8. Method of Identifying a Base in a Nucleic Acid

    DOEpatents

    Fodor, Stephen P. A.; Lipshutz, Robert J.; Huang, Xiaohua

    1999-01-01

    Devices and techniques for hybridization of nucleic acids and for determining the sequence of nucleic acids. Arrays of nucleic acids are formed by techniques, preferably high resolution, light-directed techniques. Positions of hybridization of a target nucleic acid are determined by, e.g., epifluorescence microscopy. Devices and techniques are proposed to determine the sequence of a target nucleic acid more efficiently and more quickly through such synthesis and detection techniques.

  9. Detection of Mixed Infection from Bacterial Whole Genome Sequence Data Allows Assessment of Its Role in Clostridium difficile Transmission

    PubMed Central

    Eyre, David W.; Cule, Madeleine L.; Griffiths, David; Crook, Derrick W.; Peto, Tim E. A.

    2013-01-01

    Bacterial whole genome sequencing offers the prospect of rapid and high precision investigation of infectious disease outbreaks. Close genetic relationships between microorganisms isolated from different infected cases suggest transmission is a strong possibility, whereas transmission between cases with genetically distinct bacterial isolates can be excluded. However, undetected mixed infections—infection with ≥2 unrelated strains of the same species where only one is sequenced—potentially impairs exclusion of transmission with certainty, and may therefore limit the utility of this technique. We investigated the problem by developing a computationally efficient method for detecting mixed infection without the need for resource-intensive independent sequencing of multiple bacterial colonies. Given the relatively low density of single nucleotide polymorphisms within bacterial sequence data, direct reconstruction of mixed infection haplotypes from current short-read sequence data is not consistently possible. We therefore use a two-step maximum likelihood-based approach, assuming each sample contains up to two infecting strains. We jointly estimate the proportion of the infection arising from the dominant and minor strains, and the sequence divergence between these strains. In cases where mixed infection is confirmed, the dominant and minor haplotypes are then matched to a database of previously sequenced local isolates. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithm with in silico and in vitro mixed infection experiments, and apply it to transmission of an important healthcare-associated pathogen, Clostridium difficile. Using hospital ward movement data in a previously described stochastic transmission model, 15 pairs of cases enriched for likely transmission events associated with mixed infection were selected. Our method identified four previously undetected mixed infections, and a previously undetected transmission event, but no direct transmission between

  10. Amino-terminal sequence of glycoprotein D of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eisenberg, R.J.; Long, D.; Hogue-Angeletti, R.

    1984-01-01

    Glycoprotein D (gD) of herpes simplex virus is a structural component of the virion envelope which stimulates production of high titers of herpes simplex virus type-common neutralizing antibody. The authors caried out automated N-terminal amino acid sequencing studies on radiolabeled preparations of gD-1 (gD of herpes simplex virus type 1) and gD-2 (gD of herpes simplex virus type 2). Although some differences were noted, particularly in the methionine and alanine profiles for gD-1 and gD-2, the amino acid sequence of a number of the first 30 residues of the amino terminus of gD-1 and gD-2 appears to be quite similar.more » For both proteins, the first residue is a lysine. When we compared out sequence data for gD-1 with those predicted by nucleic acid sequencing, the two sequences could be aligned (with one exception) starting at residue 26 (lysine) of the predicted sequence. Thus, the first 25 amino acids of the predicted sequence are absent from the polypeptides isolated from infected cells.« less

  11. Continuously tunable nucleic acid hybridization probes.

    PubMed

    Wu, Lucia R; Wang, Juexiao Sherry; Fang, John Z; Evans, Emily R; Pinto, Alessandro; Pekker, Irena; Boykin, Richard; Ngouenet, Celine; Webster, Philippa J; Beechem, Joseph; Zhang, David Yu

    2015-12-01

    In silico-designed nucleic acid probes and primers often do not achieve favorable specificity and sensitivity tradeoffs on the first try, and iterative empirical sequence-based optimization is needed, particularly in multiplexed assays. We present a novel, on-the-fly method of tuning probe affinity and selectivity by adjusting the stoichiometry of auxiliary species, which allows for independent and decoupled adjustment of the hybridization yield for different probes in multiplexed assays. Using this method, we achieved near-continuous tuning of probe effective free energy. To demonstrate our approach, we enforced uniform capture efficiency of 31 DNA molecules (GC content, 0-100%), maximized the signal difference for 11 pairs of single-nucleotide variants and performed tunable hybrid capture of mRNA from total RNA. Using the Nanostring nCounter platform, we applied stoichiometric tuning to simultaneously adjust yields for a 24-plex assay, and we show multiplexed quantitation of RNA sequences and variants from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples.

  12. Continuously Tunable Nucleic Acid Hybridization Probes

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Lucia R.; Wang, J. Sherry; Fang, John Z.; Reiser, Emily; Pinto, Alessandro; Pekker, Irena; Boykin, Richard; Ngouenet, Celine; Webster, Philippa J.; Beechem, Joseph; Zhang, David Yu

    2015-01-01

    In silico designed nucleic acid probes and primers often fail to achieve favorable specificity and sensitivity tradeoffs on the first try, and iterative empirical sequence-based optimization is needed, particularly in multiplexed assays. Here, we present a novel, on-the-fly method of tuning probe affinity and selectivity via the stoichiometry of auxiliary species, allowing independent and decoupled adjustment of hybridization yield for different probes in multiplexed assays. Using this method, we achieve near-continuous tuning of probe effective free energy (0.03 kcal·mol−1 granularity). As applications, we enforced uniform capture efficiency of 31 DNA molecules (GC content 0% – 100%), maximized signal difference for 11 pairs of single nucleotide variants, and performed tunable hybrid-capture of mRNA from total RNA. Using the Nanostring nCounter platform, we applied stoichiometric tuning to simultaneously adjust yields for a 24-plex assay, and we show multiplexed quantitation of RNA sequences and variants from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples (FFPE). PMID:26480474

  13. Molecular beacon sequence design algorithm.

    PubMed

    Monroe, W Todd; Haselton, Frederick R

    2003-01-01

    A method based on Web-based tools is presented to design optimally functioning molecular beacons. Molecular beacons, fluorogenic hybridization probes, are a powerful tool for the rapid and specific detection of a particular nucleic acid sequence. However, their synthesis costs can be considerable. Since molecular beacon performance is based on its sequence, it is imperative to rationally design an optimal sequence before synthesis. The algorithm presented here uses simple Microsoft Excel formulas and macros to rank candidate sequences. This analysis is carried out using mfold structural predictions along with other free Web-based tools. For smaller laboratories where molecular beacons are not the focus of research, the public domain algorithm described here may be usefully employed to aid in molecular beacon design.

  14. CDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence

    DOEpatents

    Raikhel, Natasha V.; Broekaert, Willem F.; Chua, Nam-Hai; Kush, Anil

    1995-03-21

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74-79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli.

  15. Pulse Sequence Programming in a Dynamic Visual Environment: SequenceTree

    PubMed Central

    Magland, Jeremy F.; Li, Cheng; Langham, Michael C.; Wehrli, Felix W.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To describe SequenceTree (ST), an open source. integrated software environment for implementing MRI pulse sequences, and ideally exported them to actual MRI scanners. The software is a user-friendly alternative to vendor-supplied pulse sequence design and editing tools and is suited for non-programmers and programmers alike. Methods The integrated user interface was programmed using the Qt4/C++ toolkit. As parameters and code are modified, the pulse sequence diagram is automatically updated within the user interface. Several aspects of pulse programming are handled automatically allowing users to focus on higher-level aspects of sequence design. Sequences can be simulated using a built-in Bloch equation solver and then exported for use on a Siemens MRI scanner. Ideally other types of scanners will be supported in the future. Results The software has been used for eight years in the authors’ laboratory and elsewhere and has been utilized in more than fifty peer-reviewed publications in areas such as cardiovascular imaging, solid state and non-proton NMR, MR elastography, and high resolution structural imaging. Conclusion ST is an innovative, open source, visual pulse sequence environment for MRI combining simplicity with flexibility and is ideal for both advanced users and those with limited programming experience. PMID:25754837

  16. Characterization of tannase protein sequences of bacteria and fungi: an in silico study.

    PubMed

    Banerjee, Amrita; Jana, Arijit; Pati, Bikash R; Mondal, Keshab C; Das Mohapatra, Pradeep K

    2012-04-01

    The tannase protein sequences of 149 bacteria and 36 fungi were retrieved from NCBI database. Among them only 77 bacterial and 31 fungal tannase sequences were taken which have different amino acid compositions. These sequences were analysed for different physical and chemical properties, superfamily search, multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree construction and motif finding to find out the functional motif and the evolutionary relationship among them. The superfamily search for these tannase exposed the occurrence of proline iminopeptidase-like, biotin biosynthesis protein BioH, O-acetyltransferase, carboxylesterase/thioesterase 1, carbon-carbon bond hydrolase, haloperoxidase, prolyl oligopeptidase, C-terminal domain and mycobacterial antigens families and alpha/beta hydrolase superfamily. Some bacterial and fungal sequence showed similarity with different families individually. The multiple sequence alignment of these tannase protein sequences showed conserved regions at different stretches with maximum homology from amino acid residues 389-469 and 482-523 which could be used for designing degenerate primers or probes specific for tannase producing bacterial and fungal species. Phylogenetic tree showed two different clusters; one has only bacteria and another have both fungi and bacteria showing some relationship between these different genera. Although in second cluster near about all fungal species were found together in a corner which indicates the sequence level similarity among fungal genera. The distributions of fourteen motifs analysis revealed Motif 1 with a signature amino acid sequence of 29 amino acids, i.e. GCSTGGREALKQAQRWPHDYDGIIANNPA, was uniformly observed in 83.3 % of studied tannase sequences representing its participation with the structure and enzymatic function.

  17. Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus saerimneri 30a (Formerly Lactobacillus sp. Strain 30a), a Reference Lactic Acid Bacterium Strain Producing Biogenic Amines

    PubMed Central

    Romano, Andrea; Trip, Hein; Campbell-Sills, Hugo; Bouchez, Olivier; Sherman, David; Lolkema, Juke S.

    2013-01-01

    Lactobacillus sp. strain 30a (Lactobacillus saerimneri) produces the biogenic amines histamine, putrescine, and cadaverine by decarboxylating their amino acid precursors. We report its draft genome sequence (1,634,278 bases, 42.6% G+C content) and the principal findings from its annotation, which might shed light onto the enzymatic machineries that are involved in its production of biogenic amines. PMID:23405290

  18. Species specific identification of spore-producing microbes using the gene sequence of small acid-soluble spore coat proteins for amplification based diagnostics

    DOEpatents

    McKinney, Nancy

    2002-01-01

    PCR (polymerase chain reaction) primers for the detection of certain Bacillus species, such as Bacillus anthracis. The primers specifically amplify only DNA found in the target species and can distinguish closely related species. Species-specific PCR primers for Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus globigii and Clostridium perfringens are disclosed. The primers are directed to unique sequences within sasp (small acid soluble protein) genes.

  19. Application of 2D graphic representation of protein sequence based on Huffman tree method.

    PubMed

    Qi, Zhao-Hui; Feng, Jun; Qi, Xiao-Qin; Li, Ling

    2012-05-01

    Based on Huffman tree method, we propose a new 2D graphic representation of protein sequence. This representation can completely avoid loss of information in the transfer of data from a protein sequence to its graphic representation. The method consists of two parts. One is about the 0-1 codes of 20 amino acids by Huffman tree with amino acid frequency. The amino acid frequency is defined as the statistical number of an amino acid in the analyzed protein sequences. The other is about the 2D graphic representation of protein sequence based on the 0-1 codes. Then the applications of the method on ten ND5 genes and seven Escherichia coli strains are presented in detail. The results show that the proposed model may provide us with some new sights to understand the evolution patterns determined from protein sequences and complete genomes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. GASP: Gapped Ancestral Sequence Prediction for proteins

    PubMed Central

    Edwards, Richard J; Shields, Denis C

    2004-01-01

    Background The prediction of ancestral protein sequences from multiple sequence alignments is useful for many bioinformatics analyses. Predicting ancestral sequences is not a simple procedure and relies on accurate alignments and phylogenies. Several algorithms exist based on Maximum Parsimony or Maximum Likelihood methods but many current implementations are unable to process residues with gaps, which may represent insertion/deletion (indel) events or sequence fragments. Results Here we present a new algorithm, GASP (Gapped Ancestral Sequence Prediction), for predicting ancestral sequences from phylogenetic trees and the corresponding multiple sequence alignments. Alignments may be of any size and contain gaps. GASP first assigns the positions of gaps in the phylogeny before using a likelihood-based approach centred on amino acid substitution matrices to assign ancestral amino acids. Important outgroup information is used by first working down from the tips of the tree to the root, using descendant data only to assign probabilities, and then working back up from the root to the tips using descendant and outgroup data to make predictions. GASP was tested on a number of simulated datasets based on real phylogenies. Prediction accuracy for ungapped data was similar to three alternative algorithms tested, with GASP performing better in some cases and worse in others. Adding simple insertions and deletions to the simulated data did not have a detrimental effect on GASP accuracy. Conclusions GASP (Gapped Ancestral Sequence Prediction) will predict ancestral sequences from multiple protein alignments of any size. Although not as accurate in all cases as some of the more sophisticated maximum likelihood approaches, it can process a wide range of input phylogenies and will predict ancestral sequences for gapped and ungapped residues alike. PMID:15350199

  1. Comparative analysis of the prion protein gene sequences in African lion.

    PubMed

    Wu, Chang-De; Pang, Wan-Yong; Zhao, De-Ming

    2006-10-01

    The prion protein gene of African lion (Panthera Leo) was first cloned and polymorphisms screened. The results suggest that the prion protein gene of eight African lions is highly homogenous. The amino acid sequences of the prion protein (PrP) of all samples tested were identical. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (C42T, C81A, C420T, T600C) in the prion protein gene (Prnp) of African lion were found, but no amino acid substitutions. Sequence analysis showed that the higher homology is observed to felis catus AF003087 (96.7%) and to sheep number M31313.1 (96.2%) Genbank accessed. With respect to all the mammalian prion protein sequences compared, the African lion prion protein sequence has three amino acid substitutions. The homology might in turn affect the potential intermolecular interactions critical for cross species transmission of prion disease.

  2. Structure and Sequence Search on Aptamer-Protein Docking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Jiajie; Bonin, Keith; Guthold, Martin; Salsbury, Freddie

    2015-03-01

    Interactions between proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) play a significant role in the living systems, especially through gene regulation. However, short nucleic acids sequences (aptamers) with specific binding affinity to specific proteins exhibit clinical potential as therapeutics. Our capillary and gel electrophoresis selection experiments show that specific sequences of aptamers can be selected that bind specific proteins. Computationally, given the experimentally-determined structure and sequence of a thrombin-binding aptamer, we can successfully dock the aptamer onto thrombin in agreement with experimental structures of the complex. In order to further study the conformational flexibility of this thrombin-binding aptamer and to potentially develop a predictive computational model of aptamer-binding, we use GPU-enabled molecular dynamics simulations to both examine the conformational flexibility of the aptamer in the absence of binding to thrombin, and to determine our ability to fold an aptamer. This study should help further de-novo predictions of aptamer sequences by enabling the study of structural and sequence-dependent effects on aptamer-protein docking specificity.

  3. Sequence signatures of allosteric proteins towards rational design.

    PubMed

    Namboodiri, Saritha; Verma, Chandra; Dhar, Pawan K; Giuliani, Alessandro; Nair, Achuthsankar S

    2010-12-01

    Allostery is the phenomenon of changes in the structure and activity of proteins that appear as a consequence of ligand binding at sites other than the active site. Studying mechanistic basis of allostery leading to protein design with predetermined functional endpoints is an important unmet need of synthetic biology. Here, we screened the amino acid sequence landscape in search of sequence-signatures of allostery using Recurrence Quantitative Analysis (RQA) method. A characteristic vector, comprised of 10 features extracted from RQA was defined for amino acid sequences. Using Principal Component Analysis, four factors were found to be important determinants of allosteric behavior. Our sequence-based predictor method shows 82.6% accuracy, 85.7% sensitivity and 77.9% specificity with the current dataset. Further, we show that Laminarity-Mean-hydrophobicity representing repeated hydrophobic patches is the most crucial indicator of allostery. To our best knowledge this is the first report that describes sequence determinants of allostery based on hydrophobicity. As an outcome of these findings, we plan to explore possibility of inducing allostery in proteins.

  4. Sequence independent amplification of DNA

    DOEpatents

    Bohlander, S.K.

    1998-03-24

    The present invention is a rapid sequence-independent amplification procedure (SIA). Even minute amounts of DNA from various sources can be amplified independent of any sequence requirements of the DNA or any a priori knowledge of any sequence characteristics of the DNA to be amplified. This method allows, for example, the sequence independent amplification of microdissected chromosomal material and the reliable construction of high quality fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) probes from YACs or from other sources. These probes can be used to localize YACs on metaphase chromosomes but also--with high efficiency--in interphase nuclei. 25 figs.

  5. Sequence independent amplification of DNA

    DOEpatents

    Bohlander, Stefan K.

    1998-01-01

    The present invention is a rapid sequence-independent amplification procedure (SIA). Even minute amounts of DNA from various sources can be amplified independent of any sequence requirements of the DNA or any a priori knowledge of any sequence characteristics of the DNA to be amplified. This method allows, for example the sequence independent amplification of microdissected chromosomal material and the reliable construction of high quality fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) probes from YACs or from other sources. These probes can be used to localize YACs on metaphase chromosomes but also--with high efficiency--in interphase nuclei.

  6. Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis of Bombella intestini LMG 28161T, a Novel Acetic Acid Bacterium Isolated from the Crop of a Red-Tailed Bumble Bee, Bombus lapidarius.

    PubMed

    Li, Leilei; Illeghems, Koen; Van Kerrebroeck, Simon; Borremans, Wim; Cleenwerck, Ilse; Smagghe, Guy; De Vuyst, Luc; Vandamme, Peter

    2016-01-01

    The whole-genome sequence of Bombella intestini LMG 28161T, an endosymbiotic acetic acid bacterium (AAB) occurring in bumble bees, was determined to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying its metabolic capabilities. The draft genome sequence of B. intestini LMG 28161T was 2.02 Mb. Metabolic carbohydrate pathways were in agreement with the metabolite analyses of fermentation experiments and revealed its oxidative capacity towards sucrose, D-glucose, D-fructose and D-mannitol, but not ethanol and glycerol. The results of the fermentation experiments also demonstrated that the lack of effective aeration in small-scale carbohydrate consumption experiments may be responsible for the lack of reproducibility of such results in taxonomic studies of AAB. Finally, compared to the genome sequences of its nearest phylogenetic neighbor and of three other insect associated AAB strains, the B. intestini LMG 28161T genome lost 69 orthologs and included 89 unique genes. Although many of the latter were hypothetical they also included several type IV secretion system proteins, amino acid transporter/permeases and membrane proteins which might play a role in the interaction with the bumble bee host.

  7. Reference System of DNA and Protein Sequences on CD-ROM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nasu, Hisanori; Ito, Toshiaki

    DNASIS-DBREF31 is a database for DNA and Protein sequences in the form of optical Compact Disk (CD) ROM, developed and commercialized by Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. Both nucleic acid base sequences and protein amino acid sequences can be retrieved from a single CD-ROM. Existing database is offered in the form of on-line service, floppy disks, or magnetic tape, all of which have some problems or other, such as usability or storage capacity. DNASIS-DBREF31 newly adopt a CD-ROM as a database device to realize a mass storage and personal use of the database.

  8. Spreadsheet macros for coloring sequence alignments.

    PubMed

    Haygood, M G

    1993-12-01

    This article describes a set of Microsoft Excel macros designed to color amino acid and nucleotide sequence alignments for review and preparation of visual aids. The colored alignments can then be modified to emphasize features of interest. Procedures for importing and coloring sequences are described. The macro file adds a new menu to the menu bar containing sequence-related commands to enable users unfamiliar with Excel to use the macros more readily. The macros were designed for use with Macintosh computers but will also run with the DOS version of Excel.

  9. Importance of databases of nucleic acids for bioinformatic analysis focused to genomics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jimenez-Gutierrez, L. R.; Barrios-Hernández, C. J.; Pedraza-Ferreira, G. R.; Vera-Cala, L.; Martinez-Perez, F.

    2016-08-01

    Recently, bioinformatics has become a new field of science, indispensable in the analysis of millions of nucleic acids sequences, which are currently deposited in international databases (public or private); these databases contain information of genes, RNA, ORF, proteins, intergenic regions, including entire genomes from some species. The analysis of this information requires computer programs; which were renewed in the use of new mathematical methods, and the introduction of the use of artificial intelligence. In addition to the constant creation of supercomputing units trained to withstand the heavy workload of sequence analysis. However, it is still necessary the innovation on platforms that allow genomic analyses, faster and more effectively, with a technological understanding of all biological processes.

  10. PepLine: a software pipeline for high-throughput direct mapping of tandem mass spectrometry data on genomic sequences.

    PubMed

    Ferro, Myriam; Tardif, Marianne; Reguer, Erwan; Cahuzac, Romain; Bruley, Christophe; Vermat, Thierry; Nugues, Estelle; Vigouroux, Marielle; Vandenbrouck, Yves; Garin, Jérôme; Viari, Alain

    2008-05-01

    PepLine is a fully automated software which maps MS/MS fragmentation spectra of trypsic peptides to genomic DNA sequences. The approach is based on Peptide Sequence Tags (PSTs) obtained from partial interpretation of QTOF MS/MS spectra (first module). PSTs are then mapped on the six-frame translations of genomic sequences (second module) giving hits. Hits are then clustered to detect potential coding regions (third module). Our work aimed at optimizing the algorithms of each component to allow the whole pipeline to proceed in a fully automated manner using raw nucleic acid sequences (i.e., genomes that have not been "reduced" to a database of ORFs or putative exons sequences). The whole pipeline was tested on controlled MS/MS spectra sets from standard proteins and from Arabidopsis thaliana envelope chloroplast samples. Our results demonstrate that PepLine competed with protein database searching softwares and was fast enough to potentially tackle large data sets and/or high size genomes. We also illustrate the potential of this approach for the detection of the intron/exon structure of genes.

  11. An In Vitro Translation, Selection, and Amplification System for Peptide Nucleic Acids

    PubMed Central

    Brudno, Yevgeny; Birnbaum, Michael E.; Kleiner, Ralph E.; Liu, David R.

    2009-01-01

    Methods to evolve synthetic, rather than biological, polymers could significantly expand the functional potential of polymers that emerge from in vitro evolution. Requirements for synthetic polymer evolution include: (i) sequence-specific polymerization of synthetic building blocks on an amplifiable template; (ii) display of the newly translated polymer strand in a manner that allows it to adopt folded structures; (iii) selection of synthetic polymer libraries for desired binding or catalytic properties; and (iv) amplification of template sequences surviving selection in a manner that allows subsequent translation. Here we report the development of such a system for peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) using a set of twelve PNA pentamer building blocks. We validated the system by performing six iterated cycles of translation, selection, and amplification on a library of 4.3 × 108 PNA-encoding DNA templates and observed >1,000,000-fold overall enrichment of a template encoding a biotinylated (streptavidin-binding) PNA. These results collectively provide an experimental foundation for PNA evolution in the laboratory. PMID:20081830

  12. Lactic acid production from potato peel waste by anaerobic sequencing batch fermentation using undefined mixed culture.

    PubMed

    Liang, Shaobo; McDonald, Armando G; Coats, Erik R

    2015-11-01

    Lactic acid (LA) is a necessary industrial feedstock for producing the bioplastic, polylactic acid (PLA), which is currently produced by pure culture fermentation of food carbohydrates. This work presents an alternative to produce LA from potato peel waste (PPW) by anaerobic fermentation in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) inoculated with undefined mixed culture from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. A statistical design of experiments approach was employed using set of 0.8L SBRs using gelatinized PPW at a solids content range from 30 to 50 g L(-1), solids retention time of 2-4 days for yield and productivity optimization. The maximum LA production yield of 0.25 g g(-1) PPW and highest productivity of 125 mg g(-1) d(-1) were achieved. A scale-up SBR trial using neat gelatinized PPW (at 80 g L(-1) solids content) at the 3 L scale was employed and the highest LA yield of 0.14 g g(-1) PPW and a productivity of 138 mg g(-1) d(-1) were achieved with a 1 d SRT. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Evolutionary relationships in the ilarviruses: nucleotide sequence of prunus necrotic ringspot virus RNA 3.

    PubMed

    Sánchez-Navarro, J A; Pallás, V

    1997-01-01

    The complete nucleotide sequence of an isolate of prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) RNA 3 has been determined. Elucidation of the amino acid sequence of the proteins encoded by the two large open reading frames (ORFs) allowed us to carry out comparative and phylogenetic studies on the movement (MP) and coat (CP) proteins in the ilarvirus group. Amino acid sequence comparison of the MP revealed a highly conserved basic sequence motif with an amphipathic alpha-helical structure preceding the conserved motif of the '30K superfamily' proposed by Mushegian and Koonin [26] for MP's. Within this '30K' motif a strictly conserved transmembrane domain is present in all ilarviruses sequenced so far. At the amino-terminal end, prune dwarf virus (PDV) has an extension not present in other ilarviruses but which is observed in all bromo- and cucumoviruses, suggesting a common ancestor or a recombinational event in the Bromoviridae family. Examination of the N-terminus of the CP's of all ilarviruses revealed a highly basic region, part of which resembles the Arg-rich motif that has been characterized in the RNA-binding protein family. This motif has also been found in the other members of the Bromoviridae family, suggesting its involvement in a structural function. Furthermore this region is required for infectivity in ilarviruses. The similarities found in this Arg-rich motif are discussed in terms of this process known as genome activation. Finally, phylogenetic analysis of both the MP and CP proteins revealed a higher relationship of A1MV to PNRSV, apple mosaic virus (ApMV) and PDV than any other member of the ilarvirus group. In that sense, A1MV should be considered as a true ilarvirus instead of forming a distinct group of viruses.

  14. Molecular Recognition and Structural Influences on Function in Bio-nanosystems of Nucleic Acids and Proteins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sethaphong, Latsavongsakda

    This work examines smart material properties of rational self-assembly and molecular recognition found in nano-biosystems. Exploiting the sequence and structural information encoded within nucleic acids and proteins will permit programmed synthesis of nanomaterials and help create molecular machines that may carry out new roles involving chemical catalysis and bioenergy. Responsive to different ionic environments thru self-reorgnization, nucleic acids (NA) are nature's signature smart material; organisms such as viruses and bacteria use features of NAs to react to their environment and orchestrate their lifecycle. Furthermore, nucleic acid systems (both RNA and DNA) are currently exploited as scaffolds; recent applications have been showcased to build bioelectronics and biotemplated nanostructures via directed assembly of multidimensional nanoelectronic devices 1. Since the most stable and rudimentary structure of nucleic acids is the helical duplex, these were modeled in order to examine the influence of the microenvironment, sequence, and cation-dependent perturbations of their canonical forms. Due to their negatively charged phosphate backbone, NA's rely on counterions to overcome the inherent repulsive forces that arise from the assembly of two complementary strands. As a realistic model system, we chose the HIV-TAR helix (PDB ID: 397D) to study specific sequence motifs on cation sequestration. At physiologically relevant concentrations of sodium and potassium ions, we observed sequence based effects where purine stretches were adept in retaining high residency cations. The transitional space between adenine and guanosine nucleotides (ApG step) in a sequence proved the most favorable. This work was the first to directly show these subtle interactions of sequence based cationic sequestration and may be useful for controlling metallization of nucleic acids in conductive nanowires. Extending the study further, we explored the degree to which the structure of NA

  15. Protein-Protein Interactions Prediction Using a Novel Local Conjoint Triad Descriptor of Amino Acid Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Long; Jia, Lianyin; Ren, Yazhou

    2017-01-01

    Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play crucial roles in almost all cellular processes. Although a large amount of PPIs have been verified by high-throughput techniques in the past decades, currently known PPIs pairs are still far from complete. Furthermore, the wet-lab experiments based techniques for detecting PPIs are time-consuming and expensive. Hence, it is urgent and essential to develop automatic computational methods to efficiently and accurately predict PPIs. In this paper, a sequence-based approach called DNN-LCTD is developed by combining deep neural networks (DNNs) and a novel local conjoint triad description (LCTD) feature representation. LCTD incorporates the advantage of local description and conjoint triad, thus, it is capable to account for the interactions between residues in both continuous and discontinuous regions of amino acid sequences. DNNs can not only learn suitable features from the data by themselves, but also learn and discover hierarchical representations of data. When performing on the PPIs data of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, DNN-LCTD achieves superior performance with accuracy as 93.12%, precision as 93.75%, sensitivity as 93.83%, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as 97.92%, and it only needs 718 s. These results indicate DNN-LCTD is very promising for predicting PPIs. DNN-LCTD can be a useful supplementary tool for future proteomics study. PMID:29117139

  16. Protein-Protein Interactions Prediction Using a Novel Local Conjoint Triad Descriptor of Amino Acid Sequences.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jun; Zhang, Long; Jia, Lianyin; Ren, Yazhou; Yu, Guoxian

    2017-11-08

    Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play crucial roles in almost all cellular processes. Although a large amount of PPIs have been verified by high-throughput techniques in the past decades, currently known PPIs pairs are still far from complete. Furthermore, the wet-lab experiments based techniques for detecting PPIs are time-consuming and expensive. Hence, it is urgent and essential to develop automatic computational methods to efficiently and accurately predict PPIs. In this paper, a sequence-based approach called DNN-LCTD is developed by combining deep neural networks (DNNs) and a novel local conjoint triad description (LCTD) feature representation. LCTD incorporates the advantage of local description and conjoint triad, thus, it is capable to account for the interactions between residues in both continuous and discontinuous regions of amino acid sequences. DNNs can not only learn suitable features from the data by themselves, but also learn and discover hierarchical representations of data. When performing on the PPIs data of Saccharomyces cerevisiae , DNN-LCTD achieves superior performance with accuracy as 93.12%, precision as 93.75%, sensitivity as 93.83%, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as 97.92%, and it only needs 718 s. These results indicate DNN-LCTD is very promising for predicting PPIs. DNN-LCTD can be a useful supplementary tool for future proteomics study.

  17. BONSAI Garden: Parallel knowledge discovery system for amino acid sequences

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shoudai, T.; Miyano, S.; Shinohara, A.

    1995-12-31

    We have developed a machine discovery system BON-SAI which receives positive and negative examples as inputs and produces as a hypothesis a pair of a decision tree over regular patterns and an alphabet indexing. This system has succeeded in discovering reasonable knowledge on transmembrane domain sequences and signal peptide sequences by computer experiments. However, when several kinds of sequences axe mixed in the data, it does not seem reasonable for a single BONSAI system to find a hypothesis of a reasonably small size with high accuracy. For this purpose, we have designed a system BONSAI Garden, in which several BONSAI`smore » and a program called Gardener run over a network in parallel, to partition the data into some number of classes together with hypotheses explaining these classes accurately.« less

  18. Sequence Bundles: a novel method for visualising, discovering and exploring sequence motifs

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background We introduce Sequence Bundles--a novel data visualisation method for representing multiple sequence alignments (MSAs). We identify and address key limitations of the existing bioinformatics data visualisation methods (i.e. the Sequence Logo) by enabling Sequence Bundles to give salient visual expression to sequence motifs and other data features, which would otherwise remain hidden. Methods For the development of Sequence Bundles we employed research-led information design methodologies. Sequences are encoded as uninterrupted, semi-opaque lines plotted on a 2-dimensional reconfigurable grid. Each line represents a single sequence. The thickness and opacity of the stack at each residue in each position indicates the level of conservation and the lines' curved paths expose patterns in correlation and functionality. Several MSAs can be visualised in a composite image. The Sequence Bundles method is designed to favour a tangible, continuous and intuitive display of information. Results We have developed a software demonstration application for generating a Sequence Bundles visualisation of MSAs provided for the BioVis 2013 redesign contest. A subsequent exploration of the visualised line patterns allowed for the discovery of a number of interesting features in the dataset. Reported features include the extreme conservation of sequences displaying a specific residue and bifurcations of the consensus sequence. Conclusions Sequence Bundles is a novel method for visualisation of MSAs and the discovery of sequence motifs. It can aid in generating new insight and hypothesis making. Sequence Bundles is well disposed for future implementation as an interactive visual analytics software, which can complement existing visualisation tools. PMID:25237395

  19. Generation of sequence signatures from DNA amplification fingerprints with mini-hairpin and microsatellite primers.

    PubMed

    Caetano-Anollés, G; Gresshoff, P M

    1996-06-01

    DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) with mini-hairpins harboring arbitrary "core" sequences at their 3' termini were used to fingerprint a variety of templates, including PCR products and whole genomes, to establish genetic relationships between plant tax at the interspecific and intraspecific level, and to identify closely related fungal isolates and plant accessions. No correlation was observed between the sequence of the arbitrary core, the stability of the mini-hairpin structure and DAF efficiency. Mini-hairpin primers with short arbitrary cores and primers complementary to simple sequence repeats present in microsatellites were also used to generate arbitrary signatures from amplification profiles (ASAP). The ASAP strategy is a dual-step amplification procedure that uses at least one primer in each fingerprinting stage. ASAP was able to reproducibly amplify DAF products (representing about 10-15 kb of sequence) following careful optimization of amplification parameters such as primer and template concentration. Avoidance of primer sequences partially complementary to DAF product termini was necessary in order to produce distinct fingerprints. This allowed the combinatorial use of oligomers in nucleic acid screening, with numerous ASAP fingerprinting reactions based on a limited number of primer sequences. Mini-hairpin primers and ASAP analysis significantly increased detection of polymorphic DNA, separating closely related bermudagrass (Cynodon) cultivars and detecting putatively linked markers in bulked segregant analysis of the soybean (Glycine max) supernodulation (nitrate-tolerant symbiosis) locus.

  20. Thiamine pyrophosphokinase deficiency causes a Leigh Disease like phenotype in a sibling pair: identification through whole exome sequencing and management strategies.

    PubMed

    Fraser, Jamie L; Vanderver, Adeline; Yang, Sandra; Chang, Taeun; Cramp, Laura; Vezina, Gilbert; Lichter-Konecki, Uta; Cusmano-Ozog, Kristina P; Smpokou, Patroula; Chapman, Kimberly A; Zand, Dina J

    2014-01-01

    We present a sibling pair with Leigh-like disease, progressive hypotonia, regression, and chronic encephalopathy. Whole exome sequencing in the younger sibling demonstrated a homozygous thiamine pyrophosphokinase (TPK) mutation. Initiation of high dose thiamine, niacin, biotin, α-lipoic acid and ketogenic diet in this child demonstrated improvement in neurologic function and re-attainment of previously lost milestones. The diagnosis of TPK deficiency was difficult due to inconsistent biochemical and diagnostic parameters, rapidity of clinical demise and would not have been made in a timely manner without the use of whole exome sequencing. Molecular diagnosis allowed for attempt at dietary modification with cofactor supplementation which resulted in an improved clinical course.

  1. Study of nucleic acid-gold nanorod interactions and detecting nucleic acid hybridization using gold nanorod solutions in the presence of sodium citrate.

    PubMed

    Kanjanawarut, Roejarek; Su, Xiaodi

    2010-09-01

    In this study, the authors report that sodium citrate can aggregate hexadecyl-trimethyl-ammonium ion(+)-coated gold nanorods (AuNRs), and nucleic acids of different charge and structure properties, i.e., single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), single-stranded peptide nucleic acid (PNA), and PNA-DNA complex, can bind to the AuNRs and therefore retard the sodium citrate-induced aggregation to different extents. The discovery that hybridized dsDNA (and the PNA-DNA complex) has a more pronounced protection effect than ssDNA (and PNA) allows the authors to develop a homogeneous phase AuNRs-based UV-visible (UV-vis) spectral assay for detecting specific sequences of oligonucleotides (20 mer) with a single-base-mismatch selectivity and a limit of detection of 5 nM. This assay involves no tedious bioconjugation and on-particle hybridization. The simple "set and test" format allows for a highly efficient hybridization in a homogeneous phase and a rapid display of the results in less than a minute. By measuring the degree of reduction in AuNR aggregation in the presence of different nucleic acid samples, one can assess how different nucleic acids interact with the AuNRs to complement the knowledge of spherical gold nanoparticles. Besides UV-vis characterization, transmission electron microscopy and zeta potential measurements were conduced to provide visual evidence of the particle aggregation and to support the discussion of the assay principle.

  2. Opsin cDNA sequences of a UV and green rhodopsin of the satyrine butterfly Bicyclus anynana.

    PubMed

    Vanhoutte, K J A; Eggen, B J L; Janssen, J J M; Stavenga, D G

    2002-11-01

    The cDNAs of an ultraviolet (UV) and long-wavelength (LW) (green) absorbing rhodopsin of the bush brown Bicyclus anynana were partially identified. The UV sequence, encoding 377 amino acids, is 76-79% identical to the UV sequences of the papilionids Papilio glaucus and Papilio xuthus and the moth Manduca sexta. A dendrogram derived from aligning the amino acid sequences reveals an equidistant position of Bicyclus between Papilio and Manduca. The sequence of the green opsin cDNA fragment, which encodes 242 amino acids, represents six of the seven transmembrane regions. At the amino acid level, this fragment is more than 80% identical to the corresponding LW opsin sequences of Dryas, Heliconius, Papilio (rhodopsin 2) and Manduca. Whereas three LW absorbing rhodopsins were identified in the papilionid butterflies, only one green opsin was found in B. anynana.

  3. The cDNA-derived amino acid sequence of hemoglobin II from Lucina pectinata.

    PubMed

    Torres-Mercado, Elineth; Renta, Jessicca Y; Rodríguez, Yolanda; López-Garriga, Juan; Cadilla, Carmen L

    2003-11-01

    Hemoglobin II from the clam Lucina pectinata is an oxygen-reactive protein with a unique structural organization in the heme pocket involving residues Gln65 (E7), Tyr30 (B10), Phe44 (CD1), and Phe69 (E11). We employed the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and methods to synthesize various cDNA(HbII). An initial 300-bp cDNA clone was amplified from total RNA by RT-PCR using degenerate oligonucleotides. Gene-specific primers derived from the HbII-partial cDNA sequence were used to obtain the 5' and 3' ends of the cDNA by RACE. The length of the HbII cDNA, estimated from overlapping clones, was approximately 2114 bases. Northern blot analysis revealed that the mRNA size of HbII agrees with the estimated size using cDNA data. The coding region of the full-length HbII cDNA codes for 151 amino acids. The calculated molecular weight of HbII, including the heme group and acetylated N-terminal residue, is 17,654.07 Da.

  4. A defined medium for Leishmania culture allows definition of essential amino acids.

    PubMed

    Nayak, Archana; Akpunarlieva, Snezhana; Barrett, Michael; Burchmore, Richard

    2018-02-01

    Axenic culture of Leishmania is generally performed in rich, serum-supplemented media which sustain robust growth over multiple passages. The use of such undefined media, however, obscures proteomic analyses and confounds the study of metabolism. We have established a simple, defined culture medium that supports the sustained growth of promastigotes over multiple passages and which yields parasites that have similar infectivity to macrophages to parasites grown in a conventional semi-defined medium. We have exploited this medium to investigate the amino acid requirements of promastigotes in culture and have found that phenylalanine, tryptophan, arginine, leucine, lysine and valine are essential for viability in culture. Most of the 20 proteogenic amino acids promote growth of Leishmania promastigotes, with the exception of alanine, asparagine, and glycine. This defined medium will be useful for further studies of promastigote substrate requirements, and will facilitate future proteomic and metabolomic analyses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. ProfileGrids: a sequence alignment visualization paradigm that avoids the limitations of Sequence Logos.

    PubMed

    Roca, Alberto I

    2014-01-01

    The 2013 BioVis Contest provided an opportunity to evaluate different paradigms for visualizing protein multiple sequence alignments. Such data sets are becoming extremely large and thus taxing current visualization paradigms. Sequence Logos represent consensus sequences but have limitations for protein alignments. As an alternative, ProfileGrids are a new protein sequence alignment visualization paradigm that represents an alignment as a color-coded matrix of the residue frequency occurring at every homologous position in the aligned protein family. The JProfileGrid software program was used to analyze the BioVis contest data sets to generate figures for comparison with the Sequence Logo reference images. The ProfileGrid representation allows for the clear and effective analysis of protein multiple sequence alignments. This includes both a general overview of the conservation and diversity sequence patterns as well as the interactive ability to query the details of the protein residue distributions in the alignment. The JProfileGrid software is free and available from http://www.ProfileGrid.org.

  6. Probe kit for identifying a base in a nucleic acid

    DOEpatents

    Fodor, Stephen P. A.; Lipshutz, Robert J.; Huang, Xiaohua

    2001-01-01

    Devices and techniques for hybridization of nucleic acids and for determining the sequence of nucleic acids. Arrays of nucleic acids are formed by techniques, preferably high resolution, light-directed techniques. Positions of hybridization of a target nucleic acid are determined by, e.g., epifluorescence microscopy. Devices and techniques are proposed to determine the sequence of a target nucleic acid more efficiently and more quickly through such synthesis and detection techniques.

  7. Variability of the protein sequences of lcrV between epidemic and atypical rhamnose-positive strains of Yersinia pestis.

    PubMed

    Anisimov, Andrey P; Panfertsev, Evgeniy A; Svetoch, Tat'yana E; Dentovskaya, Svetlana V

    2007-01-01

    Sequencing of lcrV genes and comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences from ten Y. pestis strains belonging mostly to the group of atypical rhamnose-positive isolates (non-pestis subspecies or pestoides group) showed that the LcrV proteins analyzed could be classified into five sequence types. This classification was based on major amino acid polymorphisms among LcrV proteins in the four "hot points" of the protein sequences. Some additional minor polymorphisms were found throughout these sequence types. The "hot points" corresponded to amino acids 18 (Lys --> Asn), 72 (Lys --> Arg), 273 (Cys --> Ser), and 324-326 (Ser-Gly-Lys --> Arg) in the LcrV sequence of the reference Y. pestis strain CO92. One possible explanation for polymorphism in amino acid sequences of LcrV among different strains is that strain-specific variation resulted from adaptation of the plague pathogen to different rodent and lagomorph hosts.

  8. An endogenous factor enhances ferulic acid decarboxylation catalyzed by phenolic acid decarboxylase from Candida guilliermondii

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    The gene for a eukaryotic phenolic acid decarboxylase of Candida guilliermondii was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli for the first time. The structural gene contained an open reading frame of 504 bp, corresponding to 168 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 19,828 Da. The deduced amino sequence exhibited low similarity to those of functional phenolic acid decarboxylases previously reported from bacteria with 25-39% identity and to those of PAD1 and FDC1 proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae with less than 14% identity. The C. guilliermondii phenolic acid decarboxylase converted the main substrates ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid to the respective corresponding products. Surprisingly, the ultrafiltrate (Mr 10,000-cut-off) of the cell-free extract of C. guilliermondii remarkably activated the ferulic acid decarboxylation by the purified enzyme, whereas it was almost without effect on the p-coumaric acid decarboxylation. Gel-filtration chromatography of the ultrafiltrate suggested that an endogenous amino thiol-like compound with a molecular weight greater than Mr 1,400 was responsible for the activation. PMID:22217315

  9. Nucleotide sequences of Japanese isolates of citrus vein enation virus.

    PubMed

    Nakazono-Nagaoka, Eiko; Fujikawa, Takashi; Iwanami, Toru

    2017-03-01

    The genomic sequences of five Japanese isolates of citrus vein enation virus (CVEV) isolates that induce vein enation were determined and compared with that of the Spanish isolate VE-1. The nucleotide sequences of all Japanese isolates were 5,983 nt in length. The genomic RNA of Japanese isolates had five potential open reading frames (ORF 0, ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF 3, and ORF 5) in the positive-sense strand. The nucleotide sequence identity among the Japanese isolates and Spanish isolate VE-1 ranged from 98.0% to 99.8%. Comparison of the partial amino acid sequences of ten Japanese isolates and three Spanish isolates suggested that four amino acid residues, at positions of 83, 104, and 113 in ORF 2 and position 41 in ORF 5, might be unique to some Japanese isolates.

  10. Development of chemiluminescent probe hybridization, RT-PCR and nucleic acid cycle sequencing assays of Sabin type 3 isolates to identify base pair 472 Sabin type 3 mutants associated with vaccine associated paralytic poliomyelitis.

    PubMed

    Old, M O; Logan, L H; Maldonado, Y A

    1997-11-01

    Sabin type 3 polio vaccine virus is the most common cause of poliovaccine associated paralytic poliomyelitis. Vaccine associated paralytic poliomyelitis cases have been associated with Sabin type 3 revertants containing a single U to C substitution at bp 472 of Sabin type 3. A rapid method of identification of Sabin type 3 bp 472 mutants is described. An enterovirus group-specific probe for use in a chemiluminescent dot blot hybridization assay was developed to identify enterovirus positive viral lysates. A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay producing a 319 bp PCR product containing the Sabin type 3 bp 472 mutation site was then employed to identify Sabin type 3 isolates. Chemiluminescent nucleic acid cycle sequencing of the purified 319 bp PCR product was then employed to identify nucleic acid sequences at bp 472. The enterovirus group probe hybridization procedure and isolation of the Sabin type 3 PCR product were highly sensitive and specific; nucleic acid cycle sequencing corresponded to the known sequence of stock Sabin type 3 isolates. These methods will be used to identify the Sabin type 3 reversion rate from sequential stool samples of infants obtained after the first and second doses of oral poliovirus vaccine.

  11. Plant fatty acid hydroxylase

    DOEpatents

    Somerville, Chris; van de Loo, Frank

    2000-01-01

    The present invention relates to the identification of nucleic acid sequences and constructs, and methods related thereto, and the use of these sequences and constructs to produce genetically modified plants for the purpose of altering the composition of plant oils, waxes and related compounds.

  12. Mammalian evolution: timing and implications from using the LogDeterminant transform for proteins of differing amino acid composition.

    PubMed

    Penny, D; Hasegawa, M; Waddell, P J; Hendy, M D

    1999-03-01

    We explore the tree of mammalian mtDNA sequences, using particularly the LogDet transform on amino acid sequences, the distance Hadamard transform, and the Closest Tree selection criterion. The amino acid composition of different species show significant differences, even within mammals. After compensating for these differences, nearest-neighbor bootstrap results suggest that the tree is locally stable, though a few groups show slightly greater rearrangements when a large proportion of the constant sites are removed. Many parts of the trees we obtain agree with those on published protein ML trees. Interesting results include a preference for rodent monophyly. The detection of a few alternative signals to those on the optimal tree were obtained using the distance Hadamard transform (with results expressed as a Lento plot). One rearrangement suggested was the interchange of the position of primates and rodents on the optimal tree. The basic stability of the tree, combined with two calibration points (whale/cow and horse/rhinoceros), together with a distant secondary calibration from the mammal/bird divergence, allows inferences of the times of divergence of putative clades. Allowing for sampling variances due to finite sequence length, most major divergences amongst lineages leading to modern orders, appear to occur well before the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary. Implications arising from these early divergences are discussed, particularly the possibility of competition between the small dinosaurs and the new mammal clades.

  13. Repetitive sequence analysis and karyotyping reveals centromere-associated DNA sequences in radish (Raphanus sativus L.).

    PubMed

    He, Qunyan; Cai, Zexi; Hu, Tianhua; Liu, Huijun; Bao, Chonglai; Mao, Weihai; Jin, Weiwei

    2015-04-18

    Radish (Raphanus sativus L., 2n = 2x = 18) is a major root vegetable crop especially in eastern Asia. Radish root contains various nutritions which play an important role in strengthening immunity. Repetitive elements are primary components of the genomic sequence and the most important factors in genome size variations in higher eukaryotes. To date, studies about repetitive elements of radish are still limited. To better understand genome structure of radish, we undertook a study to evaluate the proportion of repetitive elements and their distribution in radish. We conducted genome-wide characterization of repetitive elements in radish with low coverage genome sequencing followed by similarity-based cluster analysis. Results showed that about 31% of the genome was composed of repetitive sequences. Satellite repeats were the most dominating elements of the genome. The distribution pattern of three satellite repeat sequences (CL1, CL25, and CL43) on radish chromosomes was characterized using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). CL1 was predominantly located at the centromeric region of all chromosomes, CL25 located at the subtelomeric region, and CL43 was a telomeric satellite. FISH signals of two satellite repeats, CL1 and CL25, together with 5S rDNA and 45S rDNA, provide useful cytogenetic markers to identify each individual somatic metaphase chromosome. The centromere-specific histone H3 (CENH3) has been used as a marker to identify centromere DNA sequences. One putative CENH3 (RsCENH3) was characterized and cloned from radish. Its deduced amino acid sequence shares high similarities to those of the CENH3s in Brassica species. An antibody against B. rapa CENH3, specifically stained radish centromeres. Immunostaining and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) tests with anti-BrCENH3 antibody demonstrated that both the centromere-specific retrotransposon (CR-Radish) and satellite repeat (CL1) are directly associated with RsCENH3 in radish. Proportions

  14. Investigation of the protein osteocalcin of Camelops hesternus: Sequence, structure and phylogenetic implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Humpula, James F.; Ostrom, Peggy H.; Gandhi, Hasand; Strahler, John R.; Walker, Angela K.; Stafford, Thomas W.; Smith, James J.; Voorhies, Michael R.; George Corner, R.; Andrews, Phillip C.

    2007-12-01

    Ancient DNA sequences offer an extraordinary opportunity to unravel the evolutionary history of ancient organisms. Protein sequences offer another reservoir of genetic information that has recently become tractable through the application of mass spectrometric techniques. The extent to which ancient protein sequences resolve phylogenetic relationships, however, has not been explored. We determined the osteocalcin amino acid sequence from the bone of an extinct Camelid (21 ka, Camelops hesternus) excavated from Isleta Cave, New Mexico and three bones of extant camelids: bactrian camel ( Camelus bactrianus); dromedary camel ( Camelus dromedarius) and guanaco ( Llama guanacoe) for a diagenetic and phylogenetic assessment. There was no difference in sequence among the four taxa. Structural attributes observed in both modern and ancient osteocalcin include a post-translation modification, Hyp 9, deamidation of Gln 35 and Gln 39, and oxidation of Met 36. Carbamylation of the N-terminus in ancient osteocalcin may result in blockage and explain previous difficulties in sequencing ancient proteins via Edman degradation. A phylogenetic analysis using osteocalcin sequences of 25 vertebrate taxa was conducted to explore osteocalcin protein evolution and the utility of osteocalcin sequences for delineating phylogenetic relationships. The maximum likelihood tree closely reflected generally recognized taxonomic relationships. For example, maximum likelihood analysis recovered rodents, birds and, within hominins, the Homo-Pan-Gorilla trichotomy. Within Artiodactyla, character state analysis showed that a substitution of Pro 4 for His 4 defines the Capra-Ovis clade within Artiodactyla. Homoplasy in our analysis indicated that osteocalcin evolution is not a perfect indicator of species evolution. Limited sequence availability prevented assigning functional significance to sequence changes. Our preliminary analysis of osteocalcin evolution represents an initial step towards a

  15. cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence

    DOEpatents

    Raikhel, Natasha V.; Broekaert, Willem F.; Chua, Nam-Hai; Kush, Anil

    1999-05-04

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74-79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli.

  16. cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence

    DOEpatents

    Raikhel, N.V.; Broekaert, W.F.; Chua, N.H.; Kush, A.

    1999-05-04

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74--79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli. 12 figs.

  17. cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence

    DOEpatents

    Raikhel, N.V.; Broekaert, W.F.; Chua, N.H.; Kush, A.

    1995-03-21

    A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1,018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74--79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli. 11 figures.

  18. The complete amino acid sequence of echinoidin, a lectin from the coelomic fluid of the sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina. Homologies with mammalian and insect lectins.

    PubMed

    Giga, Y; Ikai, A; Takahashi, K

    1987-05-05

    The complete amino acid sequence of echinoidin, the proposed name for a lectin from the coelomic fluid of the sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina, has been determined by sequencing the peptides obtained from tryptic, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, chymotryptic, and thermolysin digestions. Echinoidin is a multimeric protein (Giga, Y., Sutoh, K., and Ikai, A. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 4461-4467) whose subunit consists of a total of 147 amino acid residues and one carbohydrate chain attached to Ser38. The molecular weight of the polypeptide without carbohydrate was calculated to be 16,671. Each polypeptide chain contains seven half-cystines, and six of them form three disulfide bonds in the single polypeptide chain (Cys3-Cys14, Cys31-Cys141, and Cys116-Cys132), while Cys2 is involved in an interpolypeptide disulfide linkage. From secondary structure prediction by the method of Chou and Fasman (Chou, P. Y., and Fasman, G. D. (1974) Biochemistry 13, 211-222) the protein appears to be rich in beta-sheet and beta-turn structures and poor in alpha-helical structure. The sequence of the COOH-terminal half of echinoidin is highly homologous to those of the COOH-terminal carbohydrate recognition portions of rat liver mannose-binding protein and several other hepatic lectins. This COOH-terminal region of echinoidin is also homologous to the central portion of the lectin from the flesh fly Sarcophaga peregrina. Moreover, echinoidin contains an Arg-Gly-Asp sequence which has been proposed to be a basic functional unit in cellular recognition proteins.

  19. Effect of amino acid sequence and pH on nanofiber formation of self-assembling peptides EAK16-II and EAK16-IV.

    PubMed

    Hong, Yooseong; Legge, Raymond L; Zhang, S; Chen, P

    2003-01-01

    Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and axisymmetric drop shape analysis-profile (ASDA-P) were used to investigate the mechanism of self-assembly of peptides. The peptides chosen consisted of 16 alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids, where the hydrophilic residues possess alternating negative and positive charges. Two types of peptides, AEAEAKAKAEAEAKAK (EAK16-II) and AEAEAEAEAKAKAKAK (EAK16-IV), were investigated in terms of nanostructure formation through self-assembly. The experimental results, which focused on the effects of the amino acid sequence and pH, show that the nanostructures formed by the peptides are dependent on the amino acid sequence and the pH of the solution. For pH conditions around neutrality, one of the peptides used in this study, EAK16-IV, forms globular assemblies and has lower surface tension at air-water interfaces than another peptide, EAK16-II, which forms fibrillar assemblies at the same pH. When the pH is lowered below 6.5 or raised above 7.5, there is a transition from globular to fibrillar structures for EAK16-IV, but EAK16-II does not show any structural transition. Surface tension measurements using ADSA-P showed different surface activities of peptides at air-water interfaces. EAK16-II does not show a significant difference in surface tension for the pH range between 4 and 9. However, EAK16-IV shows a noticeable decrease in surface tension at pH around neutrality, indicating that the formation of globular assemblies is related to the molecular hydrophobicity.

  20. Optical resolution of phenylthiohydantoin-amino acids by capillary electrophoresis and identification of the phenylthiohydantoin-D-amino acid residue of [D-Ala2]-methionine enkephalin.

    PubMed

    Kurosu, Y; Murayama, K; Shindo, N; Shisa, Y; Ishioka, N

    1996-11-01

    This is an initial report to propose a protein sequence analysis system with DL differentiation using capillary electrophoresis (CE). This system consists of a protein sequencer and a CE system. After fractionation of phenyl-thiohydantoin (PTH)-amino acids using a protein sequencer, optical resolution for each PTH-amino acid is performed by CE using some chiral selectors such as digitonin, beta-escin and others. As a model peptide, [D-Ala2]-methionine enkephalin (L-Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-L-Phe-L-Met), was used and the sequence with DL differentiation was determined, with the exception of the fourth amino acid, L-Phe, using our proposed system.