Search results for " nucleic acid"
showing 10 items of 272 documents
Porphyrin-Based Design of Bioinspired Multitarget Quadruplex Ligands
2014
Secondary nucleic acid structures, such as DNA and RNA quadruplexes, are potential targets for cancer therapies. Ligands that interact with these targets could thus find application as anticancer agents. Synthetic G-quartets have recently found numerous applications, including use as bioinspired G-quadruplex ligands. Herein, the design, synthesis and preliminary biophysical evaluation of a new prototype multitarget G-quadruplex ligand, (PNA)PorphySQ, are reported, where peptidic nucleic acid guanine ((PNA)G) was incorporated in the porphyrin-templated synthetic G-quartet (PorphySQ). Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-melting experiments, PorphySQ was shown to possess enhanc…
Vibrio sinaloensis sp. nov., isolated from the spotted rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus Steindachner, 1869.
2008
Nine bacterial strains were studied by means of rep-PCR, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and physiological characterization. Typing analysis by means of rep-PCR showed that all nine strains were highly homogeneous, with similarities above 94 %. The strains were isolated from the same geographical area (Mazatlan, Sinaloa state, Mexico) and the same type of host (cultured rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus), although from different individuals and organs. Comparison of the almost-complete 16S rRNA gene sequences of five strains showed that they belonged to the genus Vibrio and are closely related to the type strains of Vibrio brasiliensis and Vibrio hepatarius, with simila…
Complex evolution of tandem-repetitive DNA in the Chironomus thummi species group.
1997
The subspecies Chironomus thummi thummi and C. t. piger display dramatic differences in the copy number and chromosomal localization of a tandemly repeated DNA family (Cla elements). In order to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of this repeat family, we studied the organization of Cla elements in the related outgroup species C. luridus. We find three different patterns of Cla element organization in C. luridus, showing that Cla elements may be either strictly tandem-repetitive or be an integral part of two higher-order tandem repeats (i.e., Hinf[lur] elements, Sal[lur] elements). All three types of Cla-related repeats are localized in the centromeres of C. luridus chromosomes. This suggest…
Functional variants of 5S rRNA in the ribosomes of common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus
2012
Abstract We have previously reported a molecular and cytogenetic characterization of three different 5S rDNA clusters in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus ; this study, performed at DNA level only, lends itself as starting point to verify that these clusters could contain transcribed genes, then, to demonstrate the presence of heterogeneity at functional RNA level, also. In the present work we report in P. lividus ribosomes the existence of several transcribed variants of the 5S rRNA and we associate all transcribed variants to the cluster to which belong. Our finding is the first demonstration of the presence of high heterogeneity in functional 5S rRNA molecules in animal ribosomes, a f…
Interspecies comparison of neuroglobin, cytoglobin and myoglobin: Sequence evolution and candidate regulatory elements
2003
Neuroglobin and cytoglobin are two novel members of the vertebrate globin family. Their physiological role is poorly understood, although both proteins bind oxygen reversibly and may be involved in cellular oxygen homeostasis. Here we investigate the selective constraints on coding and non-coding sequences of the neuroglobin and cytoglobin genes in human, mouse, rat and fish. Neuroglobin and cytoglobin are highly conserved, displaying very low levels of non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions. An oxygen supply function predicts distinct modes of gene regulation, involving hypoxia-responsive transcription factors. To detect conserved candidate regulatory elements, we compared the neuroglobin…
Putative evolutionary origin of plasmids carrying the genes involved in leucine biosynthesis in Buchnera aphidicola (endosymbiont of aphids)
1997
An 8.5-kb plasmid encoding genes (leuABCD) involved in leucine biosynthesis and a small plasmid of 1.74 kb of yet unknown function were found in the intracellular symbiont, Buchnera aphidicola, of two divergent aphid species, Thelaxes suberi and Tetraneura caerulescens, respectively. The leuABCD-carrying plasmid (pBTs1) was amplified from total aphid DNA by inverse long PCR, using outwardly oriented oligonucleotide primers specific to leuA. The resulting 8.2-kb PCR fragment as well as the 1.74-kb plasmid (pBTc1) were cloned and sequenced. pBTs1 differed from a previously described B. aphidicola plasmid (pRPE) of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi by the presence of a small heat shock gene (ibp) a…
Conserved Structure and Promoter Sequence Similarity in the Mouse and Human Genes Encoding the Zinc Finger Factor BERF-1/BFCOL1/ZBP-89
2001
Abstract We have characterized the genomic structure of the mouse Zfp148 gene encoding Beta-Enolase Repressor Factor-1 (BERF-1), a Kruppel-like zinc finger protein involved in the transcriptional regulation of several genes, which is also termed ZBP-89, BFCOL1. The cloned Zfp148 gene spans 110 kb of genomic DNA encompassing the 5′-end region, 9 exons, 8 introns, and the 3′-untranslated region. The promoter region displays the typical features of a housekeeping gene: a high G+C content and the absence of canonical TATA and CAAT boxes consistent with the multiple transcription initiation sites determined by primary extension analysis. Computer-assisted search in the human genome database allo…
Isolation of the DNA minisatellite probe MZ 1.3 and its application to DNA ‘fingerprinting’ analysis
1990
Abstract A minisatellite probe, MZ 1.3, detecting hypervariable fragment patterns was isolated from a human genomic library. A repetitive sequence of 27 bp length was identified which is contained in the probe approx. 40 times. The MZ 1.3 repeat shows variable homology of 53–73% to the repetitive sequence of the protein III gene of the bacteriophage M13 genome. Polymorphic restriction fragment patterns were found with MZ 1.3 using the enzymes Hinf I, BstN I, Hae III, Mbo I, PstI PvuII , and Rsa I. An average of 18 polymorphic fragments was observed using Hinf I as enzyme. The band sharing frequency after Hinf I digestion among unrelated individuals was determined to be 23.8 ± 7.2%. An examp…
Phylogenetic relationships of the family Campulidae (Trematoda) based on 18S rRNA sequences
1998
Traditionally, the family Campulidae has been associated either with the family Fasciolidae, parasites of ruminants, or the Acanthocolpidae, parasites of fishes, based on morphological similarities. Since morphology does not seem to resolve clearly the problem of the relationships of campulids, we have used the sequences of the 18S rRNA gene of the campulids Zalophotrema hepaticum, Campula oblonga and Nasitrema globicephalae, the fasciolid Fasciola hepatica, the acanthocolpid Stephanostomum baccatum and the outgroup Schistosoma mansoni to infer a phylogeny. Maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining methods were applied. Both methods indicated that campulids are closer to acanthocolpids than f…
Comparative genomic sequencing reveals a strikingly similar architecture of a conserved syntenic region on human chromosome 11p15.3 (including gene S…
2001
Comparative genomics is a superior way to identify phylogenetically conserved features like genes or regions involved in gene regulation. The comparison of extended orthologous chromosomal regions should also reveal other characteristic traits essential for chromosome or gene function. In the present study we have sequenced and compared a region of conserved synteny from human chromosome 11p15.3 and mouse chromosome 7. In human, this region is known to contain several genes involved in the development of various disorders like Beckwith-Wiedemann overgrowth syndrome and other tumor diseases. Furthermore, in the neighboring chromosome region 11p15.5 extensive imprinting of genes has been repo…