Scientific and Standardization Committee Communications Recommendations for the Nomenclature of Mutant Fibrinolytic Genes and Their Proteins

Abstract

1. Some of the guidelines on the nomenclature for the genotype of bacterial strains can be applied for recommendations on the nomenclature for the description of recombinant mutant fibrinolytic constructs. 2. In view of the usually different size of genomic DNA and corresponding cDNA, it is recommended to employ a distinct numbering system for nucleotide sequences of genomic DNA and of cDNA. Both numbering systems initiate at the utmost 5' terminus of mRNA synthesis; this 5' initiator nucleotide is assigned 1. 3. Amino-acid sequences are numbered with respect to the amino-terminus of the mature protein (amino-terminus is assigned 1). Amino-acid sequences constituting pre- and pro-sequences are numbered -1, -2, -3 etc. 4. Irrespective of the nature of the mutations, point mutations, deletions, insertions and substitutions within genomic DNA, cDNA and within a protein are described according to their sequential occurrence, according to the 5' to 3' direction for the nucleic acid and from the amino- to the carboxy-terminus for the protein, respectively. 5. It is recommended to describe the "genotype" of mutant genomic DNA or mutant cDNA, located on an appropriate vector, according to the following proposals: a) Point mutant: PSV2/t-PA D371A (Nomenclature for the vector pSV2 and t-PA has already been used throughout the literature. The designation of the point mutation is separated with a single "space" from the indication t-PA. The amino-acid substitution, due to a point mutation, is written in the one-letter code (italized sample). b) Deletion mutant:pSV2/t-PA del(S51-D87). (The abbreviation "del" indicates that a deletion has been constructed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)