Aminoglycoside Phosphotransferase Gene Research Articles

An inducible expression system of histidine-tagged proteins in Streptomyces lividans for one-step purification by Ni2+ affinity chromatography.

An expression and purification cassette containing the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (aph) as selective marker has been constructed in the Escherichia coli vector pULHis2. DNA fragments inserted in the cassette can be easily subcloned in pIJ699 to give vectors for overexpression of genes in Streptomyces and purification of proteins by a one-step procedure. The expression system uses the thiostrepton-inducible promoter tipA for expression and a six histidine coding nucleotide sequence that is fused in frame to the foreign gene inserted in the polylinker. The pULHis2-derived expression vector has been used satisfactorily to express and to purify the P7 and P8 proteins of Nocardia lactamdurans which carry out the methoxylation of cephalosporin C to 7-methoxycephalosporin C.

High-level production of recombinant human lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase in Chinese hamster ovary cells which targets to heart muscle and corrects glycogen accumulation in fibroblasts from patients with Pompe disease.

Infantile Pompe disease is a fatal genetic muscle disorder caused by a deficiency of acid alpha-glucosidase, a glycogen-degrading lysosomal enzyme. We constructed a plasmid containing a 5'-shortened human acid alpha-glucosidase cDNA driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter, as well as the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase and dihydrofolate reductase genes. Following transfection in dihydrofolate reductase-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells, selection with Geneticin, and amplification with methotrexate, a cell line producing high levels of the alpha-glucosidase was established. In 48 hr, the cells cultured in Iscove's medium with 5 mM butyrate secreted 110-kDa precursor enzyme that accumulated to 91 micrograms.ml-1 in the medium (activity, > 22.6 mumol.hr-1.ml-1). This enzyme has a pH optimum similar to that of the mature form, but a lower Vmax and Km for 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-glucoside. It is efficiently taken up by fibroblasts from Pompe patients, restoring normal levels of acid alpha-glucosidase and glycogen. The uptake is blocked by mannose 6-phosphate. Following intravenous injection, high enzyme levels are seen in heart and liver. An efficient production system now exists for recombinant human acid alpha-glucosidase targeted to heart and capable of correcting fibroblasts from patients with Pompe disease.

Induction of the c- myc but not the cH- ras promoter by platinum compounds

The recombinant plasmids p324, p330 and p323 carrying the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase ( aph) gene and 5′ flanking c- myc sequences linked to the reporter gene chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase ( cat) were introduced into the mouse erythroleukaemic cell line F412B2TK − and stable transfectants resistant to geneticin G418 were obtained. The effects of cis-platin and two novel platinum compounds, D19466 (lobaplatin) and D17872, on c- myc promoter regions were studied using a large range of drug concentrations and correlated with cytotoxicity data. It was found that cis-platin and D19466 show a similar pattern of cytotoxicity and activation of c- myc promoter-driven cat gene expression with maximum effect (increased expression of 7.4- and 8.1-fold, respectively) at a concentration of 5 × 10 −5M, while the less cytotoxic D17872 only slightly activates cat expression at the same concentration. However, when the F412B2TK − cell line was transfected with a plasmid carrying 5′ flanking sequences of the c-H ras1 gene with promoter/enhancer function, linked to the cat reporter, no similar inductive effect was observed with any of the platinum drugs used. These data suggest that platinum compounds and possibly other DNA-damaging agents may specifically influence the expression of certain genes.

Involvement of High-Affinity Binding Site for EGF Receptor in Formation of Rounding in A-431 Epidermoid Carcinoma Cells

The introduction of a bacterial aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (neo gene) into A-431 cells was found to result in disappearance of high-affinity binding sites of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), probably by affecting the phosphorylation level of the receptors. Using A-431 cells and their neo gene-transfectants, we studied the relation between "rounding" and the high-affinity sites for EGF; and we also examined the role of protein kinase C (PKC) and A (PKA) in the EGF-induced cell rounding. Pretreatment of A-431 and their transfectant cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA; 100 ng/ml), an activator of PKC, for 30 min inhibited both the EGF-induced cell rounding and expression of high-affinity binding sites for EGF. However, both of these responses were recovered when cells were pretreated with TPA for 20 h, which treatment is known to result in depletion of PKC by a process called "down regulation". A similar recovery was also observed when cells were pretreated with forskolin (100 microM), an activator of PKA, for 30 min. Both cell rounding and EGFR high-affinity binding sites disappeared by activation of PKC, and reappeared by activation of PKA. These results suggest that the rounding of A-431 cells by EGF was induced via the high-affinity binding sites of EGFR.

Differential interaction of cisplatin with the HIV-1 long terminal repeat in a resistant ovarian carcinoma cell line.

We constructed a recombinant plasmid, pBHIV1, carrying the long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences of HIV-1 linked to the reporter chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene and to the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (aph) gene as a selectable marker. We have introduced pBHIV1 in a human ovarian cancer cell line A2780 and in a cisplatin resistant variant 2780CP, and obtained stable geneticin resistant A27HIV1-1 and 27CPHIV1-1 cells, respectively. Both transfectant cells expressed CAT activity from the HIV LTR promoter. The response to the anti-neoplastic drug cisplatin was studied on the LTR regulated CAT activity in both cell lines. It was found that cisplatin at 2.5 x 10(-5) M concentration stimulates the expression of CAT by 26-fold from the HIV LTR in A27HIV1-1, but requires a concentration of 5 x 10(-5) M to enhance expression by 4.1-fold in the cisplatin resistant 27CPHIV1-1 cells. Carboplatin, over a range of concentrations (1 x 10(-6) to 1 x 10(-4) M), does not stimulate expression of CAT from the HIV-1 LTR in either of the transfected cells.

Hexamethylene bisacetamide stimulates the expression of human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat sequences in rat and human fibroblasts

We have employed a recombinant plasmid, pBHIV1, carrying the long terminal repeat (LTR) sequence of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) linked to the reporter chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene and to the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (aph) gene as a selectable marker. We have introduced pBHIV1 in rat 208F and human MRCSV40TGR fibroblasts and obtained stable geneticin resistant RFBHIV1-1 and SVTGHIV1-1 cells, respectively. Both transfectant cells express CAT activity from the HIV LTR promoter. The response to anti-neoplastic drug hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) was studied on the LTR regulated CAT activity in both cell lines. It was found that HMBA at 5mM concentration stimulates the expression of CAT from the HIV LTR in rat and human cells by 28- and 1.9-fold, respectively.

A novel transposon trap for mycobacteria: isolation and characterization of IS1096.

In the course of developing strategies to obtain a mutation in the aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (asd) gene of Mycobacterium smegmatis, an efficient transposon trap was constructed which may be generally useful for the identification of transposable elements in mycobacteria. A DNA fragment containing the asd gene was replaced with an aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (aph) to generate a delta asd::aph allele. Attempts to replace the wild-type asd gene with the delta asd::aph allele were unsuccessful, suggesting that this deletion was lethal to the growth of M. smegmatis. The plasmid, pYUB215, which contains beta-galactosidase expressed from a mycobacteriophage promoter and delta asd::aph, was integrated into the chromosome of M. smegmatis by a homologous, single-crossover, recombination event. Visual screening for inactivation of the beta-galactosidase gene in the resulting strain allowed the isolation of a novel mycobacterial insertion element from M. smegmatis. This insertion element, which is unique to M. smegmatis, was designated IS1096 and transposes at a frequency of 7.2 x 10(-5) per cell in an apparently random fashion. IS1096 is 2,275 bp in length and contains two open reading frames which are predicted to encode proteins involved in transposition. This insertion element exhibits several characteristics that suggest it may be a useful tool for genetic analysis of mycobacteria, possibly including the study of mechanisms of pathogenesis.

Blasticidin S-resistance gene ( bsr): A novel selectable marker for mammalian cells

Blasticidin S is a microbial antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The blasticidin S-resistance gene ( bsr), isolated from Bacillus cereus K55-S1 strain, was inserted into pSV2 plasmid vector and introduced into cultured mammalian celte by transfection. The bsr gene was integrated into the genome and conferred blasticidin S resistance on HeLa cells. The transfection frequency of the bsr gene was as high as that of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene, the so-called neo gene, which is a representative selectable marker for mammalian cells. Transfectants in which several copies of bsr had been integrated into the genome were highly resistant to blasticidin S. Furthermore, blasticidin S killed the cells more rapidly than G418, which is conventionally used as a selective drug for the neo gene. Thus bsr is concluded to be useful as a drug-resistance marker for mammalian cells.

Stable Expression of Transfected Human Involucrin Gene in Various Cell Types: Evidence for In Situ Cross-Linking by Type I and Type II Transglutaminase

Involucrin is a 68-kd precursor of the cornified envelope in keratinocytes. During terminal differentiation, involucrin becomes covalently cross-linked to other proteins by a membrane-anchored calcium-activated transglutaminase (TG) to form part of the cornified envelope. To better understand this process, we have used vector-mediated gene transfer to express human involucrin in a variety of cell types. Authentic involucrin protein was expressed in Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cells (fibroblasts), PtK2 rat kangaroo kidney cells (simple epithelial), and rat epidermal keratinocytes (stratifying squamous epithelial). The expression vector included an independent transcription unit encoding the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (neo-r) allowing selection of stable involucrin-positive, G418-resistant clonal cell lines. In each cell type, involucrin levels were comparable to the endogenous expression observed in SCC-13 cells. Immunofluorescence localization studies revealed a uniform involucrin distribution throughout the cytoplasm in each cell type. Elevation of intracellular calcium resulted in cross-linking of involucrin in both CHO cells and rat keratinocytes, a process that was inhibited by EDTA and cystamine. In contrast, no cross-linking was observed in PtK2 cells or long-term passaged rat keratinocytes. Transglutaminase assays showed that rat keratinocytes contain predominantly a particulate (type I) form, whereas CHO cells contain only soluble TG (type II). PtK2 cells and long-term passaged keratinocytes, which were unable to cross-link involucrin, contained barely detectable TG activity. These results indicate 1) that involucrin is an efficient in situ substrate for both type I and type II transglutaminase and 2) that involucrin cross-linking is strictly TG dependent.

Cloning of aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (APH) gene from antibiotic-producing strain of Bacillus circulans into a high-expression vector, pKK223-3. Purification, properties and location of the enzyme

Cloning of aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (APH) gene from antibiotic-producing strain of Bacillus circulans into a high-expression vector, pKK223-3. Purification, properties and location of the enzyme

Construction and characterization of promoter-probe vectors for Corynebacteria using the kanamycinresistance reporter gene

Several multicopy promoter-probe plasmid vectors have been constructed that replicate in Brevibacterium lactofermentum and related coryneform amino acid-producing bacteria. Transcriptional activity is detected by the expression of a promoterless aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene ( kan) derived from transposon Tn5; expression of this gene confers kanamycin resistance in B. lactofermentum. An efficient transcriptional terminator from the B. lactofermentum trp operon has been inserted upstream of the kan coding region to prevent significant transcriptional readthrough from vector promoters. The cat gene from Streptomyces acrimycini or the hygromycin-resistance gene from S. hygroscopicus are used as primary selection markers in the promoter-probe plasmid vectors. Using the promoter-probe vectors described in this paper, we have cloned several transcriptionally active fragments from the endogenous plasmid pBL1 of B. lactofermentum into Escherichia coli and/or B. lactofermentum.

Transformation of Human Breast Epithelial Cells by c‐Ha‐ras Oncogene

To determine whether the c-Ha-ras oncogene plays a role in the initiation of mammary carcinogenesis, an immortalized human breast epithelial cell line, MCF-10A, was transfected with the plasmid vector pHo6T1 containing the T24 Ha-ras oncogene and the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene, which confers resistance to geneticin. Transfected cells exhibited an altered pattern of growth and tridimensional morphology in collagen gel. They also exhibited anchorage-independent growth and loss of requirement for hormones and epidermal growth factor; in addition, they expressed invasiveness and increased collagenolytic activity in an in vitro system and became tumorigenic in irradiated nude mice, all properties indicative of malignant transformation. Transformed cells contained the mutated c-Ha-ras oncogene and expressed the p21 mutated protein. These data indicate that the c-Ha-ras oncogene is capable of inducing malignant phenotypes in immortalized human breast epithelial cells.

G418-resistance as a dominant marker and reporter for gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Coding sequence cartridges for aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (APT) were isolated from bacterial transposon Tn903. When incorporated into a heterologous gene construction utilising the PGK1 promoter and terminator, the heterologous APT gene provided a G418-resistance determinant that functioned efficiently as a dominant marker for yeast in both multiple- and single-copy. Transformant colonies on selective medium appeared rapidly, within 36-48 h, and growth rate of the transformed cells was normal. A simple and highly sensitive radiolabelling assay for APT enzyme activity was developed for use with crude cell protein extracts. Enzyme activity units were equated to the amount of APT protein present in the cells, and the APT protein was shown to be stable in yeast. Heterologous APT expression was 130-fold reduced compared with homologous PGK1. This resulted from an estimated two-fold decrease in mRNA level and a 65-fold decrease in translation efficiency. The latter was unaffected by AUG sequence context change, but corresponded with a high frequency of minor codons in the APT-coding sequence. APT can be used as a semi-quantitative reporter of gene expression, whose useful features are in vivo detection via the G418-resistance phenotype and powerful cell-free assay.

Transcriptional activation of the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat sequences by cis-platin

We constructed a recombinant plasmid, pBHIV1 carrying the long terminal repeat (LTR) of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), linked to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene plasmid. Plasmid pBHIV1 also contains the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene as a selectable marker. We introduced pBHIV1 in rat 208F fibroblasts and obtained stable geneticin resistant RFBHIV1-1 transfectant cells. A further control used was plasmid p202A, which carries the mutant T24 H- ras1 promoter linked to the promotorless cat gene. Plasmid p202A also carries the aph gene as a selectable marker and was transfected into 208F cells to obtain stable transfectant RF202A-1 cells. Both RFBHIV1-1 and RF202A-1 cells expressed CAT activity from the HIV LTR and T24 H- ras1 promoters. The response to cis-platin, a platin derivative and hexadecyl-phosphocholine was studied on the HIV LTR and H- ras1 regulated CAT activity in RFBHIV1-1 and RF202A-1 cells. It was found that at 5 × 10 −5 M concentrations cis-platin stimulates by 22-fold the expression of CAT from the HIV LTR, whereas only a 4-fold stimulation was observed on the T24 H- ras1 promoter. Our results suggest caution against therapy including this compound at cytotoxic concentrations in the treatment of AIDS patients.

Recombinant BCG as a candidate oral vaccine vector

Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), currently the most widely used vaccine in the world, was originally administered for many years as an oral vaccine. The low frequency of serious complications, inexpensive production, and adjuvanticity make BCG an ideal candidate for a recombinant vaccine vehicle. Although mycobacteria are slow growing and not yet well characterized genetically, we have recently developed technology for the genetic manipulation of BCG and other mycobacteria. Phage and plasmid systems based on a shuttle strategy to manipulate DNA in Escherichia coli and transfer it to mycobacteria have been developed. We have established that the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene can be used as an effective selectable marker in the mycobacteria and that a foreign antigen from Mycobacterium leprae can be expressed in BCG. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of mycobacterial expression sequences has been undertaken to optimize the expression of foreign antigens in BCG. We constructed an expression probe shuttle plasmid with β-galactosidase as reporter gene, and have used it successfully to identify multiple mycobacteriophage DNA sequences with varying levels of constitutive or regulable promotor activity. Further genetic advances required for development of recombinant BCG into an effective recombinant vaccine vehicle, including possibilities for oral administration, are adumbrated.

Lactose- and galactose-utilizing strains of poly(hydroxyalkanoic acid)-accumulating Alcaligenes eutrophus and Pseudomonas saccharophila obtained by recombinant DNA technology

Transposon Tn 951-encoded β-galactosidase was expressed in Pseudomonas saccharophila and enabled this bacterium to grow on lactose as sole carbon source. In contrast, β-galactosidase was not expressed in Alcaligenes eutrophus even if the lacZ gene of Tn 951 was separated from the lacI gene. However, β-galactosidase was expressed in A. eutrophus, if a DNA fragment, which was suspected to harbour the promoter of the A. eutrophus poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid)-synthetic genes, was ligated to the promoter probe vector pMC1403, which employs lac Z, Y as reporter genes. Plasmid pPL76, which harboured one of the promoter-lac fusions, enabled A. eutrophus not only to express β-galactosidase but also to grow slowly on lactose (doubling time = 25–30 h). Subsequently, the promoter-lac fusion was ligated to Tn5 in pSUP5011 and was inserted into the genome of A. eutrophus H16 and of the glucose-utilizing mutant H16-G+1 by applying the suicide plasmid technique. Two recombinant strains, H16-cPL and H16-G+1-cPL, which grow with a doubling time of 16–23 h on lactose, were investigated in detail. The cells only utilized the glucose residue of lactose as a carbon source for grouth and excreted galactose into the medium. Only after the Escherichia coli gal operon had been cloned in vector pVK101 and had been mobilized to H16-cPL or H16-G+1-cPL, was lactose completely utilized; no galactose was detected in the medium and the growth yields increased twofold. Depending on the orientation of the gal operon in pVK101, the expression of galactokinase seems to be dependent either on the promoter of aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (kan) or on the promoter of the tetR gene.

Cloning of aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (APH) gene from antibiotic-producing strain of Bacillus circulans into a high-expression vector, pKK223-3. Purification, properties and location of the enzyme

The aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene from a butirosin-producing strain of Bacillus circulans was cloned in a high-expression vector (pKK223-3) to give the recombinant plasmid pMS5. Escherichia coli harbouring the plasmid, E. coli JM103[pMS5], was characterized, and several features of the expression of the phosphotransferase were studied. The phosphotransferase activity was best expressed in a medium lacking glucose, and the highest levels of the enzyme were found between 12 and 24 h of growth. The induction of the phosphotransferase expression with isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (inducer) was found to be undesirable as the overproduction of the enzyme led to the killing of the bacteria. The subcellular location of the phosphotransferase, and also the site in vivo of the phosphorylation of neomycin, was found to be in the cytoplasm. The phosphotransferase was purified to homogeneity in good yield (17 mg of purified protein/3 litres of culture) and was shown to be a monomer of Mr 30,000-32,000. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was in agreement with that predicted from the gene sequence and confirmed the absence of any signal sequence. The regiospecificity of the phosphotransferase reaction was studied by m.s. and by 1H-, 13C- and 31P-n.m.r. using ribostamycin as the substrate, and it was found that the antibiotic was phosphorylated at the 3'-hydroxy group.

Ras p21 oncoprotein is autoregulated and acts as a potential mediator of insulin action or the H- ras1 promoter

Rat fibroblast cells carrying an exogenous normal or mutant T24 human H- ras1 gene were transfected with plasmids carrying the normal or mutant T24 H- ras1 gene promoter linked to the reporter chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene and the cells were treated with insulin. We found that the H- ras1 gene was positively autoregulated and that insulin potentiated the response of the T24 ras p21 to the H- ras1 gene promoter. We have also examined the effect of insulin directly on the H- ras1 promoter by treating stable transfectants obtained after transfection of rat fibroblasts with plasmids carrying the normal or mutant T24 H- ras1 gene promoter linked to the reporter CAT gene and the selectable marker aminoglycoside phosphotransferase ( aph) gene. We found that insulin appeared to have no direct effect on the H- ras1 promoter in this case, suggesting that the effect is mediated through the ras p21 oncogene product. We suggest that the mutant T24 H- ras p21 protein mediates the action of insulin.

Unusual transcriptional and translational features of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (aph) from Streptomyces fradiae.

The aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (aph) from the neomycin producer Streptomyces fradiae encodes an enzyme (APH) that phosphorylates, and thereby inactivates, the antibiotic neomycin. Two promoters were identified upstream of and oriented toward the aph coding sequence. One promoter (aphp1) initiated transcription at the A of the ATG translational initiation codon, or one to two bases upstream. Mutations made in this promoter region identified functionally important nucleotides and verified that the aphp1 transcript was translated to yield the APH protein, despite the lack of a conventional ribosome binding site. A second aph promoter, aphp2, initiated transcription 315 bp upstream of the translational initiation codon but gave transcripts that appeared to terminate before reaching the coding sequence. Multiple transcriptional initiation sites (pA1-pA5) were identified also in the aph regulatory region oriented in the opposite direction to aph transcription. Promoters for the pA2 and pA4 transcripts overlap with aphp1 such that down-promoter mutations in aphp1 also reduce transcription from the overlapping pA promoters.

Phorbol ester-responsive H- ras1 gene promoter contains multiple TPA-inducible/AP-1-binding consensus sequence elements

We have constructed recombinant DNA plasmids which carry both the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (aph) gene and the chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase (CAT) gene linked to the human normal or mutant T24 H- ras1 promoter. We have transfected these plasmids into rat 208F fibroblasts using the calcium phosphate technique and selected for stable transformants by geneticin resistance. These transformants expressed CAT activity at low levels. However, when treated with the phorbol ester TPA, CAT levels increased substantially. Cells transfected with recombinant plasmids carrying a promoterless CAT gene did not respond to TPA. We have noted four motifs in the H- ras1 promoter region which resemble TPA-inducible and AP-1-binding consensus sequences. We suggest that AP-1-like proteins may play a role in control of H- ras1 transcription.