selC Gene Research Articles

Aminoglycoside-mediated promotion of translation readthrough occurs through a non-stochastic mechanism that competes with translation termination.

Attempts have been made to treat nonsense-associated genetic disorders by chemical agents and hence an improved mechanistic insight into the decoding of readthrough signals is essential for the identification and characterisation of factors for the treatment of these disorders. To identify either novel compounds or genes that modulate translation readthrough, we have employed dual reporter-based high-throughput screens that use enzymatic and fluorescence activities and screened bioactive National Institute of Neurological Disease Syndrome (NINDS) compounds (n = 1000) and siRNA (n = 288) libraries. Whilst siRNAs targeting kinases such as CSNK1G3 and NME3 negatively regulate readthrough, neither the bioactive NINDS compounds nor PTC124 promote readthrough. Of note, PTC124 has previously been shown to promote readthrough. Furthermore, the impacts of G418 on the components of eukaryotic selenocysteine incorporation machinery have also been investigated. The selenocysteine machinery decodes the stop codon UGA specifying selenocysteine in natural selenoprotein genes. We have found that the eukaryotic SelC gene promotes the selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS)-mediated readthrough but inhibits the readthrough activity induced by G418. We have previously reported that SECIS-mediated readthrough at UGA codons follows a non-processive mechanism. Here, we show that G418-mediated promotion of readthrough also occurs through a non-processive mechanism which competes with translation termination. Based on our observations, we suggest that proteins generated through a non-processive mechanism may be therapeutically beneficial for the resolution of nonsense-associated genetic disorders.

Effects of combinatorial expression of selA, selB and selC genes on the efficiency of selenocysteine incorporation in Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, four gene products(selA, selB, selC and selD) and a selenocysteine(Sec) insertion sequence( SECIS) are required for the correct translation of UGA codons encoding Sec. Previous studies have shown that the stoichiometry of selenoproteine mRNA and elongation factor SelB affect the efficiency of Sec incorporation. Herein lies a detailed analysis of the effects of co-expressing selA, selB and selC genes under inducible promoters on the incorporation efficiency of Sec. Over-expression of either selA or selB reduced the efficiency of Sec incorporation by 61.1% or 11.6%, respectively, compared to the over-expression of the reporter vector alone did. Concomitant over-expression of selC with selA or selB completely reversed the reduce of the efficiency of Sec but still reduced the efficiency of the incorporation relative to that observed for expression of selC alone. Over-expression of selC gene alone under L-arabinose induction reduced the efficiency of the incorporation relative to that observed for co-expressing selC with selA and selB under the control of its endogenous promoter in the absence of L-arabinose. Co-expression of selA, selB and selC with selA or selB under the control of inducible promoters increased the efficiency of Sec incorporation by 69.7%. Moreover, inducing selenoprotein-related gene expression during the late exponential phase increased the efficiency of Sec incorporation by a factor of 5.4 relative to that observed for the reporter vector alone. These results suggest that the co-expression of selA, selB and selC in Escherichia coli under the control of inducible promoters is a viable and promising strategy for increasing the yields of selenoproteins.

Characterization of Alternative Cytosolic Forms and Cellular Targets of Mouse Mitochondrial Thioredoxin Reductase

Thioredoxin reductase (TR) and thioredoxin (Trx) define a major cellular redox system that maintains cysteine residues in numerous proteins in the reduced state. Both cytosolic (TR1 and Trx1) and mitochondrial (TR3 and Trx2) enzymes are essential in mammals, but the function of the mitochondrial system is less understood. In this study, we characterized subcellular localization of three TR3 forms that are generated by alternative first exon splicing and that differ in their N-terminal sequences. Only one of these forms resides in mitochondria, whereas the two other isoforms are cytosolic. Consistent with this finding, TR3 did not have catalytic preferences for mitochondrial Trx2 versus cytosolic Trx1, both of which could serve as TR3 substrates. Similarly, TR1 was equally active with Trx1, Trx2, or a bacterial Trx. We generated recombinant selenoprotein forms of TR1 and TR3 and found that these enzymes were inhibited by zinc, but not by calcium or cobalt ions. We further developed a proteomic method for identification of targets of TRs in mammalian cells utilizing affinity columns containing recombinant TR3 forms differing in C-terminal sequences. Using this procedure, we found that Trx1 was the major target of TR3 in both rat and mouse liver cytosol. The truncated form of TR3 lacking selenocysteine was particularly efficient in binding Trx1, consistent with the previously observed role of truncated TR1 in apoptosis. Overall, these data establish that the function of TR3 is not limited to its role in Trx2 reduction.

Expression of selenocysteine-containing glutathione S-transferase in Escherichia coli

Evolution of a probable ‘glutathione-binding ancestor’ resulting in a common thioredoxin-fold for glutathione S-transferases and glutathione peroxidases may possibly suggest that a glutathione S-transferase could be engineered into a selenium-containing glutathione S-transferase (seleno-GST), having glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity. Here, we addressed this question by production of such protein. In order to obtain a recombinant seleno-GST produced in Escherichia coli, we introduced a variant bacterial-type selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element which afforded substitution with selenocysteine for the catalytic Tyr residue in the active site of GST from Schistosoma japonica. Utilizing coexpression with the bacterial selA, selB, and selC genes (encoding selenocysteine synthase, SelB, and tRNA Sec, respectively) the yield of recombinant seleno-GST was about 2.9 mg/L bacterial culture, concomitant with formation of approximately 85% truncation product as a result of termination of translation at the selenocysteine-encoding UGA codon. The mutations inferred as a result of the introduction of a SECIS element did not affect the glutathione-binding capacity ( K m = 53 μM for glutathione as compared to 63 μM for the wild-type enzyme) nor the GST activity ( k cat = 14.3 s −1 vs. 16.6 s −1), provided that the catalytic Tyr residue was intact. When this residue was changed to selenocysteine, however, the resulting seleno-GST lost the GST activity. It also failed to display any novel GPX activity towards three standard peroxide substrates (hydrogen peroxide, butyl hydroperoxide or cumene hydroperoxide). These results show that recombinant selenoproteins with internal selenocysteine residues may be heterologously produced in E. coli at sufficient amounts for purification. We also conclude that introduction of a selenocysteine residue into the catalytic site of a glutathione S-transferase is not sufficient to induce GPX activity in spite of a maintained glutathione-binding capacity.

High-level expression in Escherichia coli of selenocysteine-containing rat thioredoxin reductase utilizing gene fusions with engineered bacterial-type SECIS elements and co-expression with the selA, selB and selC genes

Mammalian thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) catalyzes reduction of thioredoxin and many other substrates, and is a central enzyme for cell proliferation and thiol redox control. The enzyme is a selenoprotein and can therefore, like all other mammalian selenoproteins, not be directly expressed in Escherichia coli, since selenocysteine-containing proteins are synthesized by a highly species-specific translation machinery. This machinery involves a secondary structure, SECIS element, in the selenoprotein-encoding mRNA, directing selenocysteine insertion at the position of an opal (UGA) codon, normally confering termination of translation. It is species-specific structural features and positions in the selenoprotein mRNA of the SECIS elements that hitherto have hampered heterologous production of recombinant selenoproteins. We have discovered, however, that rat TrxR can be expressed in E. coli by fusing its open reading frame with the SECIS element of the bacterial selenoprotein formate dehydrogenase H. A variant of the SECIS element designed to encode the conserved carboxyterminal end of the enzyme (-Sec-Gly-COOH) and positioning parts of the SECIS element in the 3′-untranslated region was also functional. This finding revealed that the SECIS element in bacteria does not need to be translated for full function and it enabled expression of enzymatically active mammalian TrxR. The recombinant selenocysteine-containing TrxR was produced at dramatically higher levels than formate dehydrogenase O, the only endogenous selenoprotein expressed in E. coli under the conditions utilized, demonstrating a surprisingly high reserve capacity of the bacterial selenoprotein synthesis machinery under aerobic conditions. Co-expression with the selA, selB and selC genes (encoding selenocysteine synthase, SELB and tRNASec, respectively) further increased the efficiency of the selenoprotein production and thereby also increased the specific activity of the recombinant TrxR to about 25 % of the native enzyme, with as much as 20 mg produced per liter of culture. These results show that with the strategy utilized here, the capacity of selenoprotein synthesis in E. coli is more than sufficient for making possible the use of the bacteria for production of recombinant selenoproteins.

Genes coding for the selenocysteine-inserting tRNA species from Desulfomicrobium baculatum and Clostridium thermoaceticum: structural and evolutionary implications

The genes (selC) coding for the selenocysteine-inserting tRNA species (tRNA(Sec)) from Clostridium thermoaceticum and Desulfomicrobium baculatum were cloned and sequenced. Although they differ in numerous positions from the sequence of the Escherichia coli selC gene, they were able to complement the selC lesion of an E. coli mutant and to promote selenoprotein formation in the heterologous host. The tRNA(Sec) species from both organisms possess all of the unique primary, secondary, and tertiary structural features exhibited by E. coli tRNA(Sec) (C. Baron, E. Westhof, A. Böck, and R. Giegé, J. Mol. Biol. 231:274-292, 1993). The structural and functional properties of the tRNA(Sec) species from prokaryotes analyzed thus far support the notion that tRNA(Sec) may be an evolutionarily conserved structure whose function in the primordial genetic code was to decode UGA with selenocysteine.

Overproduction of a selenocysteine-containing polypeptide in Escherichia coli: the fdhF gene product.

The fdhF gene of Escherichia coli codes for the selenocysteine-including protein subunit of formate dehydrogenase H. The protein subunit consists of 715 amino acid residues containing a single selenocysteine residue at position 140 which is encoded by a UGA codon. The decoding of this opal termination codon occurs under anaerobic growth conditions by means of a specific tRNA, i.e. the selC gene product. The ability of E. coli cells to overproduce a selenopolypeptide was examined using the fdhF gene as a model system. Surprisingly, E. coli was able to synthesize the fdhF gene product at the level of approximately 12% of the total cellular protein. This was achieved by cloning fdhF in a multicopy plasmid together with a synthetic selC gene under the Ipp promoter. FdhF production was absolutely dependent upon the addition of selenium to the culture medium and was almost completely blocked in the presence of oxygen. The product was specifically labelled with 75Se, proving that it consisted of a selenoprotein. The product was purified to homogeneity and shown to exhibit the catalytic properties characteristic of formate dehydrogenase H.

Bar to normal UGA translation by the selenocysteine tRNA

The selC gene product, tRNA Sec, inserts selenocysteine at UGA (opal) codons in a specialized mRNA context. We have investigated the action of the tRNA at ordinary UGA codons, normally not translated, by changing the unusual structural features of tRNA Sec. Sequences in the D arm, CCA arm and variable arm of the tRNA all contribute to the prohibition against translation of ordinary UGA codons. One multiple mutant is a moderately efficient serine-inserting UGA suppressor tRNA.

Association of a retroelement with a P4-like cryptic prophage (retronphage phi R73) integrated into the selenocystyl tRNA gene of Escherichia coli

A new multicopy single-stranded DNA (msDNA-Ec73) was found in a clinical strain of Escherichia coli. Retron-Ec73, consisting of an msDNA-coding region and the gene for reverse transcriptase (RT), was found to be a part of a 12.7-kb foreign DNA fragment flanked by 29-bp direct repeats and integrated into the gene for selenocystyl-tRNA (selC) at 82 min on the E. coli chromosome. Except for the 2.4-kb retron region, the integrated DNA fragment showed remarkable homology to most of the bacteriophage P4 genome. Among the phage genes found in this element, however, the integrase gene had very low identity (40%) to P4 integrase, indicating that the cryptic prophage associated with the retroelement has its own unique site-specific integrase different from P4 integrase. Recently, we have shown that P2 phage can act as a helper to excise the cryptic prophage and to package its genome into an infectious virion. The newly formed phage (retronphage phi R73) can also lysogenize a new host strain, reintegrating its genome into the selC gene and enabling the newly formed lysogen to produce msDNA-Ec73 (S. Inouye, M. G. Sunshine, E. W. Six, and M. Inouye, Science 252:969-971, 1991).

Retronphage φR73: an E. coli Phage That Contains a Retroelement and Integrates Into a tRNA Gene

Some strains of Escherichia coli contain retroelements (retrons) that encode genes for reverse transcriptase and branched, multicopy, single-stranded DNA (msDNA) linked to RNA. However, the origin of retrons is unknown. A P4-like cryptic prophage was found that contains a retroelement (retron Ec73) for msDNA-Ec73 in an E. coli clinical strain. The entire genome of this prophage, named phi R73, is 12.7 kilobase pairs and is flanked by 29-base pair direct repeats derived from the 3' end of the selenocystyl transfer RNA gene (selC). P2 bacteriophage caused excision of the phi R73 prophage and acted as a helper to package phi R73 DNA into an infectious virion. The newly formed phi R73 closely resembled P4 as a virion and in its lytic growth. Retronphage phi R73 lysogenized a new host strain, reintegrating its genome into the selC gene of the host chromosome and enabling the newly formed lysogens to produce msDNA-Ec73. Hence, retron Ec73 can be transferred intercellularly as part of the genome of a helper-dependent retronphage.

Occurrence in vivo of selenocysteyl-tRNAUCASER in Escherichia coli: Effect of sel mutations

Abstract The selC gene of Escherichia coli codes for a novel tRNA species which is aminoacylated by L-serine and is required for the insertion of selenocysteine into proteins (Leinfelder, W., Zehelein, E., Mandrand-Berthelot, M.-A., and Bock, A. (1988) Nature 331, 723-725). As a first step toward the elucidation of the postulated pathway for selenocysteine formation from an L-serine residue esterified to tRNA, we have examined whether an increase in the selC gene dosage allows the demonstration of selenocysteyl-tRNA formation in vivo. To this end, cells of an E. coli strain carrying selC on a multicopy plasmid were labeled with [75Se]selenite, their tRNA was isolated and deacylated, and the hydrolysate was analyzed by thin layer chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. Both methods unequivocally demonstrated that the increase in the selC gene product concentration correlated with an augmented level of selenocysteine bound to tRNA. The formation of selenocysteine depended on the presence of functional products of the selA and selD genes but not of the selB gene. The selB gene product, therefore, may have a function in the decoding step itself.

Occurrence and functional compatibility within Enterobacteriaceae of a tRNA species which inserts selenocysteine into protein

The selC gene from E. coli codes for a tRNA species (tRNA(UCASer] which is aminoacylated with L-serine and which cotranslationally inserts selenocysteine into selenoproteins. By means of Southern hybridization it was demonstrated that this gene occurs in all enterobacteria tested. To assess whether the unique primary and secondary structural features of the E. coli selC gene product are conserved in that of other organisms, the selC homologue from Proteus vulgaris was cloned and sequenced. It was found that the Proteus selC gene differs from the E. coli counterpart in only six nucleotides, that it displays the same unique properties and that it is expressed and functions in E. coli. This indicates that the unique mechanism of selenocysteine incorporation is not restricted to E. coli but has been conserved as a uniform biochemical process.