A novel MHC class I-like gene is mutated in patients with hereditary haemochromatosis.

Hereditary haemochromatosis (HH), which affects some 1 in 400 and has an estimated carrier frequency of 1 in 10 individuals of Northern European descent, results in multi-organ dysfunction caused by increased iron deposition, and is treatable if detected early. Using linkage-disequilibrium and full haplotype analysis, we have identified a 250-kilobase region more than 3 megabases telomeric of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) that is identical-by-descent in 85% of patient chromosomes. Within this region, we have identified a gene related to the MHC class I family, termed HLA-H, containing two missense alterations. One of these is predicted to inactivate this class of proteins and was found homozygous in 83% of 178 patients. A role of this gene in haemochromatosis is supported by the frequency and nature of the major mutation and prior studies implicating MHC class I-like proteins in iron metabolism.

Repeated consensus sequence and pseudopromoters in the four coordinately regulated tubulin genes of Chlamydomonas reinhardi.

The 5' coding and promoter regions of the four coordinately regulated tubulin genes of Chlamydomonas reinhardi have been mapped and sequenced. DNA sequencing data shows that the predicted N-terminal amino acid sequences of Chlamydomonas alpha- and beta-tubulins closely match that of tubulins of other eucaryotes. Within the alpha 1- and alpha 2-tubulin gene set and the beta 1- and beta 2-tubulin gene set, both nucleotide sequence and intron placement are highly conserved. Transcription initiation sites have been located by primer extension analysis at 140, 141, 159, and 132 base pairs upstream of the translation initiator codon for the alpha 1-, alpha 2-, beta 1-, and beta 2-tubulin genes, respectively. Among the structures with potential regulatory significance, the most striking is a 16-base-pair consensus sequence [GCTC(G/C)AAGGC(G/T)(G/C)--(C/A)(C/A)G] which is found in multiple copies immediately upstream of the TATA box in each of the four genes. An unexpected discovery is the presence of pseudopromoter regions in two of the transcribed tubulin genes. One pseudopromoter region is located 400 base pairs upstream of the authentic alpha 2-tubulin gene promoter, whereas the other is located within the transcribed 5' noncoding region of the beta 1-tubulin gene.

An unusual transfer RNA (guanine-2-)-methyltransferase from transplantable rat mammary tumors.

We have previously demonstrated that (guanine-2-)-methyltransferase activity in extracts from 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene-induced rat mammary tumors differs from that of nonneoplastic mammary tissue. In this report, we explore further the nature of these differences by purification and characterization of the two major transfer RNA (tRNA) (guanine-2-)-methyltransferases from transplantable mammary tumors and proliferating mammary glands from pregnant rats. The position 10-specific (guanine-2-)-methyltransferases (2mGI) from proliferating rat mammary gland and mammary tumor were found to have similar properties with respect to molecular weight, substrate specificity, and elution behavior on ion-exchange columns. In addition, no tissue-specific differences were observed when the mammary tumor and mammary gland 2mGI activities were compared with those of purified rat liver enzyme. In contrast, the position 26-specific (guanine-2-)-methyltransferase (2mGII) from mammary tumors was seen to possess properties different from both the nontumorous mammary gland and liver enzyme. The tumor 2mGII activity showed unusual elution behavior on diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex, eluting along with the 2mGI activity. A small difference in molecular weight was detected between tumor and nontumorous 2mGII activities. Examination of the tumor enzyme in comparison with the well-characterized 2mGII from rat liver indicated that the mammary tumor 2mGII methylated a broader range of tRNA substrates. In particular, mature yeast phenylalanine-specific tRNA, which is methylated in vivo at all major eukaryotic methylation sites and should not be a substrate for eukaryotic methylating enzymes in vitro, could be methylated at low levels by the tumor enzyme. Two-dimensional electrophoretic fingerprint maps of T1 RNase-digested phenylalanine-specific tRNA from Escherichia coli methylated in vitro showed the presence of a methylated oligonucleotide which could not be correlated with normal sites of methylation on the tRNA. From these results, it appears that the mammary tumor 2mGII can methylate at some unusual site(s) on the tRNA molecule.

Coordinate regulation of the four tubulin genes of Chlamydomonas reinhardi.

During cell division and during the induction of tubulin synthesis that accompanies flagellar regeneration in Chlamydomonas reinhardi, four tubulin mRNAs of discrete molecular sizes are produced. During induction two beta tubulin mRNAs (2.47 kb and 2.34 kb) and two alpha tubulin mRNAs (2.26 kb and 2.13 kb) are synthesized in high abundance and in a closely coordinated fashion. Combined data from restriction enzyme mapping (i.e., Southern analysis) of genomic DNA and of Charon 30 recombinant clones bearing inserts of Chlamydomonas tubulin genes provide direct evidence for four distinct tubulin genes in this organism. Dot-blot analysis of the level of hybridization of a 32p nick-translated beta tubulin cDNA to genomic DNA from gametic cells and to a clone containing the beta 1 tubulin gene indicate that each beta 1 tubulin gene is present in one copy per cell. Additional hybridization experiments employing fragments of cDNA clones which selectively anneal to either the 3' or 5' portions of the two alpha tubulin genes or to one or both of the two beta tubulin genes suggest that each tubulin gene is actively transcribed to give rise to one of the four tubulin mRNAs. These observations further suggest that at most four basic types of tubulin subunits are produced by Chlamydomonas and that the heterogeneity of tubulin subunits reported to exist in the flagellar axoneme must arise as a result of post-translational modification.

A technique for the rapid selection of drug-sensitive and auxotrophic mutants of Phycomyces blakesleeanus.

An auxotroph enrichment procedure has been developed for Phycomyces blakesleeanus which has proven useful in obtaining both auxotrophs and drug-sensitive mutants. The technique is based on the differential heat sensitivity between ungerminated auxotrophic spores and germinated prototrophic spores. Germinated spores and mycelia die when left at temperatures higher than about 35 degrees C for 16 to 24 h but ungerminated spores survive this treatment and subsequently germinate if transferred to complete medium. With the dwarf colonial strain, replica plating permits the rapid characterization of these newly selected auxotrophs.