The Chironomus thummi genome contains a non-LTR retrotransposon.

Nineteen recombinant phages containing DNA from the region of Balbiani ring a (BRa), which develops on chromosome IV in cells of the special lobe of the Chironomus thummi salivary gland, were isolated from a Chironomus thummi genomic library. Three of the clones contained transposable element sequences that hybridized to more than 100 sites on all four Chironomus chromosomes, including constant and variable sites. Two handogous clones, lambda 24 (which lacks the transposable element) and lambda 43 (which contains this insertion) were investigated by nucleotide sequence analysis. The complete nucleotide sequence of the 4.8 kb transposable element from Chironomus thummi (NLR1Cth) is reported here. This element contains two overlapping open reading frames of 1887 (ORF1) and 2649 bp (ORF2). Three cysteine motifs are found in the sequence of ORF1. Sequence similarity was found between ORF2 and known genes of viruses and transposable elements which encode reverse transcriptase. The NLR1Cth element has no long terminal repeats and is flanked by short direct repeats of the sequence TATCACTGACAAC. A 24 bp poly(dA) sequence was found at the 3' end of the element. Based upon its structural organization and comparative analysis of its nucleotide sequence we suggest that this NLR1Cth element belongs to the class of non-LTR retrotransposons. The genomic clone pC6.10 was previously obtained by microdissection and cloning of DNA from polytene chromosome IV of Chironomus thummi. A 2.4 kb insertion contained part of the 3' terminal region of the NLR1Cth element, but this differed in sequence from the first copy by several nucleotide substitutions and a shorter poly (dA) tract at the 3' end.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Isolation of bioluminescent functions from Photobacterium leiognathi: analysis of luxA, luxB, luxG and neighboring genes.

Genes encoding luminescence of Photobacterium leiognathi have been cloned in Escherichia coli. The luminescent clones were readily apparent. Among them, a clone containing a recombinant plasmid with a 13.5-kb insertion was identified. This DNA fragment contained all of the luminescence-encoding genes. The luciferase-encoding genes (lux) in this DNA fragment were localized. We have sequenced a part of the cloned lux region and identified the luxA, luxB and luxG genes encoding the alpha and beta subunits of luciferase and a gamma protein with an Mr of 26,180, respectively. The analysis of deduced amino acid sequences and comparison with known luciferase sequences from Vibrio harveyi, indicate the common origin of these proteins.

Two related superfamilies of putative helicases involved in replication, recombination, repair and expression of DNA and RNA genomes.

In the course of systematic analysis of protein sequences containing the purine NTP-binding motif, a new superfamily was delineated which included 25 established or putative helicases of Escherichia coli, yeast, insects, mammals, pox- and herpesviruses, a yeast mitochondrial plasmid and three groups of positive strand RNA viruses. These proteins contained 7 distinct highly conserved segments two of which corresponded to the "A" and "B" sites of the NTP-binding motif. Typical of the new superfamily was an abridged consensus for the "A" site, GxGKS/T, instead of the classical G/AxxxxGKS/T. Secondary structure predictions indicated that each of the conserved segments might constitute a separate structural unit centering at a beta-turn. All previously characterized mutations impairing the function of the yeast helicase RAD3 in DNA repair mapped to one of the conserved segments. A degree of similarity was revealed between the consensus pattern of conserved amino acid residues derived for the new superfamily and that of another recently described protein superfamily including a different set of prokaryotic, eukaryotic and viral (putative) helicases.

Coronavirus genome: prediction of putative functional domains in the non-structural polyprotein by comparative amino acid sequence analysis.

Amino acid sequences of 2 giant non-structural polyproteins (F1 and F2) of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a member of Coronaviridae, were compared, by computer-assisted methods, to sequences of a number of other positive strand RNA viral and cellular proteins. By this approach, juxtaposed putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, nucleic acid binding ("finger"-like) and RNA helicase domains were identified in F2. Together, these domains might constitute the core of the protein complex involved in the primer-dependent transcription, replication and recombination of coronaviruses. In F1, two cysteine protease-like domains and a growth factor-like one were revealed. One of the putative proteases of IBV is similar to 3C proteases of picornaviruses and related enzymes of como- nepo- and potyviruses. Search of IBV F1 and F2 sequences for sites similar to those cleaved by the latter proteases and intercomparison of the surrounding sequence stretches revealed 13 dipeptides Q/S(G) which are probably cleaved by the coronavirus 3C-like protease. Based on these observations, a partial tentative scheme for the functional organization and expression strategy of the non-structural polyproteins of IBV was proposed. It implies that, despite the general similarity to other positive strand RNA viruses, and particularly to potyviruses, coronaviruses possess a number of unique structural and functional features.

[Amino acid sequence analysis of barley stripe mosaic viral proteins: tentative identification of viral serine proteases]. / Analiz aminokislotnykh posledovatel'nostei belkov virusa shtrikhovatoi mozaiki iachmenia: predpolozhitel'naia identifikatsiia virusnoi serinovoi proteazy.

Analysis of amino acid sequences of barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) proteins revealed the pentapeptide GDSGG, the sequence unique for catalytic centers of serine chymotrypsin-like proteases, in protein p14 encoded by open reading frame 4 of RNA beta. Computer-assisted comparisons revealed a statistically significant similarity between amino acid sequences of p14 and chymotrypsin-like proteases. The catalytic His and Asp residues tentatively identified in p14 together with the Ser residue of the GDSGG sequence, presumably, constitute the "catalytic triad" characteristic of chymotrypsin-like proteases. Based on these observations and on the presence of a potential N-proximal transmembrane domain in p14, this protein may be suggested to be a serine protease involved in processing of the replicase precursor within a membrane-bound replication complex of BSMV.

N-terminal domains of putative helicases of flavi- and pestiviruses may be serine proteases.

Recently we tentatively identified, by sequence comparison, central domains of the NS3 proteins of flaviviruses and the respective portion of the pestivirus polyprotein as RNA helicases (A.E.G. et al., submitted). Alignment of the N-proximal domains of the same proteins revealed conservation of short sequence stretches resembling those around the catalytic Ser, His and Asp residues of chymotrypsin-like proteases. A statistically significant similarity has been detected between the sequences of these domains and those of the C-terminal serine protease domains of alphavirus capsid proteins. It is suggested that flavivirus NS3 and the respective pestivirus protein contain at least two functional domains, the N-proximal protease and the C-proximal helicase one. The protease domain is probably involved in the processing of viral non-structural proteins.

An NTP-binding motif is the most conserved sequence in a highly diverged monophyletic group of proteins involved in positive strand RNA viral replication.

NTP-motif, a consensus sequence previously shown to be characteristic of numerous NTP-utilizing enzymes, was identified in nonstructural proteins of several groups of positive-strand RNA viruses. These groups include picorna-, alpha-, and coronaviruses infecting animals and como-, poty-, tobamo-, tricorna-, hordei-, and furoviruses of plants, totalling 21 viruses. It has been demonstrated that the viral NTP-motif-containing proteins constitute three distinct families, the sequences within each family being similar to each other at a statistically highly significant level. A lower, but still valid similarity has also been revealed between the families. An overall alignment has been generated, which includes several highly conserved sequence stretches. The two most prominent of the latter contain the socalled "A" and "B" sites of the NTP-motif, with four of the five invariant amino acid residues observed within these sequences. These observations, taken together with the results of comparative analysis of the positions occupied by respective proteins (domains) in viral multidomain proteins, suggest that all the NTP-motif-containing proteins of positive-strand RNA viruses are homologous, constituting a highly diverged monophyletic group. In this group the "A" and "B" sites of the NTP-motif are the most conserved sequences and, by inference, should play the principal role in the functioning of the proteins. A hypothesis is proposed that all these proteins possess NTP-binding capacity and possibly NTPase activity, performing some NTP-dependent function in viral RNA replication. The importance of phylogenetic analysis for the assessment of the significance of the occurrence of the NTP-motif (and of sequence motifs of this sort in general) in proteins is emphasized.

Cysteine proteases of positive strand RNA viruses and chymotrypsin-like serine proteases. A distinct protein superfamily with a common structural fold.

Evidence is presented, based on sequence comparison and secondary structure prediction, of structural and evolutionary relationship between chymotrypsin-like serine proteases, cysteine proteases of positive strand RNA viruses (3C proteases of picornaviruses and related enzymes of como-, nepo- and potyviruses) and putative serine protease of a sobemovirus. These observations lead to re-identification of principal catalytic residues of viral proteases. Instead of the pair of Cys and His, both located in the C-terminal part of 3C proteases, a triad of conserved His, Asp(Glu) and Cys(Ser) has been identified, the first two residues resident in the N-terminal, and Cys in the C-terminal beta-barrel domain. These residues are suggested to form a charge-transfer system similar to that formed by the catalytic triad of chymotrypsin-like proteases. Based on the structural analogy with chymotrypsin-like proteases, the His residue previously implicated in catalysis, together with two partially conserved Gly residues, is predicted to constitute part of the substrate-binding pocket of 3C proteases. A partially conserved ThrLys/Arg dipeptide located in the loop preceding the catalytic Cys is suggested to confer the primary cleavage specificity of 3C toward Glx/Gly(Ser) sites. These observations provide the first example of relatedness between proteases belonging, by definition, to different classes.

A novel superfamily of nucleoside triphosphate-binding motif containing proteins which are probably involved in duplex unwinding in DNA and RNA replication and recombination.

A statistically significant similarity was demonstrated between the amino acid sequences of 4 Escherichia coli helicases and helicase subunits, a family of non-structural proteins of eukaryotic positive-strand RNA viruses and 2 herpesvirus proteins all of which contain an NTP-binding sequence motif. Based on sequence analysis and secondary structure predictions, a generalized structural model for the ATP-binding core is proposed. It is suggested that all these proteins constitute a superfamily of helicases (or helicase subunits) involved in NTP-dependent duplex unwinding during DNA and RNA replication and recombination.

Sobemovirus genome appears to encode a serine protease related to cysteine proteases of picornaviruses.

A putative serine protease was identified among non-structural proteins of southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) by sequence comparison with cellular and viral proteases. The predicted SBMV protease displayed a significant similarity to cysteine proteases of picornaviruses, providing a possible evolutionary link between the two enzyme classes. It is suggested that SBMV follows the general expression strategy characteristic of other positive-strand RNA viruses containing 5'-terminal covalently linked proteins (VPg), i.e. generation of functional proteins by polyprotein processing.

[Bacteriophage Mu transposase contains a fragment with primary structure similar to that of protein VPg covalently linked with poliovirus RNA]. / Prisutstvie v transpozaze bakteriofaga Mu fragmenta, skhodnogo po pervichnoi strukture s belkom VPg, kovalentno sviazannykh s RNK poliovirusa.

A statistically valid similarity was found to exist between the amino acid sequences of poliovirus genome-linked protein VPg and a fragment of bacteriophage Mu transposase (Mu A protein). Based on this observation a hypothesis is proposed that the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of the two proteins may be analogous. Both proteins are supposed to be site-specific endonucleases which form covalent linkage with the 5'-phosphate group of the nicked DNA or RNA strand. The amino acid residue participating in the formation of this linkage in MuA is tentatively identified as Tyr413.

[Evolution of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of positive riboviruses]. / Evoliutsiia RNK-zavisimykh RNK-polimeraz pozitivnykh ribovirusov.

A comparative analysis is presented of 24 known amino acid sequences of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of positive strand RNA viruses infecting animals, plants and bacteria. Using a newly proposed methodology of group alignment for weakly similar sequences, evolutionary conserved fragments of all these proteins were unambiguously aligned. A unique pattern (consensus) of 7 invariant amino acid residues was revealed which is absent from the sequences of other RNA and DNA polymerases and is thought to unequivocally identify the RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of positive strand RNA viruses. Based on the obtained alignment a tentative phylogenetic tree of viral RNA polymerases was constructed for the first time. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of positive strand RNA viruses are concluded to comprise a distinct family of evolutionary related proteins.

Poliovirus-encoded proteinase 3C: a possible evolutionary link between cellular serine and cysteine proteinase families.

Here we demonstrate significant similarities between the amino acid sequences of trypsin (a serine protease) and the N-terminal piece of a specific fragment of the poliovirus polyprotein encompassing the sequence of the viral proteinase 3C, and also between cathepsin H (a cysteine protease) and the C-terminal piece of the same fragment. A coherent alignment of the sequences of the 3 proteases was obtained, in which the principal catalytically active residues occupy identical positions. A hypothesis is proposed that the viral enzyme may provide an evolutionary link between serine and cysteine protease families.