| 1. |
- Abdeldaim, Guma M. K., et al.
(författare)
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Detection of Haemophilus influenzae in respiratory secretions from pneumonia patients by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction
- 2009
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Ingår i: Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease. - : Elsevier. - 0732-8893 .- 1879-0070. ; 64:4, s. 366-373
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the omp P6 gene was developed to detect Haemophilus influenzae. Its specificity was determined by analysis of 29 strains of 11 different Haemophilus spp. and was compared with PCR assays having other target genes: rnpB, 16S rRNA, and bexA. The method was evaluated on nasopharyngeal aspirates from 166 adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia. When 104 DNA copies/mL was used as cutoff limit for the method, P6 PCR had a sensitivity of 97.5% and a specificity of 96.0% compared with the culture. Of 20 culture-negative but P6 PCR-positive cases, 18 were confirmed by fucK PCR as H. influenzae. Five (5.9%) of 84 nasopharyngeal aspirates from adult controls tested PCR positive. We conclude that the P6 real-time PCR is both sensitive and specific for identification of H. influenzae in respiratory secretions. Quantification facilitates discrimination between disease-causing H. influenzae strains and commensal colonization.
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| 2. |
- Ardell, David H, et al.
(författare)
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The genomic pattern of tDNA operon expression in E. coli
- 2005
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Ingår i: PloS Computational Biology. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-734X .- 1553-7358. ; 1:1, s. e12-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In fast-growing microorganisms, a tRNA concentration profile enriched in major isoacceptors selects for the biased usage of cognate codons. This optimizes translational rate for the least mass invested in the translational apparatus. Such translational streamlining is thought to be growth-regulated, but its genetic basis is poorly understood. First, we found in reanalysis of the E. coli tRNA profile that the degree to which it is translationally streamlined is nearly invariant with growth rate. Then, using least squares multiple regression, we partitioned tRNA isoacceptor pools to predicted tDNA operons from the E. coli K12 genome. Co-expression of tDNAs in operons explains the tRNA profile significantly better than tDNA gene dosage alone. Also, operon expression increases significantly with proximity to the origin of replication, oriC, at all growth rates. Genome location explains about 15% of expression variation in a form, at a given growth rate, that is consistent with replication-dependent gene concentration effects. Yet the change in the tRNA profile with growth rate is less than would be expected from such effects. We estimated per-copy expression rates for all tDNA operons that were consistent with independent estimates for rDNA operons. We also found that tDNA operon location, and the location dependence of expression, were significantly different in the leading and lagging strands. The operonic organization and genomic location of tDNA operons are significant factors influencing their expression. Nonrandom patterns of location and strandedness shown by tDNA operons in E. coli suggest that their genomic architecture may be under selection to satisfy physiological demand for tRNA expression at high growth rates.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Brännvall, Mathias, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence for induced fit in bacterial RNase P RNA-mediated cleavage
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 372:5, s. 1149-1164
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- RNase P with its catalytic RNA subunit is involved in the processing of a number of RNA precursors with different structures. However, precursor tRNAs are the most abundant substrates for RNase P. Available data suggest that a tRNA is folded into its characteristic structure already at the precursor state and that RNase P recognizes this structure. The tRNA D-/T-loop domain (TSL-region) is suggested to interact with the specificity domain of RNase P RNA while residues in the catalytic domain interact with the cleavage site. Here, we have studied the consequences of a productive interaction between the TSL-region and its binding site (TBS) in the specificity domain using tRNA precursors and various hairpin-loop model substrates. The different substrates were analyzed with respect to cleavage site recognition, ground-state binding, cleavage as a function of the concentration of Mg2+ and the rate of cleavage under conditions where chemistry is suggested to be rate limiting using wild-type Escherichia coli RNase P RNA, M1 RNA, and M1 RNA variants with structural changes in the TBS-region. On the basis of our data, we conclude that a productive TSL/TBS interaction results in a conformational change in the M1 RNA substrate complex that has an effect on catalysis. Moreover, it is likely that this conformational change comprises positioning of chemical groups (and Mg2+) at and in the vicinity of the cleavage site. Hence, our findings are consistent with an induced-fit mechanism in RNase P RNA-mediated cleavage.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Ghosh, Jaydip, et al.
(författare)
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Sporulation in mycobacteria
- 2009
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 106:26, s. 10781-10786
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 7. |
- Ghosh, Jaydip, et al.
(författare)
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Sporulation in mycobacteria
- 2009
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 106:26, s. 10781-10786
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mycobacteria owe their success as pathogens to their ability to persist for long periods within host cells in asymptomatic, latent forms before they opportunistically switch to the virulent state. The molecular mechanisms underlying the transition into dormancy and emergence from it are not clear. Here we show that old cultures of Mycobacterium marinum contained spores that, upon exposure to fresh medium, germinated into vegetative cells and reappeared again in stationary phase via endospore formation. They showed many of the usual characteristics of well-known endospores. Homologues of well-known sporulation genes of Bacillus subtilis and Streptomyces coelicolor were detected in mycobacteria genomes, some of which were verified to be transcribed during appropriate life-cycle stages. We also provide data indicating that it is likely that old Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin cultures form spores. Together, our data show sporulation as a lifestyle adapted by mycobacteria under stress and tempt us to suggest this as a possible mechanism for dormancy and/or persistent infection. If so, this might lead to new prophylactic strategies.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Hinas, Andrea, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of the Major Spliceosomal RNAs in Dictyostelium discoideum Reveals Developmentally Regulated U2 Variants and Polyadenylated snRNAs
- 2006
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Ingår i: Eukaryotic Cell. - 1535-9778 .- 1535-9786. ; 5:6, s. 924-934
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Most eukaryotic mRNAs depend upon precise removal of introns by the spliceosome, a complex of RNAs and proteins. Splicing of pre-mRNA is known to take place in Dictyostelium discoideum, and we previously isolated the U2 spliceosomal RNA experimentally. In this study, we identified the remaining major spliceosomal RNAs in Dictyostelium by a bioinformatical approach. Expression was verified from 17 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes. All these genes are preceded by a putative noncoding RNA gene promoter. Immunoprecipitation showed that snRNAs U1, U2, U4, and U5, but not U6, carry the conserved trimethylated 5' cap structure. A number of divergent U2 species are expressed in Dictyostelium. These RNAs carry the U2 RNA hallmark sequence and structure motifs but have an additional predicted stem-loop structure at the 5' end. Surprisingly, and in contrast to the other spliceosomal RNAs in this study, the new U2 variants were enriched in the cytoplasm and were developmentally regulated. Furthermore, all of the snRNAs could also be detected as polyadenylated species, and polyadenylated U1 RNA was demonstrated to be located in the cytoplasm.
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| 10. |
- Kikovska, Ema, et al.
(författare)
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Eukaryotic RNase P RNA mediates cleavage in the absence of protein
- 2007
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 104:7, s. 2062-2067
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The universally conserved ribonucleoprotein RNase P is involved in the processing of tRNA precursor transcripts. RNase P consists of one RNA and, depending on its origin, a variable number of protein subunits. Catalytic activity of the RNA moiety so far has been demonstrated only for bacterial and some archaeal RNase P RNAs but not for their eukaryotic counterparts. Here, we show that RNase P RNAs from humans and the lower eukaryote Giardia lamblia mediate cleavage of four tRNA precursors and a model RNA hairpin loop substrate in the absence of protein. Compared with bacterial RNase P RNA, the rate of cleavage (k obs) was five to six orders of magnitude lower, whereas the affinity for the substrate (appK d) was reduced ≈20- to 50-fold. We conclude that the RNA-based catalytic activity of RNase P has been preserved during evolution. This finding opens previously undescribed ways to study the role of the different proteins subunits of eukaryotic RNase P.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Kikovska, Ema, 1977-
(författare)
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Versatile and Antique World of RNA : The Simplicity of RNA Mediated Catalysis
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- RNA is the only biological molecule that can function both as a repository of information and as a catalyst. This, together with the ability to self-replicate, led to recognition of RNA as ‘prelude to life’.My work highlights some of the important features of RNA as a catalyst, exemplified by RNase P. It addresses questions of evolutionary preservations of residues and structure, involvement of metal ions and finally structure evolution towards minimal catalytically competent RNA motifs.RNase P is the only enzyme involved in 5’ end processing of all pre-tRNAs. Until recently, it was believed that the RNA moiety of RNase P is responsible for mediating catalysis only in Bacteria. However, my recent study conclusively demonstrated that eukaryotic RNase P RNA is catalytically competent in vitro in absence of proteins. These findings evidenced evolutionary preservation of RNA-mediated catalysis in RNase P.RNase P RNA is a metalloeznyme. In my studies I analyzed the contributions of individual chemical groups at the cleavage site to catalysis. My findings suggested that the 2’OH of N-1 and the exocyclic amine of G+1 are involved in positioning of functionally important metal ions. Additionally, data appointed the function of Pb2+ as both structural metal ion and important in generating the nucleophile. My studies further indicate a conformational change upon RNase P RNA -substrate complex formation in keeping with an induced fit mechanism. Studying the effects of reducing the ribozyme size upon dissection of bacterial RNase P RNAs, we defined the smallest catalytically competent domain i.e. P15-loop. Derivatives of this autonomous metal ion binding domain, (the smallest being 31nt-s), are able to cleave both whole-length pre-tRNAs as well as hairpin substrates, though with severely reduced rates relative to their parent ribozymes. The study has inferred that partite ES interactions at the cleavage site prove sufficient for catalysis.
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| 15. |
- Kirsebom, Leif A, et al.
(författare)
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New Vaccines
- 2009
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Patent (populärvet., debatt m.m.)
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| 16. |
- Kirsebom, Leif A, et al.
(författare)
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Pb2+-induced cleavage of RNA
- 2005
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Ingår i: Handbok of RNA biochemistry. - Weinheim : Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co, Weinheim. - 3527308261 ; , s. 12-, s. 214-226
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 17. |
- Kirsebom, Leif A.
(författare)
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RNase P RNA mediated cleavage : substrate recognition and catalysis
- 2007
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Ingår i: Biochimie. - : Elsevier BV. - 0300-9084 .- 1638-6183. ; 89:10, s. 1183-1194
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The universally conserved endoribonuclease P consists of one RNA subunit and, depending on its origin, a variable number of protein subunits. RNase P is involved in the processing of a large variety of substrates in the cell, the preferred substrate being tRNA precursors. Cleavage activity does not require the presence of the protein subunit(s) in vitro. This is true for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic RNase P RNA suggesting that the RNA based catalytic activity has been preserved during evolution. Progress has been made in our understanding of the contribution of residues and chemical groups both in the substrate as well as in RNase P RNA to substrate binding and catalysis. Moreover, we have access to two crystal structures of bacterial RNase P RNA but we still lack the structure of RNase P RNA in complex with its substrate and/or the protein subunit. Nevertheless, these recent advancements put us in a new position to study the way and nature of interactions between in particular RNase P RNA and its substrate. In this review I will discuss various aspects of the RNA component of RNase P with an emphasis on our current understanding of the interaction between RNase P RNA and its substrate.
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| 18. |
- Kirsebom, Leif A., et al.
(författare)
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RNase P RNA-mediated cleavage
- 2009
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Ingår i: IUBMB Life - A Journal of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. - : Wiley. - 1521-6543 .- 1521-6551. ; 61:3, s. 189-200
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metal(II)-induced hydrolysis of RNA produce products with 5'-hydroxyls and 2';3'-cyclic phosphates at the ends. Ribozymes are RNA molecules that act as catalysts. Some ribozymes that cleave RNA also generate 5-hydroxyls and 2';3-cyclic phosphates whereas others produces 5-phosphates and 5'-hydroxyls at the ends of the cleavage products. RNase P is an essential endoribonuclease involved in RNA processing. The catalytic RNA subunit or RNase P is a trans-acting ribozyme that cleaves various RNA substrates in vitro generating 5'-phosphates and Y-hydroxyls as cleavage products. The activity depends on the presence of metal(II) ions such as Mg2+. RNase P RNA has therefore to facilitate a nucleophilic attack that generates the correct product ends and prevent metal(II)-induced hydrolysis of the RNA substrate. In this review, we will discuss our current understanding of the interactions between RNase P RNA and its substrate, role of specific residues with respect to catalysis and positioning of functionally important Mg2+ at and in the vicinity of the cleavage site that ensures that products with correct ends are generated. Moreover, we will discuss the composition of RNase P and its RNA subunit in an evolutionary perspective.
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| 19. |
- Kyriakopoulou, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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U1-like snRNAs lacking complementarity to canonical 5' splice sites
- 2006
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Ingår i: RNA. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - 1355-8382 .- 1469-9001. ; 12:9, s. 1603-1611
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have detected a surprising heterogeneity among human spliceosomal U1 small nuclear RNA (snRNA). Most interestingly, we have identified three U1 snRNA variants that lack complementarity to the canonical 5' splice site (5'SS) GU dinucleotide. Furthermore, we have observed heterogeneity among the identified variant U1 snRNA genes caused by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The identified snRNAs were ubiquitously expressed in a variety of human tissues representing different stages of development and displayed features of functional spliceosomal snRNAs, i.e., trimethylated cap structures, association with Sm proteins and presence in nuclear RNA-protein complexes. The unanticipated heterogeneity among spliceosomal snRNAs could contribute to the complexity of vertebrates by expanding the coding capacity of their genomes.
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| 20. |
- Larsson, Pontus, 1977-
(författare)
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Computational Approaches to the Identification and Characterization of Non-Coding RNA Genes
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as highly diverse and powerful key players in the cell, the range of capabilities spanning from catalyzing essential processes in all living organisms, e.g. protein synthesis, to being highly specific regulators of gene expression. To fully understand the functional significance of ncRNAs, it is of critical importance to identify and characterize the repertoire of ncRNAs in the cell. Practically every genome-wide screen to identify ncRNAs has revealed large numbers of expressed ncRNAs and often identified species-specific ncRNA families of unknown function. Recent years' advancement in high-throughput sequencing techniques necessitates efficient and reliable methods for computational identification and annotation of genes. A major aim in the work underlying this thesis has been to develop and use computational tools for the identification and characterization of ncRNA genes.We used computational approaches in combination with experimental methods to study the ncRNA repertoire of the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. We report ncRNA genes belonging to well-characterized gene families as well as previously unknown and potentially species-specific ncRNA families. The complicated task of de novo ncRNA gene prediction was successfully addressed by developing a method for nucleotide composition-based gene prediction using maximal-scoring partial sums and considering overlapping dinucleotides.We also report a substantial heterogeneity among human spliceosomal snRNAs. Northern blot analysis and cDNA cloning, as well as bioinformatical analysis of publicly available microarray data, revealed a large number of expressed snRNAs. In particular, U1 snRNA variants with several nucleotide substitutions that could potentially have dramatic effects on splice site recognition were identified.In conclusion, we have by using computational approaches combined with experimental analysis identified a rich and diverse ncRNA repertoire in the eukaryotes D. discoideum and Homo sapiens. The surprising diversity among the snRNAs in H. sapiens suggests a functional involvement in recognition of non-canonical introns and regulation of messenger RNA splicing.
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| 21. |
- Larsson, Pontus, et al.
(författare)
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De novo search for non-coding RNA genes in the AT-rich genome of Dictyostelium discoideum : Performance of Markov-dependent genome feature scoring
- 2008
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Ingår i: Genome Research. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - 1088-9051 .- 1549-5469. ; 18:6, s. 888-899
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genome data are increasingly important in the computational identification of novel regulatory non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). However, most ncRNA gene-finders are either specialized to well-characterized ncRNA gene families or require comparisons of closely related genomes. We developed a method for de novo screening for ncRNA genes with a nucleotide composition that stands out against the background genome based on a partial sum process. We compared the performance when assuming independent and first-order Markov-dependent nucleotides, respectively, and used Karlin-Altschul and Karlin-Dembo statistics to evaluate the significance of hits. We hypothesized that a first-order Markov-dependent process might have better power to detect ncRNA genes since nearest-neighbor models have been shown to be successful in predicting RNA structures. A model based on a first-order partial sum process (analyzing overlapping dinucleotides) had better sensitivity and specificity than a zeroth-order model when applied to the AT-rich genome of the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. In this genome, we detected 94% of previously known ncRNA genes (at this sensitivity, the false positive rate was estimated to be 25% in a simulated background). The predictions were further refined by clustering candidate genes according to sequence similarity and/or searching for an ncRNA-associated upstream element. We experimentally verified six out of 10 tested ncRNA gene predictions. We conclude that higher-order models, in combination with other information, are useful for identification of novel ncRNA gene families in single-genome analysis of D. discoideum. Our generalizable approach extends the range of genomic data that can be searched for novel ncRNA genes using well-grounded statistical methods.
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| 22. |
- Lindell, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Lead(II) cleavage analysis of RNase P RNA in vivo.
- 2005
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Ingår i: RNA. - 1355-8382. ; 11:9, s. 1348-54
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The overall conformation of M1 RNA, the catalytic RNA subunit of RNase P in Escherichia coli, was analyzed in vivo and, in the presence of the C5 protein subunit, in vitro by lead(II) acetate probing. The partial cleavage patterns obtained are congruent with previous structure mapping performed in vitro. Most of the known major and minor cleavages in M1 RNA were supported and could be mapped onto a secondary structure model. The data obtained indicate that C5 has only minor effects on the overall structure of the RNA subunit. The similar cleavage patterns obtained in vitro and in vivo furthermore suggest that the intracellular environment does not greatly alter the overall conformation of M1 RNA within the holoenzyme complex. Moreover, our data indicate that M1 RNA in vivo is present in at least two states-the major fraction is bound to tRNA substrates and a minor fraction is substrate free. Finally, both in this and previous work we found that lead(II) probing data from in vivo experiments conducted on longer RNAs (tmRNA and M1 RNA) generally gives superior resolution compared to parallel in vitro experiments. This may reflect the absence of alternative conformers present in vitro and the more natural state of these RNAs in the cell due to proper, co-transcriptional folding pathways and possibly the presence of RNA chaperones.
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| 23. |
- Lu, Jian, 1974-
(författare)
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The Kluyveromyces lactis killer toxin is a transfer RNA endonuclease
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Killer strains of the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis secrete a heterotrimeric protein toxin (zymocin) to inhibit the growth of sensitive yeasts. The cytotoxicity of zymocin resides in the γ subunit (γ-toxin), however the mechanism of cytotoxicity caused by γ-toxin was previously unknown. This thesis aimed to unravel the mode of γ-toxin action and characterize the interaction between γ-toxin and its substrates.Previous studies suggested a link between the action of γ-toxin and a distinct set of transfer RNAs. In paper I, we show that γ-toxin is a tRNA anticodon endonuclease which cleaves tRNA carrying modified nucleoside 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl-2-thiouridine (mcm5s2U) at position 34 (wobble position). The cleavage occurs 3’ to the wobble uridine and yields 2’, 3’-cyclic phosphate and 5´-hydroxyl termini.In paper II, we identified the determinants in tRNA important for efficient γ-toxin cleavage. The modifications present on the wobble uridines have different effects on tRNA cleavage by γ-toxin. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae wobble modification mcm5 group has a strong positive effect, whereas the Escherichia coli wobble modification 5-methylaminomethyl group has a strong inhibitory effect on tRNA cleavage. The s2 group present in both S. cerevisiae and E. coli tRNAs has a weaker positive effect on the cleavage. The anticodon stem loop (ASL) of tRNA represents the minimal structural requirement for γ-toxin action. Nucleotides U34U35C36A37C38 in the ASL are required for optimal cleavage by γ-toxin, whereas a purine at position 32 or a G at position 33 dramatically reduces the reactivity of ASL.Screening for S. cerevisiae mutants resistant to zymocin led to the identification of novel proteins important for mcm5s2U formation (paper III). Sit4p (a protein phosphatase), Sap185p and Sap190p (two of the Sit4 associated proteins), and Kti14p (a protein kinase) are required for the formation of mcm5 side chain. Ncs2p, Ncs6p, Urm1p, and Uba4p, the latter two function in a protein modification (urmylation) pathway, are required for the formation of s2 group. The gene product of YOR251C is also involved in the formation of s2 group. The involvement of multiple proteins suggests that the biogenesis of mcm5s2U is very complex.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Pettersson, B. M. Fredrik, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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The Presence of a C− 1/G+ 73 Pair in a tRNA Precursor Influences Processing and Expression In Vivo
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 381:5, s. 1089-1097
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To understand whether 5′ and 3′ structural elements of the region corresponding to the mature tRNA affect the expression of the tRNA, we examined several bacterial genomes for tRNA genes where the expression might be potentially affected by structural elements located outside of the mature tRNA. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, our analysis suggested that the tRNATrp is transcribed together with a putative stem–loop structure followed by a uridine tract immediately downstream of the tRNA region. This structural element, resembling a Rho-independent transcription terminator, might therefore influence the expression and processing of tRNATrp. Moreover, the secondary structure suggested that the discriminator base in the tRNATrp precursor can pair with either the C at position − 1, the 3′ terminal residue in the 5′ leader, or the C immediately 5′ of the uridine tract of the putative Rho-independent transcription terminator. Here, we present in vivo data demonstrating the importance of residue − 1 and the positioning of the putative transcription terminator for the expression of correctly 5′ processed P. aeruginosa tRNATrp in Escherichia coli. Interestingly, we also detected a difference in the appearance of correctly 5′ processed P. aeruginosa tRNATrp in E. coli compared to the situation in P. aeruginosa.
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| 26. |
- Pettersson, B. M. Fredrik, 1974-
(författare)
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tRNA Gene Structures in Bacteria
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In bacteria, tRNA molecules are produced as precursors with additional nucleotides both upstream and downstream of the tRNA coding sequence. To generate a mature tRNA, the endoribonuclease RNase P removes the upstream sequence, while a number of enzymes can remove the downstream sequence. In this thesis, the influence of such upstream and downstream sequences on the expression of mature functional tRNA was studied. It was found that in Escherichia coli, the presence of an upstream sequence positively influences tRNA expression. Furthermore, it was shown that the identity of the nucleotide immediatedly 5' of the canonical RNase P cleavage site in a tRNA precursor influenced RNase P cleavage site selection in vivo in E. coli, but not in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Additionally, a stem-loop in the precursor just downstream of the tRNA increased this "miscleavage". This stem-loop resembled a rho-independent transcription terminator and overlapped the trpT gene in P. aeruginosa, but it only marginally influenced the expression of the downstream secE gene. The trpT and secE genes were found to be cotranscribed. The trpT-secE gene order was also conserved in the majority of bacteria investigated. The expression of tRNA genes during development in Streptomyces coelicolor was also studied. Here, the expression of most tRNA genes tested increased with time during development. Similarly, the expression of the RNase P RNA increased. The relative increase was quantified and correlated with different criteria related to gene structure and gene organisation, but no significant differences could be found. Moreover, a tRNALeuCAA UUA codon suppressor as well as the cognate bldA tRNA could restore differentiation to a developmentally blocked bldA deletion strain. For both tRNAs, the efficiency of restoration depended on the 5'- and 3'-flanks. In conclusion, both 5'- and 3'-flanking sequences influence tRNA expression, and bacteria respond differently to changes in their tRNA gene structures.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Semenyuk, Andrey, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis of RNA Using 2'-O-DTM Protection
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 128:38, s. 12356-12357
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- tert-Butyldithiomethyl (DTM), a novel hydroxyl protecting group, cleavable under reductive conditions, was developed and applied for the protection of 2′-OH during solid-phase RNA synthesis. This function is compatible with all standard protecting groups used in oligonucleotide synthesis, and allows for fast and high-yield synthesis of RNA. Oligonucleotides containing the 2′-O-DTM groups can be easily deprotected under the mildest possible aqueous and homogeneous conditions. The preserved 5′-O-DMTr function can be used for high-throughput cartridge RNA purification.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Thegerström, Johanna, 1972-
(författare)
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Mycobacterium avium infections in children
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Mycobacterium avium belongs to a group of over 130 species of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) or environmental mycobacteria. The subspecies Mycobacterium avium avium was originally described as the causative agent of bird tuberculosis, but was later found to cause disease also in humans. Small children display a special form of infection that is seldom detected in other age groups. It manifests as a chronic lymphadenitis usually in the head and neck region. The incidence rate is approximately 1-5/100,000 children/year. However, exposure to this bacterium is high as judged by sensitin skin test studies. Even if a lot of persons are infected with M. avium, a majority of them do not develop disease and the bacterium is therefore considered to be of low virulence, causing disease mainly in immunocompromised persons. Children with M. avium lymphadenitis, however, usually do not have any known deficiencies in the immune system.This thesis elucidates why small children are prone to develop disease by M. avium. Investigation of a possible zoonotic spread of this bacterium to children involved analysis and comparison of different strains isolated from birds and other animals and from children, using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method on insertion sequence IS1245, resulting in the finding that the children were infected exclusively with the new proposed subspecies M. avium hominissuis. Animals in general and birds in particular were infected with the subspecies M. avium avium (using the more narrow definition). Moreover, when investigating the immunological response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to stimulation with M. avium hominissuis and M. avium avium, respectively, it was found that the former subspecies induced lower IFN-γ and IL-17 than the latter, but higher levels of Il-10, which might contribute to explain the higher pathogenicity of M. avium hominissuis in humans.Through studies of the geographical distribution of cases of M. avium infection in children in Sweden and the seasonal variation of the disease, a fluctuation of the incidence over the year was detected, with higher numbers of cases in the autumn months and lower numbers in the late spring. There was a higher incidence rate in children living close to water than in those living in the inland or in the urban areas. Therefore, outdoor natural water is the most probable source of infection in children with M. avium lymphadenitis. Through a descriptive clinical retrospective study, complete surgical removal of the affected lymph node was found to lead to better results than treatment by incision and drainage of abscess or expectation only.Finally there might be several explanations as to why an individual develops disease after infection with M. avium, such as, exposure, bacterial virulence factors or possible specific deficiencies of the immune system of the host or a combination of these factors. Which are the more important factors regarding children with M. avium lymphadenitis is still an open question.
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| 31. |
- Thuresson, Ann-Charlotte, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibition of poly(A) polymerase by aminoglycosides
- 2007
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Ingår i: Biochimie. - : Elsevier BV. - 0300-9084 .- 1638-6183. ; 89:10, s. 1221-1227
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aminoglycosides are potent inhibitors of bacterial growth and are used clinically as antibiotics. However, their usage has declined in recent years due to the emergence of resistance and severe toxic side effects. Here we show that human poly(A) polymerase gamma (PAPgamma) is inhibited by aminoglycosides. The inhibition was pH dependent and could be released by Mg(II) ions in a competitive manner suggesting that electrostatic interactions are important for inhibition and that the binding sites for aminoglycosides overlap with Mg(II) ion binding sites. Kinetic analysis revealed that aminoglycosides of the neomycin and kanamycin families behaved as mixed non-competitive inhibitors for the PAPgamma substrates oligoA15 and ATP. Interestingly, sisomicin and 5-epi-sisomycin showed a competitive mechanism of inhibition for the oligoA15 whereas they inhibited the ATP substrate mixed non-competitive. This implies that different aminoglycosides bind in different ways to a common binding pocket and suggests that the binding sites for related aminoglycosides are not overlapping even if they may share molecular determinants. Our study emphasizes the possibility that aminoglycoside toxicity could be due to interference with housekeeping enzymes involved in breaking and forming phosphodiester bonds.
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