Nucleic Acids Research, Vol 24, Issue 18 3593-3600, Copyright © 1996 by Oxford University Press
SD Pandit, RE Richard, R Sternglanz and DF Bogenhagen
Two distinct tissue-specific forms of DNA topoisomerase I with M(r) of 165
and 110 kDa have been purified from oocytes and somatic cells respectively
of the African frog Xenopus laevis. In this paper, cDNAs encoding a Xenopus
topoisomerase I were cloned using PCR primers derived from sequences of
yeast and human topoisomerase I. A polypeptide expressed from a portion of
the coding sequence was recognized by an antiserum directed against the
somatic topoisomerase I that had previously been shown to be unable to
cross-react with the oocyte enzyme. Thus, the clone encodes the somatic
cell topoisomerase I. An antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide
containing the sequence surrounding the active site tyrosine of the somatic
topoisomerase I reacts with the enzymes purified from both oocytes and
somatic cells, indicating that the two enzymes share some limited sequence
homology. RNA blot hybridization showed that oocytes contain an abundant
store of somatic topoisomerase I mRNA that is not efficiently
polyadenylated in oocytes. This stored RNA contains a consensus cytoplasmic
polyadenylation element that is found in a variety of mRNAs that are
translationally repressed in oocytes. Microinjection into oocytes of in
vitro transcribed mRNA prepared from a Myc-tagged construct of the somatic
topoisomerase I sequence is translated to yield a 110 kDa product. This
suggests that the oocyte- specific 165 kDa topoisomerase I is not produced
by tissue-specific post-translational modification of the somatic
topoisomerase I. The oocyte enzyme appears to be produced from a minor mRNA
species in oocytes that has not yet been identified.
ARTICLES
Cloning and characterization of the gene for the somatic form of DNA topoisomerase I from Xenopus laevis
Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA.
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?