Ray Sanchez-Pescador

Molecular characterization of human immunodeficiency virus from Zaire: nucleotide sequence analysis identifies conserved and variable domains in the envelope gene.

To examine the genetic relatedness of human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) from different geographic locations, we molecularly cloned the genome of HIV isolated from a Zairian AIDS patient. Restriction mapping of the recombinant clone, designated HIV-Zr6, revealed both common (as observed in other HIV isolates) and unique restriction sites. The DNA clone of HIV-Zr6, shown to give rise to infectious cytopathic virus after transfection of cultured lymphoid cells, was sequenced in several regions. The long terminal repeat (LTR), open reading frame 1 (ORF1), C-terminal envelope (env) gene domain, and ORF2 showed less than 6% difference in nucleotide sequence when compared to other HIV isolates including human T-lymphotropic virus-type III (HTLV-III) clone B10, lymphadenopathy-associated virus-1 (LAV-1), and AIDS-associated retrovirus-2 (ARV-2). About 15% difference in nucleotide sequences was noted in the N-terminal env gene domain. Alignments of env gene sequences revealed conserved, moderately variable, and hypervariable stretches in the predicted amino acid sequences. This model provides a basis for assessing the significance of sequence variation on properties controlled by the viral Env glycoproteins such as cell tropism and immunogenicity.

Sequence of a cDNA Encoding Syrian Hamster Preproinsulin

A complementary DNA (cDNA) library was prepared from messenger RNA (mRNA) isolated from Syrian hamster islets. Bacterial colonies containing hamster preproinsulin cDNA were identified by cross-hybridization with the human preproinsulin gene. The sequences of two of these established the complete sequence of Syrian hamster preproinsulin mRNA and predicted the sequence of the protein. Hamster preproinsulin is 110 amino acids and possesses 90.0% and 82.7% identity with the corresponding proteins of rats (either I or II) and human beings, respectively. Analysis of the hybridization of hamster preproinsulin cDNA to restriction endonuclease digests of hamster DNA suggests that there is only a single preproinsulin gene in this rodent, in contrast to rats and mice, which possess two nonallelic genes.

Humanα2-macroglobulin gene is located on chromosome 12

A cDNA clone encoding amino acids 809–1451 of the protease inhibitor α2-macroglobulin has been isolated from an adult human liver cDNA library. This cDNA was used to examine DNA samples prepared from a panel of human-mouse somatic cell hybrids with different numbers and combinations of human chromosomes for the presence of the human α2-macroglobulin gene. The cosegregation of this gene and chromosome 12 in the cell hybrid panel indicated that the α2-macroglobulin structural gene (designated A2M) is on human chromosome 12.