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USA Today – Why Work For Us?
USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its unique visual storytelling, USA TODAY delivers high-quality and engaging content across print, digital, social and video platforms. An innovator of news and information, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation and serves as the host of the American conversation – today, tomorrow and for decades to follow. USA TODAY and USATODAY.com reach a combined seven million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than 21 million downloads on mobile devices. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).
- First Day of Issue - USA TODAY was launched on September 15, 1982.
- Print Readership – GfK MRI Spring 2013 survey results report that USA TODAY has a daily readership of more than 3 million.
- Print Circulation – According to the AAM Publisher's Statement for the six months ending September 2013, USA TODAY showed an average daily paid circulation Monday - Friday of 1,424,406 and total circulation of 2,862,229.
- Print Sites - 36 in the U.S.
- International Print Edition - USA TODAY launched the international edition on July 10, 1984. Currently the edition is printed in London, Belgium, Frankfurt, Hong Kong*, Cancun, and has a circulation of approximately 40,000.
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Full-page black-and-white national: $125,600, M-Th; $153,300, F
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(Weekend rates are higher, reflecting the weekend edition's larger circulation.)
- Launch Date - April 17, 1995
- USATODAY.com is an award-winning news and information site providing visitors with breaking news, sports, money, life, weather, technology and travel news - all updated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Our Purpose
To serve the greater good of our nation and the communities we serve.
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We are on a relentless quest to provide trusted news and information and to actively support the people and businesses in the communities we serve.
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Since its founding nearly 20 years ago, Gannett Foundation — with the help of Gannett employees — has given more than $171 million to thousands of charitable projects across the U.S. and the U.K. Last year alone Gannett Foundation made more than 1,000 grants and matched more than 3,900 employee donations to non-profits for a total of $6.9 million.
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Many Gannett employees make the world a better place by volunteering in their own communities. They conduct food, clothing and shoe drives, donate thousands of books to the local schools and libraries, collect gifts for needy children during the holidays and raise money for many important causes.
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Millions of people, including Gannett employees, and many businesses come together on the fourth Saturday in October to participate in Make A Difference Day. It is the largest national day of helping others and is sponsored by USA WEEKEND and its 700 carrier newspapers.
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USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its unique visual storytelling, USA TODAY delivers high-quality and engaging content across print, digital, social and video platforms. An innovator of news and ... More
Mission: Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation.


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Chances are you didn't mean to miss your day in court however, the consequences are still the same. If you fail to appear in court in Michigan, you may now have an additional misdemeanor charge against you and there may also be a warrant out for your Read More
Michigan Once Again Looking at Increasing Speed Limit on Some Freeways
This spring, legislation is once again being introduced to the Michigan House considering increasing the speed limit on rural freeways from 70 to 80. Introduced not too long ago, the bill has been revived and lawmakers are again considering these Read More
Driving Without Insurance in Michigan
License and proof of insurance please? Even if you haven't been stopped in Michigan, you are likely familiar with these requests made by officers during a traffic stop. Until the end of 2014, your proof of insurance was the only easy proof of Read More
The Admissibility of Michigan Roadside Sobriety Tests
A simple error in wording in a Michigan Law which went into effect in January of 2015, has led to an unexpected consequence with regard to the admissibility of field sobriety tests in court. Enrolled House Bill 5385 which was approved on October Read More
News On Michigan Traffic Law From A Traffic Lawyer in Ypsilanti MI
Depending on the state, traffic laws and the penalties associated with them will vary. In Michigan, fines for disobeying traffic laws can vary greatly depending on the offense. Although which offenses are punishable will not generally vary from city Read More
DUI Attorney Belleville MI: A DUI Should Not Be Taken Lightly
Like virtually all offenses today, penalties for DUIs or Driving Under the Influence vary from state to state. A DUI is defined as the act of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol above the legal limit. If you are facing a DUI Read More
Michigan's Super Drunk Driving Law
On October 31, 2010, Michigan's new "super drunk" driving law went into effect, which changed several sections of the Michigan Vehicle Code. Previously, intoxicated drivers faced charges of Operating While Visibly Impaired (OWVI) or Operating While Read More
Michigan No Points Traffic Ticket Law
On December 31, 2010, a new Michigan law (MCL 257.320d) went into effect. This law permits individuals to attend traffic school to avoid certain minor traffic tickets from getting reported to insurance companies. Like any law, however, there are Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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We stayed here for 2 nights in October and really enjoyed Santa Cruz. The staff were helpful enough and the room was a good size and very clean. The wifi was great and is free! The complimentary breakfast was great and there was a excellent choice.
The location is great as it is only a 2 min walk to the beach and boardwalk and you can walk to downtown Santa Cruz in 5 mins.
We would definitely stay here again.


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For Rent Toledo Properties
4610-4650 Secor, Toledo, OH
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About For Rent Toledo Properties
For Rent Toledo Properties, conveniently located in West Toledo, and Perrysburg, OH, offers spacious and affordable Studio, One, Two, and Three Bedroom apartments and townhomes for rent. Features in select apartments and townhomes include Washer & Dryer, Garage, Walk-in Closet, Private Entrance, and Washington Local Schools. Please call for personalized directions
As you search for your perfect apartment, please keep in mind that rental rates (including specials and discounts) and availability are very fluid in the apartment industry. Based on many factors, the rental rates (including specials and discounts) and availability can actually change not just daily, but hourly, if not even more quickly. While our advertisers do take steps to keep their information current, the rental rates or availability you may find here now at ForRent.com may not be the same as when you contact the communities.
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Middle East recruiters expect new jobs in next 6 months
Naukrigulf survey reveals job creation and hiring much better in 2015 compared with 2014October 13, 2015 10:17
Register for our free newsletter
MIDEAST STOCKS-Markets to rise on stronger global environment
Abu Dhabi's ADWEA in talks with banks for $350 mln project bond
Emirates hints at no Dubai Airshow orders, pushes decision on A350/787 to next year
UAE minister says plans to boost oil output capacity on track
MIDEAST STOCKS-Saudi, Egypt markets barely move in early trade
Qatar Q2 GDP growth accelerates to 4.8 pct year/year
UAE says reforms will better protect foreign workers
United Arab Bank secures $125 mln three-year loan
MIDEAST STOCKS-Saudi hit by weak oil, commodities; Egypt down modestly
MIDEAST STOCKS-UAE markets narrowly mixed in thin, early trade
First legislative polls planned for 2nd half of 2013; Qatar has backed Arab Spring, especially Libya uprising; Current assembly members all appointed
November 2, 2011 12:05 by Reuters
The election will be the first to the Shura Council, 30 of whose 45 members will be elected and the others appointed by the emir under a constitution approved in 2003. All the body's current members are appointed.
"We have decided that the Shura (Advisory) Council elections would be held in the second half of 2013," Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said in a speech to the body, the state news agency QNA reported.
"We know that all these steps are necessary to build the modern state of Qatar and the Qatari citizen who is capable of dealing with the challenges of the time and building the country. We are confident that you would be capable of shouldering the responsibility."
He did not say if the council would be given more weight. It can discuss and pass some laws but they have to be approved by the emir.
Qatar, ruled by the al-Thani Sunni monarchy for more than a century, has been a major supporter of the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, and actively backed Libyan rebels who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.
The small, wealthy island state is viewed as one of the countries least vulnerable to the drive for reform sweeping the region, its natural gas riches giving its 350,000 people the world's highest per capita income.
Sheikh Hamad seized power from his father in a bloodless coup in 1995 and in 2003 declared his son Tamim his heir.
"Qatar played a major role supporting democracy in countries like Libya, so this decision helps build the narrative of Qatar as a pro-democracy force," said Shadi Hamid, director of research at Brookings Doha Center.
"One criticism was that it wasn't meeting expectations on domestic reform. That is now addressed as it makes greater representation for citizens at home."
Qatar, which owns the leading Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera, won the rights this year to host the 2022 Football World Cup.
"The world is turning its eyes towards Qatar, so Qatar has to be concerned about how others are seeing it," Hamid said. (Reporting By Nour Merza in Dubai; editing by Tim Pearce)
Alstom awarded $550M Iraq power contract
November 2 2011
Palestinians say hackers hit internet services
November 2 2011


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pritha never invites me over :C
bartender Kim is the bomb!
ps bartender rachel is the bomb
bacon please!!!
bacon an cheese omellete, add tomatoes.
spotted cow from kevin!!
onion rings are a must!!
Foursquare © 2015 Lovingly made in NYC & SF
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Long Island weddings
Who's been getting married on Long Island? View these photos to find out.
Newsday.com now uses Facebook for our comment boards. Please read our guidelines and connect your Facebook account to comment.
St. Anthony's High School Homecoming High school homecomings on Long Island Long Island and New York City's top photos LI's cheerleading and kickline teams Meet Long Island's high school mascots Promotions, new hires and jobs on LI Who's ringing stock exchanges' bells? LI high school homecomings: Then and now Mattituck vs. Southampton Oyster Bay High School Homecoming Meet LI's homecoming kings and queens 62 signs you're from Suffolk


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HPI Racing Savage XL Octane 1/8 4WD Gas Monster Truck w/2.4GHz Radio & 15cc Gasoline Engine
This is the HPI Savage XL Octane 1/8 4WD Gas Monster Truck. HPI has done it! They have developed the first GASOLINE-powered Monster Truck. What does this mean for you? Longer run times, reduced fuel costs, and more brutal monster power! Based off of the indestructible Savage X, the Savage XL Octane features even more durability with an extensive list of upgrades. It includes all the stuff you need to get it ready to rip. Just add your gas and 2-stroke oil, and get ready to wreak havoc on the neighborhood.
- 2.7hp GT15C 15cc 2-stroke Octane engine with pull-start; .91 ci of power
- Massive 300cc fuel tank for over 20 minutes of runtime per tank
- Savage XL extended chassis with 3mm thick TVP plates
- 4-shoe Quadra clutch system with cooling fan
- All-metal shaft drivetrain for durability
- 3-speed transmission for aggressive action
- Machined steel spur gear
- Heavy duty clutch bell and dog bone outdrives and axles
- Machined brake hubs and triple-disc brake system for impressive stops
- Extra-large Big Bore oil-filled shocks on each corner
- Low fuel costs using pump gasoline and 2-stroke oil
- Water-resistant receiver and battery box
- Waterproof steering and throttle servos
- Fully equipped with ball bearings for maximum efficiency
- 2.4GHz radio system for hassle-free performance
- All-terrain tires with standardized Savage 17mm hex hubs
Length: 23.03 in (585mm)
Width: 17.5 in (445mm)
Weight: 15.6 lbs (7076g)
Height: 10.4 in (265mm)'
Wheelbase: 15.55 in (395mm)
Included Accessories:
- (2) 1200mAh 6.0V Battery Packs
- (1) Wall Charger
- "AA" Batteries for transmitter
This product was added to our catalog on June 11, 2014.
Brian Donnelly
Verified Owner
Friday, Jul 18 2014 (about a year ago)
HPI Racing Savage XL Octane 1/8 4WD Gas Monster Truck w/2.4GHz Radio & 15cc Gasoline Engine
I have had this truck for a little while now. I have put about 12 tanks through it. Yes when you first get it you will have to be patient with it and i recommend just changing the spark plug after the first tank. It seems the spark plugs likes to foul out after the first tank or so. It will take 5 tanks or more before it starts to shift properly, like i said be patient with it and it will be worth it. I love this truck and it is my favorite in my collection...
Robert Fugate Jr.
Wednesday, Aug 26 2015 (6 weeks ago)
HPI Racing Savage XL Octane 1/8 4WD Gas Monster Truck w/2.4GHz Radio & 15cc Gasoline Engine
Sorry to say I didn't buy this from AMain, I wish I would have. It seems like they've fixed most of the original issues. I've had this truck for 1 week now. It fired up in 6 pulls from bone dry and brand new. This was straight out of the box. All I did was check the needles to make sure they were at factory settings, and they were. I broke it in like the videos on HPI's site suggested... 1 tank driving it slow and easy. Easily wheelies on pavement halfway through second tank. This truck is a ton of fun. However, the steering servo is somewhat underpowered; the electronics box is messy and a bit undersized. If you want to use your own rx, getting everything to fit is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together; The radio that came with this car is decent for an RTR, but does not have very good range. I would recommend using a more reliable radio. I took one star off because none of these are deal breakers for me. The truck itself is very fun and solid. I haven't broken anything yet. If I had it to do over again, I'd buy it again for sure. I replaced the rx after break in because of range issues. Everything else is stock. Needles are still at factory settings, for now. Using 92 octane withe Royal Purple 2 cycle Synthetic mixed at 25:1.
Alex McGinley
Verified Owner
Thursday, Jul 31 2014 (about a year ago)
HPI Racing Savage XL Octane 1/8 4WD Gas Monster Truck w/2.4GHz Radio & 15cc Gasoline Engine
Bought this truck after being out of the hobby for a long time. I was initially impressed with it, starts easy, tuning is simple and it just looks awesome overall. But after running about 15 tanks though it the exhaust manifold started spewing oil down the side of the engine. Having fixed that now my CDI is dead and I'm still waiting on the warranty repair/replacement. Overall I think this is a very fun truck but for the price parts should not be failing within 2 weeks, HPI defiantly still has a few bugs to work out with this one.
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It won't be long before fireworks will be blasting off on the Fourth of July at the Huron County Fairgrounds.
Mayor Rob Duncan said the annual event will take place at dark, weather permitting.
Anyone wishing to donate to the fireworks can make checks out to the V.F.W. and drop them off at city hall.
The city used to budget money each year for the fireworks.
The city donated $3,000 in 2010, which was the last year it contributed.
"I think it's better to not be funded by taxpayers' money," Council President Steve Euton said.
"The Fourth of July is to celebrate independence from Britain and its unfair taxation," Euton said. "It seems strange to spend tax dollars to celebrate it.
"I do understand it's nice and easier when they city chips in," he added.
Euton attends the fireworks each year.
"July 4 is an interesting and amazing day," he said. "When I first came to Norwalk I was really impressed with how people celebrated the Fourth of July.
"So many individuals and businesses participate in the parade and then you have the fireworks at night and time in between to have a picnic with the family," he said. "The Fourth of July is one of the most enjoyable days of the year."
Councilman Chris Mushett also said it's better to keep tax dollars out of the funding of the fireworks.
"The time we stopped making donations as a city was when revenue was so tight," he said. "We needed to cut the non-necessary or non-vital things.
"If we ever got to the point where we couldn't do it privately and the revenue situation was better, I'd consider it at that point," Mushett said.
"To me, when the money was tight, it was one of the first things that had to go," he added.


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It might sound impossible, but today, your job is to analyze the unseen. You have all the clues and intuition you need to do just that, today. So when your heart senses that someone is being less than up front with you, follow your suspicion. You will soon see why you were so certain that you needed some time away from them. Or when your boss or another authority figure sends you a particularly complimentary email, believe your hunch that says big changes are coming for your career.
Its a good job Im working all day tee hee
I could use a bit of fun today!
I never place too overly much "faith" in the horoscope(s) but find it very interesting when they actually work out/come true. So its always nice to see what may lie ahead for that day...
Horoscopes are intresting,but so not true
You doing a good job. This is a very important time for me and I don't want to miss it!


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NOLS Wilderness Wisdom 2nd EditionGreat inspiration for hikers, climbers, paddlers, and other outdoor enthusiasts looking for motivation as they meet the challenges of the wilderness. More than 1,000 quotes from nearly 600 sources--in categories ranging from leadership to diversity and inclusion to environmental ethics to expedition planning. Features quotations from environmentalists, nature writers, athletes, and public figures
Hiking and Camping in Bear CountryTraveling in bear country comes with responsibilities to camp and hike in ways that respect the natural activities of bears. To give you the information you need to coexist with bears, NOLS Bear Essentials draws on NOLS' expertise and their 40 years of experience leading trips in bear country, as well as the input of noted scientists who have studied bears and their relationships with people.
$13.59From NOLS, the leader in wilderness education, comes the definitive guide to camping in extreme cold. Based on the official NOLS curriculum, it's the next best thing to taking a course with a qualified instructor. Learn how to layer clothing to stay warm and dry, maneuver a pack sled through heavy snow cover, and sleep comfortably in conditions of extreme cold. Proven techniques for traveling
Ultimate Elk Hunting: Strategies, Techniques & Methods
Strategies, Techniques & MethodsThe odds for a hunter bagging North America's premier game animal just became much greater, thanks to this book.Hunters view elk hunting as the pinnacle of the big-game hunting experience in North America. The average elk hunter is successful once in every eight years. Most of them are not happy with these odds and are continually seeking ways to shift the odds in their favor. This "how-to" book
$9.99From the sun-scorched sands of the Kalahari to the snake-infested jungles of the Amazon, Les Stroud has made a life of surviving in the harshest—and most remote—regions on Earth.Now, the creator, producer, and host of the hit television program Survivorman transfers his decades of knowledge and experience to the pages of Survive!, a practical guide that gives everyday readers a no-nonsense look at
Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book
Traveling & camping skills for a wilderness environmentThe dynamic duo has done it again! Following up on the incredible success of their two previous bestsellers, Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book and Really Cool Telemark Tips, these two National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) instructors and hardcore backcountry fanatics once again combine their years of experience into a hilarious and vastly informative book on the art of
$11.19Prince George-based outdoors expert, Mike Nash, shares what he has learned about outdoor safety and survival during more than thirty years of year-round treks into the rugged backcountry of western Canada. This dynamic and up-to-date handbook discusses ways to prepare for and deal with any number of critical situations that may arise in remote and mountainous terrain and is packed with information
The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide
The Ultimate Guide for Short-Term SurvivalThe Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide provides the essential knowledge that hikers, campers, canoeists, hunters, anglers, and anyone who spends time in the outdoors needs to deal with short-term survival situations. This handy guidebook will give you the knowledge to make it through any outdoor adventure, planned or unplanned. Discover everything you need to know about: Trip planning Survival kits
NOLS Wilderness Mountaineering 3rd EditionThis updated edition reflects the most current practices, equipment, and risk management in mountain climbing. With a new essay on transitioning from climbing gyms to real rock, and all new rescue-system illustrations for both glacier and rock settings, this instruction manual is a thorough introduction to the basics of wilderness mountaineering and the core mountaineering curriculum at NOLS. The
Movement, Tactics, and Problem Solving* Includes technical photographs, charts, and illustrations * Contributing photography and advice from Dave Graham, Daniel Woods, Jamie Emerson, and many others * Appendix highlights top bouldering destinations all over the world The latest addition to the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series, Bouldering: Movement, Tactics, and Problem Solving demonstrates not just the basics of how to boulder,
Modern Tools and Techniques That Will Take You to the TopModern Mountaineering on Alpine Rock, Snow, and Ice If your experience as a backpacker or rock climber is drawing you higher; if the cold, remote alpine environment calls you nearer, this book is for you. The Mountaineering Handbook will teach you the skills that will take you to the top. Even if you're already an experienced mountaineer, you'll find detailed descriptions of the newest and most


text: When you walk in you know that the food is going to be fantastic. Your served and greeted straight away with a friendly smile and seated quite fast. It's always full house and you can see why when you eat your meal. The flavours are Devine and the atmosphere is exciting. I recon this is the best... read more


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A profound masterpiece from one of the most revered filmmakers in the history of cinema, director Robert Bresson's Au hasard Balthazar follows a much-abused donkey, Balthazar, whose life strangely parallels that of his owner, Marie. A beast of burden suffering the sins of man, Balthazar nevertheless nobly accepts his fate. Through Bresson's unconventional approach to composition, sound, and narrative, this seemingly simple story becomes a moving religious parable of purity and transcendence.
Au hazard Balthazar can have a profoundly moving effect on those who are sensitive to its power. Like any film by Robert Bresson, it provokes widely different responses: Many critics have hailed it as a masterpiece, while others (as Pauline Kael observed) "may find it painstakingly tedious and offensively holy." It all depends on what the viewer brings to Bresson's seemingly simple tale of a donkey named Balthazar, who experiences kindness and cruelty as he is passed from owner to owner. Populated by a variety of sinners and saints alike, the film can be seen as a simple animal fable, as Balthazar suffers nobly at the hands of his handlers. Dig deeper into Bresson's art, however, and you're likely to find a very Catholic story with strong parallels to the life of Christ and his unbearable burden of the sins of mankind.
No matter how you approach the film, only the most cold-hearted viewer will be immune to Balthazar's fate. And if you're not sure what to make of it all, this superb Criterion DVD offers two essential bonus features to guide you toward a greater understanding of Bresson's approach to cinema: Film scholar and devoted "Bressonian" Donald Richie offers his astute observations in a 2004 video interview, and in an in-depth French TV appearance from 1966, Bresson talks at length about Au hazard Balthazar along with fellow directors Louis Malle and Jean-Luc Godard, and members of the film's cast and crew. This is a remarkable document from a bygone era, when "art film" was at its peak, and directors (especially French ones) were eager to discuss the intellectual significance of their work. Kudos to Criterion for including this archival gem of film appreciation. --Jeff Shannon
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The donkey is abused from start to finish, even while Marie is watching her boyfriend do this. This film could not be made today by current humane practices.Published 11 days ago by alan
This is the type of film almost all the enjoyment comes in the days after watching. If you are the type of person who likes to tackle a tough challenge without anybody else's... Read morePublished 2 months ago by mr. contrarian
Perhaps was good (artsy? thought-provoking?) in its day, but has not stood the test of time.Published 2 months ago by Phil
Robert Bresson's revered 1966 masterpiece Au hasard Balthazar is a film of quite extraordinary intellectual depth, piercing metaphysical perception and spiritual profundity. Read morePublished 12 months ago by Film Buff
A great film- people who enjoy being moved while watching a film will not be disappointed.Every emotion will be visited while watching this masterpiece.Not to be missed!!!!Published 13 months ago by Robert A. Kalanja
The main character in this harsh movie is an animal, a donkey (Balthazar), whose fate lies in the hands of his masters. Read morePublished 13 months ago by Luc REYNAERT
Far,far from being a great film.Not even close to the greats like Bergman ,Rohmer ,Powell ,Fellini ,Wajda ,really weak film.Published 23 months ago by Rogelio Gasca
AU HASARD BALTHAZAR, (1966). This 95-minute black and white film from greatly respected director Robert Bresson is generally considered a classic of French cinema. Read morePublished on October 1, 2013 by Stephanie De Pue
A life-long story of a girl growing up into a joy-seeking ungrateful teen trading her favours for misunderstandable purposes, and her donkey, clever enough to perform circus math... Read morePublished on December 19, 2012 by Michael Kerjman


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The Dubai Mall is heralded as progressive — except in it how it treats animals. The United Arab Emirates is home to one of the largest and most expensive structures of our time. The mall is part of a jaw-dropping $20 million Downtown Dubai complex with more than 1,000 shops and a deluxe cinema.
Yet, the Dubai Mall doesn't stop there. The mall is trying to squeeze a zoo and an aquarium into a mall when zoos are usually already too small to meet the needs of captive animals.
The Shark Tank
The sharks really set the tone to the 2008 mall grand opening. As reported in The Telegraph, more than ten percent of the Dubai Aquarium's sharks had been killed by other sharks before the mall even opened.
Mall officials are okay with this. As reported in The Telegraph, the mall's general manager at the time explained that it's "inevitable" that animals will die. Some will die of natural causes — even though they are in a totally unnatural environment — and others will die from inflicted injuries. Unsurprisingly, the sharks also displayed aggressive behavior towards the divers. During the aquarium set-up, there were two cases of injury that required immediate medical attention.
The mall's management had a half-hearted response. In order to curb the sharks' natural predatory instincts and aggressive behavior, the mall put the animals on a "monitored feeding schedule."
The aquarium animals and aquarium visitors might not be safe. As The Guardian reported, in 2010, there was a small leak in the tank.
I guess a 10 million liter aquarium isn't always big or safe enough for more than 33,000 living specimens.
Animals Forced in Entertainment
Not unlike the "Zoo Lates" that Susan Bird told us about where zoos open their doors after-hours for patrons to party with the animals complete with face masks, animal costumes, booze and disturbing noises, the Dubai Mall offers Night Safaris. The National reports that these artificial night-time safaris with an Amazon theme are a major hit. Visitors are provided with headlamps that they don't really need, but work well "to attract the attention of some of the animals, particularly the penguins." Visitors can also interact with some animals, e.g. hand-feeding an archerfish and touching sea stars and horseshoe crabs.
Visitors also flocked to mall spectacles like the Mermaid Show. Reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil's 'O,' the show featured divers dressed as merfolk and 140 species of living aquatic life. For the show's run, more than 400 sharks and rays were subjected to loud noises, bright lights and unnatural human interactions three times a day.
If you didn't think that it could get worse, then guess again. The Dubai Mall proudly showed off the house otters with serious artistic skills at The Great Otter Art Exhibition. Trainers taught the four otters how to grab a paintbrush and to paint on the easel before them; visitors get to choose what colors the gifted otters will use. As reported in The National, the otters are enthusiastic about the activity and painting "is also part of their enrichment training, giving them stimulus to cope with being in captivity." I'll just let that sink in.
There's Nothing Educational About Trapped Animals
The latest additions to the mall's collection are a pair of 750 kg crocodiles and the largest species of octopus — Giant Pacific Octopus — who weigh more than 70kg . The Gulf News reports that King and Queen Croc were brought in to introduce crocodile-related educational programs that are approved by the UAE Ministry of Education. Fortunately, no baby crocs will be born in captivity.
The reason? It has nothing to do with anti-breeding programs. It's because Queen Croc has reached the end of her breeding cycle. Eyebrows should be raised whether the mall will follow many zoos' footsteps with surplus breeding programs like the one that claimed the life of Marius the Giraffe.
Don't be fooled — the use of exotic animals has little, if anything, to do with education. A theme park consultant, John Gerner, told CNN, "In a general, entertainment attractions have always been a way for countries to have bragging rights in the world. By having the best, the biggest and the fastest of everything, Dubai wants to show they've arrived on the world stage. In many ways, having record-breaking animals is another way to do that."
Is the Dubai Mall Funding Wildlife Trafficking?
As Dubai grows, so does its illegal activity. There's a growing concern about where the mall is obtaining their collection of wild and exotic animals. Dubai is a bridge between Asia and Africa, and a growing hotspot of international travel. A report from The National showed that traffickers are well aware of security protocols in the area's airports. Custom officials can also be corrupted by changing the status of an endangered animal to non-endangered to bypass stricter regulations. Not to mention, there's a growing demand in Dubai and the world for exotic pets. One of the most recent examples is of the man caught smuggling 16 wild bird eggs in his underwear.
Take Action!
Fortunately, animal welfare is growing in popularity in the UAE, but it will still take time. Do your part to help the captive animals imprisoned in the Dubai Mall by signing and sharing this petition asking the mall to shut down its animal attractions in a truly record-breaking and progressive act of compassion.
Read more: aquarium, captive animals, dubai, Dubai Mall, united arab emirates, zoo
Photo Credit: Steven Byles
thanks for the article.
Thanks for very interesting article
Petition signed,thanks for sharing
Pétropolis : now you can help the sanctuary that is home to farm animals, victims of exploitation, of abuse, and all kinds of cruelty. Some comes from Pétropolis some from other places around this city. Today there are 150 lucky animals, please give, for keeping them and to rescue other ones : ♥ Fairy sanctuary - or - ♥ Doe
Thank you for sharing
Thank you to all who love the animals and the planet, and who already signed the petition to protect horses from Pétropolis, if no, please help give an happy end to the sad story of those enslaved animals, and share these petitions : ♞ Care 2 - and - ♞ PeticaoPublica.com
Never support Zoos, and Never support Circuses! Go to human only circuses and see incredible, free and paid, talented humans perform! Try it you will be blown away!
Petition signed of course, and shared
Selfish idiots!!!!
Are they INSANE???!!! The lengths to which idiots will go to exploit animals is beyond belief. This is disgusting. What is wrong with these people???
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
Wow! More people are killed accidentally by guns in America than are killed deliberately in Britain!
Re Ben Carson, "CNNs Wolf Blitzer asked him: Just clarify, if there had been no gun control…
It's nice to see an effort to help animals cope with the mess our species makes of wild habitats described…
Problem on this page? Briefly let us know what isn't working for you and we'll try to make it right!


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Sep 16, 2003
|Filing date
|Mar 16, 1994
|Priority date
|Jan 27, 1994
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|William A. Haseltine, Steven Ruben, Ying-Fei Wei, Mark D. Adams, Robert D. Fleischmann, Claire M. Fraser, Craig A. Rosen, Rebecca A. Fuldner, Ewen F. Kirkness
|Original Assignee
|Human Genome Sciences, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (9), Non-Patent Citations (29), Classifications (4), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/187,757, filed on Jan. 27, 1994 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,606.
This invention relates to newly identified polynucleotide sequences, polypeptides encoded by such sequences, the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides, as well as the production of such polynucleotides and polypeptides. More particularly, the polypeptides of the present invention are three human DNA mismatch repair proteins, HMLH1, HMLH2, and HMLH3.
In both procaryotes and eucaryotes, DNA mismatch repair plays a prominent role in the correction of errors made during DNA replication and genetic recombination. The E.coli methyl-directed DNA mismatch repair system is the best understood DNA mismatch repair system to date. In E.coli, this repair pathway involves the products of the mutator genes mutS, mutL, mutH, and uvrD. Mutants of any one of these genes will reveal a mutator phenotype. MutS is a DNA mismatch-binding protein which initiates this repair process, UvrD is a DNA helicase and MutH is a latent endonuclease that incises at the unmethylated strands of hemimethylated GATC sequence. MutL protein is believed to recognize and bind to the mismatch-DNA-MutS-MutH complex to enhance the endonuclease activity of MutH protein. The proteins of the present invention are human mutL homologs, namely, HMLH1, HMLH2 and HMLH3. After the unmethylated DNA strand is cut by the MutH, single-stranded DNA-binding protein, DNA polymerase III, exonuclease I and DNA ligase are required to complete this repair process (Modrich P., Annu. Rev. Genetics, 25:229-53 [1991]).
Elements of the E.coli MutLHS system appears to be conserved during evolution in procaryotes and eucaryotes. Genetic study analysis suggests that Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a mismatch repair system similar to the bacterial MutLHS system. In S. cerevisiae, at least two MutL homologs, PMS1 and MLH1, have been reported. Mutation of either one of them leads to a mitotic mutator phenotype (Prolla et al, Mol. Cell. Biol. 14:407-415 [1994]). At least three MutS homologs have been found in S.cerevisiae, MSH1, MSH2, and MSH3. Disruption of the msh2 gene (affects nuclear mutation rates. Mutants S. cerevisae msh2, pms1, and mlh1 have found to exhibit increased rates of expansion and contraction of dinucleotide repeat sequences (Strand et al., Nature, 365:274-276 [1993]).
It has been reported by various laboratories that a number of human tumors such as lung cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and stomach cancer show instability of repeated DNA sequences (Han et al., Cancer, 53:5087-5089 [1993]; Thibodeau et al., Science 260:816-819 [1993]; Risinger et al., Cancer 53:5100-5103 [1993]). This phenomenon suggested that lack of the DNA mismatch repair is probably the cause of these tumors. Little is known about the DNA mismatch repair system in humans until recently, the human homolog of the MutS was cloned and found to be responsible for hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC), (Fishel et al., Cell, 75:1027-1038 [1993] and Leach et al., Cell, 75:1215-1225 [1993]). The HNPCC was first linked to a locus at chromosome 2p16 which causes dinucleotide instability. It was then demonstrated that a DNA mismatch repair protein (MutS) homolog, was located at this locus and C→T transitional mutations at several conserved regions were specifically observed in HNPCC patients.
It has previously been demonstrated that hereditary colon cancer can result from mutations in several loci. Familial adenomatosis polyposis coli (APC) linked to a gene on chromosome 5 is responsible for a small minority of hereditary colon cancer. Hereditary colon cancer is also associated with Gardner's syndrome, Turcot's syndrome, Peutz-Jaeghers syndrome and juvenile polyposis coli. In addition, hereditary non polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC)may be involved in 5% of all human colon cancer. All of the different types of familial colon cancer have been shown to be transmitted by a dominant autosomal mode of inheritance.
In addition to localization of HNPCC in two families to the short arm of chromosome 2, a second locus has been linked to a predisposition to HNPCC (Lindholm et al., Nature Genetics, 5:279-282, 1993). A strong linkage was demonstrated between a polymorphic marker on the short arm of chromosome 3 and the disease locus. It was also suggested that these families show signs of a general defect in the DNA repair process.
This finding suggests that mutations on various DNA mismatch repair proteins probably play crucial role in causing human hereditary diseases and cancers such as lung cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and stomach cancer.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided three novel polypeptides which are human cDNA mismatch repair proteins, sometimes hereinafter referred to as HMLH1, HMLH2 and HMLH3, as well as analogs and derivatives thereof. The polypeptides of the present invention are of human origin.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polynucleotide (DNA) which encodes such polypeptide.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a procedure for producing such polypeptide by recombinant techniques.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for using the polypeptide or DNA sequence encoding such polypeptide for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
These and other aspects of the present invention should be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein.
The following drawings are illustrative of embodiments of the invention and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention as encompassed by the claims.
FIGS. 1A-F show the DNA sequence (SEQ ID NO:1) and deduced amino acid sequence for the human DNA repair protein HMLH1 (SEQ ID NO:2). The amino acids are represented by their standard one-letter abbreviations.
FIG. 1G is a partial DNA sequence for the human DNA repair protein HMLH2 (SEQ ID NO:3).
FIG. 1H is a partial DNA sequence for the human DNA repair protein HMLH3 (SEQ ID NO:4).
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a DNA sequence (and corresponding RNA sequence) as set forth in FIGS. 1A-F (SEQ ID NO:1) of the drawings and/or DNA (RNA) sequences encoding the same polypeptide as the sequence of FIGS. 1A-F (SEQ ID NO:1) of the drawings, as well as fragment portions, derivatives, analogs and all allelic variants of such sequences.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a DNA sequence (and corresponding RNA sequence) which encodes for a human DNA repair protein which DNA sequence contains the partial sequence of FIG. 1G (SEQ ID NO:3).
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a DNA sequence (and corresponding RNA sequence) which encodes for a human DNA repair protein which DNA sequence contains the partial sequence of FIG. 1H (SEQ ID NO:4).
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polynucleotide which encodes the same polypeptides as the polynucleotide of a cDNA clone deposited as ATCC Deposit number 75649, deposited on Jan. 25, 1994 or ATCC Deposit number 75651, deposited on Jan. 25, 1994 or ATCC Deposit number 75650, deposited on Jan. 25, 1994 and/or fragments analogs, derivatives or allelic variants of such polynucleotide. The address of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) Depository referred to herein is: American Type Culture Collection, 10801 University Boulevard, Manassas, Va. 20110-2209.
The address of the ATCC depository referred to herein is ATCC, Rockville, Md. 20852 USA.
ATCC Deposit Number 75649 is a cDNA clone which contains the full length sequence encoding the human DNA repair protein referred to herein as HMLH1; ATCC Deposit Number 75651 is a cDNA clone containing the full length DNA sequence encoding the human DNA repair protein referred to herein as HMLH2; ATCC Deposit Number 75650 is a cDNA clone containing the full length DNA sequence referred to herein as HMLH3.
In the case of DNA, DNA may be single stranded or double stranded, and if single stranded the DNA sequence may be the "sense" strand shown in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:1) or the one complementary thereto.
The polynucleotide (DNA or RNA, preferably DNA) includes at least the portion coding for the polypeptide, which coding portion may be the same as that in the deposited clone or may be different than that in the deposited clone provide that it encodes for the same polypeptide or an allelic variant thereof. The coding portion preferably encodes at least the nature form of the protein of the present invention.
The present invention further relates to polynucleotide sequences which hybridize under stringent conditions to the herein above-described polynucleotide sequences. As herein used, the term "stringent conditions" means hybridization will occur if there is at least 95% and preferably at least 97% identity between the segments. Thus, the present invention includes DNA (RNA) sequences encoding allelic variant form's of the peptide encoded by the DNA of FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:1). Thus, the present invention provides isolated DNA (RNA) encoding for a naturally occurring human polypeptide which is a human DNA repair protein as well as allelic variants thereof. The DNA (RNA) is preferably provided in a purified and isolated form.
The present invention further relates to three polypeptides which are three human DNA repair proteins and which, have the structure shown in FIGS. 1A-F (SEQ ID NO:1), 1G (SEQ ID NO:3), and 1H (SEQ ID NO:4), as well as allelic variants thereof, and analogs, fragments and derivatives thereof which have the same function as the naturally occurring polypeptide.
The present invention further relates to a polypeptide encoded by the DNA contained in one of the clones deposited as ATCC number's 75649, 75651 or 75650 on Jan. 25, 1994 as well as analogs, fragments, derivatives and allelic variants thereof.
These deposits will be maintained under the terms of the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Micro-Organisms for purposes of Patent Procedure. These deposits are provided merely as convenience to those of skill in the art and are not an admission that a deposit is required under 35 U.S.C. 112. The sequence of the polynucleotides contained in the deposited materials, as well as the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide encoded thereby, are incorporated herein by reference and are controlling in the event of any conflict with description of sequences herein. A license may be required to make, use or sell the deposited materials, and no such license is hereby granted.
A polypeptide of the present invention is preferably provided in an isolated form, and preferably is purified.
In a preferred embodiment, the human DNA repair proteins are full length mature human proteins or an allelic or glycosylated variant thereof. The polynucleotide may also encode a preprotein which is processed and secreted from mammalian cells as the mature protein.
The polynucleotide sequence of the present invention may encode for the mature form of the polypeptide or may encode for the protein with a leader sequence. For example, the desired DNA sequence may be fused in the same reading frame to a DNA sequence which aids in the expression and secretion of the polypeptide, for example, a leader sequence which acts as a secretory sequence for controlling transportation of the polypeptide from the cell of the host. The protein having a leader sequence is a preprotein and may have the leader sequence cleaved by the host cell to form the mature form of the protein. The polynucleotide of the present invention may also be fused in frame to a marker sequence which allows for purification of the polypeptide of the present invention, for example, a hexa-histidine tag.
Thus, the polypeptide(s) of the present invention may be the mature form of the human DNA repair protein of the present invention; or may be in the form of a preprotein or prepolypeptide wherein the human DNA repair protein includes a leader or signal sequence; or may be in the form of a fusion protein wherein additional amino acids which aid in, for example, purification of the polypeptide are fused to the mature or preprotein at either the amino (NH2) or carboxyl (COOH) terminus thereof.
As herein above indicated, the present invention also includes variants of the polypeptide which is encoded by the DNA of the drawings 1 or and variants of the DNA contained in the deposited clones, which retains the DNA repair activity of such a polypeptide. The variant may be a substitutional variant, or an insertion variant or a deletional variant. Such variants can be naturally occurring allelic variants such as for example, those with different glycosylation patterns or substitution at the amino acid level or deletion at the amino acid level.
A polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of the present invention may be obtained from one or more libraries prepared from one of the following tissues: heart, lung, prostate, spleen, liver, gall bladder, fetal brain, and testis. The polynucleotides of HMLH1, HMLH2 and HMLH3 are from human gall bladder, human T-cell lymphoma and human endometrial tumor cDNA libraries. In addition, six cDNA clones which are identical to the hmlh1 at N-terminal ends were obtained from human cerebellum, 8-week embryo, fetal heart, HSC172 cells and Jurket cell cDNA libraries. A second hmlh3 gene has also been found in human Supt cell cDNA library. All three human DNA repair genes share significant homology to E. coli and yeast mutL protein at the amino acid level. The first 200 amino acids of hmlh1 has 44% identity and 64% similarity to E. Coli mutL. The partial HMLH2 gene has 37% identity and 65% similarity to yeast pms1 on an amino acid basis. The partial HMLH3 gene has 55% identity and 79% similarity to yeast pms1 genee on an amino acid basis. The HMLH1 contains an open reading frame of 756 amino acids encoding for an 85 kD protein which exhibit homology to bacteria and yeast MutL protein. The coding sequence of HMLH1 has been derived from the cDNA clone obtained from the gall bladder. However, the 5′ non-translational region was from the cDNA clone obtained from the fetal heart for the purpose of extending the non-translational region to design the oligonucleotides.
Host cells are transformed with the expression vectors of this invention and cultured in conventional nutrient media modified as appropriate for including promoters, selecting transformants or expressing the hmlh1 to complement the host mutator phenotype.
"Transformation" means introducing DNA into an organism so that the DNA is replicable, either as an extrachromosomal element or by chromosomal integration. Unless indicated otherwise, the method used herein for transformation of the host cells is the method of Graham, F. and Van der Eb, A., Virology 52:456-457 (1973). However, other methods for introducing DNA into cells such as by nuclear injection or by protoplast fusion may also be used. If prokaryotic cells or cells which contain substantial cell wall constructions are used, the preferred method of transfection is calcium treatment using calcium chloride as described by Cohen, F. N. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA), 69:2110 (1972).
"Transfection" refers to the introduction of DNA into a host cell whether or not any coding sequences are ultimately expressed. Cells do not naturally take up DNA. Thus, a variety of technical "tricks" have been utilized to facilitate gene transfer. Numerous methods of transfection are known to the ordinarily skilled artisan, for example, CaPO4 and electro-poration. Transformation of the host cell is the indicia of successful transfection.
The term "isolated" means that the material is removed from its original environment (e.g., the natural environment if it is naturally occurring). For example, a naturally-occurring polynucleotide or polypeptide present in a living animal is not isolated, but the same polynucleotide or DNA or polypeptide, separated from some or all of the coexisting materials in the natural system, is isolated. Such polynucleotide could be part of a vector and/or such polynucleotide or polypeptide could be part of a composition, and still be isolated in that such vector or composition is not part of its natural environment.
The polynucleotide of the present invention may be employed for producing a polypeptide by recombinant techniques. Thus, for example, the polynucleotide sequence may be included in any one of a variety of vectors or plasmids for expressing a polypeptide. Such vectors include chromosomal, nonchromosomal and synthetic DNA sequences, e.g., derivatives of SV40; bacterial plasmids; phage DNA'S; yeast plasmids; vectors derived from combinations of plasmids and phage DNAS, viral DNA such as vaccinia, adenovirus, fowl pox virus, and pseudorabies.
The appropriate DNA sequence may be inserted into the vector by a variety of procedures. In general, the DNA sequence is inserted into an appropriate restriction endonuclease site(s) by procedures known in the art. Such procedures and others are deemed to be within the scope of those skilled in the art.
The DNA sequence in the expression vector is operatively linked to an appropriate expression control sequence(s) (promoter) to direct mRNA synthesis. As representative examples of such promoters, there may be mentioned: LTR or SV40 promoter, the E. coli, lac or trp, the phage lambda PL promoter and other promoters known to control expression of genes in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells or their viruses. The expression vector also contains a ribosome binding site for translation initiation and a transcription terminator. The vector may also include appropriate sequences for amplifying expression.
In addition, the expression vectors preferably contain a gene to provide a phenotypic trait for selection of transformed host cells such as dihydrofolate reductase or neomycin resistance for eukaryotic cell culture, or such as tetracycline or ampicillin resistance in E. coli.
The vector containing the appropriate DNA sequence as hereinabove described, as well as an appropriate promoter or control sequence, may be employed to transform an appropriate host to permit the host to express the protein. As representative examples of appropriate hosts, there may be mentioned: bacterial cells, such as E. coli, Salmonella typhimurium; fungal cells, such as yeast; animal cells such as Cos-7 cells, CHO or Bowes melanoma; plant cells, etc. The selection of an appropriate host is deemed to be within the scope of those skilled in the art from the teachings herein.
More particularly, the present invention also includes recombinant constructs comprising one or more of the sequences as broadly described above. The constructs comprise a vector, such as a plasmid or viral vector, into which a sequence of the invention has been inserted, in a forward or reverse orientation. In a preferred aspect of this embodiment, the construct further comprises regulatory sequences, including, for example, a promoter, operably linked to the sequence. Large numbers of suitable vectors and promoters are known to those of skill in the art, and are commercially available. The following vectors are provided by way of example. Bacterial: pQE-9 (Qiagen), pBs, phagescript, pD10, PsiXI74, pbluescript SK, pBsKS, PNH8A, PNE16A, PNH18A, PNH46A (Stratagene); Ptrc99a, PKK223-3, PKK233-3, PDR540, PRIT5 (Pharmacia). Eukaryotic: pWLneo, PSV2CAT, POG44, PXTI, pSG (Stratagene) PSVK3, PBPV, PMSG, PSVL (Pharmacia). Also, any other plasmids and vectors may be used as long as they are replicable and viable in the host.
Promoter regions can be selected from any desired gene using CAT (chloramphenicol acetyl transferase) vectors or other vectors with selectable markers. Two appropriate vectors are PKK232-8 and PCM7. Particular named bacterial promoters include lacd, lacz, T3, T7, gpt, lambda PR and trc. Eukaryotic promoters include CMV immediate early, HSV thymidine kinase, early and late SV40, LTRs from retrovirus, and mouse metallothionein-I. Selection of the appropriate vector and promoter is well within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to host cells containing the above-described construct. The host cell can be a higher eukaryotic cell, such as a mammalian cell, or a lower eukaryotic cell, such as a yeast cell, or the host cell can be a prokaryotic cell, such as a bacterial cell. Introduction of the construct into the host cell can be effected by calcium phosphate transfection, DEAE, dextran mediated transfection, or electroporation (Davis, L., Dibner, M., Battey, I., Basic Methods in Molecular Biology, 1986).
The constructs in host cells can be used in a conventional manner to produce the gene product coded by the recombinant sequence. Alternatively, the encoded polypeptide can be synthetically produced by conventional peptide synthesizers.
Mature proteins can be expressed in mammalian cells, yeast, bacteria, or other cells under the control of appropriate promoters. Cell-free translation systems can also be employed to produce such proteins using RNAs derived from the DNA constructs of the present invention. Appropriate cloning and expression vectors for use with prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts are described by Sambrook, et al., Molecular Cloning,: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., (1989), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Transcription of a DNA encoding a polypeptide of the present invention by higher eukaryotes is increased by inserting an enhancer sequence into the vector. Enhancers are cis-acting elements of DNA, usually about from 10 to 300 bp, that act on a promoter to increase its transcription. Examples include the SV40 enhancer on the late side of the replication origin (bp 100 to 270), a cytomegalovirus early promoter enhancer, the polyoma enhancer on the late side of the replication origin, and adenovirus enhancers.
Generally, recombinant expression vectors will include origins of replication and selectable markers permitting transformation of the host cell, e.g., the ampicillin resistance gene of E. coli and S. cerevisiae TRP1 gene, and a promoter derived from a highly-expressed gene to direct transcription of a downstream structural sequence. Such promoters can be derived from operons encoding glycolytic enzymes such as 3-phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), a-factor, acid phosphatase, or heat shock proteins, among others. The heterologous structural sequence is assembled in appropriate phase with translation initiation and termination sequences, and preferably, a leader sequence capable of directing secretion of translated protein into the periplasmic space or extracellular medium.
Useful expression vectors for bacterial use are constructed by inserting a structural DNA sequence encoding a desired protein together with suitable translation initiation and termination signals in operable reading phase with a functional promoter. The vector will comprise one or more phenotypic selectable markers and an origin of replication to ensure maintenance of the vector and to, if desirable, provide amplification within the host. Suitable prokaryotic hosts for transformation include E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium and various species within the genera Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Staphylococcus, although others may also be employed as a matter of choice.
As a representative but nonlimiting example, useful expression vectors for bacterial use can comprise a selectable marker and bacterial origin of replication derived from commercially available plasmids comprising genetic elements of the well known cloning vector PBR322 (ATCC 37017). Such commercial vectors include, for example, PKK223-3 (Pharmacia Fine Chemicals, Uppsala, Sweden) and GEM1 (Promega Biotec, Madison, Wis., USA). These PBR322 "backbone" sections are combined with an appropriate promoter and the structural sequence to be expressed.
Following transformation of a suitable host strain and growth of the host strain to an appropriate cell density, the selected promoter is derepressed by appropriate means (e.g., temperature shift or chemical induction) and cells are cultured for an additional period. Cells are typically harvested by centrifugation, disrupted by physical or chemical means, and the iresulting crude extract retained for further purification.
The repair proteins of the present invention may be recovered and purified from recombinant cell cultures by methods used heretofore, e.g. (Bende et al., Nucleic acid research, 19:1549-1555 [1991]), including ammonium sulfate or ethanol precipitation, acid extraction, anion or cation or exchange chromatography, phosphocellulose chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, affinity chromatography (e.g., using DNA or nucleotides on a solid support), hydroxylapatite chromatography and lectin chromatography. Moreover, reverse-phase HPLC and chromatography using anti-mutL antibodies are useful for the purification of human mutL homologs.
Various mammalian cell culture systems can also be employed to express recombinant protein. Examples of mammalian expression systems include the COS-7 lines of monkey kidney fibroblasts, described by Gluzman, Cell, 23:175 (1981), and other cell lines capable of expressing a compatible vector, for example, the C127, 3T3, CHO, HeLa and BHK cell lines. Mammalian expression vectors will comprise an origin of replication, a suitable promoter and enhancer, and also any necessary ribosome binding sites, polyadenylation site, splice donor and acceptor sites, transcriptional termination sequences, and 5′ flanking nontranscribed sequences. DNA sequences derived from the SV40 viral genome, for example, SV40 origin, early promoter, enhancer, splice, and polyadenylation sites may be used to provide the required nontranscribed genetic elements.
Recombinant protein produced in bacterial culture is usually isolated by initial extraction from cell pellets, followed by one or more salting-outs, aqueous ion exchange or size exclusion chromatography steps. Protein refolding steps can be used, as necessary, in completing configuration of the mature protein. Finally, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can be employed for final purification steps. Microbial cells employed in expression of proteins can be disrupted by any convenient method, including freeze-thaw cycling, sonication, mechanical disruption, or use of cell lysing agents.
The polypeptide of the present invention may be a naturally purified product, or a product of chemical synthetic procedures, or produced by recombinant techniques from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host (for example, by bacterial, yeast, higher plant, insect and mammalian cells in culture) of a polynucleotide sequence of the present invention. Depending upon the host employed in a recombinant production procedure, the polypeptides of the present invention may be glycosylated with mammalian or other eukaryotic carbohydrates or may be non-glycosylated. Polypeptides of the invention may also include an initial methionine amino acid residue (at position 1).
In addition to naturally occurring allelic forms of the polypeptide, the present invention also embraces analogs and fragments thereof. Thus, for example, one or more of the amino acid residues of the polypeptide may be replaced by conserved amino acid residues.
DNA mismatch can be generated during DNA replication and recombination. If these mutations were left unrepaired, mutated protein would result in altered or lost function of the normal protein. It has been found, for example, mutation on the human DNA mismatch repair gene hMLH2 is responsible for the hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (Fishel et al., Cell, 75:1027-1038 [1993] and Leach et al., Cell, 75:1215-1225 [1993]).
Each of the cDNA sequences identified herein or a portion thereof can be used in numerous ways as polynucleotide reagents. The sequences can be used as diagnostic probes for the presence of a specific mRNA in a particular cell type. In addition, these sequences can be used as diagnostic probes suitable for use in genetic linkage analysis (polymorphisms).
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a process for determining susceptibility to cancer, in particular, a hereditary cancer. Thus, a mutation in a human repair protein, which is a human homolog of mutL and in particular those described herein, indicates a susceptibility to cancer, and the nucleic acid sequences encoding such human homologs may be employed in an assay for ascertaining such susceptibility. Thus, for example, the assay may be employed to determine a mutation in a human DNA repair protein as herein described, such as a deletion, truncation, insertion, frame shift, etc., with such mutation being indicative of a susceptibility to cancer.
A mutation may be ascertained for example, by a DNA sequencing assay. Tissue samples including but not limited to blood samples are obtained from a human patient. The samples are processed by methods known in the art to capture the RNA. First strand cDNA is synthesized from the RNA samples by adding an oligonucleotide primer consisting of polythymidine residues which hybridize to the polyadenosine stretch present on the mRNA's. Reverse transcriptase and deoxynucleotides are added to allow synthesis of the first strand cDNA. Primer sequences are synthesized based on the DNA sequence of the DNA repair protein of the invention. The primer sequence is generally comprised of 15 to 30 and preferably from 18 to 25 consecutive bases of the human DNA repair gene. Table 1 sets forth an illustrative example of oligonucleotide primer sequences based on HMLH1. The primers are used in pairs (one "sense" strand and one "anti-sense") to amplify the cDNA from the patients by the PCR method such that three overlapping fragments of the patient's cDNA's for such protein are generated. Table 1 also shows a list of preferred primer sequence pairs. The overlapping fragments are then subjected to dideoxynucleotide sequencing using a set of primer sequences synthesized to correspond to the base pairs of the cDNA's at a point approximately every 200 base pairs throughout the gene. Table 2 lists representative examples of oligonucleotide primer sequences (sense and anti-sense) which may be used, and preferably the entire set of primer sequences are used for sequencing to determine where a mutation in the patient DNA repair protein may be. The primer sequences may be from 15 to 30 bases in length and are preferably between 18 and 25 bases in length. The sequence information determined from the patient is then compared to non-mutated sequences to determine if any mutations are present.
Primer Sequences used to amplify gene region using PCR
Site and
1 to 20
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
49 to 67
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
660 to 678
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
718 to 739
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
1589 to 1606
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
1634 to 1652
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
to 75 to 94
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
to 995 to 1012
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
to 1079 to 1098
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
to 1783 to 1801
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
to 1857 to 1878
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
to 2361 to 2381
of SEQ ID NO: 1)
*Numbers correspond to location along nucleotide sequence of FIGS. 1A-F where ATG is number 1.
Preferred primer sequences pairs:
758, 1313
1319, 1320
660, 1909
725, 1995
1680, 2536
1727, 2610
Primer Sequences Used to Sequence the Amplified Fragments
Site and
418 to 438
of SEQ ID
593 to 613
of SEQ ID
945 to 965
of SEQ ID
1137 to 1155
of SEQ ID
1317 to 1335
of SEQ ID
1478 to 1498
of SEQ ID
1686 to 1701
of SEQ ID
1936 to 1956
of SEQ ID
1962 to 1983
of SEQ ID
2243 to 2264
of SEQ ID
2411 to 2430
of SEQ ID
to 547 to 566
of SEQ ID
to 364 to 382
of SEQ ID
to 69 to 87
of SEQ ID
*Numbers correspond to location along nucleotide sequence of FIGS. 1A-F where ATG is number 1.
In another embodiment, the primer sequences from Table 2 could be used in the PCR method to amplify a mutated region. The region could be sequenced and used as a diagnostic to predict a predisposition to such mutated genes.
Alternatively, the assay to detect mutations in the hMLH1 gene may be performed by generating cDNA from the RNA and expressing the protein encoded by the cDNA by in vitro transcription and translation (see example 4, page 28). The expressed protein may then be analyzed by electrophoresis on an SDS, polyacrylamide or other gel. Also electrophoresed is a "normal" hMLH1 gene product. The gel is then dried and subjected to autoradiography and the suspected mutated gene product and "normal" gene product are analyzed and any differences in the banding pattern is indicative of a mutation in the cDNA. The gene production can also be detected by using hMLH1 antibody by Western Blot analysis.
Accordingly, the mutations in the genes of the present invention may be determined directly by sequencing or indirectly by examining an expressed protein.
The polypeptide of the present invention may also be employed in accordance with the present invention by expression of such polypeptide in vivo, which is often referred to as "gene therapy."
Thus, for example, cells may be transduced with a polynucleotide (DNA or RNA) encoding the polypeptide ex vivo, with the transduced cells then being provided to a patient to be treated with the polypeptide. Such methods are well-known in the art. For example, cells may be transduced by procedures known in the art by use of a retroviral particle containing RNA encoding the polypeptide of the present invention.
Similarly, transduction of cells may be accomplished in vivo for expression of the polypeptide in vivo for example, by procedures known in the art. As known in the art, a producer cell for producing a retroviral particle containing RNA encoding the polypeptide of the present invention may be administered to a patient for transduction in vivo and expression of the polypeptide in vivo.
These and other methods for administering a polypeptide of the present invention by such methods should be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings of the present invention. For example, the expression vehicle for transducing cells may be other than a retroviral particle, for example, an adenovirus.
The sequences of the present invention are also valuable for chromosome identification. The sequence is specifically targeted to and can hybridize with a particular location on an individual human chromosome. Moreover, there is a current need for identifying particular sites on the chromosome. Few chromosome marking reagents based on actual sequence data (repeat polymorphisms) are presently available for marking chromosomal location. The mapping of cDNAs to chromosomes according to the present invention is an important first step in correlating those sequences with genes associated with disease.
Briefly, sequences can be mapped to chromosomes by preparing PCR primers (preferably 15-25 bp) from the cDNA. Computer analysis of the cDNA is used to rapidly select primers that do not span more than one exon in the genomic DNA, thus complicating the amplification process. These primers are then used for PCR screening of somatic cell hybrids containing individual human chromosomes. Only those hybrids containing the human gene corresponding to the primer will yield an amplified fragment.
PCR mapping of somatic cell hybrids is a rapid procedure for assigning a particular DNA to a particular chromosome. Using the present invention with the same oligonucleotide primers, sublocalization can be achieved with panels of fragments from specific chromosomes or pools of large genomic clones in an analogous manner. Other mapping strategies that can similarly be used to map to its chromosome include hybridization, prescreening with labeled flowsorted chromosomes and preselection by hybridization to construct chromosome specific-cDNA libraries.
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of a cDNA clone to a metaphase chromosomal spread can be used to provide a precise chromosomal location in one step. This technique can be used with cDNA as short as 500 or 600 bases; however, clones larger than 2,000 bp have a higher likelihood of binding to a unique chromosomal location with sufficient signal intensity for simple detection. FISH requires use of the clone from which the EST was derived, and the longer the better. For example, 2,000 bp is good, 4,000 is better, and more than 4,000 is probably not necessary to get good results a reasonable percentage of the time. For a review of this technique, see Verma et al., Human Chromosomes: a Manual of Basic Techniques, Pergamon Press, New York (1988).
Once a sequence has been mapped to a precise chromosomal location, the physical position of the sequence on the chromosome can be correlated with genetic map data. (Such data are found, for example, in V. McKusick, Mendelian Inheritance in Man (available on line through Johns Hopkins University Welch Medical Library). The relationship between genes and diseases that have been mapped to the same chromosomal region are then identified through linkage analysis (coinheritance of physically adjacent genes).
Next, it is necessary to determine the differences in the cDNA or genomic sequence between affected and unaffected individuals. If a mutation is observed in some or all of the affected individuals but not in any normal individuals, then the mutation is likely to be the causative agent of the disease.
With current resolution of physical mapping and genetic mapping techniques, a cDNA precisely localized to a chromosomal region associated with the disease could be one of between 50 and 500 potential causative genes. (This assumes 1 megabase mapping resolution and one gene per 20 kb).
Comparison of affected and unaffected individuals generally involves first looking for structural alterations in the chromosomes, such as deletions or translocations that are visible from chromosome spreads or detectable using PCR based on that cDNA sequence. Ultimately, complete sequencing of genes from several individuals is required to confirm the presence of a mutation and to distinguish mutations from polymorphisms.
The protein, its fragments or other derivatives, or analogs thereof, or cells expressing them can be used as an immunogen to produce antibodies thereto. These antibodies can be, for example, polyclonal, monoclonal, chimeric, single chain, Fab fragments, or the product of an Fab expression library. Various procedures known in the art may be used for the production of polyclonal antibodies.
Antibodies generated against the polypeptide corresponding to a sequence of the present invention can be obtained by direct injection of the polypeptide into an animal or by administering the polypeptide to an animal, preferably a nonhuman. The antibody so obtained will then bind the polypeptide itself. In this manner, even a sequence encoding only a fragment of the polypeptide can be used to generate antibodies binding the whole native polypeptide. Such antibodies can then be used to isolate the polypeptide from tissue expressing that polypeptide. Moreover, a panel of such antibodies, specific to a large number of polypeptides, can be used to identify and differentiate such tissue.
For preparation of monoclonal antibodies, any technique which provides antibodies produced by continuous cell line cultures can be used. Examples include the hybridoma technique (Kohler and Milstein, 1975, Nature, 256:495-497), the trioma technique, the human B-cell hybridoma technique (Kohler et al., 1983, Immunology Today 4:72), and the EBV-hybridoma technique to produce human monoclonal antibodies (Cole, et al., 1985, in Monoclonal Antibodies and Cancer Therapy, Alan R. Liss, Inc., pp. 77-96).
Techniques described for the production of single chain antibodies (U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778) can be adapted to produce single chain antibodies to immunogenic polypeptide products of this invention.
The antibodies can be used in methods relating to the localization and activity of the protein sequences of the invention, e.g., for imaging these proteins, measuring levels thereof in appropriate physiological samples and the like.
The present invention will be further described with reference to the following examples, however, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to such examples. All parts or amounts, unless otherwise specified, are by weight.
In order to facilitate understanding of the following examples certain frequently occurring methods and/or terms will be described.
"Plasmids" are designated by a lower case p preceded and/or followed by capital letters and/or numbers. The starting plasmids herein are either commercially available, publicly available on an unrestricted basis, or can be constructed from available plasmids in accord with published procedures. In addition, equivalent plasmids to those described are known in the art and will be apparent to the ordinarily skilled artisan.
"Digestion" of DNA refers to catalytic cleavage of the DNA with a restriction enzyme that acts only at certain sequences in the DNA. The various restriction enzymes used herein are commercially available and their reaction conditions, cofactors and other requirements were used as would be known to the ordinarily skilled artisan. For analytical purposes, typically 1 μg of plasmid or DNA fragment is used with about 2 units of enzyme in about 20 μl of buffer solution. For the purpose of isolating DNA fragments for plasmid construction, typically 5 to 50 μg of DNA are digested with 20 to 250 units of enzyme in a larger volume. Appropriate buffers and substrate amounts for particular restriction enzymes are specified by the manufacturer. Incubation times of about 1 hour or longer at 37¯ C. are ordinarily used, but may vary in accordance with the supplier's instructions. After digestion the reaction is electrophoresed directly on an agarose gel to isolate the desired fragment. Size separation of the cleaved fragments is performed using a 0.8-2.0 percent polyagatose gel.
"Oligonucleotides" refers to either a single stranded polydeoxynucleotide or two complementary polydeoxynucleotide strands which may be chemically synthesized. Such synthetic oligonucleotides have no 5′ phosphate and thus will not ligate to another oligonucleotide without adding a phosphate with an ATP in the presence of a kinase. A synthetic oligonucleotide will ligate to a fragment that has not been dephosphorylated.
"Ligation" refers to the process of forming phosphodiester bonds between two double stranded nucleic acid fragments (Maniatis, T., et al., Id., p. 146). Unless otherwise provided, ligation may be accomplished using known buffers and conditions with 10 units to T4 DNA ligase ("ligase") per 0.5 μg of approximately equimolar amounts of the DNA fragments to be ligated.
The full length DNA sequence encoding for human DNA mismatch repair protein hmlh1 (ATCC #75649) is initially amplified using PCR oligonucleotide primers corresponding to the 5′ and 3′ end of the DNA sequence to synthesize insertion fragments. The 5′ oligonucleotide primer has the sequence 5′-CGGGATCCATGTCGTTCGTGGCAGGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO:32), contains a BamHI restriction enzyme site followed by 18 nucleotides of HMLH1 coding sequence following the initiation cokdon; the 3′ sequence 5′-CTCTAGATTAACACCTCTCAAAGAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:32) contains complementary sequences to XbaI site and is at the end of the gene. The restriction enzyme sites correspond to the restriction enzyme sites on the bacterial expression vector pQE-9. (Qiagen, Inc. 9259 Eton Avenue, Chatsworth, Calif., 91311) The plasmid vector encodes antibiotic resistance (Ampr), a bacterial origin of replication (ori), an IPTG-regulatable promoter/operator (P/O), a ribosome binding site (RBS), a 6-histidine tag (6-His) and restriction enzyme cloning sites. The pQE-9 vector was digested with BamHI and XbaI and the insertion fragments were then ligated into the pQE-9 vector maintaining the reading frame initiated at the bacterial RBS. The ligation mixture was then used to transform the E. coli strain GW3733 (k-12, argE3 hisG4, LeuB6 proA2 thr-1 ara-1 rpsL31 supE44 tsx-33 mutl218::Tn10). Transformants are identified by their ability to grow on LB plates containing Amp.
Clones containing the desired constructs were grown overnight in liquid culture in LB media supplemented with Amp (100 mg/ml). The O/N culture issued to inoculate a large culture at a ratio of 1:100 to 1:250. The cells were grown to an optical density at 600 nm (O.D600) of between 0.4 and 0.6. IPTG ("Isopropyl-B-D-thiogalacto pyranosidel") is then added to a final concentration of 1 mM. IPTG induces gene expression by inactivating the LacI repressor. Cells are grown an extra 2-4 hours and then harvested by centrifugation. Expression of human mut L homolog 1 is tested by solubilizing a portion of the E. coli and analyzing on a SDS polyacrylamide gel.
Purification of the protein is accomplished by utilization of the hexa-histidine sequence. Following induction of the E. coli pellet is solubilized in 6M guanidine HCl. The protein is purified using a Nickel-Chelate resin column having a high affinity for the hexa-histidine sequence. (Hachule, E. et al., Genetic Engineering, Principles and Methods, 12:87-98, Plenum Press, N.Y. (1990). The column was washed and the protein is eluted at a pH of 5.0. Protein renaturation is accomplished by removing the guanidine HCl from the protein isolate by any one of several protocols. (Jaenicke, R. et al., Protein Structure-A Practical Approach. IRL Press, New York (1990). The purified protein is analyzed by SDS-PAGE.
The pQE9hmlh1/GW3733 transformants were subjected to the spontaneous mutation assay. The plasmid vector pQE9 was also transformed to AB1157 (k-12, argE3 hisG4, LeuB6 proA2 thr-1 ara-1 rpsL31 supE44 tsx-33) and GW3733 to use as the positive and negative control respectively.
Fifteen 2 ml cultures, inoculated with approximately 100 to 1000 E. coli, were grown 2æ108 cells per ml in LB ampicillin medium at 37¯ C. ten microliters of each culture were diluted and plated on the LB ampicillin plates to measure the number of viable cells. The rest of the cells from each culture were then concentrated in saline and plated on minimal plates lacking of arginine to measure reversion of Arg+. The mean number of mutations per culture (m) was calculated from the median number (r) of mutants per distribution, according to the equation (r/m)−ln(m)=1.24 (Lea et al., J. Genetics 49:264-285 [1949]). Mutation rates per generation were recorded as m/N, with N representing the average number of cells per culture.
Mutation rate
0.22 æ 10−9
7.5 æ 10−9
0.37 æ 10−9
The functional complementation result showed that the human mutL can fully rescue the E.coli mutL mutator phenotype, suggesting that the human mutL can not only express but also function in bacteria.
An oligonucleotide primer set was designed according to the sequence at the 5′ end of the cDNA for HMLH1. This primer set would span a 94 bp segment. This primer set was used in a polymerase chain reactionunder the following set of conditions:
30 seconds, 95 degrees C.
1 minute, 56 degrees C.
1 minute, 70 degrees C.
This cycle was repeated 32 times followed by one 5 minute cycle at 70 degrees C. Human, mouse, and hamster DNA were used as template in addition to a somatic cell hybrid panel (Bios, Inc). The reactions were analyzed on either 8% polyacrylamide gels or 3.5% agarose gels. A 94 base pair band was observed in the human genomic DNA sample and in the somatic cell hybrid sample corresponding to chromosome 3. In addition, using various other somatic cell hybrid genomic DNA, the human Mut L homolog HMLH1 was localized to chromosome 3p.
cDNA was produced from RNA obtained from tissue samples from persons who are HNPCC kindred and the cDNA was used as a template for RCA, employing the primers 5′-GCATCTAGACGTTTCCTTGGC-3′ SEQ ID NO:34 and 5′-CATCCAAGCTTCTGTTCCCG-3′allowing amplification of codons 1 to 394 of FIG. 1; 5′-GGGGTGCAGCAGCACATCG-3′ SEQ ID NO:36 and 5′-GGAGGCAGAATGTGTGAGCG-3′ SEQ ID NO:37, allowing amplification of codons, 326 to 279 of FIG. 1; 5′-TCCCAAAGAAGGACTTGCT-3′ SEQ ID NO:38 and 5′-AGTATAAGTCTTAAGTGCTACC-3′ SEQ ID NO:39, allowing amplification of codons 602 to 756 plus 128 nt of 3′-untranslated sequences of FIG. 1.
The PCR conditions for all analyses used consisted of 35 cycles at 95¯ C. for 30 seconds, 52-58¯ C. for 60 to 120 seconds, and 70¯ C. for 60 to 120 seconds, in the buffer solution described in San Sidransky, D. et al., Science, 252:706 (1991). PCR products were sequenced using primers labeled at their 5′ end with T4 polynucleotide kinase, employing SequiTherm Polymerase (Epicentre Technologies). The intron-exon borders of selected exons were also determined and genomic PCR products analyzed to confirm the results. PCR products harboring suspected mutations were then cloned and sequenced to validate the results of the direct sequencing. PCR products were cloned into T-tailed vectors as described in Holton,. T. A. and Graham, M. W., Nucleic Acids Research, 19:1156 (1991) and sequenced with T7 polymerase (United States Biochemical). Affected individuals from seven kindreds all exhibited a heterozygous deletion of codons 578 to 632 of the hMLH1 gene. Thederivation of five of these seven kindreds could be traced to a common ancestor. The genomic sequences surrounding codons 578-632 were determined by cycle-sequencing of the P1 clones (a human genomic P1 library which contains the entire hMLH1 gene (Genome Systems)) using SequiTherm Polymerase, as described by the manufacturer, with the primers were labeled with T4 polynucleotide kinase, and by sequencing PCR products of genomic DNA. The primers used to amplify the exon containing codons 578-632 were 5′-TTTATGGTTTCTCACCTGCC-3′ SEQ ID NO:40 and 5′-GTTATCTGCCCACCTCAGC-3′ SEQ ID NO:41. The PCR product included 105 bp of intron C sequence upstream of the exon and 117 bp downstream. No mutations in the PCR product were observed in the kindreds, so the deletion in the RNA was not due to a simple splice site mutation. Codons 578 to 632 were found to constitute a single exon which was deleted from the gene product in the kindreds described above. This exon contains several highly conserved amino acids.
In a second family (L7), PCR was performed using the above primers and a 4 bp deletion was observed beginning at the first nucleotide (nt) of codon 727. This produced a frame shift with a new stop codon 166 nt downstream, resulting in a substitution of the carboxy-terminal 29 amino acids of hMLH1 with 53 different amino acids, some encoded by nt normally in the 3′ untranslated region.
A different mutation was found in a different kindred (L2516) after PCR using the above primers, the mutation consisting of a 4bp insert between codons 755 and 756. This insertion resulted in a frame shift and extension of the ORF to include 102 nucleotides (34 amino acids) downstream of the normal termination codon. The mutations in both kindreds L7 and L2516 were therefore predicted to alter the C-terminus of hMLH1.
A possible mutation in the hMLH1 gene was determined from alterations in size of the encoded protein, where kindreds were too few for linkage studies. The primers used for coupled transcription-translation of hMLH1 were 5′-GGATCCTAATACGACTCACTATAGGGAGACCACCTGGCATCTAGACGTTTCCCTTGGC-3′ SEQ ID NO:42 and 5′-CATCCAAGCTTCTGTTCCCG-3′ SEQ ID NO:43 for codons 1 to 394 of FIG. 1 and 5′-GGATCCTAATACGACTCACTATAGGGAGACCCCATGGGGGTGCAGCAGCACATCG-3′ SEQ ID NO:44 and 5′-GGAGGCAGAATGTGTGAGCG-3′ SEQ ID NO:45 for codons 326 to 729 of FIG. 1. The resultant PCR products had signals for transcription by T7 RNA polymerase and for the initiation of translation at their 5′ ends. RNA from lymphoblastoid cells of patients from 18 kindreds was used to amplify two products, extending from codon 1 to codon 394 or from codon 326 to codon 729, respectively. The PCR products were then transcribed and translated in vitro, making use of transcription-translation signals incorporated into the PCR primers. PCR products were used as templates in coupled transcription-translation reactions performed as described by Powell, S. M. et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 329:1982, (1993), using 40 micro CI of 35S labeled methionine. Samples were diluted in sample buffer, boiled for five minutes and analyzed by electropheresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels containing a gradient of 10% to 20% acrylamide. The gels were dried and subjected to radiography. All samples exhibited a polypeptide of the expected size, but an abnormally migrating polypeptide was additionally found in one case. The sequence of the relevant PCR product was determined and found to include a 371 bp deletion beginning at the first nt of codon 347. This alteration was present in heterozygous form, and resulted in a frame shift in a new stop codon 30 nt downstream of codon 346, thus explaining the truncated polypeptide observed.
Four colorectal tumor cell lines manifesting microsatellite instability were examined. One of the four (cell line H6) showed no normal peptide in this assay and produced only a short product migrating at 27 kd. The sequence of the corresponding cDNA was determined and found to harbor a C to A transversion at codon 252, resulting in the substitution of a termination codon for serine. In accord with the translational analyses, no band at the normal C position was identified in the cDNA or genomic DNA from this tumor, indicating that it was devoid of a functional hMLH1 gene.
Table 3 sets forth the results of these sequencing assays. Deletions were found in those people who were known to have a family history of the colorectal cancer. More particularly, 9 of 10 families showed an hMLH1 mutation.
Summary of Mutations in hMLH1
cDNA Nucleotide
Coding Change
165 bp deletion
Kindred L7
4 bp deletion
Frameshift and
(TCACACATTC to
substitution of
new amino acids
4 bp insertion
Extension of C-
(GTGTTAA to
Kindred RA
371 bp deletion
H6 Colorectal
Serine to Stop
(TCA to TAA)
Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and therefore within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described herein.
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|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jun 30, 1994
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