Isolation and nucleotide sequence of a plant tRNA gene: petunia asparagine tRNA.

A 14.3 kb petunia genomic DNA fragment was isolated and found to contain a single tRNA gene coding for asparagine tRNA. The nucleotide sequence of the asparagine tRNA gene and its flanking regions has been determined. This gene does not contain intervening sequences nor the 3'-end CCA sequence of the mature tRNA and presents a similar overall sequence homology (70%) to both E. coli and mammalian asparagine tRNA. As in other eukaryotic tRNA genes the 5'-flanking region does not seem to contain any special sequence that could function as a regulatory element and the 3'-end is followed by a short cluster of T that may function as the transcription termination site

Mammal Cells Double Their Total RNAs against Diabetes, Ischemia Reperfusion and Malaria-Induced Oxidative Stress

Total cellular RNA level is stable usually, although it may increase gradually during growth or decrease gradually under certain stressors. However, we found that mammal cell RNAs could be doubled within 24 h in response to free heme accumulation (ischemia reperfusion and malaria infection) or a high level of glucose treatment (diabetes). Clinical investigations in rats showed that pretreatment with heme (24 h for doubling total RNAs) alleviated oxidative damages caused by diabetes, and pretreatment with glucose (24 h for trebling total RNAs) alleviated oxidative damages caused by ischemia reperfusion or malaria infection. Therefore, this rapid RNA amplification may play an important role in mammal adaptation to diabetes, ischemia reperfusion and malaria infection–derived oxidative stress. This rapid RNA amplification is derived from glucose and heme, but not from their accompanying reactive oxygen species. Hexokinases endure glucose-derived reactive oxygen species accumulation but are not related glucose-derived RNA amplification. In contrast, the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) mediates all glucose- and heme-induced RNA amplification in mammal cells