NMR and biochemical characterization of recombinant human tRNA(Lys)3 expressed in Escherichia coli: identification of posttranscriptional nucleotide modifications required for efficient initiation of HIV-1 reverse transcription.

Reverse transcription of HIV-1 viral RNA uses human tRNA(Lys)3 as a primer. Some of the modified nucleotides carried by this tRNA must play a key role in the initiation of this process, because unmodified tRNA produced in vitro is only marginally active as primer. To provide a better understanding of the contribution of base modifications in the initiation complex, we have designed a recombinant system that allows tRNA(Lys)3 expression in Escherichia coli.

Differential effects of 4-chloro-m-cresol and caffeine on skinned fibers from rat fast and slow skeletal muscles.

Contractile responses to 4-chloro-m-cresol (4-CmC) were tested in saponin- and Triton X-100-skinned fibers from soleus and edl (extensor digitorum longus) muscles of adult rats and compared with those to caffeine. The testing of different concentrations of 4-CmC on saponin-skinned fibers showed that 4-CmC induced a dose-dependent caffeine-like transient contractile response in edl and soleus due to an activation of the ryanodine receptor. Both types of skeletal muscles showed a 10 to 20 times lower 4-CmC threshold concentration and EC(50) value (concentration providing 50% of the maximal 4-CmC contracture) than for caffeine.