DNA sequence encoding human cystathionine .beta.-synthase

Abstract

Disclosed is a purified and isolated DNA sequence encoding human cystathionine .beta.-synthase. Also disclosed is a purified and isolated human cystathionine .beta.-synthase encoded by this DNA sequence. Included is a composition of human cystathionine .beta.-synthase in a pharmacologically acceptable carrier for treating a human suffering from homocystinuria. Also provided are methods of screening human patients to detect mutations in the cystathionine .beta.-synthase gene.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the DNA sequence encoding human cystathionine .beta.-synthase which can be used to produce the synthase by recombinant techniques and methods for detecting and treating patients suffering from deficiency of the synthase.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Methionine metabolism occupies a central role in cellular chemistry. The metabolic and regulatory importance of its chief product, S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), has long been known, and includes such biologically important functions as methylation, polyamine biosynthesis, side-chain donation, and allosteric enzyme regulation (Castoni et al., The Biochemistry of Adenosylmethionine, Columbia University Press, New York, pp.557-577 (1977)). The most frequent metabolic fate of AdoMet is transmethylation. This reaction forms homocysteine, which may be either recycled to methionine by remethylation (Finkelstein et al., J. Biol. Chem., 259, 9508-9513 (1984)) or used to synthesize cysteine by transsulfuration (Mudd et al., The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease, 6th Ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 693-734 (1989)). Each of these pathways consumes about half of the intracellular homocysteine, thus they account for the metabolism of all of this metabolic byproduct Finkelstein et al., J. Biol. Chem., 259, 9508-9513 (1984; and, Mudd et al., The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease, 6th Ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 693-734 (1989)).

Cystathionine .beta.-synthase (EC 4.2.1.22) (CBS) catalyzes the first irreversible step of homocysteine transsulfuration. This enzyme conjugates homocysteine and serine forming cystathionine, which is subsequently converted into cysteine and .alpha.-ketobutyrate in the cystathionine .gamma.-lyase reaction (Mudd et al., The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease, 6th Ed. McGrawHill, New York, pp. 693-734 (1989)). Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate is a cofactor for these reactions (Kraus et al., J. Biol. Chem., 253, 6523-6528 (1978) and AdoMet enhances the affinity of the enzyme for homocysteine by allosteric activation (Roper et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 298, 514-521 (1992)). Posttranslational proteolysis similarly affects the affinity of the synthase for homocysteine (Skovby et al., J. Biol. Chem., enzyme responds to joint administration of glucocorticoids and cyclic AMP enhancers (Goss, J. Cell. Sci., 82, 309-320 (1986)). These regulatory parameters are consistent with its role as a committed step in a branch-point of metabolism.

Deficiency of synthase in humans is the leading cause of homocystinuria (Mudd et al., The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease, 6th Ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 693-734 (1989)). Untreated patients develop a number of phenotypic traits which include skeletal abnormalities, dislocated optic lenses, mild to profound mental retardation, and vascular disorders (Mudd et al., The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease, 6th Ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 693-734 (1989)). Some patients respond to vitamin B.sub.6 administration while others are unresponsive to this therapeutic intervention (Mudd et al., The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease, 6th Ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 693-734 (1989); and, Lipson et al., J. Clin. Invest., 66, 188-193 (1980)). A growing body of evidence now suggests that vascular disorders found in one-third of the patients with premature arterial disease or cerebrovascular disease are the result of mild hyperhomocysteinemia some of which may be due to heterozygous CBS deficiency (Boers et al., N. Engl. J. Med., 313, 709715 (1985); and, Clarke et al., N. Sngl. J. Med., 324, 1149-1155 (1991)). In addition, the CBS gene maps to human chromosome 21 at q 22.3 (Munke et al., Am. J. Hum. Genet., 42, 550-559 (1988)). This region of chromosome 21 is evidently associated with many Down syndrome features; microduplications in this region precipitate many of the features associated with Down phenotype (Korenberg et al., Am. J. Hum. Genet., 43, A110 (1988); and, Korenberg et al., A. J. Hum. Genet., 47, 236-246 (1990)). Since the coding region of human CBS has not heretofore been determined, it is necessary to determine its sequence prior to detecting mutations in patients with CBS deficiency. Also, only through recombinant techniques can large quantities of CBS be made available as replacement enzyme to treat patients suffering from homocystinuria and other diseases resulting from CBS deficiency.

Therefore, a need arose to purify and isolate DNA sequences of CBS for evaluation of mutations in patients and for obtaining CBS in large quantities. One way to isolate a DNA sequence encoding CBS is via cDNA cloning. In this process, messenger RNA (mRNA) is isolated from cells known or suspected of producing the desired protein. Through a series of enzymatic reactions, the mRNA population of the cells is copied into a complementary DNA (cDNA). The resulting cDNA is then inserted into cloning vehicles and subsequently used to transform a suitable prokaryotic or eukaryotic host. The resultant gene library is comprised of a population of transformed host cells, each of which contain a single cDNA or cDNA fragment. The entire library, therefore, provides a representative sample of the coding information present in the mRNA mixture used as a starting material.

cDNA libraries are screened using specific nucleic acid or antibody probes. Nucleic acid probes are useful for locating cDNAs by hybridization and autoradiography techniques. This approach, however, requires previous knowledge of at least a portion of the protein's amino acid or DNA-encoding sequence. Alternatively, methods have been developed to identify specific clones by probing recombinant cDNA libraries with antibodies specific for the encoded protein of interest. This method can be used with "expression vector" cloning vehicles since elaboration of the product protein is required. An example of this is the bacteriophage .lambda.-gt11 system described by Young and Davis, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 80, 1194-1198 (1983).

Once the cDNA is purified and isolated, the full length cDNA sequence can be used for insertion into expression vectors. This leads to the production of active enzyme.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the invention concerns a purified and isolated DNA sequence encoding human cystathionine .beta.-synthase. The invention also concerns cells transformed with this DNA sequence, and purified and isolated human cystathionine .beta.-synthase encoded by this DNA sequence. The invention can permit large scale production of human cystathionine .beta.-synthase in prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression systems. The resulting human cystathionine .beta.-synthase can be purified and isolated by conventional techniques. Further, the invention concerns a composition, suitable for treating a human suffering from homocystinuria, containing human cystathionine .beta.-synthase, in a pharmacologically acceptable carrier.

The invention also features methods of screening human patients to detect mutations in the cystathionine .beta.-synthase gene. One method involves detecting a mutation on an allele of a human patient suffering from homocystinuria by identifying the mutation on the allele. Another method involves detecting a mutation in a cystathionine .beta.-synthase cDNA sequence of a human patient suffering from homocystinuria by first determining the cDNA sequence from the patient and then comparing the patient cDNA sequence with the cDNA sequence of active cystathionine .beta.-synthase.

In another aspect, the invention features the use of a purified and isolated cDNA sequence to synthesize cystathionine .beta.-synthase for use in the treatment of individuals determined to have homocystinuria.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C (SEQ ID NO:1) represent the nucleotide sequence of the cloned human CBS cDNA and predicted amino acid sequence;

FIG. 2 represents a Southern blotting analysis showing the human CBS Msp I polymorphism;

FIG. 3 shows the screening for synonymous mutations in CBS cDNA;

FIG. 4 shows the pulse-chase labeling of human CBS in transfected CHO cells; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic showing the strategy for the construction of the plasmid pSDHCS.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a purified and isolated DNA sequence that encodes CBS. Also provided by the present invention is a synthetically produced CBS that has a biological activity of the CBS protein produced from purified DNA sequences through an in vitro expression system. The purified and isolated DNA sequence encoding CBS can be carried on vectors which can be propagated in cells. The purified and isolated DNA sequence is defined as a DNA sequence isolated from its natural environment (e.g., cDNA or genomic DNA) which hybridizes to the CBS gene under hybridizing conditions.

Purification and isolation of the recombinantly expressed protein may be obtained by conventional means, e.g., preparative chromatographic separations and immunological separations involving monoclonal and/or polyclonal antibody preparations.

"Expression vectors" refer to vectors which are capable of replicating and transcribing DNA sequences contained therein, where such sequences are linked to other regulatory sequences capable of affecting their expression. These expression vectors must be propagated in the host organisms or systems either as autonomous episomes or as an integral part of the chromosomal DNA.

The cDNA clone can be identified in the human liver library by antibodies capable of recognizing the polypeptide being produced or by hybridization with DNA probes. One form of expression vector used in recombinant DNA techniques is the prokaryotic plasmid: an unintegrated (extrachromosomal), double-stranded DNA circle. Other expression vectors are the eukaryotic vectors: vectors capable of driving expression of the foreign DNA in a eukaryotic cell. These are generally derived from viral sources and may be either extrachromosomal or integrated. The invention includes any other form of expression vector which serves an equivalent function and which is or subsequently becomes known in the art.

Recombinant vectors and methodology disclosed herein are suitable for use in a wide range of prokaryotic and eukaryotic host cells. These host cells include microbial strains, such as E. coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, baculovirus, and cell lines derived from multicellular eukaryotic organisms.

"Recombinant host cells", "host cell", "cells", "cell cultures" and so forth are used interchangeably to designate individual cells, cell lines, cell cultures, and harvested cells which have been or are intended to be transformed or transfected with the recombinant vectors of the invention. The terms also include the progeny of the cells originally receiving the vector.

"Transformed" or "transfected" refers to any process for altering the DNA content of the host. This includes in vitro transformation procedures such as calcium phosphate or DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection, electroporation, nuclear injection, phage infection, or such other means for effecting controlled DNA uptake as are known in the art.

The procedures below are but some of a wide variety of well-established procedures to produce specific reagents useful in the process of this invention. The general procedure for obtaining an mRNA mixture is to obtain a tissue sample or to culture cells producing the desired protein, and to extract the RNA by a process such as that published by Chirgwin et al., Biochemistry, 18, 5294 (1979). The mRNA is isolated by enriching for poly(A)-containing RNA by chromatography of the RNA on oligo(dT) cellulose or poly(U) Sepharose.

The above poly(A) containing mRNA-enriched fraction is used to synthesize a single-strand complementary cDNA (ss-cDNA) using reverse transcriptase. The second strand was synthesized by nick-translation repair Kraus et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83, 2047-2051 (1986)) of the cDNA-mRNA hybrid in the presence of Escherichia coli enzymes: RNase H, polymerase I, and DNA ligase.

The resultant ds-cDNA is inserted into a vector by any one of many known techniques. In general, the vector is linearized by at least one restriction endonuclease, which will produce at least two blunt or cohesive ends. The ds-cDNA is ligated with (or joined into) the vector insertion site.

Prokaryotic cells are made competent by calcium chloride pretreatment and transformed with the DNA. After isolating the successfully engineered cells, the cells are cultured on selective media,and proteins encoded by the expression vector are produced.

Clones containing the cDNA for CBS are identified using appropriately specific probes that hybridize with a portion of the nucleotide sequence of CBS. The system used for cloning is the .lambda.-gt11 system.

The present invention relates to an isolated and purified CBS cDNA sequence of 2,554 nucleotides encoding the CBS subunit of 551 amino acids. The full-length cDNA clone was isolated from a .lambda.gt 11 human liver library. The liver cDNA contained a 214 bp insert 18 bp downstream from the terminator codon (TGA). This insert, bordered by consensus splice dinucleotides GT/AG, based on the sequence of the cDNA, appeared to be an intron. The sequence of cDNA encoding human cystathionine .beta.-synthase is depicted in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C (SEQ ID NO:1).

Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), detectable with the CBS cDNA, can aid in determining the carrier status of individuals in families with an affected homozygote. Using the human cDNA as a probe, a CBS MspI polymorphism was demonstrated in about half of the alleles. FIG. 2 shows an Italian homocystinuric family where this polymorphism is fully informative in that the absence of the MspI site segregates with the affected allele. This polymorphism is most likely identical to the one identified by single strand conformation polymorphism (46% heterozygosity) in PCR products derived from the 3'-untranslated region of CBS cDNA (Avramopoulos et al., Hum. Genet., 90, 556-568 (1993)). As shown in FIG. 2, a Southern blot (Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Ed., Vols 1-3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1989)) was prepared using Msp I digested genomic DNA obtained from cultured fibroblasts of each of the individuals indicated in the figure. The blot was probed with a uniformly .sup.32 p-labeled fragment of human CBS cDNA, spanning the SphI restriction site and the 3'-terminus. Closed circles in the pedigree at the head of the figure indicate female offspring homozygous for the trait. The open circle indicates one female offspring who was homozygous normal. The half-closed circle and square indicate the heterozygous parents.

Two synonymous mutations were found while sequencing CBS cDNAs from normal individuals and patients homozygous or heterozygous for CBS deficiency. These allowed a development of a simple PCR-based method to screen for these mutations. It was employed to identify individual alleles in these subjects (FIG. 3).

PCR reactions and restriction site analyses for the Y233Y (699C/T) synonymous mutation were carried out as described in Example 2. The left panel of FIG. 3 shows the following results. Lanes 1 and 2 display analysis of the 699T allele, while lanes 3 and 4 show the analysis of the 699C allele. Odd numbered lanes contain undigested PCR products and even numbered lanes contain products after RsaI digestion. Comparison of the undigested and digested samples shows that both PCR products were completely cut at the control RsaI site as demonstrated by shortening of the 304 bp PCR product. Lane 2 contained a 280 bp fragment that was cut only at the control RsaI site and indicated that the nucleotide in position 699 is a T. PCR product in lane 4 was cut twice to a 243 bp fragment. This result demonstrated the presence of a C at position 699.

To screen for the A360A synonymous mutation (1080T/C), the PCR method and restriction site analysis was carried out as described in Example 2. The right panel of FIG. 3 shows the following results. Lane 1 and 2 show the results of one allele analysis, while lane 3 and 4 demonstrate the polymorphism at the other allele. Odd numbered lanes contain PCR products after digestion with FspI and even numbered lanes exhibit the restriction pattern after SfiI cut. PCR products were always cut by one of the enzymes thus indicating that the analysis was unequivocal. SfiI cut in lane 2 demonstrates the presence of C in position 1080 while the FspI cut in lane 3 reveals the presence of nucleotide T in the other allele.

Combined data obtained from DNA sequencing and from the PCR/restriction analysis screen are summarized in Table I below. These individuals were of varied Western European origin and no ethnic distribution pattern was observed for the synonymous mutations. This PCR method was developed solely to distinguish the paternal and maternal origin of the cloned CBS cDNAs. The PCR primers employed for this purpose span exon/exon junctions. Thus, they cannot be used to analyze genomic DNA.

TABLE I______________________________________Synonymous mutations in CBS cDNAMutation Amino Acid Restriction site Allele frequency______________________________________ 699C/T Y233Y RsaI* 11/28 (0.39)1080C/T A360A FspI/SfiI 13/23 (0.56)______________________________________ *PCR creates an RsaI site with the mismatch primer for 699C but not 699T.

To ascertain whether the cloned human cDNA encodes a functional protein, it was inserted into a methotrexate amplifiable expression vector as described previously (Roper et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 298, 514-521 (1992)). The CHO cells, devoid of CBS activity (Skovby et al., Hum. Genet., 65, 291-294 (1984), were transfected with the construct and amplified in methotrexate. CBS activity was initially absent both in control CHO cells and in untreated, transfected cells. After 12 weeks of stepwise amplification in methotrexate, the specific activity increased to 53 nmols/h/mg protein, about 2-3 fold greater than the level observed in cultured human fibroblasts (Skovby et al., Am. J. Hum. Genet., 34, 73-83 (1982)). Transfected cells avidly incorporated [.sup.35 S]-L-methionine into synthase, as was apparent from the autoradiograms of labeled CBS subjected to SDS/PAGE (FIG. 4). More than 5000 cpm were found in the enzyme following 90 min uptake.

The cDNA sequence, e.g., in plasmid HSLCBS, can be used, according to the invention, to screen individuals with mutations who are homozygous or heterozygous for CBS deficiency. Such a screening method employing expression of the patient's cDNA or segments thereof can be accomplished by plasmid expression as described in Kozich and Kraus, Human Mutation, 1, 113-123 (1992). Screening for mutations can be done prenatally. Also screening can be used to detect carriers of the CBS deficiency. Such information helps evaluate the risk of passing on the disease and the severity of the disease to the carrier's offspring. In addition, the cDNA sequence, can be used, according to the invention, to produce CBS for the treatment of homocystinuria caused by a deficiency of CBS.

The following examples are presented to illustrate the present invention and to assist one of ordinary skill in making and using the same. The examples are not intended in any way to otherwise limit the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

A. Preparation of Total RNA

Total RNA was extracted from fresh frozen normal adult liver as described (Chirgwin et al., Biochemistry, 18, 5294 (1979)). Cells were homogenized in 15 volumes of a solution containing 4M guanidine thiocyanate, 25 mM sodium citrate at pH 7.0, 0.5% N-laurylsarcosine, 0.1M 2-mercaptoethanol, and 0.2% Antifoam A. The homogenate was centrifuged at 6,000.times.g for 15 minutes at 10.degree. C. The supernatant fluid was adjusted to pH 5.0 by addition of acetic acid, and the RNA was precipitated by 0.75 volumes of ethanol at -20.degree. C. overnight. RNA was collected by centrifugation and dissolved in 7.5M guanidine hydrochloride containing 25 mM sodium citrate and 5 mM dithiothreitol. Following two additional precipitations using 0.5 volumes of ethanol, the residual guanidine hydrochloride was extracted from the precipitate with absolute ethanol. RNA was dissolved in sterile water, insoluble material removed by centrifugation, and the pellets were re-extracted with water. The RNA was adjusted to 0.2M potassium acetate and precipitated by addition of 2.5 volumes of ethanol at -20.degree. C overnight.

B. Preparation of Poly(A)-Containing RNA

The total RNA precipitate, prepared as described above, was dissolved at a concentration of 40 A.sub.260 units per ml in 20 mM Hepes buffer at pH 7.2 containing 10 mM EDTA and 1% SDS, heated at 65.degree. C. for 10 minutes, and then quickly cooled to 25.degree. C. The RNA solution was then diluted with an equal volume of water, and NaCl was added to bring the final concentration to 300 mM NaCl. Samples containing up to 2400 A.sub.260 units of RNA were chromatographed on poly(U)-SEPHAROSE using standard procedures. mRNA was eluted with 90% formamide containing 1 mM Hepes buffer (pH 7.2) and 2 mM EDTA. The eluate was adjusted to 0.24M NaCl, and the RNA was precipitated with the addition of 2.5 volumes of ethanol at -20.degree. C.

C. Preparation of Human Liver cDNA Library in Lambda gt11

cDNA cloning was carried out according to the following protocol (Kraus et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 13, 943 (1985)). Briefly, cDNA was synthesized from 15 .mu.g of human liver mRNA in a final volume of 150 .mu.l of reaction mixture consisting of: 50mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.3, 75 mM KCl, 10 mM magnesium acetate, 4 mM DTT, 0.5 mM dATP, 0.5 mM dGTP, 0.5 mM dTTP, 0.5 mM [.alpha.-.sub.32 P]dCTP (500 cpm/pmol), 40 .mu.g/ml actinomycin D, 25 .mu.g/ml oligo (dT).sub.12-18, 500 U/ml RNasin (Promega Biotec), 0.15 mg/ml BSA, and 120 units of reverse transcriptase (Life Sciences, Inc.). After 1 h of incubation at 44.degree. C., another 60 units of RNasin and 48 units of reverse transcriptase were added, and the mixture was incubated for an additional hour. The reaction was terminated by addition of EDTA and NaCl to 25 mM and 100 mM, respectively, and the nucleic acids were separated from the reaction mixture on a 10 ml column of Sephadex G-150 equilibrated in 20 mM ammonium bicarbonate. The cDNA yield from mRNA was about 60%. The fractions containing the cDNA-mRNA hybrid were lyophilized.

The second strand was synthesized by nicktranslation repair (Kraus et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83, 2047-2051 (1986)) of the cDNA-mRNA hybrid in the presence of Escherichia coli enzymes: RNase H, polymerase I, and DNA ligase. The reaction mixture (50 .mu.l) was adjusted to contain 20 mM Tris-HCL (pH 7.5), 5 mM magnesium acetate, 10 mM ammonium sulfate, 0.1M KCl, 0.15 mM .beta.-NAD, 60 .mu.g of bovine serum albumin per ml, 40 .mu.M each of the four dNTP's 2 .mu.Ci of [.alpha.-.sup.32 P]dCTP (approx. 3000 Ci/mmol), 0.5 units of DNA ligase, 0.42 units of RNase H, and 11.5 units of DNA polymerase I. After sequential incubations at 12.degree. C. for 1 hr. and at 22.degree. C. for 1 hr., the ds DNA was processed as described above for the cDNA-mRNA hybrid.

The ds-cDNA was made blunt-ended by incubation with Sl nuclease. The reaction mixture consisted of 0.2 M sodium acetate (pH 4.5), 0.4M sodium chloride, 2.5 mM zinc acetate and 0.1 unit of Sl nuclease per ng of dscDNA, made to a final reaction volume of 100 .mu.l. The dscDNA was incubated at 37.degree. C. for one hour, extracted with phenol:chloroform, then desalted on a SEPHADEX G-50 column.

The ds-cDNA was then treated with EcoRI methylase and DNA polymerase I using reaction conditions described in Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Ed., Vols 1-3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1989). The cDNA was again desalted on SEPHADEX G-50, and ligated to 0.5 .mu.g of phosphorylated EcoRI linkers with T4 DNA ligase. The mixture was then cleaved with EcoRI and fractionated on an 8% acrylamide gel in Tris-Borate buffer. DNA with a size greater than 1 kilobase was eluted from the gel in 10 mM Tris (pH 7.5), 0.2M NaCl and recovered by binding to an ELUTIP-d column, eluted with 1M NaCl and then collected by ethanol precipitation.

The ds-cDNA was then inserted into EcoRI cleaved and phosphatase-treated lambda gt11 with T4 DNA ligase to produce a library of approximately twelve million phage of which 50% contain inserts (i.e., six million clear plaques on X-gal plates). The library was amplified by producing plate stocks at 42.degree. C. on E. coli Y1088 [supE supF metB trpR hsdR--hsdM.sup.+ tonA21 strA lacU169 proC::Tn5 (pMC9)]. Amplification procedures were as described (Kraus et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83, 2047-2051 (1986)). The titer of the amplified library was determined to be 8.times.10.sup.10 pfu/ml.

D. Identification of Clones Containing CBS Sequence

This library was plated at a density of 20,000 colonies per each 150 mm plate. After transferring colonies from the master plate to a nitrocellulose filter the colonies were lysed and fixed on nitrocellulose filters (Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Ed., Vols 1-3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1989)), then hybridized with a .sup.32 p-labeled insert of p610, a rat CBS cDNA clone isolated previously (3). Three positive clones, were obtained from 720,000 colonies screened. DNA minipreps (Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Ed., Vols 1-3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1989)) from positive clones were digested with Eco RI and analyzed on 1.2% agarose gels. The cDNA insert of a full length human CBS cDNA was subcloned into a transcription vector (pGem-3-Blue, Promega Biotec, Madison, Wis.), and the resulting construct was named HSLCBS.

E. Construction of the Expression Vector

Human CBS cDNA was cloned into pSDN, a mammalian expression plasmid conferring methotrexate resistance, essentially as described by Roper and Kraus (Roper et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 298, 514-521 (1992)). Human hepatic CBS cDNA spanning the entire coding reading frame and a portion of 3' untranslated sequence (2087 bp) was isolated from a pGEM Blue subclone (HSLCBS) by restriction with Hind III and Ssp I. The pSDN vector was digested with Ava I and blunt-ended with Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase; subsequently, the vector was restricted with Hind III, gel purified, ligated to the human CBS insert with T.sub.4 DNA ligase. The resulting mammalian expression plasmid, pSDHCS, was used to transfect cultured CHO cells (Roper et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 298, 514-521 (1992)).

The following is a detailed description of the strategy for construction of the plasmid pSDHCS, as shown in FIG. 5. Plasmid pSDHCS was constructed from three plasmids: pJSl (derived from pSV2neo); pFR400; and HSLCBS, human CBS in pGEM-3-Blue (Roper et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 298, 514-521 (1992)). To generate a universal amplifiable plasmid, pSDN, the Hind III.sup.- dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) cDNA, together with its associated SV40e (early) promoter and polyadenylation signal sequence was excised from pFR400 using Pvu II/Sal I, blunt ended with Klenow fragment and inserted into the blunt-ended Eco RI site of pJS1. Colonies of transformed E. coli in which pSDN contained DHFR in the same orientation as neo were selected for construction of pSDHCS. Synthase cDNA was excised from HSLCBS with Sma I/Dra I. This was substituted for the majority of the neo sequence, bounded by Hind III/Ava I after the overhanging regions of the vector were backfilled with Klenow fragment. The final plasmid, pSDHCS, contained amp.sup.r, derived from pJS1, SV40e-DHFR, and SV40e-CBS cDNA. A general map of plasmid pSDHCS is depicted in FIG. 5. The symbols indicate the locations of the SV40 promoters with their early (e) and late (l) sites. Arrows in the inset refer to the direction of transcription for each sequence.

F. Expression of Human CBS cDNA

Dihydrofolate reductase-deficient CHO duk.sup.-- cells (American Type Tissue Collection #9096CRL) were transfected with 10 .mu.g of pSDHCS in 100 .mu.l using Lipofectin as described earlier (Roper et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 298, 514-521 (1992)). Clones which survived hypoxanthine/thymine starvation were isolated and incubated in increasing doses of methotrexate (1, 10, 100 .mu.M) as described to amplify the incorporated plasmid. CBS activity was determined at each step. The enzyme as expressed had significant CBS activity of 53 nmols/h/mg protein.

CBS turnover was determined in transfected CHO cells as described earlier (Roper et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 298, 514-521 (1992)). Pulse-chase labeling of human CBS in transfected CHO cells is shown in FIG. 4. CHO cells, harboring methotrexate-amplified pSDHCS, were labeled with [.sup.35 S]-L-methionine (83 .mu.Ci/ml: 250 .mu.Ci/dish) for 90 min, washed, and incubated in medium supplemented with 3.75 mM unlabeled methionine. Cells were harvested starting 1 h after washing the cells to remove free labeled methionine in the medium (0 h), then at the intervals indicated on the photograph shown in FIG. 4. CBS was immunoprecipitated, electrophoresed by SDS/PAGE, and autoradiographed. Autoradiography was used to locate the dark bands, shown on the photograph in FIG. 4, which represent the labeled CBS found at each time point. These dark bands were subsequently excised from the dried gel and counted for .sup.35 S. The turnover of the enzyme was determined graphically by plotting log(% labeled CBS) vs. time following addition of unlabeled methionine.

EXAMPLE 2

Screening for Synonymous Mutations

Two synonymous mutations in the coding region of CBS cDNA (C699T; T1080C) were screened by a PCR based RFLP method described below. Template DNAs for PCR (i.e. 200-500 ng of plasmid DNAs), 1 .mu.l of cDNAs (prepared as described [Kraus et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 13, 943-952 (1985)], 5 .mu.l of bacterial cultures or a small amount of bacterial colonies, were mixed with 50 .mu.l of water, denatured at 95.degree. C. for 3 min (cDNA) or at 99.degree. C. for 5 min (other templates) and rapidly chilled on ice.

The following were the conditions for PCR. Template preparations were mixed with appropriate pairs of oligonucleotide primers and other components as described previously [Tahara et al., BioTechniques, 8, 366-368 (1990)]using 2.5 U of Taq polymerase for each 100 .mu.l reaction. The cycling was performed in a Hybaid thermal reactor under the following conditions: 30 cycles of denaturing at 94.degree. C. for 1 min, annealing at 55.degree. C. for 1 min and extension at 72.degree. C. for 40 sec.

The screening for Y233Y synonymous mutation (699C/T) was accomplished in the following manner. The sense primer 5'-GACCAGTACCGCAACGCCAGCAACCCCCTGGCTCAGTA-3' (SEQ ID NO:3) contained at its 3' end one base pair mismatch (represented by the underlined G in place of C) that completed an RsaI site by incorporation of a C residue at the adjacent position 699. Accordingly, incorporation of a T in position 699 did not create this RsaI site. To monitor the efficiency of the digestion, another Rsa I site (underlined) was introduced into the antisense primer 5'-TTGTCCACCACCGTCCTGTCCAGTACCG-3' (SEQ ID NO: 4). Ten .mu.l of PCR product were digested at 37.degree. C. with 7 U of RsaI (New England Biolabs) in a total volume of 20 .mu.l for 4 hours. These mixtures were subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis together with the uncut sample.

The screening for A360A synonymous mutation (1080C/T) was accomplished in the following manner. This screen was based on a restriction site polymorphism: nucleotide T in position 1080 was part of an FspI site while C in the same position produced an SfiI restriction site. The sense primer sequence was 5'-CGTAGAATTCAGTGGGCACGGGCGGCACCA-3' (SEQ ID NO:5) and the antisense oligonucleotide was 5'-TACGATCGATTCTGCAGCATCCACCTGTCGCT-3' (SEQ ID NO:6). Five .mu.l of PCR reaction were digested for 4 hours with either 5 U of FspI (New England Biolabs) or 5 U of SfiI (New England Biolabs) at 37.degree. C. in the total volume of 20.mu.l. Both digests were subsequently subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis.

EXAMPLE 3

Treatment of Patients Having a CBS Deficiency

In addition to screening, the invention includes enzyme replacement therapy for those individuals determined to have deficiency of normal CBS, and therefore, are suffering from homocystinuria.

To treat homocystinuria in these individuals, the CBS is administered therapeutically in an amount effective to prevent homocystinuria. A homocystinuria treating dosage of CBS can be determined based on the knowledge available to those of ordinary skill in the art. The CBS can be administered by injection with a pharmcologically acceptable carrier, either alone or in combination with another agent. Acceptable pharmacological carriers are those which dissolve the CBS or hold it in suspension, and which are not toxic to the extent of permanently harming the patient. Preferred are aqueous solutions of salts of non-ionic compounds such as sodium chloride or glucose, most preferably at an isotonic concentration. Other agents may be present provided they do not interfere with the action of CBS. Those skilled in the art will know, or will be able to ascertain with no more than routine experimentation, particular pharmacological carriers for this composition.

CBS suitable for therapy can be prepared by the following procedure. The CBS can be produced by expressing the CBS cDNA product from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression vector in an in vitro expression system, and purifying and isolating the CBS from the medium or cells of the expression system. General expression vectors and systems are well known in the art.

In addition, the CBS can be produced using protein chemistry techniques, wherein the specific amino acid residues are joined together synthetically in the appropriate sequence. The cDNA CBS sequence can be inserted into a suitable vector to be used for gene therapy.

DEPOSIT OF STRAINS USEFUL IN PRACTICING THE INVENTION

A deposit of biologically pure cultures of the following strains was made with the American Type Culture Collection, 12301 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, Md., the accession numbers indicated was assigned after successful viability testing, and the requisite fees were paid. Access to said cultures will be available during pendency of the patent application to one determined by the Commissioner to be entitled thereto under 37 C.F.R. Section 1.14 and 35 U.S.C. Section 122. All restriction on availability of said cultures to the public will be irrevocably removed upon the granting of a patent based upon the application and said cultures will remain permanently available for a term of at least five years after the most recent request for the furnishing of a sample and in any case for a period of at least 30 years after the date of the deposit. Should the cultures become nonviable or be inadvertently destroyed, they will be replaced with viable cultures of the same taxonomic description.

______________________________________Strain/Plasmid ATCC No. Deposit Date______________________________________full length cDNA for 69369 July 29, 1993human cystathione-.beta.-synthaseDH5.alpha. E. coli, HSLCBS______________________________________

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in which the invention is addressed, the present invention may be embodied in forms other than those specifically disclosed above without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. The particular embodiments of the present invention described above, are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is as set forth in the appended claims rather than being limited to the examples contained in the foregoing description.

__________________________________________________________________________SEQUENCE LISTING(1) GENERAL INFORMATION:(iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 6(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 2542 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: single(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA(ix) FEATURE: (A) NAME/KEY: mat.sub.-- peptide(B) LOCATION: 181..1834(ix) FEATURE:(A) NAME/KEY: CDS(B) LOCATION: 181..1834(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:TGCAGGGCCAGGACGCACGTTTCAAGCTCATCAGTAAAGGTTCCTTAAATTCCCGAAGCA60AGAAGTTAACCAAGTAAAA CAGCATCGGAACACCAGGATCCCATGACAGATTCTGTTGTC120ACGTCTCCTTACAGAGTTTGAGCGGTGCTGAACTGTCAGCACCATCTGTCCGGTCCCAGC180ATGCCTTCTGAGACCCCCCAGGCAGAAGTGGGGCCCACAGGCTGCCCC 228MetProSerGluThrProGlnAlaGluValGlyProThrGlyCysPro151015CACCGCTCAGGGCCACACTCGGCGAAGGGGAGCCTGGAGAAGGGGTCC 276HisArgSerGlyProHisSerAlaLysGlySerLeuGluLysGlySer202530CCAGAGGATAAGGAAGCCAAGGAGCCCCTGTGGATCCGGCCCGATGCT 324ProGluAspLysGluAlaLysGluProLeuTrpIleArgProAspAla354045CCGAGCAGGTGCACCTGGCAGCTGGGCCGGCCTGCCTCCGAGTCCCCA 372ProSerArgCysThrTrpGlnLeuGlyArgProAlaSerGluSerPro505560CATCACCACACTGCCCCGGCAAAATCTCCAAAAATCTTGCCAGATATT420H isHisHisThrAlaProAlaLysSerProLysIleLeuProAspIle65707580CTGAAGAAAATCGGGGACACCCCTATGGTCAGAATCAACAAGATTGGG 468LeuLysLysIleGlyAspThrProMetValArgIleAsnLysIleGly859095AAGAAGTTCGGCCTGAAGTGTGAGCTCTTGGCCAAGTGTGAGTTCTTC 516LysLysPheGlyLeuLysCysGluLeuLeuAlaLysCysGluPhePhe100105110AACGCGGGCGGGAGCGTGAAGGACCGCATCAGCCTGCGGATGATTGAG 564AsnAlaGlyGlySerValLysAspArgIleSerLeuArgMetIleGlu115120125GATGCTGAGCGCGACGGGACGCTGAAGCCCGGGGACACGATTATCGAG 612AspAlaGluArgAspGlyThrLeuLysProGlyAspThrIleIleGlu130135140CCGACATCCGGGAACACCGGGATCGGGCTGGCCCTGGCTGCGGCAGTG660P roThrSerGlyAsnThrGlyIleGlyLeuAlaLeuAlaAlaAlaVal145150155160AGGGGCTATCGCTGCATCATCGTGATGCCAGAGAAGATGAGCTCCGAG 708ArgGlyTyrArgCysIleIleValMetProGluLysMetSerSerGlu165170175AAGGTGGACGTGCTGCGGGCACTGGGGGCTGAGATTGTGAGGACGCCC 756LysValAspValLeuArgAlaLeuGlyAlaGluIleValArgThrPro180185190ACCAATGCCAGGTTCGACTCCCCGGAGTCACACGTGGGGGTGGCCTGG 804ThrAsnAlaArgPheAspSerProGluSerHisValGlyValAlaTrp195200205CGGCTGAAGAACGAAATCCCCAATTCTCACATCCTAGACCAGTACCGC 852ArgLeuLysAsnGluIleProAsnSerHisIleLeuAspGlnTyrArg210215220AACGCCAGCAACCCCCTGGCTCACTACGACACCACCGCTGATGAGATC900A snAlaSerAsnProLeuAlaHisTyrAspThrThrAlaAspGluIle225230235240CTGCAGCAGTGTGATGGGAAGCTGGACATGCTGGTGGCTTCAGTGGGC 948LeuGlnGlnCysAspGlyLysLeuAspMetLeuValAlaSerValGly245250255ACGGGCGGCACCATCACGGGCATTGCCAGGAAGCTGAAGGAGAAGTGT 996ThrGlyGlyThrIleThrGlyIleAlaArgLysLeuLysGluLysCys260265270CCTGGATGCAGGATCATTGGGGTGGATCCCGAAGGGTCCATCCTCGCA 1044ProGlyCysArgIleIleGlyValAspProGluGlySerIleLeuAla275280285GAGCCGGAGGAGCTGAACCAGACGGAGCAGACAACCTACGAGGTGGAA 1092GluProGluGluLeuAsnGlnThrGluGlnThrThrTyrGluValGlu290295300GGGATCGGCTACGACTTCATCCCCACGGTGCTGGACAGGACGGTGGTG1140G lyIleGlyTyrAspPheIleProThrValLeuAspArgThrValVal305310315320GACAAGTGGTTCAAGAGCAACGATGAGGAGGCGTTCACCTTTGCCCGC 1188AspLysTrpPheLysSerAsnAspGluGluAlaPheThrPheAlaArg325330335ATGCTGATCGCGCAAGAGGGGCTGCTGTGCGGTGGCAGTGCTGGCAGC 1236MetLeuIleAlaGlnGluGlyLeuLeuCysGlyGlySerAlaGlySer340345350ACGGTGGCGGTGGCCGTGAAGGCTGCGCAGGAGCTGCAGGAGGGCCAG 1284ThrValAlaValAlaValLysAlaAlaGlnGluLeuGlnGluGlyGln355360365CGCTGCGTGGTCATTCTGCCCGACTCAGTGCGGAACTACATGACCAAG 1332ArgCysValValIleLeuProAspSerValArgAsnTyrMetThrLys370375380TTCCTGAGCGACAGGTGGATGCTGCAGAAGGGCTTTCTGAAGGAGGAG1380P heLeuSerAspArgTrpMetLeuGlnLysGlyPheLeuLysGluGlu385390395400GACCTCACGGAGAAGAAGCCCTGGTGGTGGCACCTCCGTGTTCAGGAG 1428AspLeuThrGluLysLysProTrpTrpTrpHisLeuArgValGlnGlu405410415CTGGGCCTGTCAGCCCCGCTGACCGTGCTCCCGACCATCACCTGTGGG 1476LeuGlyLeuSerAlaProLeuThrValLeuProThrIleThrCysGly420425430CACACCATCGAGATCCTCCGGGAGAAGGGCTTCGACCAGGCGCCCGTG 1524HisThrIleGluIleLeuArgGluLysGlyPheAspGlnAlaProVal435440445GTGGATGAGGCGGGGGTAATCCTGGGAATGGTGACGCTTGGGAACATG 1572ValAspGluAlaGlyValIleLeuGlyMetValThrLeuGlyAsnMet450455460CTCTCGTCCCTGCTTGCCGGGAAGGTGCAGCCGTCAGACCAAGTTGGC1620L euSerSerLeuLeuAlaGlyLysValGlnProSerAspGlnValGly465470475480AAAGTCATCTACAAGCAGTTCAAACAGATCCGCCTCACGGACACGCTG 1668LysValIleTyrLysGlnPheLysGlnIleArgLeuThrAspThrLeu485490495GGCAGGCTCTCGCACATCCTGGAGATGGACCACTTCGCCCTGGTGGTG 1716GlyArgLeuSerHisIleLeuGluMetAspHisPheAlaLeuValVal500505510CACGAGCAGATCCAGTACCACAGCACCGGGAAGTCCAGTCAGCGGCAG 1764HisGluGlnIleGlnTyrHisSerThrGlyLysSerSerGlnArgGln515520525ATGGTGTTCGGGGTGGTCACCGCCATTGACTTGCTGAACTTCGTGGCC 1812MetValPheGlyValValThrAlaIleAspLeuLeuAsnPheValAla530535540GCCCAGGAGCGGGACCAGAAGTGAAGTCCGGAGCGCTGGGCGGTGTGGAGCG1864A laGlnGluArgAspGlnLys545550GGCCCGCCACCCTTGCCCACTTCTCCTTCGCTTTCCTGAGCCCTAAACACACGCGTGATT1924GGTAACTGCCTGGCCTGGCACCGTTATCCCTGCACACGGCACAGAGCATCCGTCTCCCCT 1984CGTTAACACATGGCTTCCTAAATGGCCCTGTTTACGGCCTATGAGATGAAATATGTGATT2044TTCTCTAATGTAACTTCCTCTTAGGATGTTTCACCAAGGAAATATTGAGAGAGAAGTCGG2104CCAGGTAGGATGAACACAGGCAATGACTGCGCAGAGT GGATTAAAGGCAAAAGAGAGAAG2164AGTCCAGGAAGGGGCGGGGAGAAGCCTGGGTGGCTCAGCATCCTCCACGGGCTGCGCGTC2224TGCTCGGGGCTGAGCTGGCGGGACGAGTTTGCGTGTTTGGGTTTTTTAATTGAGATGAAA2284TTCAAATAACC TAAAAATCAATCACTTGAAAGTGAACAATCAGCGGCATTTAGTACATCC2344AGAAAGTTGTGTAGGCACCACCTCTGTCACGTTCTGGAACATTCTGTCATCACCCCGTGA2404AGCAATCATTTCCCCTCCCGTCTTCCTCCTCCCCTGGCAACTGCTGTCGACTTTG TGTCT2464CTGTTGTCTAAAATAGGTTTTCCCTGTTCTGGACATTTCATATAAATGGAATCACACAAA2524AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA2542(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS: (A) LENGTH: 551 amino acids(B) TYPE: amino acid(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:MetProSerGluThrProGlnAlaGluValGlyProThrGlyCysPro1510 15HisArgSerGlyProHisSerAlaLysGlySerLeuGluLysGlySer202530ProGluAspLysGluAlaLysGluProLeuTrpIleArgProAspAl a354045ProSerArgCysThrTrpGlnLeuGlyArgProAlaSerGluSerPro505560HisHisHisThrAlaPro AlaLysSerProLysIleLeuProAspIle65707580LeuLysLysIleGlyAspThrProMetValArgIleAsnLysIleGly85 9095LysLysPheGlyLeuLysCysGluLeuLeuAlaLysCysGluPhePhe100105110AsnAlaGlyGlySerValLysAspArgI leSerLeuArgMetIleGlu115120125AspAlaGluArgAspGlyThrLeuLysProGlyAspThrIleIleGlu130135140 ProThrSerGlyAsnThrGlyIleGlyLeuAlaLeuAlaAlaAlaVal145150155160ArgGlyTyrArgCysIleIleValMetProGluLysMetSerSerGlu 165170175LysValAspValLeuArgAlaLeuGlyAlaGluIleValArgThrPro180185190ThrAsnAla ArgPheAspSerProGluSerHisValGlyValAlaTrp195200205ArgLeuLysAsnGluIleProAsnSerHisIleLeuAspGlnTyrArg2102 15220AsnAlaSerAsnProLeuAlaHisTyrAspThrThrAlaAspGluIle225230235240LeuGlnGlnCysAspGlyLysLeuAspMetL euValAlaSerValGly245250255ThrGlyGlyThrIleThrGlyIleAlaArgLysLeuLysGluLysCys260265 270ProGlyCysArgIleIleGlyValAspProGluGlySerIleLeuAla275280285GluProGluGluLeuAsnGlnThrGluGlnThrThrTyrGluValGlu 290295300GlyIleGlyTyrAspPheIleProThrValLeuAspArgThrValVal305310315320AspLysTrpPhe LysSerAsnAspGluGluAlaPheThrPheAlaArg325330335MetLeuIleAlaGlnGluGlyLeuLeuCysGlyGlySerAlaGlySer340 345350ThrValAlaValAlaValLysAlaAlaGlnGluLeuGlnGluGlyGln355360365ArgCysValValIleLeuProAspSerValA rgAsnTyrMetThrLys370375380PheLeuSerAspArgTrpMetLeuGlnLysGlyPheLeuLysGluGlu385390395 400AspLeuThrGluLysLysProTrpTrpTrpHisLeuArgValGlnGlu405410415LeuGlyLeuSerAlaProLeuThrValLeuProThrIleThrCysGl y420425430HisThrIleGluIleLeuArgGluLysGlyPheAspGlnAlaProVal435440445ValAspGluAla GlyValIleLeuGlyMetValThrLeuGlyAsnMet450455460LeuSerSerLeuLeuAlaGlyLysValGlnProSerAspGlnValGly465470 475480LysValIleTyrLysGlnPheLysGlnIleArgLeuThrAspThrLeu485490495GlyArgLeuSerHisIleLeuGluMetA spHisPheAlaLeuValVal500505510HisGluGlnIleGlnTyrHisSerThrGlyLysSerSerGlnArgGln515520 525MetValPheGlyValValThrAlaIleAspLeuLeuAsnPheValAla530535540AlaGlnGluArgAspGlnLys545550(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3: (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 38 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: single(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:3:GACCAGTACCGCAACGCCAGCAACCCCCTGGCTCAGTA38(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:4:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 28 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: single(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:4:TTGTCCACCACCGTCCTGTCCAGTACCG28(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 30 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: single(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:5:CGTAGAATTCAGTGGGCACGGGCGGCACCA 30(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 32 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: single(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:6:TACGATCGATTCTGCAGCATCCACCTGTCGCT 32

Claims

1. A purified and isolated DNA sequence (SEQ ID. NO:1) encoding human cystathionine .beta.-synthase.

2. A purified and isolated cDNA sequence consisting of a DNA encoding human cystathionine .beta.-synthase (SEQ ID NO:2).

3. A prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell transformed or transfected with a DNA sequence according to claim 1, 2, in an expression vector allowing the host cell to express human cystathionine .beta.-synthase.

4. A prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression vector including a DNA sequence according to claim 1, 2, wherein the DNA sequence is linked to regulatory sequences capable of affecting the expression of the DNA sequence.

5. A prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell stably transformed or transfected with an expression vector according to claim 4.