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Biomedical subjects

David Avram Sanders

Publications and source records attributed to David Avram Sanders.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Origin of exopolyphosphatase processivity: Fusion of an ASKHA phosphotransferase and a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase homolog.

The Escherichia coli Ppx protein is an exopolyphosphatase that degrades long-chain polyphosphates in a highly processive reaction. It also hydrolyzes the terminal 5' phosphate of the modified nucleotide guanosine 5' triphosphate 3' diphosphate (pppGpp). The structure of Ppx has been determined to 1.9 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. The exopolyphosphatase is an ASKHA (acetate and sugar kinases, Hsp70, actin) phosphotransferase with an active site found in a cleft between the two amino-terminal domains. Analysis of the active site indicates that among the ASKHA phosphotranferases of known structure, Ppx is the closest to the ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases. A third domain forms a six-helix claw that is similar to the catalytic core of the eukaryotic cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases. Most of the 29 sulfate ions bound to the Ppx dimer occupy sites where the polyP chain likely binds. An aqueduct that passes through the enzyme provides a physical basis for the enzyme's high processivity.

2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases↗

Promotion of retroviral entry in the absence of envelope protein by chlorpromazine.

Retrovirus packaging cell lines that express the Moloney murine leukemia virus gag, pol, and env genes and a retroviral vector genome can produce virus particles that are capable of transducing cells. Normally if the packaging cell line does not produce a functional viral fusion glycoprotein, such as the retroviral envelope protein or a foreign viral glycoprotein, then the viruses will be incapable of transducing cells. We have found that incubating envelope protein-deficient virus particles bound to cells with chlorpromazine leads to transduction. Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is a membrane-active reagent that is commonly used to induce the hemifusion to fusion transition when membrane fusion is mediated by partially defective viral glycoproteins. The concentration and pH dependence of the promotion of transduction by CPZ is consistent with a role for CPZ micelle formation in viral entry. These data indicate that caution is warranted when experiments concerning membrane fusion completion promoted by CPZ are analyzed.

Animals↗

Structural criteria for regulation of membrane fusion and virion incorporation by the murine leukemia virus TM cytoplasmic domain.

The cytoplasmic domains of viral glycoproteins influence the trafficking and subcellular localization of the glycoproteins and their incorporation into virions. They also promote correct virus morphology and viral budding. The cytoplasmic domains of murine-leukemia-virus envelope-protein TM subunits regulate membrane fusion. During virion maturation the carboxy-terminal 16 amino acid residues of the TM protein are removed by the retroviral protease. Deletion of these residues activates envelope-protein-mediated membrane fusion. Our quantitative analysis of the effects of Moloney murine leukemia virus TM mutations on envelope-protein function support the proposition that a trimeric coiled coil in the TM cytoplasmic domain inhibits fusion. The data demonstrate that cleavage of the TM cytoplasmic domain is not required for viral entry and provide evidence for a model in which fusogenic and nonfusogenic conformations of the envelope protein exists in an equilibrium that is regulated by the cytoplasmic domain. In addition, a conserved tyrosine residue in the TM cytoplasmic domain was shown to play an important role in envelope-protein incorporation into retroviral particles.

3T3 Cells↗

No false start for novel pseudotyped vectors.

Pseudotyped vectors can be used to introduce genes into cells or to study the entry process of the virus from which the outer shell of the recombinant virus is derived. Recently, several novel pseudotyped retroviruses and lentiviruses have been constructed. Virus vectors pseudotyped with an alphavirus glycoprotein hold special promise. The increasing diversity of the available pseudotyped vectors offers expanded opportunities for gene transfer to specific cells.

DNA, Recombinant↗

In vivo gene transfer using a nonprimate lentiviral vector pseudotyped with Ross River Virus glycoproteins.

Vectors derived from lentiviruses provide a promising gene delivery system. We examined the in vivo gene transfer efficiency and tissue or cell tropism of a feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-based lentiviral vector pseudotyped with the glycoproteins from Ross River Virus (RRV). RRV glycoproteins were efficiently incorporated into FIV virions, generating preparations of FIV vector, which after concentration attain titers up to 1.5 x 10(8) TU/ml. After systemic administration, RRV-pseudotyped FIV vectors (RRV/FIV) predominantly transduced the liver of recipient mice. Transduction efficiency in the liver with the RRV/FIV was ca. 20-fold higher than that achieved with the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein (VSV-G) pseudotype. Moreover, in comparison to VSV-G, the RRV glycoproteins caused less cytotoxicity, as determined from the levels of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase in serum. Although hepatocytes were the main liver cell type transduced, nonhepatocytes (mainly Kupffer cells) were also transduced. The percentages of the transduced nonhepatocytes were comparable between RRV and VSV-G pseudotypes and did not correlate with the production of antibody against the transgene product. After injection into brain, RRV/FIV preferentially transduced neuroglial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes). In contrast to the VSV-G protein that targets predominantly neurons, <10% of the brain cells transduced with the RRV pseudotyped vector were neurons. Finally, the gene transfer efficiencies of RRV/FIV after direct application to skeletal muscle or airway were also examined and, although transgene-expressing cells were detected, their proportions were low. Our data support the utility of RRV glycoprotein-pseudotyped FIV lentiviral vectors for hepatocyte- and neuroglia-related disease applications.

Animals↗

Covalent modifications of the ebola virus glycoprotein.

The role of covalent modifications of the Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP) and the significance of the sequence identity between filovirus and avian retrovirus GPs were investigated through biochemical and functional analyses of mutant GPs. The expression and processing of mutant GPs with altered N-linked glycosylation, substitutions for conserved cysteine residues, or a deletion in the region of O-linked glycosylation were analyzed, and virus entry capacities were assayed through the use of pseudotyped retroviruses. Cys-53 was the only GP(1) ( approximately 130 kDa) cysteine residue whose replacement resulted in the efficient secretion of GP(1), and it is therefore proposed that it participates in the formation of the only disulfide bond linking GP(1) to GP(2) ( approximately 24 kDa). We propose a complete cystine bridge map for the filovirus GPs based upon our analysis of mutant Ebola virus GPs. The effect of replacement of the conserved cysteines in the membrane-spanning region of GP(2) was found to depend on the nature of the substitution. Mutations in conserved N-linked glycosylation sites proved generally, with a few exceptions, innocuous. Deletion of the O-linked glycosylation region increased GP processing, incorporation into retrovirus particles, and viral transduction. Our data support a common evolutionary origin for the GPs of Ebola virus and avian retroviruses and have implications for gene transfer mediated by Ebola virus GP-pseudotyped retroviruses.

3T3 Cells↗