Biomedical subjects
E Fry
Publications and source records attributed to E Fry.
Crystal structure of SIV matrix antigen and implications for virus assembly.
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is closely related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), their matrix antigens (MAs) sharing some 50% sequence identity. MA is a component of Pr55Gag, the sole protein required for assembly of the virion shell. MA targets Pr55 to the plasma membrane, and facilitates incorporation of the virus envelope protein and assembly of the Pr55Gag shell. Cleavage of Pr55 by the viral protease produces the mature protein of relative molecular mass 17-18K, which underlies the host-derived membrane and is important in both virus entry and nuclear localization of the virion core. Here we report the crystal structure of SIV MA. The molecule forms a trimer consistent with oligomerization in vitro, the observed virion architecture, and various biological properties of MA.
Structural comparison of two strains of foot-and-mouth disease virus subtype O1 and a laboratory antigenic variant, G67.
BACKGROUND: Foot-and-mouth disease viruses (FMDVs) are members of the picornavirus family and cause an economically important disease of cloven-hoofed animals. To understand the structural basis of antigenic variation in FMDV, we have determined the structures of two viruses closely related to strain O1BFS whose structure is known. RESULTS: The two new structure are, like O1BFS, both serotype O viruses. The first, O1 Kaüfbeuren (O1K), is a field isolate dating from an outbreak of FMD in Europe in the 1960s. The second, called G67, is a quadruple mutant of O1K, generated in the laboratory, that bears point mutations conferring resistance to neutralizing by monoclonal antibodies, specific for each of the four major antigenic sites defined previously. The availability of the three related virus structures permits a detailed analysis of the way amino acid substitutions influence antigenicity. Structural changes are seen to be limited, in general, to the substituted side chain. For example, the GH loop of VP1, a highly antigenic and mobile protuberance which becomes ordered only under reducing conditions, was essentially indistinguishable in the three viruses despite the accumulation of up to four changes within its 15-residue sequence. At one of the other antigenic sites, however, changes between the two field strains did perturb both side-chain and main-chain structures in the vicinity. CONCLUSIONS: The conservation of conformation of the GH loop of VP1 adds to the evidence implicating an integrin as the cellular receptor for FMDV, since this loop contains a conserved RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) sequence structurally similar to the same tripeptide in some other integrin-binding proteins. Structural changes required for the virus to escape neutralization by monoclonal antibodies are generally small. The more extensive type of structural change exhibited by the field isolates probably reflects differing selective pressures operating in vivo and in vitro.
Viral RNA modulates the acid sensitivity of foot-and-mouth disease virus capsids.
Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) manifests an extreme sensitivity to acid, which is thought to be important for entry of the RNA genome into the cell. We have compared the low-pH-induced disassembly in vitro of virions and natural empty capsids of three subtypes of serotype A FMDV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and sucrose gradient sedimentation analysis. For all three subtypes (A22 Iraq 24/64, A10(61), and A24 Cruzeiro), the empty capsid was more stable by 0.5 pH unit on average than the corresponding virion. Unexpectedly, in the natural empty capsids used in this study, the precursor capsid protein VP0 was found largely to be cleaved into VP2 and VP4. For picornaviruses the processing of VP0 is closely associated with encapsidation of viral RNA, which is considered likely to play a catalytic role in the cleavage. Investigation of the cleavage of VP0 in natural empty capsids failed to implicate the viral RNA. However, it remains possible that these particles arise from abortive attempts to encapsidate RNA. Empty capsids expressed from a vaccinia virus recombinant showed essentially the same acid lability as natural empty capsids, despite differing considerably in the extent of VP0 processing, with the synthetic particles containing almost exclusively uncleaved VP0. These results indicate that it is the viral RNA that modulates acid lability in FMDV. In all cases the capsids dissociate at low pH directly into pentameric subunits. Comparison of the three viruses indicates that FMDV A22 Iraq is about 0.5 pH unit more sensitive to low pH than types A10(61) and A24 Cruzeiro. Sequence analysis of the three subtypes identified several differences at the interface between pentamers and highlighted a His-alpha-helix dipole interaction which spans the pentamer interface and appears likely to influence the acid lability of the virus.
The structure and antigenicity of a type C foot-and-mouth disease virus.
BACKGROUND: Picornaviruses are responsible for a wide range of mammalian diseases and, in common with other RNA viruses, show considerable antigenic variation. Foot-and-mouth disease viruses (FMDVs) constitute one genus of the picornavirus family and are classified into seven serotypes, each of which shows considerable intratypic variation. This antigenic variation leads to continuing difficulties in controlling the disease. To date the structure of only one serotype, O, has been reported. RESULTS: The three-dimensional structure of a serotype C (isolate C-S8c1) FMDV, has been determined crystallographically at 3.5 A resolution. The main chain conformation of the virion is very similar to that of type O1 virus. The immunodominant G-H loop of VP1, the presumed site of cell attachment, is disordered in both types of virus indicating a functional role for flexibility of this region. There are significant changes in the structure of other antigenic loops and in some internal regions involved in protomer-protomer contacts, including the entire amino-terminal portion of VP2, described here for the first time for a picornavirus. Antigenic sites have been identified by genetic and peptide mapping methods, and located on the capsid. The data reveal a major new discontinuous antigenic site (site D) which is located near to the three-fold axis and involves residues of VP1, VP2 and VP3 which lie adjacent to each other on the capsid. CONCLUSION: In FMDV type C, amino acid substitutions seen in mutants that are resistant to neutralization by monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) map to predominantly surface-oriented residues with solvent-accessible side-chains not involved in interactions with other amino acids, whereas residues which are accessible but not substituted are found to be more frequently involved in protein-protein interactions. This provides a molecular interpretation for the repeated isolation of the same amino acid substitutions in MAb-resistant variants, an observation frequently made with RNA viruses. This first comparison of two FMDV serotypes shows how subtle changes at antigenic sites are sufficient to cause large changes in antigenic specificity between serotypes.
The atomic structure of Carnation Mottle Virus capsid protein.
The structure of the Carnation Mottle Virus (CMtV) capsid protein has been determined at 3.2 A resolution by the method of molecular replacement. Three-dimensional data were collected from a small number of crystals (sp.g. I23, a = 382.6 A) using the synchrotron radiation with an image plate as detector. The coordinates of Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus (TBSV) were used as a searching model. Refinement of the coordinates of 7,479 non-hydrogen atoms performed by the program XPLOR, has led to an R-factor of 18.3%. It was found that the amino acid chain fold of capsid protein is very similar to that in other icosahedral viruses. However, there are some differences in the contact regions between protein subunits and also the lack of the beta-annulus around the 3-fold icosahedral axes. The structural and biochemical results lead us to consider an alternative assembly pathway.
Preliminary crystallographic analysis of bovine enterovirus.
Bovine enterovirus (BEV) strain VG-5-27 derived from an infectious cDNA clone has been crystallized as extended hexagonal plates. Virus recovered from crystals produced cytopathic effect in BHK cells. These crystals diffract X-rays from high energy synchrotron sources to beyond 2.7 A. The crystal system is monoclinic, space group P2(1) with unit cell dimensions a = 388 A, b = 390 A, c = 360 A, beta = 113 degrees. The virion is 300 A in diameter and one whole particle constitutes the crystallographic asymmetric unit, giving rise to 60-fold non-crystallographic redundancy.
Preliminary crystallographic analysis of coxsackievirus A9.
Coxsackievirus A9 has been crystallized as small rhombic dodecahedra of maximum dimension 0.3 mm. These crystals have been shown, using synchrotron radiation, to diffract X-rays to beyond 3 A, and to have a stability in the beam comparable to that of other related virus crystals. The unit cell is tetragonal with dimensions a = b = 495 A, c = 695 A and alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees, with a space group of P4n22. A substantial body of diffraction data has been collected and this crystal form appears to be suitable for structure determination. Phasing of these data will be attempted using molecular replacement.
Methods used in the structure determination of foot-and-mouth disease virus.
The structure of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) strain O1 BFS 1860 has been determined to 2.9 A resolution using the molecular-replacement method [Acharya, Fry, Stuart, Fox, Rowlands & Brown (1989). Nature (London), 337, 709-716]. Crystals of the virus with average dimensions 0.12 x 0.06 x 0.12 mm belong to space group I23, a = 345 A with 1/12 of the icosahedral particle per asymmetric unit giving fivefold noncrystallographic redundancy. Oscillation diffraction photographs were collected at the SERC Synchrotron Radiation Source at Daresbury in accordance with strict disease security regulations. The ambiguity in particle orientation was resolved using a self-rotation function and starting estimates of the phases to 8 A were derived from the known structures of two picornaviruses similarly oriented in the I23 unit cell. The phases were refined and extended using iterative averaging and solvent flattening with the implementation of a simple automatic envelope-determination procedure to increase the phasing power available.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of three serotypes of foot-and-mouth disease virus.
Foot-and-mouth disease viruses from serotypes O, A and C have been crystallized. The particular strains studied include O1K, A10(61), A22 Iraq 24/64, A24 Cruzeiro and C-S8c1. In addition, crystals have been grown of G67, a monoclonal antibody neutralization escape mutant derived from O1K, and of virus R100, recovered after the establishment of a persistent infection in baby hamster kidney cells with C-S8c1. Empty particles, capsids which lack the RNA genome, have also been crystallized for subtypes A22 Iraq 24/64 and A10(61). In almost all cases, crystals suitable for high resolution structure determination were obtained from (NH4)2SO4 or mixtures of polyethylene glycol and NH4Cl.
PC CLIN-SIM: a toolbook based clinical simulation environment.
The Departments of Computer Medicine, Health Care Sciences, Medicine, and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at the George Washington University have joined forces to create a clinical simulation program. The purpose of this program is to provide experience in the management of complex patient populations (eg geriatrics). A number of simulation programs are available commercially, however none provide adequate geriatric content, or were deemed to lack functionality important to the developers. The immediate goal of this effort was to create a computer-based, core curriculum in geriatric medicine for medical and allied health students. The curriculum includes case simulations linked to a comprehensive reference database. The development objectives were to create an intuitive, friendly, consistent user interface which could serve as a shell for additional content areas. In order to increase fidelity, free text entry and time simulation were included.
Structural and serological evidence for a novel mechanism of antigenic variation in foot-and-mouth disease virus.
Changes resulting in altered antigenic properties of viruses nearly always occur on their surface and have been attributed to the substitution of residues directly involved in binding antibody. To investigate the mechanism of antigenic variation in foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), variants that escape neutralization by a monoclonal antibody have been compared crystallographically and serologically with parental virus. FMDVs form one of the four genera of the Picornaviridae. The unenveloped icosahedral shell comprises 60 copies each of four structural proteins VP1-4. Representatives from each of the genera have similar overall structure, but differences in the external features. For example, human rhinovirus has a pronounced 'canyon' that is proposed to contain the cell attachment site, whereas elements of the attachment site for FMDV, which involves the G-H loop (residues 134-160) and C-terminus (200-213) of VP1, are exposed on the surface. Moreover, this G-H loop, which is a major antigenic site of FMDV, forms a prominent, highly accessible protrusion, a feature not seen in other picornaviruses. It is this loop that is perturbed in the variant viruses that we have studied. The amino acid mutations characterizing the variants are not at positions directly involved in antibody binding, but result in far-reaching perturbations of the surface structure of the virus. Thus, this virus seems to use a novel escape mechanism whereby an induced conformational change in a major antigenic loop destroys the integrity of the epitope.
The structure of foot-and-mouth disease virus: implications for its physical and biological properties.
The structure of foot-and-mouth disease virus has been solved at a resolution of 2.9 A by X-ray diffraction techniques. The overall structural organisation of the particle is similar to that seen in other picornaviruses but there are several unique features. Many of these help to explain its characteristic physical and biological properties. In particular the canyon or pit found at the surface of other picornaviruses is lacking, which has important implications for cell attachment and the process of infection. Also there are 60 large disordered protrusions at the surface corresponding to the major antigenic site. This disorder is of particular interest in relation to the striking ability of linear synthetic peptides to induce protective immunity against foot-and-mouth disease.
The three-dimensional structure of foot-and-mouth disease virus at 2.9 A resolution.
The structure of foot-and-mouth disease virus has been determined at close to atomic resolution by X-ray diffraction without experimental phase information. The virus shows similarities with other picornaviruses but also several unique features. The canyon or pit found in other picornaviruses is absent; this has important implications for cell attachment. The most immunogenic portion of the capsid, which acts as a potent peptide vaccine, forms a disordered protrusion on the virus surface.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of foot-and-mouth disease virus.
Foot-and-mouth disease virus has been crystallized with the objectives of (1) determining the composition and conformation of the major immunogenic site(s) and (2) comparing its structure with those of the related polio, rhino and Mengo viruses, representing the other three genera of the picornaviruses. Most of the work has been done with virus strain O1BFS 1860, which crystallized as small rhombic dodecahedra of maximum dimension 0.3 mm. Virus recovered from crystals was infectious, and was indistinguishable from native virus both in protein composition and buoyant density. The stability of the crystals in the X-ray beam was comparable with that of other picornavirus crystals and they diffracted to a resolution of better than 2.3 A. Initial analysis of the X-ray diffraction data shows the virus to be positioned on a point of 23 symmetry in a close-packed array so that examples of all the icosahedral symmetry elements, except the 5-fold axes, are expressed crystallographically. The cell dimensions are a = b = c = 345 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees, with a space group of I23. The diameter of the virus particle is 300 A. Despite the small size of the crystals, diffraction data have been collected to a reasonable resolution using a synchrotron source. Phasing of the diffraction data will be attempted using the methods of molecular replacement.
Speech and language development in 41 children with sex chromosome anomalies.
Forty-one children with sex chromosome anomalies identified from the chromosome screening of a newborn population were blindly evaluated by a speech-language pathologist, along with a control group of 31 siblings. 47,XXX girls and 47,XXY boys were found to have increased problems in auditory perception, receptive language, and expressive language; the problems of the 47,XXY boys were less severe than those of the 47,XXX group, and reflected specific deficits in their ability to process linguistic information rather than a deficit in comprehension. An increased occurrence of speech production problems among the 45,X girls was associated with the presence of oral/structural malformations that often had no measurable effect on their production of speech sounds. Although the 45,X girls and 47,XYY boys had no significant increase of problems in auditory reception, receptive language, and expressive language, the trend of the data suggested more difficulty than in the control groups. The mosaic children were not different from the control subjects. Some children in all groups were found to have normal speech and language development.
The fine structure of lymphocytes in sarcoidosis.
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Proceedings: The fine structure of lymphocytes in sarcoidosis.
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