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P Guo

Publications and source records attributed to P Guo.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Inhibition of phage phi 29 assembly by antisense oligonucleotides targeting viral pRNA essential for DNA packaging.

A sensitive and efficient system for the functional assay of antisense oligonucleotides (oligos) was developed based on an in vitro viral assembly system. A 120-base RNA (pRNA), which indispensably participates in bacteriophage phi 29 DNA packaging, was the target for antisense action. Antisense oligos bound to pRNA, as revealed by a slower electrophoretic mobility of pRNA/oligo complexes in comparison with native pRNA. Infectious viruses were assembled in vitro with synthetic pRNA and DNA, as well as with viral proteins produced from cloned genes. Up to 10(7) plaque-forming units per milliliter were obtained in the absence of antisense oligos, while as few as zero plaques were detected in the presence of certain antisense oligos. A 1-base mismatch greatly influenced the inhibitory effect of the antisense oligos, but this 1-based mismatch was not important when the mismatch was placed at the end of the oligo. Five oligos did not bind pRNA or inhibit the assembly of the virion, suggesting that the RNA sequences complementary to these oligos are nonessential or buried internally in the RNA. Viral assembly was strongly inhibited by antisense oligos P15 and P10, targeting either the 5'- or the 3'-end of the pRNA, respectively. Viral assembly was also strongly inhibited by oligo P6, targeting an internal region, residues 75-91, of pRNA. Oligo P6 inhibited DNA packaging activity by blocking the binding of pRNA to the procapsid, while P10 and P15 inhibited DNA packaging activity but did not block the binding of pRNA to the procapsid, suggesting that in addition to the reported internal domain for procapsid binding, pRNA contains another domain at the paired 5'/3'-ends with a yet to be defined role in DNA translocation.

Bacillus Phages↗
PubMed1995

Circularly permuted viral pRNA active and specific in the packaging of bacteriophage phi 29 DNA.

A viral-encoded 120-base pRNA has been shown to have an essential role in the packaging of bacteriophage phi 29 DNA. The finding that both the 5'- and 3'-termini of the pRNA are proximate and crucial for biological function (C. Zhang, C. Lee, and P. Guo, 1994, Virology, 201, 77-85) prompted investigation of the activity of circularly permuted pRNAs (cpRNA) and of the expandability and essentiality of bases extending from the termini. A 117-base pRNA with a deletion of three bases downstream of the proximal terminus was active in DNA packaging. Concatemeric DNAs containing two tandem pRNA genes separated by a short or a long loop sequence were constructed. The cpRNAs from these DNA templates were transcribed in vitro and shown to be active in phi 29 DNA packaging, with activity comparable to the parental (noncircularly permuted) pRNA, indicating that neither of the loops tested affected the activity and folding of the cpRNA. As few as four bases were sufficient to serve as a loop for the terminal 180 degree turn, and a loop as long as 27 bases did not affect the cpRNA structure and function. Eight cpRNAs were constructed to assess the effect of openings within the wild-type pRNA structure. Opening of the bulge at residue 38 did not affect cpRNA activity, but opening the bulge at residue 55 greatly reduced it. Although the sequence of the 5',3'-terminal loop was not important for the folding and activity of the cpRNA, the activities of cpRNAs with openings at individual bulges or hairpins were different, indicating that each region plays a different role in pRNA folding and function. Our results indicate that it is possible to generate active circularly permuted pRNA by assigning internal sites of the pRNA as new 3'- and 5'-termini. The creation of new variable ends makes the labeling of internal bases of the pRNA molecule possible and will facilitate the analysis of pRNA secondary and tertiary structure.

Bacillus Phages↗
PubMed1995

In vitro assembly of infectious virions of double-stranded DNA phage phi 29 from cloned gene products and synthetic nucleic acids.

Up to 6 x 10(7) PFU of infectious virions of the double-stranded DNA bacteriophage phi 29 per ml were assembled in vitro, with 11 proteins derived from cloned genes and nucleic acids synthesized separately. The genomic DNA-gp3 protein conjugate was efficiently packaged into a purified recombinant procapsid with the aid of a small viral RNA (pRNA) transcript, a DNA-packaging ATPase (gp16), and ATP. The DNA-filled capsids were subsequently converted into infectious virions after the addition of four more recombinant proteins for neck and tail assembly. Electron microscopy and genome restriction mapping confirmed the identity of the infectious phi 29 virions synthesized in this system. A nonstructural protein, gp13, was indispensable for the assembly of infectious virions. The overproduced tail protein gp9 was present in solution in mostly dimeric form and was purified to homogeneity. The purified gp9 was biologically active for in vitro phi 29 assembly. Higher-order concentration dependence of in vitro phi 29 assembly on gp9 suggests that a complete tail did not form before attaching to the DNA-filled capsid, a result contrary to earlier findings for phages T4 and lambda. The work described here constitutes an extremely sensitive assay system for the analysis of components in phi 29 assembly and dissection of functional domains of structural components, enzymes, and pRNA (C.-S. Lee and P. Guo, Virology 202:1039-1042, 1995). Efficient packaging of foreign DNA in vitro and synthesis of viral particles from recombinant proteins facilitate the development of phi 29 as an in vivo gene delivery system. The finding that purified tail protein was able to incorporate into infectious virions might allow the construction of chimeric phi 29 carrying a tail fused to ligands for specific receptor of human cells.

Bacillus Phages↗
PubMed1995

Sequential interactions of structural proteins in phage phi 29 procapsid assembly.

The mechanism of viral capsid assembly is an intriguing problem because of its fundamental importance to research on synthetic viral particle vaccines, gene delivery systems, antiviral drugs, chimeric viruses displaying antigens or ligands, and the study of macromolecular interactions. The genes coding for the scaffolding (gp7), capsid (gp8), and portal vertex (gp10) proteins of the procapsid of bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis were expressed in Escherichia coli individually or in combination to study the mechanism of phi 29 procapsid assembly. When expressed alone, gp7 existed as a soluble monomer, gp8 aggregated into inclusion bodies, and gp10 formed the portal vertex. Circular dichroisin spectrum analysis indicated that gp7 is mainly composed of alpha helices. When two of the proteins were coexpressed, gp7 and gp8 assembled into procapsid-like particles with variable sizes and shapes, gp7 and gp10 formed unstable complexes, and gp8 and gp10 did not interact. These results suggested that gp7 served as a bridge for gp8 and gp10. When gp7, gp8, and gp10 were coexpressed, active procapsids were produced. Complementation of extracts containing one or two structural components could not produce active procapsids, indicating that no stable intermediates were formed. A dimeric gp7 concatemer promoted the solubility of gp8 but was inactive in the assembly of procapsid or procapsid-like particles. Mutation at the C terminus of gp7 prevented it from interacting with gp8, indicating that this part of gp7 may be important for interaction with gp8. Coexpression of the portal protein (gp20) of phage T4 with phi 29 gp7 and gp8 revealed the lack of interaction between T4 gp20 and phi 29 gp7 and/or gp8. Perturbing the ratio of the three structural proteins by duplicating one or another gene did not reduce the yield of potentially infectious particles. Changing of the order of gene arrangement in plasmids did not affect the formation of active procapsids significantly. These results indicate that phi 29 procapsid assembly deviated from the single-assembly pathway and that coexistence of all three components with a threshold concentration was required for procapsid assembly. The trimolecular interaction was so rapid that no true intermediates could be isolated. This finding is in accord with the result of capsid assembly obtained by the equilibrium model proposed by A. Zlotnick (J. Mol. Biol. 241:59-67, 1994).

Bacillus Phages↗
PubMed1995

Confirmation of the helical structure of the 5'/3' termini of the essential DNA packaging pRNA of phage phi 29.

Bacteriophage phi 29 is typical of double-stranded DNA viruses in that its genome is packaged into a preformed procapsid during viral assembly. An intriguing feature of phi 29 is the presence of a 120-base virus-encoded RNA (pRNA) that is indispensable for DNA packaging. Phylogenetic comparison of similar RNAs in numerous phages has revealed that the secondary structure of the pRNA is well conserved. Computer analysis predicts the presence of an extensive segment of helix with three single-base bulges generated by the pairing of the 5' and 3' ends. The desire to understand the role played by the pRNA in DNA packaging has led to a mutational analysis of the 5'-/3'-terminal region, which is believed to be important in DNA translocation. Deletion of 3 bases from the 3' end of the RNA, shortening the pRNA from 120 to 117 bases, was tolerated without loss of activity, but additional deletion of the base 117 resulted in 100-fold less activity, and a 115-base pRNA was virtually nonfunctional. Additionally, the three unpaired one-base bulges within the helical stretches of the paired proximate ends were nonessential for pRNA activity, as demonstrated by deletion of the bulge individually. An extensive series of helix disruptions by single- and multiple-base substitution almost invariably led to the loss of DNA packaging activity. Additional mutations that restored predicted base pairings rescued pRNA activity. This second site suppression confirmed that the 5'- and 3'-end region was paired and was indeed a helical stretch. The secondary structure was of greater importance than the primary sequence, with the exception of the requirement of an adenine at either the third or fourth position. The specific requirement of an adenine in phi 29 pRNA at this position, as well as conservation of this position in other phage pRNAs, implicates that this base may play a special role in either the DNA-packaging reaction or the maintenance of the pRNA tertiary structure.

Bacillus Phages↗
PubMed1994

Construction of recombinant avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus expressing the beta-galactosidase gene and DNA sequencing of the insertion region.

Avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), a herpesvirus, is a highly contagious pathogen that causes an upper respiratory tract infection in chickens. It is one of the major problems in the poultry industry worldwide. Current vaccines are not satisfactory due to the induction of latent infection. Here we describe a system for the construction of recombinant ILTV. A 4-kbp ILTV EcoRI DNA fragment was cloned into plasmid pUC13 and sequenced. Computer prediction revealed two potential open reading frames with 216 and 259 amino acid residues, respectively. The 259-residue polypeptide was serine-rich. The beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) gene of E. coli was cloned into the XhoI/Bg/II site of this DNA fragment, integrated into the ILTV genome via homologous recombination, expressed under the control of the immediate-early cytomegalovirus promoter, and caused the formation of blue plaques in the presence of X-gal. The insertion of a foreign gene into the ILTV genome and the successful expression of the incorporated gene demonstrated the potential for the construction of attenuated recombinant ILTV vaccines and the development of ILTV as vectors for polyvalent vaccines against avian upper respiratory tract infections.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

A highly sensitive system for the in vitro assembly of bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis.

A sensitive system for the assay of bacteriophage phi 29 assembly in vitro was developed using 12 recombinant proteins and synthetic pRNA. This system detected in vitro assembled infectious phages up to 10(7) plaque forming units (PFU) per milliliter without any background. phi 29 DNA-gp3 concentration dependence in phage assembly was found to be first order, while the DNA-packaging protein gp16 dependence was higher order. The requirement for specific phi 29 pRNA for phi 29 DNA packaging was confirmed by the finding that no plaques were formed when only Escherichia coli RNAs were present. The activity of a mutant pRNA, with 10(5)-fold reduction in DNA packaging efficiency, was also demonstrated. Additionally, the tail proteins were found to have dual roles, one acting as phage tails and the other stabilizing the DNA-gp3 filled capsids.

Bacillus Phages↗
PubMed1994

The proximate 5' and 3' ends of the 120-base viral RNA (pRNA) are crucial for the packaging of bacteriophage phi 29 DNA.

In vitro mutagenesis was performed to identify the DNA packaging domain of the 120-base pRNA essential and specific for DNA encapsidation by bacteriophage phi 29 of Bacillus subtilis. All deletions and mutations targeted the 5' and 3' ends of the pRNA. DNA templates of a control or mutant pRNAs used for in vitro transcription with T7 RNA polymerase were generated by PCR. Fourteen mutant pRNA molecules were synthesized from DNA templates either directly after PCR or after cloning the PCR fragments into the pCR II vector. Ten of the mutant pRNA species were inactive in packaging of the phi 29 genome. Mutation of base one at the 5' end did not affect the pRNA packaging activity. Mutation of the first two bases at the 5' end of the pRNA to noncomplementary bases in the predicted RNA secondary structure (U1 C2/A117G116 to G1 G2/A117G116) resulted in a pRNA with no detectable DNA-gp3 packaging activity assayed by either sucrose gradient sedimentation or agarose gel electrophoresis, and 10(5)-fold reduction in activity was found when measured by plaque-forming units with a new highly sensitive assay system. Changing bases 116 and 117 so that they were complementary to the mutated bases, 1 and 2, from the previous mutant (G1 G2/A117G116 to G1 G2/C117C116) generated an RNA molecule with restored DNA packaging ability. Our results show that, although not essential for procapsid binding, both the 5' and 3' ends of the pRNA were proximate and crucial for phi 29 DNA packaging.

Bacillus Phages↗
PubMed1994

Differential diagnosis of infectious laryngotracheitis from other avian respiratory diseases by a simplified PCR procedure.

A simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based procedure was developed for the detection of avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) in chicken trachea, chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM), infected hepatoma cells and infectious cell culture supernatant. Samples were prepared by dilution in distilled water. After boiling and low speed centrifugation, samples were used for PCR analysis with two primers without special labeling. The PCR analysis for ILT virus could be completed in less than 8 h. Standard agarose gel electrophoretic analysis of the PCR products revealed a prominent band of 300 base-pairs in samples from ILTV-infected specimens, but not from specimens containing Newcastle disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, avian adenovirus, fowlpox virus, Pachecoz or Marek's disease virus. One single ILTV infected cell or 10 plaque forming units of ILTV could be detected with this procedure. The procedure can be used for the identification of ILTV and the differentiation of ILTV from other avian respiratory tract infectants.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Determination of fluconazole by direct injection of plasma and high performance liquid chromatography with column switching.

High performance liquid chromatography with column switching has been developed for the determination of fluconazole in plasma. The plasma samples were injected onto a precolumn packed with LiChromprep RP2(25-40 microns) after simple dilution with a solution of 0.2 mol.L-1 acetic acid. Distilled water was used to wash out protein and other polar components in plasma. After switching, the concentrated fluconazole was eluted in the back-flush mode onto a Shimpack CLC-ODS column with methanol--0.2 mol.L-1 ammonium acetate (pH 2.7) (50:50) as mobile phase. Purge solutions were used for clean-up and for regenerating the precolumn. The method showed a good precision and excellent recovery. The detection limit was 0.12 micrograms.ml-1 plasma. The RSD's (intra- and interday) were less than 6.3%. The method has been successfully used to determine bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of fluconazole in Chinese volunteers.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Serum hyaluronate in the assessment of liver endothelial cell function after orthotopic liver transplantation in the rat.

This study was designed to evaluate the use of serum hyaluronate as a marker of liver endothelial cell function after liver transplantation. We performed orthotopic liver transplantation in both isogeneic and allogeneic rejector models. After transplantation, hepatocyte function was assessed on the basis of serum ALT and total bilirubin levels, and liver endothelial cell function was judged on the basis of serum hyaluronate levels. Significant increase of hyaluronate in the rejector model, compared with the isogeneic model, was seen before any significant results could be obtained from conventional liver function tests. The impaired metabolism of hyaluronate in the rejector model was observed after intravenous injection of trace amounts of radioactive material. Serial studies demonstrate that the endothelial cell is a more susceptible target for the immune response than the hepatocyte. Serum hyaluronate concentration may be a better indicator in the early assessment of graft function. We also examined serum hyaluronate levels to evaluate cold ischemia-reperfusion injury to the liver endothelial cells in the isogeneic model. At 2 hr after reperfusion, hyaluronate levels in the 6-hr cold ischemia (nonviable allograft) group were significantly higher than in the 1-hr and 3-hr cold ischemia (viable allograft) groups. However, there was little difference between the viable allograft groups. After an intravenous injection of 1 mg/kg hyaluronate, the hyaluronate elimination rate in the 3-hr group was distinctly slower than that in the 1-hr group. These data indicate that the hyaluronate elimination rate may be a more sensitive marker of liver endothelial cell function in viable liver after a short period of ischemia.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Transactivation of the early SV40 promoter by avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus in avian hepatoma cells.

An avian hepatoma cell line has been reported to be suitable for the cultivation of avian laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) (Scholz et al. (1993) J. Virol. Methods, 273-286; Guo et al. (1993) Am. J. Vet. Res., in press). To provide information for the establishment of avian expression systems and for the construction of avian recombinant viruses, five expression plasmids were constructed to test two avian viral and two mammalian viral promotors for their suitability and strength for gene expression in this cell line. Chicken hepatoma cells were transfected with plasmids carrying the bacterial beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) gene as a reporter gene. The beta-gal gene of three plasmid constructs expressed in both E. coli and avian hepatoma cells, while the beta-gal gene of two other constructs expressed only in avian hepatoma cells. The beta-gal gene expressed independently of any viral infection when under the control of the early Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoter or the immediate-early cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. However, expression of beta-gal gene under the control of the SV40 early promoter/enhancer and the ILTV TK promoter was greatly potentiated when the transfected cells were co-infected with ILTV. This finding provides a system for the enhancement of gene expression in avian cells, especially when ILTV is used as vector.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Tracking and elimination of an interfering polypeptide coexpressed with the vaccinia virus mRNA capping enzyme overproduced in Escherichia coli.

Vaccinia virus (vv) mRNA capping enzyme is composed of a large and a small subunit encoded by genes D1 and D12, respectively. A 38-kDa interfering polypeptide is copurified with the vaccinia virus capping enzyme overproduced in Escherichia coli, but the origin of this polypeptide is unknown (P. Guo and B. Moss, 1990, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 4023-4027). This polypeptide competes with the large subunit in binding to the small subunit during the assembly of the heterodimeric enzyme in the cell, resulting in a reduced yield of the active enzyme. Results from the studies of ribosome-binding site replacement, frame shifting, DNA deletion, and in vitro mutagenesis showed that the interfering polypeptide originated from a new translation initiation site within the D1 gene. Transfection of a plasmid containing an internal eukaryotic ribosome binding site into monkey kidney cells infected with vv producing T7 RNA polymerase resulted in the expression of the large subunit up to 30% of total cellular radiolabeled protein; however, the 38-kDa polypeptide was not detected. This finding suggests that the initiation site was recognized only by E. coli, not by eukaryotic cells. The Shine-Dalgarno sequence is not found in the corresponding region preceding the putative start codon, indicating that an unusual mechanism for ribosome binding exists. Mutagenesis of the putative initiation codon of the interfering polypeptide from ATG (Met), coding for residue 498 of the large subunit, to ATA (Ile) eliminated the expression of the interfering polypeptide. A stable and active mutant enzyme was expressed in E. coli HMS174(DE3) cell without the presence of the interfering polypeptide.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

An avian hepatoma cell line for the cultivation of infectious laryngotracheitis virus and for the expression of foreign genes with a mammalian promoter.

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) is the causative agent of a highly infectious upper respiratory tract disease in chickens. Vaccine development and basic studies on ILTV have been hampered by the lack of a cell line for the cultivation of this herpesvirus which was identified in 1930. Four different avian cell lines were tested for their suitability to propagate ILTV. Here we report the successful growth of ILTV with a chemically-induced avian hepatoma cell line, while retrovirus transformed cell lines derived from permissive primary cells, were found to be non-permissive for ILTV. After multiple passaging of ILTV in the hepatoma cells, the virus could be grown up to a titre of 1 x 10(7) EID50 per ml with a replication cycle comparable to that in primary hepatocytes. Methods of plaque assay, DNA-transfection, and expression of a reporter gene were established. The gene coding for the bacterial beta-galactosidase gene under the control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate-early promotor was transiently expressed, indicating that a mammalian herpesvirus promotor was recognized by this avian cell line. Infectious ILTV virions were produced after transfecting this cell-line with purified ILTV DNA. The results indicated that the cell line is suitable for the construction of recombinant ILTV and for the molecular biological study of this important avian pathogen.

Animals↗