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Mutagenic analysis of a conserved region of domain III in the Cry1Ac toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis.

We used site-directed mutagenesis to probe the function of four alternating arginines located at amino acid positions 525, 527, 529, and 531 in a highly conserved region of domain III in the Cry1Ac toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis. We created 10 mutants: eight single mutants, with each arginine replaced by either glycine (G) or aspartic acid (D), and two double mutants (R525G/R527G and R529G/R531G). In lawn assays of the 10 mutants with a cultured Choristoneura fumiferana insect cell line (Cf1), replacement of a single arginine by either glycine or aspartic acid at position 525 or 529 decreased toxicity 4- to 12-fold relative to native Cry1Ac toxin, whereas replacement at position 527 or 531 decreased toxicity only 3-fold. The reduction in toxicity seen with double mutants was 8-fold for R525G/R527G and 25-fold for R529G/R531G. Five of the mutants (R525G, R525D, R527G, R529D, and R525G/R527G) were tested in bioassays with Plutella xylostella larvae and ion channel formation in planar lipid bilayers. In the bioassays, R525D, R529D, and R525G/R527G showed reduced toxicity. In planar lipid bilayers, the conductance and the selectivity of the mutants were similar to those of native Cry1Ac. Toxins with alteration at position 527 or 529 tended to remain in their subconducting states rather than the maximally conducting state. Our results suggest that the primary role of this conserved region is to maintain both the structural integrity of the native toxin and the full functionality of the formed membrane pore.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Interaction of gene-cloned and insect cell-expressed aminopeptidase N of Spodoptera litura with insecticidal crystal protein Cry1C.

Insecticidal toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis interact with specific receptors located in the midguts of susceptible larvae, and the interaction is followed by a series of biochemical events that lead to the death of the insect. In order to elucidate the mechanism of action of B. thuringiensis toxins, receptor protein-encoding genes from many insect species have been cloned and characterized. In this paper we report the cloning, expression, and characterization of Cry toxin-interacting aminopeptidase N (APN) isolated from the midgut of a polyphagous pest, Spodoptera litura. The S. litura APN cDNA was expressed in the Sf21 insect cell line by using a baculovirus expression system. Immunofluorescence staining of the cells revealed that the expressed APN was located at the surface of Sf21 cells. Treatment of Sf21 cells expressing S. litura APN with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C demonstrated that the APN was anchored in the membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol moiety. Interaction of the expressed receptor with different Cry toxins was examined by immunofluorescence toxin binding studies and ligand blot and immunoprecipitation analyses. By these experiments we showed that the bioactive toxin, Cry1C, binds to the recombinant APN, while the nonbioactive toxin, Cry1Ac, showed no interaction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Isolation, pure culture, and characterization of "Candidatus Arsenophonus arthropodicus," an intracellular secondary endosymbiont from the hippoboscid louse fly Pseudolynchia canariensis.

Members of the genus Arsenophonus comprise a large group of bacterial endosymbionts that are widely distributed in arthropods of medical, veterinary, and agricultural importance. At present, little is known about the role of these bacteria in arthropods, because few representatives have been isolated and cultured in the laboratory. In the current study, we describe the isolation and pure culture of an Arsenophonus endosymbiont from the hippoboscid louse fly Pseudolynchia canariensis. We propose provisional nomenclature for this bacterium in the genus Arsenophonus as "Candidatus Arsenophonus arthropodicus." Phylogenetic analyses indicate that "Candidatus Arsenophonus arthropodicus" is closely related to the Arsenophonus endosymbionts found in psyllids, whiteflies, aphids, and mealybugs. The pure culture of this endosymbiont offers new opportunities to examine the role of Arsenophonus in insects. To this end, we describe methods for the culture of "Candidatus Arsenophonus arthropodicus" in an insect cell line and the transformation of this bacterium with a broad-host-range plasmid.

Aedes↗

Purification and properties of a 28-kilodalton hemolytic and mosquitocidal protein toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. darmstadiensis 73-E10-2.

The mosquitocidal crystal of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. darmstadiensis 73-E10-2 was purified, bioassayed against third-instar Aedes aegypti larvae (50% lethal concentration, 7.5 micrograms/ml), and subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, revealing polypeptides of 125, 50, 47, and 28 kilodaltons (kDa). When solubilized and proteolytically activated by insect gut proteases or proteinase K, the crystal was cytotoxic to insect and mammalian cells in vitro and was hemolytic. By using nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a polypeptide of 23 kDa, derived from the 28-kDa protoxin, was identified which was hemolytic and cytotoxic to Aedes albopictus, A. aegypti, and Choristoneura fumiferana CF1 insect cell lines. The 23-kDa polypeptide was purified by ion-exchange chromatography and gave 50% lethal dose values of 3.8, 3.3, and 6.9 micrograms/ml against A. albopictus, A. aegypti, and C. fumiferana CF1 cells lines, respectively. Cytotoxicity in vitro was both dose and temperature dependent, with a sigmoidal dose-response curve. The cytotoxicity of the 23-kDa toxin and the solubilized and proteolytically activated delta-endotoxin was inhibited by a range of phospholipids containing unsaturated fatty acids and by triglyceride and diglyceride dispersions. An interaction with membrane phospholipids appears important for toxicity. Polyclonal antisera prepared against the 23-kDa polypeptide did not cross-react with polypeptides in the native crystals of four other mosquitocidal strains.

Animals↗

White spot syndrome virus annexes a shrimp STAT to enhance expression of the immediate-early gene ie1.

Although the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway is part of the antiviral response in arthropods such as Drosophila, here we show that white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) uses a shrimp STAT as a transcription factor to enhance viral gene expression in host cells. In a series of deletion and mutation assays using the WSSV immediate-early gene ie1 promoter, which is active in shrimp cells and also in insect Sf9 cells, an element containing a STAT binding motif was shown to be important for the overall level of WSSV ie1 promoter activity. In the Sf9 insect cell line, a specific protein-DNA complex was detected by using electrophoresis mobility shift assays (EMSA) with the 32P-labeled STAT binding motif of the WSSV ie1 promoter as the probe. When recombinant Penaeus monodon STAT (rPmSTAT) was overexpressed in Sf9 cells, EMSA with specific antibodies confirmed that the STAT was responsible for the formation of the specific protein-DNA complex. Another EMSA showed that in WSSV-infected P. monodon, levels of activated PmSTAT were higher than in WSSV-free P. monodon. A transactivation assay of the WSSV ie1 promoter demonstrated that increasing the level of rPmSTAT led to dose-dependent increases in ie1 promoter activity. These results show that STAT directly transactivates WSSV ie1 gene expression and contributes to its high promoter activity. We conclude that WSSV successfully annexes a putative shrimp defense mechanism, which it uses to enhance the expression of viral immediate-early genes.

Animals↗

A baculovirus gp64 early promoter is activated by host transcription factor binding to CACGTG and GATA elements.

The early promoter of the Orgyia pseudotsugata multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus gp64 gene is active when transfected into several insect cell lines and does not require viral gene products for transcription in uninfected cells. Because previous studies have shown that the gp64 early promoter is activated above basal levels in uninfected cells, host transcription factors are likely to play a role in gp64 activation at early times postinfection. By using nuclear extracts from uninfected Sf9 cells for electrophoretic mobility shift analysis of gp64 regulatory regions, host nuclear proteins were shown to bind specifically to the upstream regulatory region of the gp64 early promoter. Host factor binding was mapped to a 24-bp sequence centered approximately 35 bp upstream of the TATA box. Two consensus eukaryotic transcription factor-binding site motifs, GATA and CACGTG, were identified within the 24-bp sequence. Competition assays using oligonucleotides containing either a GATA or a CACGTG motif and similar oligonucleotides with point mutations in these sites showed that each site is required for binding host transcription factors. To investigate the functional significance of host factor binding to GATA and CACGTG motifs, constructs containing point mutations in these motifs were examined in transient expression assays. Mutations in either or both GATA and CACGTG sites decreased reporter activity in transient expression assays, suggesting that binding of host transcription factors to these motifs is important in transcriptional regulation of the gp64 early promoter.

Animals↗

Roles of nonstructural protein nsP2 and Alpha/Beta interferons in determining the outcome of Sindbis virus infection.

Alphaviruses productively infect a variety of vertebrate and insect cell lines. In vertebrate cells, Sindbis virus redirects cellular processes to meet the needs of virus propagation. At the same time, cells respond to virus replication by downregulating virus growth and preventing dissemination of the infection. The balance between these two mechanisms determines the outcome of infection at the cellular and organismal levels. In this report, we demonstrate that a viral nonstructural protein, nsP2, is a significant regulator of Sindbis virus-host cell interactions. This protein not only is a component of the replicative enzyme complex required for replication and transcription of viral RNAs but also plays a role in suppressing the antiviral response in Sindbis virus-infected cells. nsP2 most likely acts by decreasing interferon (IFN) production and minimizing virus visibility. Infection of murine cells with Sindbis virus expressing a mutant nsP2 leads to higher levels of IFN secretion and the activation of 170 cellular genes that are induced by IFN and/or virus replication. Secreted IFN protects naive cells against Sindbis virus infection and also stops viral replication in productively infected cells. Mutations in nsP2 can also attenuate Sindbis virus cytopathogenicity. Such mutants can persist in mammalian cells with defects in the alpha/beta IFN (IFN-alpha/beta) system or when IFN activity is neutralized by anti-IFN-alpha/beta antibodies. These findings provide new insight into the alphavirus-host cell interaction and have implications for the development of improved alphavirus expression systems with better antigen-presenting potential.

Alphavirus Infections↗

Nuclear localization of Japanese encephalitis virus core protein enhances viral replication.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) core protein was detected in both the nucleoli and cytoplasm of mammalian and insect cell lines infected with JEV or transfected with the expression plasmid of the core protein. Mutation analysis revealed that Gly(42) and Pro(43) in the core protein are essential for the nuclear and nucleolar localization. A mutant M4243 virus in which both Gly(42) and Pro(43) were replaced by Ala was recovered by plasmid-based reverse genetics. In C6/36 mosquito cells, the M4243 virus exhibited RNA replication and protein synthesis comparable to wild-type JEV, whereas propagation in Vero cells was impaired. The mutant core protein was detected in the cytoplasm but not in the nucleus of either C6/36 or Vero cell lines infected with the M4243 virus. The impaired propagation of M4243 in mammalian cells was recovered by the expression of wild-type core protein in trans but not by that of the mutant core protein. Although M4243 mutant virus exhibited a high level of neurovirulence comparable to wild-type JEV in spite of the approximately 100-fold-lower viral propagation after intracerebral inoculation to 3-week-old mice of strain Jcl:ICR, no virus was recovered from the brain after intraperitoneal inoculation of the mutant. These results indicate that nuclear localization of JEV core protein plays crucial roles not only in the replication in mammalian cells in vitro but also in the pathogenesis of encephalitis induced by JEV in vivo.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

Control of programmed cell death by the baculovirus genes p35 and iap.

The SF-21 insect cell line undergoes rapid and widespread apoptosis when treated with actinomycin D or when infected with a mutant of the baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus lacking a p35 gene or a functionally active iap (inhibitor of apoptosis) gene. Here we provide evidence that the basis for the induction of apoptosis by these two different stimuli is the cessation of RNA synthesis. We also show that expression of either p35 or two different functional iap homologs blocks apoptosis independently of other viral genes, indicating that these gene products act directly on the cellular apoptotic pathway. The iap genes encode a C3HC4 (or RING) finger motif found in a number of transcriptional regulatory proteins, as well as two additional Cys/His motifs (baculovirus iap repeats). We show that specific amino acids within both the C3HC4 finger and the N-terminal baculovirus iap repeat are critical for anti-apoptosis function. Overexpression of either mammalian bcl-2 or adenovirus E1B-19K, genes which block apoptosis when overexpressed in a number of mammalian cells, does not block actinomycin D-induced apoptosis in SF-21 cells.

Adenovirus E1B Proteins↗

Baculovirus expression, purification and evaluation of recombinant pneumococcal surface adhesin A of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA), with a molecular mass of approximately 37 kD by SDS-PAGE, is a common surface protein expressed by all 90 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae. S. pneumoniae serotype 6B genomic DNA was amplified to generate a DNA fragment carrying the full-length psaA sequence and was cloned into a baculovirus expression system. We expressed either cell-associated or cell-free nonfusion PsaA polypeptides using two insect cell lines, Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) and Trichoplusia ni 5B1-4 (High-Five). Recombinant PsaA (rPsaA) polypeptides were partially purified by partitioning in PBS/Triton X-114 buffers and by weakly basic ion exchange filter chromatography. Membrane-bound 'hydrophobic rPsaA' (hrPsaA) expressed by either Sf9 or High-Five cells had a molecular mass of approximately 38 kD by SDS-PAGE and partitioned in a Triton X-114 phase, it reacted with both rabbit polyclonal and five monoclonal anti-PsaA antibodies by dot blot or Western blot analysis. High-Five-cell-expressed 'soluble rPsaA' (srPsaA) with a molecular mass of approximately 37 kD by SDS-PAGE, was isolated from the serum-free culture medium and did not partition in the Triton X-114 phase; it reacted with anti-PsaA rabbit polyclonal and mouse monoclonal antibodies by ELISA and Western blot analysis. Both rPsaA polypeptide forms were immunogenic in Swiss-Webster adult female mice. In an infant mouse model of bacteremia, survival rates for mice given mouse anti-rPsaA immune serum (from mice immunized with High-Five-expressed srPsaA; 20 microl, 1:50,000 titer) 24 h before bacteremic challenge were greater than for the control group (48 h postchallenge, 20 vs. 90% survival rates) when challenged with S. pneumoniae serotype 6B. These results indicate that rPsaA is immunogenic and elicits protective antibody in mice similar to native protein.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

The influence of the nature of the asparagine 289-linked oligosaccharide on the activation by urokinase and lysine binding properties of natural and recombinant human plasminogens.

Several strategies have been used to obtain recombinant (r) human plasminogens (HPg) containing different oligosaccharide side chains on its sole N-linked glycosylation site, present at Asn289. The approaches included expression of the cDNA for HPg in insect cell lines under various conditions, addition of glycosidase inhibitors during expression, and purification of specific glycoforms of HPg using affinity chromatography on an insolubilized lectin column. The activation kinetics for urokinase (UK) of each of the purified HPgs, as well as their relative abilities to bind to the ligand, epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA), were then determined. Removal of both N- and O-linked oligosaccharide from HPg resulted in a slight increase in the Kcat/Km for its activation, while a glycoform containing tetrasialyl-tetra-antennary complex oligosaccharide on Asn289 was a slightly poorer substrate for UK than plasma HPg, which contains bisialyl-biantennary complex carbohydrate on Asn289. The most dramatic differences were observed for HPgs with high mannose-type glycans on Asn289. (Man9GlcNAc2)-HPg possessed only approximately 6% of the kcat/Km of plasma HPg, whereas (Glc3Man9GlcNAc2)-HPg did not undergo activation at a significant rate by UK. Differences were also found in the relative abilities of the HPg glycoforms to interact with EACA. The most effective interactions were observed with HPgs containing complex-type glycans, and the least effective binding was found for HPgs with high mannose-type oligosaccharides. The full range of the binding effects is represented by a fourfold difference between HPg containing tetrasialyl-tetra-antennary glycan and HPg with (Glc3Man9GlcNAc2) assembled on Asn289. These results clearly demonstrate that the nature of the N-linked glycan assembled on HPg dramatically influences its ability to be activated by UK and to bind to omega-amino acid effector molecules.

Animals↗

Gordonan, an acidic polysaccharide with cell aggregation-inducing activity in insect BM-N4 cells, produced by Gordonia sp.

An acidic polysaccharide, termed gordonan, was isolated from the culture medium of Gordonia sp. as an inducer of cell aggregation in an insect cell line, BM-N4. Gordonan had an average molecular weight of 5 x 10(6) and its structure was identified as -->3)-4-O-(1-carboxyethyl)-beta-D-Manp-(1-->4)-beta-D-GlcAp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1--> mainly by acid hydrolysis experiments and NMR analysis. It induces cell aggregation at the concentration of 4 microg/ml. A partially hydrolyzed polysaccharide derived from gordonan with a molecular weight of 5 x 10(5) showed weak activity, while any fragment molecules with lower molecular weights prepared from gordonan showed no activity.

Actinomycetales↗

Baculovirus and insect cell gene expression: review of baculovirus biotechnology.

The BEVS continues to evolve as a powerful, flexible tool for molecular biology, protein function, and biomedical research. Future developments offer the promise of replacement of hazardous chemical insecticides with environmentally safe biopesticides, construction of baculovirus vectors which encode genes for specific post-translational modifications, and establishment of efficient, stably transformed insect cell lines. FDA approval of BEVS-produced products offer the prospect of new biopharmaceuticals, in particular human therapeutics and vaccines, to improve human health and increase the quality of life for millions of people.

Animals↗

Generation of monoclonal antibodies against a feline CD antigen (CD4) expressed by a recombinant baculovirus.

We attempted to establish a system to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognizing CD antigens on lymphocytes of domestic animals using the expressed CD antigens by a baculovirus expression system. For this purpose, we selected feline CD4 (fCD4) antigen and expressed it in an insect cell line (Sf9 cells). To obtain mAbs, BALB/c mice were immunized with feline peripheral blood mononuclear cells (fPBMCs) or Sf9 cells expressing the fCD4 (Sf-fCD4 cells), and then hybridomas secreting antibodies were screened by indirect immunofluorescence assay against the opposite antigens of Sf-fCD4 cells or fPBMCs, respectively. Five mAbs recognizing the fCD4 were obtained in total. The system established here might be useful to obtain mAbs recognizing CD antigens of domestic animals.

Animals↗

Potential interactions of methylphenidate and atomoxetine with dextromethorphan.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the potential for drug-drug interactions to influence drug metabolism between the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) dl-methylphenidate and atomoxetine with dextromethorphan, a probe for interactions involving cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 isoenzyme. DESIGN: In vitro and ex vivo analysis of changes in metabolism of study drugs. SETTING: Laboratory. PATIENTS: Not applicable. INTERVENTIONS: Pooled human liver microsomal fractions prepared at CEDRA Corporation (now CellzDirect, Austin, Tex.) by the standard differential centrifugation method (lot 821-1). Human liver microsomes were pooled from 15 donors. Recombinant CYP 2D6-containing microsomes (Supersomes; lots 20 and 24 BD Gentest; Woburn, Mass.) were prepared from a baculovirus-infected insect cell line that expressed only the human CYP 2D6 isoform. Dextromethorphan, with and without effector, was incubated with pooled human liver and recombinant CYP 2D6-containing microsomes. Atomoxetine and dl-methylphenidate were tested at 0.1x, 1x, and 10x their reported therapeutic concentrations. Paroxetine, a known inhibitor of CYP 2D6, was used as a reference agent, and quinidine was used as a positive control inhibitor of CYP 2D6. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in substrate metabolism indicative of CYP 2D6-mediated interactions. RESULTS: Atomoxetine and paroxetine inhibited the formation of dextrorphan by about 50% in human liver microsomes and by more than 80% in recombinant microsomes; the profiles of atomoxetine and the known 2D6 inhibitor paroxetine were similar. High concentrations of dextromethorphan reversed the inhibition of its metabolism, indicating a competitive mechanism of the interaction. Conversely, dextromethorphan and dextrorphan only modestly inhibited atomoxetine and paroxetine metabolism. dl-Methylphenidate did not inhibit dextrorphan formation in either microsome preparation, and dl-methylphenidate metabolism was unaffected by dextromethorphan or dextrorphan. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the potential for in vivo interactions between dextromethorphan and atomoxetine in patients with ADHD. However, they do not support the plausibility of an in vivo interaction between dextromethorphan and dl-methylphenidate.

Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors↗

Acaricidal and cytotoxic activities of extracts from selected genera of Australian Lamiaceae.

Crude foliar extracts of 67 species from six subfamilies of Australian Lamiaceae were screened by whole organism contact toxicity on the polyphagous mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) by using a Potter precision spray tower. Cytotoxicity assessments against insect cell lines from Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) also were made. The Spodoptera cell line was more susceptible to extracts than the Drosophila cellline. No direct correlation was observed between the two screening methods, but several interesting relationships were identified. Extracts from subfamilies Ajugoideae, Scutellarioideae, Chloanthoideae, Viticoideae and Nepetoideae showed acaricidal activity, whereas only those from Ajugoideae and Nepetoideae displayed potent cytotoxic effects. A range of activities was observed for the 25 species of Plectranthus, 14 of which showed moderate-to-high contact toxicity against T. urticae. Overall, the lowest toxicity was observed for extracts from the plant subfamily Prostantheroideae, which showed little contact toxicity or cytotoxicity for the 18 extracts studied.

Animals↗

Maximizing production of estrogen receptor beta with the baculovirus expression system.

Steroid hormone/nuclear receptor expression in cultured insect cell lines is routinely driven by a baculovirus vector. An advantage of the baculovirus production of these receptors is that large amounts of functional receptors are obtained for subsequent in vitro studies. Most laboratories produce nuclear receptors in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf)9 cells. However, no one has determined whether this cell line is optimal for the production of any nuclear receptor. We compared the time course and level of estrogen receptor beta (ER beta) production from a baculovirus in two S. frugiperda cell lines, IPLB-SF21AE (Sf21) and Sf9, and two Trichloplusia ni cell lines, Tn368 and BTI-TN5b1-4 (High Five). Cells were harvested at various times (0.5-5 days) after infection. ER beta expression and activity was determined by specific [3H]estradiol (E2) binding, Western blot analysis, and estrogen response element (ERE) binding in vitro. The highest functional, bioactive ER beta expression both at the earliest time after infection and in the amount of ER beta produced/cell was with the Sf21 cell line. Baculovirus expressed ER beta-bound EREs with high affinity in a DNA sequence-dependent manner. We conclude that Sf21 cells are the best-suited cells for ER beta production.

Animals↗

Identification of biotinylated molecules using a baculovirus-expressed luciferase-streptavidin fusion protein.

A genetic fusion between streptavidin of Streptomyces avidinii and luciferase of Pyrophorus plagiophthalamus was constructed. The fusion protein was produced in the Sf9 insect cell line using the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS). Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the proteins from cells infected with the recombinant virus, VL1393-LucGR-StreptAv, revealed that the fusion protein migrated with an apparent molecular weight of 75 kDa. Light emission measurements showed that the infected cells produced about 255 mg of the chimeric protein per liter of cell culture (127.5 micrograms/1 x 10(6) cells). Precipitation of the LucGR-StreptAv fusion protein with biotinylated acrylic beads as well as immunoblot analyses using biotinylated immunoglobulins indicated that both fusion moieties of the chimeric protein product were functional with respect to their physical and enzymatic activities.

Animals↗