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[Construction and identification of genomic cDNA subclones of dengue 2 virus NGC strain].

OBJECTIVE: To construct the cDNA subclones spanning the entire genome of dengue 2 virus NGC strain for further construction of full-length infectious viral cDNA clone. METHODS: Two pairs of primers were designed according to the restriction endonuclease sites in the viral genome of dengue 2 virus NGC strain. After viral RNA extraction from the brain of infected new-born mice, two parts of full-length viral cDNA were amplified by long RT-PCR and cloned into the vector pCR-XL-TOPO. The partial sequence of the recombinant plasmid was determined. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Sequence analysis and digestion with restriction enzymes demonstrated that the two cDNA subclones were specific for dengue 2 virus NGC strain, suggesting the successful construction of the two cDNA subclones of dengue 2 virus NGC strain.

Animals↗

Overview of flavivirus molecular biology and future vaccine development via recombinant DNA.

Studies in many laboratories over the last several years have elucidated the structures of several different flavivirus genomes. Conserved features include the production of at least 10 different virus encoded proteins from a single long open reading frame by a combination of host and virus-encoded proteases. The established gene order is 5'-C- prM(M)-E-NS1-NS2A-NS2B-NS3-NS4A-NS4B-NS 5-3' and these proteins exhibit varying degrees of homology in comparisons among flaviviruses. Conserved RNA sequences and structures have also been identified for the mosquito-borne flaviviruses but are absent in sequenced tick-bone viruses. Relevant to the development of efficacious flavivirus vaccines, studies aimed at defining the antigenic determinants necessary for eliciting protective immunity have focused primarily on the structural proteins, in particular the E protein, as well as the nonstructural secreted glycoprotein, NS1. Other work, which has led to the derivation of live-attenuated flavivirus strains, should eventually allow the genetic determinants of flavivirus attenuation and pathogenesis to be understood at the molecular level. The successful recovery infectious flaviviruses from cloned cDNA raises the possibility of manipulating these viral genomes as cDNA to construct or propagate candidate live-attenuated vaccine strains. Several applications of this technology are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Role of calmodulin in HIV-potentiated Fas-mediated apoptosis.

The recently demonstrated extraordinary rate of turnover of T cells in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected patients and the apparently concomitant high rate of viral production and death are consistent with a large amount of cell death directly due to infection. Apoptosis may be one of the major forms of T cell death in HIV-1 infection. Many apoptotic pathways depend on calcium and therefore would be expected to involve calmodulin. As the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp160, contains two known calmodulin-binding domains, we investigated the possibility that the cytoplasmic domain of the HIV-1 envelope protein gp160 could enhance Fas-mediated apoptosis, the major form of apoptosis in lymphocytes. Our studies have shown that 1) transfection of H9 and MOLT-4 cells with a non-infectious HIV proviral clone, pFN, which expresses wild-type gp160, leads to enhanced Fas-mediated apoptosis, 2) transfection of MOLT-4 cells with a pFN construct pFN delta 147, which expresses a carboxyl-terminally truncated gp160 lacking the calmodulin-binding domains, produces less Fas-mediated apoptosis than transfection with pFN, and 3) the calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine and tamoxifen completely inhibit the pFN enhancement of Fas-mediated apoptosis in MOLT-4 cells. We have replicated all of these results using the vectors pSRHS and pSRHS delta 147, which express wild-type gp160 and truncated gp160, respectively, in the absence of other viral proteins. These investigations provide a mechanism by which HIV-1 may induce apoptosis and a possible intracellular target for future therapeutics.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Repair in vivo of altered 3' terminus of cymbidium ringspot tombusvirus RNA.

Progeny RNA of CyRSV RNA transcripts ending with -GGG, instead of -CCC as in wild-type RNA, was analyzed and shown to revert to wild-type. A new full-length cDNA clone of CyRSV was prepared, bearing the correct 3' terminus, from which transcripts could be synthesized having very high infectivity. Mutants were prepared which lacked the three terminal Cs; transcripts were infectious and most cDNA clones recovered from progeny RNA had regained the wild-type sequence. Transcripts ending in -GGCCAn were also infectious, and the 3' sequence of most cDNA clones recovered after inoculation was the same as the inoculum sequence. Deletion of G at position -4 completely abolished infectivity. The occurrence of a repair mechanism at the 3' end of CyRSV similar to telomerase activity on chromosomes is suggested.

Base Sequence↗

Properties of producer and non-producer clones of a Marek's disease turkey lymphoblastoid cell line.

The MDTC-RP30 lymphoblastoid cell line established from Marek's disease (MD) tumors in turkeys consisted of a heterogeneous population of cells 10 to 25 micron in diameter. Large-cell fractions obtained from a bovine fetal serum gradient had a higher titer of cell-associated MD virus (MDV) than the small-cell fractions. Seven single-cell clones were established from MDTC-RP30 cell line: two consisted of large cells, and the other clones consisted of small cells. Infectious MDV was rescued from large-cell clones in chicken embryo fibroblast cultures but not from small-cell clones. All clones contained MDV DNA sequences when hybridized against cloned MDV DNA. All clones were positive for a Marek's-disease-tumor-associated surface antigen and surface immunoglobulins. All but two small-cell clones caused MD in susceptible chickens. The two large-cell-type clones were uniformly tetraploid, whereas one small-cell clone was diploid and the four others were a mixture of diploid and tetraploid, with an occasional triploid cell. Evidence of translocation involving the male (Z) chromosome and the chromosome #3 was seen in one clone. These results suggest that MDV transforms different subpopulations of lymphocytes.

Animals↗

Isolation and characterization of attenuated plaque variants of infectious bursal disease virus.

Attenuated plaque variants were obtained from infectious bursal disease virus adapted to chick embryo cell cultures. The large plaque (Lp) clone and the small plaque (Sp) clone formed homogeneous plaques about 5 and 1 mm in diameter, respectively. Neutralization tests indicated that these clones differed little from their parent strain in antigenicity. Sp clones showed a retarded growth rate in chick embryo cell cultures as compared with Lp clones. The clones were significantly less pathogenic for chick embryos than the parent strain, although Lp clones were more pathogenic than Sp clones, and they were much less pathogenic for 1-day-old chicks and 28-day-old chickens. Both clones had immunizing potency in 28-day-old chickens, although the Lp clone had a somewhat higher potency than the Sp clone. These findings suggest the Lp and Sp clones, in particular the Lp clones, to be useful as live virus vaccine strains.

Animals↗

Suppressor T cell clones from patients with acute Epstein-Barr virus-induced infectious mononucleosis.

Suppression and/or cytotoxicity are believed to play an important role in the defense against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. To analyze the role of suppressor T cells in relation to EBV, we sought to clone and study these T cells. Analysis of 152 T cell clones derived from the peripheral blood of two patients with acute EBV-induced infectious mononucleosis (IM) yielded 11 highly suppressive clones that had no cytotoxic activity for the natural killer sensitive K562 cell line, an autologous EBV-infected cell line, or an allogeneic EBV-infected B cell line. Four of six suppressor T cell clones also profoundly inhibited EBV-induced immunoglobulin production, and five of five clones delayed the outgrowth of immortalized cells. These results indicate that during acute IM, suppressor T cells capable of inhibiting B cell activation in the absence of cytotoxicity can be identified, and may play a key role in the control of EBV infection.

Antibody Formation↗

An analysis of the complete sequence of a sugarcane bacilliform virus genome infectious to banana and rice.

The genome of sugarcane bacilliform virus (ScBV), a badnavirus, consists of a circular dsDNA. The complete sequence of a cloned infective ScBV genome is reported here. The genome is 7568 bp in size and possesses a number of features suggesting that ScBV is a pararetrovirus. A tRNA(Met)-binding site that may serve as a primer for minus-strand synthesis is present. The plus-strand of the ScBV genome contains three open reading frames (ORFs) which are capable of encoding proteins with calculated M(r) values of 22K, 13K and 215K. The 215K protein has regions with similarity to the RNA-binding domains, aspartic proteases and replicases of retro-elements. In addition, the 215K protein also has a region with restricted similarity to the intercellular transport proteins of plant viruses. Comparisons with the other sequenced badnaviruses, Commelina yellow mottle (CoYMV) and rice tungro bacilliform (RTBV) viruses, indicate that the arrangement of the ORFs in these viruses is conserved. Located next to the putative RNA-binding domain is a cysteine-rich region that is unique to the badnaviruses. When the molecular relationships of a portion of the reverse transcriptases of plant pararetroviruses were determined, two badnaviruses, CoYMV and ScBV, form one distinct cluster, whereas three caulimoviruses, cauliflower mosaic virus, carnation etched ring virus and figwort mosaic virus, form a second cluster. The badnavirus RTBV and the caulimovirus soybean chlorotic mottle virus occupy intermediate positions between the clusters. When introduced by Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation, a construct containing 1.1 copies of the cloned ScBV genome is infectious to both rice and banana.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cloning of the varicella-zoster virus genome as an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome in Escherichia coli.

The complete genome of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) Oka strain has been cloned as a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). Following electroporation into Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain DH10B, the VZV BAC was stably propagated over multiple generations of its host. Human embryonic lung (HEL) cells transfected with VZV BAC DNA recovered from DH10B showed cytopathic effect (CPE), and virus spread to neighbouring cells was observed. BAC vector sequences are flanked by loxP sites and, coinfection of the reconstituted virus, with a recombinant adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase removed the bacterial sequences. The resulting recombinant rV02 grew as well as the parental virus in HEL cells. The recombinant VZV will promote VZV research and increase use of the viral genome as an investigative tool.

Adenoviridae↗

Cotransfection of mutated forms of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag-Pol with wild-type constructs can interfere with processing and viral replication.

OBJECTIVES: We wished to generate a number of genetic constructs containing mutations in the protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) genes of the Gag-Pol of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and to transfect these constructs into COS-7 cells to determine their effect on wild-type (wt) viral replication. RESULTS: The mutated Gag-Pol polyproteins were incorporated into viral particles. Gag-Pol proteins that were mutated in PR as well as combinations of mutations in PR and RT inhibited the production of fully processed and infectious viral particles when these constructs were coexpressed with the infectious HIV-1 molecular clone pBH10. Viral particles produced after cotransfection of COS-7 cells with both pBH10 and infectious constructs containing Gag-Pol, mutated in PR alone or in both RT and PR, showed abnormal processing and lower infectivity. Complementation experiments in which pBH10 mutated in PR was coexpressed with wt Gag-Pol showed that the latter could be incorporated into the viral particles that were generated. COS-7 cells stably transfected with Gag-Pol, mutated in PR or in both PR and RT, and subsequently transfected with pBH10, produced levels of p24 and RT activity that were substantially diminished in comparison with levels produced by cells transfected with wt pBH10 alone. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that trans-dominant effects were potentially responsible for the observed inhibition of viral replication.

Animals↗

Molecular biology of jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus.

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is the causative agent of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), a contagious lung cancer of sheep. Until recently, research on JSRV/OPA was hampered by the lack of a tissue culture system for the propagation of the virus. Historically, pathological samples (lung fluid) collected from sheep affected by OPA were the only source of infectious JSRV. Thus studies on the JSRV/OPA system were conducted only where field isolates of OPA cases were readily available. In the past 10 years, the deduction of the JSRV sequence (York et al. 1991; York 1992), the isolation of an infectious and oncogenic JSRV molecular clone (JSRV21) (Palmarini et al. 1999a) and the establishment of a rapid method to produce infectious virus in vitro (Palmarini et al. 1999a) sparked many studies at the molecular level that strengthened past observations and revealed new properties of this unique virus. Here, we will review the data accumulated so far on the molecular biology of JSRV using the infectious and oncogenic JSRV21 molecular clone as virus of reference.

Base Sequence↗

Infectious cucumber mosaic virus RNA transcribed in vitro from clones obtained from cDNA amplified using the polymerase chain reaction.

Full-length cDNA to RNA 1, RNA 2 and RNA 3 of cucumber mosaic virus strain Q (CMV-Q) was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The first-strand primer contained a BamHI site and sequences complementary to the 3' terminus of the RNA. The second-strand primers contained a BamHI site, a T7 promoter and sequences corresponding to the 5' terminus of each RNA. After cleavage with BamHI, the PCR products were cloned into the BamHI site of the vector pEMBL9(+). Five clones of each RNA were selected and RNA transcripts were synthesized in vitro from each clone using T7 RNA polymerase. The constructs were designed to allow transcription to initiate precisely at the 5' terminus of each RNA. All the transcripts were found to be infectious when inoculated onto Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun plants in sets of three, corresponding to RNA 1, RNA 2 and RNA 3. Of the transcript sets, four induced symptoms indistinguishable from symptoms induced by CMV-Q RNAs. However a fifth transcript set induced much more severe symptoms. Plasmids were also constructed to allow synthesis of transcripts with one or two additional G residues at the 5' terminus of each RNA. Although the yields of such transcripts synthesized in vitro with T7 RNA polymerase were higher, their infectivity was lower than that of those with no additional residues at their 5' termini.

Base Sequence↗

Complex interactions among several nucleotide positions determine phenotypes defective for long-distance transport in the satellite RNA of cucumber mosaic virus.

Ix-satRNA is a CMV-satRNA necrogenic on tomato that is defective for long-distance systemic movement when coinoculated in tobacco with V-TAV. To analyze the determinants for this defective phenotype, full-length cDNA clones of Ix-satRNA and of the closely related, nondefective I17N-satRNA were obtained. Infectious transcripts from these clones (Ix5-satRNA and I17N1-satRNA) had the same phenotypes as the original satRNAs and differed only in four positions: positions 20 (Ix5, C; I17N1, U), 102 (Ix5, C; I17N1, U), 224 (Ix5, deleted; I17N1, A), 327 (Ix5, G; I17N1, A). By site-directed mutagenesis at positions 224 and 327 and by recombination using two common restriction sites, satRNAs in which the bases at these four positions were changed from the composition at Ix5-satRNA to the composition at I17N1-satRNA were obtained. A comparison of the phenotypes of the 13 single, double, and triple mutants (respective to Ix5-satRNA) showed that the defective phenotype of Ix5-satRNA is determined by the nature of the four positions analyzed; mutants at any of the positions 102, 224, and 327 accumulated as efficiently as I17N1-satRNA in systemically infected tobacco leaves when coinoculated with V-TAV. The change C20-->U also restored systemic movement, albeit imperfectly, giving rise to a phenotype that moved systemically less efficiently than I17N1-satRNA. This phenotype determined by U20 is expressed irrespective of the base at position 102, indicating an epistatic interaction between determinants 20 and 102; this interaction does not occur with position 224 or 327. That differences in the analyzed satRNAs are due to their being able, or not, to move systemically is shown by the fact that all of them (including Ix5-satRNA) accumulated to the same high level in directly inoculated leaves. The similarity in the sequences of the analyzed satRNAs and the complexity of the interactions among the effects of base changes at four positions scattered over the satRNA molecule suggest that the observed movement phenotypes may depend on conformational changes in the satRNAs.

Base Sequence↗

A prospective follow-up of Epstein-Barr virus LMP1 genotypes in saliva and blood during infectious mononucleosis.

To monitor multiple Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections during the early and convalescent stages of infectious mononucleosis (IM), a cloning and sequencing study of the LMP1 gene was conducted in saliva and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 23 patients with IM at day 0 (D0) and day 180 (D180) after the onset of the disease. Multiple EBV strains were detected in 9 (39%) of the patients during follow-up, with 7 of 9 cases detected as early as D0. Six of the nine patients harbored the same dominant strain in saliva and PBMCs during follow-up, with a trend toward a restriction of the number of EBV strains in saliva but not in PBMCs at D180. Furthermore, transmission of a minor strain was observed between partners in a heterosexual couple. There was no correlation between multiple infections and EBV DNA load in either compartment.

Cloning, Molecular↗

A single silent substitution in the genome of Apple stem grooving virus causes symptom attenuation.

Among randomly mutagenized clones derived from an infectious cDNA copy of genomic RNA of Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV), we previously identified a clone, pRM21, whose in vitro transcript (ASGV-RM21) does not induce any symptoms characteristic of the original (wild-type) cDNA clone (ASGV-wt) in several host plants. Interestingly, ASGV-RM21 has only a single, translationally silent nucleotide substitution, U to C, at nucleotide 4646 of the viral genome within open reading frame (ORF) 1. Here, we characterize and verify this unprecedented silent-mutation-induced attenuation of symptoms in infected plants. Northern and Western blot analyses showed that less ASGV-RM21 accumulates in host plants than ASGV-wt. In addition, two more silent substitutions, U to A and U to G, constructed by site-directed mutagenesis at the same nucleotide (4646), also induced attenuated symptoms. This is the first report that a single silent substitution attenuates virus-infection symptoms and implicates a novel determinant of disease symptom severity.

Blotting, Northern↗

Comparative infectivity of knobless and knobby clones of Plasmodium falciparum in splenectomized and intact Aotus trivirgatus monkeys.

In two experiments, two knobless (K-) and two knob-producing (K+) clone-cultures of Plasmodium falciparum, FCR-3/Gambia strain, were injected into four Aotus trivirgatus monkeys. The parasitemia in the K(-)-infected splenectomized (S-) monkey rose to a peak of 2.1% on the 16th day, while it reached only 0.7% at the same time in the K+ infected S- animal. Passage from these animals (karyotype VI) into two intact (S+), naive monkeys of karyotype III resulted in very light infections somewhat higher with K+ than with K-. This experiment was repeated with two different clones in two other S- monkeys of karyotype III. Again, the parasitemia of the K+ infected monkey was appreciably below that of the K- monkey. Transfer of parasites into S+ animals of karyotype II resulted in very light infection and, as before, the K+ did somewhat better. About 2 months after its initial infection, the K(+)-infected S- animal from the second experiment came down with a recurrent malaria infection. Electron-microscopic observations on blood from this monkey revealed that the previously K+ parasites had become knobless (K-). Transfer of this material into an S+, naive monkey, again, gave a barely detectable infection. After splenectomy a recrudescence occurred. The results strongly indicate that K- clones of P. falciparum are more infectious to S- Aotus monkeys than K+ clones, whereas in S+ monkeys the situation is reversed.

Animals↗

Hepatitis C: looking at a virus that hasn't been seen.

Hepatitis C (HCV) is the first virus to be discovered by molecular cloning without direct use of biological or biophysical methods. HCV was first recognised in 1974 as non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis resulting from blood transfusions. It took almost 15 years to identify it successfully--by detecting a clone in a library of cDNA prepared from the nucleic acids extracted from plasma known to be infectious for chimpanzees. The clone was derived from a positive-sense RNA of about 10,000 nucleotides, with a long open reading frame encoding for a polyprotein of about 3000 amino acids. The structure of the RNA and the encoded polyprotein had properties similar to known flaviviruses and pestiviruses. Functions of viral proteins produced by proteolytic cleavage of the polyprotein are estimated by analogy with known viruses of similar genomic organisation. Each of the HCV proteins has been produced in recombinant organisms and used as an antigen in immunoassays to investigate serological responses during the course of infection. Seroconversions to both structural and non-structural antigens are observed during the course of disease but typical diagnostic serological patterns have not yet evolved. Immunoassays for HCV antibodies reacting with recombinant antigens are used widely for screening blood donations and for studying the epidemiology of HCV infection. Comparisons of the nucleic acid sequences from different isolates of HCV have shown considerable variability throughout the genome. The importance of this genomic heterogeneity will be a challenging problem for the future.

Amino Acid Sequence↗