Vaccine potential of Ebola virus VP24, VP30, VP35, and VP40 proteins

Previous vaccine efforts with Ebola virus Zaire (EBOV-Z) emphasized the potential protective efficacies of immune responses to the surface glycoprotein and the nucleoprotein. To determine whether the VP24, VP30, VP35, and VP40 proteins are also capable of eliciting protective immune responses, these genes were expressed from alphavirus replicons and used to vaccinate BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. Although all of the VP proteins were capable of inducing protective immune responses, no single VP protein protected both strains of mice tested. VP24, VP30, and VP40 induced protective immune responses in BALB/c mice, whereas C57BL/6 mice survived challenge only after vaccination with VP35. Passive transfer of immune sera to the VP proteins did not protect unvaccinated mice from lethal disease. The demonstration that the VP proteins are capable of eliciting protective immune responses to EBOV-Z indicates that they may be important components of a vaccine designed to protect humans from Ebola hemorrhagic fever.     

Tetramerization of white spot syndrome virus envelope protein VP33 and its interaction with VP24

VP33, also termed VP281, VP37 or VP36B, is a minor envelope protein of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). Because of its low abundance and lack of a transmembrane domain, we hypothesized that VP33 is likely to be attached to the viral envelope by interaction with other envelope proteins. In this study, we employed far-western blotting and pull-down assays to demonstrate that VP33 interacts with itself, as well as with VP24, which is one of the four major viral envelope proteins. Moreover, a gel-filtration analysis was performed to show that this self-interaction led to the formation of stable VP33 tetramers. These results implied that VP33 tetramers were anchored to the viral envelope through interaction with VP24, suggesting that VP33 may participate in the formation of the WSSV envelope.     

The C-terminal region of envelope protein VP38 from white spot syndrome virus is indispensable for interaction with VP24

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a large, rod-shaped, enveloped double-stranded DNA virus. In this study, VP38, a viral envelope protein, was expressed as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein, and a polyclonal antibody against VP38 was obtained. Far-Western blotting and GST pull-down showed that VP38 interacted directly with VP24, a major WSSV envelope protein. In addition, to delineate the interaction region of VP38 with VP24, GST-VP38n (aa 1–142) and GST-VP38c (aa 143–309) were expressed. The GST pull-down assay revealed that VP38 binds via its C-terminal region to VP24. The result implies that VP38 may participate in the formation of the WSSV envelope.     

Incorporation of the herpes simplex virus type 1 tegument protein VP22 into the virus particle is independent of interaction with VP16

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) virions contain a proteinaceous layer termed the tegument that lies between the nucleocapsid and viral envelope. The mechanisms underlying tegumentation remain largely undefined for all herpesviruses. Using glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldowns and coimmunoprecipitation studies, we have identified a domain of the tegument protein VP22 that facilitates interaction with VP16. This region of VP22 (residues 165-225) overlaps the glycoprotein E (gE) binding domain of VP22 (residues 165-270), which is sufficient to mediate VP22 packaging into assembling virus particles. To ascertain the contribution of the VP16 and gE binding activities of VP22 to its virion incorporation, a transfection/infection based virion incorporation assay, using point mutants that discern between the two binding activities, was utilized. Our results suggest that interaction with VP16 is not required for incorporation of VP22 into virus particles and that binding to the cytoplasmic tail of gE is sufficient to facilitate packaging.     

A viable simian virus 40 variant with a deletion in the overlapping genes for virion proteins VP1, VP2 and VP3

Nucleotide sequence analysis was used to determine the exact location of a deletion in the late region of the SP2 mutant of simian virus 40 (SV40), a viable small-plaque variant isolated from a persistent infection of rhesus monkey kidney cells. The results indicate that six base pairs are deleted from that part of the SV40 genome in which the coding regions for the three virion proteins, VP1, VP2 and VP3, overlap. This implies that all three virion proteins are affected by the deletion. This finding is discussed with respect to the viability of SP2.     

Phosphorylation of three regulatory serines of Tob by Erk1 and Erk2 is required for Ras-mediated cell proliferation and transformation

tob is a member of an emerging family of genes with antiproliferative function. Tob is rapidly phosphorylated at Ser 152, Ser 154, and Ser 164 by Erk1 and Erk2 upon growth-factor stimulation. Oncogenic Ras-induced transformation and growth-factor-induced cell proliferation are efficiently suppressed by mutant Tob that carries alanines but not glutamates, mimicking phosphoserines, at these sites. Wild-type Tob inhibits cell growth when the three serine residues are not phosphorylated but is less inhibitory when the serines are phosphorylated. Because growth of Rb-deficient cells was not affected by Tob, Tob appears to function upstream of Rb. Intriguingly, cyclin D1 expression is elevated in serum-starved tob(-/-) cells. Reintroduction of wild-type Tob and mutant Tob with serine-to-alanine but not to glutamate mutations on the Erk phosphorylation sites in these cells restores the suppression of cyclin D1 expression. Finally, the S-phase population was significantly increased in serum-starved tob(-/-) cells as compared with that in wild-type cells. Thus, Tob inhibits cell growth by suppressing cyclin D1 expression, which is canceled by Erk1- and Erk2-mediated Tob phosphorylation. We propose that Tob is critically involved in the control of early G(1) progression.     

Comparative study of the antigenic and immunogenic properties of native and recombinant Marburg virus VP35 proteins]

Antigenic structure of Marburg virus (MBG) VP35 was compared with that of the recombinant VP35 (f35) expressed in a prokaryotic system. For this purpose, a gene encoding the full-length VP35 was cloned in vector pQE31(QIAGEN) and expressed at about 70 mg/liter culture fluid in Escherichia coli JM103 as a recombinant fusion protein f35. BALB/c mice were immunized with soluble f35 or purified inactivated virions of MBG. Antibodies cross-reacting with VP35 and f35 antigens were detected by ELISA and Western Blot analysis in immune sera. Serum from a convalescent after Marburg disease and polyclonal antibodies from animals immunized with MBG recognized f35 and the MBG VP35. VP35 and its recombinant analog induced the production of specific antiviral antibodies in mice, which cross-reacted with the studied antigens. Competitive EIA showed that VP35 and f35 cross-inhibit the antigenic reactivity with polyclonal antibodies of immune sera. Antigenic structure of f35 protein corresponded to antigenic structure of MBG VP35 protein.     

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to Marburg virus nucleoprotein (NP) that can be used for NP-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

After the first documented outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever identified in Europe in 1967, several sporadic cases and an outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever have been reported in Africa. In order to establish a diagnostic system for Marburg hemorrhagic fever by the detection of Marburg virus nucleoprotein, monoclonal antibodies to the recombinant nucleoprotein were produced. Two clones of monoclonal antibodies, MAb2A7 and MAb2H6, were efficacious in the antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). At least 40 ng/ml of the recombinant nucleoprotein of Marburg virus was detected by the antigen-capture ELISA format. The epitope of the monoclonal antibody (MAb2A7) was located in the carboxy-terminus of nucleoprotein from amino acid position 634 to 647, while that of the MAb2H6 was located on the extreme region of the carboxy-terminus of the Marburg virus nucleoprotein (amino acid position 643-695). These monoclonal antibodies strongly interacted with the conformational epitopes on the carboxy-terminus of the nucleoprotein. Furthermore, these two monoclonal antibodies were reacted with the authentic Marburg virus antigens by indirect immunofluorescence assay. These data suggest that the Marburg virus nucleoprotein-capture ELISA system using the monoclonal antibodies is a promising technique for rapid diagnosis of Marburg hemorrhagic fever.     

Interferon antagonist function of Japanese encephalitis virus NS4A and its interaction with DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX42

The interferon (IFN) antagonists of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) proteins contribute to the JE pathogenesis. Most flavivirus non-structural (NS) proteins correlate with virus-induced inflammation and immune escape. NS4A proteins of West Nile virus and dengue type 2 virus have been demonstrated to inhibit IFN signaling. In this study, JEV NS4A without the C-terminal 2K domain has been demonstrated to partially block activation of an IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE)-based cis-reporter by IFN-α/β. In addition, JEV NS4A significantly inhibited the phosphorylation levels of STAT1 and STAT2, but not TYK2 in the IFN-treated cells. Moreover, the N-terminus of a RNA helicase DDX42 protein identified using a phage display human brain cDNA library have been demonstrated to specifically bind to JEV NS4A in vitro using a co-immunoprecipitation assay. The interaction between JEV NS4A and RNA helicase DDX42 showed partial co-localization in human medulloblastoma TE-671 cells by confocal microscopy. Importantly, the expression of N-terminal DDX42 is able to overcome JEV-induced antagonism of IFN responses. Therefore, these results show that JEV NS4A without the C-terminal 2K domain is associated with modulation of the IFN response and the interaction of JEV NS4A with RNA helicase DDX42 could be important for JE pathogenesis.     

A serine-to-asparagine mutation at position 314 of H5N1 avian influenza virus NP is a temperature-sensitive mutation that interferes with nuclear localization of NP

We have generated a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant from a human isolate of the H5N1 avian influenza virus by classical adaptation in cell culture. After 20 passages at low temperature, the virus showed a ts phenotype. The ts mutant also showed an attenuated phenotype after nasal inoculation in mice. Using reverse genetics, we generated reassortants carrying individual genomic segments of the wild-type and mutant viruses in an A/Puerto Rico/8/34 background, and found that the nucleoprotein (NP) gene could confer the ts phenotype. This mutant NP contains a serine-to-asparagine mutation at position 314 (S314N). The mutant NP protein showed a defect in nuclear localization at high temperature in mammalian cells.     

The C-terminal domain of the pVP2 precursor is essential for the interaction between VP2 and VP3, the capsid polypeptides of infectious bursal disease virus

The interaction between the infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) capsid proteins VP2 and VP3 has been analyzed in vivo using baculovirus expression vectors. Data presented here demonstrate that the 71-amino acid C-terminal-specific domain of pVP2, the VP2 precursor, is essential for the establishment of the VP2-VP3 interaction. Additionally, we show that coexpression of the pVP2 and VP3 polypeptides from independent genes results in the assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs). This observation demonstrates that these two polypeptides contain the minimal information required for capsid assembly, and that this process does not require the presence of the precursor polyprotein.     

Mutations in the N-terminus of VP5 alter its interaction with the scaffold proteins of herpes simplex virus type 1

During the assembly process of herpes simplex virus type 1 capsids, there is an essential interaction between the C-terminal tail of the scaffold proteins (22a and 21) and the major capsid protein (VP5). Recent studies of spontaneous revertant viruses that overcome a blocked maturation cleavage site of the scaffold proteins have shown that the N-terminus of VP5 is important for this interaction. One of the revertant viruses, PR7, encodes a second-site mutation at residue 69 of VP5 which unlike wild-type VP5 fails to interact with 22a and thus gives white colonies in the yeast two-hybrid assay. In the present study a small DNA fragment, encoding residues 1 to 85 of wild-type and PR7 VP5, was mutagenized using error-prone PCR. Mutagenized DNA was used in the yeast two-hybrid assay to identify mutations in wild-type VP5 that resulted in loss of 22a binding (white colonies), or in PR7 VP5 that resulted in a gain of function (blue colonies). For the loss of function experiments, using KOS VP5, a row of eight thymidine nucleotides (codons 37-40) resulted in many frameshift mutations, which led us to terminate the study without reaching a statistically significant result. For the PR7 experiment, 30 clones were identified that had single amino acid substitutions, and these mutations were localized to amino acids 27-45 and 63-84 of VP5. The most frequent mutation was a reversion back to wild-type. The next most frequent were E28K and N63S, and these gave the highest beta-galactosidase enzyme activities (indicative of PR7VP5-22a interaction), 30 and 20% of wild-type, respectively. When E28K and N63S were transferred into the wild-type VP5 background, that is, in the absence of the PR7 mutation, they gave rise to different phenotypes. The E28K mutation lost its ability to interact with the scaffold proteins as judged by this assay. Therefore, it may be acting as a compensatory mutation whose phenotype is only expressed in the presence of the original PR7 mutation. However, the N63S mutation in the wild-type VP5 background increased the interaction, as judged by the beta-galactosidase activity, by a factor of 9 relative to when the PR7 mutation was present. Even more surprising, in the absence of the PR7 mutation the enzyme activity was still greater, by a factor of 2, than that observed for wild-type VP5. This study provides further evidence that the N-terminus of VP5 is in intimate association with the C-terminus of the scaffold proteins.     

Development,characterization and use of monoclonal VP40-antibodies for the detection of Ebola virus

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes uncommon but dramatic outbreaks in remote regions of Africa, where diagnostic facilities are limited. In order to develop diagnostic tests, which can be handled and distributed easily, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to EBOV, species Zaire, were produced from mice immunized with inactivated viral particles. Nine stable hybridoma cell lines were obtained producing specific mAbs directed against the viral structural protein VP40. These mAbs were characterized by enzyme-linked immunosorbent, immunoblot and immunofluorescence assays. Subsequently, an antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was established, which detects VP40 of all known species of EBOV. This assay could detect viral material in spiked human serum that has been sodium dodecylsulfate-inactivated. The established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay therefore has the ability to become a very useful tool for obtaining an accurate diagnosis in the field, limiting the risk of laboratory infections.     

Further characterization of the interaction of polyoma virus and simian virus 40 with embryonal carcinoma cells

The host restriction imposed on polyoma virus by embryonal carcinoma cells can be circumvented by mutations in the enhancer region of the viral genome. In addition, expression of the early viral genes can be induced by differentiating cells transfected with purified viral DNA. Although no host-range mutants of SV40 have been isolated, expression of T antigen from episomal genomes can be induced by differentiating the embryonal carcinoma cells transfected with microgram quantities of DNA. Further, transient expression of T antigen can be observed in the embryonal carcinoma cells following transfection with large amounts of viral DNA. In addition, replication of the A2 strain of polyoma in F9 cells is enhancer dependent but the SV40 enhancer can functionally substitute for the polyoma enhancer. The F9 host-range mutant TT340 contains five tandem repeats of the region surrounding the origin of replication, and it requires T antigen for replication. The parental strain (Toronto) of the mutant is able to replicate at low levels in a T antigen-dependent manner in F9 cells. This strain also has an unselected host range for PCC4 cells and the mutation in TT340 required for growth on F9 cells does not alter this inherent host range.     

A comparative study of the in-vitro interaction of the Marburg virus with macrophages from different animal species]

The amplification of Marburg virus in primary cultures of peritoneal macrophages of animals with different sensitivity to infection with this virus, as well as the capacity of this virus to adsorb on macrophages were studied. Macrophages of the animals sensitive to Marburg virus were capable to support its reproduction in vitro whereas those of resistant animals were not. Macrophages of the animals with intermediate sensitivity were shown to be either completely resistant to virus reproduction or to delay it. Besides, macrophages of sensitive and insensitive animals were capable to adsorb this virus, this capacity being markedly reduced in macrophages isolated from immunized animals and those sensitive animals which developed the disease after inoculation of the virus. The authors conclude that animal susceptibility to Marburg virus in vivo correlated with the capacity of macrophages to support Marburg virus reproduction in vitro and not with the capacity of the virus to adsorb on the macrophage surface. It is suggested that the evaluation of Marburg virus amplification in macrophages could be used as a criterion for evaluation of the susceptibility of animals to this virus in vivo.     

马尔堡、埃博拉病毒双重荧光定量PCR检测方法的建立

目的 建立一种快速、敏感、特异的双重实时荧光定量PCR方法,可同时检测马尔堡病毒和埃博拉病毒.方法 通过序列比对挑选出两种病毒基因组中高度保守的序列,分别设计引物及Taqman探针,两条探针分别标记FAM和Texas Red荧光报告基因,建立双重实时荧光定量PCR反应体系.结果 双重荧光定量PCR方法检测两种病毒阳性标准品的灵敏度分别为30.5拷贝/μl和28.6拷贝/μl,通过检测日本脑炎病毒、黄热病毒、登革热病毒无交叉反应,有较好的灵敏度和特异性.结论 建立了马尔堡、埃博拉病毒双重荧光定量PCR检测方法,实现了两种病毒同时实时定量检测,在传染病防控领域有较好的应用前景.     

Phosphorylation of class II transactivator regulates its interaction ability and transactivation function

The MHC class II transactivator (CIITA) plays a central role in adaptive immune responses by controlling the expression of MHC class II genes. CIITA binds DNA-binding proteins and co-activator proteins to form an enhanceosome complex necessary for MHC class II gene expression. Here we demonstrate that CIITA interactions depend upon the phosphorylation status of CIITA. Hyper-phosphorylated CIITA interacts with co-activator p300, RFX5 and CIITA itself, which in turn results in induction of MHC class II promoter activity. Moreover, the C-terminal region of CIITA containing leucine-rich repeats (LRR) is a regulatory domain for CIITA self-association and LRR binding to CIITA is negatively regulated by phosphorylation. cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) phosphorylates CIITA, and serine residues residing in a region between the proline/serine/threonine-rich domain and the GTP-binding domain are phosphorylated by PKA in vitro. The maximum transactivation potential of CIITA requires PKA phosphorylation as demonstrated by reduced transactivation activities of the mutant bearing substitutions of serine residues at the PKA site.