Rescue of a synthetic chloramphenicol acetyltransferase RNA into influenza virus-like particles obtained from recombinant plasmids.

We have shown previously that COS-1 cells infected with a vaccinia virus recombinant (vTF7-3) which expresses the T7 RNA polymerase gene and then transfected with four pGEM-derived plasmids encoding the influenza A virus core proteins (nucleoprotein, PB1, PB2, and PA polypeptides) can express a synthetic influenza virus-like chloramphenicol [correction of chloramphenical] acetyltransferase (CAT) RNA (I. Mena, S. de la Luna, C. Albo, J. Martín, A. Nieto, J. Ortín, and A. Portela, J. Gen. Virol. 75:2109-2114, 1994). Here we demonstrate that by supplying the vTF7-3-infected cells with plasmids containing cDNAs of all 10 influenza virus-encoded proteins, the transfected CAT RNA can be expressed and rescued into particles that are budded into the supernatant fluids. The released particles can transfer the enclosed CAT RNA to MDCK cultures and resemble true influenza virions in that they require trypsin treatment to deliver the RNA to fresh cells and are neutralized by a monoclonal antibody specific for the influenza A virus hemagglutinin. Moreover, analysis by electron microscopy showed that the culture medium harvested from the transfected cells contained vesicles that could be labeled with an anti-HA monoclonal antibody and that were similar in size and morphology to authentic influenza virus particles. It is also shown that detection of recombinant particles capable of transmitting the CAT RNA does not require expression of the influenza virus nonstructural protein NS1. All of these data indicate that influenza virus-like particles enclosing a synthetic virus-like RNA can be assembled in cells expressing all viral structural components from recombinant plasmids.     

Segment-specific noncoding sequences of the influenza virus genome RNA are involved in the specific competition between defective interfering RNA and its progenitor RNA segment at the virion assembly step.

The generation of influenza A virus defective interfering (DI) particles was studied by using an NS2 mutant which produces, in a single cycle of virus replication, a large amount of DI particles lacking the PA polymerase gene. The decrease in PA gene replication has been shown to occur primarily at the cRNA synthesis step, with preferential amplification of PA DI RNA species present in a marginal amount in the virus stock. In addition, at the assembly step the PA DI RNAs were preferentially incorporated into virions, resulting in selective reduction in the packaging of the PA gene into virions. Similarly, in cells dually infected with the NS2 mutant and wild-type viruses, packaging of the wild-type PA gene was also greatly suppressed. In contrast, incorporation of other RNA segments, i.e., the PB2 and NS genes, was not affected, suggesting that the PA DI RNAs competed only with the PA gene in a segment-specific manner. Experiments involving rescue of recombinant chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) RNA flanked by the noncoding regions of the PA (PA/CAT RNA) and PB2 (PB2/CAT RNA) genes into viral particles showed that only PA/CAT RNA was not rescued by infection with the NS2 mutant virus containing the PA DI RNAs. However, recombinant PA/CAT RNA in which either the 3' or 5' noncoding region was replaced with that of the PB2 gene was rescued by the NS2 mutant. These results suggest that the noncoding regions of the PA gene are responsible for the competition with PA DI RNA species at the virus assembly step and that coexistence of the both noncoding regions would be a prerequisite for this phenomenon. Decreased packaging of the progenitor RNA by the DI RNA, in addition to the suppression of cRNA synthesis, is likely involved in the production of DI particles.     

Generation of a helper cell line for packaging avian leukosis virus-based vectors.

We constructed an avian leukosis virus-based packaging cell line, pHF-g, containing Rous-associated virus DNA with several alterations to abolish RNA packaging. One of them is a 52-base-pair deletion encompassing the putative encapsidation signal in the leader region. The 3' long terminal repeat was also removed and replaced by the polyadenylation sequence from the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene. When pHF-g cells were transfected by an avian leukosis virus-based vector, they produced replication-defective virus at high titer but they did not release any replication-competent particles. Proviral DNA was shown to be correctly integrated as well as correctly expressed. Viral RNAs were shown to be correctly translated into gag-related polypeptides.     

Influenza B viruses with site-specific mutations introduced into the HA gene.

We have succeeded in engineering changes into the genome of influenza B virus. First, model RNAs containing the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene flanked by the noncoding sequences of the HA or NS genes of influenza B virus were transfected into cells which were previously infected with an influenza B helper virus. Like those of the influenza A viruses, the termini of influenza B virus genes contain cis-acting signals which are sufficient to direct replication, expression, and packaging of the RNA. Next, a full-length copy of the HA gene from influenza B/Maryland/59 virus was cloned. Following transfection of this RNA, we rescued transfectant influenza B viruses which contain a point mutation introduced into the original cDNA. A series of mutants which bear deletions or changes in the 5' noncoding region of the influenza B/Maryland/59 virus HA gene were constructed. We were able to rescue viruses which contained deletions of 10 or 33 nucleotides at the 5' noncoding region of the HA gene. The viability of these viruses implies that this region of the genome is flexible in sequence and length.     

登革2型病毒PrM基因的重组甲病毒RNA介导的抗病毒作用的研究

将扩增的登革 2型病毒株PrM基因导入pSFV载体的SP6启动子下游 ,筛选出含该基因正、反向插入的重组质粒DNA。用SpeI酶分别将重组的和辅助的质粒DNA线性化 ,并将其体外转录成 5′末端含帽子结构的RNA。再将这两种RNA共转染BHK细胞。然后将转染的宿主细胞用登革 2型病毒株攻击 ,并分别观察含正、反义PrM基因的重组甲病毒RNA介导的抗病毒效果。通过碱基序列测定 ,筛选出含PrM基因正、反向插入的pSFV PrM重组质粒。并获得了经重组RNA与辅助RNA共转染细胞而产生的重组病毒颗粒。含有反义PrM基因的重组病毒RNA ,在宿主细胞中具有抗登革 2型病毒复制的作用 ,而且强于含正义PrM基因的重组病毒RNA。     

Crucial role of CA cleavage sites in the cap-snatching mechanism for initiating viral mRNA synthesis

In viral cap-snatching, the endonuclease intrinsic to the viral polymerase cleaves cellular capped RNAs to generate capped fragments that are primers for viral mRNA synthesis. Here we demonstrate that the influenza viral polymerase, which is assembled in human cells using recombinant proteins, effectively uses only CA-terminated capped fragments as primers for viral mRNA synthesis in vitro. Thus we provide the first in vitro system that mirrors the cap-snatching process occurring in vivo during virus infection. Further, we demonstrate that when a capped RNA substrate contains a CA cleavage site, the functions of virion RNA (vRNA) differ from those previously described: the 5' terminal sequence of vRNA alone is sufficient for endonuclease activation, and the 3' terminal sequence of vRNA functions solely as a template for mRNA synthesis. Consequently, we are able to identify the vRNA sequences that are required for each of these two separable functions. We present a new model for the influenza virus cap-snatching mechanism, which we postulate is a paradigm for the cap-snatching mechanisms of other segmented, negative-strand and ambisense RNA viruses.     

Helper-free stocks of recombinant adeno-associated viruses: normal integration does not require viral gene expression.

A method is described for the production of recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) stocks that contain no detectable wild-type helper AAV. The recombinant viruses contained only the terminal 191 nucleotides of the AAV chromosome bracketing a nonviral marker gene. trans-Acting AAV functions were provided by a helper DNA in which the terminal 191 nucleotides of the AAV chromosome were substituted with adenovirus terminal sequences. Although the helper DNA did not appear to replicate, it expressed AAV functions at a substantially higher level than did DNA molecules that contained neither AAV nor adenovirus termini. Since the recombinant viruses with AAV termini contained no sequence homology to the helper DNA, no wild-type AAV was generated by homologous recombination within infected cells. Since the terminal region of the AAV chromosome is required for replication and encapsidation, only recombinant DNAs were amplified and packaged into AAV virions. When human cells were infected at a high multiplicity with a recombinant virus carrying a drug resistance marker gene, approximately 70% of the infected cells gave rise to colonies stably expressing the marker. The recombinant virus gene was then used to generate drug-resistant human cell lines subsequent to infection. These cells contained stably integrated copies of the recombinant viral DNA which could be excised, replicated, and encapsidated by infection with wild-type AAV plus adenovirus. Thus, AAV gene expression is not required for normal integration of an infecting DNA containing AAV termini.     

N端融合外源蛋白的兔出血症病毒衣壳蛋白自聚能力的研究

将兔出血症病毒衣壳蛋白VP6 0基因插入杆状病毒转移载体pBLUEBACHIS2_B的 6 HIS表达标签下游 ,与线性化野生型杆状病毒基因组DNA共转染Sf9昆虫细胞 ,经蚀斑纯化后获克隆化重组杆状病毒pBLUEBACHIS2B_VP6 0。以重组杆状病毒感染Sf9细胞 ,经SDS_PAGE和Westernblot检测显示高效表达一分子量为 6 9kD的重组蛋白 ,并且该蛋白可被兔抗RHDV高免血清识别。血凝试验表明 ,该重组蛋白可以凝集人“O”型红细胞 ,血凝价达 2 1 6 ,同时 ,该血凝性可被抗RHDV的高免血清所抑制。经电镜观察 ,重组病毒表达的融合有 6 HIS表达标签的衣壳蛋白仍可在昆虫细胞内自聚成不包裹核酸的、与天然RHDV病毒粒子在物理形态上相似的病毒样颗粒 (VLPs) ,并且该VLPs与兔抗RHDV高免血清作用后于电镜下可见凝集成团的现象 ,表明其与天然RHDV病毒粒子在抗原性上也极为相似     

虎源流感病毒HA 基因的系统发生分析及其在杆状病毒系统中的表达

通过对虎源流感病毒A/ Tiger/ Harbin/01/ 2003 (H5N1)的HA 基因进行克隆与序列测定,证明该基因全长为1 731 bp,读码框由1 707个碱基组成,编码568 个氨基酸。对HA 基因的进化分析表明,该基因与H5 亚型流感病毒的HA 基因同源性最高,其HA 裂解位点由6 个碱性氨基酸插入序列(RRRKKR)组成,符合高致病性禽流感病毒的分子特征。将HA 基因克隆入杆状病毒转座载体质粒pFastBacⅠ,构建重组质粒pFastBac-HA;再将该重组质粒转化DH10 Bac 感受态细菌,在体内进行重组,并经三重抗性与蓝白斑筛选,得到杆状病毒重组质粒Bacmid-HA;将Bacmid-HA 转染sf9 细胞,获得重组杆状病毒。经Western-blotting 检测,HA 蛋白在重组杆状病毒中获得表达。用感染重组病毒的sf9 细胞免疫小鼠,2 次免疫后2 周可诱导小鼠产生1∶ 8 ～1∶ 16 的血凝抑制抗体,表明虎源流感病毒的HA 基因在重组杆状病毒系统中得到了正确表达。     

由乙肝病毒核心蛋白(HBc-VLP)递载的流感通用疫苗Flu@uV设计构建、表征及初步活性研究

目的:构建以HBc为载体的甲型流感病毒HA和M2e流感通用疫苗(Flu@uV),利用大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)表达系统,进行初步的蛋白表达及纯化。在此基础上,构建DNA流感通用疫苗。方法:利用全基因合成的序列为模板,成功构建HA-M2e-HBc、M2e-HBc、HBc、3M2e-HBc和3HA-3M2e-HBc基因的重组质粒,并在大肠杆菌中表达,经SDS-PAGE、Western blot和电镜检测其表达。将纯化的蛋白与弗氏佐剂共同免疫小鼠,取小鼠外周血进行流式细胞分析。通过荧光分析和Western blot初步验证DNA流感通用疫苗在人源胚胎肾细胞(HEK293T)中的表达情况。结果:成功表达纯化了HA-M2e-HBc、M2e-HBc、HBc和3M2e-HBc四种蛋白,经电镜观察到30nm左右的蛋白纳米颗粒样结构。小鼠外周血流式细胞分析显示HBc和3M2e-HBc可以增加小鼠的免疫力,而HA-M2e-HBc和M2e-HBc对小鼠免疫力的提高没有影响。通过荧光检测和Western blot检测说明DNA流感通用疫苗在真核细胞中成功表达。结论:成功构建HBc与甲型流感病毒HA和M2e的病毒样颗粒,为流感通用疫苗的研制奠定了重要基础。     

H5N1亚型禽流感病毒神经氨酸酶基因的克隆与表达

根据已知H5N1亚型禽流感病毒神经氨酸酶基因(na)序列设计、合成克隆引物。自H5N1亚型病毒感染的鸡胚尿囊液中提取总RNA,反转录后采用高可信度DNA聚合酶(PyobestTMDNAPolymerase)扩增na基因,采用Invitrogen定向表达系统(ChampionTMpETdirectionalTOPOexpressionsystem)进行克隆表达,纯化获得N末端携带多聚组氨酸标签的重组神经氨酸酶,分子量约53.8kDa。分析重组NA的免疫反应性和免疫原性,结果表明:重组NA能与H5N1亚型病毒抗血清发生特异性结合,且其免异动物后能诱导机体产生特异性抗体,具有良好的抗原性。     

Structure and origin of a novel class of defective interfering particle of vesicular stomatitis virus

The genome structure and terminal sequences of a 'copyback' defective interfering (DI) particle ST1, and a novel complexly rearranged 'snapback' DI particle ST2 of vesicular stomatitis virus have been determined. The ST1 DI genome RNA possesses 54 base long inverted complementary termini, the 5' end of which is homologous to the standard virus genome 5' end. Following this region of inverted complementarity the DI RNA 5' end continues to be homologous to standard virus RNA 5' sequences, whereas the 3' end diverges into sequences within the virus L gene internal sequences. ST2 DI genome RNA does not contain colinear covalently linked plus and minus sense RNA copies of the standard infectious virus RNA 5' terminus as predicted from the prototype snapback DI structure, but instead appears to be a hairpin copy of the ST1 DI RNA genome. This is the first evidence suggesting that DI particles may be generated from RNA templates other than the standard virus RNA. Generation models and the implications of these findings for RNA virus evolution are discussed.     

Characterization of the polyadenylation signal of influenza virus RNA.

It has been shown that a stretch of uridines (U's) near the 5' end of the virion RNA of influenza A virus is the polyadenylation site for viral mRNA synthesis. In addition, the RNA duplex made up the 3' and 5' terminal sequences adjacent to the U stretch is also involved in polyadenylation. We have further characterized the polyadenylation signal of influenza virus RNA with a ribonucleoprotein transfection system. We found that the optimal length of the U stretch is 5 to 7 uridine residues. We also showed that the upstream sequence at the 5' end is not involved in polyadenylation and that the optimal distance between the 5' end and the U stretch is 16 nucleotides. The combination of these features defines the polyadenylation site and differentiates this signal from other U stretches scattered throughout the genomes of influenza viruses.     

表达流行性感冒病毒HA基因非复制型重组腺病毒的构建及免疫效果的研究

通过RT-PCR扩增流行性感冒(流感)病毒HA基因,克隆至腺病毒穿梭载体pAd Track-MV,该重组质粒与腺病毒DNA共转化E．coli BJ5183,通过细菌内同源重组获得重组腺病毒DNA,将其转染293细胞获得重组腺病毒。PCR证实HA基因已整合至腺病毒基因组中,Western blot结果检测到重组病毒感染293细胞中HA的表达。重组病毒经滴鼻和灌胃两种途径免疫小鼠,结果2次免疫后滴鼻组和灌胃组均产生明显的免疫应答,血清IgG抗体滴度分别为1：10000和1：1000。除血清IgG外,还在肺灌洗液中检测到分泌型IgA。滴鼻组的免疫效果强于灌胃组。经小剂量攻毒实验显示,重组腺病毒保护率为100％。该文成功构建了表达流感病毒HA基因的非复制型重组腺病毒,重组病毒免疫小鼠可产生较好的免疫效果。