丙型肝炎病毒基因组C区和NS3区基因cDNA的融合及其在大肠杆菌中的…

通过逆转录－聚合酶链式反应,从中国人丙型肝炎病毒携带者的血清中扩增并克隆到２段ｃＤＮＡ片段,即ＨＣＶ基因组Ｃ区抗原基因Ｃ８３１ｃＤＮＡ片断和ＮＳ３区抗原基因Ｃ３３ｃＤＮＡ片段同Ｃ８３１ｃＤＮＡ片段经连接肽Ｓｅｒ－Ｐｒｏ－Ｇｌｙ－Ｓｅｒ连接成为基因嵌合体Ｃ３３ｃＤＮＡ片段同Ｃ８３１ｃＤＮＡ片段经连接肽Ｓｅｒ－Ｐｒｏ－Ｇｌｙ－Ｓｅｒ连接成为基因嵌合体Ｃ３３ｃ－Ｃ８３１．Ｃ３３ｃ－Ｃ８３１基因嵌合体同温     

丙肝病毒融合抗原基因NS3-C定点整合入衣藻叶绿体基因组的研究

用ＰＣＲ 方法从丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ） ｃＤＮＡ 文库中克隆了两段ＤＮＡ 片段,即ＨＣＶ 基因组非结构ＮＳ３区抗原基因（约０．７ ｋｂ）和核心抗原Ｃ区抗原基因（约０．６ ｋｂ）的ｃＤＮＡ 片段。在两段ｃＤＮＡ 间加入连接肽Ｓｅｒ－ Ｐｒｏ－ Ｇｌｙ－ Ｓｅｒ 的密码子序列,构建成融合抗原基因ＮＳ３－ Ｃ。将该融合基因与衣藻叶绿体基因ａｔｐＡ 的启动子和ｒｂｃＬ 基因的３′末端连接,得到丙肝病毒融合抗原基因ＮＳ３－ Ｃ表达盒,再将该表达盒与选择标记基因ａａｄＡ 表达盒和衣藻叶绿体基因组同源片段连接,构建成衣藻叶绿体转化载体ｐＳＳ６。基因枪法转化衣藻叶绿体,经壮观霉素筛选获得转化再生的单藻落,对转基因衣藻的ＰＣＲ 和Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ 杂交分析表明,融合抗原基因ＮＳ３－ Ｃ已整合到衣藻叶绿体基因组中。     

从中国病人克隆丙型肝炎病毒基因组C区基因及其在大肠杆菌中的表达

本文通过逆转录（ＲＴ）－聚合酶链式反应（ＰＣＲ）,从两份分别来自湖南省娄底地区丙型肝炎病人和河北省秦皇岛市职业献血员丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ）ＲＮＡ打点杂交阳性的血清中,扩增并克隆到１段５６３ｂｐ的ＨＣＶ基因组Ｃ区抗原基因Ｃ２６９／８３１,并通过ＰＣＲ得到了３个表达片段Ｃ８３１、Ｃ８０１和Ｃ５８７。测定Ｃ２６９／８３１基因的全序列后发现,中国人ＨＣＶ湖南分离株与ＨＣＶ－Ⅰ型株ＨＣＶ－ＵＳ和Ⅱ型株ＨＣＶ－ＢＫ在该基因区段的核苷酸／氨基酸序列的同源性,分别为９０．３％／９４．６％和９５．２％／９４．６％。利用原核高效表达载体ｐＢＶ２２０在大肠杆菌中有效地表达了非融合的Ｃ区抗原基因重组蛋白ＣＬ、ＣＭ和ＣＳ。通过免疫筛选法及Ｗｅｓｔｅｍ印迹法对约占菌体可溶性蛋白１１％的表达产物进行了鉴定。采用ＴｒｉｔｏｎＸ－１００和盐析处理表达产物,再进行离子交换层析纯化,得到可用于检测ＨＣＶ血清抗体的核壳蛋白（Ｃ）抗原。通过不同分子量抗原的表达,发现由Ｃ区Ｎ端８９个氨基酸组成的多肽ＣＳ其抗原性与由１５８或１６８个氨基酸组成的多肽ＣＭ或ＣＬ相同,但抗原的稳定性和表达量显著优于后两种抗原。本研究为研制ＨＣＶ抗体诊断试剂盒奠定了重要基础。     

丙型肝炎病毒非结构3区基因片段的克隆表达及抗原纯化鉴定

通过逆转录ＰＣＲ技术,从中国江苏省丙型肝炎病人血清中扩增克隆了丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ）的非结构３区的部分基因片段（Ｃ３３）。ＤＮＡ序列分析证实,该片段全长８４２ｂｐ。在合成的一对逆转录ＰＣＲ引物上,上游引物增加了ＮｃｏⅠ酶切位点（内含起始密码子ＡＴＧ）,下游引物上增加了ＳａｌⅠ酶切位点及终止密码子ＴＡＡ,将克隆的Ｃ３３基因片段克隆至表达载体ｐＢＶ２２１内,获得了表达Ｃ３３抗原的工程菌,表达Ｃ３３抗原分子过为３０ｋＤ,经尿素裂解纯化、分子筛分离纯化及复性后进行离子交换和反相亲和层析纯化,获得的重组蛋白经ＥＬＢＡ和免疫印迹等证实有较好的抗原性和特异性。     

抗人黑色素瘤单链抗体基因的克隆和分泌型表达

应用ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ技术从分泌抗人黑色素瘤单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞ＨＢ８７６０中克隆了抗体轻、重链可变区基因,然后用（Ｇｌｙ４Ｓｅｒ）３连接肽基因将ＶＨ、ＶＬ连接成ＳｃＦｖ基因,并进行了序列测定．计算机分析表明ＶＨ,ＶＬ均符合小鼠抗体可变区的特征,为功能性重排的抗体可变区基因．ＶＨ、ＶＬ、ｌｉｎｋｅｒ拼接正确．ＳｃＦｖ基因全长７２９ｂｐ,其中ＶＨ基因长３６０ｂｐ,编码１２０个氨基酸,ＶＬ基因长３２４ｂｐ,编码１０８个氨基酸．在噬菌粒表达载体ｐＣＡＮＴＡＢ５Ｅ中表达了可溶性的ＳｃＦｖ蛋白,表达产物经流式细胞仪检测可特异地与黑色素瘤细胞结合,不与肝癌、胃癌及良性黑痣细胞结合     

丙型肝炎病毒非结构区NS4b基因片段的克隆和表达

采用聚合酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）技术和ＤＮＡ体外重组方法,克隆出５７９ｂｐ的丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ）ＮＳ４ｂ基因片段,插入到原核高效表达载体ｐＥＴ－２８ａ中,构建重组质粒ｐＥＴ／ＮＳ４ｂ,转化大肠杆菌ＢＬ２１（ＤＥ３）菌株,经ＩＰＴＧ诱导培养后,获得了目的蛋白的高效表达。ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ分析显示在３０ｋＤ处有一条表达的目的蛋白区带。通过固定化金属配体亲和层析（ＩＭＡＣ）纯化目的的蛋白,ＥＬＥＳＡ检测结果表     

HCV5′端非编码区cDNA的体外转录

采用逆转录聚合酶链反应（ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ）从广东省一例慢性丙型肝炎病人血清中获得丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ）５′端非编码区（５′ＮＣＲ）３０２ｂｐ的ｃＤＮＡ片段,经补齐和提纯后插入ｐＵＣ１９质粒,获得的重组体ｐＵＮ进行序列测定,将ｐＵＮ的目的基因亚克隆进体外转录载体ｐＳＰＯＲＴＩ多克隆位点的ＥｃｏＲｆｆＩ和ＰｓｔＩ切点之间,所得重组体ｐＳＮ线性化后由Ｔ７ＲＮＡ多聚酶及ＳＰ６ＲＮＡ多聚酶引导体外转录反应,产物     

HCV5＇端非编码区cDNA的体外转录

采用逆转录聚合酶链反应（ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ）从广东省一例慢性丙型肝炎病人血清中获得丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ）５＇端非编码区（５＇ＮＣＲ）３０２ｂｐ的ｃＤＮＡ片段,经补齐和提纯后插入ｐＵＣ１９质粒,获得的重组体ｐＵＮ进行序列测定。将ｐＵＮ的目的基因亚克隆进体外转录载体ｐＳＰＯＲＴＩ多克隆位点的ＥｏｏＲＩ和ＰｓｔＩ切点之间,所得重组体ｐＳＮ线性化后由Ｔ＿７ＲＮＡ多聚酶及ＳＰ６ＲＮＡ多聚酶引导体外转录反应,产物经凝胶电泳及特异引物ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ,证实ＳＰ６引导的是正义ＲＮＡ,Ｔ７合成的是反义ＲＮＡ,其大小分别力４２９ｂｐ和３６２ｂｐ。并证实所得ＲＮＡ力ＨＣＶ５＇ＮＣＲｃＤＮＡ转录而来。获得的ＨＣＶ５＇ＮＣＲｃＤＮＡ和ＲＮＡ在常规逆转录和ＰＣＲ步骤中用于设立有效的模板对照,对消除假用性及评估试剂有重要意义。同时,ＨＣＶ５＇ＮＣＲ体外转录载体的构建可用于制各ＲＮＡ探针和反义ＲＮＡ,改进后还可作为定量ＰＣＲ的竞争性模板。     

重组人干细胞因子在昆虫细胞中的高效表达

含信号肽的可溶性人干细胞因子（ｈＳＣＦ）ｃＤＮＡ 基因重组于杆状病毒转移载体ｐＶＬ９４１ 中,重组转移载体ｐＶＬ９４１ＳＣＦ与野生型苜蓿夜蛾核型多角体病毒（ＡｃＮＰＶ）ＤＮＡ 共转染草地夜蛾细胞Ｓｆ９ 后,通过体内同源重组构建了重组病毒ＡｃＮＰＶＳＣＦ。Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ 杂交表明重组病毒基因组中含有ｈＳＣＦ基因片段。重组病毒感染单层Ｓｆ９ 细胞后,表达产物分泌到胞外培养液中。用ＭＴＴ 比色法和ＴＦ１ 细胞株测定表达产物与ＩＬ３ 的协同效应,测得感染重组病毒的培养细胞第三天表达量为１９７０ ｕｎｉｔｓ／ｍ Ｌ培养液。Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎｂｌｏｔｔｉｎｇ 分析可见分子量为１８ ×１０３ 、２０ ×１０３ 和２２ ×１０３ 三条带。     

Epstein－Barr病毒潜伏膜蛋白（LMP）基因在哺乳动物传代细胞中的表达

ＥＢ病毒潜伏膜蛋白（ＬＭＰ）是由病毒编码的主要的与病毒致宿主细胞潜伏感染有关的蛋白之一。我们用基因重组技术,把含有ＬＭＰ基因（ＢＮＬＦ１）３个外显子（ｅｘｏｎ）开放阅读框架（ＯＲＦ）的长１．８０ｋｂｐ的ＤＮＡ片段,和能分解ＨｙｇｒｏｍｙｃｉｎＢ的含有ＳＶ４０早期启动子和ＨｇｒｙｏｍｙｃｉｎＢ磷酸转移酶全基因（长１０２５ｂｐ）的ＤＮＡ片段（长１．６０ｂｐ）,同时重组于亚克隆载体ｐＢｌｕｅｓｃｒｉｐｔＳＫ（ｐＢＳ）中,并使该重组质粒ｐＢＳ－ＬＭＰ－Ｈｙｇ（长５７６７ｂｐ）在乳地鼠肾传代细胞（ＢＨＫ）中获得表达。ＢＨＫ细胞在经此重组质粒转染后,ＬＭＰ阳性细胞是２％,在ＨｙｇｒｏｍｙｃｉｎＢ的持续压力下,ＬＭＰ表达细胞率可达２０％。３个月后,ＬＭＰ表达细胞逐渐减少。５个月后,不能测到ＬＭＰ表达细胞。经免疫荧光和蛋白印迹（Ｗｅｓｔｅｍｂｌｏｔ）实验证实,人鼻咽癌、风湿性关节炎和正常人血清中不含有抗ＬＭＰ抗体。     

丙型肝炎病毒CS,NS3 NS4区抗原融合基因的构建及其在大肠杆菌中的表达

丙型肝炎病毒是与输血有关的非甲非乙肝病毒[1] ;是全世界输血后获得性肝炎的重要病因之一 ,并与急慢性肝炎、肝硬化和肝癌有关。由于主要通过输血的传播 ,会给人民的身体健康尤其输血事业带来极大危害。采用基因工程技术 ,表达含有多段抗原的融合蛋白作为ＨＣＶ检测试剂的抗原 ,可以简化多种抗原的表达及纯化过程 ,并提高了试剂的均一性[2 ] 。研究表明 ,在ＨＣＶ的抗原基因中 ,核心蛋白Ｃｏｒｅ、ＮＳ3区的Ｃ33ｃ抗原、ＮＳ4区基因编码的抗原免疫原性最强 ,相应抗体出现早 ,分布广 ,亲和力强。因此 ,我们构建了含有中国人ＨＣＶ序列的Ｃｏ…     

Chimeric Sindbis viruses dependent on the NS3 protease of hepatitis C virus.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease cleaves the viral polyprotein at specific sites to release the putative components of the HCV replication machinery. Selective inhibition of this enzyme is predicted to block virus replication, and NS3 is thus considered an attractive candidate for development of anti-HCV therapeutics. To set up a system for analysis of NS3 protease activity in cultured cells, we constructed a family of chimeric Sindbis viruses which carry sequences coding for NS3 and its activator, NS4A, in their genomes. HCV sequences were fused to the gene coding for the Sindbis virus structural polyprotein via an NS3-specific cleavage site, with the expectation that processing of the chimeric polyprotein, nucleocapsid assembly, and generation of viable viral particles would occur only upon NS3-dependent proteolysis. Indeed, the chimeric genomes encoding an active NS3 protease produced infectious viruses in mammalian cells, while those encoding NS3 inactivated by alanine substitution of the catalytic serine did not. However, in infected cells chimeric genomes recombined, splicing out HCV sequences and reverting to pseudo-wild-type Sindbis virus. To force retention of HCV sequences, we modified one of the initial chimeras by introducing a second NS3 cleavage site in the Sindbis virus portion of the recombinant polyprotein, anticipating that revertants not encoding an active NS3 protease would not be viable. The resulting chimera produced infectious viruses which replicated at a lower rate than the parental construct and displayed a marked temperature dependence in the formation of lysis plaques yet stably expressed NS3.     

丙型肝炎病毒基因组部份NS5区蛋白基因在大肠杆菌中的表达

在大肠杆菌中表达了丙型肝炎病毒基因组ＮＳ５区Ａ段和部份Ｂ段蛋白。ＮＳ５Ａ蛋白溶于水,可经过ＧＳＴ亲和层析柱纯化;ＮＳ５Ｂ蛋白不溶于水,经ＰＢＳ－Ｔｒｉｔｏｎ Ｘ－１００洗涤,尿素溶解后,通过离子交换柱纯化。经ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ和Ｗｅｓｔｅｍｂｌｏｔ分析,ＮＳ５Ａ蛋白除在５７ｋＤ左右有条带外,还有不同程度的降解产物;ＮＳ５Ｂ蛋白主要在５８ｋＤ左右有条带出现。为查明表达蛋白抗体在病人血清中的分布,取９     

嵌合型HCV全长cDNA的构建及体外转录制备感染性RNA的研究

构建HCV la/1b嵌合型全长cDNA克隆,进行体外转录,脂质体法转染HepG2细胞,以RT-PCR法检测HCV正、负链RNA,Western印迹检测HCV蛋白表达.结果表明,细胞在转染后8代(约35d)内,能间断检测到HCV正、负链RNA以及相对分子质量约70000的HCV NS3蛋白,证明该HCV嵌合体可以在细胞中复制和表达.本研究表明含有该嵌合型全长cDNA的质粒可以为后续HCV的研究提供大量可重复的性质均一的病毒模板,有助于深入了解HCV的复制机制.     

Virus-specific cofactor requirement and chimeric hepatitis C virus/GB virus B nonstructural protein 3

GB virus B (GBV-B) is closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and causes acute hepatitis in tamarins (Saguinus species), making it an attractive surrogate virus for in vivo testing of anti-HCV inhibitors in a small monkey model. It has been reported that the nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) serine protease of GBV-B shares similar substrate specificity with its counterpart in HCV. Authentic proteolytic processing of the HCV polyprotein junctions (NS4A/4B, NS4B/5A, and NS5A/5B) can be accomplished by the GBV-B NS3 protease in an HCV NS4A cofactor-independent fashion. We further characterized the protease activity of a full-length GBV-B NS3 protein and its cofactor requirement using in vitro-translated GBV-B substrates. Cleavages at the NS4A/4B and NS5A/5B junctions were readily detectable only in the presence of a cofactor peptide derived from the central region of GBV-B NS4A. Interestingly, the GBV-B substrates could also be cleaved by the HCV NS3 protease in an HCV NS4A cofactor-dependent manner, supporting the notion that HCV and GBV-B share similar NS3 protease specificity while retaining a virus-specific cofactor requirement. This finding of a strict virus-specific cofactor requirement is consistent with the lack of sequence homology in the NS4A cofactor regions of HCV and GBV-B. The minimum cofactor region that supported GBV-B protease activity was mapped to a central region of GBV-B NS4A (between amino acids Phe22 and Val36) which overlapped with the cofactor region of HCV. Alanine substitution analysis demonstrated that two amino acids, Val27 and Trp31, were essential for the cofactor activity, a finding reminiscent of the two critical residues in the HCV NS4A cofactor, Ile25 and Ile29. A model for the GBV-B NS3 protease domain and NS4A cofactor complex revealed that GBV-B might have developed a similar structural strategy in the activation and regulation of its NS3 protease activity. Finally, a chimeric HCV/GBV-B bifunctional NS3, consisting of an N-terminal HCV protease domain and a C-terminal GBV-B RNA helicase domain, was engineered. Both enzymatic activities were retained by the chimeric protein, which could lead to the development of a chimeric GBV-B virus that depends on HCV protease function.     

Both NS3 and NS4A are required for proteolytic processing of hepatitis C virus nonstructural proteins.

The proteolytic cleavages at the NS3-NS4A, NS4A-NS4B, NS4B-NS5A, and NS5A-NS5B junctions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein are effected by the virus-encoded serine protease contained within NS3. Using transient expression in HeLa cells of cDNA fragments that code for regions of the HCV polyprotein, we studied whether viral functions other than NS3 are required for proteolytic processing at these sites. We found that, in addition to NS3, a C-terminal 33-amino-acid sequence of the NS4A protein is required for cleavage at the NS3-NS4A and NS4B-NS5A sites and that it accelerates the rate of cleavage at the NS5A-NS5B junction. In addition, we show that NS4A can activate the NS3 protease when supplied in trans. Our data suggest that HCV NS4A may be the functional analog of flavivirus NS2B and pestivirus p10 proteins.     

Development of a cell-based assay for monitoring specific hepatitis C virus NS3/4A protease activity in mammalian cells

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) contains a positive-sense RNA genome that encodes a unique polyprotein precursor, which must be processed by proteases to enable viral maturation. Virally encoded NS3/4A protease has thus become an attractive target for the development of antiviral drugs. To establish an assay system for monitoring NS3/4A protease activity in mammalian cells, this study describes a substrate vector, pEG(Delta4AB)SEAP, in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was fused to secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) through the NS3/4A protease decapeptide recognition sequence, Delta4AB, which spans the NS4A and NS4B junction region. Secretion of SEAP into the culture medium was demonstrated to depend on the cleavage of Delta4AB by HCV NS3/4A protease. We demonstrated that the accumulation of SEAP activity in the culture medium depends on time up to 60h with the coexpression of active NS3/4A protease. The amount of SEAP in the culture medium was around 10 times greater than that of cells with coexpression of inactive NS3/4A mutant protease. This strategy has made it possible to monitor NS3/4A activity inside mammalian cells. Moreover, by using cells containing the HCV subgenomic replicon, the EG(Delta4AB)SEAP reporter can be used to detect the anti-HCV activity of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). Consequently, this EG(Delta4AB)SEAP reporter can be used to screen for NS3/4A protease inhibitors in the cellular environment and for anti-HCV drugs in replicon cells.     

Selection of Functional Variants of the NS3-NS4A Protease of Hepatitis C Virus by Using Chimeric Sindbis Viruses

The NS3-NS4A serine protease of hepatitis C virus (HCV) mediates four specific cleavages of the viral polyprotein and its activity is considered essential for the biogenesis of the HCV replication machinery. Despite extensive biochemical and structural characterization, the analysis of natural variants of this enzyme has been limited by the lack of an efficient replication system for HCV in cultured cells. We have recently described the generation of chimeric HCV-Sindbis viruses whose propagation depends on the NS3-NS4A catalytic activity. NS3-NS4A gene sequences were fused to the gene coding for the Sindbis virus structural polyprotein in such a way that processing of the chimeric polyprotein, nucleocapsid assembly, and production of infectious viruses required NS3-NS4A-mediated proteolysis (G. Filocamo, L. Pacini, and G. Migliaccio, J. Virol. 71:1417–1427, 1997). Here we report the use of these chimeric viruses to select and characterize active variants of the NS3-NS4A protease. Our original chimeric viruses displayed a temperature-sensitive phenotype and formed lysis plaques much smaller than those formed by wild-type (wt) Sindbis virus. By serially passaging these chimeric viruses on BHK cells, we have selected virus variants which formed lysis plaques larger than those produced by their progenitors and produced NS3-NS4A proteins different in size and/or sequence from those of the original viruses. Characterization of the selected protease variants revealed that all of the mutated proteases still efficiently processed the chimeric polyprotein in infected cells and also cleaved an HCV substrate in vitro. One of the selected proteases was expressed in a bacterial system and showed a catalytic efficiency comparable to that of the wt recombinant protease.