体外转录的自我复制型mRNA疫苗研究进展*

自我复制型mRNA是一种灵活的疫苗平台,该平台的开发基于甲病毒表达载体,其中复制必需基因得以完整保留,而结构蛋白基因则被来自病原的抗原基因替换。由于避免了病原培养、毒力返强和现存免疫的干扰,使其成为疫苗快速设计的理想平台。大量研究数据显示,此类疫苗可应用在人、小鼠、兔、猪、禽甚至鱼类体内诱导体液免疫和细胞免疫。过去,自我复制mRNA疫苗的研究采用重组单载体的模式,基因组骨架来源于辛德毕斯病毒、塞姆利基森林病毒和委内瑞拉马脑炎病毒。现在,反式复制型RNA和核酸修饰的反式复制型RNA作为下一代技术平台被寄予厚望。对基于甲病毒表达载体的mRNA疫苗技术的研究进展进行概述,重点介绍针对以流感病毒、新型冠状病毒和寨卡病毒等为代表的自我复制型mRNA疫苗研究现状,并探讨了该技术平台的未来发展方向。     

RNA复制子疫苗及其包装系统

RNA复制子疫苗是一种基于RNA的复制子,能够进行自我复制的新型疫苗,保留了病毒的复制酶基因,结构基因由外源基因所代替,复制酶可控制载体RNA在胞质中高水平复制和外源基因高水平的表达。RNA复制子疫苗被包装成病毒样颗粒后,大大提高了RNA复制子的稳定性。近几年来,关于RNA复制子的包装系统发展迅速,并且许多包装系统都获得成功,大大提高了复制子疫苗的生物安全性和外源基因的高效表达性,具有很好的应用前景。     

基于甲病毒的RNA复制子疫苗

RNA复制子疫苗利用源自病毒能够自主复制的RNA,结构蛋白基因由外源抗原基因取代,保留了非结构蛋白基因,非结构蛋白可控制载体RNA在胞浆中高水平复制和外源基因的高水平表达。RNA复制子疫苗克服了传统疫苗和普通DNA疫苗存在的缺点,具有免疫效果显著、安全性好、应用范围广等优点,具有很好的应用前景。用于RNA复制子疫苗的载体主要源自甲病毒,本文以甲病毒载体为例,简要阐明RNA复制子疫苗的基本原理和特点,并对其应用作一综述。     

一种基于塞姆利基森林病毒复制子的新型复制子载体

RNA复制子是能自主复制的病毒RNA。基于RNA复制子的表达载体和基因疫苗比常规真核表达载体和DNA疫苗具有更大的优越性。以塞姆利基森林病毒RNA复制子衍生的真核表达载体pSFV1为骨架 ,插入CMV立即早期启动子和SV40晚期Poly(A)信号 ,构建了一种完全基于DNA的复制型表达载体pSFV1CS ,将增强型绿色荧光蛋白基因EGFP插入其中 ,构建了重组质粒pSFV1CS EGFP ,通过转染 2 93T细胞 ,证实外源基因能在其中高效表达。该载体可用于表达真核蛋白和构建复制子载体疫苗。     

黄病毒属病毒复制子载体研究进展

RNA复制子是一种能自主复制的RNA载体,保留了病毒非结构蛋白(复制/转录酶)基因,而结构蛋白基因缺失或由外源抗原基因替代,复制/转录酶可控制载体RNA在细胞质中高水平复制以及外源基因的高水平表达。在黄病毒属病毒感染性克隆基础上,其复制子载体得到了成功的构建。黄病毒属病毒复制子为病毒基因组结构功能研究、表达载体构建、假病毒包装及新型疫苗制备等提供了新的技术平台。本文综述黄病毒属病毒复制子的构建原理、方法及应用。     

基于DNA的Semliki森林病毒复制子载体体内外高水平表达外源基因

基于DNA的复制子载体显著地提高了复制子载体的应用范围,在体外可用于高水平表达外源基因,大规模制备重组病毒颗粒,在体内可用于复制子疫苗和基因治疗载体研究.将复制子RNA的cDNA置于RNA聚合酶Ⅱ启动子和转录终止子控制下时,基于RNA的复制子载体可转变为基于DNA的复制子载体.当DNA载体转染细胞后,第一阶段,RNA聚合酶Ⅱ启动子在核内起始合成RNA,经过加工和修饰后运输到细胞质中,相当于复制子RNA,第二阶段,该RNA自我复制及表达外源基因,相当于病毒RNA复制循环.在成功地构建了基于DNA和RNA的双功能复制子表达载体pSCTA和辅助载体pSHCTA的基础上,为了获得高效的基于DNA的复制子载体,对其进行改进而构建了共4种不同的基于DNA的semliki森林病毒复制子,通过对表达载体和相应的辅助载体表达报告基因及对制备重组病毒颗粒的能力进行比较,获得了复制能力提高的复制子载体pSCAR和pSHCAR.该表达载体pSCAR可高水平表达外源基因,与辅助载体pSHCAR共转染可制备高滴度的重组病毒颗粒,并且也能表达抗原基因.另外,报告基因在DNA复制子载体注射的小鼠体内得到了高水平表达,并且DNA免疫小鼠后也诱导产生高滴度特异性抗体以及细胞免疫反应.结果表明,经过改造SFV复制子载体,获得了高效的基于DNA的SFV复制子载体.该复制子载体增强了原复制子载体应用能力,并有潜力作为复制子疫苗和基因治疗载体.     

RNA复制子疫苗研究进展

最近兴起的RNA复制子疫苗,利用源自病毒的能够自主复制的RNA,其结构蛋白基因由外源抗原基因取代,保留了非结构蛋白(RNA复制酶)基因。RNA复制酶可使RNA载体在细胞质中高水平复制,并实现外源抗原基因的高水平表达,可同时诱导细胞免疫和体液免疫应答。大量双链RNA可诱导被感染细胞凋亡,宿主细胞的凋亡有利于免疫系统识别外源抗原。RNA复制子疫苗克服了传统疫苗和普通DNA疫苗存在的缺点,具有抗原表达效率高、安全性好、应用范围广等优点,因而被视为一种发展前景很好的疫苗形式。目前已对一些疾病模型基于复制子的治疗性和预防性疫苗进行了研究(涉及的对象包括病毒、肿瘤以及细菌毒素等),并对某些不足之处进行了改进。     

RNA复制子疫苗

RNA复制子是自主复制的RNA,保留了病毒复制酶基因,而结构蛋白基因缺失,由外源抗原基因取代,复制酶可控制载体RNA在胞浆中高水平复制和外源基因的高水平表达。用于开发复制子的主要是单股正链RNA病毒,如甲病毒(辛德比斯病毒、塞姆利基森林病毒、委内瑞拉马脑炎病毒)、黄病毒(登革热病毒、昆津病毒)、小RNA病毒(脊髓灰质炎病毒、人鼻病毒)、副粘病毒(犬瘟热病毒)、杯状病毒(猫杯状病毒)。基于复制子的疫苗不会产生能复制的感染性病毒粒子,不可能与细胞基因组发生整合,但可诱导全身免疫和粘膜免疫以及MHCI限制性CTL反应,而不受体内已有载体抗体的干扰。目前已开发了大量基于复制子的疫苗和肿瘤的治疗性和预防性疫苗,并在很多疾病模型上取得成功,包括病毒(流感病毒、人免疫缺陷病毒、拉沙病毒、马尔堡病毒、呼吸道合胞体病毒、诺沃克样病毒、马动脉炎病毒等)肿瘤(人乳头瘤、癌胚抗原、B16肿瘤、小鼠黑素瘤等)、以及细菌毒素(肉毒杆菌毒素、葡萄球菌肠毒素、破伤风毒素等)。     

基因工程疫苗的病毒载体

病毒基因工程疫苗是以活病毒为载体将一段外源基因导入机体细胞内,并使外源基因维持较高水平的表达。通过使用复制型或复制缺陷型载体能使表达的抗原诱生机体产生相应的体液抗体,并能引起机体产生细胞介导的免疫反应及粘膜免疫反应。本文主要介绍有可能用于基因工程疫苗的DNA及RNA病毒载体构建及其应用。     

A型肉毒毒素受体结合区Hc在重组SFV复制子载体中的表达

为了在哺乳动物细胞中表达A型肉毒毒素Hc抗原, 构建了含A型肉毒毒素受体结合区Hc基因的基于RNA和DNA的重组Semliki森林病毒(Semliki forest virus, SFV)复制子表达载体。RNA和DNA复制子载体转染BHK21细胞后, 经间接免疫荧光、Western印迹和ELISA检测, 结果表明非分泌型和分泌型的Hc抗原在细胞中都得到了有效地表达; 而且复制子表达载体与辅助病毒载体共转染均可制备高滴度的重组病毒颗粒, 该重组病毒颗粒感染细胞后, 也都能表达Hc抗原。以上结果表明, 基于RNA和DNA的重组SFV复制子表达载体在细胞中均可有效地表达Hc抗原和制备具有感染能力并能表达Hc抗原的重组病毒颗粒。基于RNA和DNA的重组SFV复制子表达载体的构建和含A型肉毒毒素受体结合区Hc基因的重组病毒颗粒的获得, 为进一步观察SFV复制子疫苗的免疫原性奠定了基础, 从而为A型肉毒毒素新型疫苗的研制提供了新途经。     

Recent advances in the study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and pathogenesis

It has now been over twenty years since a novel herpesviral genome was identified in Kaposi's sarcoma biopsies. Since then, the cumulative research effort by molecular biologists, virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists alike has led to the extensive characterization of this tumor virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV; also known as human herpesvirus 8(HHV-8)), and its associated diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of KSHV biology and pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on new and exciting advances in the field of epigenetics. We also discuss the development and practicality of various cell culture and animal model systems to study KSHV replication and pathogenesis.     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.