一种新的丙型肝炎病毒单链丝氨酸蛋白酶基因的构建、表达与鉴定

根据丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV)丝氨酸蛋白酶晶体结构特点 ,设计并构建了一种新的单链型丝氨酸蛋白酶分子 .该分子由辅因子NS4A的核心序列、柔性连接子GSGS和NS3丝氨酸蛋白酶结构域组成 .利用设计的 3条引物 ,通过 2轮PCR获得单链丝氨酸蛋白酶基因 ,插入原核表达载体pQE30中 ,转化大肠杆菌M15 ,获得重组克隆 .经低剂量诱导和低温培养 ,目的基因获得高水平可溶表达 .以金属螯合层析法纯化的重组蛋白纯度达 95 %以上 .间接ELISA法检测 98份血清证实 ,该蛋白具有良好的抗原性和特异性 ;以重组蛋白底物NS5ab和单链丝氨酸蛋白酶建立了简便、实用的丝氨酸蛋白酶体外活性检测系统 ;以该系统观察了PMSF和EDTA对蛋白酶活性的影响 .结果表明 ,PMSF能够抑制蛋白酶的酶切活性 ,而EDTA不能抑制酶的活性 .单链型HCV丝氨酸蛋白酶的成功表达以及体外活性检测系统的建立 ,为丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂的研制奠定了物质基础 .     

用改良消减杂交筛选类风湿性关节炎滑膜细胞中高表达基因

 为了研究类风湿性关节炎 (rheumatoid arthritis,RA)滑膜细胞 (fibroblast- like synovialcells,FLS)过度增殖和破坏软骨的分子机理 ,利用改良消减杂交法以骨性关节炎 (osteoarthritis,OA)病人滑膜细胞为对照 ,筛选 RA滑膜细胞中的高表达基因 .将得到的基因片段克隆入质粒载体 ,通过反向点杂交排除假阳性克隆后 ,将阳性克隆进行核酸序列分析 ,最后用 Northern杂交方法检测一些高表达基因在 RA和 OA病人滑膜细胞中的表达水平 .结果显示 ,共分离到 1 50个 RA高表达基因片段 ,其中长于 1 0 0 0 bp的片段占 8% (1 2 /1 50 ) ,长于 40 0 bp的片段占 36.7% (55/1 50 ) ,在大于 40 0 bp的片段中 ,假阳性率为 2 3.7% (1 3/55) .在测序的 1 8个片段中 ,已知基因有 1 2个 ,其中包括 IGF- 1结合蛋白 (IGFBP)特异性丝氨酸蛋白酶、层粘连蛋白受体和组织蛋白酶 B等 .新序列有 6个 ,其中两个序列分别与 Ring- box蛋白 1和 SON DNA结合蛋白同源 .对 IGFBP特异性丝氨酸蛋白酶、层粘连蛋白受体和组织蛋白酶 B基因的 Northern杂交分析显示 ,在 RA病人滑膜细胞中 ,这些基因的表达水平高于 OA病人滑膜细胞 .这些结果提示 ,这种改良消减杂交法是一种简便有效的分离差异表达基因的方法 ;IGF- 1结合蛋白特异性丝氨酸蛋白酶、层粘     

苜蓿夜蛾丝氨酸蛋白酶基因cDNA序列的克隆与原核表达研究

【目的】丝氨酸蛋白酶(Serine protease,SP)是以丝氨酸为活性中心的重要的蛋白水解酶。在昆虫中,丝氨酸蛋白酶参与消化、发育、先天免疫反应和组织重建等重要的生理过程。本试验以苜蓿夜蛾Heliothis viriplaca为材料,克隆其丝氨酸蛋白酶基因的cDNA序列,再对该基因进行原核表达并对表达产物进行活性测定研究。【方法】从苜蓿夜蛾中肠中提取总RNA,通过RT-PCR和RACE技术,扩增获得丝氨酸蛋白酶基因cDNA全长序列,用大肠杆菌E.coli表达系统进行表达;再对表达的重组蛋白进行变性、纯化与复性,并以BTEE为底物进行活性测定。【结果】克隆得到的苜蓿夜蛾中肠丝氨酸蛋白酶基因命名为Hv SP,该基因已登录Gen Bank,登录号为KT907053。该基因全长1 017 bp,开放阅读框为886 bp,编码295个氨基酸,分子量约为30.8 ku,等电点为8.27,推导的氨基酸序列与其他昆虫丝氨酸蛋白酶氨基酸序列相似性在46%~92%之间。在Tris-HCl缓冲液中,p H为8.5时,复性的重组蛋白活性最高,为28.7 U/m L。荧光定量PCR结果表明,Hv SP基因的m RNA在苜蓿夜蛾的多个组织中特异性表达,且在中肠中表达量最高,但在唾腺中未检测到Hv SP的m RNA表达。【结论】该研究克隆了一个新的苜蓿夜蛾丝氨酸蛋白酶基因的cDNA序列,且原核表达后的重组蛋白经过变性、纯化及复性后具有活性,为进一步探索丝氨酸蛋白酶在昆虫体内的生理生化功能奠定了基础。     

草鱼呼肠孤病毒NS31蛋白在昆虫细胞中表达及互作多肽筛选

草鱼呼肠孤病毒(Grasscarpreovirus,GCRV)是引发病毒性草鱼出血病的主要病原.前期研究证实GCRV-S7基因片段编码NS31蛋白是GCRV的非结构蛋白,在病毒感染的中后期表达.为深入开展NS31的具体生物学功能,本研究从GCRV-JX01株病毒基因组中扩增NS31,克隆至pFastBacHTA载体;利用杆状病毒Bac-to-Bac系统成功表达携带his标签的重组蛋白his-NS31;Western-Blot和IFA实验表明重组杆状病毒能够感染昆虫细胞(Sf9)表达NS31,进一步通过his-Ni2+柱纯化NS31,SDS-PAGE鉴定蛋白约为30KD.运用噬菌体展示技术筛选噬菌体12肽库,研究NS31特异性结合多肽.挑取30个克隆进行DNA序列测定,结果表明NS31主要和2种多肽分子相互作用.进一步结合生物信息学分析表明上述多肽与草鱼基因组中6个基因具有同源性,提示其可能是NS31互作蛋白.本研究为深入探索NS31在病毒感染过程中的生物学功能奠定了重要基础.     

HCV NS3/4A蛋白酶胞内荧光检测方法的建立

目的:建立丙型肝炎病毒NS3/4A丝氨酸蛋白酶胞内荧光检测方法。方法:利用EGFP分子内合适位点可以插入一定长度外源片段而不影响荧光性能的特性,构建EGFP分子内插入NS3/4A蛋白酶识别序列NS5AB的EGFP-5AB重组分子。将EGFP-5AB与NS3/4A蛋白酶共表达,若短肽链被切断,则EGFP的两个部分解离,荧光消失,从而可以监测HCV NS3/4A蛋白酶的存在。通过将NS5AB插入三种不同位点,寻找最合适的插入位点;将EGFP-5AB转染进入不同宿主细胞,验证其在不同细胞的表达情况并选择最佳宿主细胞。结果:确定EGFP 173-174氨基酸位点是合适的插入位点;确定CHO-K1为理想的荧光检测系统宿主细胞;在构建的细胞模型中,能够检测到EGFP被切割后的条带,但检测不到荧光信号,说明EGFP-5AB蛋白被有效切割,该方法可以检测到NS3/4A丝氨酸蛋白酶的存在。结论:成功构建了一种在哺乳动物细胞中检测NS3/4A蛋白酶切割活性的荧光检测方法。     

竹叶青蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶的分子克隆和序列比较

利用逆转录酶与聚合酶链反应相结合的RT—PCR法,扩增出5个竹叶青(Trimeresurus stejnegeri)蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶的cDNAs;将扩增的cDNA片段克隆入pGEM-T载体中,筛选得到它们的基因,分别命名为TSSP-1、TSSP-2、TSSP-3、TSSP-4和TSSP-5。经末端终止法测定核苷酸序列,推导出5个丝氨酸蛋白酶的全序列;结合纯化的蛋白酶N-末端序列测定结果,推导TSSP-2、-3和-4分别编码凝血酶样酶stejnobin、纤溶酶stejnefibrase 1和2。5个丝氨酸蛋白酶分别含有1～6个N-型糖基结合位点,表明它们的计算分子量与纯化蛋白表观分子量之间的差异是由糖含量的不同造成,而其氨基酸序列相似度在60％～90％。TSSP-1和-2编码的成熟蛋白酶由236个氨基酸残基组成,TSSP-3、-4和-5的则由234个氨基酸残基组成。TSSP-1编码的蛋白酶在组成丝氨酸蛋白酶三联体催化活性中心产生了His^41-Arg^41的天然突变,这与其他自然界已发现的丝氨酸蛋白酶明显不同。     

苜蓿夜蛾中肠丝氨酸蛋白酶cDNA的克隆、序列分析及原核表达

【目的】本研究旨在从苜蓿夜蛾Heliothis viriplaca中肠克隆出丝氨酸蛋白酶（serine protease, SP）基因的cDNA序列,测定原核表达后的蛋白经纯化及复性后的活性。【方法】运用RT-PCR和cDNA末端快速扩增方法（rapid amplification of cDNA ends, RACE）克隆苜蓿夜蛾幼虫中肠丝氨酸蛋白酶cDNA全序列,用大肠杆菌Escherichia coli表达系统进行表达。重组蛋白经纯化后,利用梯度透析法进行复性,以BApNA为底物,进行活性测定。【结果】克隆获得的苜蓿夜蛾中肠丝氨酸蛋白酶基因命名为HvSP（GenBank登录号：JX866720）,该基因全长880 bp,开放阅读框长762 bp,编码254个氨基酸,推测分子量和pI值分别为26.9 kDa和9.49。由HvSP推导的氨基酸与鳞翅目昆虫SP氨基酸序列的一致性在52%~95%之间,其中与棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera SP（GenBank登录号：CAA72962）的氨基酸序列一致性最高,达95%。成功构建重组载体pET21b-HvSP进行原核表达,Western-blot鉴定确定为目的蛋白。蛋白可溶性分析发现重组蛋白为包涵体。在Glycine-NaOH缓冲液中,当pH为10.0时,复性的重组蛋白活性达到最高,为35.74 U/mL。【结论】本研究在苜蓿夜蛾体内获得了一个新的丝氨酸蛋白酶基因,且原核表达后的重组蛋白经过变性、纯化及复性后具有活性。该结果为进一步研究丝氨酸蛋白酶在鳞翅目昆虫体内的生理功能奠定了基础。     

从进化角度分析皮肤脱屑相关Kallikrein7蛋白家族潜在抑制剂结合点

KLK7是丝氨酸蛋白酶家族的一员,能够水解桥粒蛋白从而引起角质层细胞间粘合力下降,是治疗皮肤脱屑的靶标。为了研究KLK7潜在特异性抑制点,本研究利用NCBI的blastp寻找人KLK蛋白同源序列,然后对获得的同源序列在Smart中验证是否有丝氨酸胰蛋白酶保守功能域。并基于获得的59个人KLK7蛋白同源序列进行进化踪迹分析,对于获得的65个KLK7蛋白全家族保守残基进一步用序列对比和结构对比进化分析进行验证。然后用Metapocket预测人KLK7蛋白质潜在配基结合点,结合之前获得的61个KLK7蛋白全家族保守残基进行潜在的抑制剂结合点分析,Asp104和Arg123是潜在的特异抑制剂结合点。其中Asp204和Ile30之间的盐桥对蛋白质结构起到稳定作用,Arg123是KLK7的外结合点,为寻找KLK7特异性抑制剂奠定了理论基础。     

嗜水气单胞菌丝氨酸蛋白酶基因克隆与序列分析

目的:克隆嗜水气单胞菌丝氨酸蛋白酶(Ahp)基因,进一步分析序列、预测三级结构。方法:设计Ahp基因特异性引物,利用PCR方法扩增基因序列,亚克隆至pMD18-T载体,进行DNA测序及生物信息学分析。结果:获得Ahp基因大小为1 645bp,推导编码548aa,含有天冬氨酸(82-93aa)、组氨酸(123-133aa)和丝氨酸活性位点(342-352aa)。Ahp蛋白三级结构与模板(PDB:3HJR_A)相似性达81.48%,预测60-392aa区域为肽酶S8结构域(PF00082)、480-548aa区域为前蛋白转化酶P结构域(PF01483),其中3个氨基酸活性位点分布于三级结构N端,与拉马钱德兰图检测分析Ahp蛋白的空间结构基本一致。结论:该研究对嗜水气单胞菌Zf1菌株Ahp基因编码蛋白进行结构预测,有助于理解嗜水气单胞菌丝氨酸蛋白酶的作用机理。     

沙葱萤叶甲丝氨酸蛋白酶基因GdSP的克隆及对温度胁迫的响应

【目的】丝氨酸蛋白酶(serine protease,SP)是一类以丝氨酸为活性中心的重要的蛋白水解酶。本研究旨在克隆获得沙葱萤叶甲Galeruca daurica丝氨酸蛋白酶基因,分析其对温度胁迫的响应,以期为进一步揭示沙葱萤叶甲耐温性的调控机制及其他生理功能奠定基础。【方法】根据沙葱萤叶甲2龄幼虫转录组数据,采用RACE技术克隆得到沙葱萤叶甲丝氨酸蛋白酶基因的cDNA全长序列,并进行生物信息学分析;应用qPCR技术检测其在不同温度(-10,-5,0,5,25和35℃)下处理1 h后及25℃下恢复30 min后在沙葱萤叶甲2龄幼虫中的表达量变化。【结果】自沙葱萤叶甲克隆获得一个丝氨酸蛋白酶基因,命名为GdSP(GenBank登录号:MG797556)。该基因全长1 110 bp,开放阅读框969 bp,编码322个氨基酸;蛋白预测分子量35.41 kD,等电点5.61;编码蛋白具有丝氨酸蛋白酶的典型特征,具有一个跨膜结构,无信号肽。同源序列比对和系统发育分析表明,GdSP与光肩星天牛Anoplophora glabripennis SP的同源性最高,氨基酸序列一致性为30.53%。qPCR测定结果表明,不同温度处理间2龄幼虫中GdSP表达量差异不显著,但对各高低温(-10℃除外)胁迫处理回温后GdSP表达量显著上升。【结论】快速冷驯化对沙葱萤叶甲丝氨酸蛋白酶基因表达无显著影响,而回温可诱导其上调表达。     

GB virus B and hepatitis C virus NS3 serine proteases share substrate specificity.

GB virus B (GBV-B) is a recently discovered virus responsible for hepatitis in tamarins (Saguinus species). GBV-B belongs to the Flaviviridae family and is closely related to the human pathogen hepatitis C virus (HCV). Nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) of HCV has been shown to encompass a serine protease domain required for viral maturation. GBV-B and HCV share only about 30% of the amino acid sequence within the NS3 protease domain. The catalytic triad is conserved, and the residue Phe-154, presumed to be a crucial amino acid for determining the S1 specificity pocket of the HCV NS3 protease, is also conserved. We have expressed a synthetic gene encoding the GBV-B NS3 protease domain in Escherichia coli and have characterized the purified recombinant protein for its activity on HCV substrates. We have shown that the NS3 region of the GBV-B genome actually encodes a serine protease that, despite the low sequence homology, shares substrate specificity with the HCV NS3 protease.     

Hepatitis C viral NS3-4A protease activity is enhanced by the NS3 helicase

Non-structural protein 3 (NS3) is a multifunctional enzyme possessing serine protease, NTPase, and RNA unwinding activities that are required for hepatitis C viral (HCV) replication. HCV non-structural protein 4A (NS4A) binds to the N-terminal NS3 protease domain to stimulate NS3 serine protease activity. In addition, the NS3 protease domain enhances the RNA binding, ATPase, and RNA unwinding activities of the C-terminal NS3 helicase domain (NS3hel). To determine whether NS3hel enhances the NS3 serine protease activity, we purified truncated and full-length NS3-4A complexes and examined their serine protease activities under a variety of salt and pH conditions. Our results indicate that the helicase domain enhances serine protease activity, just as the protease domain enhances helicase activity. Thus, the two enzymatic domains of NS3-4A are highly interdependent. This is the first time that such a complete interdependence has been demonstrated for a multifunctional, single chain enzyme. NS3-4A domain interdependence has important implications for function during the viral lifecycle as well as for the design of inhibitor screens that target the NS3-4A protease.     

HCV NS3 serine protease-neutralizing single-chain antibodies isolated by a novel genetic screen

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major world-wide health problem causing chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and primary liver cancer. The high frequency of treatment failure points to the need for more specific, less toxic and more active antiviral therapies for HCV. The HCV NS3 is currently regarded as a prime target for anti-viral drugs, thus specific inhibitors of its activity are of utmost importance. Here, we report the development of a novel bacterial genetic screen for inhibitors of NS3 catalysis and its application for the isolation of single-chain antibody-inhibitors. Our screen is based on the concerted co-expression of a reporter gene, of recombinant NS3 protease and of fusion-stabilized single-chain antibodies (scFvs) in Escherichia coli. The reporter system had been constructed by inserting a short peptide corresponding to the NS5A/B cleavage site of NS3 into a permissive site of the enzyme beta-galactosidase. The resulting engineered lacZ gene, coding for an NS3-cleavable beta-galactosidase, is carried on a low copy plasmid that also carried the NS3 protease-coding sequence. The resultant beta-galactosidase enzyme is active, conferring a Lac+ phenotype (blue colonies on indicator 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-galactoside (X-gal) plates), while induction of NS3 expression results in loss of beta-galactosidase activity (transparent colonies on X-gal plates). The identification of inhibitors, as shown here by isolating NS3-inhibiting single-chain antibodies, expressed from a compatible high copy number plasmid, is based on the appearance of blue colonies (NS3 inhibited) on the background of colorless colonies (NS3 active). Our source of inhibitory scFvs was an scFv library that we prepared from spleens of NS3-immunized mice and subjected to limited affinity selection. Once isolated, the inhibitors were validated as genuine and specific NS3 binders by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and as bone fide NS3 serine protease inhibitors by an in vitro catalysis assay. We further show that upon expression as cytoplasmic intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) in NS3-expressing mammalian cells, three of the scFvs inhibit NS3-mediated cell proliferation. Although applied here for the isolation of antibody-based inhibitors, our genetic screen should be applicable for the identification of candidate inhibitors from other sources.     

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.     

Construction, expression, and characterization of a novel fully activated recombinant single-chain hepatitis C virus protease.

Efficient proteolytic processing of essential junctions of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein requires a heterodimeric complex of the NS3 bifunctional protease/helicase and the NS4A accessory protein. A single-chain recombinant form of the protease has been constructed in which NS4A residues 21-32 (GSVVIVGRIILS) were fused in frame to the amino terminus of the NS3 protease domain (residues 3-181) through a tetrapeptide linker. The single-chain recombinant protease has been overexpressed as a soluble protein in E. coli and purified to homogeneity by a combination of metal chelate and size-exclusion chromatography. The single-chain recombinant protease domain shows full proteolytic activity cleaving the NS5A-5B synthetic peptide substrate, DTEDVVCCSMSYTWTGK with a Km and k(cat) of 20.0 +/- 2.0 microM and 9.6 +/- 2.0 min(-1), respectively; parameters identical to those of the authentic NS3(1-631)/NS4A(1-54) protein complex generated in eukaryotic cells (Sali DL et al., 1998, Biochemistry 37:3392-3401).     

A novel recombinant single-chain hepatitis C virus NS3-NS4A protein with improved helicase activity.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) has been shown to possess protease and helicase activities and has also been demonstrated to spontaneously associate with nonstructural protein NS4A (NS4A) to form a stable complex. Previous attempts to produce the NS3/NS4A complex in recombinant baculovirus resulted in a protein complex that aggregated and precipitated in the absence of nonionic detergent and high salt. A single-chain form of the NS3/NS4A complex (His-NS4A21-32-GSGS-NS3-631) was constructed in which the NS4A core peptide is fused to the N-terminus of the NS3 protease domain as previously described (Taremi et al., 1998). This protein contains a histidine tagged NS4A peptide (a.a. 21-32) fused to the full-length NS3 (a.a. 3-631) through a flexible tetra amino acid linker. The recombinant protein was expressed to high levels in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and examined for NTPase, nucleic acid unwinding, and proteolytic activities. The single-chain recombinant NS3-NS4A protein possesses physiological properties equivalent to those of the NS3/NS4A complex except that this novel construct is stable, soluble and sixfold to sevenfold more active in unwinding duplex RNA. Comparison of the helicase activity of the single-chain recombinant NS3-NS4A with that of the full-length NS3 (without NS4A) and that of the helicase domain alone suggested that the presence of the protease domain and at least the NS4A core peptide are required for optimal unwinding activity.     

Synthesis of new acylsulfamoyl benzoxaboroles as potent inhibitors of HCV NS3 protease

HCV NS3/4A serine protease is essential for the replication of the HCV virus and has been a clinically validated target. A series of HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors containing a novel acylsulfamoyl benzoxaborole moiety at the P1' region was synthesized and evaluated. The resulting P1-P3 and P2-P4 macrocyclic inhibitors exhibited sub-nanomolar potency in the enzymatic assay and low nanomolar activity in the cell-based replicon assay. The in vivo PK evaluations of selected compounds are also described.     

Enzymatic characterization of membrane-associated hepatitis C virus NS3-4A heterocomplex serine protease activity expressed in human cells

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural (NS)3-NS4A serine protease heterocomplex is a prime target for development of novel HCV therapies, due to its essential role in maturation of the viral polyprotein. While the mode of substrate/inhibitor recognition of the HCV NS3/NS4A serine protease has been extensively studied in vitro, important molecular aspects of the mechanism of action for this membrane-bound multifunctional enzyme remain unresolved in vivo. In particular, what influence does membrane association exert on the specificity and catalysis of NS3-4A protease? To carry out this study, we developed a specific and sensitive protease assay using a unique internally quenched fluorogenic substrate (IQFS). Our IQFS enables for the first time the direct, specific detection of NS3-4A protease activity within membrane fractions isolated from human cells expressing NS3-4A and the determination of its steady-state kinetic parameters, which were found to be K(m) = 51 +/- 3 microM and k(cat) = 0.39 min(-1). We also show that our fluorescence-based bioassay can be used to evaluate specifically the potency and mode of action of NS3-4A directed inhibitors, such as in the case of a known NS3-4A substrate-analogue inhibitor (K(i) = 22 nM). Our results indicate that the membrane anchoring of NS3 by NS4A does not affect the substrate/inhibitor recognition by the NS3-4A protease domain. Further investigation may reveal whether membrane association could be important for regulating other enzymatic activities associated with NS3 (e.g., helicase and/or ATPase) and/or regulating the recently proposed cross-talk between the protease and helicase activities.     

The GB virus C (GBV-C) NS3 serine protease inhibits HIV-1 replication in a CD4+ T lymphocyte cell line without decreasing HIV receptor expression

Introduction

Persistent infection with GBV-C (GB Virus C), a non-pathogenic virus related to hepatitis C virus (HCV), prolongs survival in HIV infection. Two GBV-C proteins, NS5A and E2, have been shown previously to inhibit HIV replication in vitro. We investigated whether the GBV-C NS3 serine protease affects HIV replication.

Results

GBV-C NS3 protease expressed in a human CD4+ T lymphocyte cell line significantly inhibited HIV replication. Addition of NS4A or NS4A/4B coding sequence to GBV-C NS3 increased the effect on HIV replication. Inhibition of HIV replication was dose-dependent and was not mediated by increased cell toxicity. Mutation of the NS3 catalytic serine to alanine resulted in loss of both HIV inhibition and protease activity. GBV-C NS3 expression did not measurably decrease CD4 or CXCR4 expression.

Conclusion

GBV-C NS3 serine protease significantly inhibited HIV replication without decreasing HIV receptor expression. The requirement for an intact catalytic serine at the active site indicates that inhibition was mediated by proteolytic cleavage of an unidentified target(s).