人巨细胞病毒病毒体的组装研究新进展

阐明人巨细胞病毒（HCMV）病毒体的组装过程对研究HCMV致病分子机制有重要意义,同时可为抗病毒药物的设计与运用提供新的思路。HCMV组装可概括为两大阶段：初期为入核阶段,主要为核衣壳的组装。在胞质中表达的病毒蛋白形成多种形式的多聚体进入细胞核,在核内相互作用形成衣壳并将病毒DNA装入衣壳中,核衣壳初步形成。第二阶段为出核阶段,主要涉及被膜与包膜的组装。在核中形成的原始核衣壳出核移至胞质,最终在胞质中组装完成,此过程极其复杂,涉及众多蛋白间相互作用及宿主细胞的参与。值得一提的是,组装过程中多种蛋白的变异会导致病毒复制失败。组装完成的病毒体经修饰成熟释放出细胞后,再感染新的宿主细胞。本文对HCMV病毒体组装机制的最新研究作一综述。     

黄芩素抑制人巨细胞病毒感染星形胶质细胞的实验研究

目前对人巨细胞病毒(human cytomegalovirous,HCMV)感染尚无特异有效的治疗和预防手段,研究通过观察黄芩素(baicalein,BAI)抑制HCMV体外感染人星形胶质细胞引起的IE、pp65 mRNA及蛋白表达的变化,探讨黄芩素抗HCMV感染的机制。运用MTT法检测BAI组、HCMV组、HCMV+BAI组和对照组细胞的细胞活性,观察BAI对HCMV感染致人星形胶质细胞增殖异常的抑制作用;Real-time PCR检测不同组之间IE、pp65 mRNA表达的变化;免疫荧光、Western blot技术检测IE、pp65蛋白表达的变化。MTT结果显示,20μmol/L BAI+HCMV组的吸光值在24、48、72 h均高于HCMV组(P0.05);形态学观察病毒感染48 h时,HCMV组细胞出现明显的细胞病变效应(CPE),而20μmol/L BAI+HCMV组细胞状态较好,CPE不明显;Real-time PCR结果显示在感染48和72 h时20μmol/L BAI+HCMV组IE、pp65的mRNA表达明显低于HCMV组(P0.05);免疫荧光、Western blot结果显示20μmol/L BAI+HCMV组细胞的IE、pp65蛋白表达明显低于HCMV组(P0.05)。以上结果显示,适当浓度的黄芩素能抑制HCMV感染所致的细胞增殖异常,同时降低IE及pp65的mRNA和蛋白表达量。     

HCMV截短UL83基因真核表达重组体的构建、转染及其免疫效力研究

为了构建人巨细胞病毒(HCMV)截短UL83基因真核表达重组体,实现其在Hep-2细胞中的稳定表达,研究该截短UL83基因真核表达重组体免疫效力,采用基因重组的方法,将HCMV AD169株截短UL83基因定向克隆到带有绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)作为报告基因的真核表达载体pEGFP-C1上,构建真核重组表达质粒pEGFP-C1-UL83;脂质体转染至Hep-2细胞中,G418筛选获得稳定表达pp65细胞表达系。经基因测序显示,重组体中截短UL83基因完全正确,RT-PCR和Western blot检测证实其可在Hep-2细胞中稳定表达。用该重组体和其表达产物在HCMV先天性感染小鼠模型上进行免疫保护试验显示,母鼠血清可检测到特异性抗HCMV pp65抗体,效价为:1∶2.51~1∶50.79;子鼠脑组织内未分离出病毒,亦未检测出病毒pp65蛋白抗原表达。初步结果表明,pEGFP-C1-UL83具有较好的免疫原性,可作为DNA疫苗刺激机体产生有效抗体,并具有阻止病毒垂直传播的保护性作用。     

人巨细胞病毒cDNA文库的构建、鉴定及pp65阳性克隆筛选

为进一步进行人巨细胞病毒 (HCMV)后基因组功能的研究 ,以及为疫苗分子和早期诊断试剂的研制提供有效工具 ,从HCMVAD1 69株感染 96h的HF细胞中提取HCMV的mRNA ,逆转录合成cDNA片段 ,重组入λgt1 1EcoRI酶切位点之间 ,包装蛋白包装 ,构建HCMVAD1 69株基因组cDNA表达文库。结果表明 ,初始HCMVcDNA文库容量为 3 6× 1 0 6,重组率为 96% ;HCMV鼠多克隆抗血清筛选出 1 68个HCMV阳性克隆 ;地高辛标记pp65特异性寡核苷酸探针原位噬斑杂交筛选出 3 4个pp65阳性克隆 ,再经PCR扩增 ,筛选出 2个pp65阳性克隆 ;pp65PCR扩增产物进一步被Southernblotting证实 ;3 端测序比较 ,同源性为 98%。为进一步克隆、表达该基因及其产物功能研究奠定基础     

HCMV在基因转染细胞中复制的研究

用人喉上皮细胞癌细胞系(HEP_2)的DNA转染人胚肺细胞(HEL),得到了5株基因转染细胞(GTC),命名为A5、B3、G8、D3和H3.这些GTC的染色体数在HEL的染色体数与两个亲代细胞(HEP-2和HEL)染色体的和数之间,感染人巨细胞病毒ADI69株后4d,D3比A5、B3、G8和H3有更多的荧光阳性细胞和更高的病毒滴度.在D3中HCMV复制随感染剂量的增大而增速.不同代数的D3对HCMV具有相似的敏感性,HCMV感染传至100代的D3,电镜证实仍可象原代D3复制大量的HCMV.永生性的D3可以用作分析调控HCMV复制的宿主细胞因子、分离培养HCMV等的工具.     

HCMV感染对胶质瘤细胞U87自噬的影响

研究人巨细胞病毒(HCMV)感染对神经胶质瘤U87细胞自噬的影响。通过观察微管相关蛋白1轻链3(LC3)、自噬相关基因Beclin1及其蛋白表达的变化,从而探讨HCMV与神经胶质瘤发生、发展的关系及意义。用HCMV AD169(MOI=5)感染神经胶质瘤U87细胞,同时将未感染HCMV的U87细胞作为对照组。分别在6、12、24、48 h用RT-PCR检测Beclin1的表达,Western-blot和免疫荧光检测Beclin1和LC3编码蛋白的表达,最后用CCK-8检测细胞的增殖活性。结果显示,HCMV感染的U87细胞LC3-II蛋白表达水平逐渐下降(P<0.05);同时,HCMV感染的U87细胞Beclin1基因及蛋白的表达水平也逐渐下降(P<0.01),且HCMV感染U87细胞增殖显著(P<0.01)。以上结果表明,HCMV感染抑制胶质瘤U87细胞自噬,并会引起Beclin1表达水平下调,进而导致胶质瘤细胞增殖。     

神经胶质瘤细胞ATF5表达水平对HCMV复制的影响

人巨细胞病毒(human cytomegalovirus,HCMV)在神经胶质瘤细胞中的复制水平不一,其机制尚不清楚。本研究通过下调转录激活因子5(ATF5)在神经胶质瘤细胞中的表达,检测HCMV感染神经胶质瘤细胞后病毒复制水平的变化。首先用HCMV AD169(MOI=5)分别感染U87、SY5Y及A172细胞,观察细胞形态变化,分别在24、48、72、96、120 h取各时间点上清液检测病毒滴度;Real-time PCR检测HCMV即刻早期基因(IE2)、早期基因(UL44)、晚期基因(UL99)及ATF5的表达情况;Western-blot检测病毒基因编码蛋白及ATF5表达的情况。结果显示HCMV在U87、SY5Y细胞中复制水平与病毒在A172细胞中复制水平相比,U87、SY5Y细胞组明显高于A172细胞组(P0.05),ATF5表达在U87、SY5Y细胞组与A172细胞组相比,U87、SY5Y细胞组ATF5表达明显高于A172组(P0.05);利用慢病毒介导的RNA干扰技术下调ATF5在U87、SY5Y细胞的表达,用HCMV感染细胞检测病毒基因及蛋白的表达,结果ATF5表达下调可抑制HCMV的复制(P0.05)。以上结果表明,在胶质瘤细胞中下调ATF5表达水平可以抑制HCMV的复制水平。     

人巨细胞病毒pp150抗原区的原核表达及初步应用

人巨细胞病毒(human cytomegalovirus,HCMV)感染人体可引起广泛的临床症状,尤其是孕妇和免疫缺陷病人感染HCMV可产生严重的危害[1].传统的减毒活疫苗使用后可能会造成宿主机会性感染或导致肿瘤,因而限制了它的应用.与亚单位疫苗相比,DNA疫苗具有易于构建和制备、稳定性高等特点.多种HCMV病毒蛋白可刺激机体产生相应的抗体,但应选用免疫原性强、特异性好的蛋白抗原基因制备HCMVDNA疫苗.国内外的研究证实[2-5],HCMV的pp150蛋白具有较强的免疫原性.我们用RT-PCR方法扩增了pp150 420～752氨基酸之间多肽片段的编码基因,克隆至原核表达载体,构建了表达pp150抗原决定簇区的工程菌.     

流式细胞术检测人巨细胞病毒活动性感染检测方法的建立及检测效果评价

探讨流式细胞术检测人巨细胞病毒活动性感染检测方法的可行性及效果评价。分离人外周血白细胞,以商品化的小鼠抗人巨细胞病毒pp65抗原单克隆抗体为一抗,FITC标记的羊抗小鼠IgG抗体为二抗,采用流式细胞术对外周血人巨细胞病毒pp65抗原进行检测。同时采用间接免疫荧光法对外周血人巨细胞病毒pp65抗原进行检测。采用配对χ2检验对两种方法的检测效果进行评价。临床送检的65份疑似为人巨细胞病毒感染病人外周血标本中,间接免疫荧光法检出阳性9份,流式细胞术检出阳性11份,两种方法阳性检出率差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。采用流式细胞术可定量检测外周血人巨细胞病毒pp65抗原,与间接免疫荧光法检测结果无统计学差异,可在临床推广使用。     

人巨细胞病毒疫苗研究进展

人巨细胞病毒(Human cytomegalovirus,HCMV)是一类在自然界普遍存在的具有严格种属特异性的病毒,属β疱疹病毒亚科.Zsofia Gyulai等[1]对HCMV感染作了流行病学调查,发现体内抗病毒体液免疫反应主要针对gB;而细胞免疫反应主要针对pp65、pp150.根据HCMV感染的特点和机制,以上述几种结构糖蛋白设计候选基因工程疫苗,已得到了广泛的研究,包括基因工程亚单位疫苗、质粒载体DNA疫苗、病毒载体DNA疫苗、合成蛋白(肽)疫苗,另外还有Towne减毒活疫苗.在国外,有的疫苗已完成Ⅱ期临床试验研究[2].本文现就HCMV疫苗的种类及优缺点、相关佐剂、展望进行综述.     

A human cytomegalovirus function inhibits replication of herpes simplex virus.

Human embryonic lung (HEL) cells infected with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) restricted the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). A delay in HSV replication of 15 h as well as a consistent, almost 3 log inhibition of HSV replication in HCMV-infected cell cultures harvested 24 to 72 h after superinfection were observed compared with controls infected with HSV alone. Treatment of HCMV-infected HEL cells with cycloheximide (100 micrograms/ml) for 3 or 24 h, conditions known to result in accumulation of HCMV immediate-early and early mRNA, was demonstrated effective in blocking HCMV protein synthesis, as shown by immunoprecipitation with HCMV antibody-positive polyvalent serum. Cycloheximide treatment of HCMV-infected HEL cells and removal of the cycloheximide block before superinfection inhibited HSV-1 replication more efficiently than non-drug-treated superinfected controls. HCMV DNA-negative temperature-sensitive mutants restricted HSV as efficiently as wild-type HCMV suggesting that immediate-early and/or early events which occur before viral DNA synthesis are sufficient for inhibition of HSV. Inhibition of HSV-1 in HCMV-infected HEL cells was unaffected by elevated temperature (40.5 degrees C). However, prior UV irradiation of HCMV removed the block to HSV replication, demonstrating the requirement for an active HCMV genome. HSV-2 replication was similarly inhibited in HCMV-infected HEL cells. However, replication of adenovirus, another DNA virus, was not restricted in these cells under the same conditions. Superinfection of HCMV-infected HEL cells with HSV-1 labeled with [3H]thymidine provided evidence that the labeled virus could penetrate to the nucleus of cells after superinfection. Evidence for penetration of superinfecting HSV into HCMV-infected cells was also provided by blot hybridization of HSV DNA synthesized in cells infected with HSV alone versus superinfected cell cultures at 0 and 48 h after superinfection. In addition, superinfection with vesicular stomatitis virus ruled out a role for interferon in restriction of HSV replication in this system.     

Human Cytomegalovirus Persistently Infects Aortic Endothelial Cells

Endothelial cells (EC) have been implicated as constituting an important cell type in the pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Microvascular and macrovascular EC exhibit different biochemical and functional properties depending on the organ of origin. Phenotypic differences between microvascular and macrovascular EC may alter the ability of these cells to support HCMV replication. In this study, we compared the replication of HCMV in primary macrovascular aortic EC (AEC) with that in brain microvascular EC (BMVEC). An examination of IE72, pp65, and gB viral antigen expression in BMVEC and AEC by immunoflourescence revealed similar frequencies of infected cells. Intracellular production of virus was 3 log units greater in BMVEC than in AEC, while equal quantities of extracellular virus were produced in both cell types. HCMV infection of BMVEC resulted in rapid cellular lysis, while the virus was nonlytic and continuously released from HCMV-infected AEC for the life span of the culture. An examination of infected cells by electron microscopy revealed the formation of abundant nucleocapsids in both AEC and BMVEC. However, significant amounts of mature viral particles were only detected in the cytoplasm of BMVEC. These observations indicate that levels of HCMV replication in EC obtained from different organs are distinct and suggest that persistently infected AEC may serve as a reservoir of virus.     

The dominant phosphoprotein pp65 (UL83) of human cytomegalovirus is dispensable for growth in cell culture.

The phosphoprotein pp65 (ppUL83) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is abundantly synthesized during lytic infection in cultured fibroblasts. As a major constituent of extracellular particles, it gains entry to infected cells immediately after adsorption and subsequently translocates to the cell nucleus. This efficient transport is mediated by unique nuclear localization signals. To study the function of pp65, a viral deletion mutant was constructed by replacing the pp65 gene with the bacterial neomycin phosphotransferase gene, driven by the simian virus 40 early promoter. The resulting virus, RVAd65, could be grown and selected on human fibroblasts without complementation. The deletion of the pp65 gene in RVAd65 was verified by using Southern blot and PCR analyses. The lack of expression from the gene was investigated by immunoblotting with pp65-specific monoclonal antibodies. Single-cycle growth analyses showed that RVAd65 grew to levels of infectivity comparable to those of the wild-type virus. Therefore, pp65 is nonessential for the growth of HCMV in human fibroblasts. Electron microscopy revealed no differences in the processes of virion morphogenesis, although the maturation appeared to be delayed. However, the kinetics of expression of the immediate-early genes UL122 and UL123, the early gene UL44, and the late gene UL32 were the same in RVAd65-infected cells as in wild-type virus-infected cells in immunoblot analyses. In vitro phosphorylation assays showed that some of the virion proteins were labelled to a markedly reduced extent by virion-associated kinases in RVAd65 compared with wild-type virus. We therefore conclude that although deletion of the pp65 gene does not abolish replication of HCMV, a recombinant virus lacking pp65 displays phenotypic alterations compared with wild-type virus during growth in cultured fibroblasts.     

The US16 gene of human cytomegalovirus is required for efficient viral infection of endothelial and epithelial cells

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) US12 gene family comprises a set of 10 contiguous genes (US12 to US21), each encoding a predicted seven-transmembrane protein and whose specific functions have yet to be ascertained. While inactivation of individual US12 family members in laboratory strains of HCMV has not been found to affect viral replication in fibroblasts, inactivation of US16 was reported to increase replication in microvascular endothelial cells. Here, we investigate the properties of US16 further by ascertaining the expression pattern of its product. A recombinant HCMV encoding a tagged version of the US16 protein expressed a 33-kDa polypeptide that accumulated with late kinetics in the cytoplasmic virion assembly compartment. To elucidate the function(s) of pUS16, we generated US16-deficient mutants in the TR clinical strain of HCMV. According to previous studies, inactivation of US16 had no effect on viral replication in fibroblasts. In contrast, the US16-deficient viruses exhibited a major growth defect in both microvascular endothelial cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells. The expression of representative IE, E, and L viral proteins was impaired in endothelial cells infected with a US16 mutant virus, suggesting a defect in the replication cycle that occurs prior to IE gene expression. This defect must be due to an inefficient entry and/or postentry event, since pp65 and viral DNA did not move to the nucleus in US16 mutant-infected cells. Taken together, these data indicate that the US16 gene encodes a novel virus tropism factor that regulates, in a cell-specific manner, a pre-immediate-early phase of the HCMV replication cycle.     

Human cytomegalovirus proteins PP65 and IEP72 are targeted to distinct compartments in nuclei and nuclear matrices of infected human embryo fibroblasts

The cellular distribution of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific UL83 phosphoprotein (pp65) and UL123 immediate-early protein (IEp72) in lytically infected human embryo fibroblasts was studied by means of indirect immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Both proteins were found to have a nuclear localization, but they were concentrated in different compartments within the nuclei. The pp65 was located predominantly in the nucleoli; this was already evident with the parental viral protein, which was targeted to the above nuclear compartment very soon after infection. The nucleolar localization of pp65 was also observed at later stages of the HCMV infectious cycle. After chromatin extraction (in the so-called in situ nuclear matrices), a significant portion of the pp65 remained associated with nucleoli within the first hour after infection, then gradually redistributed in a perinucleolar area, as well as throughout the nucleus, with a granular pattern. A quite different distribution was observed for IEp72 at very early stages after infection of human embryo fibroblasts with HCMV; indeed, this viral protein was found in bright foci, clearly observable in both non-extracted nuclei and in nuclear matrices. At later stages of infection, IEp72 became almost homogeneously distributed within the whole nucleus, while the foci increased in size and were more evenly spread; in several infected cells some of them lay within nucleoli. This peculiar nuclear distribution of IEp72 was preserved in nuclear matrices as well. The entire set of data is discussed in terms of the necessity of integration for HCMV-specific products into the pre-existing nuclear architecture, with the possibility of subsequent adaptation of nuclear compartments to fit the needs of the HCMV replicative cycle.     

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL82 gene product (pp71) relieves hDaxx-mediated repression of HCMV replication

This study examines the role of the cellular protein hDaxx in controlling human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate-early (IE) gene expression and viral replication. Using permissive cell lines that either overexpress hDaxx or are depleted of hDaxx expression by the use of short hairpin RNA, we demonstrate that hDaxx functions as a repressor of HCMV IE gene expression and replication. In addition, we demonstrate that the impaired growth phenotype associated with the UL82 (pp71) deletion mutant is abolished when hDaxx knockdown cells are infected, suggesting that pp71 functions to relieve hDaxx-mediated repression during HCMV infection.     

Human cytomegalovirus protein kinase UL97 forms a complex with the tegument phosphoprotein pp65

UL97 is a protein kinase encoded by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and is an important target for antiviral drugs against this ubiquitous herpesvirus, which is a major cause of life-threatening opportunistic infections in the immunocompromised host. In an effort to better understand the function(s) of UL97 during HCMV replication, a recombinant HCMV, NTAP97, which expresses a tandem affinity purification (TAP) tag at the amino terminus of UL97, was used to obtain UL97 protein complexes from infected cells. pp65 (also known as UL83), the 65-kDa virion tegument phosphoprotein, specifically copurified with UL97 during TAP, as shown by mass spectrometry and Western blot analyses. Reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation experiments using lysates of infected cells also indicated an interaction between UL97 and pp65. Moreover, in a glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down experiment, purified GST-pp65 fusion protein specifically bound in vitro-translated UL97, suggesting that UL97 and pp65 do not require other viral proteins to form a complex and may directly interact. Notably, pp65 has been previously reported to form unusual aggregates during viral replication when UL97 is pharmacologically inhibited or genetically ablated, and a pp65 deletion mutant was observed to exhibit modest resistance to a UL97 inhibitor (M. N. Prichard, W. J. Britt, S. L. Daily, C. B. Hartline, and E. R. Kern, J. Virol. 79:15494-15502, 2005). A stable protein-protein interaction between pp65 and UL97 may be relevant to incorporation of these proteins into HCMV particles during virion morphogenesis, with potential implications for immunomodulation by HCMV, and may also be a mechanism by which UL97 is negatively regulated during HCMV replication.     

A Novel DDB2-ATM Feedback Loop Regulates Human Cytomegalovirus Replication

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genome replication requires host DNA damage responses (DDRs) and raises the possibility that DNA repair pathways may influence viral replication. We report here that a nucleotide excision repair (NER)-associated-factor is required for efficient HCMV DNA replication. Mutations in genes encoding NER factors are associated with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). One of the XP complementation groups, XPE, involves mutation in ddb2, which encodes DNA damage binding protein 2 (DDB2). Infectious progeny virus production was reduced by >2 logs in XPE fibroblasts compared to levels in normal fibroblasts. The levels of immediate early (IE) (IE2), early (E) (pp65), and early/late (E/L) (gB55) proteins were decreased in XPE cells. These replication defects were rescued by infection with a retrovirus expressing DDB2 cDNA. Similar patterns of reduced viral gene expression and progeny virus production were also observed in normal fibroblasts that were depleted for DDB2 by RNA interference (RNAi). Mature replication compartments (RCs) were nearly absent in XPE cells, and there were 1.5- to 2.0-log reductions in viral DNA loads in infected XPE cells relative to those in normal fibroblasts. The expression of viral genes (UL122, UL44, UL54, UL55, and UL84) affected by DDB2 status was also sensitive to a viral DNA replication inhibitor, phosphonoacetic acid (PAA), suggesting that DDB2 affects gene expression upstream of or events associated with the initiation of DNA replication. Finally, a novel, infection-associated feedback loop between DDB2 and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) was observed in infected cells. Together, these results demonstrate that DDB2 and a DDB2-ATM feedback loop influence HCMV replication.     

Modulatory effect of rRNA synthesis and ppUL83 nucleolar compartmentalization on human cytomegalovirus gene expression in vitro

The nucleolus is a nuclear domain involved in the biogenesis of ribosomes, as well as in many other important cellular regulatory activities, such as cell cycle control and mRNA processing. Many viruses, including herpesviruses, are known to exploit the nucleolar compartment during their replication cycle. In a previous study, we demonstrated the preferential targeting and accumulation of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL83 phosphoprotein (pp65) to the nucleolar compartment and, in particular, to the nucleolar matrix of lytically infected fibroblasts; such targeting was already evident at very early times after infection. Here we have investigated the possible effects of rRNA synthesis inhibition upon the development of HCMV lytic infection, by using either actinomycin D or cisplatin at low concentrations, that are known to selectively inhibit RNA polymerase I activity, whilst leaving RNA polymerase II function unaffected. Following the inhibition of rRNA synthesis by either of the agents used, we observed a significant redistribution of nucleolar proteins within the nucleoplasm and a simultaneous depletion of viral pp65 from the nucleolus; this effect was highly evident in both unextracted cells and in nuclear matrices in situ. Of particular interest, even a brief suppression of rRNA synthesis resulted in a very strong inhibition of the progression of HCMV infection, as was concluded from the absence of accumulation of HCMV major immediate‐early proteins within the nucleus of infected cells. These data suggest that a functional relationship might exist between rRNA synthesis, pp65 localization to the nucleolar matrix and the normal development of HCMV lytic infection. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 415–423, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.