茧蜂病毒感染Hi5细胞与亲环素A的相关性研究

茧蜂病毒（Microplitis bicoloratus bracovirus,MbBV）属于多分DNA病毒（polydnavirus,PDV）的一种,主要存在于膜翅目茧蜂科寄生蜂中,对于寄生蜂成功寄生宿主起着至关重要的作用。而亲环素A（cyclophilin A,CypA）是一种肽基脯氨酰顺反异构酶,参与免疫反应等多种细胞活动。主要探讨了茧蜂病毒在感染昆虫细胞的过程中,是否与CypA存在相关性。研究结果显示,在粉纹夜蛾(Trichoplusia ni Hübner)卵细胞系（High Five,Hi5）培养基中加入茧蜂病毒24 h后,通过PCR可扩增出与病毒基因大小一致的目的片段,表明Hi5细胞已被茧蜂病毒感染。在病毒感染细胞后,CypA的基因转录水平显著升高,其蛋白表达水平也有所增加;当沉默cypa基因或抑制CypA活性后,实时荧光定量PCR（real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,qRT-PCR）结果显示,茧蜂病毒基因中的vank86基因转录水平显著下降;而过表达cypa基因,可使vank86基因转录水平上升。研究结果提示,茧蜂病毒在感染昆虫细胞的过程中,可能与CypA存在一定的相关性。     

Spodoptera litura cyclophilin A is required for Microplitis bicoloratus bracovirus‐induced apoptosis during insect cellular immune response

Microplitis bicoloratus bracovirus (MbBV) is a polydnavirus found in the parasitic wasp M. bicoloratus. Although MbBV is a known inducer of apoptosis in host hemocytes, the mechanism by which this occurs remains elusive. In this study, we found that expression of cyclophilin A (CypA) was significantly upregulated in Spodoptera litura hemocytes at 6‐day post‐parasitization. Similar results were reported in High Five cells (Hi5 cells) infected by MbBV, suggesting that the upregulation of CypA is linked to MbBV infection in insect cells. cDNA encoding CypA was cloned from parasitized hemocytes of S. litura, and bioinformatic analyses showed that S. litura CypA belongs to the cyclophilin family of proteins. Overexpression of S. litura CypA in Hi5 cells revealed that the protein promotes MbBV‐induced apoptosis in vitro. Conversely, suppression of the expression and activity of CypA protein significantly rescued the apoptotic phenotype observed in MbBV‐infected Hi5 cells, suggesting that it plays a key role in this process. MbBV infection also promoted the cytoplasmic‐nuclear translocation of CypA in Hi5 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that MbBV infection upregulates the expression of CypA, which is required for MbBV‐mediated apoptosis. Our findings provide insight into the role that CypA plays in insect cellular immune response.     

Parasitization of Manduca sexta larvae by the parasitoid wasp Cotesia congregata induces an impaired host immune response

During oviposition, the parasitoid wasp Cotesia congregata injects polydnavirus, venom, and parasitoid eggs into larvae of its lepidopteran host, the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. Polydnaviruses (PDVs) suppress the immune system of the host and allow the juvenile parasitoids to develop without being encapsulated by host hemocytes mobilized by the immune system. Previous work identified a gene in the Cotesia rubecula PDV (CrV1) that is responsible for depolymerization of actin in hemocytes of the host Pieris rapae during a narrow temporal window from 4 to 8h post-parasitization. Its expression appears temporally correlated with hemocyte dysfunction. After this time, the hemocytes recover, and encapsulation is then inhibited by other mechanism(s). In contrast, in parasitized tobacco hornworm larvae this type of inactivation in hemocytes of parasitized M. sexta larvae leads to irreversible cellular disruption. We have characterized the temporal pattern of expression of the CrV1-homolog from the C. congregata PDV in host fat body and hemocytes using Northern blots, and localized the protein in host hemocytes with polyclonal antibodies to CrV1 protein produced in P. rapae in response to expression of the CrV1 protein. Host hemocytes stained with FITC-labeled phalloidin, which binds to filamentous actin, were used to observe hemocyte disruption in parasitized and virus-injected hosts and a comparison was made to hemocytes of nonparasitized control larvae. At 24h post-parasitization host hemocytes were significantly altered compared to those of nonparasitized larvae. Hemocytes from newly parasitized hosts displayed blebbing, inhibition of spreading and adhesion, and overall cell disruption. A CrV1-homolog gene product was localized in host hemocytes using polyclonal CrV1 antibodies, suggesting that CrV1-like gene products of C. congregata's bracovirus are responsible for the impaired immune response of the host.     

The encapsidated genome of Microplitis demolitor bracovirus integrates into the host Pseudoplusia includens

Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are symbionts of parasitoid wasps that function as gene delivery vehicles in the insects (hosts) that the wasps parasitize. PDVs persist in wasps as integrated proviruses but are packaged as circularized and segmented double-stranded DNAs into the virions that wasps inject into hosts. In contrast, little is known about how PDV genomic DNAs persist in host cells. Microplitis demolitor carries Microplitis demolitor bracovirus (MdBV) and parasitizes the host Pseudoplusia includens. MdBV infects primarily host hemocytes and also infects a hemocyte-derived cell line from P. includens called CiE1 cells. Here we report that all 15 genomic segments of the MdBV encapsidated genome exhibited long-term persistence in CiE1 cells. Most MdBV genes expressed in hemocytes were persistently expressed in CiE1 cells, including members of the glc gene family whose products transformed CiE1 cells into a suspension culture. PCR-based integration assays combined with cloning and sequencing of host-virus junctions confirmed that genomic segments J and C persisted in CiE1 cells by integration. These genomic DNAs also rapidly integrated into parasitized P. includens. Sequence analysis of wasp-viral junction clones showed that the integration of proviral segments in M. demolitor was associated with a wasp excision/integration motif (WIM) known from other bracoviruses. However, integration into host cells occurred in association with a previously unknown domain that we named the host integration motif (HIM). The presence of HIMs in most MdBV genomic DNAs suggests that the integration of each genomic segment into host cells occurs through a shared mechanism.     

Cross-protection experiments with parasitoids in the genus Microplitis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) suggest a high level of specificity in their associated bracoviruses

The immunological and developmental effects of bracoviruses (BVs) from three parasitoids in the genus Microplitis (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) were compared in the hosts Pseudoplusia includens and Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Southern blotting experiments indicated that viral DNAs from Microplitis demolitor bracovirus (MdBV) cross-hybridized with viral DNAs from Microplitis croceipes bracovirus (McBV) and Microplitis mediator bracovirus (MmBV) under conditions of high stringency. Injection of calyx fluid plus venom from each parasitoid species dose-dependently delayed development of P. includens and H. virescens. Each virus also inhibited pupation of P. includens but not H. virescens. In situ hybridization experiments indicated that MdBV and McBV persistently infect hemocytes in both hosts while MmBV persistently infects hemocytes in P. includens but not H. virescens. While MdBV infection induced a loss of adhesion by most plasmatocytes, McBV and MmBV infection induced a loss of adhesion in less than 50% of cells. Cross-protection experiments indicated that calyx fluid plus venom from one species usually protected progeny of another species from encapsulation but did not always promote successful development.     

Microplitis demolitor bracovirus inhibits phagocytosis by hemocytes from Pseudoplusia includens

The braconid wasp Microplitis demolitor carries Microplitis demolitor bracovirus (MdBV) and parasitizes the larval stage of several noctuid moths. A key function of MdBV in parasitism is suppression of the host's cellular immune response. Prior studies in the host Pseudoplusia includens indicated that MdBV blocks encapsulation by preventing two types of hemocytes, plasmatocytes and granulocytes, from adhering to foreign targets. The other main immune response mediated by insect hemocytes is phagocytosis. The goal of this study was to determine which hemocyte types were phagocytic in P. includens and to assess whether MdBV infection affects this defense response. Using the bacterium Escherichia coli and inert polystyrene beads as targets, our results indicated that the professional phagocyte in P. includens is granulocytes. The phagocytic responses of granulocytes were very similar to those of High Five cells that prior studies have suggested are a granulocyte-like cell line. MdBV infection dose-dependently disrupted phagocytosis in both cell types by inhibiting adhesion of targets to the cell surface. The MdBV glc1.8 gene encodes a cell surface glycoprotein that had previously been implicated in disruption of adhesion and encapsulation responses by immune cells. Knockdown of glc1.8 expression by RNA interference (RNAi) during the current study rescued the ability of MdBV-infected High Five cells to phagocytize targets. Collectively, these results indicate that glc1.8 is a key virulence determinant in disruption of both adhesion and phagocytosis by insect immune cells.     

Characterization of a novel protein with homology to C-type lectins expressed by the Cotesia rubecula bracovirus in larvae of the lepidopteran host,Pieris rapae

Polydnaviruses are essential for the survival of many Ichneumonoid endoparasitoids, providing active immune suppression of the host in which parasitoid larvae develop. The Cotesia rubecula bracovirus is unique among polydnaviruses in that only four major genes are detected in parasitized host (Pieris rapae) tissues, and gene expression is transient. Here we describe a novel C. rubecula bracovirus gene (CrV3) encoding a lectin monomer composed of 159 amino acids, which has conserved residues consistent with invertebrate and mammalian C-type lectins. Bacterially expressed CrV3 agglutinated sheep red blood cells in a divalent ion-dependent but Ca2+-independent manner. Agglutination was inhibited by EDTA but not by biological concentrations of any saccharides tested. Two monomers of approximately 14 and approximately 17 kDa in size were identified on SDS-PAGE in parasitized P. rapae larvae. The 17-kDa monomer was found to be an N-glyscosylated form of the 14-kDa monomer. CrV3 is produced in infected hemocytes and fat body cells and subsequently secreted into hemolymph. We propose that CrV3 is a novel lectin, the first characterized from an invertebrate virus. CrV3 shows over 60% homology with hypothetical proteins isolated from polydnaviruses in two other Cotesia wasps, indicating that these proteins may also be C-type lectins and that a novel polydnavirus lectin family exists in Cotesia-associated bracoviruses. CrV3 is probably interacting with components in host hemolymph, resulting in suppression of the Pieris immune response. The high similarity of CrV3 with invertebrate lectins, as opposed to those from viruses, may indicate that some bracovirus functions were acquired from their hosts.     

Spodoptera litura multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus inhibits Microplitis bicoloratus polydnavirus-induced host granulocytes apoptosis

Baculoviruses and parasitoids are critically important biological control agents in integrated pest management (IPM). They have been simultaneously and sequentially used to target insect pests. In this study, we examined the impacts of both baculovirus and polydnavirus (PDV) infection on the host cellular immune response. Larvae of the lepidopteran Spodoptera litura were infected by Spodoptera litura multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpltMNPV) and then the animals were parasitized by the braconid wasp Microplitis bicoloratus. The fate of the parasitoids in the dually infected hosts was followed and encapsulation of M. bicoloratus first instar larvae was observed. Hemocytes of S. litura larvae underwent apoptosis in naturally parasitized hosts and in non-parasitized larvae after injection of M. bicoloratus ovarian calyx fluid (containing MbPDV) plus venom (CFPV). However, assessments of the percentages of cells undergoing apoptosis under different treatments indicated that SpltMNPV could inhibit MbPDV-induced apoptosis in hemocytes when hosts were first injected with SpltMNPV budded virus (BV) followed by injection with M. bicoloratus CFPV. As the time of injection with SpltMNPV BV increased, the percentages of apoptosis in hemocytes population declined. Furthermore, in vitro, the percentages of apoptosis showed that SpltMNPV BV could inhibit MbPDV-induced granulocytes apoptosis. The occurrence of MbPDV-induced host granulocytes apoptosis was inhibited in the dually infected hosts. As hemocytes apoptosis causes host immunosuppression, the parasitoids are normally protected from the host immune system. However, in larvae infected with both baculovirus and PDV, the parasitoids underwent encapsulation in the host hemocoel.     

A putative protein translation inhibitory factor encoded by Cotesia plutellae bracovirus suppresses host hemocyte-spreading behavior

An endoparasitoid, Cotesia plutellae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), possesses a mutualistic bracovirus (CpBV), which plays significant roles in the parasitized host, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). CpBV15beta, a viral gene encoded by CpBV, is expressed at early and late parasitization periods, suggesting that it functions to manipulate the physiology of the parasitized host. This paper reports a physiological function of CpBV15beta as an immunosuppressive agent. The effect of CpBV15beta on cellular immunity was analyzed by assessing hemocyte-spreading behavior. Parasitization by C. plutellae caused altered behavior of hemocytes of P. xylostella, in which the hemocytes were not able to attach and spread on glass slides. CpBV15beta was expressed in Sf9 cells using a baculovirus expression system and purified from the culture media. When hemocytes of nonparasitized P. xylostella were incubated with purified CpBV15beta protein, spreading behavior was impaired in a dose-dependent manner at low micro-molar range. This inhibitory effect of CpBV15beta could also be demonstrated on hemocytes of a non-natural host, Spodoptera exigua. CpBV15beta protein significantly inhibited F-actin growth of hemocytes in response to an insect cytokine. Similarly, cycloheximide, a eukaryotic translation inhibitor, strongly inhibited the spreading behavior and F-actin growth of P. xylostella hemocytes. Under in vitro condition, hemocytes of nonparasitized P. xylostella released proteins into the surrounding medium. Upon incubation of hemocytes with either CpBV15beta or cycloheximide, their ability to release protein molecules was markedly inhibited. This study suggests that CpBV15beta suppresses hemocyte behavior by inhibiting protein translation.     

The UGA-CiE1 cell line from Chrysodeixis includens exhibits characteristics of granulocytes and is permissive to infection by two viruses

The soybean looper, Chrysodeixis (Pseudoplusia) includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an economically important insect pest and a highly permissive host for the parasitoid Microplitis demolitor and its associated polydnavirus M. demolitor bracovirus (MdBV). Here we established a cell line from C. includens embryos designated UGA-CiE1 cells. CiE1 cells morphologically resemble granulocytes, which are a subpopulation of C. includens hemocytes. Antibody and RT-PCR analyses indicated that CiE1 cells express several molecular and functional markers that identify granulocytes. We further determined that CiE1 cells are permissive to infection by MdBV, exhibiting alterations very similar to MdBV-infected granulocytes, and Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV). Combined with the ability to transfect CiE1 cells with high efficiency and knock down expression of viral genes by RNA interference, we conclude this cell line has several attributes of value for studying immune interactions with polydnaviruses and potentially other pathogens.     

Characterization and kinetic analysis of protein tyrosine phosphatase-H2 from Microplitis demolitor bracovirus

The polydnavirus Microplitis demolitor bracovirus (MdBV) encodes 13 genes that share homology with classical protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Prior sequence analysis suggested that five members of the MdBV PTP gene family (ptp-H2, -H3, -H5, -N1 and -N2) encode PTPs, seven family members encode pseudophosphatases, and one family member is a pseudogene. Prior experimental studies further implicated PTP-H2 in disabling the function of host hemocytes following infection by MdBV. Here we report expression of PTP-H2 and selected mutants in Escherichia coli cells as non-fusion or thioredoxin-fusion proteins. Following purification by nickel affinity chromatography, the full-length and mutant proteins ran as single bands of predicted size on SDS-PAGE gels under reducing conditions. The non-fusion form of PTP-H2 exhibited classical Michaelis–Menten kinetics using the phosphopeptide END(pY)INASL and difluoro-4-methylumbiliferyl phosphate (DiFMUP) as substrates. As expected, the non-fusion mutant PTP-H2^C236S had no enzymatic activity, while the thioredoxin-fusion form of PTP-H2 had low levels of activity. PTP-H2 exhibited optimal activity at pH 4.0 and 26 °C in sodium acetate buffer, and its activity was diminished by increasing buffer ionic strength. Activity was also greatly reduced by the presence of copper, heparin, and the classical PTP inhibitor vanadate. Using an anti-PTP-H2 antibody, immunoblotting and immunocytochemical studies only detected PTP-H2 in hemocytes from MdBV-infected Pseudoplusia includens. Overall, our results indicate that PTP-H2 is a functional tyrosine phosphatase that is specifically expressed in MdBV-infected hemocytes.     

Rho 1 participates in parasitoid wasp eggs maturation and host cellular immunity inhibition

Endoparasitoid wasps introduce venom into their host insects during the egg-laying stage. Venom proteins play various roles in the host physiology, development, immunity, and behavior manipulation and regulation. In this study, we identified a venom protein, MmRho1, a small guanine nucleotide-binding protein derived from ovary in the endoparasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator and found that knockdown of its expression by RNA interference caused down-regulation of vitellogenin and juvenile hormone, egg production, and cocoons formation in the female wasps. We demonstrated that MmRho1 entered the cotton bollworm's (host) hemocytes and suppressed cellular immune responses after parasitism using immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, wasp MmRho1 interacted with the cotton bollworm's actin cytoskeleton rearrangement regulator diaphanous by yeast 2-hybrid and glutathione s-transferase pull-down. In conclusion, this study indicates that MmRho1 plays dual roles in wasp development and the suppression of the host insect cellular immune responses.     

Transient expression of a polydnaviral gene, CpBV15beta, induces immune and developmental alterations of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, parasitized by its endoparasitoid wasp, Cotesia plutellae, undergoes various physiological alterations which include immunosuppression and an extended larval development. Its symbiotic virus, C. plutellae bracovirus (CpBV), is essential for their successful parasitization with more than 136 putative genes encoded in the viral genome. CpBV15β, a CpBV gene, has been known to play significant role in altering host physiological processes including hemocyte-spreading behavior through inhibition of protein synthesis under in vitro conditions. In the current study, we investigated its specific involvement in physiological processes of the host by transient expression and RNA interference techniques. The open reading frame of CpBV15β was cloned into a eukaryotic expression vector and this recombinant CpBV15β was transfected into nonparasitized 3rd instar P. xylostella by microinjection. CpBV15β was expressed as early as 24 h and was consistent up to 72 h. Due to the expression of this gene, plasma protein levels were significantly reduced and the ability of the hemocytes to adhere and spread on extracellular matrix was inhibited, wherein CpBV15β was detectable in the cytoplasm of hemocytes based on an indirect immunofluorescence assay. To confirm the role of CpBV15β, its double stranded RNA could efficiently recover the hemocyte-spreading behavior and synthesis of plasma proteins suppressed by the transient expression of CpBV15β. In addition, the larvae transfected with CpBV15β significantly suffered poor adult development probably due to lack of storage proteins. Thus these results demonstrate the role of CpBV15β in altering the host physiological processes involving cellular immune response and metamorphic development, which are usually induced by wasp parasitization.     

两种寄生蜂的卵巢结构与卵成熟特点初步观察

对斜纹夜蛾的内寄生蜂双斑侧沟茧蜂MicroplitisbicoloratusChen和南美斑潜蝇的外寄生蜂潜蝇姬小蜂Diglyhusisaea(Walker)的卵巢结构进行了研究。双斑侧沟茧蜂的2个卵巢管底部膨大有大量的卵,通过凹陷的颈部与萼区相连接,在萼区里大量成熟待产的卵浸泡在萼液中。产卵量随产卵时间延长而降低,在日产卵实验中,日产卵量202(±114SE),从1000至1800每2h的产卵量分别占日产卵量的38,32,17和13%;在一生产卵量实验中,9d产卵期,每头雌峰一生平均产卵量为502(±78SE)粒,第1d产卵量占一生总产卵量的42%。潜蝇姬小蜂的每个卵巢由3条卵巢管组成,每条输卵管中仅有1粒成熟卵,整个卵巢中只有6粒成熟卵,每次产卵数不超过6粒。结果表明,M.bicoloratus是早熟卵(proovigenic)类昆虫;D.isaea是同步卵(synovigenic)类昆虫。     

CLP gene family,a new gene family of Cotesia vestalis bracovirus inhibits melanization of Plutella xylostella hemolymph

Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are obligatory symbionts of parasitoid wasps and play an important role in suppressing host immune defenses. Although PDV genes that inhibit host melanization are known in Microplitis bracovirus, the functional homologs in Cotesia bracoviruses remain unknown. Here, we find that Cotesia vestalis bracovirus (CvBV) can inhibit hemolymph melanization of its host, Plutella xylostella larvae, during the early stages of parasitization, and that overexpression of highly expressed CvBV genes reduced host phenoloxidase activity. Furthermore, CvBV-7-1 in particular reduced host phenoloxidase activity within 12 h, and the injection of anti-CvBV-7-1 antibody increased the melanization of parasitized host larvae. Further analyses showed that CvBV-7-1 and three homologs from other Cotesia bracoviruses possessed a C-terminal leucine/isoleucine-rich region and had a similar function in inhibiting melanization. Therefore, a new family of bracovirus genes was proposed and named as C -terminal L eucine/isoleucine-rich P rotein (CLP). Ectopic expression of CvBV-7-1 in Drosophila hemocytes increased susceptibility to bacterial repression of melanization and reduced the melanotic encapsulation of parasitized D. melanogaster by the parasitoid Leptopilina boulardi. The formation rate of wasp pupae and the eclosion rate of C. vestalis were affected when the function of CvBV-7-1 was blocked. Our findings suggest that CLP genes from Cotesia bracoviruses encoded proteins that contain a C-terminal leucine/isoleucine-rich region and function as melanization inhibitors during the early stage of parasitization, which is important for successful parasitization.     

Identification and isolation of Cryptosporidium parvum genes encoding microtubule and microfilament proteins.

Microtubules and microfilaments are highly conserved cytoskeletal polymers hypothesized to play essential biomechanical roles in the unusual gliding motility of Apicomplexan zoites and in their invasion of, and development within, host epithelial cells. We have identified and isolated Cryptosporidium parvum genes encoding the microtubule proteins alpha- and beta-tubulin and the microfilament protein actin by screening a lambda gt11 C. parvum genomic DNA library with degenerate oligonucleotide and heterologous cDNA hybridization probes respectively. The alpha- and beta-tubulin genes have been partially sequenced and the deduced peptide sequences show greatest homology with the tubulins of the related parasites, T. gondii and P. falciparum. The complete nucleic acid sequence of the actin gene predicts a 376 amino acid, 42 kDa protein having 85% sequence identity with the P. falciparum actin I and the human gamma-actin proteins. Each of these cytoskeletal protein genes was demonstrated to be of cryptosporidial origin by Southern analyses of C. parvum chromosomes fractionated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis; the cloned alpha- and beta-tubulin genes hybridized with chromosomes of ca. 1,200 and 1,500 kb respectively and the cloned actin gene also hybridized with a 1,200 kb chromosome.