表达马传染性贫血病毒受体和荧光素酶报告基因的293细胞系的建立

为了在体外精确、简便地测定马传染性贫血病毒(EIAV)的中和抗体和研究不同毒株与受体的亲和性,克隆了马慢病毒受体1(ELR1)cDNA并插入真核表达载体pcDNA3.1( ),构建了表达载体pELR1。该载体瞬时转染293细胞后,经Western blot和间接免疫荧光(IFA)检测,确认了ELR1的表达。在pELR1质粒的基础上,插入EIAV疫苗株前病毒基因组转录调控区LTR以及萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因(Luc)构建了表达载体pELR1-LTR-Luc,并转染293细胞,建立了ELR1-LTR-Luc(293-E)细胞系。该细胞系能稳定表达ELR1基因,并且能在LTR的调控下表达萤火虫荧光素酶基因。用1000TCID50的EIAV驴胎皮肤细胞疫苗株D18V13接种该细胞,24h后检测其荧光素酶活性是未接毒对照的3.15倍。同时用IFA检测证明了病毒在细胞内的增殖。EIAV强毒株L21的接毒试验显示,ELR1-LTR(293-E)细胞的萤火虫荧光素酶活性与该毒株的接毒量在10-2~10-7稀释范围内呈正相关。该细胞系传35代后,外源基因的表达特征未发生改变。该细胞系的建立为进一步开展EIAV与细胞受体相互作用以及中和抗体评价等研究奠定了重要基础。     

Development of photoreceptor-specific promoters and their utility to investigate EIAV lentiviral vector mediated gene transfer to photoreceptors

BACKGROUND: We wanted to investigate the ability of recombinant equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) vectors to transduce photoreceptor cells by developing a series of photoreceptor-specific promoters that drive strong gene expression in photoreceptor cells. METHODS: Promoter fragments derived from the rhodopsin (RHO), the beta phosphodiesterase (PDE) and the retinitis pigmentosa (RP1) genes were cloned in combination with an enhancer element, derived from the interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein gene (IRBP), into luciferase reporter plasmids. An in vitro transient reporter assay was carried out in the human Y-79 retinoblastoma cell line. The optimal promoters from this screen were then cloned into the recombinant EIAV vector for evaluation in vivo following subretinal delivery into mice. RESULTS: All promoters maintained a photoreceptor-specific expression profile in vitro and the gene expression was further enhanced in combination with the IRBP enhancer. The use of IRBP-combined RHO or PDE promoters showed modest but exclusive expression in photoreceptors following subretinal delivery to mice. By contrast an EIAV vector containing the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter drove reporter gene expression in both photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium. CONCLUSIONS: It may be possible to use recombinant EIAV vectors containing photoreceptor-specific promoters to drive therapeutic gene expression to treat a range of retinal degenerative diseases where the photoreceptor cell is the primary disease target.     

Visualizing HIV-1 Assembly

The assembly of an HIV-1 particle is a complex, multistep process involving several viral and cellular proteins, RNAs and lipids. While many macroscopic and fixed-cell microscopic techniques have provided important insights into the structure of HIV-1 particles and the mechanisms by which they assemble, analysis of individual particles and their assembly in living cells offers the potential of surmounting many of the limitations inherent in other approaches. In this review, we discuss how the recent application of live-cell microscopic imaging techniques has increased our understanding of the process of HIV-1 particle assembly. In particular, we focus on recent studies that have employed total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and other single-virion imaging techniques in live cells. These approaches have illuminated the dynamics of Gag protein assembly, viral RNA packaging and ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) protein recruitment at the level of individual viral particles. Overall, the particular advantages of individual particle imaging in living cells have yielded findings that would have been difficult or impossible to obtain using macroscopic or fixed-cell microscopic techniques.     

HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein Biosynthesis, Trafficking, and Incorporation

The HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoproteins play an essential role in the virus replication cycle by mediating the fusion between viral and cellular membranes during the entry process. The Env glycoproteins are synthesized as a polyprotein precursor (gp160) that is cleaved by cellular proteases to the mature surface glycoprotein gp120 and the transmembrane glycoprotein gp41. During virus assembly, the gp120/gp41 complex is incorporated as heterotrimeric spikes into the lipid bilayer of nascent virions. These gp120/gp41 complexes then initiate the infection process by binding receptor and coreceptor on the surface of target cells. Much is currently known about the HIV-1 Env glycoprotein trafficking pathway and the structure of gp120 and the extracellular domain of gp41. However, the mechanism by which the Env glycoprotein complex is incorporated into virus particles remains incompletely understood. Genetic data support a major role for the cytoplasmic tail of gp41 and the matrix domain of Gag in Env glycoprotein incorporation. Still to be defined are the identities of host cell factors that may promote Env incorporation and the role of specific membrane microdomains in this process. Here, we review our current understanding of HIV-1 Env glycoprotein trafficking and incorporation into virions.     

Functional replacement of a retroviral late domain by ubiquitin fusion

Retroviral Gag polyprotein precursors are both necessary and sufficient for the assembly and release of virus-like particles (VLPs) from infected cells. It is well established that small Gag-encoded motifs, known as late domains, promote particle release by interacting with components of the cellular endosomal sorting and ubiquitination machinery. The Gag proteins of a number of different retroviruses are ubiquitinated; however, the role of Gag ubiquitination in particle egress remains undefined. In this study, we investigated this question by using a panel of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) Gag derivatives bearing the wild-type EIAV late domain, heterologous retroviral late domains or no late domain. Ubiquitin was fused in cis to the C-termini of these Gag polyproteins, and the effects on VLP budding were measured. Remarkably, fusion of ubiquitin to EIAV Gag lacking a late domain (EIAV/DeltaYPDL-Ub) largely rescued VLP release. We also determined the effects of ubiquitin fusion on the sensitivity of particle release to budding inhibitors and to depletion of key endosomal sorting factors. Ubiquitin fusion rendered EIAV/DeltaYPDL-Ub sensitive to depletion of cellular endosomal sorting factors Tsg101 and Alix and to overexpression of dominant-negative fragments of Tsg101 and Alix. These findings demonstrate that ubiquitin can functionally compensate for the absence of a retroviral late domain and provide insights into the host-cell machinery engaged by ubiquitin during particle egress.     

马传染性贫血病毒强、弱毒株dUTPase结构与酶活性比较

为研究尿嘧啶脱氧核糖核苷三磷酸酶(dUTPase)在马传染性贫血病毒(equine infectous anemia virus,EIAV)致弱过程中的作用,探索dUTPase结构与功能的关系,分别对EIAV强、弱毒株dUTPase的编码基因进行了结构分析,并在大肠杆菌中进行了表达.经镍-次氮基三乙酸(Ni-NTA)金属亲合层析方法对表达产物纯化后,用3H标记底物的方法测定了重组强、弱毒株dUTPase的活性.证明所表达的两种重组dUTPase均具有水解dUTP的功能,但重组弱毒株dUTPase的活性显著高于重组强毒株dUTPase的活性.结果提示,由于EIAV疫苗株在驴白细胞上连续传代培养,使病毒dUTPase的活性增强和复制能力提高,而决定酶活性改变的分子基础是dUTPase编码基因中的两个氨基酸发生了突变.此结果对其它慢病毒病的免疫预防具有重要参考价值.     

马传染性贫血病毒N-连接糖基化回复突变的感染性克隆构建

根据马传贫强毒株EIAV-L和疫苗株EIAV-FDD表面蛋白gp90的N-连接糖基化的变化规律,采用PCR定点突变的方法,对全长感染性克隆pLGFD3-8上的N-连接糖基化的差异区域进行改造后,构建成含有3个N-连接糖基化位点突变的感染性克隆pLGNl91N236N246.将其转染驴胎皮肤细胞(FDD),通过用逆转录酶活性、间接免疫荧光和RT-PCR方法检测而确定其感染性.结果表明,在FDD细胞中盲传三代后,在细胞培养物中可检测到逆转录酶活性,RT-PCR和间接免疫荧光检测均呈阳性,电镜下见到典型的EIAV颗粒.这一结果可能对N-连接糖基化在我国马传贫弱毒疫苗致弱机理的作用研究而奠定良好的基础.     

利用流式细胞术测定CTL活性方法在EIAV免疫学中的应用

利用PKH 26和CFSE两种荧光染料对靶细胞染色,建立了一种通过流式细胞术进行马传染性贫血症病毒(Equine infectious anemia virus,EIAV)抗原特异性细胞毒性T淋巴细胞(Cytotoxic T lymphocytes,CTL)反应的新方法,避免了经典的Cr51释放法对检测人员的放射线威胁,降低了本底释放,提高了检测的灵敏度.将该检测方法用于检测EIAV疫苗毒接种马和嵌合克隆接种马的细胞免疫反应变化趋势,数据显示细胞免疫反应在接种后3个月达到成熟阶段而后保持在较高的反应水平.该方法的成功建立和应用为研究EIAV减毒疫苗的免疫机制提供了好的研究手段,也为其他病毒的免疫学研究提供了新的参考方法.