Serotype-specific entry of dengue virus into liver cells: identification of the 37-kilodalton/67-kilodalton high-affinity laminin receptor as a dengue virus serotype 1 receptor

Dengue virus, the causative agent of dengue fever, dengue shock syndrome, and dengue hemorrhagic fever, infects susceptible cells by initially binding to a receptor(s) located on the host cell surface. Evidence to date suggests that receptor usage may be cell and serotype specific, and this study sought to identify dengue virus serotype 1 binding proteins on the surface of liver cells, a known target organ. By using a virus overlay protein binding assay (VOPBA), in both nondenaturing and denaturing gel systems, a putative dengue virus serotype 1 binding protein of approximately 37 kDa expressed on the surface of liver (HepG2) cells was identified. Mass spectrometry analysis identified a candidate protein, the 37/67-kDa high-affinity laminin receptor. Entry of the dengue virus serotype 1 was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by both antibodies directed against the 37/67-kDa high-affinity laminin receptor and soluble laminin. No inhibition of virus entry was seen with dengue virus serotypes 2, 3, or 4, demonstrating that the 37/67-kDa high-affinity laminin receptor is a serotype-specific receptor for dengue virus entry into liver cells.     

Identification of a putative coreceptor on Vero cells that participates in dengue 4 virus infection

Dengue virus infects target cells by attaching to a cell surface receptor through the envelope (E) glycoprotein, located on the surface of the viral membrane. On Vero and BHK cells, heparan sulfate (HS) moieties of proteoglycans are the receptors for dengue virus; however, additional proteins have also been described as putative dengue virus receptors on C6/36, HL60, and BM cells. HS can also act as a receptor for other types of viruses or as an attachment molecule for viruses that require additional host cell molecules to allow viral penetration. In this study we searched for molecules other than HS that could participate in dengue virus infection of Vero cells. Labeled dengue 4 virus bound with high affinity to two molecules of 74 and 44 kDa. Binding of dengue virus to the 74-kDa molecule was susceptible to protease and sodium periodate treatment and resistant to heparinase treatments. Lectins such as concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin prevented dengue virus binding to both the 74- and the 44-kDa protein in overlay assays, while phytohemagglutinin P did not affect binding, suggesting that carbohydrate residues (alpha-mannose or N-acetylglucosamine) are important in virus binding to host cells. Protease susceptibility, biotin labeling, and immunofluorescence with a polyclonal antibody raised against the 74-kDa protein consistently identified the protein on the surfaces of Vero cells. Moreover, the antibody against the 74-kDa protein was able to inhibit dengue virus infection. These data suggest that HS might serve as a primary receptor, probably concentrating virus particles on the surfaces of Vero cells, and then other molecules, such as the 74-kDa protein, might participate as coreceptors in viral penetration. The 74-kDa protein possibly constitutes part of a putative receptor complex for dengue virus infection of Vero cells.     

Antiserum to the gp116 glycoprotein of yellow head virus neutralizes infectivity in primary lymphoid organ cells of Penaeus monodon

Yellow head virus (YHV) is an invertebrate nidovirus that has caused mass mortality of cultured Penaeus monodon in Asia. In this study, we investigated whether mouse polyclonal antiserum raised against the YHV gp116 or gp64 structural glycoproteins could neutralize YHV infectivity as determined using an in vitro quantal assay in primary cultures of lymphoid organ cells. Anti-gp116 antiserum showed virus-neutralizing activity whereas anti-gp64 antiserum failed to inhibit infection. The results suggest that gpl16 antiserum blocks binding of virions to cellular receptors to facilitate YHV entry into lymphoid organ cells.     

Identification of the putative RNA polymerase of Cryphonectria hypovirus in a solubilized replication complex.

Hypovirulence of the pathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, caused by the unencapsidated viral double-stranded RNA of Cryphonectria hypovirus (CHV1), provides a means for biological control of chestnut blight. We report here the isolation of a replication complex of the virus solubilized from host membranes. The conserved regions of the putative RNA polymerase encoded by strain CHV1-713 were cloned and expressed, and the recombinant protein was purified and used to produce polyclonal antibodies. The CHV1 replication complex was solubilized from a membrane fraction of CHV1-infected C. parasitica hyphae. Antibodies raised against the putative viral polymerase reacted on a Western immunoblot with an 87-kDa polypeptide of the replication complex but not with comparable preparations from an isogenic uninfected strain. Analysis of the polypeptide composition of the complex by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining revealed a number of other polypeptides along with the double-stranded RNA of the virus. We conclude that this 87-kDa polypeptide is the putative RNA polymerase encoded on open reading frame B of CHV1.     

Characterization of the knob domain of the adenovirus type 5 fiber protein expressed in Escherichia coli.

The adenovirus fiber protein is used for attachment of the virus to a specific receptor on the cell surface. Structurally, the protein consists of a long, thin shaft that protrudes from the vertex of the virus capsid and terminates in a globular domain termed the knob. To verify that the knob is the domain which interacts with the cellular receptor, we have cloned and expressed the knob from adenovirus type 5 together with a single repeat of the shaft in Escherichia coli. The protein was purified by conventional chromatography and functionally characterized for its interaction with the adenovirus receptor. The recombinant knob domain bound about 4,700 sites per HeLa cell with an affinity of 3 x 10(9) M-1 and blocked adenovirus infection of human cells. Antibodies raised against the knob also blocked virus infection. By gel filtration and X-ray diffraction analysis of protein crystals, the knob was shown to consist of a homotrimer of 21-kDa subunits. The results confirm that the trimeric knob is the ligand for attachment to the adenovirus receptor.     

小麦黄花叶病毒RNA228kDa蛋白基因的表达及表达产物抗血清的制备

根据小麦黄花叶病毒（ Ｗ Ｙ Ｍ Ｖ） 核苷酸序列测定结果,将 Ｗ Ｙ Ｍ Ｖ Ｒ Ｎ Ａ２ 上的２８ ｋ Ｄａ 蛋白基因克隆到ｐ Ｅ Ｔ１１ａ 上,构建了原核表达载体ｐ Ｅ２８３９ 。 Ｓ Ｄ Ｓ Ｐ Ａ Ｇ Ｅ 分析表明,经 Ｉ Ｐ Ｔ Ｇ 诱导,２８ ｋ Ｄａ蛋白基因在大肠杆菌 Ｂ Ｌ２１（ Ｄ Ｅ３）ｐ Ｌｙｓ Ｓ 中得到高效表达。以含表达产物的凝胶为抗原,免疫家兔,首次制备了小麦黄花叶病毒 Ｒ Ｎ Ａ２ 蛋白特异性抗血清。     

Genomic structure of the large RNA segment of infectious bursal disease virus.

The larger RNA segment of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV: Australian strain 002-73) has been characterized by cDNA cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis. We believe IBDV is the first birnavirus to be sequenced and so have confirmed the coding region by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of intact viral proteins and several tryptic peptide fragments. The large RNA segment encodes in order the 37-kDa, 28-kDa and 32-kDa proteins within a continuous open reading frame and the primary translation product appears to be subsequently processed into the mature viral proteins. The large protein precursor is still processed into the 32-kDa host protective immunogen when expressed as a fusion protein in E. coli. These results are in marked contrast to the predictions from in vitro translation data that birnavirus genomes are expressed as polycistronic templates. We can now propose that birnaviruses, in particular IBDV, possess monocistronic segments and that the precursor is proteolytically processed in vivo. The sequence data presented for the 32-kDa host protective immunogen may provide the basic information needed for the production of an effective subunit vaccine against this commercially important virus.     

Identification of cell membrane proteins that bind visna virus.

Visna virus infects cells of ovine origin by attaching to a cell surface receptor via its envelope glycoprotein. The identity of the visna virus receptor is not known. To identify the molecule responsible for binding the virus to target cells, virus overlay protein blot assays were used to examine the molecular weights of cell surface molecules which bind purified virus. Molecules on the surface of goat synovial membrane (GSM) cells and sheep choroid plexus (SCP) cells of approximately 15, 30, and 50 kDa bound to visna virus. The binding of visna virus to these proteins was reduced by preincubating virus with neutralizing antibodies. 125I-labeled cell membrane preparations of GSM and SCP cells were used to affinity purify these virus-binding proteins. These proteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and had molecular masses of 15, 30, and 50 kDa. Antibodies to the 50-kDa protein bound to the surface of both live SCP and GSM cells in immunofluorescence assays. In addition, antibodies to the 50-kDa protein blocked the binding of [35S]methionine-labeled visna virus to SCP cells in culture. Antibodies raised against the 15- and 30-kDa proteins did not block virus binding to cells. The blocking activity of antibody of the 50-kDa protein provided data that this protein is the molecule which visna virus recognizes and binds to on the surface of target cells.     

ATPase, GTPase, and RNA binding activities associated with the 206-kilodalton protein of turnip yellow mosaic virus.

The 206-kDa protein of turnip yellow mosaic virus belongs to an expanding group of proteins containing a domain which includes the consensus nucleotide binding site GxxxxGKS/T. A portion of this protein (amino acids [aa] 916 to 1259) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography to near homogeneity. In the absence of any other viral factors, it exhibited ATPase and GTPase activities in vitro. A mutant protein with a single amino acid substitution in the consensus nucleotide binding site (Lys-982 to Ser) exhibited only low levels of both activities, implying that Lys-982 is important for nucleoside triphosphatase activity. The protein also possessed nonspecific RNA binding capacity. Deletion mutants revealed that an N-terminal domain (aa 916 to 1061) and a C-terminal domain (aa 1182 to 1259) participate in RNA binding. The results presented here provide the first experimental evidence that turnip yellow mosaic virus encodes nucleoside triphosphatase and RNA binding activities.     

Isolation from tobacco mosaic virus-infected tobacco of a solubilized template-specific RNA-dependent RNA polymerase containing a 126K/183K protein heterodimer

The complete nucleotide sequence was determined for the putative RNA polymerase (183K protein) gene of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) OM strain, which differed from the related strain, vulgare, by 51 positions in its nucleotide sequence and 6 residues in its amino acid sequence. Three segments of this 183K protein, each containing the sequence motif of methyltransferase (M), helicase (H), or RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (P), were expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins with hexahistidine tags, and domain-specific antibodies were raised against purified His-tagged M and P polypeptides. By immunoaffinity purification, a template-specific RNA-dependent RNA polymerase containing a heterodimer of the full-length 183K and 126K (an amino-terminal-proximal portion of the 183K protein) viral proteins was isolated. We propose that the TMV RNA polymerase for minus-strand RNA synthesis is composed of one molecule each of the 183- and 126-kDa proteins, possibly together with two or more host proteins.     

Characterization of a ubiquitinated protein which is externally located in African swine fever virions.

An antiserum was raised against the African swine fever virus (ASFV)-encoded ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBCv1) and used to demonstrate by Western blotting (immunoblotting) and immunofluorescence that the enzyme is present in purified extracellular virions, is expressed both early and late after infection of cells with ASFV, and is cytoplasmically located. Antiubiquitin serum was used to identify novel ubiquitin conjugates present during ASFV infections. This antiserum stained virus factories late after infection, suggesting that virion proteins may be ubiquitinated. This possibility was confirmed by Western blotting, which identified three major antiubiquitin-immunoreactive proteins with molecular masses of 5, 18, and 58 kDa in purified extracellular virions. The 18-kDa protein was solubilized from virions at relatively low concentrations of the detergent n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, indicating that it is externally located and is possibly in the virus capsid. The 18-kDa protein was purified, and N-terminal amino acid sequencing confirmed that the protein was ubiquitinated and was ASFV encoded. The ASFV gene encoding this protein (PIG1) was sequenced, and the encoded protein expressed in an Escherichia coli expression vector. Recombinant PIG1 was ubiquitinated in the presence of E. coli expressed UBCv1 in vitro. These results suggest that PIG1 may be a substrate for UBCv1. The predicted molecular masses of the PIG1 protein and recombinant ubiquitinated protein were larger than the 18-kDa molecular mass of the ubiquitinated protein present in virions. Therefore, during viral replication, a precursor protein may undergo limited proteolysis to generate the ubiquitinated 18-kDa protein.     

Evidence that a nuclear matrix protein participates in premessenger RNA splicing

The role of nuclear matrix proteins in premessenger RNA splicing has been investigated using antibodies raised against isolated rat liver nuclear matrix and cross-reactive with a 65-kDa HeLa cell nuclear matrix protein (IGA-65). IGA-65 is an internal nuclear matrix component which can be solubilized as a component of nuclear splicing extracts, by the action of endogenous ribonucleases, EDTA, and DTT during extract preparation. Preincubation of splicing extract with antibodies against IGA-65 (anti-IGA-65) inhibited in vitro splicing of exogenous adenovirus precursor RNA. Furthermore, assembly of precursor RNA into active spliceosome complexes was inhibited by pretreatment of extracts with anti-IGA-65, suggesting a role for IGA-65 during early spliceosome assembly. The IGA-65 present in splicing extracts was distinguishable from known U-snRNP and hnRNP proteins on protein gels. Furthermore, electrophoresis of splicing extract on native gels indicated that IGA-65 was present in protein complexes different from those containing U-snRNPs or hnRNP C protein. The data support identification of complexes containing IGA-65 as nuclear factors involved in pre-mRNA splicing and, by extension, suggest a role for the nuclear matrix during processing in vivo.     

Shrimp laminin receptor binds with capsid proteins of two additional shrimp RNA viruses YHV and IMNV

Laminin receptor (Lamr) in shrimp was previously proposed to be a potential receptor protein for Taura syndrome virus (TSV) based on yeast two-hybrid assays. Since shrimp Lamr bound to the VP1 capsid protein of TSV, we were interested to know whether capsid/envelope proteins from other shrimp viruses would also bind to Lamr. Thus, capsid/envelope encoding genes from 5 additional shrimp viruses were examined. These were Penaeus stylirostris densovirus (PstDNV), white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV), Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV), and yellow head virus (YHV). Protein interaction analysis using yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that Lamr specifically interacted with capsid/envelope proteins of RNA viruses IMNV and YHV but not MrNV and not with the capsid/envelope proteins of DNA viruses PstDNV and WSSV. In vitro pull-down assay also confirmed the interaction between Lamr and YHV gp116 envelope protein, and injection of recombinant Lamr (rLamr) protein produced in yeast cells protected shrimp against YHV in laboratory challenge tests.     

Open reading frame S/L of varicella-zoster virus encodes a cytoplasmic protein expressed in infected cells

We report the discovery of a novel gene in the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) genome, designated open reading frame (ORF) S/L. This gene, located at the left end of the prototype VZV genome isomer, expresses a polyadenylated mRNA containing a splice within the 3' untranslated region in virus-infected cells. Sequence analysis reveals significant differences between the ORF S/Ls of wild-type and attenuated strains of VZV. Antisera raised to a bacterially expressed portion of ORF S/L reacted specifically with a 21-kDa protein synthesized in cells infected with a VZV clinical isolate and with the original vaccine strain of VZV (Oka-ATCC). Cells infected with other VZV strains, including a wild-type strain that has been extensively passaged in tissue culture and commercially produced vaccine strains of Oka, synthesize a family of proteins ranging in size from 21 to 30 kDa that react with the anti-ORF S/L antiserum. MeWO cells infected with recombinant VZV harboring mutations in the C-terminal region of the ORF S/L gene lost adherence to the stratum and adjacent cells, resulting in an altered plaque morphology. Immunohistochemical analysis of VZV-infected cells demonstrated that ORF S/L protein localizes to the cytoplasm. ORF S/L protein was present in skin lesions of individuals with primary or reactivated infection and in the neurons of a dorsal root ganglion during virus reactivation.     

A putative receptor for Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus from mosquito cells.

We have identified a cellular protein from a continuous mosquito cell line (C6/36) that appears to play a significant role in the attachment of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus to these cells. VEE virus bound to a 32-kDa polypeptide present in the C6/36 plasma membrane fraction, and binding to this polypeptide was dose dependent and saturable and competed with homologous and heterologous alphaviruses. These observations suggest that this polypeptide binds virus via a receptor-ligand interaction. The 32-kDa polypeptide was expressed on the surfaces of C6/36 cells, and monoclonal antibodies directed against either this cell polypeptide or the VEE virus E2 glycoprotein, which is thought to be the viral attachment protein, interfered with virus attachment. Collectively, these data provide evidence suggesting that the 32-kDa polypeptide serves as a receptor for VEE virus infection of cells. We have characterized this cell polypeptide as a laminin-binding protein on the basis of its ability to interact directly with laminin as well as its immunologic cross-reactivity with the high-affinity human laminin receptor.     

Suppression of PmRab7 by dsRNA Inhibits WSSV or YHV Infection in Shrimp

Viral entry into host cells requires endocytosis machineries of the host for viral replication. PmRab7, a Penaeus monodon small GTPase protein, was investigated for its function in vesicular transport during viral infection. The double-stranded RNA of Rab7 was injected into a juvenile shrimp before challenging with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) or yellow head virus (YHV). PmRab7 mRNA was specifically decreased at 48 h after dsRNA-Rab7 injection. Silencing of PmRab7 dramatically inhibited WSSV-VP28 mRNA and protein expression. Unexpectedly, the silencing of PmRab7 also inhibited YHV replication in the YHV-infected shrimp. These results suggested that PmRab7 is a common cellular factor required for WSSV or YHV replication in shrimp. Because PmRab7 should function in the endosomal trafficking pathway, its silencing prevents successful viral trafficking necessary for replication. Silencing of PmRab7 could be a novel approach to prevent both DNA virus (WSSV) and RNA virus (YHV) infection of shrimp.