Molecular characterization of Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus genome segment 4

The complete nucleotide sequence of the genome segment 4 (S4) of Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV) was determined. The 3,259-nucleotide sequence contains a single long open reading frame which spans nucleotides 14 to 3187 and which is predicted to encode a protein with a molecular mass of about 130 kDa. Western blot analysis showed that S4 encodes BmCPV protein VP3, which is one of the outer components of the BmCPV virion. Sequence analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of BmCPV VP3 revealed possible sequence homology with proteins from rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV) S2, Nilaparvata lugens reovirus S4, and Fiji disease fijivirus S4. This may suggest that plant reoviruses originated from insect viruses and that RRSV emerged more recently than other plant reoviruses. A chimeric protein consisting of BmCPV VP3 and green fluorescent protein (GFP) was constructed and expressed with BmCPV polyhedrin using a baculovirus expression vector. The VP3-GFP chimera was incorporated into BmCPV polyhedra and released under alkaline conditions. The results indicate that specific interactions occur between BmCPV polyhedrin and VP3 which might facilitate BmCPV virion occlusion into the polyhedra.     

Sequence determination and analysis of the full-length genome of colorado tick fever virus, the type species of genus Coltivirus (Family Reoviridae)

The Colorado tick fever virus (CTFV) is the type species of genus Coltivirus, family Reoviridae. Its genome consisting of 12 segments of dsRNA was completely sequenced. It was found to be 29,174 nucleotides long (the longest of all Reoviridae genomes characterized to date). Conserved sequences at the 5' end (SACUUUUGY) and at the 3' end (WUGCAGUS) of the 12 segments were identified. The analysis of the putative proteins deduced from the nucleotide sequences permitted to identify functional motifs. In particular, the VP1 was identified unambiguously as the viral RNA dependent RNA pylmerase (RDRP) (VP1pol), with a GDD located at a similar position to Reoviridae RDRPs. In other genes, RGD cell-binding, NTPAse, single strand binding protein and kinase motifs were identified. Comparison with Reoviridae proteins showed significant similarities to RDRPs (CTFV-VP1) and sigma C protein of orthoreovirus (CTFV-VP6). Similarities to nonviral enzymatic proteins, such as methyltransferases, NTPAses, RNA replication factors, were also identified.     

水稻齿叶矮缩病毒S8基因编码的结构蛋白质及其自聚集性质

水稻齿叶矮缩病毒是一种以水稻为侵害寄主的植物呼肠孤病毒 ,其基因组 1 0条dsRNA编码的蛋白质产物的功能除S9外的大部分还未阐明。报道了该病毒菲律宾分离株S8的开放阅读框序列 ,在大肠杆菌中表达和纯化出了其 6 7kD的蛋白质产物 ,并进一步研究了该产物的功能。实验结果表明 ,S8的蛋白质产物是病毒的一种主要结构蛋白质 ,在体外具有自剪切活性和自聚集性质 ,并推测可能是病毒的内层衣壳蛋白     

Polyoma Virus DNA: Complete Nucleotide Sequence of the Gene Which Codes for Polyoma Virus Capsid Protein VP1 and Overlaps the VP2/VP3 Genes

The nucleotide sequence of part of the late region of the polyoma virus genome was determined. It contains coding information for the major capsid protein VP1 and the C-terminal region of the minor proteins VP2 and VP3. In the sequence with the same polarity as late mRNA's, all coding frames are blocked by termination codons in a region around 48 units on the physical map. This is the region where the N-terminus of VP1 and the C-termini of VP2 and VP3 have been located (T. Hunter and W. Gibson, J. Virol. 28:240-253, 1978; S. G. Siddell and A. E. Smith, J. Virol. 27:427-431, 1978; Smith et al., Cell 9:481-487, 1976). There are two long uninterrupted coding frames in the late region of polyoma virus DNA. One lies at the 5' end of the sequence and contains potential coding sequences for VP2 and VP3. The other contains 383 consecutive sense codons starting with the ATG at nucleotide position 1,218, extends from 47.5 to 25.8 units counterclockwise on the physical map, and is located where the VP1 gene has been mapped. The VP1 gene overlaps the genes for proteins VP2/VP3 by 32 nucleotides and uses a different coding frame. From the DNA sequence, the amino acid sequence of VP1 was predicted. The proposed VP1 sequence is in good agreement with other data, namely, with the partial N-terminal amino acid sequence and the total amino acid composition. The VP1 coding frame terminates with a TAA codon at 25.8 map units. This is followed by an AATAAA sequence, which may act as a processing signal for the viral late mRNA's. When both nucleotide and amino acid sequences are compared with their counterparts in the related simian virus 40, extensive homologies are found over the entire region of the two viral genomes. Maximum homology appears to occur in those regions which code for the C-termini of the VP1 proteins. The overlap region of VP1 with VP2/VP3 of polyoma virus is shorter by 90 nucleotides than is that of simian virus 40 and shows very limited homology with the simian virus 40 sequence. This leads to the suggestion that the overlap segments of both viruses have been freed from stringency imposed on drifting during evolution and that proteins VP2 and VP3 of polyoma virus may have been truncated by the appearance of a termination codon within the sequence.     

Gene Conversions Can Generate Sequence Variants in the Late Chorion Multigene Families of Bombyx Mori

The 140-kbp late chorion locus of Bombyx mori strain 703 contains 15 divergently oriented gene pairs encoding the high cysteine (Hc) eggshell proteins. Sequence homology is approximately 91% for the 2-kb region of each gene pair, including the 5' flanking region, intron and exons. The homology rapidly disappears within a few hundred basepairs of the 3' end of most genes. Here we present the results of the nucleotide sequence and genomic blot comparison of Hc genes from different races of B. mori. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the same gene pair in two different races reveals that most of the nucleotide differences occur in clusters or patches and correspond to sequences present in other Hc genes in the locus. The number of nucleotide differences that have accumulated in the highly conserved regions of the gene pair (2.3/100 bp), most of which are attributable to patchwork exchanges, is significantly higher than the number of differences in the poorly conserved 3' flanking regions (0.6/100 bp), due primarily to new mutations. These data are consistent with a gene conversion process, which in the short-term generates new combinations of sequence variants, but in the long-term results in concerted evolution. Genomic blot analyses of different geographical races of B. mori reveal that there is variation in the number of Hc gene pairs (14-19 gene pairs), indicating that unequal crossovers also occur in the locus.     

Exogenous gene can be expressed by a recombinant Bombyx mori cypovirus

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Bombyx mori cypovirus (BmCPV) is one of the major viral pathogen for silkworm, and the genome of BmCPV is composed of 10 dsRNA segments. As construction...     

昆虫质多角体病毒研究的若干新进展

质多角体病毒隶属呼肠孤病毒科质多角体病毒属,病毒粒子为二十面体球形颗粒,具有3～5种结构蛋白,基因组由10或11个节段双链RNA构成。按病毒基因组RNA片段在聚丙烯酰胺或琼脂糖凝胶中电泳图谱的差异,将质多角体病毒分为15个电泳型。随着RNA病毒序列测定策略的逐步成熟与完善,质多角体病毒的序列测定方面取得一定的进展,家蚕质多角体病毒1的两个毒株（H株和I株）,舞毒蛾质多角体病毒1和14,及粉纹夜蛾质多角体病毒15的基因组全序列得到了测定,但质多角体病毒的进化与起源的研究因缺乏足够的遗传信息仍受到限制。     

VP2 gene based phylogenetic relationship of Indian isolates of Bluetongue virus serotype 1 and other serotypes from different parts of the world.

Bluetongue virus (BTV), a member of genus Orbivirus, family Reoviridae, is non-enveloped with double shelled structure and 10 segmented double stranded RNA genome. The RNA segment L2 encodes an outer capsid serotype specific viral protein VP2. BTV serotype 1 (BTV-1) specific novel primer pair, forward primer (1240-1271 bp) and reverse primer (1844-1813 bp), was designed using VP2 gene sequences available in GenBank to amplify 1240-1844 bp region because two hypervariable and three conserved regions have been reported within these 604 nucleotides. This primer pair successfully amplified cell culture adapted six Indian isolates of BTV-1. The 604 bp PCR product of VP2 gene of BTV-1 Avikanagar (A), Chennai (C) and Sirsa 3 (S3) Indian isolates were cloned in pPCR-Script Amp SK (+) vector and transformed into XL10-Gold Kan ultracompetent Epicurian coli cells. The positive clones selected by blue-white screening and colony touch PCR were sequenced. BTV-1A, C and S3 isolates revealed 99% nucleotide sequence identity within 1304-1844 bp region of VP2 gene. The partial VP2 gene sequences (1240-1844 bp region) revealed that BTV-1 Indian isolates were 89% identical with Australian (AUS) BTV-1 isolates while the identity with South African (SA) BTV-1 isolate was 75%. Phylogenetically, three BTV-1 Indian isolates formed one group which is closely related to BTV-1AUS isolates followed by BTV-1SA, BTV-2, 9, 23, 13, 17, 10 and 11 isolates from different parts of world. Based on partial VP2 gene sequences, it is concluded that Indian isolates of BTV-1 are closely related to BTV-1AUS isolates than BTV-1SA and other serotypes.     

Polyhedrin gene of Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus.

A portion of the genome of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Bombyx mori has been cloned. This part of the viral genome contains the gene encoding the viral occlusion body protein, polyhedrin. The polyhedrin gene has been sequenced in its entirety together with some of its 5' and 3' flanking sequences. The primary structure of polyhedrin predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the gene was found to be somewhat different from the one reported previously for the authentic protein (E. A. Kozlov, T. L. Levitina, N. M. Gusak, and S. B. Serebryani, Bioorg. Khim., 7:1008-1015, 1981; S. B. Serebryani, T. L. Levitina, M. L. Kautsman, Y. L. Radavski, N. M. Gusak, M. N. Ovander, N. V. Sucharenko, and E. A. Kozlov, J. Invertebr. Pathol., 30:442-443, 1977). Comparison of the primary structures of the polyhedrin of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus of B. mori with that of Autographa californica suggests that considerable selective pressure has been exercised at the protein level during evolution. Nucleotide sequence comparisons of the two structural genes reveal that the coding sequences have diverged significantly through the accumulation of silent and replacement substitutions. In contrast, a remarkable degree of sequence conservation was found to exist in the domains corresponding to the 5' and 3' noncoding regions of the polyhedrin mRNAs.     

Transcapsidation and the conserved interactions of two major structural proteins of a pair of phytoreoviruses confirm the mechanism of assembly of the outer capsid layer

The strongly conserved amino acid sequences of the P8 outer capsid proteins of Rice dwarf virus (RDV) and Rice gall dwarf virus (RGDV) and the distribution of electrostatic potential on the proteins at the interfaces between structural proteins suggested the possibility that P8-trimers of RGDV might bind to the 3-fold symmetrical axes of RDV core particles, with vertical interaction between heterologous P3 and P8 proteins and lateral binding of homologous P8 proteins, thereby allowing formation of the double-layered capsids that are characteristic of viruses that belong to the family Reoviridae. We proved this hypothesis using chimeric virus-like particles composed of the P3 core capsid protein of RDV and the P8 outer capsid protein of RGDV, which were co-expressed in a baculovirus expression system. This is the first report on the molecular biological proof of the mechanism of the assembly of the double-layered capsids with disparate icosahedral lattices.     

Tentative identification of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of dsRNA viruses and their relationship to positive strand RNA viral polymerases

Amino acid sequence stretches similar to the four most conserved segments of positive strand RNA viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases have been identified in proteins of four dsRNA viruses belonging to three families, i.e. P2 protein of bacteriophage phi 6 (Cystoviridae), RNA 2 product of infectious bursa disease virus (Birnaviridae), lambda 3 protein of reovirus, and VP1 of bluetongue virus (Reoviridae). High statistical significance of the observed similarity was demonstrated, allowing identification of these proteins as likely candidates for RNA-dependent RNA polymerases. Based on these observations, and on the previously reported sequence similarity between the RNA polymerases of a yeast dsRNA virus and those of positive strand RNA viruses, a possible evolutionary relationship between the two virus classes is discussed.     

Frequent reassortments may explain the genetic heterogeneity of rotaviruses: analysis of Finnish rotavirus strains

The predominant rotavirus electropherotypes (e-types) during 17 epidemic seasons (1980 through 1997) in Finland were established, and representative virus isolates were studied by nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The virus isolates were either P[8]G1 or P[8]G4 types. The G1 and G4 strains formed one G1 lineage (VP7-G1-1) and one G4 lineage, respectively. Otherwise, they belonged to two P[8] lineages (VP4-P[8]-1 and -2) unrelated to their G types. Phylogenetic analysis of partial sequences of all 11 RNA segments obtained from the strains also revealed genetic diversity among gene segments other than those defining P and G types. With the exception of segments 1, 3, and 10, the sequences of the other segments could be assigned to 2 to 4 different genetic clusters. The results of this study suggest that, in addition to the RNA segments encoding VP4 and VP7, the other RNA segments may segregate independently as well. In total, the 9 predominant e-types represented 7 different RNA segment combinations when the phylogenetic clusters of their 11 genes were determined. The extensive genetic diversity and number of e-types among rotaviruses are best explained by frequent genetic reassortment.     

Identification and characterization of a novel sericin gene expressed in the anterior middle silk gland of the silkworm Bombyx mori

Sericin is a group of proteins expressed in the middle silk gland that covers the surface of fibroin in the cocoon filament of Bombyx mori. Sericin consists of several serine-rich proteins with different molecular masses. Sericin A is one of the proteins and is produced in the anterior portion of the middle silk gland. To identify the gene coding for the protein, we determined the primary structures of its partial peptides, and the gene was searched using the silkworm genomic databases. Three contigs containing the corresponding nucleotide sequences were identified and categorized as one group. The gene structure covering the 5' flanking and the 3' end was determined by PCR fragments from genomic DNA, RT-PCR, and 5' and 3' RACE. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence mainly consists of two serine-rich regions of 86-amino acid motif and 8-amino acid repeated sequence. The expression of the gene is limited to the anterior and middle parts of the middle silk gland. In addition, because the sericin gene appeared different from the sericin 1 and 2 genes reported earlier, we designated the newly discovered gene as sericin 3.     

水稻齿叶矮缩病毒基因片段的分离及体外翻译

通过1％琼脂糖电泳和十六烷基溴代三甲胺介导RNA相转移分离法,将水稳齿叶矮缩病毒基因组分为5个组份,基因组双链RNA经羟甲基汞变性后,在兔网状红细胞溶胞物翻译体系中,能高效地表达病毒蛋白质。每个RNA片段至少能编码一种蛋白蛋,但各个片段的翻译活性有明显差异。分析了该病毒基因组各组份与其表达产物的对应关系。