New opportunities for development of safe, effective live virus vaccines

Effective vaccines are not available for most viral diseases. This situation may soon change when the full force of contemporary molecular biology is applied to immunoprophylaxis. In certain viral diseases, particularly those affecting the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, live attenuated vaccines are needed to confer effective protection. Until now the major obstacle to success has been genetic instability. It may be possible to construct stable, satisfactorily attenuated mutants by cloning viral DNA or RNA and then subjecting the cloned DNA to enzyme surgery to create viable deletion mutations. Modified cloned DNA derived from positive-strand viral RNA could then be transferred back into its virus by transfection of cells. Conversion of mutant cloned DNA into negative-strand RNA and transfer into its virus will require a more elaborate type of rescue.     

A、B型流感病毒HA1嵌合基因疫苗的构建及免疫保护研究

为制备能提供交叉保护的疫苗,本研究在证实A型、B型流感病毒HA1 DNA能够提供抗流感病毒保护的基础上,将编码A型和B型流感病毒HA1的基因构建在同一质粒中,制备成嵌合DNA疫苗.将该重组质粒免疫小鼠,并以致死量同种流感病毒A/PR/8/34或B/Ibaraki/2/85攻击,通过测定小鼠的血清抗HA抗体和保护效果(包括存活率、肺部病毒量和体重丢失率)来评价DNA疫苗的免疫效果.结果表明:A、B型流感病毒HAl嵌合DNA疫苗能保护小鼠抵抗两种致死量流感病毒的攻击,具有提供交叉保护的能力.     

风疹病毒松叶株衣壳蛋白C基因稳定性研究

目的研究风疹病毒(Rubella virus,RV)疫苗松叶株(Matsuba)衣壳蛋白(Capsid Protein)的基因稳定性及遗传特征,探讨其功能结构及生物学活性在病毒传代过程中的变化特点。方法利用RT-PCR方法扩增风疹病毒Matsuba株14、16、17、18、23代次C基因序列,测序后进行序列比对分析,并将各代次病毒的C基因与风疹病毒疫苗株Matsuba(GenBank登陆号:AB588193)及其他风疹病毒株C基因序列进行同源性分析。结果风疹病毒Mat-suba株传代病毒C基因在传代过程中核苷酸及氨基酸均未发生变异;各代次病毒与AB588193核苷酸及氨基酸序列完全一致,各关键功能区未发生变异;Matsuba株与18株风疹病毒核苷酸相似性在90.2%～99.9%之间。结论风疹病毒Matsuba疫苗株C基因遗传特性非常稳定,与生物学作用相关的区域未发生传代改变。从分子水平证明Matsuba疫苗株毒种及其生产的疫苗具有安全性。     

Generation of an infectious clone of VR-2332, a highly virulent North American-type isolate of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

A full-length cDNA clone of the prototypical North American porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) isolate VR-2332 was assembled in the plasmid vector pOK(12). To rescue infectious virus, capped RNA was transcribed in vitro from the pOK(12) clone and transfected into BHK-21C cells. The supernatant from transfected monolayers were serially passaged on Marc-145 cells and porcine pulmonary alveolar macrophages. Infectious PRRSV was recovered on Marc-145 cells as well as porcine pulmonary macrophages; thus, the cloned virus exhibited the same cell tropism as the parental VR-2332 strain. However, the cloned virus was clearly distinguishable from the parental VR-2332 strain by an engineered marker, a BstZ17I restriction site. The full-length cDNA clone had 11 nucleotide changes, 2 of which affected coding, compared to the parental VR-2332 strain. Additionally, the transcribed RNA had an extra G at the 5' end. To examine whether these changes influenced viral replication, we examined the growth kinetics of the cloned virus in vitro. In Marc-145 cells, the growth kinetics of the cloned virus reflected those of the parental isolate, even though the titers of the cloned virus were consistently slightly lower. In experimentally infected 5.5-week-old pigs, the cloned virus produced blue discoloration of the ears, a classical clinical symptom of PRRSV. Also, the seroconversion kinetics of pigs infected with the cloned virus and VR-2332 were very similar. Hence, virus derived from the full-length cDNA clone appeared to recapitulate the biological properties of the highly virulent parental VR-2332 strain. This is the first report of an infectious cDNA clone based on American-type PRRSV. The availability of this cDNA clone will allow examination of the molecular mechanisms behind PRRSV virulence and attenuation, which might in turn allow the production of second-generation, genetically engineered PRRSV vaccines.     

Biology of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus: clearance of virus in vivo.

Our data show that 1 X 10(7) to 1.5 X 10(7) lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-specific, H-2-restricted cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) administered intravenously into acutely infected mice totally cleared virus from the spleens (10(4) to 10(5) PFU per spleen reduced to less than 50 PFU per spleen) by 24 h. This activity was genetically restricted in that cloned CTL could reduce titers of infectious virus in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice but not allogeneic BALB/c mice. Dose-response analysis indicated that at least 3 X 10(6) to 5 X 10(6) cloned CTL injected intravenously were needed to reduce significant amounts of infectious virus in the spleens. No infectious virus could be recovered from the spleens for at least 4 days after injection of cloned CTL. Hence, CTL play a major role in elimination of infectious virus from spleens during lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. Our results also indicate that cloned CTL propagated in vitro for long periods of time can mediate a biologically relevant effect in vivo. These cells should be of considerable value in defining the precise manner in which CTL bring about control of viral infection, analyzing lymphocyte trafficking, and the potential use of cloned CTL in immunotherapy against viral disease.     

Persistence of echovirus 6 in cloned human cells.

Establishment of a persistent infection by echovirus 6 in cloned human WISH cells (PI) was demonstrated. The cloned human WISH cells were maintained for 3.0 years (over 125 passages) and released virus continuously without cellular destruction. Neither temperature-sensitive virus mutants nor interferon appears to play a role in either establishment or maintenance of viral persistence. The majority of the virus produced by cloned human WISH cells is defective (2 X 10(6) particles per PFU) and differs from standard virus in its polypeptide profile and its inability to attach to parental WISH cells.     

Molecular cloning of the avian myelocytomatosis virus genome and recovery of infectious virus by transfection of chicken cells.

The avian retrovirus myelocytomatosis virus 19 (MCV) possesses an interesting diversity of oncogenic potentials, but the virus has proven difficult to study because of its inability to replicate without the assistance of a helper virus. We have therefore isolated and amplified the genome of MCV by molecular cloning in a procaryotic vector. The topography of the cloned DNA was explored by the use of restriction endonucleases and radioactive complementary DNAs representing specific domains in avian retrovirus genomes. The cloned DNA appeared to be an authentic representation of the MCV genome: the size and genetic topography of the DNA were comparable to those of MCV, and transfection of the cloned DNA into chicken cells (in company with the DNA of a suitable helper virus) gave rise to virus with the genome and transforming potentials of MCV. The availability of cloned MCV DNA should facilitate a variety of genetic and biochemical manipulations directed at elucidating the mechanism of oncogenesis by MCV.     

Cloning and physical mapping of Herpesvirus sylvilagus DNA

The physical map positions for the EcoRI restriction fragments of Herpesvirus sylvilagus DNA were determined using cloned virus DNA fragments as probes for hybridization. Approximately 75% of the virus genome was cloned. The internal location of the repeated nucleotide sequences and the lack of isomeric forms suggested that the virus genome belongs to the class C herpesvirus DNA.     

共表达禽流感病毒HA和NA基因重组禽痘病毒的遗传稳定性

将表达禽流感病毒H5HA及N1NA基因的重组禽痘病毒rFPV HA NA连续传代至 2 5代 ,取第 5、15及 2 5代重组病毒作为受检代次 ,进行外源基因的PCR扩增与测序 ,同时比较这 3个代次重组禽痘病毒的免疫效力。结果对各代次重组病毒DNA的模板进行PCR扩增 ,均能够获得HA和NA两个目的片段 ;经测序证明两个外源基因在细胞传代过程中没有发生氨基酸水平的改变。动物试验结果表明 ,该重组病毒的毒力在细胞传代过程中没有发生变化 ,接种试验鸡后在鸡体内能够检测到外源基因的存在 ,各免疫组在免疫 2周后的抗体效价平均为 6 5log2 ,完全抵抗了高致病力禽流感病毒的攻击。以上结果表明此重组病毒具有较好的遗传稳定性 ,经过 2 5代的传代后 ,所插入的外源基因及其表达产物的免疫原性未见变化 ,重组病毒的免疫效力相当稳定。     

Demonstration of the bipartite nature of the genome of a single-stranded DNA plant virus by infection with the cloned DNA components

Linear double-stranded (ds)DNA, obtained by excision of the cloned A and B components of tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) from recombinant plasmids, was found to infect plants and to elicit symptoms identical to those obtained with TGMV or TGMV DNA. Progeny virus isolated from plants infected with cloned DNA was infective and indistinguishable from TGMV on the basis of (a) its circular single-stranded (ss)DNA genome, (b) its capsid polypeptide, (c) its particle morphology and (d) serological identity. Southern blot analysis of DNA extracted from cells infected with cloned DNA, or TGMV DNA, revealed the same intracellular ss and dsDNA species, represented in both A and B components, except for a subgenomic, possibly defective, DNA, which was not detected in infections with cloned DNA. Infection with cloned DNA was achieved when cloned A and B components were both present, but not with either cloned A or B components separately. TGMV is the first DNA virus for which unequivocal proof of a bipartite genome has been obtained.     

A NEW CELL CLONE DERIVED FROM TRICHOPLUSIA NI TN5B1–4 CELLS

Abstract  The characteristics of a cultured cell line do not always remain stable and may change upon continuous passage. Most continuous cell lines, even after cloning, possess several genotypes that are constantly changing. There are numerous selective and adaptive culture processes, in addition to genetic instability, that may improve phenotypic change in cell growth, virus susceptibility, gene expression, and production of virus. Similar detrimental effects of long term passaging of insect cells have also been reported for continuous cell lines, for example, Tn5B1–4 cells, which are the most widely used for the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS), provide superior production of recombinant proteins, however, this high productivity may be more evident in low passage cells. In this paper, we describe the isolation of a cell clone, Tn5B-40, from low passage Tn5B1–4 cells. The growth characteristics, productions of virus, and high level of recombinant protein productions were determined. The results showed the susceptibility of both clone and Tn5B1–4 cells to wild-type AcNPV was approximately the same rate with over 95% of infection; when the cloned cells were infected with recombinant baculoviruses expressing ß -galactosidase and secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP), expression of the recombinant proteins from the cloned cells exceeded that from the parental Tn5B1–4 cells.     

Clonal analysis of mammalian cell cultures persistently infected with Japanese encephalitis virus.

More than 200 cells were cloned from populations of mammalian cells persistently infected with Japanese encephalitis virus. Only four cloned cultures contained cells that had viral antigen measurable by immunofluorescence and that released infectious virus, yet all clones harbored virus-specific RNA. Superinfection of cloned cells with wild-type Japanese encephalitis virus did not produce cytopathic effects, but resulted in production of viral antigen and infectious virus in formerly nonproducing clones. Cocultivation of nonproducer clone cells with normally permissive cells did not induce virus production, nor did treatment of nonproducer clones with various inhibitors of DNA, RNA, or protein synthesis. It is suggested that the cloning procedure may have selected for a particular subpopulation of cells and that defective virus is also involved in establishment and maintenance of persistent infection.     

Molecular-biological study of vaccinia virus genome. I. Cloning of vaccinia virus DNA fragments in bacterial vectors

The HindIII DNA fragments of vaccinia virus strain L-IVP were cloned in pBR322 bacterial plasmid. A hybrid plasmids collection of pVHn series contains all fragments of virus genome except terminal HindIII-B and HindIII-G, and also a large HindIII-A. The latter was cloned in cosmid pHC79. The obtained collection of hybrid DNA molecules allows to carry out a wide range of molecular biological experiments on the vaccinia virus genome.     

Construction of an infectious molecular clone of the autonomous parvovirus minute virus of mice.

The linear single-stranded DNA genome of minute virus of mice, an autonomous parvovirus, was cloned in duplex form into the bacterial plasmid pBR322. The recombinant clones of minute virus of mice were infectious when transfected into monolayers of human 324K cells and produced virus plaques with an efficiency of about 6% that obtained with duplex replicative-form DNA purified from cells infected with minute virus of mice. Southern blot analysis of transfected cells indicated that the cloned minute virus of mice genome requires both termini to be intact for excision and replication as a linear duplex molecule.     

Nucleotide sequence of a cloned woodchuck hepatitis virus genome: evolutional relationship between hepadnaviruses.

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a cloned DNA of woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV), the most oncogenic virus among hepadnaviruses. The genome, designated WHV2, is 3,320 base pairs long and contains four major open reading frames (ORFs) coded on the same strand of nucleotide sequence as in the human hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequences deduced from it among the genomes of various hepadnaviruses demonstrates that each protein shows an intrinsic property in conserving its amino acid sequence. A parameter, the ratio of the number of triplets with one-letter change but no amino acid substitution to the total number of triplets in which one-letter change occurred, was introduced to measure the intrinsic properties quantitatively. For each ORF, the parameter gave characteristic values in all combinations. Therefore, the relative evolutional distance between these hepadnaviruses can be measured by the amino acid substitution rate of any ORF. These comparisons suggest that (i) the difference between two WHV clones, WHV1 and WHV2, corresponds to that among clones of a HBV subtype, HBVadr, and (ii) WHV and ground squirrel hepatitis virus can be categorized in a way similar to the subgroups of HBV.     

乙肝病毒突变核心蛋白基因的克隆及序列分析

目的克隆发生长片段缺失的乙肝病毒核心蛋白基因（HBV-C）,并对其进行DNA序列和蛋白质结构分析。方法通过PCR从1株乙型肝炎病毒中扩增得到发生长片段缺失的HBV-C基因,利用TA克隆将PCR产物克隆人pUCm—T载体并进行测序、同源性比较和蛋白质结构分析。结果PCR扩增出的HBV-C基因经序列分析表明长度为454bp,其核苷酸序列缺失了220—317bp之间的98个碱基,造成从74个氨基酸起发生移码突变。结论成功克隆发生长片段缺失的HBV-C基因,为表达及功能研究奠定了基础。     

Persistent infection of rhesus macaques with a molecular clone of human immunodeficiency virus type 2: evidence of minimal genetic drift and low pathogenetic effects.

In an attempt to generate a suitable animal model to study the infectivity and possible pathogenicity of human immunodeficiency viruses, we intravenously inoculated juvenile rhesus macaques and African green monkeys with a molecularly cloned virus, human immunodeficiency virus type 2 HIV-2sbl/isy, as well as with the uncloned HIV-2nih-z virus. Infection was monitored by virus recovery from the peripheral blood cells and by seroconversion against HIV-2 antigens measured by Western immunoblot, radioimmunoprecipitation, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We successfully infected two out of two macaques with the molecularly cloned virus and one macaque out of two with the HIV-2nih-z. No evidence of infection was seen in the African green monkeys with either virus. We followed the infected animals for 2 years. The animals remained healthy, although we observed intermittent lymphadenopathy and a transient decrease in the absolute number of circulating CD4+ T lymphocytes in both animals infected with the molecularly cloned virus. Virus isolation from the peripheral blood cells of the infected animals was successful only within the first few months after inoculation. Evidence of persistent infection was provided by the detection of proviral DNA by polymerase chain reaction analysis of the blood cells of the inoculated animals and by the stability of antiviral antibody titers. To evaluate the genetic drift of the proviral DNA, we molecularly cloned viruses which were reisolated 1 and 5 months postinoculation from one of these animals. Comparison of the DNA sequences of the envelope genes of both these isolates indicated that a low degree of variation (0.2%) in the envelope protein had occurred in vivo during the 5-month period. These data suggest that the use of HIV-2sbl/isy in rhesus macaques may represent a good animal model system to study prevention of viral infection. In particular, molecularly cloned virus can be manipulated for functional studies of viral genes in the pathogenesis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and provides a reproducible source of virus for vaccine studies.     

Molecular cloning of an oncogenic replication-competent virus that causes lymphoproliferative disease in turkeys

The lymphoproliferative disease virus of turkeys was molecularly cloned, structurally mapped, and shown to represent a distinct class of retroviruses evolutionarily related to the avian leukemia-sarcoma virus group. The cloned provirus did not contain any known oncogene or other cellularly derived sequences and was established as a replication-competent oncogenic entity capable of inducing the disease in the absence of any associated transforming counterpart.     

In vitro influenza virus-specific antibody production in man: antigen-specific and HLA-restricted induction of helper activity mediated by cloned human T lymphocytes

Cloned human T lymphocytes induced with influenza A virus (A/Texas/1/77) and maintained in continuous culture with T cell growth factor were assayed for helper function in the in vitro production of anti-influenza antibody. Helper function mediated by both cloned helper T cells and normal peripheral blood lymphocytes was highly antigen dose-dependent, requiring lower concentrations than that necessary to induce blastogenesis. Optimal help was observed with 1 X 10(2) cloned T cells per culture, whereas excess helper cells inhibited the response. After culture with influenza A virus-induced cloned helper T cells, the antibodies formed were directed against influenza A and not B virus. Furthermore, the cloned helper T cells despite being specific for matrix protein collaborated in the production of predominantly anti-hemagglutinin antibody, suggesting associative recognition of the two discrete antigens. Cellular interactions between cloned helper cells from an HLA-Dw1,3 DR1,3 individual and erythrocyte rosette-negative cells required HLA-Dw1; DR1 compatibility for the production of specific antibody. This was confirmed by using subclones. Finally, it was observed that supernatants of the cloned helper T cells contained functional activity capable of replacing the parent cells in the production of anti-influenza A virus antibody.     

Leukemogenicity and cell transformation mechanisms in vitro by Gross murine leukemia virus: analysis of virus subpopulations.

The leukemogenic activity of Gross murine leukemia virus adapted to rats was tested in W/Fu rats and NIH/Swiss mice. All animals infected with this virus developed thymic and nonthymic T-cell leukemia with a short latency period. It was observed that cell-free extracts from thymic lymphoma tissue of mice and rats, induced by either Gross murine leukemia virus or Gross murine leukemia virus adapted to rats, consisted of both small-plaque-forming and large-plaque-forming viruses, as determined by the XC plaque test. MCF-type virus was found in these virus complexes. Transformed cell foci were induced in SC-1 cell layers by double infection of the cloned MCF-type virus and an ecotropic virus. SC-1 cells containing transformed cell foci were shown to be tumorigenic upon inoculation into nude mice. The formation of transformed cell foci in mink lung cells was also observed after double infection with the cloned MCF-type virus and a xenotropic virus. The possible mechanism of leukemogenesis by endogenous viruses is discussed.