DNA Configuration in the Core of Marek''s Disease Virus

Marek's disease virus DNA appears to be wound around a central structure connecting the two inner poles of the capsid. Based on electron micrographs of Marek's disease virions, a diagram of spatial configuration of virus DNA is presented. This diagram may explain the pleomorphic character of the herpesvirus core observed with the electron microscope.     

用PCR扩增和克隆马立克氏病病毒糖蛋白D基因

用ＰＣＲ技术,从ＧＡ株马立克氏病病毒（ＭＤＶ）感染的成纤维细胞（ＧＥＦ）基因组ＤＮＡ中扩增出ＭＤＶ糖蛋白Ｄ（ｇＤ）抗原基因片段的约１３００ｂｐ编码序列,将该ｐｃＲ扩增的产物于ＥｃｏＲＩ和Ｋｐｎｌ位点克隆到ｐＵＣ１８质粒载体中,在以ｄｉｇｏｘｉｇｅｎｉｎ（ｄｉｇ）标记的ｇＤＰＣＲ产物作为探针,进行原位杂交初步筛选到阳性重组质粒克隆,再根据酶切分析筛选到含ＭＤＶｇＤ基因的重组质粒ｐ１８ＭｇＤ。将ｐ１８ＭｇＤ质粒ＤＮＡ用ｄｉｇ标记后,在Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎｂｌｏｔ中,该探针能识别ＭＤＶ基因组ＤＮＡ的ＢａｍＨＩ－Ａ克隆中的Ａ片段ＤＮＡ。酶切位点分析表明,该ｇＤ克隆也和已发表的ＭＤＶ的ＲＢＩＢ株ｇＤ一样,不含有ＥｃｏＲⅠ、ＨｉｎｄⅢ、ＰｓｔⅠ、ＳｍａⅠ、ｐｖｕⅡ等酶切位点。证明该重组质粒是ＭＤＶｇＤ克隆。     

跨损伤合成的DNA聚合酶——一类新的DNA聚合酶

细胞虽然拥有多种修复途径,但有些DNA损伤仍不可避免地会逃避修复而在基因组上保留下来,细胞跨损伤DNA合成的分子机制一直是DNA修复中主要的未解决问题之一.最近通过对一类结构相关性UmuC/DinB蛋白质超家族成员的研究发现它们具有DNA聚合酶功能.这类新发现的DNA聚合酶不同于经典的复制性DNA聚合酶,它们能以易误/突变(error-prone/mutagenic)或无误(error-free)方式进行跨损伤(translesion)DNA合成,并且从细菌到人在进化上功能保守.     

Deoxyribonucleic Acid of Marek''s Disease Virus in Virus-Induced Tumors

DNA was extracted from [(3)H]thymidine-labeled Marek's disease virus (MDV) and purified by two cycles of CsCl gradient centrifugation in a fixed-angle rotor. The DNA was transcribed in vitro into (32)P-labeled complementary RNA (cRNA). MDV cRNA did not hybridize with DNA from chicken embryo fibroblast cultures or from chicken spleen, but hybridized efficiently with DNA from MDV particles or MDV-infected cell cultures. Five Marek's disease tumors from different chickens and different organs (ovary, liver, testis) were all found to contain MDV DNA sequences. The relative amount of MDV DNA varied from tumor to tumor and was between 3 and 15 virus genome equivalents per cell. The content of virus DNA per cell in spleens from tumor-bearing chickens was much lower than in tumors from the same animals. MDV-infected cell cultures contained a large proportion (28-59%) of virus antigen-positive cells, as measured by immunofluorescence, but tumor cells were negative in this respect (<0.02% positive cells). These data indicate that MDV is present in a provirus form in tumor cells.     

Neutralization Studies with Marek''s Disease Virus and Turkey Herpesvirus

Use of Marek's disease virus (MDV) in a neutralization test presents several problems, which are described, making this potentially useful test difficult. To obviate these difficulties, a plaque reduction test has been designed based on cross-neutralization of turkey herpesvirus (HVT) by serum-neutralizing MDV. The technique for such a neutralization test is outlined. Kinetics of development of neutralizing antibodies in chickens inoculated with HVT and MDV are described. The neutralization test can be used to evaluate viability of HVT vaccines and the possible role of neutralizing antibodies in the protection afforded by vaccination against MDV-induced tumors.     

Electron Microscopic Localization of Herpesvirus-type Particles in Marek''s Disease

Upon cultivation of chicken lymphoid tumors induced by Georgia isolate of Marek's disease, clusters of refractile rounded cells appeared consistently in the cell cultures. Intranuclear mature, immature, enveloped, and empty herpesvirus-type particles, usually associated with smaller particles, were observed in all rounded cells in the affected areas. Cytoplasmic inclusions containing mature enveloped virus particles were also seen in the rounded cells. Often fibroblasts growing in the vicinity of the cytopathic effect area contained a few herpesvirus-type particles. The original tumors prior to cultivation did not reveal any virus particles, and the virus in infected cultures was always cell-associated. Control cell cultures neither developed the rounded cells nor demonstrated the presence of any type of virus particles.     

Size and Composition of Marek''s Disease Virus Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from purified nucleocapsids of Marek's disease herpesvirus (MDV) was cosedimented with T4 and with herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA in neutral sucrose density gradients and with T4 DNA in alkaline sucrose density gradients. These experiments indicated that the intact MDV DNA had a sedimentation constant of 56S corresponding to a molecular weight of 1.2 x 10(8) daltons. In the alkaline gradients, the largest and most prominent band contains a DNA sedimenting at 70S corresponding to 6.0 x 10(7) daltons in molecular weight. The DNA is therefore double-stranded and not cross-linked. Isopycnic sedimentation of the MDV DNA molecules with SPO1, Micrococcus lysodeikticus, and HSV DNA gave a density of 1.705 g/cm(3) corresponding to 46 guanine plus cytosine moles per cent. Lastly, in hybridization tests the DNA hybridized with RNA of infected cells but not with that of uninfected cells supporting the conclusion that it is viral.     

Efficiency of Commercial Air Filters Against Marek''s Disease Virus

In a series of 10 replicate trials with susceptible chickens as indicators of the presence of virus in the air, filter B(1) (Dri Pak, American Air Filter Co.), which has a dust spot rating of 93 to 97%, and filter C (Astrocel), with a dioctyl phathalate aerosol rating of over 99%, completely removed Marek's disease virus (MDV) from highly contaminated air. However, air passed through filter B(2) (Duracel), with a dust spot rating of 34 to 45%, remained infectious. Thus, an air filter with a dust spot rating of over 93% will effectively remove MDV from the air. The smallest infectious particles in the air are estimated to be greater than 0.3 mum in diameter.     

Cell Cycle Regulation of DNA Polymerase Beta in Rotenone-Based Parkinson's Disease Models

In Parkinson''s disease (PD), neuronal cells undergo mitotic catastrophe and endoreduplication prior to cell death; however, the regulatory mechanisms remain to be defined. In this study, we investigated cell cycle regulation of DNA polymerase β (poly β) in rotenone-based dopaminergic cellular and animal models. Incubation with a low concentration (0.25 µM) of rotenone for 1.5 to 7 days resulted in a flattened cell body and decreased DNA replication during S phase, whereas a high concentration (2 µM) of rotenone exposure resulted in enlarged, multi-nucleated cells and converted the mitotic cycle into endoreduplication. Consistently, DNA poly β, which is mainly involved in DNA repair synthesis, was upregulated to a high level following exposure to 2 µM rotenone. The abrogation of DNA poly β by siRNA transfection or dideoxycytidine (DDC) treatment attenuated the rotenone-induced endoreduplication. The cell cycle was reactivated in cyclin D-expressing dopaminergic neurons from the substantia nigra (SN) of rats following stereotactic (ST) infusion of rotenone. Increased DNA poly β expression was observed in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the substantia nigra pars reticulate (SNr) of rotenone-treated rats. Collectively, in the in vitro model of rotenone-induced mitotic catastrophe, the overexpression of DNA poly β promotes endoreduplication; in the in vivo model, the upregulation of DNA poly β and cell cycle reentry were also observed in the adult rat substantia nigra. Therefore, the cell cycle regulation of DNA poly β may be involved in the pathological processes of PD, which results in the induction of endoreduplication.     

Cell-Free Transmission and In Vivo Replication of Marek''s Disease Virus

Marek's disease virus recovered from the feather follicle of infected chickens was found to be infectious for chickens in cell-free preparations. The virus replicated in epithelial cells of the germinative layer of the feather follicle epidermis, producing both intranuclear and round or diffuse cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the infected cells. It was found at this site 2 weeks postinoculation and prior to the development of tumor or other gross lesions. In the nucleus, many naked and a few enveloped herpesvirions were found, whereas the cytoplasm contained predominantly enveloped herpesvirions, which were usually within the cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Approximately 80% of the extracellular virions were enveloped. Studies with both virulent and avirulent strains of the virus revealed a relationship between virulence, contagiousness, and replication of the virus in the feather follicle.     

Preparation of Infectious Cell-Free Herpes-Type Virus Associated with Marek''s Disease

Cell-free transmission of the herpes-type virus of Marek's disease was obtained by demineralized water treatment of infected chick embryo fibroblasts.     

Yeast Cells Expressing the Human Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase Reveal Correlations between Polymerase Fidelity and Human Disease Progression

Mutations in the human mitochondrial polymerase (polymerase-γ (Pol-γ)) are associated with various mitochondrial disorders, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndrome, Alpers syndrome, and progressive external opthamalplegia. To correlate biochemically quantifiable defects resulting from point mutations in Pol-γ with their physiological consequences, we created “humanized” yeast, replacing the yeast mtDNA polymerase (MIP1) with human Pol-γ. Despite differences in the replication and repair mechanism, we show that the human polymerase efficiently complements the yeast mip1 knockouts, suggesting common fundamental mechanisms of replication and conserved interactions between the human polymerase and other components of the replisome. We also examined the effects of four disease-related point mutations (S305R, H932Y, Y951N, and Y955C) and an exonuclease-deficient mutant (D198A/E200A). In haploid cells, each mutant results in rapid mtDNA depletion, increased mutation frequency, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mutation frequencies measured in vivo equal those measured with purified enzyme in vitro. In heterozygous diploid cells, wild-type Pol-γ suppresses mutation-associated growth defects, but continuous growth eventually leads to aerobic respiration defects, reduced mtDNA content, and depolarized mitochondrial membranes. The severity of the Pol-γ mutant phenotype in heterozygous diploid humanized yeast correlates with the approximate age of disease onset and the severity of symptoms observed in humans.     

利用Taq DNA聚合酶对PCR产物直接进行顺序分析

Taq DNA聚合酶具有反应速度快、温度作用范围广及良好的续进性等特点,可视为一种理想的DNA顺序分析酶。本文首先对非对称性PCR扩增过程中单、双链DNA产物的积累情况进行了分析,然后采用标记延伸二步法,对Taq DNA聚合酶的性质及影响因素进行分析。为进一步改进Taq DNA聚合酶测序的方法,本反应建立了“Klenow-型”的直接掺入标记同位素测序法,即在反应液中加入与标记核苷酸相应的一定浓度的冷dNTP。此法不但解决了二步法中引物后部分DNA顺序无法读出的缺点,而且简化了反应步骤,亦能得到令人满意的顺序分析结果,每次可读出至少400碱基的序列。     

不同致病型马立克氏病病毒DNA聚合酶基因序列比较

为了分析马立克氏病病毒(MDV)致病型与其DNA聚合酶基因的关系,本研究比较了9个不同致病型的该基因的同源性关系,这包括四种不同致病型的国际参考株即弱毒疫苗株CVI988/Ripens株、强毒株GA、超强毒株Md5和特超强毒株648A;中国疫苗株814、中国强毒参考株.Jing-1及3个中国野毒株.结果表明MDV的DNA聚合酶基因非常保守,在比较的9个毒株间,该基因上游约369个碱基的调控序列的同源性在96.7%～100%之间,该基因编码的1220个氨基酸序列的同源性在99.2%～100%之间.尽管不同毒株在一些位点上出现了氨基酸的变异,但这些变异与病毒的致病型或地域分布没有明显的关系.     

不同致病型马立克氏病病毒DNA聚合酶基因序列比较

为了分析马立克氏病病毒(MDV)致病型与其DNA聚合酶基因的关系,本研究比较了9个不同致病型的该基因的同源性关系,这包括四种不同致病型的国际参考株即弱毒疫苗株CV1988／Ripens株、强毒株GA、超剜毒株Md5和特超强毒株648A;中国疫苗株814、中国强毒参考株Jing-1及3个中国野毒株。结果表明：MDV的DNA聚合酶基因非常保守,在比较的9个毒株间,该基因上游约369个碱基的调控序列的同源性在96．7％～100％之间,该基因编码的1220个氨基酸序列的同源性在99．2％～100％之间。尽管不同毒株在一些位点上出现了氨基酸的变异,但这些变异与病毒的致病型或地域分布没有明显的关系。     

Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase POLG1 Disease Mutations and Germline Variants Promote Tumorigenic Properties

Germline mutations in mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma (POLG1) induce mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, depletion, and decrease oxidative phosphorylation. Earlier, we identified somatic mutations in POLG1 and the contribution of these mutations in human cancer. However, a role for germline variations in POLG1 in human cancers is unknown. In this study, we examined a role for disease associated germline variants of POLG1, POLG1 gene expression, copy number variation and regulation in human cancers. We analyzed the mutations, expression and copy number variation in POLG1 in several cancer databases and validated the analyses in primary breast tumors and breast cancer cell lines. We discovered 5-aza-2''-deoxycytidine led epigenetic regulation of POLG1, mtDNA-encoded genes and increased mitochondrial respiration. We conducted comprehensive race based bioinformatics analyses of POLG1 gene in more than 33,000 European-Americans and 5,000 African-Americans. We identified a mitochondrial disease causing missense variation in polymerase domain of POLG1 protein at amino acid 1143 (E1143G) to be 25 times more prevalent in European-Americans (allele frequency 0.03777) when compared to African-American (allele frequency 0.00151) population. We identified T251I and P587L missense variations in exonuclease and linker region of POLG1 also to be more prevalent in European-Americans. Expression of these variants increased glucose consumption, decreased ATP production and increased matrigel invasion. Interestingly, conditional expression of these variants revealed that matrigel invasion properties conferred by these germline variants were reversible suggesting a role of epigenetic regulators. Indeed, we identified a set of miRNA whose expression was reversible after variant expression was turned off. Together, our studies demonstrate altered genetic and epigenetic regulation of POLG1 in human cancers and suggest a role for POLG1 germline variants in promoting tumorigenic properties.     

Lyophilization of Cell-Free Marek''s Disease Herpesvirus and a Herpesvirus from Turkeys

Cell extracts of the JM and GA strains of Marek's disease herpesvirus and the FC 126 strain of turkey herpesvirus were lyophilized with various stabilizers. Much higher virus titers were obtained with stabilizer than without stabilizer. Titers increased even further in the case of the Marek's disease virus strains by the addition of a chelating agent, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate.     

Disease Mutations in the Human Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase Thumb Subdomain Impart Severe Defects in Mitochondrial DNA Replication

Forty-five different point mutations in POLG, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the human mitochondrial DNA polymerase (pol γ), cause the early onset mitochondrial DNA depletion disorder, Alpers syndrome. Sequence analysis of the C-terminal polymerase region of pol γ revealed a cluster of four Alpers mutations at highly conserved residues in the thumb subdomain (G848S, c.2542g→a; T851A, c.2551a→g; R852C, c.2554c→t; R853Q, c.2558g→a) and two Alpers mutations at less conserved positions in the adjacent palm subdomain (Q879H, c.2637g→t and T885S, c.2653a→t). Biochemical characterization of purified, recombinant forms of pol γ revealed that Alpers mutations in the thumb subdomain reduced polymerase activity more than 99% relative to the wild-type enzyme, whereas the palm subdomain mutations retained 50–70% wild-type polymerase activity. All six mutant enzymes retained physical and functional interaction with the pol γ accessory subunit (p55), and none of the six mutants exhibited defects in misinsertion fidelity in vitro. However, differential DNA binding by these mutants suggests a possible orientation of the DNA with respect to the polymerase during catalysis. To our knowledge this study represents the first structure-function analysis of the thumb subdomain in pol γ and examines the consequences of mitochondrial disease mutations in this region.As the only DNA polymerase found in animal cell mitochondria, DNA polymerase γ (pol γ)³ bears sole responsibility for DNA synthesis in all replication and repair transactions involving mitochondrial DNA (1, 2). Mammalian cell pol γ is a heterotrimeric complex composed of one catalytic subunit of 140 kDa (p140) and two 55-kDa accessory subunits (p55) that form a dimer (3). The catalytic subunit contains an N-terminal exonuclease domain connected by a linker region to a C-terminal polymerase domain. Whereas the exonuclease domain contains essential motifs I, II, and III for its activity, the polymerase domain comprising the thumb, palm, and finger subdomains contains motifs A, B, and C that are crucial for polymerase activity. The catalytic subunit is a family A DNA polymerase that includes bacterial pol I and T7 DNA polymerase and possesses DNA polymerase, 3′ → 5′ exonuclease, and 5′-deoxyribose phosphate lyase activities (for review, see Refs. 1 and 2). The 55-kDa accessory subunit (p55) confers processive DNA synthesis and tight binding of the pol γ complex to DNA (4, 5).Depletion of mtDNA as well as the accumulation of deletions and point mutations in mtDNA have been observed in several mitochondrial disorders (for review, see Ref. 6). mtDNA depletion syndromes are caused by defects in nuclear genes responsible for replication and maintenance of the mitochondrial genome (7). Mutation of POLG, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of pol γ, is frequently involved in disorders linked to mutagenesis of mtDNA (8, 9). Presently, more than 150 point mutations in POLG are linked with a wide variety of mitochondrial diseases, including the autosomal dominant (ad) and recessive forms of progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO), Alpers syndrome, parkinsonism, ataxia-neuropathy syndromes, and male infertility (tools.niehs.nih.gov/polg) (9).Alpers syndrome, a hepatocerebral mtDNA depletion disorder, and myocerebrohepatopathy are rare heritable autosomal recessive diseases primarily affecting young children (10–12). These diseases generally manifest during the first few weeks to years of life, and symptoms gradually develop in a stepwise manner eventually leading to death. Alpers syndrome is characterized by refractory seizures, psychomotor regression, and hepatic failure (11, 12). Mutation of POLG was first linked to Alpers syndrome in 2004 (13), and to date 45 different point mutations in POLG (18 localized to the polymerase domain) are associated with Alpers syndrome (9, 14, 15). However, only two Alpers mutations (A467T and W748S, both in the linker region) have been biochemically characterized (16, 17).During the initial cloning and sequencing of the human, Drosophila, and chicken pol γ genes, we noted a highly conserved region N-terminal to motif A in the polymerase domain that was specific to pol γ (18). This region corresponds to part of the thumb subdomain that tracks DNA into the active site of both Escherichia coli pol I and T7 DNA polymerase (19–21). A high concentration of disease mutations, many associated with Alpers syndrome, is found in the thumb subdomain.Here we investigated six mitochondrial disease mutations clustered in the N-terminal portion of the polymerase domain of the enzyme (Fig. 1A). Four mutations (G848S, c.2542g→a; T851A, c.2551a→g; R852C, c.2554c→t; R853Q, c.2558g→a) reside in the thumb subdomain and two (Q879H, c.2637g→t and T885S, c.2653a→t) are located in the palm subdomain. These mutations are associated with Alpers, PEO, mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), ataxia-neuropathy syndrome, Leigh syndrome, and myocerebrohepatopathy (