Characterization of a Temperature-Sensitive Fiber Mutant of Type 5 Adenovirus and Effect of the Mutation on Virion Assembly

A temperature-sensitive, fiber-minus mutant of type 5 adenovirus, H5ts142, was biochemically and genetically characterized. Genetic studies revealed that H5ts142 was a member of one of the three apparent fiber complementation groups which were detected owing to intracistronic complementation. Recombination analyses showed that it occupied a unique locus at the right end of the adenovirus genetic map. At the nonpermissive temperature, the mutant made stable polypeptides, but they were not glycosylated like wild-type fiber polypeptides. Sedimentation studies of extracts of H5ts142-infected cells cultured and labeled at 39.5°C indicated that a limited number of the fiber polypeptides made at the nonpermissive temperature could assemble into a form having a sedimentation value of 6S (i.e., similar to the trimeric wild-type fiber), but that this 6S structure was not immunologically reactive. When H5ts142-infected cells were shifted to the permissive temperature, 32°C, fiber polypeptides synthesized at 39.5°C were as capable of being assembled into virions as fibers synthesized in wild type-infected cells; de novo protein synthesis was not required to allow this virion assembly. In H5ts142-infected cells incubated at 39.5°C, viral proteins accumulated and aggregated into particles having physical characteristics of empty capsids. These particles did not contain DNA or its associated core proteins. However, when the infected culture was shifted to 32°C, DNA appeared to enter the empty particles and complete virions developed. The intermediate particles obtained had the morphology of adenoviruses, but they contained less than unit-length viral genomes as measured by their buoyant density in a CsCl density gradient and the size of their DNA as determined in both neutral and alkaline sucrose gradients. The reduced size of the intermediate particle DNA was demonstrated to be the result of incompletely packaged DNA molecules being fragmented during the preparative procedures. Hybridization of labeled DNA extracted from the intermediate particles to filters containing restriction fragments of the adenovirus genome indicated that the molecular left end of the viral genome preferentially entered these particles.     

Mechanism by Which Fiber Antigen Inhibits Multiplication of Type 5 Adenovirus

Purified fiber antigen of type 5 adenovirus inhibited the multiplication of type 5 adenovirus by 50% when 35 mug of fiber antigen protein was added to 10(6) KB cells in suspension culture. Although the fiber antigen reduced the number of virions adsorbed per cell when a multiplicity of infection of 50,000 plaque-forming units (PFU)/cell was employed, the number of cells infected was not diminished under these conditions. If a low multiplicity of infection (1.1 PFU/cell) was used, viral adsorption was not detectably decreased. The fiber antigen did not reduce the capability of virions to liberate their viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The biosyntheses of DNA, ribonucleic acid (RNA), and protein were blocked about 20 to 25 hr after the addition of fiber antigen to cultures of uninfected or type 5 adenovirus-infected KB cells. Most of the fiber antigen protein became cell-associated between 22 and 36 hr after it was added to cells. The hexon antigen neither inhibited viral multiplication nor blocked the biosynthesis of DNA, RNA, or protein. Moreover, the hexon did not attach to KB cells. The profound effects of the fiber antigen were not due to the induction of an interferon-like substance, for actinomycin D did not reduce the ability of the fiber to inhibit multiplication of type 1 poliovirus.     

纤维顶球改造增强了人5型腺病毒载体对造血细胞的感染

基于人5型腺病毒(Human adenovirus type 5,HAdV-5)的腺病毒载体对造血细胞的基因转导效率低,将病毒fiber基因替换为HAdV-11p的同源基因F11p后,载体对造血细胞的感染效率增强.本研究拟在F11p纤维顶球(knob)结构域添加RGD4C多肽或HIV包膜糖蛋白(gp120)的V3结构域,观察重组HAdV-5对造血细胞感染效率的变化.在前期构建的pKAd5f11p153R-EPG腺病毒质粒基础上,结合限制性酶切和DNA组装技术,在F11p 153 aa后(knob AB loop,153位)、228位(FG loop)以及300位(IJ loop)插入 RGD4C 肽或者 gp120的 V3肽,构建了共6种重组腺病毒载体(F153RGD-EG、F228RGD-EG、F300RGD-EG、F153CV-EG、F228CV-EG和 F300CV-EG),以fiber未改造的HAdV5-EG和改造为F11p的F11p-EG病毒作对照,观察了其对4种造血细胞系U937、K562、Jurkat和HL60以及人原代T细胞的感染效率.结果显示,对于U937细胞,当感染复数(MOI,vp/cell)为100时,HAdV5-EG感染效率最低,为2％;其次为F228CV-EG,感染率为45％;F300RGD-EG、F153CV-EG和F300CV-EG感染率为85％～90％;F153RGD-EG、F228RGD-EG高于阳性对照病毒F11p-EG,三者分别为99％、99％、95％.各病毒对于Jurkat细胞的感染率均较高,但HAdV5-EG明显低于F11p-EG、F153RGD-EG和F228RGD-EG,当MOI为100时分别为75％、93％、93％和96％.感染K562细胞的情况与U937细胞类似.各病毒对于HL60细胞感染效率最低,MOI为500时,F300RGD-EG和F300CV-EG的转导效率为28％和33％,是F11p-EG的10倍.对于人原代T细胞,F153RGD-EG和F228RGD-EG优于F11p-EG,当MOI为1000时,感染率分别为87％、90％和84％.研究结果表明,F11p knob插入RGD4C比单独F11p替换的HAdV-5对造血细胞的感染效率高,同时,本研究还发现HAdV-11p fiber knob的AB、FG或IJ loop可插入外源多肽,为腺病毒嗜向性改造增加了新靶点.     

Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor Amino-Terminal Immunoglobulin V-Related Domain Binds Adenovirus Type 2 and Fiber Knob from Adenovirus Type 12

The extracellular region of the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is predicted to consist of two immunoglobulin (Ig)-related structural domains. We expressed the isolated CAR amino-terminal domain (D1) and a CAR fragment containing both extracellular Ig domains (D1/D2) in Escherichia coli. Both D1 and D1/D2 formed complexes in vitro with the recombinant knob domain of adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) fiber, and D1 inhibited adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) infection of HeLa cells. These results indicate that the adenovirus-binding activity of CAR is localized in the amino-terminal IgV-related domain and confirm our earlier observation that Ad2 and Ad12 bind to the same cellular receptor. Preliminary crystallization studies suggest that complexes of Ad12 knob bound to D1 will be suitable for structure determination.     

Intracellular Uncoating of Type 5 Adenovirus Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Highly purified, (32)P-labeled type 5 adenovirus was employed to study "uncoating" of viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-defined as the development of sensitivity to deoxyribonuclease. Viral infectivity and radioactivity adsorbed to KB cells at the same rate, and significant amounts of (32)P did not elute from cells throughout the eclipse period. Kinetic studies of viral penetration, eclipse of infectivity, and uncoating of viral DNA indicated that the three events were closely related temporally, that the rates of each were similar, and that they were completed within 60 to 90 min after infection. Viral penetration, eclipse, and uncoating proceeded normally under conditions which blocked protein synthesis, but they did not occur at 0 to 4 C. Neither viral DNA nor viral protein was degraded to acid-soluble material during the eclipse period. The nature of adenovirus DNA was studied after it was converted intracellularly from deoxyribonuclease-resistant to deoxyribonuclease-susceptible. Intact virions centrifuged in sucrose gradients had a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 800, and viral DNA sedimented as a particle of about 30S. Infection of KB cells with purified (32)P-labeled virus yielded deoxyribonuclease-susceptible viral nucleic acid which was in particles with sedimentation coefficients of 350 to 450S, i.e., greater than 10 times faster than DNA obtained from purified virions which had been disrupted by exposure to pH 10.5. When the DNA from disrupted virions was mixed with cell lysates, its sedimentation characteristics were essentially unchanged by the presence of cellular material.     

Phage Display of Adenovirus Type 5 Fiber Knob as a Tool for Specific Ligand Selection and Validation

Adenovirus (Ad) vectors are most potent for use as gene delivery vehicles to infect human cells in vitro and in vivo with high efficiency. The main limitation in utilization of Ad as a gene transfer vector is the lack of specificity. Genetic modifications of Ad capsid proteins resulting in incorporation of foreign polypeptide ligand sequences can redirect the vector towards target cells. However, in many cases the incorporated ligands lose specificity or lead to conformational changes influencing virion integrity. In order to select target-specific ligands a priori structurally compatible with Ad, we propose a system for displaying polypeptide sequences in the context of the Ad fiber knob on the surfaces of filamentous bacteriophages. To establish this concept, we displayed the wild-type Ad serotype 5 knob and knobs containing c-Myc epitopes and six-histidine sequences in the pJuFo phage system. The knobs remained trimeric and bound the coxsackievirus-Ad receptor, and the phage knob-displayed ligands recognized and bound their cognates in the phage-displayed knob context. Further development of this system may be useful for candidate ligand fidelity and Ad structural compatibility validation prior to Ad modification.     

Mutations in the DG Loop of Adenovirus Type 5 Fiber Knob Protein Abolish High-Affinity Binding to Its Cellular Receptor CAR

The amino acid residues in adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) fiber that interact with its cellular receptor, the coxsackie B virus and Ad receptor (CAR), have not been defined. To investigate this, multiple mutations were constructed in the region between residues 479 and 497 in Ad5 fiber (beta-strands E and F and the adjacent region of the DG loop). The effects of these mutations on binding to CAR were determined by use of cell-binding competition experiments, surface plasmon resonance, and direct binding studies. The mutation effects on the overall folding and secondary structure of the protein were assessed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Deletions of two consecutive amino acids between residues 485 and 493 abolished high-affinity binding to CAR; the CD spectra indicated that although there was no disruption of the overall folding and secondary structure of the protein, local conformational changes did occur. Moreover, single site mutations in this region of residues with exposed, surface-accessible side chains, such as Thr492, Asn493, and Val495, had no effect on receptor binding, which demonstrates that these residues are not in contact with CAR themselves. This implies the involvement of residues in neighboring loop regions. Replacement of the segment containing the two very short beta-strands E and F and the turn between them (residues 479 to 486) with the corresponding sequence from Ad3 (betaEFAd3-->5 mutation) resulted in the loss of receptor binding. The identical CD spectra for betaEFAd3-->5 and wild-type proteins suggest that these substitutions caused no conformational rearrangement and that the loss of binding may thus be due to the substitution of one or more critical contact residues. These findings have implications for our understanding of the interaction of Ad5 fiber with CAR and for the construction of targeted recombinant Ad5 vectors for gene therapy purposes.     

Synthesis In Vitro of Type 5 Adenovirus Capsid Proteins

Reaction mixtures containing cytoplasmic extracts and ribosomal fractions prepared from KB cells infected with type 5 adenovirus were able to carry out incorporation of amino acids into protein. The in vitro product included proteins which reacted specifically with antisera to adenovirus capsid proteins; in control experiments with extracts from uninfected cells, no reactions with the antisera were found. The viral proteins were synthesized in vitro on small polyribosomes, were released from them, and significant numbers of the free polypeptides were assembled in vitro into multimeric adenovirus capsid structures.     

Adenovirus Type 9 Fiber Knob Binds to the Coxsackie B Virus-Adenovirus Receptor (CAR) with Lower Affinity than Fiber Knobs of Other CAR-Binding Adenovirus Serotypes

The coxsackie B virus and adenovirus (Ad) receptor (CAR) functions as an attachment receptor for multiple Ad serotypes. Here we show that the Ad serotype 9 (Ad9) fiber knob binds to CAR with much reduced affinity compared to the binding by Ad5 and Ad12 fiber knobs as well as the knob of the long fiber of Ad41 (Ad41L). Substitution of Asp222 in Ad9 fiber knob with a lysine that is conserved in Ad5, Ad12, and Ad41L substantially improved Ad9 fiber knob binding to CAR, while the corresponding substitution in Ad5 (Lys442Asp) significantly reduced Ad5 binding. The presence of an aspartic acid residue in Ad9 therefore accounts, at least in part, for the reduced CAR binding affinity of the Ad9 fiber knob. Site-directed mutagenesis of CAR revealed that CAR residues Leu73 and Lys121 and/or Lys123 are critical contact residues, with Tyr80 and Tyr83 being peripherally involved in the binding interaction with the Ad5, Ad9, Ad12, and Ad41L fiber knobs. The overall affinities and the association and dissociation rate constants for wild-type CAR as well as Tyr80 and Tyr83 CAR mutants differed between the serotypes, indicating that their binding modes, although similar, are not identical.     

Selective Modification of Adenovirus Replication Can Be Achieved through Rational Mutagenesis of the Adenovirus Type 5 DNA Polymerase

Mutations that reduce the efficiency of deoxynucleoside (dN) triphosphate (dNTP) substrate utilization by the HIV-1 DNA polymerase prevent viral replication in resting cells, which contain low dNTP concentrations, but not in rapidly dividing cells such as cancer cells, which contain high levels of dNTPs. We therefore tested whether mutations in regions of the adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) DNA polymerase that interact with the dNTP substrate or DNA template could alter virus replication. The majority of the mutations created, including conservative substitutions, were incompatible with virus replication. Five replication-competent mutants were recovered from 293 cells, but four of these mutants failed to replicate in A549 lung carcinoma cells and Wi38 normal lung cells. Purified polymerase proteins from these viruses exhibited only a 2- to 4-fold reduction in their dNTP utilization efficiency but nonetheless could not be rescued, even when intracellular dNTP concentrations were artificially raised by the addition of exogenous dNs to virus-infected A549 cells. The fifth mutation (I664V) reduced biochemical dNTP utilization by the viral polymerase by 2.5-fold. The corresponding virus replicated to wild-type levels in three different cancer cell lines but was significantly impaired in all normal cell lines in which it was tested. Efficient replication and virus-mediated cell killing were rescued by the addition of exogenous dNs to normal lung fibroblasts (MRC5 cells), confirming the dNTP-dependent nature of the polymerase defect. Collectively, these data provide proof-of-concept support for the notion that conditionally replicating, tumor-selective adenovirus vectors can be created by modifying the efficiency with which the viral DNA polymerase utilizes dNTP substrates.     

Transforming Potential of the Adenovirus Type 5 E4orf3 Protein

Previous observations that the adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) E4orf6 and E4orf3 gene products have redundant effects in viral lytic infection together with the recent findings that E4orf6 possesses transforming potential prompted us to investigate the effect of E4orf3 expression on the transformation of primary rat cells in combination with adenovirus E1 oncogene products. Our results demonstrate for the first time that E4orf3 can cooperate with adenovirus E1A and E1A plus E1B proteins to transform primary baby rat kidney cells, acting synergistically with E4orf6 in the presence of E1B gene products. Transformed rat cells expressing E4orf3 exhibit morphological alterations, higher growth rates and saturation densities, and increased tumorigenicity compared with transformants expressing E1 proteins only. Consistent with previous results for adenovirus-infected cells, the E4orf3 protein is immunologically restricted to discrete nuclear structures known as PML oncogenic domains (PODs) in transformed rat cells. As opposed to E4orf6, the ability of E4orf3 to promote oncogenic cell growth is probably not linked to a modulation of p53 functions and stability. Instead, our results indicate that the transforming activities of E4orf3 are due to combinatorial effects that involve the binding to the adenovirus 55-kDa E1B protein and the colocalization with PODs independent from interactions with the PML gene product. These data fit well with a model in which the reorganization of PODs may trigger a cascade of processes that cause uncontrolled cell proliferation and neoplastic growth. In sum, our results provide strong evidence for the idea that interactions with PODs by viral proteins are linked to oncogenic transformation.     

Impact of Natural IgM Concentration on Gene Therapy with Adenovirus Type 5 Vectors

Natural IgM inhibits gene transfer by adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) vectors. We show that polyreactive natural IgM antibodies bind to Ad5 and that inhibition of liver transduction by IgM depends on Kupffer cells. By manipulating IgM concentration in vivo, we demonstrate that IgM inhibits liver transduction in a concentration-dependent manner. We further show that differences in natural IgM between BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice contribute to lower efficiency of Ad5 gene transfer in BALB/c mice.     

Selection and Preliminary Characterization of Temperature-Sensitive Mutants of Type 5 Adenovirus

Eight temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants that replicate normally at 32 C but poorly, if at all, at 39.5 C have been isolated from mutagenized stocks of a wild-type strain of type 5 adenovirus. Three mutagens were employed: nitrous acid, hydroxylamine, and nitrosoguanidine. Ts mutants were isolated from mutagenized viral stocks with frequencies between 0.01 and 0.1%. All eight mutants had reversion frequencies of 10(-5) or less. Complementation experiments in doubly infected cultures at the nonpermissive temperature separated the mutants into three nonoverlapping complementation groups. Complementation yields ranged from a 2.3- to a 3,000-fold increase over the sums of the yields from the two singly infected controls. Genetic recombination was also demonstrated; approximate recombination frequencies ranged from 0.1 to 15%. Preliminary biochemical and immunological characterization of the mutants indicated that: (i) the single mutant in complementation group I did not replicate its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or synthesize late proteins at the nonpermissive temperature but did inhibit host DNA synthesis to 25% of an uninfected control; (ii) the four group II mutants replicated viral DNA, shut off host DNA synthesis, synthesized penton base and fiber, but did not synthesize immunologically detectable hexon; the three mutants in complementation group III synthesized viral DNA, shut off host DNA synthesis, and made immunologically reactive capsid proteins (hexon, penton base, and fiber).     

Lack of Effect of Cytoplasmic Tail Truncations on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 ROD Env Particle Release Activity

In addition to its role in receptor binding, the envelope glycoprotein of certain human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) isolates, including ROD10, exhibits a biological activity that enhances the release of HIV-2, HIV-1, and simian immunodeficiency virus particles from infected cells. The present study aims at better defining the functional domains involved in this biological activity. To this end, we have characterized the envelope protein of the ROD14 isolate of HIV-2, which, despite 95% homology with the ROD10 envelope at the amino acid level, is unable to enhance viral particle release. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the presence of a truncation in the cytoplasmic tail of the ROD14 envelope was not responsible for the lack of activity, as previously reported for the HIV-2 ST isolate (G. D. Ritter, Jr., G. Yamshchikov, S. J. Cohen, and M. J. Mulligan, J. Virol. 70:2669–2673, 1996). Similarly, several modifications of the length of the ROD10 envelope cytoplasmic tail did not impair its ability to enhance particle release, suggesting that, in the case of the HIV-2 ROD isolate, particle release activity is not regulated by the length of the cytoplasmic tail.     

Fiber Mediated Receptor Masking in Non-Infected Bystander Cells Restricts Adenovirus Cell Killing Effect but Promotes Adenovirus Host Co-Existence

The basic concept of conditionally replicating adenoviruses (CRAD) as oncolytic agents is that progenies generated from each round of infection will disperse, infect and kill new cancer cells. However, CRAD has only inhibited, but not eradicated tumor growth in xenograft tumor therapy, and CRAD therapy has had only marginal clinical benefit to cancer patients. Here, we found that CRAD propagation and cancer cell survival co-existed for long periods of time when infection was initiated at low multiplicity of infection (MOI), and cancer cell killing was inefficient and slow compared to the assumed cell killing effect upon infection at high MOI. Excessive production of fiber molecules from initial CRAD infection of only 1 to 2% cancer cells and their release prior to the viral particle itself caused a tropism-specific receptor masking in both infected and non-infected bystander cells. Consequently, the non-infected bystander cells were inefficiently bound and infected by CRAD progenies. Further, fiber overproduction with concomitant restriction of adenovirus spread was observed in xenograft cancer therapy models. Besides the CAR-binding Ad4, Ad5, and Ad37, infection with CD46-binding Ad35 and Ad11 also caused receptor masking. Fiber overproduction and its resulting receptor masking thus play a key role in limiting CRAD functionality, but potentially promote adenovirus and host cell co-existence. These findings also give important clues for understanding mechanisms underlying the natural infection course of various adenoviruses.     

Synthesis, Transport, and Morphogenesis of Type 5 Adenovirus Capsid Proteins

During the period between 20 and 24 hr after infection of KB cells with type 5 adenovirus, at a time when approximately 85% of the proteins made were virus-specific, viral proteins were synthesized on polyribosomes with an average sedimentation coefficient of 200S. The polypeptide chains synthesized during a 1-min period of labeling with (14)C-amino acids had an average sedimentation coefficient of 3.4S in sucrose gradients containing 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. Within 1 min after completion, the newly made polypeptide chains were released from polyribosomes, and the majority were transported into the nuclei within 6 min. Meanwhile, the immunological reactivity of the newly synthesized proteins also increased rapidly. During the same 6-min interval after synthesis, the single polypeptide chains assembled into multimeric proteins with average sedimentation coefficients of 6S, 9S, and 12S. The 6S and 12S proteins were identified immunologically as the fiber and hexon capsid proteins, respectively. The 9S protein was trypsin-sensitive and appeared to be the precursor of the penton; it was tentatively identified as the penton base. The penton had a sedimentation coefficient of about 10.5S and sedimented with the hexon in sucrose gradients. The concomitant migration of nascent proteins into the nuclei, development of the capsid proteins' immunological reactivity, and morphogenesis of the multimeric capsid proteins suggest that the single polypeptide chains or small complexes were transported into the nuclei where they assembled into mature structural proteins of the virion.