Cloning and characterisation of a channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Mx gene

A 2.5 kb full-length cDNA clone of a channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Mx gene was obtained using RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from RNA extracted from the liver of poly I:C stimulated channel catfish. The gene consists of an open reading frame of 1905 nucleotides encoding a 635 amino acid protein. The predicted protein is 72.5 kDa and contains the dynamin family signature, a tripartite GTP binding motif and a leucine zipper, characteristic of all known Mx proteins. The catfish Mx protein exhibited 79% identity with perch Mx and between 71% and 74% identity with the three Atlantic salmon and the three rainbow trout Mx proteins. Mx mRNA was constitutively expressed in channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells, but in higher quantities in response to poly I:C treatment. Mx was induced in channel catfish following injection with channel catfish virus (CCV) and poly I:C.     

Quantification of Atlantic salmon type-I interferon using an Mx1 promoter reporter gene assay

We here describe an assay for the detection of interferon-like activity in Atlantic salmon based on the transient transfection of chinook salmon embryo cells (CHSE-214 cells) with a rainbow trout Mx1 promoter linked to a luciferase reporter. A beta-galactosidase gene under the control of a constitutively expressed beta-actin promoter was used as a transfection standard, and luciferase and beta gal expression were measured by a commercially available kit. Interferon containing supernatants from poly I:C- or CpG-stimulated leucocytes added to transfected CHSE-cells induced high luciferase expression (>60-fold induction compared to supernatants from non-stimulated cells). There was no response to supernatants from LPS- and ConA/PMA-stimulated leucocytes, demonstrating the specificity for type I interferon-like activity. Duplicate samples analysed using a cell protection assay for detection of antiviral activity correlated well with levels obtained by the Mx1 promoter reporter gene assay (R2=0.97), confirming the reporter assay as a reliable substitute for the standard antiviral assay. The Mx reporter gene assay also has advantages in terms of sensitivity, high dynamic range and reliability over the conventional cell protection assay.     

First report of invertebrate Mx: cloning, characterization and expression analysis of Mx cDNA in disk abalone (Haliotis discus discus)

Myxovirus resistance (Mx) protein is one of the most studied antiviral proteins. It is induced by the type I interferon system (IFN alpha/beta) in various vertebrates, but its expression has not been identified or characterized in mollusks or other multi-cellular invertebrates to date. In this study, we isolated the Mx gene from a disk abalone (Haliotis discus discus) normalized cDNA library. Mx cDNA was sequenced, cloned and compared to other known Mx proteins. The full-length 1664 bp of abalone Mx cDNA contained a 1533-bp open reading frame that codes for 511 amino acids. Within the coding sequence of abalone Mx, characteristic features were found, such as a tripartite guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP)-binding motif and a dynamin family signature. In addition, leucine residues in the C-terminal region displayed a special leucine domain at L(468), L(475), L(489) and L(510), suggesting that abalone Mx may have a similar oligomerization function as other leucine zipper motifs. Abalone Mx protein exhibited 44% amino acid similarity with channel catfish Mx1, rainbow trout Mx2 and Atlantic halibut Mx. Abalones were injected intramuscularly with the known IFN inducer poly I:C and RT-PCR was performed for Mx mRNA analysis. The results showed enhanced Mx expression in abalone gill and digestive tissues 24h as well as 48 h after injection of poly I:C. Mx mRNA was expressed in gill, digestive gland, mantle and foot tissues in healthy abalone, suggesting that the basal level of Mx expressed is tissue-specific. There is no known Mx protein closely related to abalone Mx according to phylogenetic analysis. Abalone Mx may have diverged from a common gene ancestor of fish and mammalian Mx proteins, since abalone Mx showed high similarity in terms of conserved tripartite GTP-binding, dynamin family signature motifs and poly I:C enhancement of Mx mRNA expression.     

PD-1核心启动子的获得及活性鉴定

目的:构建PD-1(programmed death receptor 1)全长启动子及不同截短体的报告基因,并对其转录活性进行检测。方法:通过PCR及双酶切方法,从人全血基因组DNA中获得PD-1基因编码序列,包含不同长度碱基的PD-1启动子序列,分别克隆到报告基因pGL3-Basic载体上,构建8个不同长度PD-1启动子的报告基因;用脂质体转染法将8个报告基因分别转染至Jurkat细胞系;采用双萤光素酶报告基因系统评估PD-1启动子的活性。结果:经PCR方法扩增出大小分别为1650、1450、1250、1128、874、674、474和274 bp的不同长度的PD-1启动子序列,测序正确(与GenBank报道一致),酶切鉴定正确;瞬时转染Jurkat细胞系后经报告基因检测,8个启动子均具有转录活性。结论:构建了PD-1启动子的报告基因,并证实均有转录活性,且以pGL3-1128活性最高,为PD-1的核心启动子,为进一步研究PD-1的转录调控奠定了实验基础。     

Poly I:C inhibits the expression of channel catfish virus immediate-early gene ORF 1 at early times after infection

Channel catfish virus (CCV) is a herpesvirus that infects channel catfish fry and fingerlings. Previous research has demonstrated that Type I interferons inhibit the expression of immediate-early (IE) genes of some mammalian herpesviruses. However, CCV is distantly related to the mammalian herpesviruses and Type I interferons from higher vertebrates exhibit only 20% similarity to fish interferons. In this work we demonstrate that treatment of channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells, a fibroblast-like cell line, with poly I:C, a known inducer of Type I interferons, results in inhibition of expression of the CCV IE gene ORF 1. Thus, although the genes involved have diverged, the mechanism appears to be conserved. If this paradigm holds true for other CCV IE-Type I interferon interactions, it could have important implications for the impact of CCV on the host immune system.     

徐州医学院病原生物学与免疫学教研室

目的:建立高活性的PSA启动子荧光素酶报告载体。方法:提取前列腺癌细胞PC-3总DNA,PCR扩增出PSA启动子片段,建立PSA启动子荧光素酶重组载体PGL3-psap,通过脂质体介导将重组载体转染到前列腺癌细胞PC-3中,使用荧光素酶检测系统检测其活性。结果:DNA测序结果表明成功构建荧光素酶重组载体PGL3-psap,荧光素酶检测显示重组载体在前列腺癌细胞PC-3中有较强活性。结论:本研究成功构建了具有高度活性的PSA启动子荧光素酶报告载体,为进一步研究前列腺癌的诊断和治疗提供了实验基础。     

Identification and expression analyses of poly [I:C]-stimulated genes in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) have proven to be an excellent model with which to study immune responses of lower vertebrates. Identification of anti-viral antibodies and cytotoxic cells, as well as both type I and II interferon (IFN), demonstrates that catfish likely mount a vigorous anti-viral immune response. In this report, we focus on other elements of the anti-viral response, and identify more than two dozen genes that are induced following treatment of catfish cells with poly [I:C]. We showed that poly [I:C] induced type I interferon within 2 h of treatment, and that characteristic interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) appeared 6–12 h after exposure. Among the ISGs detected by RT-PCR assay were homologs of ISG15, Mx1, IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1), inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1 (IAP-1) and the chemokine CXCL10. Microarray analyses showed that 13 and 24 cellular genes, respectively, were upregulated in poly [I:C]-treated B cell and fibroblast cultures. Although many of these genes were novel and did not fit the profile of mammalian ISGs, there were several (ISG-15, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2G1, integrin-linked kinase, and clathrin-associated protein 47) that were identified as ISGs in mammalian systems. Taken together, these results suggest that dsRNA, either directly or through the prior induction of IFN, upregulates catfish gene products that function individually and/or collectively to inhibit virus replication.     

Effects of NV gene knock-out recombinant viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) on Mx gene expression in Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells and olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

To determine whether the NV gene of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is related to the type I interferon response of hosts, expression of Mx gene in Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells and in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in response to infection with either wild-type VHSV or recombinant VHSVs (rVHSV-ΔNV-EGFP and rVHSV-wild) was investigated. A reporter vector was constructed for measuring Mx gene expression using olive flounder Mx promoter, in which the reporter Metridia luciferase was designed to be excreted to culture medium to facilitate measurement. The highest increase of luciferase activity was detected from supernatant of cells infected with rVHSV-ΔNV-EGFP. In contrast cells infected with wild-type VHSV showed a slight increase of the luciferase activity. Interestingly, cells infected with rVHSV-wild that has artificially changed nucleotides just before and after the NV gene ORF, also showed highly increased luciferase activity, but the increased amplitude was lower than that by rVHSV-ΔNV-EGFP. These results strongly suggest that the NV protein of VHSV plays an important role in suppressing interferon response in host cells, which provides a condition for the viruses to efficiently proliferate in host cells. In an in vivo experiment, the Mx gene expression in olive flounder challenged with the rVHSV-ΔNV-EGFP was clearly higher than fish challenged with rVHSV-wild or wild-type VHSV, suggesting that lacking of the NV gene in the genome of rVHSV-ΔNV-EGFP brought to strong interferon response that subsequently inhibit viral replication in fish.     

Organization of the murine Mx gene and characterization of its interferon- and virus-inducible promoter.

Specific resistance of Mx+ mice to influenza virus is due to the interferon (IFN)-induced protein Mx. The Mx gene consists of 14 exons that are spread over at least 55 kilobase pairs of DNA. Surprisingly, the Mx gene promoter is induced as efficiently by Newcastle disease virus as it is by IFN. The 5' boundary of the region required for maximal induction by both IFN and Newcastle disease virus is located about 140 base pairs upstream of the cap site. This region contains five elements of the type GAAANN, which occurs in all IFN- and virus-inducible promoters. The consensus sequence purine-GAAAN(N/-)GAAA(C/G)-pyrimidine is found in all IFN-inducible promoters.     

Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the porcine antiviral MX1 and MX2 genes

The porcine MX1 and MX2 promoters were characterized in this study. Sequencing of the 332-bp MX1 promoter region identified 15 substitutions and insertions at three positions in 21 pigs from 15 breeds, in which nine genotypes were classified. Among the nine genotypes, no statistically significant differences in the promoter activities were observed after interferon (IFN- α 2b) treatment of transiently transfected cells containing constructs with luciferase reporter plasmids. The 341-bp MX2 promoter region contained regulatory sequences for ISRE, GC box, Sp1 and AP-1, as well as a TATA box. Nucleotide sequences of the MX2 promoter region revealed four substitutions and one deletion, in which six genotypes were classified. Among the six genotypes, a statistically significant difference ( P  < 0.05) in MX2 promoter activities after IFN- α 2b treatment was detected in transiently transfected cells.