登革病毒对人树突状细胞感染性的研究

探讨登革病毒对人树突状细胞(DC)的感染性。人外周新鲜血常规分离单核细胞,经细胞因子GMCSF、IL4诱导培养成DC,通过形态学特征、细胞表型和淋巴细胞刺激能力鉴定。用登革病毒2型(DV2)感染DC,于作用后6h、24h、48h、72h、96h分别收集上清液和细胞,甲基纤维素微量空斑试验测定病毒滴度,间接免疫荧光法检测细胞上病毒抗原表达,透射电镜观察病毒在细胞内的定位。病毒感染后6h即可在培养上清中测出病毒,病毒滴度在48h达到高峰,以后逐渐下降。间接免疫荧光法证明感染的DC胞浆及胞膜上携带病毒抗原。透射电镜下在病毒感染48h后DC胞浆内可见大量病毒颗粒。树突状细胞是登革病毒感染的靶细胞,病毒可感染DC并产生大量病毒颗粒,可能在其发病机制中起重要作用。     

PTEN 通过下调自噬活性抑制登革病毒2型感染

为探讨PTEN、细胞自噬与登革病毒2型（DENV-2）感染之间的关系及可能机制,本研究将DENV-2以不同感染复数（MOI）和不同持续时间感染人脐静脉血管内皮细胞（HUVEC）,蛋白免疫印迹法检测PTEN表达及指示细胞自噬的LC3型别转换情况;进一步构建pLenti-PTEN和pLenti-shPTEN表达质粒,包装成慢病毒,感染 HUVEC以建立稳定表达细胞系,并检测 PTEN过表达及敲低对自噬标记尤其是LC3Ⅱ／LC3Ⅰ比值、DENV-2 capsid蛋白和mRNA水平及子代病毒颗粒感染性的影响。结果显示,PTEN下调可抑制细胞自噬水平,继而降低DENV-2 capsid蛋白表达和子代病毒颗粒释放,提示 DENV-2感染 HUVEC发生的PTEN蛋白表达下调很可能是宿主细胞本身的一种针对DENV-2感染的保护性反应。     

Enterovirus 71-induced autophagy increases viral replication and pathogenesis in a suckling mouse model

Background

We previously reported that Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection activates autophagy, which promotes viral replication both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study we further investigated whether EV71 infection of neuronal SK-N-SH cells induces an autophagic flux. Furthermore, the effects of autophagy on EV71-related pathogenesis and viral load were evaluated after intracranial inoculation of mouse-adapted EV71 (MP4 strain) into 6-day-old ICR suckling mice.

Results

We demonstrated that in EV71-infected SK-N-SH cells, EV71 structural protein VP1 and nonstructural protein 2C co-localized with LC3 and mannose-6-phosphate receptor (MPR, endosome marker) proteins by immunofluorescence staining, indicating amphisome formation. Together with amphisome formation, EV71 induced an autophagic flux, which could be blocked by NH₄Cl (inhibitor of acidification) and vinblastine (inhibitor of fusion), as demonstrated by Western blotting. Suckling mice intracranially inoculated with EV71 showed EV71 VP1 protein expression (representing EV71 infection) in the cerebellum, medulla, and pons by immunohistochemical staining. Accompanied with these infected brain tissues, increased expression of LC3-II protein as well as formation of LC3 aggregates, autophagosomes and amphisomes were detected. Amphisome formation, which was confirmed by colocalization of EV71-VP1 protein or LC3 puncta and the endosome marker protein MPR. Thus, EV71-infected suckling mice (similar to EV71-infected SK-N-SH cells) also show an autophagic flux. The physiopathological parameters of EV71-MP4 infected mice, including body weight loss, disease symptoms, and mortality were increased compared to those of the uninfected mice. We further blocked EV71-induced autophagy with the inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), which attenuated the disease symptoms and decreased the viral load in the brain tissues of the infected mice.

Conclusions

In this study, we reveal that EV71 infection of suckling mice induces an amphisome formation accompanied with the autophagic flux in the brain tissues. Autophagy induced by EV71 promotes viral replication and EV71-related pathogenesis.     

Immunopathogenesis of dengue virus infection

Dengue virus infection causes dengue fever (DF), dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), whose pathogeneses are not clearly understood. Current hypotheses of antibody-dependent enhancement, virus virulence, and IFN-gamma/TNFalpha-mediated immunopathogenesis are insufficient to explain clinical manifestations of DHF/DSS such as thrombocytopenia and hemoconcentration. Dengue virus infection induces transient immune aberrant activation of CD4/CD8 ratio inversion and cytokine overproduction, and infection of endothelial cells and hepatocytes causes apoptosis and dysfunction of these cells. The coagulation and fibrinolysis systems are also activated after dengue virus infection. We propose a new hypothesis for the immunopathogenesis for dengue virus infection. The aberrant immune responses not only impair the immune response to clear the virus, but also result in overproduction of cytokines that affect monocytes, endothelial cells, and hepatocytes. Platelets are destroyed by crossreactive anti-platelet autoantibodies. Dengue-virus-induced vasculopathy and coagulopathy must be involved in the pathogenesis of hemorrhage, and the unbalance between coagulation and fibrinolysis activation increases the likelihood of severe hemorrhage in DHF/DSS. Hemostasis is maintained unless the dysregulation of coagulation and fibrinolysis persists. The overproduced IL-6 might play a crucial role in the enhanced production of anti-platelet or anti-endothelial cell autoantibodies, elevated levels of tPA, as well as a deficiency in coagulation. Capillary leakage is triggered by the dengue virus itself or by antibodies to its antigens. This immunopathogenesis of DHF/DSS can account for specific characteristics of clinical, pathologic, and epidemiological observations in dengue virus infection.     

埃及伊蚊对登革Ⅱ型病毒感染Balb/C实验小鼠的增强

以Balb/C小鼠为实验动物,探讨了埃及伊蚊Aedes aegypti唾液对登革病毒感染宿主的影响。结果显示,在皮下接种剂量相同的情况下,如果Balb/C实验小鼠预先被一定数量的埃及伊蚊叮咬以后,实验小鼠感染病毒的程度有所提高,血清中的抗体滴度明显降低,腹腔巨噬细胞感染登革病毒的阳性率及感染的时间动态曲线也有明显差异,感染高峰期延迟。这些说明实验小鼠被媒介蚊虫叮咬以后变得相对容易被登革病毒感染,可能是媒介蚊虫叮咬小鼠时分泌的唾液对宿主的免疫反应系统有一定作用。因此可以初步肯定埃及伊蚊在登革病毒的感染传播过程中,影响了Balb/C实验小鼠的免疫功能,对登革病毒的感染有一定推动作用。     

Seroprevalence study of Tick-borne encephalitis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Dengue and Toscana virus in Turin Province

Tick borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is present in some European countries and it is transmitted by a tick bite. Ixodes ricinus is the main vector of the infection in Italy, where fortunately clinical neurological manifestations, typical of the more serious phase of the disease, are very rarely observed. This behaviour is different from other endemic Euroasiatic areas where numerous cases of encephalitis are described. However TBE transmission has not been widely investigated in Italy and available epidemiological data have been obtained only by studies performed in Central and Northern Regions of the country. In addition seroepidemiological researches were made prevalently on subjects at high risk of tick bite, such as hunters or forest guards from Trentin and Central Italy. No precise information about TBE virus diffusion was available in the Piedmont before our investigations. We found that hunters and wild boar breeders seem to be particularly exposed to the risk of TBE virus infection in Turin Province and in particular in the Susa valley, although no neurological involvement was observed in our population. In particular a seroprevalence of about 5% was detected by the use of purified antigens ELISA test, amongst the subjects at high risk of tick bite. Moreover low risk individuals showed a seroprevalence of below 2%. In addition a parallel seroepidemiological study was performed in Turin Province for Borrelia burgdorferi, the aetiological agent of Lyme disease, also transmitted by tick bite (e.g. Ixodes ricinus), for Dengue and Toscana (TOS) arboviruses, respectively transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and phlebotomes. Data reported here demonstrate only a sporadic presence in our population of antibodies against Borrelia and Dengue infection. Moreover using an ELISA test performed with viral purified nucleoprotein, we reported a total percentage of about 3% of subjects positive for TOSV.     

Glucosamine induces autophagy via an mTOR-independent pathway

Autophagy is a cellular process that nonspecifically degrades cytosolic components and is involved in many cellular responses. We found that amino sugars with a free amino group such as glucosamine, galactosamine and mannosamine induced autophagy via an mTOR-independent pathway. Glucosamine-induced autophagy at concentrations of at least 500 μM to over 40 mM. In the presence of 40 mM glucosamine, autophagy induction was initiated at 6 h and reached a plateau at 36 h. Glucosamine-induced autophagy could remove accumulated ubiquitin-conjugated proteins as well as 79-glutamine repeats. Therefore, orally administered glucosamine could contribute to the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases and promotion of antiaging effects.     

Dengue virus infection induces broadly cross-reactive human IgM antibodies that recognize intact virions in humanized BLT-NSG mice

The development of small animal models that elicit human immune responses to dengue virus (DENV) is important since prior immunity is a major risk factor for developing severe dengue disease. This study evaluated anti-DENV human antibody (hAb) responses generated from immortalized B cells after DENV-2 infection in NOD-scid IL2rγ^null mice that were co-transplanted with human fetal thymus and liver tissues (BLT-NSG mice). DENV-specific human antibodies predominantly of the IgM isotype were isolated during acute infection and in convalescence. We found that while a few hAbs recognized the envelope protein produced as a soluble recombinant, a number of hAbs only recognized epitopes on intact virions. The majority of the hAbs isolated during acute infection and in immune mice were serotype-cross-reactive and poorly neutralizing. Viral titers in immune BLT-NSG mice were significantly decreased after challenge with a clinical strain of dengue. DENV-specific hAbs generated in BLT-NSG mice share some of the characteristics of Abs isolated in humans with natural infection. Humanized BLT-NSG mice provide an attractive preclinical platform to assess the immunogenicity of candidate dengue vaccines.     

Membrane undulation induced by NS4A of Dengue virus: a molecular dynamics simulation study

Nonstructural protein 4A (NS4A) of Dengue virus (DENV) is a membrane protein involved in rearrangements of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane that are required for formation of replication vesicles. NS4A is composed most likely of three membrane domains. The N- and C-terminal domains are supposed to traverse the lipid membrane whereas the central one is thought to reside on the membrane surface, thus forming a u-shaped protein. All three membrane domains are proposed to be helical by secondary structure prediction programs. After performing multi nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at various temperatures (300, 310, and 315.15?K) with each of the individual domains, they are used in a docking approach to define putative association motifs of the transmembrane domains (TMDs). Two structures of the u-shaped protein are generated by separating two assembled TMDs linking them with the membrane-attached domain. Lipid undulation is monitored with the structures embedded in a fully hydrated lipid bilayer applying multiple 200?ns MD simulations at 310?K. An intact structure of the protein supports membrane undulation. The strong unwinding of the helices in the domain-linking section of one of the structures lowers its capability to induce membrane curvature. Unwinding of the link region is due to interactions of two tryptophan residues, Trp-96 and 104. These results provide first insights into the membrane-altering properties of DENV NS4A.     

登革病毒血清型特异单克隆抗体的制备和鉴定

登革病毒 (Dengue virus,DENV) 是全球传播最为广泛的虫媒病毒,由于缺乏快速鉴别感染病毒血清型的诊断技术,导致异型交叉感染引起重症登革出血热病例居高不下。为实现免疫学方法快速鉴别诊断不同血清型DENV感染,本研究采用哺乳动物细胞293T表达并纯化了4种DENV血清型NS1蛋白,免疫小鼠后通过杂交瘤技术制备了针对NS1蛋白的单克隆抗体。利用酶联免疫吸附方法 (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA)、间接免疫荧光法 (Indirect immunofluorescence assay,IFA)、免疫斑点杂交试验 (Dot blotting) 以及蛋白质免疫印迹试验 (Western blotting) 确认所制备的单克隆抗体能够有效识别天然病毒NS1以及重组NS1蛋白。获得的单克隆抗体包含2株可识别1–4型DENV NS1蛋白的通用型抗体及3株分别针对DENV-1、DENV-2和DENV-4的血清型特异抗体。以所制备的DENV NS1抗体为基础,采用双抗体夹心ELISA可快速鉴别不同血清型DENV。DENV血清型特异单克隆抗体的制备和甄别DENV血清型ELISA方法的建立为快速鉴别感染DENV血清型的临床诊断奠定了基础。     

HBV转基因小鼠--乙型肝炎研究的重要工具

HBV感染具有严格的种属特异性和组织亲嗜性,所以可用于研究的动物模型很少。随着转基因技术的出现和发展,人们通过研制转基因动物模型来研究病毒致病机理。把HBV的DNA或其片段转入小鼠受精卵建立起来的HBV转基因小鼠,已被广泛地应用于乙型肝炎的研究中,主要体现在以下3个方面：研究HBV的致病机制、与肝细胞癌的关系及寻找、评价治疗乙肝的方法。     

Arylcyanoacrylamides as inhibitors of the Dengue and West Nile virus proteases

The 3-aryl-2-cyanoacrylamide scaffold was designed as core pharmacophore for inhibitors of the Dengue and West Nile virus serine proteases (NS2B-NS3). A total of 86 analogs was prepared to study the structure–activity relationships in detail. Thereby, it turned out that the electron density of the aryl moiety and the central double bond have a crucial influence on the activity of the compounds, whereas the influence of substituents of the amide residue is less relevant. The para-hydroxy substituted analog was found to be the most potent inhibitor in this series with a K_i-value of 35.7 μM at the Dengue and 44.6 μM at the West Nile virus protease. The aprotinin competition assay demonstrates a direct interaction of the inhibitor molecule with active centre of the Dengue virus protease. The target selectivity was studied in a counterscreen with thrombin and found to be 2.8:1 in favor of DEN protease and 2.3:1 in favor of WNV protease, respectively.     

登革病毒的分子进化和流行趋势

登革热是一种最流行的蚊媒传播传染病 ,近二十年来其流行呈上升趋势 ,本文从现代分子生物学和分子进化角度 ,对登革热的流行趋势进行综述。     

国内首次自患者标本中同时分离的登革2型和3型病毒的鉴定

采用间接免疫荧光方法 ,检测患者血清标本中的抗登革病毒IgM和IgG抗体 ;同时将病人急性期血清接种C6 36细胞进行病毒分离。从分离的病毒悬液中提取RNA ,进行RT PCR扩增和序列测定。结果显示 ,该患者血清中存在抗登革病毒的IgM和IgG抗体。从病人血清中分离的病毒 ,经RT PCR和序列测定证实为登革 2型和 3型病毒的特异序列。表明该患者为登革 2型和 3型病毒混合感染     

登革病毒2型E蛋白基因真核表达和DNA免疫的研究

将编码登革病毒2型(DV2)氨基末端80％的E蛋白的DNA片段克隆到真核表达载体pCXN2 AG强启动子下游,构建成DV2E重组真核表达质粒pCXN-E。间接免疫荧光显示其可在COS-7细胞中表达。ELISA法检测pCXN2-E DNA免疫BALB/c鼠血清中的E抗体变化和维持规律,结果显示三次免疫后2周已有抗体产生,15周时仍维持较高的水平;血清空斑减数中和实验显示其中和滴度高于1:640;流式细胞计数仪(FACS)检测DNA免疫鼠CD4~+、CD8~+T淋巴细胞变化情况,与注射空载体pCXN2的阴性鼠相比,CD4~+淋巴细胞水平略有上升。CD8~+细胞水平有较大升高(p<0.01);动物保护性实验结果显示,当用致死剂量登革病毒攻击免疫鼠时,其保护率为60％。以上结果表明:pCXN2-E在实验动物内表达出的DV2E蛋白可以诱导免疫动物的体液免疫和细胞免疫应答,尤其是MHC-I限制性杀伤性CD8~+T淋巴细胞水平的提高对清除病毒是十分有利的。因此,DV2 E DNA免疫为登革病毒DNA疫苗的发展进行了有益的探索。     

Coffee induces autophagy in vivo

Epidemiological studies and clinical trials revealed that chronic consumption coffee is associated with the inhibition of several metabolic diseases as well as reduction in overall and cause-specific mortality. We show that both natural and decaffeinated brands of coffee similarly rapidly trigger autophagy in mice. One to 4 h after coffee consumption, we observed an increase in autophagic flux in all investigated organs (liver, muscle, heart) in vivo, as indicated by the increased lipidation of LC3B and the reduction of the abundance of the autophagic substrate sequestosome 1 (p62/SQSTM1). These changes were accompanied by the inhibition of the enzymatic activity of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), leading to the reduced phosphorylation of p70^S6K, as well as by the global deacetylation of cellular proteins detectable by immunoblot. Immunohistochemical analyses of transgenic mice expressing a GFP–LC3B fusion protein confirmed the coffee-induced relocation of LC3B to autophagosomes, as well as general protein deacetylation. Altogether, these results indicate that coffee triggers 2 phenomena that are also induced by nutrient depletion, namely a reduction of protein acetylation coupled to an increase in autophagy. We speculate that polyphenols contained in coffee promote health by stimulating autophagy.     

衣壳蛋白靶向灭活策略应用于抗登革病毒感染的研究

衣壳蛋白靶向病毒灭活是近年来新兴的抗病毒策略。为探索该策略在抗登革病毒感染中的应用 ,首先建立了稳定表达登革 2型病毒衣壳蛋白 (D2C)与葡萄球菌核酸酶 (SN)融合蛋白D2C_SN的哺乳动物细胞系 ,然后以登革病毒攻击上述细胞系 ,研究表达的融合蛋白D2C_SN对产生的子代病毒颗粒感染性的影响。结果表明融合蛋白D2C_SN能够在病毒装配过程中与野生型衣壳蛋白共组装入子代病毒颗粒内部 ,并导致病毒基因组的降解。与正常BHK细胞相比较 ,融合蛋白D2C_SN可导致产生的子代病毒感染性滴度降低 10 3～ 10 4 ,显示出很强的抗病毒效果     

Bovine viral diarrhea virus infection induces autophagy in MDBK cells

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that belongs to the genus Pestivirus (Flaviviridae). The signaling pathways and levels of signaling molecules are altered in Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cells infected with BVDV. Autophagy is a conservative biological degradation pathway that mainly eliminates and degrades damaged or superfluous organelles and macromolecular complexes for intracellular recycling in eukaryotic cells. Autophagy can also be induced as an effective response to maintain cellular homeostasis in response to different stresses, such as nutrient or growth factor deprivation, hypoxia, reactive oxygen species exposure and pathogen infection. However, the effects of BVDV infection on autophagy inMDBK cells remain unclear. Therefore, we performed an analysis of autophagic activity after BVDV NADL infection using real-time PCR, electron microscopy, laser confocal microscopy, and Western blotting analysis. The results demonstrated that BVDV NADL infection increased autophagic activity and significantly elevated the expression levels of the autophagy-related genes Beclin1 and ATG14 inMDBK cells. However, the knockdown of Beclin1 and ATG14 by RNA interference (RNAi) did not affect BVDV NADL infection-related autophagic activity. These findings provided a novel perspective to elaborate the effects of viral infection on the host cells.