The Nucleocapsid Domain Is Responsible for the Ability of Spleen Necrosis Virus (SNV) Gag Polyprotein To Package both SNV and Murine Leukemia Virus RNA

Murine leukemia virus (MLV)-based vector RNA can be packaged and propagated by the proteins of spleen necrosis virus (SNV). We recently demonstrated that MLV proteins cannot support the replication of an SNV-based vector; RNA analysis revealed that MLV proteins cannot efficiently package SNV-based vector RNA. The domain in Gag responsible for the specificity of RNA packaging was identified using chimeric gag-pol expression constructs. A competitive packaging system was established by generating a cell line that expresses one viral vector RNA containing the MLV packaging signal (Psi) and another viral vector RNA containing the SNV packaging signal (E). The chimeric gag-pol expression constructs were introduced into the cells, and vector titers as well as the efficiency of RNA packaging were examined. Our data confirm that Gag is solely responsible for the selection of viral RNAs. Furthermore, the nucleocapsid (NC) domain in the SNV Gag is responsible for its ability to interact with both SNV E and MLV Psi. Replacement of the SNV NC with the MLV NC generated a chimeric Gag that could not package SNV RNA but retained its ability to package MLV RNA. A construct expressing SNV gag-MLV pol supported the replication of both MLV and SNV vectors, indicating that the gag and pol gene products from two different viruses can functionally cooperate to perform one cycle of retroviral replication. Viral titer data indicated that SNV cis-acting elements are not ideal substrates for MLV pol gene products since infectious viruses were generated at a lower efficiency. These results indicate that the nonreciprocal recognition between SNV and MLV extends beyond the Gag-RNA interaction and also includes interactions between Pol and other cis-acting elements.     

整合禽流感病毒血凝素糖蛋白的假型鼠白血病病毒

本研究通过一个瞬时转染系统将H5N1亚型鹅源禽流感病毒囊膜表面的血凝素(HA)糖蛋白整合到鼠白血病病毒(MuLV)颗粒表面并进行了感染性测定。将包含HA基因的真核表达质粒pcDNA-HA与MuLV假病毒构建体系的两种质粒pHIT60(包括MuLV的结构蛋白基因,即gag和pol)和pHIT111(为MuLV的基因组,还包括一个报告基因LacZ)瞬时共转染转化了SV40大T抗原的人胚肾细胞293T,48小时后收集假病毒上清进行了一系列鉴定。将假病毒上清超速离心后用抗H5亚型禽流感病毒的多抗通过Western-blot证实HA 蛋白能够在此假病毒颗粒表面表达,表明HA能够整合到此病毒粒子表面。通过感染293T、COS 7和NIH3T3 三种不同的靶细胞,均能检测到LacZ基因的表达,证实所构建的假病毒粒子具有感染性。本研究成功构建了具有感染性的MuLV-HA假病毒,为研究鹅源禽流感病毒侵入细胞的机理及其组织嗜性的变异提供一种新方法。     

整合禽流感病毒血凝素糖蛋白的假型鼠白血病病毒

本研究通过一个瞬时转染系统将H5N1亚型鹅源禽流感病毒囊膜表面的血凝素(HA)糖蛋白整合到鼠白血病病毒(MuLV)颗粒表面并进行了感染性测定.将包含HA基因的真核表达质粒pcDNA-HA与MuLV假病毒构建体系的两种质粒pHIT60(包括MuLV的结构蛋白基因,即gag和pol)和pHIT111(为MuLV的基因组,还包括一个报告基因LacZ)瞬时共转染转化了SV40大T抗原的人胚肾细胞293T,48小时后收集假病毒上清进行了一系列鉴定.将假病毒上清超速离心后用抗H5亚型禽流感病毒的多抗通过Western-blot证实HA 蛋白能够在此假病毒颗粒表面表达,表明HA能够整合到此病毒粒子表面.通过感染293T、COS-7和NIH3T3三种不同的靶细胞,均能检测到LacZ基因的表达,证实所构建的假病毒粒子具有感染性.本研究成功构建了具有感染性的MuLV-HA假病毒,为研究鹅源禽流感病毒侵入细胞的机理及其组织嗜性的变异提供一种新方法.     

CrFK Feline Kidney Cells Produce an RD114-Like Endogenous Virus That Can Package Murine Leukemia Virus-Based Vectors

The feline kidney cell line CrFK is used extensively for viral infectivity assays and for study of the biology of various retroviruses and derived vectors. We demonstrate the production of an endogenous, RD114-like, infectious retrovirus from CrFK cells. This virus also is shown to efficiently package Moloney murine leukemia virus vectors.     

猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒M蛋白介导的E蛋白假型鼠白血病病毒的构建

利用RT-PCR法扩增猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(PRRSV)ORF5和ORF6基因,分别构建pcDNA-ORF5、pcD-NA-ORF5/6和pcDNA-ORF5-ORF6真核表达载体,磷酸钙共沉淀法瞬时转染293T细胞,48h后收集细胞,流式细胞仪检测,结果表明:PRRSV ORF5基因编码囊膜蛋白(E蛋白)能在在293T细胞表面表达,而由共表达M蛋白(ORF6基因编码的基质蛋白)介导的E蛋白的表达量比单独E蛋白表达量高,串联表达与单独E蛋白相比较低.将pcDNA-ORF5、pcDNA-ORF5/6和pcDNA-ORF5-ORF6分别与MuLV假病毒构建体系的两种骨架载体pHIT60(包括MuLV的结构蛋白基因,即gag和pol)和pHITlll(为MuLV的基因组,还包括一个报告基因LacZ)瞬时共转染293T细胞,48h后收集假病毒上清,超速离心后通过Western blot证实E蛋白能够在此假病毒颗粒表面表达,证明E蛋白已整合到此假病毒粒子表面.将整合PRRSVE蛋白的假病毒粒子分别感染Marc-145和PAM宿主靶细胞,均能检测到LacZ基因的表达,结果表明:所构建的假病毒粒子具有感染性,且由M蛋白介导的MuLv-E/M感染性比MuLV-E假病毒感染性高.     

Structural Proteins of Mammalian Oncogenic RNA Viruses: Murine Leukemia Virus Neutralization by Antisera Prepared Against Purified Envelope Glycoprotein

Goat and rabbit antisera prepared against a purified Rauscher murine leukemia virus glycoprotein (gp69/71) rapidly neutralized spleen focus-forming virus in Rauscher and Friend virus preparations. Absorption studies revealed that most of the neutralizing activity of goat anti-Rauscher virus gp69/71 serum was directed against type- and group-specific determinants.     

A Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus-Based Retroviral Vector Pseudotyped by the Insect Retroviral gypsy Envelope Can Infect Drosophila Cells

The gypsy element of Drosophila melanogaster is the first retrovirus identified so far in invertebrates. Previous data suggest that gypsy ENV-like ORF3 mediates viral infectivity. We have produced in the 293GP/LNhsp70lucL.3 human cell line a Moloney murine leukemia virus-based retroviral vector pseudotyped by the gypsy ENV-like protein. We have shown by immunostaining that the gypsy envelope protein is produced in 293GP/LNhsp70lucL.3 cells and that vector particles collected from these cells can infect Drosophila cells. Our results provide direct evidence that the infectious property of gypsy is due to its ORF3 gene product.     

Suppression of Murine Retrovirus Polypeptide Termination: Effect of Amber Suppressor tRNA on the Cell-Free Translation of Rauscher Murine Leukemia Virus, Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus, and Moloney Murine Sarcoma Virus 124 RNA

The effect of suppressor tRNA's on the cell-free translation of several leukemia and sarcoma virus RNAs was examined. Yeast amber suppressor tRNA (amber tRNA) enhanced the synthesis of the Rauscher murine leukemia virus and clone 1 Moloney murine leukemia virus Pr200^gag-pol polypeptides by 10- to 45-fold, but at the same time depressed the synthesis of Rauscher murine leukemia virus Pr65^gag and Moloney murine leukemia virus Pr63^gag. Under suppressor-minus conditions, Moloney murine leukemia virus Pr70^gag was present as a closely spaced doublet. Amber tRNA stimulated the synthesis of the “upper” Moloney murine leukemia virus Pr70^gag polypeptide. Yeast ochre suppressor tRNA appeared to be ineffective. Quantitative analyses of the kinetics of viral precursor polypeptide accumulation in the presence of amber tRNA showed that during linear protein synthesis, the increase in accumulated Moloney murine leukemia virus Pr200^gag-pol coincided closely with the molar loss of Pr63^gag. Enhancement of Pr200^gag-pol and Pr70^gag by amber tRNA persisted in the presence of pactamycin, a drug which blocks the initiation of protein synthesis, thus arguing for the addition of amino acids to the C terminus of Pr63^gag as the mechanism behind the amber tRNA effect. Moloney murine sarcoma virus 124 30S RNA was translated into four major polypeptides, Pr63^gag, P42, P38, and P23. In the presence of amber tRNA, a new polypeptide, Pr67^gag, appeared, whereas Pr63^gag synthesis was decreased. Quantitative estimates indicated that for every 1 mol of Pr67^gag which appeared, 1 mol of Pr63^gag was lost.     

Conditions for Copackaging Rous Sarcoma Virus and Murine Leukemia Virus Gag Proteins during Retroviral Budding

Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and murine leukemia virus (MLV) are examples of distantly related retroviruses that normally do not encounter one another in nature. Their Gag proteins direct particle assembly at the plasma membrane but possess very little sequence similarity. As expected, coexpression of these two Gag proteins did not result in particles that contain both. However, when the N-terminal membrane-binding domain of each molecule was replaced with that of the Src oncoprotein, which is also targeted to the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane, efficient copackaging was observed in genetic complementation and coimmunoprecipitation assays. We hypothesize that the RSV and MLV Gag proteins normally use distinct locations on the plasma membrane for particle assembly but otherwise have assembly domains that are sufficiently similar in function (but not sequence) to allow heterologous interactions when these proteins are redirected to a common membrane location.     

Translational Products of Moloney Murine Sarcoma Virus RNA: Identification of Proteins Encoded by the Murine Sarcoma Virus src Gene

In vitro translation of virion RNA of Moloney murine sarcoma virus (MSV) strain 124 yielded major products having molecular weights of 63,000 (63K), 43K, 40K, 31K, and 24K daltons. A molecularly cloned subgenomic fragment of Moloney MSV comprised of the cellular insertion (src) region was utilized in hybridization arrest translation as a means of identifying products of the MSV src gene. MSV src DNA specifically inhibited synthesis of the 43K, 40K, 31K, and 24K proteins, implying that each of these proteins was coded within the MSV src gene. The MSV src-specific nature of this family of proteins was further confirmed by partial purification of MSV src-containing RNAs from MSV non-producer cells. In vitro translation of enriched cellular RNAs yielded products with molecular weights identical to those of the 43K family of proteins synthesized from virion RNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the MSV transforming region has revealed a long open reading frame which includes five methionine codons (Reddy et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77:5234-5238, 1980). The molecular weights of the four largest proteins that could be synthesized within this open reading frame corresponded closely to the molecular weights of the 43K family of proteins. Partial cyanogen bromide cleavage of each of the three largest proteins resulted in an uncleaved fragment having a molecular weight equal to that of the smallest (24K) protein. These findings provide direct biochemical evidence that the 43K, 40K, 31K, and 24K proteins are related in their carboxy-terminal regions, as well as information concerning the MSV src gene coding sequences from which each protein originates:     

An RNA Structural Switch Regulates Diploid Genome Packaging by Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus

Retroviruses selectively package two copies of their RNA genomes via mechanisms that have yet to be fully deciphered. Recent studies with small fragments of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) genome suggested that selection may be mediated by an RNA switch mechanism, in which conserved UCUG elements that are sequestered by base-pairing in the monomeric RNA become exposed upon dimerization to allow binding to the cognate nucleocapsid (NC) domains of the viral Gag proteins. Here we show that a large fragment of the MoMuLV 5′ untranslated region that contains all residues necessary for efficient RNA packaging (Ψ^WT; residues 147-623) also exhibits a dimerization-dependent affinity for NC, with the native dimer ([Ψ^WT]₂) binding 12 ± 2 NC molecules with high affinity (K_d = 17 ± 7 nM) and with the monomer, stabilized by substitution of dimer-promoting loop residues with hairpin-stabilizing sequences (Ψ^M), binding 1-2 NC molecules. Identical dimer-inhibiting mutations in MoMuLV-based vectors significantly inhibit genome packaging in vivo (∼ 100-fold decrease), whereas a large deletion of nearly 200 nucleotides just upstream of the gag start codon has minimal effects. Our findings support the proposed RNA switch mechanism and further suggest that virus assembly may be initiated by a complex comprising as few as 12 Gag molecules bound to a dimeric packaging signal.     

DNA Immunization against Herpes Simplex Virus: Enhanced Efficacy Using a Sindbis Virus-Based Vector

Previously we reported the development of a plasmid DNA expression vector system derived from Sindbis virus (T. W. Dubensky, Jr., et al., J. Virol. 70:508–519, 1996). In vitro, such vectors exhibit high-level heterologous gene expression via self-amplifying cytoplasmic RNA replication. In the present study, we demonstrated the in vivo efficacy of the Sindbis virus-based pSIN vectors as DNA vaccines. A single intramuscular immunization of BALB/c mice with pSIN vectors expressing the glycoprotein B of herpes simplex virus type 1 induced a broad spectrum of immune responses, including virus-specific antibodies, cytotoxic T cells, and protection from lethal virus challenge in two different murine models. In addition, dosing studies demonstrated that the pSIN vectors were superior to a conventional plasmid DNA vector in the induction of all immune parameters tested. In general, 100- to 1,000-fold-lower doses of pSIN were needed to induce the same level of responsiveness as that achieved with the conventional plasmid DNA vector. In some instances, significant immune responses were induced with a single dose of pSIN as low as 10 ng/mouse. These results indicate the potential usefulness of alphavirus-based vectors for DNA immunization in general and more specifically as a herpes simplex virus vaccine.     

Biological Expression of Antigenic Determinants of Murine Leukemia Virus Proteins gp69/71 and p30

Antisera to purified structural proteins of Rauscher murine leukemia virus, the major envelope glycoprotein, gp69/71, and the major internal protein, p30, were studied by immunofluorescence of viable and fixed virus-infected cells and by virus neutralization. Group-specific and type-specific determinants of gp69/71 were demonstrated by immunofluorescence and virus neutralization tests, indicating that these determinants are located in the cytoplasm and probably on the cell surface as well as on virus envelope. Antisera against p30 showed anti-group and anti-interspecies activities by immunofluorescence with no virus-neutralizing activity. Both antigenic determinants of gp69/71 were sensitive to guanidine-hydrochloride and to a lesser degree to ether treatment, whereas the group-specific determinants of p30 were relatively stable to these treatments.