马传染性贫血病毒非编码区LTR嵌合克隆的生物学特性

将已构建的马传染性贫血病毒LTR强弱毒嵌合克隆衍生毒vLGFD9-12体内接种健康试验马,在150d观察期内,各组试验动物体症均未见异常。血液学分析发现,vLGFD9-12嵌合克隆衍生病毒与亲本弱毒疫苗株的白细胞与血红蛋白含量总体上没有明显的规律性的变化。在动物外周血中均检测到一定的病毒RNA拷贝数,但拷贝数较低。二者在诱导EIAV特异性淋巴细胞增殖功能和特异性细胞毒性杀伤反应中,亦具有相似的变化趋势和效应。本项研究为进一步确定我国马传贫弱毒疫苗株毒力致弱及免疫保护的分子机制奠定了重要的分子生物学基础。     

马传染性贫血病毒非编码区LTR嵌合克隆的生物学特性

将已构建的马传染性贫血病毒LTR强弱毒嵌合克隆衍生毒vLGFD9-12体内接种健康试验马,在150d观察期内,各组试验动物体症均未见异常.血液学分析发现,vLGFD9-12嵌合克隆衍生病毒与亲本弱毒疫苗株的白细胞与血红蛋白含量总体上没有明显的规律性的变化.在动物外周血中均检测到一定的病毒RNA拷贝数,但拷贝数较低.二者在诱导EIAV特异性淋巴细胞增殖功能和特异性细胞毒性杀伤反应中,亦具有相似的变化趋势和效应.本项研究为进一步确定我国马传贫弱毒疫苗株毒力致弱及免疫保护的分子机制奠定了重要的分子生物学基础.     

马传染性贫血病毒N-连接糖基化回复突变的感染性克隆构建

根据马传贫强毒株EIAV-L和疫苗株EIAV-FDD表面蛋白gp90的N-连接糖基化的变化规律,采用PCR定点突变的方法,对全长感染性克隆pLGFD3-8上的N-连接糖基化的差异区域进行改造后,构建成含有3个N-连接糖基化位点突变的感染性克隆pLGNl91N236N246.将其转染驴胎皮肤细胞(FDD),通过用逆转录酶活性、间接免疫荧光和RT-PCR方法检测而确定其感染性.结果表明,在FDD细胞中盲传三代后,在细胞培养物中可检测到逆转录酶活性,RT-PCR和间接免疫荧光检测均呈阳性,电镜下见到典型的EIAV颗粒.这一结果可能对N-连接糖基化在我国马传贫弱毒疫苗致弱机理的作用研究而奠定良好的基础.     

马传染性贫血病毒基因非编码区LTR嵌合克隆的构建

在已有全长感染性克隆pLGFD3-8和pD70344的基础上,根据马传贫弱毒疫苗致弱过程中不同代次毒株LTR序列的分析,在LTR U3区选取特定的酶切位点对EIAV非编码区LTR基因进行了部分替换.将替换的全基因克隆转染驴胎皮肤细胞(FDD)并以驴白细胞(DL)传代,用逆转录酶活性检测、RT-PCR方法及Real-time RT-PCR验证其感染性.结果发现,其衍生病毒感染上述两种细胞均出现明显的细胞病变;细胞培养上清可检测到RT酶活性和RT-PCR阳性.电镜下可见大量典型的EIAV颗粒.pLGFD9-12嵌合克隆衍生病毒与其父本克隆衍生病毒pLGFD3-8具有相似的复制水平,pLGFD9-12嵌合克隆衍生病毒在DL细胞上复制水平略高于FDD细胞.此结果为进一步深入研究LTR对马传染性贫血病毒复制水平和毒力的影响奠定了基础.     

马传染性贫血病毒基因非编码区LTR嵌合克隆的构建

在已有全长感染性克隆pLGFD3 8 和pD70344 的基础上,根据马传贫弱毒疫苗致弱过程中不同代次毒株LTR序列的分析,在LTR U3区选取特定的酶切位点对EIAV非编码区LTR基因进行了部分替换。将替换的全基因克隆转染驴胎皮肤细胞(FDD)并以驴白细胞(DL)传代,用逆转录酶活性检测、RT PCR方法及Real time RT PCR验证其感染性。结果发现,其衍生病毒感染上述两种细胞均出现明显的细胞病变;细胞培养上清可检测到RT酶活性和RT PCR阳性。电镜下可见大量典型的EIAV颗粒。pLGFD9 12 嵌合克隆衍生病毒与其父本克隆衍生病毒pLGFD3 8具有相似的复制水平,pLGFD9 12嵌合克隆衍生病毒在DL细胞上复制水平略高于FDD细胞。此结果为进一步深入研究LTR对马传染性贫血病毒复制水平和毒力的影响奠定了基础。     

Electron Microscopy of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus

Equine infectious anemia (EIA) virus was observed in thin sections of infected cultured horse leukocytes by electron microscopy. The virus particles had a spherical shape and were between 80 and 120 nm in diameter. Most of them contained an electron-dense nucleoid 40 to 60 nm in diameter. They were observed to form by a process of budding from the plasma membrane and appeared to have thin surface projections. The particles described were not detected in uninfected cultured cells, and their appearance could be prevented by adding EIA immune serum to the inoculum. The implications of these findings in the classification of EIA virus are discussed.     

Development and Characterization of an In Vivo Pathogenic Molecular Clone of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus

An infectious nonpathogenic molecular clone (19-2-6A) of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) was modified by substitution of a 3.3-kbp fragment amplified by PCR techniques from a pathogenic variant (EIAV_PV) of the cell culture-adapted strain of EIAV (EIAV_PR). This substitution consisted of coding sequences for 77 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus of the integrase, the S1 (encoding the second exon of tat), S2, and S3 (encoding the second exon of rev) open reading frames, the complete env gene (including the first exon of rev), and the 3′ long terminal repeat (LTR). Modified 19-2-6A molecular clones were designated EIAV_PV3.3, and infection of a single pony (678) with viruses derived from a mixture of five of these molecular clones induced clinical signs of acute equine infectious anemia (EIA) at 23 days postinfection (dpi). As a consequence of this initial study, a single molecular clone, EIAV_PV3.3#3 (redesignated EIAV_UK), was selected for further study and inoculated into two ponies (613 and 614) and two horses (700 and 764). Pony 614 and the two horses developed febrile responses by 12 dpi, which was accompanied by a 48 to 64% reduction in platelet number, whereas pony 613 did not develop fever (40.6°C) until 76 dpi. EIAV could be isolated from the plasma of these animals by 5 to 7 dpi, and all became seropositive for antibodies to this virus by 21 dpi. Analysis of the complete nucleotide sequence demonstrated that the 3.3-kbp 3′ fragment of EIAV_UK differed from the consensus sequence of EIAV_PV by just a single amino acid residue in the second exon of the rev gene. Complete homology with the EIAV_PV consensus sequence was observed in the hypervariable region of the LTR. However, EIAV_UK was found to contain an unusual 68-bp nucleotide insertion/duplication in a normally conserved region of the LTR sequence. These results demonstrate that substitution of a 3.3-kbp fragment from the EIAV_PV strain into the infectious nonpathogenic molecular clone 19-2-6A leads to the production of progeny virus particles with the ability to induce clinical signs of EIA. Therefore, EIAV_UK, which is the first pathogenic, cell culture-adapted molecular clone of EIAV to be described, should be of value in identifying viral determinants of pathogenicity.     

Structure of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Matrix Protein

The Gag polyprotein is key to the budding of retroviruses from host cells and is cleaved upon virion maturation, the N-terminal membrane-binding domain forming the matrix protein (MA). The 2.8-A resolution crystal structure of MA of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), a lentivirus, reveals that, despite showing no sequence similarity, more than half of the molecule can be superimposed on the MAs of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). However, unlike the structures formed by HIV-1 and SIV MAs, the oligomerization state observed is not trimeric. We discuss the potential of this molecule for membrane binding in the light of conformational differences between EIAV MA and HIV or SIV MA.     

Disease Induction by Virus Derived from Molecular Clones of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), a macrophage-tropic lentivirus, causes persistent infections of horses. A number of biologic features, including the rapid development of acute disease, the episodic nature of chronic disease, the propensity for viral genetic variation, and the ability for many infected animals to eventually control virus replication, render EIAV a potentially useful model system for the testing of antiretroviral therapies and vaccine strategies. The utility of the EIAV system has been hampered by the lack of proviral clones that encode promptly pathogenic viral stocks. In this report, we describe the generation and characterization of two infectious molecular clones capable of causing acute clinical syndromes similar to those seen in natural infections. Virus derived from clone p19/wenv17 caused severe debilitating disease at 5 to 7 days postinfection; initial febrile episodes were fatal in two of three infected animals. Virus derived from a second clone, p19/wenv16, caused somewhat milder primary febrile episodes by 10 to 12 days postinfection in two of two infected animals. Virus derived from both clones caused persistent infections such that some animals exhibited chronic equine infectious anemia, characterized by multiple disease episodes. The two virulent clones differ in envelope and rev sequences.     

马传染性贫血病毒基因组部分转录图谱

以马传贫驴白细胞弱毒和驴强毒分别接种培养细胞和试验动物,分别在体外和体内条件,对病毒的各种转录产物进行克隆和序列分析。通过与病毒基因组的序列进行比较,用实验的方法绘制出了两株病毒在相应试验条件件下的转录图谱,确定了各拼接产物的外显子构成以及拼接供体和拼接受体位点的具体位置。发现两种病毒在外显子－3的上游拼接受体位点（SA2）的位置与已报道的EIAV毒株均不相同,且二者的拼接信号不一致。     

Structural Model of the Rev Regulatory Protein from Equine Infectious Anemia Virus

Rev is an essential regulatory protein in the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) and other lentiviruses, including HIV-1. It binds incompletely spliced viral mRNAs and shuttles them from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, a critical prerequisite for the production of viral structural proteins and genomic RNA. Despite its important role in production of infectious virus, the development of antiviral therapies directed against Rev has been hampered by the lack of an experimentally-determined structure of the full length protein. We have used a combined computational and biochemical approach to generate and evaluate a structural model of the Rev protein. The modeled EIAV Rev (ERev) structure includes a total of 6 helices, four of which form an anti-parallel four-helix bundle. The first helix contains the leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES). An arginine-rich RNA binding motif, RRDRW, is located in a solvent-exposed loop region. An ERLE motif required for Rev activity is predicted to be buried in the core of modeled structure where it plays an essential role in stabilization of the Rev fold. This structural model is supported by existing genetic and functional data as well as by targeted mutagenesis of residues predicted to be essential for overall structural integrity. Our predicted structure should increase understanding of structure-function relationships in Rev and may provide a basis for the design of new therapies for lentiviral diseases.     

感染性马传染性贫血病毒嵌合克隆的构建

在已有的全长感染性克隆pFD3的基础上,构建了新的低拷贝的全长克隆pLGFD3-8。按照疫苗制备过程中env基因的变化情况,采用基因替换和定点突变的方法,构建了一系列具有马传染性贫血病毒(EIAV)强毒株env基因及其主要突变特征的嵌合克隆。利用这些克隆转染FDD细胞,并用逆转录酶活性检测和PCR方法确定其感染性。结果发现,在FDD细胞中传代3次后,可在细胞培养物中检测到逆转录酶活性和原病毒DNA的存在,在电镜下可以观察到典型的EIAV病毒颗粒。这一结果为进一步研究马传染性贫血病毒致病的分子机制和免疫保护机理奠定了良好的基础。     

Biological Characterization of Rev Variation in Equine Infectious Anemia Virus

Sequence analysis identified significant variation in the second exon of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) rev. Functional analysis indicated that limited amino acid variation in Rev significantly altered the export activity of the protein but did not affect Rev-dependent alternative splicing. EIAV Rev can mediate export through two independent cis-acting Rev-responsive elements (RREs), and differences among Rev variants were more pronounced when both RREs were present. Variation in Rev may be an important mechanism for regulation of virus replication in vivo and may contribute to changes in clinical disease.     

Antibody Escape Kinetics of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Infection of Horses

Lentivirus escape from neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) is not well understood. In this work, we quantified antibody escape of a lentivirus, using antibody escape data from horses infected with equine infectious anemia virus. We calculated antibody blocking rates of wild-type virus, fitness costs of mutant virus, and growth rates of both viruses. These quantitative kinetic estimates of antibody escape are important for understanding lentiviral control by antibody neutralization and in developing NAb-eliciting vaccine strategies.     

马传贫病毒主要基因变异研究进展

马传贫病毒是反转录病毒科慢病毒属的成员之一,它在体内要通过反转录酶的作用合成DNA,整合到宿主的基因组中进行复制,由于反转录酶没有校正功能,使病毒在体内复制过程中错误拷贝RNA基因组,导致高频率的遗传变异。近年国内外学者对EIAV的研究发现变异的基因主要集中在env、gag、LTR和S2等区域,这些区域基因的变异与病毒的毒力、病毒在体内的复制水平及免疫原性密切相关。由于EIAV是慢病毒中最简单的病毒,它具有独特的发病进程和明显的病程分界,使其成为研究包括HIV内其它慢病毒基因变异与临床症状之间相互关系的理想动物模型。因此对EIAV基因变异情况的研究具有重要意义。     

马传染性贫血病毒囊膜基因的研究进展

马传染性贫血病毒是反转录病毒科慢病毒属的成员之一 ,不仅与人免疫缺陷病毒具有序列同源性 ,而且与其血清具有交叉反应。马传染性贫血驴白细胞弱毒疫苗是迄今为止唯一研究成功的慢病毒疫苗。在马传贫病毒囊膜基因的研究中有助于弄清其抗原变异、持续感染和疫苗免疫机理 ,为艾滋病疫苗的研究提供借鉴。对囊膜基因的结构、变异及其在机体免疫应答中的作用进行了讨论。