The adenoviral E4orf6 protein induces atypical apoptosis in response to DNA damage

Adenoviral proteins interact with host-cell proteins to either exploit or inhibit cellular functions for the purpose of viral propagation. E4orf6, the 34-kDa gene product of the E4 gene, interacts with the double-strand break repair (DSBR) protein DNA-dependent protein kinase and cooperates with binding partner E1B-55K to degrade MRE11, preventing viral DNA concatemer formation. We previously demonstrated that E4orf6 radiosensitizes human tumor cells through the inhibition of DSBR, notably in the absence of E1B-55K. Here, we report that E4orf6 prolongs the signaling of DNA damage by inhibiting the activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), the phosphatase responsible for dephosphorylating gammaH2AX. The inhibition of PP2A occurs without significant disruption of the DNA re-ligation rate. Prolonged signaling of DNA damage in the presence of E4orf6 initiates caspase-dependent and independent cell death. This is accompanied by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) hyperactivation and the translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from the mitochondria to the nucleus. Knockdown of AIF by shRNA rescues the radiosensitization induced by E4orf6. Taken together, these data suggest that E4orf6 disrupts cellular DSBR signaling by inhibiting PP2A, leading to prolonged H2AX phosphorylation, hyperactivation of PARP, and AIF translocation to the nucleus. The function of E4orf6 as an inhibitor of PP2A and activator of PARP in the absence of other adenoviral gene products is of importance in delineating the adenovirus-host cell interplay.     

Human papilloma virus E6/E7 genes can expand the lifespan of human corneal fibroblasts

Summary Human corneal fibroblasts were infected with a retroviral delivery vector containing the E6 and E7 genes from human Papilloma virus type 16 in order to produce cell lines that have an expanded lifespan in culture. Morphologically, some of the trasfected corneal fibroblast lines appeared to have the normal spindle-shape morphology of diploid fibroblasts, whereas other lines appeared to have a more elongated morphology. All the cell lines were anchorage-dependent. Cells that had a normal morphology grew at a rate similar to normal diploid human corneal fibroblasts and had a population doubling time of 48 h. All E6/E7 expressing cell lines, regardless of morphology, produce types I, III, and V collagen, at levels similar to those observed in the parent corneal diploid fibroblast. These corneal fibroblast lines will be a usefulin vitro system to study collagen expression and fibril formation, as well as normal stroma development. These results also demonstrate that the use of E6/E7 genes to expand a cell’s lifespan can be a powerful tool because it does not appear to alter either the growth rate of the cell or collagen expression.     

Expression of human papilloma virus E7 protein causes apoptosis and inhibits DNA synthesis in primary hepatocytes via increased expression of p21(Cip-1/WAF1/MDA6)

The impact of human papilloma virus (HPV16) E7 proteins and retinoblastoma (RB) antisense oligonucleotides upon mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated inhibition of DNA synthesis via p21(Cip-1/WAF1/MDA6) (p21) was determined in primary hepatocytes. Prolonged activation of the MAPK pathway in p21(+/+) or p21(-/-) hepatocytes caused a large decrease and increase, respectively, in DNA synthesis. Either transfection with RB antisense oligonucleotides, expression of wild type E7, or RB binding mutant E7 (C24S) proteins increased p21 levels and reduced DNA synthesis in p21(+/+) hepatocytes. RB antisense oligonucleotides and E7 proteins increased apoptosis in p21(+/+), but not p21(-/-), hepatocytes. Expression of wild type E7 increased DNA synthesis above control levels in p21(-/-) cells, which was additive with prolonged MAPK activation. In contrast, expression of mutant E7 did not alter DNA synthesis above control levels in p21(-/-) cells and was supra-additive with prolonged MAPK activation. Antisense ablation of RB in p21(-/-) hepatocytes had a weak stimulatory effect upon DNA synthesis itself but enhanced the capacity of mutant E7 protein to stimulate DNA synthesis to the same level observed using wild type E7. The ability of prolonged MAPK activation to stimulate DNA synthesis in the presence of mutant E7 and antisense RB was additive. Collectively, the present data demonstrate that loss of RB function together with loss of p21 function plays an important role in the E7- and MAPK-dependent modulation of apoptosis and DNA synthesis in primary hepatocytes.     

人乳头瘤病毒6b型E7蛋白的原核表达及多克隆抗体制备

进行人乳头瘤病毒6b型(Human papillomavirus type 6b,HPV6b)E7蛋白原核表达并制备其多克隆抗体。用已构建的pGEX-4T-2/HPV6bE7原核表达载体诱导表达大量可溶性融合蛋白GST-HPV6bE7,用Glutathione-Sepharose 4B亲和柱和凝血酶纯化获取HPV6b型E7蛋白。将纯化的E7蛋白免疫新西兰兔并纯化为多克隆抗体IgG。采用Western-Blot及免疫荧光法分析该抗体的效价及特异性。十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE)分析显示,异丙基-β-D-硫代半乳糖苷(IPTG)诱导3～6h后pGEX-4T-2/HPV6bE7表达载体在大肠杆菌中高水平表达可溶性融合蛋白。纯化的E7蛋白免疫新西兰兔后可获得兔多克隆抗体IgG。经Western-Blot及免疫荧光鉴定,兔抗IgG具有高效价性和抗HPV6bE7蛋白特异性。获取纯化的HPV6b型E7蛋白具有较好的免疫原性,其免疫兔产生的多克隆抗体IgG效价高,特异性好,有望进一步用于HPV6b型的生物学功能研究和免疫学效应研究。     

Recombinant BMP 4/7 fusion protein induces differentiation of bone marrow stem cells

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) induce differentiation of mesenchymal cells to cartilage and bone. We cloned BMP4 and BMP7 cDNAs from human placenta and fetal cartilage cells, respectively, and used an Escherichia coli expression system to produce recombinant BMP4 and BMP4/7 proteins. Differentiation of primary cultures of bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) treated with BMP4 or BMP4/7 was evaluated by Von Kossa staining and by determining alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin level. BMP4/7-induced BMSC differentiation more potently than BMP4. We showed that BMP4/7 fusion protein expressed in E. coli is biologically active and is a novel strategy to treat bone injury in a clinical setting.     

Deciphering the mechanisms of HPV E6 mutations in the destabilization of E6/E6AP/p53 complex

In epithelial tumors, oncoprotein E6 binds with the ubiquitin ligase E6AP to form E6/E6AP heterodimer; then this heterodimer recruits p53 to form E6/E6AP/p53 heterotrimer and induces p53 degradation. Recent experiments demonstrated that three E6 single-site mutants (F47R, R102A, and L50E) can inhibit the E6/E6AP/p53 heterotrimer formation and rescue p53 from the degradation pathway. However, the molecular mechanism underlying mutation-induced heterotrimer inhibition remains largely elusive. Herein, we performed extensive molecular dynamics simulations (totally ～13 μs) on both heterodimer and heterotrimer to elucidate at an atomic level how each p53-degradation-defective HPV16 E6 mutant reduces the structural stabilities of the two complexes. Our simulations reveal that the three E6 mutations destabilize the structure of E6/E6AP/p53 complex through distinct mechanisms. Although F47R^E6 mutation has no effect on the structure of E6/E6AP heterodimer, it results in an electrostatic repulsion between R47^E6 and R290^p53, which is unfavorable for E6-p53 binding. R102A^E6 mutation destabilizes the structure of E6/E6AP heterodimer and significantly disrupts hydrophobic and cation-π interactions between F47^E6 and E286^p53/L298^p53/R290^p53. L50E^E6 mutation impairs both E6 interdomain interactions (especially F47-K108 cation-π interaction) and E6-E6AP intermolecular interactions important for the stabilization of E6/E6AP heterodimer. This study identifies the intra- and intermolecular interactions crucial for the complex stability, which may provide mechanistic insights into the inhibition of complex formation by the three HPV16 E6 mutations.     

表达HPV16E6和E7蛋白的非复制型重组痘苗病毒的构建

为研制HPV16的治疗性疫苗,首先将表达质粒pJSA1175与非复制型痘苗病毒NTVJTK+进行同源重组,构建了痘苗重组病毒NTVJLac.再将表达质粒pJSDME6E7R与NTVJLac进行同源重组,构建了表达HPV16 E6和E7蛋白的非复制型重组痘苗病毒NTVJmE6E7,并对获得的重组病毒进行了鉴定.Southern杂交显示,重组痘苗病毒NTVJmE6E7基因组中有E6和E7基因插入.该重组病毒在人源细胞中不复制.Western blot显示,重组病毒在人源TK-143细胞中能表达E6和E7蛋白.非复制型重组痘苗病毒NTVJmE6E7可作为HPV16相关肿瘤及其癌前病变免疫治疗的实验性疫苗株.     

人乳头瘤病毒l6型E6-E7融合蛋白真核表达载体的构建与鉴定

目的构建人乳头瘤病毒l6型(HPV16)E6-E7融合蛋白真核表达载体,为研究其基因疫苗免疫活性奠定实验基础。方法 PCR扩增HPV16 E6-E7基因片段,将其连接到真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+),构建真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)/HPV16 E6-E7,双酶切及测序鉴定。将质粒转染HeLa细胞,RT-PCR鉴定E6-E7基因在HeLa细胞中的表达。提取质粒免疫小鼠,利用免疫组化方法检测在其肌肉组织中的表达。结果成功构建了真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)/HPV16 E6-E7;在转染pcDNA3.1(+)/HPV16 E6-E7的细胞中检测到HPV16 E6-E7基因。在免疫该质粒的小鼠肌肉组织中可以检测到该质粒的蛋白表达。结论成功的构建的了真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)/HPV16 E6-E7,该载体能在HeLa细胞内以及小鼠骨骼肌细胞内有效表达。