特异性干扰ICP27基因的siRNA对HSV-1病毒复制的影响

针对单纯疱疹病毒1型(herpes simplex virus 1,HSV-1)的ICP27基因和其他疱疹病毒相关基因的高度保守区设计小干扰RNA(small interfering RNA,siRNA),研究其抑制病毒复制的效果。首先构建相应的小发夹RNA(small hairpin RNA,shRNA),然后通过病毒滴度测定、real-time PCR和细胞致病变效应(cytopathic effect,CPE)检测所设计的siRNA抑制病毒复制的能力。结果显示,所设计的shRNA-2(靶序列起始位置815)和shRNA-3(靶序列起始位置1 367)具有明显地抑制病毒复制的效果。尤其是shRNA-3,抑制病毒复制的效果更明显,在病毒滴度实验中,与阴性对照相比,其抑制倍数为81,同时可以下调ICP27基因的mR NA表达水平。实验结果表明shRNA-3能够显著抑制HSV-1病毒复制的能力,可以作为HSV-1感染性疾病的补充治疗手段,其对应的靶序列可以作为抗HSV-1新的靶标。     

靶向ICP4的小干扰RNA对HSV-1病毒复制能力的影响

HSV-1是一种嗜神经病毒,能引起一系列神经系统严重症状,然而目前抗HSV-1药物易反弹、不能完全清除潜伏的病毒。ICP4对HSV复制、转录起主要调节作用,决定着溶细胞型感染或潜伏状态的平衡点。为了探寻新的抗病毒策略,本课题以HSV-1ICP4基因为靶点,设计合成2对siRNA,并构建重组真核慢病毒表达质粒pL-KO-puror-hU6-siRNA,通过脂质体转染和嘌呤霉素筛选建立靶向ICP4的4个siRNA单克隆细胞系,Real-timePCR法检测细胞系中ICP4的mRNA表达水平,TCID50法检测siRNA对HSV-1病毒复制能力的影响。结果显示靶向siRNA能有效抑制单克隆细胞系中的ICP4表达,并且抑制ICP4的表达后HSV-1病毒复制能力明显减弱,表明靶向ICP4的siRNA对HSV-1复制有明显抑制作用,且多位点siRNA联合干扰对病毒复制有协同抑制效果,有望应用于生物抗病毒药物的制备。     

The HSV-1 ICP27 RGG box specifically binds flexible,GC-rich sequences but not G-quartet structures

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) protein ICP27, an important regulator for viral gene expression, directly recognizes and exports viral RNA through an N-terminal RGG box RNA binding motif, which is necessary and sufficient for RNA binding. An ICP27 N-terminal peptide, including the RGG box RNA binding motif, was expressed and its binding specificity was analyzed using EMSA and SELEX. DNA oligonucleotides corresponding to HSV-1 glycoprotein C (gC) mRNA, identified in a yeast three-hybrid analysis, were screened for binding to the ICP27 N-terminal peptide in EMSA experiments. The ICP27 N-terminus was able to bind most gC substrates. Notably, the ICP27 RGG box was unable to bind G-quartet structures recognized by the RGG domains of other proteins. SELEX analysis identified GC-rich RNA sequences as a common feature of recognition. NMR analysis of SELEX and gC sequences revealed that sequences able to bind to ICP27 did not form secondary structures and conversely, sequences that were not able to bind to ICP27 gave spectra consistent with base-pairing. Therefore, the ICP27 RGG box is unique in its recognition of nucleic acid sequences compared to other RGG box proteins; it prefers flexible, GC-rich substrates that do not form stable secondary structures.     

HSV-1 ICP34.5 confers neurovirulence by targeting the Beclin 1 autophagy protein

Autophagy is postulated to play a role in antiviral innate immunity. However, it is unknown whether viral evasion of autophagy is important in disease pathogenesis. Here we show that the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-encoded neurovirulence protein ICP34.5 binds to the mammalian autophagy protein Beclin 1 and inhibits its autophagy function. A mutant HSV-1 virus lacking the Beclin 1-binding domain of ICP34.5 fails to inhibit autophagy in neurons and demonstrates impaired ability to cause lethal encephalitis in mice. The neurovirulence of this Beclin 1-binding mutant virus is restored in pkr(-/-) mice. Thus, ICP34.5-mediated antagonism of the autophagy function of Beclin 1 is essential for viral neurovirulence, and the antiviral signaling molecule PKR lies genetically upstream of Beclin 1 in host defense against HSV-1. Our findings suggest that autophagy inhibition is a novel molecular mechanism by which viruses evade innate immunity and cause fatal disease.     

Retention of the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) UL37 protein on single-stranded DNA columns requires the HSV-1 ICP8 protein.

The UL37 and ICP8 proteins present in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-infected-cell extracts produced at 24 h postinfection coeluted from single-stranded-DNA-cellulose columns. Experiments carried out with the UL37 protein expressed by a vaccinia virus recombinant (V37) revealed that the UL37 protein did not exhibit DNA-binding activity in the absence of other HSV proteins. Analysis of extracts derived from cells coinfected with V37 and an ICP8-expressing vaccinia virus recombinant (V8) and analysis of extracts prepared from cells infected with the HSV-1 ICP8 deletion mutants d21 and n10 revealed that the retention of the UL37 protein on single-stranded DNA columns required a DNA-binding-competent ICP8 protein.     

Herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP27-dependent activation of NF-kappaB

The ability of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) to activate NF-kappaB has been well documented. Beginning at 3 to 5 h postinfection, HSV-1 induces a robust and persistent nuclear translocation of an NF-kappaB-dependent (p50/p65 heterodimer) DNA binding activity, as measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Activation requires virus binding and entry, as well as de novo infected-cell protein synthesis, and is accompanied by loss of both IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta. In this study, we identified loss of IkappaBalpha as a marker of NF-kappaB activation, and infection with mutants with individual immediate-early (IE) regulatory proteins deleted indicated that ICP27 was necessary for IkappaBalpha loss. Analysis of both N-terminal and C-terminal mutants of ICP27 identified the region from amino acids 21 to 63 as being necessary for IkappaBalpha loss. Additional experiments with mutant viruses with combinations of IE genes deleted revealed that the ICP27-dependent mechanism of NF-kappaB activation may be augmented by functional ICP4. We also analyzed two additional markers for NF-kappaB activation, phosphorylation of the p65 subunit on Ser276 and Ser536. Phosphorylation of both serines was induced upon HSV infection and required functional ICP4 and ICP27. Pharmacological inhibitor studies revealed that both IkappaBalpha and Ser276 phosphorylation were dependent on Jun N-terminal protein kinase activity, while Ser536 phosphorylation was not affected during inhibitor treatment. These results demonstrate that there are several layers of regulation of NF-kappaB activation during HSV infection, highlighting the important role that NF-kappaB may play in infection.     

Activities of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ICP4 genes specifying nonsense peptides.

Synthetic oligonucleotide linkers containing translational termination codons in all possible reading frames were inserted at various positions in the cloned gene encoding the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early regulatory protein, ICP4. It was determined that the amino-terminal 60 percent of the ICP4 gene was sufficient for trans-induction of a thymidine kinase promoter-CAT chimera (pTKCAT) and negative regulation of an ICP4 promoter-CAT chimera (pIE3CAT); however, it was relatively inefficient in complementing an ICP4 deletion mutant. The amino-terminal ninety amino acids do not appear to be required for infectivity as reflected by the replication competence of a mutant virus containing a linker insertion at amino acid 12. The size of the ICP4 molecule expressed from the mutant virus was consistent with translational restart at the next methionine codon corresponding to amino acid 90 of the deduced ICP4 amino acid sequence.     

Association of ICP0 but not ICP27 with purified virions of herpes simplex virus type 1.

Recent studies have shown that ICP4, one of the major immediate-early proteins of herpes simplex virus type 1 is present within the tegument region of the virion (F. Yao and R. J. Courtney, J. Virol. 63:3338-3344, 1989). With monoclonal antibodies to two additional immediate-early proteins, ICP0 and ICP27, and Western blot (immunoblot) analysis, ICP0, but not ICP27, was also found to be associated with purified virus particles. In an effort to localize the ICP0 within the virion, purified virions were treated with trypsin in the presence and absence of detergent. The data suggest that ICP0 is located within the tegument region of the virion and is not localized in the envelope or within the nucleocapsid. The number of molecules of ICP0 per virion was estimated to be approximately 150.     

Expression of HSV-1 ICP0 antigen peptide in prokaryotic cells and preparation of specific antibody

As an immediate-early protein of herpes simplex virus, infected-cell polypeptide 0 (ICP0) exhibits complicated interactions with host cells, and its regulatory function on gene expression is of great importance. Since the ICP0 encoding sequence contains many rare codons which are absent in E.coli, and ICP0 is highly unstable in prokaryotic cells, expression of entire ICP0 in prokaryotic cells has never been reported. In order to further investigate the function of ICP0, a recombinant plasmid was constructed by subcloning a cDNA fragment encoding an amino-terminal of 105 residues of the ICP0 protein into pGEX-5x-1 vector. The resulting GST-105 fusion antigen peptide was expressed with high efficiency in E.coli. Antibodies prepared after the immunization of mice with purified fusion protein can recognize not only the denatured ICP0 protein, but also the native ICP0 protein with normal biological conformation. Foundation items: National natural science foundation items (30570081 and 30670094)     

Expression of HSV-1 ICP0 Antigen Peptide in Prokaryotic Cells and Preparation of Specific Antibody

As an immediate-early protein of herpes simplex virus, infected-cell polypeptide 0 (ICP0) exhibits complicated interactions with host cells, and its regulatory function on gene expression is of great importance. Since the ICP0 encoding sequence contains many rare codons which are absent in E.coli, and ICP0 is highly unstable in prokaryotic cells, expression of entire ICP0 in prokaryotic cells has never been reported. In order to further investigate the function of ICP0, a recombinant plasmid was constructed by subcloning a cDNA fragment encoding an amino-terminal of 105 residues of the ICP0 protein into pGEX-5x-1 vector. The resulting GST-105 fusion antigen peptide was expressed with high efficiency in E.coli. Antibodies prepared after the immunization of mice with purified fusion protein can recognize not only the denatured ICP0 protein, but also the native ICP0 protein with normal biological conformation.