HCV核心蛋白在大肠杆菌中的表达及免疫学特性分析

目的:表达HCV核心蛋白,为检测丙肝病毒提供合适抗原。方法:以含HCV核心全长cDNA克隆的pMD18T/core质粒为模板,PCR扩增全长的HCV核心抗原基因,插入表达载体pQEN1构建重组质粒pQEN1/Core,转化BL-21(DE3)大肠杆菌,IPTG诱导表达6×His融合蛋白,表达产物经SDS-PAGE及Western blot检测和鉴定。结果:经SDS-PAGE及Western blot显示HCV核心蛋白在大肠杆菌中正确表达,融合蛋白分子量约为22 kD,表达量约占菌体蛋白总量的30%。纯化后的C蛋白能与慢性丙型肝炎患者有血清反应。结论:HCV核心蛋白在大肠杆菌中成功表达并具有较强的抗原性。     

HCV核心蛋白抑制干扰素α诱导的抗病毒基因表达及其机制研究

研究HCV核心蛋白对干扰素α诱导的抗病毒分子PKR和2′-5′OAS表达的影响及其机制。HCV核心蛋白表达质粒转染HepG2细胞,RT-PCR分析PKR和2′-5′OAS的mRNA水平变化,荧光素酶活性分析核心蛋白对ISRE介导的基因表达的影响;Western-blot分析SOCS3、STAT1及STAT1磷酸化水平的变化。在干扰素α刺激情况下,表达HCV核心蛋白的细胞中,PKR和2′-5′OAS的mRNA水平下降,ISRE介导的荧光素酶活性降低,STAT1磷酸化水平下降。此外,核心蛋白表达的细胞中SOCS3的mRNA和蛋白水平明显升高。结果表明,HCV核心蛋白可能通过激活SOCS3、抑制STAT1的磷酸化,从而下调干扰素α诱导的PKR和2′-5′OAS表达。     

HCV核心蛋白抑制干扰素α诱导的抗病毒基因表达及其机制研究

研究HCV核心蛋白对干扰素α诱导的抗病毒分子PKR和2′-5′OAS表达的影响及其机制。HCV核心蛋白表达质粒转染HepG2细胞,RT-PCR分析PKR和2′-5′OAS的mRNA水平变化,荧光素酶活性分析核心蛋白对ISRE介导的基因表达的影响;Western-blot分析SOCS3、STAT1及STAT1磷酸化水平的变化。在干扰素α刺激情况下,表达HCV核心蛋白的细胞中,PKR和2′-5′OAS的mRNA水平下降,ISRE介导的荧光素酶活性降低,STAT1磷酸化水平下降。此外,核心蛋白表达的细胞中SOCS3的mRNA和蛋白水平明显升高。结果表明,HCV核心蛋白可能通过激活SOCS3、抑制STAT1的磷酸化,从而下调干扰素α诱导的PKR和2′-5′OAS表达。     

丙型肝炎病毒F蛋白缺失对病毒复制及感染性的影响

探索了F蛋白缺失及核心蛋白(Core)二级结构改变对丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)复制和感染性的影响．利用定点突变方法,将J6JFH1的核心基因引进5个终止密码子以中断F蛋白的表达,从而获得F蛋白缺失的病毒复制子J6JFH1/ΔF．体外制备RNA转录体,并电穿孔转染Huh7.5.1细胞,采用免疫荧光、实时荧光定量PCR方法以及病毒感染等方法,观察F蛋白缺失对病毒复制、蛋白质表达及转染细胞上清感染性病毒颗粒产生的影响．在此基础上,构建5个单一突变病毒体,对HCV核心蛋白进行二级结构分析,观察核心蛋白二级结构对HCV复制和翻译的影响．结果显示,转染48 h后,J6JFH1/ΔF与野生型J6JFH1相比,J6JFH1/ΔF转染阳性细胞数明显降低,细胞内HCV RNA 水平降低约95%,J6JFH1/ΔF转染后不同时间点细胞上清中HCV RNA拷贝数和病毒颗粒也明显降低．5个单一突变体不影响核心基因二级结构,病毒在细胞内复制和感染性与野生型水平一致．J6JFH1/ΔF所产生的改变可能是由于5处突变导致核心基因二级结构改变而造成的．结果说明,HCV F蛋白缺失不影响病毒的复制翻译及病毒颗粒的包装释放,核心蛋白二级结构的改变对病毒复制和翻译则产生较大影响．     

丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白抑制乙型肝炎病毒转录的分子机理

为研究丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV)核心蛋白抑制乙型肝炎病毒 (HBV)表达的分子机理 ,从HCV和HBV共感染中国病人血清中分离了 5个含HCV 5′非编码区 ( 5′NCR)和核心区 (CR)cDNA序列的克隆 .序列比较和系统发育分析显示 :从共感染病例中分离的HCV序列与其它已发表的从单独HCV感染病例中分离的序列没有显著差异 .共转染实验证实采用从其中 1例共感染病人中分离的核心蛋白cDNA基因所表达的核心蛋白 ,可抑制HBV表面抗原 (HBsAg)和HBVe抗原 (HBeAg)的表达 ,缺失突变分析说明HCV核心蛋白的C端疏水区对这种抑制作用是必需的 ,报道基因产物分析进一步说明了HBVC启动子和增强子Ⅱ是HCV核心蛋白的效应靶序列之一 ,而HCV核心蛋白在肝细胞和非肝细胞中均对HBV和其他细胞和病毒的基因的转录起负调节作用 .因此 ,认为HCV核心蛋白是一种多功能的负调节因子 ,与HCV和HBV以及HCV与细胞之间的相互作用密切相关     

丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白对胞外基质金属蛋白酶诱导物基因转录的影响

目的：探讨丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）核心蛋白对胞外基质金属蛋白酶诱导物（EMMPRIN）基因转录的影响。方法：构建HCV核心蛋白真核表达载体和EMMPRIN启动子删除突变体pGL3载体,应用双萤光素酶报告基因系统检测EMMPRIN启动子不同删除突变体的转录活性,并寻找核心蛋白上调EMMPRIN转录相关的关键启动子区段。结果：HCV核心蛋白可以显著上调EMMPRIN的表达;调节EMMPRIN转录的启动子关键区段为＋1～435bp,HCV核心蛋白主要通过该关键区段上调EMMPRIN的转录,并呈现剂量依赖性。结论：HCV核心蛋白有可能通过EMMPRIN启动子关键区段上调EMMPRIN的转录,从而上调基质金属蛋白酶,最终导致肝癌转移。     

丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白在大肠杆菌中的表达

目的：建立稳定表达丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)核心蛋白的原核表达系统,获得高产量的纯化核心蛋白。方法：应用多聚酶链反应(PCR),以HCV—H株全长cDNA序列为模板,扩增获得核心区基因片段,克隆入原核表达载体pBVIL1,构建原核表达载体pBVIL1-C,转化HB101宿主菌,通过温度诱导表达核心蛋白。结果：扩增得到目的基因长度为573bp,构建pBVIL1-C表达载体,在HB101宿主菌中通过温度诱导获得稳定表达,表达蛋白占菌体总蛋白含量的21％,Western—Blot检测证实表达产物可与HCV患者阳性血清发生特异性结合反应。结论：HCV核心蛋白可在大肠杆菌中获得高表达并具有良好的反应原性。     

丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白基因真核表达质粒的构建和表达

目的:构建丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)核心蛋白真核表达质粒,并在HepG2细胞中稳定表达.方法:采用RT-RCR方法从丙型肝炎患者血清中得到HCVC区的cDNA序列,然后克隆入pcDNA3.0载体,构建真核表达质粒pcDNA-HCV,并进行酶切鉴定和测序鉴定;采用脂质体转染技术将pcDNA-HCV稳定转染于HepG2细胞系,并用G-418进行筛选;采用Western Blotting方法和免疫细胞化学方法检测HepG2细胞中HCV核心蛋白表达情况.结果:从HCV感染者血清中扩增得到的503bpHCV cDNA序列.属于HCV 1型基因C区,并成功构建了真核表达质粒pcDNA-HCV.经Western blotting和免疫细胞化学检测,稳定转染的HepG2细胞中有HCV核心蛋白的表达.结论:成功构建HCV核心蛋白真核表达质粒pcDNA-HCV,并可以在真核细胞HepG2中稳定表达.     

丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白稳定表达肝癌细胞株的构建及生物学研究

旨在构建稳定表达HCV核心蛋白的稳定细胞系Huh7-Core并进行初步的生物学功能研究.利用PCR技术扩增HCV核心蛋白基因,通过酶切连接反应将目的基因克隆至载体pSEB-3Flag中,将重组质粒pSEB-3F-Core和辅助质粒pAmpho共转染Huh7细胞,经过Blasticidine抗性筛选,建立稳定表达HCV核心蛋白的肝癌细胞系Huh7-Core.采用RT-PCR、Western blot鉴定Huh7-Core细胞株中核心蛋白的稳定表达并采用MTS、结晶紫试验观察Huh7-Core稳定细胞株的增殖情况.结果显示,成功构建了表达HCV核心蛋白的稳定细胞株Huh7-Core.结晶紫、MTS试验证实Huh7-Core细胞较Huh7-3Flag细胞增殖速度增快,表达HCV核心蛋白的Huh7-Core稳定细胞株构建成功,Core稳定表达后可促进Huh7细胞生长速度.     

抗HBV与HCV免疫乳的实验免疫研究

确定重组HBV表面抗原和HCV核心抗原对奶牛的最适免疫剂量、免疫次数及间隔时间,观察牛奶中抗HBV与抗HCV的效价与消长规律。表达HBV表面抗原和HCV核心抗原的重组菌经IPTG诱导后,目的蛋白以包涵体形式存在。放大发酵工艺,菌体发酵密度达40g／L,目的蛋白表达量为26％～30％。将包涵体变性、复性后,测定蛋白含量,并用SDS-PAGE鉴定。采用不同的剂量和不同的抗原处理方法免疫奶山羊和奶牛,检测HBV抗体、HCV抗体、干扰素与白介素等细胞因子。免疫奶山羊羊奶中的HBV抗体效价最高为1：80,HCV抗体效价最高为1：20;6个月后,HBV抗体效价无明显下降,HCV抗体效价下降明显。对奶牛5个批次的免疫结果显示,免疫次数应多于3次,免疫剂量以每头牛300μg为宜,间隔时间以1个月为宜。免疫牛奶中HBV抗体的阳性率约为66．0％,抗体效价最高为1：160;HCV抗体阳性率约为17．0％,维持时间较短;孕牛比旺奶牛产生抗体的效价高。免疫牛奶中检测到了干扰素和白介素等细胞免疫活性因子。     

Hepatitis C virus core protein activates nuclear factor kappa B-dependent signaling through tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein, a viral nucleocapsid, has been shown to affect various intracellular events including the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling supposedly associated with inflammatory response, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. In order to elucidate the effect of HCV core protein on the NF-kappaB signaling in HeLa and HepG2 cells, a reporter assay was utilized. HCV core protein significantly activated NF-kappaB signaling in a dose-dependent manner not only in HeLa and HepG2 cells transiently transfected with core protein expression plasmid, but also in HeLa cells induced to express core protein under the control of doxycycline. HCV core protein increased the DNA binding affinity of NF-kappaB in the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Acetyl salicylic acid, an IKKbeta-specific inhibitor, and dominant negative form of IKKbeta significantly blocked NF-kappaB activation by HCV core protein, suggesting HCV core protein activates the NF-kappaB pathway mainly through IKKbeta. Moreover, the dominant negative forms of TRAF2/6 significantly blocked activation of the pathway by HCV core protein, suggesting HCV core protein mimics proinflammatory cytokine activation of the NF-kappaB pathway through TRAF2/6. In fact, HCV core protein activated interleukin-1beta promoter mainly through NF-kappaB pathway. Therefore, this function of HCV core protein may play an important role in the inflammatory reaction induced by this hepatotropic virus.     

Hepatitis C virus core protein potentiates TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation through TRAF2-IKKbeta-dependent pathway

Previous work has implicated that the core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) may play a modulatory effect on NF-kappaB activation induced by TNF-alpha. However, it is unclear how HCV core protein modulates TNF-alpha-induced NK-kappaB activation. Here we show that overexpression of HCV core protein potentiates NF-kappaB activation induced by TNF-alpha. Expression of dominant negative form of TRAF2 inhibits the synergistic effects of HCV core protein on NF-kappaB activation, suggesting that HCV core protein potentiates NF-kappaB activation through TRAF2. Moreover, we demonstrate that HCV core protein potentiates TRAF2-mediated NF-kappaB activation via IKKbeta. In addition, HCV core protein associates with TNF-R1-TRADD-TRAF2 signaling complex, resulting in synergistically activation of NF-kappaB induced by TNF-alpha. Thus, these observations indicate that HCV core protein may play an important role in the regulation of the cellular inflammatory and immune responses through NF-kappaB.     

Resveratrol prevents hepatic steatosis induced by hepatitis C virus core protein

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein plays an important role in the development of hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic HCV infection. Treatment of C57BL/6 mice infected with HCV core recombinant adenoviruses with resveratrol significantly decreased hepatic triacylglycerols (TAG) while the serum TAG level was unaffected. RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that HCV core protein attenuated the expression of Sirt1 and PPAR-α, which would be reversed by resveratrol. This was also confirmed in primary mouse hepatic cells infected with HCV core protein expressing adenovirus. Thus, resveratrol may prevent against hepatic steatosis by blocking the inhibited expression of Sirt1 and PPAR-α induced by HCV core protein.     

Interaction of hepatitis C virus core protein with viral sense RNA and suppression of its translation

To clarify the binding properties of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein and its viral RNA for the encapsidation, morphogenesis, and replication of HCV, the specific interaction of HCV core protein with its genomic RNA synthesized in vitro was examined in an in vivo system. The positive-sense RNA from the 5' end to nucleotide (nt) 2327, which covers the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) and a part of the coding region of HCV structural proteins, interacted with HCV core protein, while no interaction was observed in the same region of negative-sense RNA and in other regions of viral and antiviral sense RNAs. The internal ribosome entry site (IRES) exists around the 5'UTR of HCV; therefore, the interaction of the core protein with this region of HCV RNA suggests that there is some effect on its cap-independent translation. Cells expressing HCV core protein were transfected with reporter RNAs consisting of nt 1 to 709 of HCV RNA (the 5'UTR of HCV and about two-thirds of the core protein coding regions) followed by a firefly luciferase gene (HCV07Luc RNA). The translation of HCV07Luc RNA was suppressed in cells expressing the core protein, whereas no significant suppression was observed in the case of a reporter RNA possessing the IRES of encephalomyocarditis virus followed by a firefly luciferase. This suppression by the core protein occurred in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of the E1 envelope protein of HCV or beta-galactosidase did not suppress the translation of both HCV and EMCV reporter RNAs. We then examined the regions that are important for suppression of translation by the core protein and found that the region from nt 1 to 344 was enough to exert this suppression. These results suggest that the HCV core protein interacts with viral genomic RNA at a specific region to form nucleocapsids and regulates the expression of HCV by interacting with the 5'UTR.     

HCV core protein modulates Rb pathway through pRb down-regulation and E2F-1 up-regulation

It has been recognized that the HCV (hepatitis C virus) core protein plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis. The functional inactivation of the Rb pathway appears to be a major event for multi-step cancer carcinogenesis. To elucidate the role of the HCV core protein in hepatocarcinogenesis, we investigated the effect of the HCV core protein on the Rb pathway in both Rat-1 cell lines, stably expressing the HCV core protein and the doxycycline-regulated cell lines. The HCV core stable transfectants showed a dramatic decrease in the pRb levels and E2F-1 up-regulation. In the doxycycline-regulated cell lines, the pRb levels were significantly decreased which are followed by E2F-1 up-regulation. HCV core stable transfectants showed higher cell growth rates and were sensitize to apoptosis. Thus, our results first indicate that the HCV core protein decreases the expression of pRb, thereby allowing E2F-1 to be constitutively active, which is thought to result in rapid cell proliferation or sensitizing to apoptosis.     

Suppression of ceramide-induced cell death by hepatitis C virus core protein

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is believed to be one of viral proteins that are capable of preventing virus-infected cell death upon various stimuli. But, the effect of the HCV core protein on apoptosis that is induced by various stimuli is contradictory. We examined the possibility that the HCV core protein affects the ceramide-induced cell death in cells expressing the HCV core protein through the sphingomyelin pathway. Cell death that is induced by C(2)-ceramide and bacterial sphingomyelinase was analyzed in 293 cells that constitutively expressed the HCV core protein and compared with 293 cells that were stably transfected only with the expression vector. The HCV core protein inhibited the cell death that was induced by these reagents. The protective effects of the HCV core protein on ceramide-induced cell death were reflected by the reduced expression of p21(WAF1/Cip1/Sid1) and the sustained expression of the Bcl-2 protein in the HCV core-expressing cells with respect to the vector-transfected cells. These results suggest that the HCV core protein in 293 cells plays a role in the modulation of the apoptotic response that is induced by ceramide. Also, the ability of the HCV core protein to suppress apoptosis might have important implications in understanding the pathogenesis of the HCV infection.     

The Replacement of 10 Non-Conserved Residues in the Core Protein of JFH-1 Hepatitis C Virus Improves Its Assembly and Secretion

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) assembly is still poorly understood. It is thought that trafficking of the HCV core protein to the lipid droplet (LD) surface is essential for its multimerization and association with newly synthesized HCV RNA to form the viral nucleocapsid. We carried out a mapping analysis of several complete HCV genomes of all genotypes, and found that the genotype 2 JFH-1 core protein contained 10 residues different from those of other genotypes. The replacement of these 10 residues of the JFH-1 strain sequence with the most conserved residues deduced from sequence alignments greatly increased virus production. Confocal microscopy of the modified JFH-1 strain in cell culture showed that the mutated JFH-1 core protein, C10M, was present mostly at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, but not at the surface of the LDs, even though its trafficking to these organelles was possible. The non-structural 5A protein of HCV was also redirected to ER membranes and colocalized with the C10M core protein. Using a Semliki forest virus vector to overproduce core protein, we demonstrated that the C10M core protein was able to form HCV-like particles, unlike the native JFH-1 core protein. Thus, the substitution of a few selected residues in the JFH-1 core protein modified the subcellular distribution and assembly properties of the protein. These findings suggest that the early steps of HCV assembly occur at the ER membrane rather than at the LD surface. The C10M-JFH-1 strain will be a valuable tool for further studies of HCV morphogenesis.     

Expression of an HCV core antigen coding gene in tobacco (N. tabacum L.)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major agent causing chronic liver disease. The core gene is the most conserved sequence in the HCV genome and proved immunoreactive when expressed in bacteria and antigenic in humans. In order to test the ability of plants to express the core gene for the production of core antigen, transgenic tobacco plants carrying the core gene were generated. The core protein was stably synthesized in T(0) and T(1) generations and was found to be immunoreactive, not only with anti-core polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, but also was able to recognize the HCV virus in infected human serum. The prospects of producing a plant based vaccine and/or a food vaccine for this important virus are discussed.