Evidence of selective processing of immunodominant epitopes in virally infected cells

Recent advances in clarifying the molecular mechanisms involved in Ag processing and presentation have relied heavily on the use of somatic cell mutants deficient in proteasome subunits, TAP transporter, and cell surface expression of MHC class I molecules. Of particular interest currently are those mutants that lack specific protease activity involved in the generation of antigenic peptides. It is theoretically possible that deficiencies of this nature could selectively prevent the cleavage of certain peptide bonds and thus generate only a subset of antigenic peptides. Gro29/Kb cell line is derived from the wild-type murine Ltk- cell line. This cell line is one example of a mutant that lacks specific protease activities. This deficiency manifests itself in an inability to generate a subset of immunodominant peptide epitopes derived from vesicular stomatitis virus and herpes simplex virus. This in turn leads to a general inability to present these viral epitopes to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). These studies describe a unique Ag processing deficiency and provide new insight into the role of proteasome-independent proteases in MHC class I-restricted peptide generation.     

CT hybridomas: tumor cells capable of lysing virally infected target cells

By fusing primed murine lymphocytes with a syngeneic T cell lymphoma, we have been able to select for H-2-restricted, virus-specific cytotoxic T cell hybridomas (CTH). These T cell hybrids, which replicate in ordinary tissue culture medium or in ascites, are capable of lysing virally infected target cells, and their activity is facilitated by the presence of lectins in the assay medium. Unlike cells mediating lectin nonspecific lysis, these hybridomas are H-2 restricted and specific for single viral proteins. The ability to maintain these cells in culture for over 18 mo and to pass them in vivo without loss of activity or specificity indicates that they will provide sufficient material for the analysis of surface proteins and genetic information required for the recognition and lysis of virally infected cells by killer T cells.     

Effect of hypertonic conditions on protein synthesis in cells productively infected with simian virus 40.

Hypertonic medium selectively suppressed the synthesis of most host cell polypeptides relative to the synthesis of simian virus 40 capsid polypeptides and a minority of cellular polypeptides, notably histones. Under optimal hypertonic conditions, the synthesis of the major capsid polypeptide (VP1) is enhanced about sevenfold relative to host polypeptide synthesis. Because of the small amounts of the other nonhistone capsid polypeptides (VP2) and VP3) present in cell lysates, it was difficult to quantitate the extent, if any, of their enhancement. The maintenance of the restricted pattern of protein synthesis caused by hypertonic medium was dependent on continual peptide chain initiations. The resistance of viral protein synthesis to hypertonic conditions provides a means of detecting relatively low levels of intracellular viral protein synthesis. Analysis of the specific activity of the acid-soluble [3H]lysine pool indicated that the rate of incorporation of [3H]lysine into protein was an overestimation of the actual rate of overall protein synthesis occurring in cells exposed to hypertonic as compared to isotonic conditions. Since it is likely that both cellular and viral protein synthesis draw lysine from a single pool, this change in pool specific activity does not affect the analysis of relative rates of protein synthesis at a given level of tonicity.     

Effect of cytosine arabinoside on viral-specific protein synthesis in cells infected with herpes simplex virus.

The relationship between viral DNA and protein synthesis during herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) replication in HeLa cells was examined. Treatment of infected cells with cytosine arabinoside (ara-C), which inhibited the synthesis of HSV-1 DNA beyond the level of detection, markedly affected the types and amounts of viral proteins made in the infected cell. Although early HSV-1 proteins were synthesized normally, there was a rapid decline in total viral protein synthesis beginning 3 to 4 h after infection. This is the time that viral DNA synthesis would normally have been initiated. ara-C also prevented the normal shift from early to late viral protein synthesis. Finally, it was shown that the effect of ara-C on late protein synthesis was dependent upon the time after infection that the drug was added. These results suggest that inhibition of progeny viral DNA synthesis by ara-C prevents the "turning on" of late HSV-1 protein synthesis but allows early translation to be "switched off."     

Effect of hydrophobic compounds on rRNA synthesis in intact cells and isolated nuclei

Papaverine, cycloheximide, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) and actinomycin D at low concentration have been shown to suppress selectively rRNA synthesis in Ehrlich ascite carcinoma cells. rRNA synthesis in isolated nuclei is not sensible to wide range of concentration of papaverine (0,005-0,1 mM), cycloheximide (0,5-100 micrograms/ml) and DNP (5-500 microM). Actinomycin D at low concentration does not act on the rRNA synthesis in vitro either. To suppress rRNA synthesis in this system much higher concentration of this agent (10 micrograms/ml) producing inhibition of all classes of rRNA synthesis in intact cells is required. Selective sensitivity of rRNA synthesis in the cells to papaverine, cycloheximide, DNP and low concentration of actinomycin D does not connect with their direct action on the apparatus of rRNA synthesis.     

Permeability to inhibitors of protein synthesis in virus infected cells

Infection of HeLa cells with different viruses induces permeabilization of the cell membrane to protein toxins such as -sarcin. This phenomenon occurs with HeLa, KB, BHK-21 and L₉₂₉ cells and EMC, SFV, VSV and Polio virus and is dependent on the ability of the virus to infect the cells. Inhibitors of endocytosis and lysosomotropic agents do not affect this process. Cells become sealed to the toxin approximately four hours after the infection. Sulfhydryl reagents impair cellular permeabilization to -sarcin.     

The response of virally infected insect cells to dissolved oxygen concentration: recombinant protein production and oxidative damage

The effects of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on virally infected insect cells were investigated in 3-L bioreactor culture. Specifically, cultures of Spodoptera frugiperda Sf-9 (Sf-9) and Trichoplusia ni BTI-Tn-5B1-4 (Tn-5B1-4) were infected with Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus expressing secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP). Following infection at a DO concentration of 50% air saturation, the DO concentration was adjusted to a final value of either 190%, 50%, or 10% air saturation. Recombinant SEAP production, cell viability, protein carbonyl content, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content were monitored. The increases in protein carbonyl and TBARS contents are taken to be indicators of protein oxidation and lipid oxidation, respectively. DO concentration was found to have no noticeable effect on SEAP production or cell viability decline in the Sf-9 cell line. In the Tn-5B1-4 cell line, cells displayed an increased peak SEAP production rate for 190% air saturation and displayed an increased rate of viability decline at increased DO concentration. Protein carbonyl content showed no significant increase in the Sf-9 cell line by 72 h postinfection (pi) at any DO concentration but showed a twofold increase at 10% and 50% DO concentration and a threefold increase at 190% DO concentration by 72 h pi in Tn-5B1-4 cells. TBARS content was found to increase by approximately 50% in Sf-9 cells and by approximately twofold in Tn-5B1-4 cells by 72 h pi with no clear relationship to DO concentration. It is hypothesized that oxygen uptake changes due to the viral infection process may bear a relation to the observed increases in protein and lipid oxidation and that lipid oxidation may play an important role in the death of virally infected insect cells.     

Rabies virus protein synthesis in infected BHK-21 cells.

Rabies virus specific polypeptide synthesis was examined under hypertonic conditions, which selectively inhibit cellular protein synthesis. The rabies virus proteins (L, G, N, M1, M2) were synthesized throughout the course of infection, with little change in their relative rates of synthesis. The rates of synthesis of the G and M1 polypeptides were more sensitive to increasing osmolarity than those of the L, N, and M2 polypeptides. Extrapolation to isotonicity of the results obtained under hypertonic conditions indicated that the molar ratios of the polypeptides synthesized under normal conditions were 0.4 (L), 64 (G), 100 (N), 75 (M1) and 35 (M2). A high-molecular-weight polypeptide (190,000), designated polypeptide L, was repeatedly detected both in infected cells and in extracellular virus. The estimated number of L polypeptide molecules per virion was 33. The synthesis of a viral glycoprotein precursor, designated gp78, , preceded the appearance of the mature viral glycoprotein in infected cells labeled with [3H]glucosamine under isotonic conditions. In cells labeled under hypertonic conditions, little or no mature viral glycoprotein was detected, but a virus-specific glycoprotein with an electrophoretic mobility similar to that of gp78 was observed. This glycoprotein could be chased into mature viral glycoprotein when the hypertonic conditions were made isotonic. These results suggest that a reversible block of viral glycoprotein synthesis occurs under hypertonic conditions.