The dominant linear neutralizing antibody-binding site of glycoprotein gp86 of human cytomegalovirus is strain specific.

Bacterial fusion proteins, constructed from overlapping fragments of the open reading frame coding for gp86 of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strain AD169, were used to localize antigenic regions recognized by antibodies from human convalescent sera. A major domain for binding of conformation-independent antibodies was localized on fusion protein AP86, containing amino acids 15 to 142 of gp86. Human antibodies, affinity purified on AP86, neutralized infectious virus in tissue culture. In addition, a mouse monoclonal antibody (AP86-SA4), raised against AP86, also neutralized HCMV. AP86-SA4 was reactive with viral gp86 in immunoblot assays and showed a plasma membrane staining on intact HCMV-infected fibroblasts late in infection. After exonuclease III deletions of the viral gene, the binding site of neutralizing human as well as mouse antibodies was localized between amino acid residues 34 and 43. The domain has sequence variation between laboratory strains AD169 and Towne, and binding of the antibodies was strain specific. To our knowledge, this is the first characterization of a strain-specific neutralizing epitope on HCMV.     

Interaction Network of Proteins Associated with Human Cytomegalovirus IE2-p86 Protein during Infection: A Proteomic Analysis

Human cytomegalovirus protein IE2-p86 exerts its functions through interaction with other viral and cellular proteins. To further delineate its protein interaction network, we generated a recombinant virus expressing SG-tagged IE2-p86 and used tandem affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry. A total of 9 viral proteins and 75 cellular proteins were found to associate with IE2-p86 protein during the first 48 hours of infection. The protein profile at 8, 24, and 48 h post infection revealed that UL84 tightly associated with IE2-p86, and more viral and cellular proteins came into association with IE2-p86 with the progression of virus infection. A computational analysis of the protein-protein interaction network indicated that all of the 9 viral proteins and most of the cellular proteins identified in the study are interconnected to varying degrees. Of the cellular proteins that were confirmed to associate with IE2-p86 by immunoprecipitation, C1QBP was further shown to be upregulated by HCMV infection and colocalized with IE2-p86, UL84 and UL44 in the virus replication compartment of the nucleus. The IE2-p86 interactome network demonstrated the temporal development of stable and abundant protein complexes that associate with IE2-p86 and provided a framework to benefit future studies of various protein complexes during HCMV infection.     

HCMV IE86对恶性胶质瘤细胞凋亡及p53表达活性的影响

人巨细胞病毒(human cytomegalovirus,HCMV)能诱导肿瘤细胞恶性转化且抑制肿瘤细胞凋亡,但HCMV编码的主要即刻早期调控蛋白IE86在这一过程中是否发挥关键作用仍然未知。为探究IE86对基因修饰荷胶质瘤小鼠p53表达水平及恶性胶质瘤细胞凋亡情况的影响,本研究通过PCR技术鉴定基因修饰小鼠IE86表达情况;实时定量PCR技术检测IE86和p53mRNA表达水平变化;免疫组织化学方法检测p53和p21蛋白的表达水平;TUNEL检测肿瘤组织细胞凋亡情况。结果显示,成功构建了IE86基因修饰小鼠模型;与IE86阴性组相比IE86阳性组p53表达水平上升(P0.05),但p21表达水平下降(P0.05);IE86阳性组细胞抗凋亡能力增强(P0.05)。以上结果表明,在基因修饰的小鼠中IE86持续表达但p53转录活性的指示标志p21下调,且IE86可提高恶性胶质瘤细胞抗凋亡能力。     

Effect of Inducible Expressed Human Cytomegalovirus Immediate Early 86 Protein on Cell Apoptosis

Human cytomegalovirus is a common human pathogen that can cause life-threatening disease under certain conditions. During infection of host cells, the virus expresses regulatory proteins such as IE72 and IE86 that are important for viral propagation. IE86 plays a critical role in the modulation of viral replication as well as host cell cycle control and apoptosis. In this study, a Tet-On system was used to quantify the effect of IE86 on apoptosis and p53 expression. Our results indicate that IE86 inhibits tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α induced apoptosis and that the anti-apoptotic activity of this viral protein correlates with its expression levels. In addition, IE86 did not alter the mRNA level of p53. The system developed should provide a method for functional analysis of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) IE86 protein.