Genotyping of white spot syndrome virus in Chinese cultured shrimp during 1998–1999

Recent studies showed that white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) isolates from different geographic locations share a high genetic similarity except the variable regions in ORF23/24 and ORF14/15, and variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) within ORF94. In this study, genotyping was performed according to these three variable regions among WSSV isolates collected during 1998/1999 from Southern China. These WSSV isolates contain a deletion of 1168, 5657, 5898, 9316 and 11093 bp, respectively in the variable region ORF23/24 compared with WSSV-TW, and a deletion of 4749 or 5622 bp in the variable region ORF14/15 relative to TH-96-II. Four types of repeat units (RUs) (6, 8, 9 and 13 RUs) in ORF94 were detected in these isolates, with the shortest 6 RUs as the most prevalent type. Our results provide important information for a better understanding of the spatio-temporal transmission mode and the WSSV genetic evolution lineage.     

Suppression of Shrimp Melanization during White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection

The melanization cascade, activated by the prophenoloxidase (proPO) system, plays a key role in the production of cytotoxic intermediates, as well as melanin products for microbial sequestration in invertebrates. Here, we show that the proPO system is an important component of the Penaeus monodon shrimp immune defense toward a major viral pathogen, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). Gene silencing of PmproPO(s) resulted in increased cumulative shrimp mortality after WSSV infection, whereas incubation of WSSV with an in vitro melanization reaction prior to injection into shrimp significantly increased the shrimp survival rate. The hemolymph phenoloxidase (PO) activity of WSSV-infected shrimp was extremely reduced at days 2 and 3 post-injection compared with uninfected shrimp but was fully restored after the addition of exogenous trypsin, suggesting that WSSV probably inhibits the activity of some proteinases in the proPO cascade. Using yeast two-hybrid screening and co-immunoprecipitation assays, the viral protein WSSV453 was found to interact with the proPO-activating enzyme 2 (PmPPAE2) of P. monodon. Gene silencing of WSSV453 showed a significant increase of PO activity in WSSV-infected shrimp, whereas co-silencing of WSSV453 and PmPPAE2 did not, suggesting that silencing of WSSV453 partially restored the PO activity via PmPPAE2 in WSSV-infected shrimp. Moreover, the activation of PO activity in shrimp plasma by PmPPAE2 was significantly decreased by preincubation with recombinant WSSV453. These results suggest that the inhibition of the shrimp proPO system by WSSV partly occurs via the PmPPAE2-inhibiting activity of WSSV453.     

Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies of Shrimp White Spot Syndrome Virus Envelope Protein VP28

BALB/c mice were immunized with purified White spot syndrome virus (WSSV). Six monoclonal antibody cell lines were selected by ELISA with VP28 protein expressed in E. coli. in vitro neutralization experiments showed that 4 of them could inhibit the virus infection in crayfish. Western-blot suggested that all these monoclonal antibodies were against the conformational structure of VP28. The monoclonal antibody 7B4 was labeled with colloidal gold particles and used to locate the VP28 on virus envelope by immunogold labeling. These monoclonal antibodies could be used to develop immun-ological diagnosis methods for WSSV infection.     

Silencing VP28 Gene of White Spot Syndrome Virus of Shrimp by Bacterially Expressed dsRNA

An in vivo expression system to produce large amounts of virus-derived dsRNAs in bacteria to provide a practical control of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in shrimp was developed. The bacterially synthesized dsRNA specific to VP28 gene of WSSV promoted gene-specific interference with the WSSV infection in shrimp. Virus infectivity was significantly reduced in WSSV-challenged shrimp injected with VP28-dsRNA and 100% survival was recorded. The inhibition of the expression of WSSV VP28 gene in experimentally challenged animals by VP28-dsRNA was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the efficacy of bacterially expressed VP28-dsRNA to silence VP28 gene expression in SISK cell line transfected with eukaryotic expression vector (pcDNA3.1) inserted with VP28 gene of WSSV. The expression level of VP28 gene in SISK cells was determined by fluorescent microscopy and ELISA. The results showed that the expression was significantly reduced in cells transfected with VP28dsRNA, whereas the cells transected with pcDNA-VP28 alone showed higher expression. The in vivo production of dsRNA using prokaryotic expression system could be an alternative to in vitro method for large-scale production of dsRNA corresponding to VP28 gene of WSSV for practical application to control the WSSV in shrimp farming.     

对虾白斑综合征杆状病毒体内增殖模型的建立

应用对虾白斑综合征杆状病毒（WSSV）,对淡水克氏螯虾、罗氏沼虾、日本沼虾和两种淡水蟹（中华绒螯蟹、长江华溪蟹）进行人工感染实验。结果除淡水克氏螯虾之外,其它受试的虾蟹均不能感染WSSV。克氏螯虾3个不同剂量级感染至12d平均死亡率为94％。从发病或死亡个体采集血淋巴,经电镜负染色可观察到完整的病毒粒子,其形态大小、靶细胞组织病理均与从中国对虾中分离的WSSV相似或相同。同时,通过原位杂交技术进一步证明该实验的可靠性。克氏螯虾重复感染效果良好,有可能成为研究WSSV的一种理想的病毒体内增殖模型。     

抗对虾白斑综合症病毒单链抗体P1D3基因在毕赤酵母中的分泌表达

为了将可中和对虾白斑综合症病毒(WSSV)的单链抗体P1D3在酵母中实现表达,以原核表达载体M13噬菌粒为模板,设计带有SnaBⅠ和EcoRⅠ酶切位点的特异性引物,通过PCR方法扩增P1D3基因。经过酶切、连接反应将该基因连入大肠杆菌-酵母穿梭质粒pPIC9K上。重组质粒pPIC9K-scFvP1D3经BglⅡ线性化后,用电转化的方法转入毕赤酵母(Pichiapastoris)GS115中。通过PCR和DNA测序,挑选和鉴定阳性克隆。经甲醇诱导,P1D3在酵母中获得分泌表达。ELISA实验结果表明,酵母表达上清液中的单链抗体具有较高的WSSV结合活性,而且其活性要高于大肠杆菌所表达抗体的活性。表达条件优化后,单链抗体在酵母中最高表达量可达302mg/L,为开展对虾被动免疫研究提供了新的抗体来源。     

对虾白斑综合征病毒中国地方株变异区基因的比较

对虾白斑综合征病毒(White spot syndromevirus,WSSV)是对虾养殖的主要病原之一,它是目前发现的基因组最大的动物病毒,为环状双链DNA病毒[1,2],全基因组序列分析结果显示,对虾白斑综合征病毒和其他杆状病毒相差甚远,最新病毒分类报告已将该病毒划归新建立的线头病毒科(Nima-viridae)白斑病毒属(Whispovirus)[3,4]。目前Gen-Bank公布有3个版本的WSSV全序列[1,2],其基因组大小的测定结果相差较大。不同的WSSV毒株可能在形态结构、理化性质上无法区分,但病毒基因组限制酶切片段长度多态性(RFLP)可以将之区分开来,Marks等[6,7]通过计…     

从噬菌体展示抗体文库筛选对虾白斑综合征病毒的单链抗体

对虾白斑综合征是一种严重危害对虾养殖业的病毒性疾病.由于目前对其病原体对虾白斑综合征病毒（WSSV）的研究不够深入,所以对WSSV的有效防治仍然是一大难题.为此,用完整的对虾白斑综合征病毒粒子作为靶抗原固相包被,淘选噬菌体展示单链抗体文库,得到两个能够与WSSV结合的单链抗体：E2和H4.单链抗体H4能够结合病毒并抑制病毒对原代培养的对虾淋巴细胞的感染,这些结果表明此单链抗体具有开发为诊断试剂盒和抗病毒药物的潜力.     

Sequencing and Amplified Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis of Ribonucleotide Reductase Large Subunit Gene of the White Spot Syndrome Virus in Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) from American Coastal Waters

In the present study, the existence of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) collected from 3 different American coastal waters (New York, New Jersey, and Texas) was confirmed by 2-step diagnostic polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization analysis. When geographic isolates were also compared using a gene that encodes the WSSV ribonucleotide reductase large subunit RR1 (WSSV rr1), a C¹⁶⁶¹-to-T point mutation was found in the New Jersey WSSV isolated. This point mutation, which resulted in the creation of an additional RsaI endonuclease recognition site, was not found in the WSSV from the New York and Texas blue crab samples, or in the WSSV Taiwan isolate, or in any of the other WSSV geographical isolates for which data are available. WSSV rr1-specific RsaI amplified restriction fragment length polymorphism of an amplified 1156-bp fragment thus distinguished the New Jersey blue crab samples from the other WSSV isolates. Received June 29, 2000; accepted October 11, 2000     

Changes of enzyme activity in lipid signaling pathways related to substrate reordering

The static fluid mosaic model of biological membranes has been progressively complemented by a dynamic membrane model that includes phospholipid reordering in domains that are proposed to extend from nanometers to microns. Kinetic models for lipolytic enzymes have only been developed for homogeneous lipid phases. In this work, we develop a generalization of the well-known surface dilution kinetic theory to cases where, in a same lipid phase, both domain and nondomain phases coexist. Our model also allows understanding the changes in enzymatic activity due to a decrease of free substrate concentration when domains are induced by peptides. This lipid reordering and domain dynamics can affect the activity of lipolytic enzymes, and can provide a simple explanation for how basic peptides, with a strong direct interaction with acidic phospholipids (such as beta-amyloid peptide), may cause a complex modulation of the activities of many important enzymes in lipid signaling pathways.     

Arylpropionic acid-derived NSAIDs: New insights on derivatization,anticancer activity and potential mechanism of action

NSAIDs displayed chemopreventive and anticancer effects against several types of cancers. Moreover, combination of NSAIDs with anticancer agents resulted in enhanced anticancer activity. These findings have attracted much attention of researchers working in this field. The 2-arylpropionic acid-derived NSAIDs represent one of the most widely used anti-inflammatory agents. Additionally, they displayed antiproliferative activities against different types of cancer cells. Large volume of research was performed to identify molecular targets responsible for this activity. However, the exact mechanism underlying the anticancer activity of profens is still unclear. In this review article, the anticancer potential, structure activity relationship and synthesis of selected profen derivatives were summarized. This review is focused also on non-COX targets which can mediate the anticancer activity of this derivatives. The data in this review highlighted profens as promising lead compounds in future research to develop potent and safe anticancer agents.