表达荧光素酶和绿色荧光蛋白双报告基因重组非洲猪瘟病毒的构建

非洲猪瘟(African swine fever,ASF)是由非洲猪瘟病毒(African swine fever virus,ASFV)感染家猪和野猪引起的一种高致病性传染病,家猪感染ASFV强毒株后死亡率接近100％.为了研究ASFV的致病机制,利用绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)作为报告基因构建重组病毒已经广泛应用,但易于定量检测且适用于高通量筛选的重组ASFV目前没有报道.本研究以ASFVHLJ/18分离株为亲本病毒,采用CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑技术和同源重组技术将表达Gaussia荧光素酶(Gluc)和EGFP的报告基因表达盒插入到ASFV的K145R基因的位置,构建可以同时表达Gluc和EGFP的重组ASFV(rASFV-Gluc-EGFP).通过PCR鉴定、Gluc和EGFP表达的检测,确定获得的重组ASFV能够感染猪肺泡巨噬细胞且表达Gluc和EGFP.对构建的重组病毒和亲本病毒进行生长曲线比较,结果表明插入的报告基因不影响病毒在猪肺泡巨噬细胞中的复制.F5、F10和F15代重组病毒基因鉴定和报告基因表达检测结果表明,重组病毒能稳定表达插入的双报告基因.本研究成功构建了表达Gluc和EGFP的重组ASFV,可以针对报告基因进行定量检测和高通量筛选,为ASFV的感染和致病机制研究奠定坚实的基础.     

HIV-1感染诱导丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶Citron kinase上调机制研究

HIV-1感染可以改变宿主细胞的表达谱,上调和病毒转录复制翻译包装所需的宿主蛋白,使宿主变成更加适应病毒复制繁殖的环境。研究表明丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶Citron kinase(citK)可以促进HIV-1病毒的包装释放,所以我们在本文中进一步探讨了HIV-1感染对Citron kinase在自然生理状态下的表达是否有调节作用。我们用含有荧光素酶报告基因的HIV-1假病毒感染外周血单个核细胞(PBMC)和HEK293T细胞系,检测Citron kinase表达的上调情况。此外,将Citron kinase的上游启动子克隆入含荧光素酶报告基因的载体上,检测HIV假病毒感染对Citron kinase启动子的影响。结果显示:HIV-1可以显著提高PBMC细胞中Citron kinase的表达量,而Citron kinase为HIV-1复制包装所需。在原代CD4+T细胞中过表达Citron kinase,HIV-1的复制可以提高2倍以上。沉默Citron kinase的表达,HIV-1病毒产生量显著降低。在HEK293T细胞系中,HIV-1假病毒感染可以使Citron kinase的mRNA的水平提高2.5倍,蛋白表达量提高2.7倍。我们通过将Citron kinase的启动子克隆到含有荧光素酶报告系统的载体上,感染HIV-1假病毒,发现荧光素酶的活性增加。这提示着HIV-1感染通过转录水平上调Citron kinase的表达,从而为病毒创造复制繁殖更有利的宿主环境。     

突变MARCH作用靶点在假病毒产率提升中的应用

抗病毒药物、中和抗体和预防性疫苗是应对新发、再发高致病性和高感染性病毒(如新冠病毒)最有效的策略。然而,涉及上述活病毒的实验操作必须在包含生物安全3级和4级设施的实验室中开展。为了便于评估上述抗病毒制品,研究者开发了基于人类免疫缺陷病毒(human immunodeficiency virus, HIV)和水疱性口炎病毒(vesicular stomatitis virus, VSV)骨架的假病毒包装系统。该系统同时包含靶标病毒的囊膜蛋白表达质粒,使包装好的假病毒具备与野生型病毒相似的受体吸附和膜融合功能。鉴于此,在特定的包装系统中,囊膜蛋白的包装过程对假病毒产率和感染性影响巨大。研究发现膜相关泛素连接酶家族蛋白(membrane-associated RING-CH,MARCH)能够降解病毒囊膜蛋白,下调假病毒产率和感染性。讨论了囊膜蛋白胞内域赖氨酸修饰对假病毒产率影响的研究进展,以期提高囊膜蛋白表达量和加工成熟效率,促进抗病毒药物研发、抗体筛选、疫苗创制和病毒受体鉴定。     

非洲猪瘟病毒E248R蛋白抑制cGAS-STING介导的天然免疫

为了探究ASFV E248R蛋白调控cGAS-STING信号通路的机制,利用双荧光素酶报告系统验证ASFV E248R蛋白够剂量依赖性地抑制cGAS-STING和HT-DNA诱导的IFN-β的产生。通过相对定量PCR技术验证,过表达E248R抑制IFNB1、RANTES、IL-6和TNF-αβ基因的转录水平。免疫共沉淀和激光共聚焦试验结果表明,E248R与STING相互作用。通过蛋白印迹试验证实,过表达E248R可抑制STING的表达。研究表明ASFV E248R蛋白通过抑制STING的表达拮抗天然免疫应答。该结果将扩展对ASF免疫逃逸的认知,为疫苗的研制提供新的思路。     

人免疫缺陷病毒假病毒药物筛选模型的构建及其应用

目的:构建人免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)假病毒模型,用多种HIV逆转录酶和蛋白酶抑制剂作用于该模型,以检测其是否能有效用于HIV抑制药物的筛选。方法:通过载体改造获得最终慢病毒载体puc18-NL4-3-LUC-stop,其中含有萤光素酶基因,将该载体与包膜质粒VSV-G共转染293FT细胞,包装产生HIV假病毒,在假病毒包装和病毒感染293FT细胞的过程中加入蛋白酶和逆转录酶抑制剂,通过检测感染细胞中萤光素酶的表达来检测该模型的有效性,并利用此模型检测药物的抗病毒效果。结果:将HIV逆转录酶和蛋白酶抑制剂作用于该假病毒模型时发现萤光素酶的表达得到很大程度的抑制。结论:建立了HIV假病毒药物筛选模型,该模型以萤光素酶基因作为报告基因,快速灵敏,在抗HIV药物筛选中有一定的应用价值。     

利用报告基因比较悬浮细胞与贴壁细胞对HIV-1假病毒感染效率的差异

【目的】研究用人免疫缺陷病毒(Human immunodeficiency virus,HIV)-1假病毒感染带有β-半乳糖苷酶(β-galactosidase,β-gal)报告基因和HIV受体CD4+CCR5+的Tzmbl细胞,分析悬浮状态与贴壁状态对HIV-1假病毒感染Tzmbl细胞的影响,为进一步进行HIV生物学研究与中和抗体实验室评价提供实验基础。【方法】通过将pNL43 R-E-与编码HIV膜蛋白的质粒共转染293T细胞,收集上清,获得HIV假病毒。该假病毒感染悬浮的和贴壁的Tzmbl细胞后可表达β-gal报告蛋白,通过X-gal染色和仪器分析可测定表达β-gal报告基因的细胞数与细胞感染率。【结果】HIV假病毒感染悬浮细胞的效率高于其对贴壁的Tzmbl细胞感染的效率,且细胞的感染率的改变与病毒的型相关。【结论】该研究结果可为进一步利用具有单轮感染活性的HIV假病毒进行生物研究和中和抗体实验提供研究方法。     

埃博拉假病毒小鼠攻毒模型的建立与评估

埃博拉病毒具有极大的危险性,对其活病毒相关的操作必须严格限制在生物安全四级实验室（BSL-4）中,阻碍了疫苗和治疗药物的研发进程。本研究将扎伊尔埃博拉病毒（EBOV）膜表面糖蛋白（GP）表达质粒与携带荧光素酶报告基因的pNL4-3.Luc.R-E-慢病毒载体共转染至HEK293T细胞,包装HIV骨架的EBOV GP-Fluc假病毒颗粒,建立了BSL-2条件下基于假病毒和生物发光成像（BLI）技术的BALB/c小鼠EBOV感染模型,并通过不同给药时间、途径和抗体种类的系统评估对其可靠性进行了验证。腹腔注射包含GP全长的假病毒在第4d可检测到集中于胸腺部位的最大发光信号,测试抗体在预防性静脉给药时可完全阻断假病毒的感染,在暴露后腹腔给药时表现出与其在活病毒小鼠模型中一致的保护效力。该模型为埃博拉病毒以及类似烈性病原体防治药物研发提供了一种简单有效的前期筛选方案。     

SARS-CoV-2入胞活细胞示踪平台的建立

新型冠状病毒（SARS-CoV-2）由于其高传染性已造成全球大流行。目前关于SARS-CoV-2依赖内吞途径进入细胞的研究偏向于药物抑制实验或固定样品的蛋白共定位实验,而对于其入胞时与细胞内吞结构相互作用的动力学机制研究较少。本研究首先基于慢病毒系统包装出可在生物安全二级实验室（BSL-2）进行操作的SARS-CoV-2假病毒,之后利用膜染料对假病毒的囊膜进行荧光标记,并进行鉴定。通过免疫荧光方法观察到假病毒与网格蛋白包被的内吞结构共定位,进一步在网格蛋白敲低的Caco-2细胞系上进行假病毒感染,检测到荧光素酶活性显著下降,这些结果确定了网格蛋白介导的内吞作用参与假病毒感染。最后基于单病毒示踪技术,通过共聚焦显微镜对假病毒入胞过程进行活细胞实时拍摄,选取两个具有代表性的假病毒粒子依赖网格途径入胞的典型视野,并对假病毒动力学进行分析。本研究成功建立了SARS-CoV-2假病毒入胞活细胞示踪平台,可应用于研究单个假病毒粒子入胞过程动力学机制。该平台对SARS-CoV-2入胞机制的研究具有重大意义。     

SARS-CoV假病毒中和试验技术的建立及评价

为避免传统的SARS病毒中和试验需要操作活毒而存在的生物安全隐患,建立了基于假病毒系统、操作较安全的SARS中和试验技术平台。本研究应用高效表达SARS-CoV S(密码子优化的全长S蛋白,简称S)的真核表达载体(pVRC8304),与HIV慢病毒包装质粒(p CMV△8.2)及转移质粒(pHR′CMV EGFP)3个质粒载体系统共同转染人胚肾细胞293T,包装了SARS假病毒;通过SARS假病毒感染的RD-A细胞中标记基因EGFP表达的分析,确定SARS假病毒能有效进入细胞,建立了可在BSL-2级实验室操作的SARS病毒中和试验技术平台。用该技术平台对不同免疫血清进行了中和抗体分析,并比较了基于假病毒和基于SARS活病毒的中和试验效果。结果显示:SARS假病毒和SARS活病毒两个中和试验系统获得中和抗体滴度变化趋势一致,表明本研究构建的SARS假病毒可替代SARS活病毒用于建立操作上安全的SARS病毒中和试验技术平台。     

Construction and applications of SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses: a mini review

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has posed a serious threat to global public health and social stability. There is an urgent need for understanding the nature and infection mechanism of the virus. Owing to its high infectivity and pathogenicity and lack of effective treatments, live SARS-CoV-2 has to be handled in biosafety level 3 laboratories, which has impeded research into SARS-CoV-2 and the development of vaccines and therapeutics. Pseudotyped viruses that lack certain gene sequences of the virulent virus are safer and can be investigated in biosafety level 2 laboratories, providing a useful virological tool for the study of SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we will discuss the construction of SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses based on different packaging systems, current applications, limitations, and further explorations.     

An Automated HIV-1 Env-Pseudotyped Virus Production for Global HIV Vaccine Trials

Background

Infections with HIV still represent a major human health problem worldwide and a vaccine is the only long-term option to fight efficiently against this virus. Standardized assessments of HIV-specific immune responses in vaccine trials are essential for prioritizing vaccine candidates in preclinical and clinical stages of development. With respect to neutralizing antibodies, assays with HIV-1 Env-pseudotyped viruses are a high priority. To cover the increasing demands of HIV pseudoviruses, a complete cell culture and transfection automation system has been developed.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The automation system for HIV pseudovirus production comprises a modified Tecan-based Cellerity system. It covers an area of 5×3 meters and includes a robot platform, a cell counting machine, a CO₂ incubator for cell cultivation and a media refrigerator. The processes for cell handling, transfection and pseudovirus production have been implemented according to manual standard operating procedures and are controlled and scheduled autonomously by the system. The system is housed in a biosafety level II cabinet that guarantees protection of personnel, environment and the product. HIV pseudovirus stocks in a scale from 140 ml to 1000 ml have been produced on the automated system. Parallel manual production of HIV pseudoviruses and comparisons (bridging assays) confirmed that the automated produced pseudoviruses were of equivalent quality as those produced manually. In addition, the automated method was fully validated according to Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) guidelines, including the validation parameters accuracy, precision, robustness and specificity.

Conclusions

An automated HIV pseudovirus production system has been successfully established. It allows the high quality production of HIV pseudoviruses under GCLP conditions. In its present form, the installed module enables the production of 1000 ml of virus-containing cell culture supernatant per week. Thus, this novel automation facilitates standardized large-scale productions of HIV pseudoviruses for ongoing and upcoming HIV vaccine trials.     

Pseudovirus-based neuraminidase inhibition assays reveal potential H5N1 drug-resistant mutations

The use of antiviral drugs such as influenza neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors is a critical strategy to prevent and control flu pandemic, but this strategy faces the challenge of emerging drug-resistant strains. F or a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, biosafety restrictions have significantly limited the efforts to monitor its drug responses and mechanisms involved. In this study, a rapid and biosafe assay based on NA pseudovirus was developed to study the resistance of HPAI H5N1 virus to NA inhibitor drugs. The H5N1 NA pseudovirus was comprehensively tested using oseltamivir-sensitive strains and their resistant mutants. Results were consistent with those in previous studies, in which live H5N1 viruses were used. Several oseltamivir-resistant mutations reported in human H1N1 were also identifi ed to cause decreased oseltamivir sensitivity in H5N1 NA by using the H5N1 NA pseudovirus. Thus, H5N1 NA pseudoviruses could be used to monitor HPAI H5N1 drug resistance rapidly and safely.     

Chikungunya Virus Glycoproteins Pseudotype with Lentiviral Vectors and Reveal a Broad Spectrum of Cellular Tropism

Background

Outbreaks of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection has been documented in over 40 countries, resulting in clinical symptoms characterized by fever and joint pain. Diagnosing CHIKV in a clinical lab setting is often omitted because of the high lab safety requirement. An infection system that mimics CHIKV infection will permit clinical evaluation of the production of neutralizing antibody for both disease diagnostics and treatment.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We generated a CHIKV construct expressing CHIKV structural proteins. This construct permits the production of CHIKV pseudo-viral particles with a luciferase reporter. The pseudo-virus was able to infect a wide range of cell lines. The pseudovirus could be neutralized by the addition of neutralizing antibodies from patients.

Conclusions

Taken together, we have developed a powerful system that can be handled at biosafety level 2 laboratories for evaluation of existence of CHIKV neutralizing antibodies.     

Development of a safe and convenient neutralization assay for rapid screening of influenza HA-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibodies

The worldwide outbreak of the swine-origin 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus (IAV) and an increasing number of influenza cases caused by a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 have accelerated the need to develop vaccines and antiviral agents against IAVs. Among various antivirals, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are considered important passive therapeutics having an immediate effect against viral pathogens. Here we report a pseudovirus neutralization assay for rapid screening of neutralizing mAbs targeting hemagglutinin (HA) of H5N1 and H1N1 IAV. In this study, we generated six pseudoviruses with an HIV-1 backbone, respectively, expressing HA of four clades of H5N1 IAV and the 2009 epidemic H1N1 IAV. The resulting pseudoviruses were able to infect a variety of human and non-human cells, with 293T cells from human kidney as the most susceptible target cells. Using the established pseudovirus neutralization assay, we showed that three of ten selected mAbs specific to HA could potently neutralize infection of a pseudovirus bearing HA from the homologous IAV A/VietNam/1194/2004(H5N1) strain. This was highly consistent with the result of a microneutralization assay testing the same strain of a live IAV. Since the pseudovirus neutralization assay does not involve an infectious virus and can be performed without the requirement of a biosafety-3 laboratory, it may be applied for safe and rapid screening of neutralizing mAbs and antiviral agents targeting HA of IAVs.     

Papillomavirus pseudovirus: a novel vaccine to induce mucosal and systemic cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses

Intestinal mucosa is a portal for many infectious pathogens. Systemic immunization, in general, does not induce a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response at the mucosal surface. Because papillomavirus (PV) naturally infects mucosa and skin, we determined whether PV pseudovirus, i.e., PV-like particles in which unrelated DNA plasmids are packaged, could generate specific mucosal immunity. We found that the pseudovirus that encoded the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus gp33 epitope induced a stronger CTL response than a DNA vaccine (plasmid) encoding the same epitope given systemically. The virus-like particles that were used to make the pseudoviruses provided an adjuvant effect for induction of CTLs by the DNA vaccine. The PV pseudovirus pseudoinfected mucosal and systemic lymphoid tissues when administered orally. Oral immunization with the pseudovirus encoding human PV type 16 mutant E7 induced mucosal and systemic CTL responses. In comparison, a DNA vaccine encoding E7, when given orally, did not induce a CTL response in intestinal mucosal lymphoid tissue. Further, oral immunization with the human PV pseudovirus encoding E7 protected mice against mucosal challenge with an E7-expressing bovine PV pseudovirus. Thus, PV pseudovirus can be used as a novel vaccine to induce mucosal and systemic CTL responses.     

Antiviral Role of IFITM Proteins in African Swine Fever Virus Infection

The interferon-induced transmembrane (IFITM) protein family is a group of antiviral restriction factors that impair flexibility and inhibit membrane fusion at the plasma or the endosomal membrane, restricting viral progression at entry. While IFITMs are widely known to inhibit several single-stranded RNA viruses, there are limited reports available regarding their effect in double-stranded DNA viruses. In this work, we have analyzed a possible antiviral function of IFITMs against a double stranded DNA virus, the African swine fever virus (ASFV). Infection with cell-adapted ASFV isolate Ba71V is IFN sensitive and it induces IFITMs expression. Interestingly, high levels of IFITMs caused a collapse of the endosomal pathway to the perinuclear area. Given that ASFV entry is strongly dependent on endocytosis, we investigated whether IFITM expression could impair viral infection. Expression of IFITM1, 2 and 3 reduced virus infectivity in Vero cells, with IFITM2 and IFITM3 having an impact on viral entry/uncoating. The role of IFITM2 in the inhibition of ASFV in Vero cells could be related to impaired endocytosis-mediated viral entry and alterations in the cholesterol efflux, suggesting that IFITM2 is acting at the late endosome, preventing the decapsidation stage of ASFV.     

African Swine Fever Virus Uses Macropinocytosis to Enter Host Cells

African swine fever (ASF) is caused by a large and highly pathogenic DNA virus, African swine fever virus (ASFV), which provokes severe economic losses and expansion threats. Presently, no specific protection or vaccine against ASF is available, despite the high hazard that the continued occurrence of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa, the recent outbreak in the Caucasus in 2007, and the potential dissemination to neighboring countries, represents. Although virus entry is a remarkable target for the development of protection tools, knowledge of the ASFV entry mechanism is still very limited. Whereas early studies have proposed that the virus enters cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis, the specific mechanism used by ASFV remains uncertain. Here we used the ASFV virulent isolate Ba71, adapted to grow in Vero cells (Ba71V), and the virulent strain E70 to demonstrate that entry and internalization of ASFV includes most of the features of macropinocytosis. By a combination of optical and electron microscopy, we show that the virus causes cytoplasm membrane perturbation, blebbing and ruffles. We have also found that internalization of the virions depends on actin reorganization, activity of Na⁺/H⁺ exchangers, and signaling events typical of the macropinocytic mechanism of endocytosis. The entry of virus into cells appears to directly stimulate dextran uptake, actin polarization and EGFR, PI3K-Akt, Pak1 and Rac1 activation. Inhibition of these key regulators of macropinocytosis, as well as treatment with the drug EIPA, results in a considerable decrease in ASFV entry and infection. In conclusion, this study identifies for the first time the whole pathway for ASFV entry, including the key cellular factors required for the uptake of the virus and the cell signaling involved.     

假病毒的应用研究进展

利用野生型病毒株研究病毒的生物学特性及其与宿主细胞相互作用的机制是病毒学领域常用的研究方法,但前提条件是此类病毒能够在体外培养,且传染性和致病性低,对人身安全和环境不构成威胁。对于一些传染性强、致死率高,体外培养难以获得,且需在高级别生物安全实验室操作的病毒,如H7N9、H5N1、SARS和埃博拉病毒等,体外研究其生物学特性有较大的困难和局限性。因此,寻求一种替代真病毒的方法来研究特定病毒特性势在必行。体外构建假病毒由于具有生物安全性高、宿主嗜性广、稳定性强等优点,受到人们的关注,已广泛应用于疫苗研发、病毒与宿主细胞之间的相互作用、病毒敏感细胞的筛选、中和抗体和中和抗原表位研究等方面,这是一种非常安全有效的研究手段。现就此进行综述,并总结相关领域的研究进展。