Multiphasic Effects of Cholesterol on Influenza Fusion Kinetics Reflect Multiple Mechanistic Roles

The envelope lipid composition of influenza virus differs from that of the cellular plasma membrane from which it buds. Viruses also appear to fuse preferentially to specific membrane compartments, suggesting that the lipid environment may influence permissiveness for fusion. Here, we investigated the influence of the membrane environment on fusion, focusing on cholesterol composition. Strikingly, manipulating cholesterol levels in the viral membrane had different effects on fusion kinetics compared with analogous changes to the target membrane. Increasing cholesterol content in target vesicles increased lipid- and contents-mixing rates. Moderate cholesterol depletion from the viral membrane sped fusion rates, whereas severe depletion slowed the process. The pleiotropic effects of cholesterol include alterations in both membrane-bending moduli and lateral organization. Because influenza virions have demonstrated cholesterol-dependent lateral organization, to separate these effects, we deliberately selected a target vesicle composition that does not support lateral heterogeneity. We therefore postulate that the monotonic response of fusion kinetics to target membrane cholesterol reflects bending and curvature effects, whereas the multiphasic response to viral cholesterol levels reflects the combined effects of lateral organization and material properties.     

Multiphasic Effects of Cholesterol on Influenza Fusion Kinetics Reflect Multiple Mechanistic Roles

The envelope lipid composition of influenza virus differs from that of the cellular plasma membrane from which it buds. Viruses also appear to fuse preferentially to specific membrane compartments, suggesting that the lipid environment may influence permissiveness for fusion. Here, we investigated the influence of the membrane environment on fusion, focusing on cholesterol composition. Strikingly, manipulating cholesterol levels in the viral membrane had different effects on fusion kinetics compared with analogous changes to the target membrane. Increasing cholesterol content in target vesicles increased lipid- and contents-mixing rates. Moderate cholesterol depletion from the viral membrane sped fusion rates, whereas severe depletion slowed the process. The pleiotropic effects of cholesterol include alterations in both membrane-bending moduli and lateral organization. Because influenza virions have demonstrated cholesterol-dependent lateral organization, to separate these effects, we deliberately selected a target vesicle composition that does not support lateral heterogeneity. We therefore postulate that the monotonic response of fusion kinetics to target membrane cholesterol reflects bending and curvature effects, whereas the multiphasic response to viral cholesterol levels reflects the combined effects of lateral organization and material properties.     

Structural Influences: Cholesterol,Drug, and Proton Binding to Full-Length Influenza A M2 Protein

The structure and functions of the M2 protein from Influenza A are sensitive to pH, cholesterol, and the antiinfluenza drug Amantadine. This is a tetrameric membrane protein of 97 amino-acid residues that has multiple functions, among them as a proton-selective channel and facilitator of viral budding, replacing the need for the ESCRT proteins that other viruses utilize. Here, various amino-acid-specific-labeled samples of the full-length protein were prepared and mixed, so that only interresidue ¹³C-¹³C cross peaks between two differently labeled proteins representing interhelical interactions are observed. This channel is activated at slightly acidic pH values in the endosome when the His³⁷ residues in the middle of the transmembrane domain take on a +2 or +3 charged state. Changes observed here in interhelical distances in the N-terminus can be accounted for by modest structural changes, and no significant changes in structure were detected in the C-terminal portion of the channel upon activation of the channel. Amantadine, which blocks proton conductance by binding in the aqueous pore near the N-terminus, however, significantly modifies the tetrameric structure on the opposite side of the membrane. The interactions between the juxtamembrane amphipathic helix of one monomer and its neighboring monomer observed in the absence of drug are disrupted in its presence. However, the addition of cholesterol prevents this structural disruption. In fact, strong interactions are observed between cholesterol and residues in the amphipathic helix, accounting for cholesterol binding adjacent to a native palmitoylation site and near to an interhelix crevice that is typical of cholesterol binding sites. The resultant stabilization of the amphipathic helix deep in the bilayer interface facilitates the bilayer curvature that is essential for viral budding.     

猪链球菌2型溶菌酶释放蛋白诱导上皮细胞融合和凋亡

猪链球菌2型（SS2）溶菌酶释放蛋白(MRP)的致病作用迄今不明,为此,以Hep2细胞为上皮细胞体外模型,将纯化的MRP溶液和细胞共孵育,光镜观察,发现MRP可诱导细胞发生两种典型形态学变化：一是诱导细胞融合形成多核巨细胞,随后巨细胞发生凋亡;二是诱导单个细胞凋亡。透射电镜观察和流式细胞分析确证MRP具有诱导上皮细胞凋亡的功能,凋亡率达18%。证明MRP可单独作为SS2的毒力因子。     

杆状病毒诱导昆虫细胞凋亡的初步研究

细胞凋亡 (ａｐｏｐｔｏｓｉｓ)最早被定义为一种有秩序、受控制并按某种预定程序发展的生理性的自然死亡过程 (ｋｅｒｒｅｔａｌ1 972 ) ,其特征是细胞收缩 ,染色质凝聚成块状 ,形成凋亡小体[1] 。但其最主要的特征是细胞ＤＮＡ受到一种被激活的内源性核酸酶的降解 ,凝胶电泳时呈现出特征性的梯形带 (Ｗｙｌｌｉｅ,1 980 )。病毒感染是常见导致细胞凋亡的重要因素 ,杆状病毒同样诱导昆虫细胞凋亡 ,同时 ,作为打破宿主防御体系的一种策略 ,杆状病毒可通过自身编码抗凋亡基因的表达 ,抑制细胞凋亡以利于自己的增殖[2 ] 。细胞调亡和病毒抗凋…     

新城疫病毒F蛋白在昆虫细胞中的表达及其融细胞作用

用RT-PCR方法扩增出新城疫病毒标准强毒株F48E8的F基因,并将其克隆到pGEM-T载体,命名为pGEM-NDF.鉴定正确后,以BamHI和XbaI双酶切将F基因从pGEM-NDF中释放出来,并插入到pFast Bac I载体中,得到重组转移载体pFast-NDF.然后将该重组质粒转入含有穿梭质粒的感受态DH10Bac中,通过转座作用获得重组穿梭质粒reBacmid-NDF.再用reBacmid-NDF转染Sf9昆虫细胞,获得含有新城疫病毒F48E8株F基因的重组杆状病毒.间接免疫荧光和Western-blot分析结果表明F蛋白在昆虫细胞中获得表达,而且主要表达于细胞膜上,并使感染重组杆状病毒的昆虫细胞在96h发生融合作用.动物试验表明,表达的F蛋白能够产生中和抗体.本文的研究结果为F蛋白的进一步开发奠定了基础.     

新城疫病毒F蛋白在昆虫细胞中的表达及其融细胞作用

用RT-PCR方法扩增出新城疫病毒标准强毒株F48E8的F基因,并将其克隆到pGEM-T载体,命名为pGEM-NDF。鉴定正确后,以BamHI和XbaI双酶切将F基因从pGEM-NDF中释放出来,并插入到pFastBacI载体中,得到重组转移载体pFast-NDF。然后将该重组质粒转入含有穿梭质粒的感受态DH10Bac中,通过转座作用获得重组穿梭质粒reBacmid-NDF。再用reBacmid-NDF转染Sf9昆虫细胞,获得含有新城疫病毒F48E8株F基因的重组杆状病毒。间接免疫荧光和Western-blot分析结果表明F蛋白在昆虫细胞中获得表达,而且主要表达于细胞膜上,并使感染重组杆状病毒的昆虫细胞在96h发生融合作用。动物试验表明,表达的F蛋白能够产生中和抗体。本文的研究结果为F蛋白的进一步开发奠定了基础。     

用细菌/杆状病毒系统在昆虫细胞中表达GFP与HCV抗原融合蛋白

用细菌／杆状病毒（Ｂａｃ－ｔｏ－Ｂａｃ）系统在昆虫细胞中高效表达了绿色荧光蛋白（ＧＦＰ）与ＨＣＶ抗原的双功能融合蛋白,经ＥＬＩＳＡ测定和荧光显微镜观查证实,表达产物既能发射易于检测的绿色荧光,又具有ＨＣＶ的抗原活性,实现了用绿色荧光蛋白等分子标记抗原,为免疫诊断新方法的建立打下了理论基础．     

肿瘤细胞靶向性白细胞介素4(IL-4)融合蛋白的研究

白细胞介素 4受体 (IL-4R)特异地存在于多种肿瘤细胞表面 ,这为某些肿瘤的治疗提供了一个靶向标记。在以前的研究中 ,人白细胞介素-4(Hil-4)与白喉毒素 (DT)的融合蛋白 (DT4H)被构建 ,且它对某些肿瘤细胞系的高毒性得到了证明。但是 ,由于毒素部分的强免疫原性 ,它可以诱导人体的免疫反应。该研究中我们构建了白细胞介素 4与绿脓杆菌外毒素 (PE) 253～608aa的融合蛋白 ,并在其N端添加了 6×His标记方便纯化 ,在其C端添加了KDEL提高毒性。为了改善与IL-4R的亲和力我们将IL-4进行了环式重组 ,构建的融合毒素 ,H404K ,经DEAE$CSepharoseFastFlow及Ni-NTA纯化后 ,纯度达 90 %。纯化后的H404K与DT4H相似 ,对U251高度敏感 ,对MCF7及HepG2中度敏感 ,且我们首次证实该毒性不会被兔抗白喉毒素的多克隆抗体所抑制。这些研究表明 ,H404K与DT4H可以以一种互为替代的方式用于某些恶性肿瘤的治疗     

Fusion Protein of Interleukin 4 and Diphtherial Toxin with High Cytotoxicity to Cancer Cells

One means to improve the selectivity of cancer therapyis by directing foreign protein with activity againsttherapeutic targets that displays different expression levelon malignant cells from normal cells. There have hadsubstantial efforts to rationally de…     

SA-hIL2双功能融合蛋白的研制及其生物学鉴定

目的：制备链亲和素标记的人白细胞介素-2(SA-hIL2)融合蛋白,并研究其生物学功能。方法：构建SA-L-IL2-pET24重组表达质粒,在大肠杆菌中表达SA-hIL2融合蛋白,对表达的SA-hIL2融合蛋白采用镍金属螯合（Ni-NTA）层析柱进行纯化,透析复性。CCK-8法检测SA-hIL2融合蛋白对PHA刺激的人外周血淋巴细胞的增值活性,流式细胞仪分析SA-hIL2融合蛋白对生物素化的B16.F10肿瘤细胞表面锚定修饰效率。结果：SA-hIL2在大肠杆菌中实现了高效表达,约占菌体总蛋白的20％,制备的SA-hIL2融合蛋白纯度达到95％,并具有双重活性,即hIL-2促进PHA刺激的人外周血淋巴细胞的增值活性和SA介导的高效结合至已生物素化的B16.F10肿瘤细胞表面的功能（表面锚定修饰效率约95％）。结论：研制的SA-hIL2融合蛋白具有双重活性,可为研制表面修饰的新型肿瘤细胞疫苗提供基础。     

Characterization of Protective Immune Responses Induced by Pneumococcal Surface Protein A in Fusion with Pneumolysin Derivatives

Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) and Pneumolysin derivatives (Pds) are important vaccine candidates, which can confer protection in different models of pneumococcal infection. Furthermore, the combination of these two proteins was able to increase protection against pneumococcal sepsis in mice. The present study investigated the potential of hybrid proteins generated by genetic fusion of PspA fragments to Pds to increase cross-protection against fatal pneumococcal infection. Pneumolisoids were fused to the N-terminus of clade 1 or clade 2 pspA gene fragments. Mouse immunization with the fusion proteins induced high levels of antibodies against PspA and Pds, able to bind to intact pneumococci expressing a homologous PspA with the same intensity as antibodies to rPspA alone or the co-administered proteins. However, when antibody binding to pneumococci with heterologous PspAs was examined, antisera to the PspA-Pds fusion molecules showed stronger antibody binding and C3 deposition than antisera to co-administered proteins. In agreement with these results, antisera against the hybrid proteins were more effective in promoting the phagocytosis of bacteria bearing heterologous PspAs in vitro, leading to a significant reduction in the number of bacteria when compared to co-administered proteins. The respective antisera were also capable of neutralizing the lytic activity of Pneumolysin on sheep red blood cells. Finally, mice immunized with fusion proteins were protected against fatal challenge with pneumococcal strains expressing heterologous PspAs. Taken together, the results suggest that PspA-Pd fusion proteins comprise a promising vaccine strategy, able to increase the immune response mediated by cross-reactive antibodies and complement deposition to heterologous strains, and to confer protection against fatal challenge.     

Effects of Psoralen-Derivatized Oligonucleoside Methylphosphonates on Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) Protein Synthesis In Vitro and in VSV-Infected Cells

Abstract

Oligodeoxyribonucleoside methylphosphonates (16-mers) targeted to VSV mRNAs were derivatized with 4′-{[N-(aminoethyl)amino]methyl}-4,5′8-trimethylpsoralen. These oligomers specifically inhibit translation of their targeted mRNAs in vitro following UV irradiation of the oligomer-mRNA complexes. Psoralen-derivatized oligonucleoside methylphosphonates are stable in cells and can inhibit VSV protein synthesis in culture following UV-irradiation of VSV-infected cells.

     

Amyloid Assemblies of Influenza A Virus PB1-F2 Protein Damage Membrane and Induce Cytotoxicity

PB1-F2 is a small accessory protein encoded by an alternative open reading frame in PB1 segments of most influenza A virus. PB1-F2 is involved in virulence by inducing mitochondria-mediated immune cells apoptosis, increasing inflammation, and enhancing predisposition to secondary bacterial infections. Using biophysical approaches we characterized membrane disruptive activity of the full-length PB1-F2 (90 amino acids), its N-terminal domain (52 amino acids), expressed by currently circulating H1N1 viruses, and its C-terminal domain (38 amino acids). Both full-length and N-terminal domain of PB1-F2 are soluble at pH values ≤6, whereas the C-terminal fragment was found soluble only at pH ≤ 3. All three peptides are intrinsically disordered. At pH ≥ 7, the C-terminal part of PB1-F2 spontaneously switches to amyloid oligomers, whereas full-length and the N-terminal domain of PB1-F2 aggregate to amorphous structures. When incubated with anionic liposomes at pH 5, full-length and the C-terminal part of PB1-F2 assemble into amyloid structures and disrupt membrane at nanomolar concentrations. PB1-F2 and its C-terminal exhibit no significant antimicrobial activity. When added in the culture medium of mammalian cells, PB1-F2 amorphous aggregates show no cytotoxicity, whereas PB1-F2 pre-assembled into amyloid oligomers or fragmented nanoscaled fibrils was highly cytotoxic. Furthermore, the formation of PB1-F2 amyloid oligomers in infected cells was directly reflected by membrane disruption and cell death as observed in U937 and A549 cells. Altogether our results demonstrate that membrane-lytic activity of PB1-F2 is closely linked to supramolecular organization of the protein.     

流行性感冒病毒M2蛋白可溶性表达及其免疫原性的研究

流行性感冒（流感）的M2蛋白是其保护性抗原之一,在几科所有甲型流感病毒中高度保守,因此可以用来研究具有交叉保护能力的流感疫苗。然而M2分子在病毒颗粒中含量非常少,用从病毒中纯化的方法很难获得足够的免疫原。在原核表达时发现,M2蛋白对宿主菌具有很强的毒性作用,导至其死亡,因此很难获得高表达。在本研究中,采用RT－PCR方法从病毒感染的MDCK细胞中克隆了A1／PR／8／34毒株的M2基因,然后通过基因工程手段缺失了M2蛋白的跨膜区26－55位氨基酸的编码序列,将其克隆以pET-32a中,与硫氧还蛋白融合,在大肠杆菌中获得了高效表达,并且表达产物以可溶形式存在,不形成包涵体。利用硫酸铵盐析结合金属离子鏊和柱亲和层析的方法纯化了表达的融合蛋白。免疫荧光实验表明,融合蛋白免疫小鼠后产生的抗血清能够与流感病毒感染的细胞发生特异性的结合,证明表达产物具有流感病毒M2蛋白的抗原性。     

Acquisition of Cell–Cell Fusion Activity by Amino Acid Substitutions in Spike Protein Determines the Infectivity of a Coronavirus in Cultured Cells

Coronavirus host and cell specificities are determined by specific interactions between the viral spike (S) protein and host cell receptor(s). Avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis (IBV) has been adapted to embryonated chicken eggs, primary chicken kidney (CK) cells, monkey kidney cell line Vero, and other human and animal cells. Here we report that acquisition of the cell–cell fusion activity by amino acid mutations in the S protein determines the infectivity of IBV in cultured cells. Expression of S protein derived from Vero- and CK-adapted strains showed efficient induction of membrane fusion. However, expression of S protein cloned from the third passage of IBV in chicken embryo (EP3) did not show apparent syncytia formation. By construction of chimeric S constructs and site-directed mutagenesis, a point mutation (L857-F) at amino acid position 857 in the heptad repeat 1 region of S protein was shown to be responsible for its acquisition of the cell–cell fusion activity. Furthermore, a G405-D point mutation in the S1 domain, which was acquired during further propagation of Vero-adapted IBV in Vero cells, could enhance the cell–cell fusion activity of the protein. Re-introduction of L857 back to the S gene of Vero-adapted IBV allowed recovery of variants that contain the introduced L857. However, compensatory mutations in S1 and some distant regions of S2 were required for restoration of the cell–cell fusion activity of S protein carrying L857 and for the infectivity of the recovered variants in cultured cells. This study demonstrates that acquisition of the cell–cell fusion activity in S protein determines the selection and/or adaptation of a coronavirus from chicken embryo to cultured cells of human and animal origins.     

基于流感病毒HA柄部和M2e融合基因的DNA疫苗

由于流感病毒容易突变,流感通用疫苗的研究势在必行.流感病毒血凝素(HA)柄部和基质蛋白2的胞外域(M2e)都是流感病毒通用疫苗的重要候选靶点.通过重叠PCR的方法用A/PR/8/34(H1N1)(简称PR8)流感病毒的M2e或者4个甘氨酸取代HA的头部,分别获得HAM2e和HA4G,然后将两种重组基因插入真核表达载体pCAGGS-P7中,制得pHAM2e和pHA4G两种DNA疫苗.通过电击免疫的方法对小鼠分别免疫pHAM2e和pHA4G,免疫3次,每次免疫间隔2周.第3次免疫2周后用5LD50的同源流感病毒感染小鼠.结果表明HAM2e组和HA4G组的小鼠均产生了特异性抗体,HAM2e组比HA4G组具有更好的抗PR8流感病毒的能力,这提示可以用M2e替换HA头部用于疫苗研发.     

猪细小病毒VP2蛋白在昆虫细胞中的表达及其特性

将猪细小病毒(Porcine Parvovirus, PPV)vp2基因重组到杆状病毒BacToBac表达系统的pFastBacⅠ质粒中,构建了pFastvp2质粒。在DH10Bac大肠杆菌中,pFastvp2与改造过的苜蓿夜蛾核型多角体病毒(AcNPV)基因组(Bacmid)发生同源重组,从而获得重组穿梭载体Bacmidvp2,转染Sf9细胞得到重组病毒AcNPVvp2。SDSPAGE和Westernblotting分析可见大小约为64kD的特异性带,表明AcNPVvp2在Sf9细胞中成功地表达了PPV VP2蛋白。红细胞凝集试验和间接ELISA进一步证实,表达的VP2蛋白具有与全病毒相同的血凝活性和相似的抗原性。电镜观察VP2蛋白的粗提物,发现VP2蛋白可自行装配成许多病毒样粒子(VLPs)。