Semliki Forest virus envelope proteins function as proton channels

It has been shown that isolated nucleocapsids of Semliki Forest virus (SFV) contract upon low pH exposure (Soederlundet al., 1972). This contraction of the nucleocapsids has been used as an indicator to demonstrate that the spike proteins of SFV can translocate protons into the interior of the virus particle upon low pH (5.8) exposure. Spikeless virus particles obtained after bromelain digestion, which were used as a control, did not translocate protons. This implies that the ectodomain of the spike plays a crucial role for the proton translocation.     

Semliki forest virus core protein fragmentation: Its possible role in nucleocapsid disassembly

Semliki Forest virus (SFV) envelope proteins function as proton pores under mildly acidic conditions and translocate protons across the viral membrane [Schlegel, A., Omar, A., Jentsch, P., Morell, A. and Kemp, F. C. (1991) Biosci. Rep. 11, 243–255]. As a consequence, during uptake of SFV by cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis the nucleocapsid is supposed to be exposed to protons. In this paper the effects of mildly acidic pH on SFV nucleocapsids were examined. A partial proteolytic fragmentation of core proteins was observed when nucleocapsids were exposed to mildly acidic pH. A similar proteolytic event was detected when intact SFV virions were exposed to identical conditions. Protease protection assays with exogenous bromelain provided evidence that the capsid protein degradation was due to an endogenous proteolytic activity and not to a proteolytic contamination. Detergent solubilization of virus particles containing degraded nucleocapsids followed by sucrose gradient centrifugation led to a separation of capsid protein fragments and remaining nucleocapsids. These data are discussed in terms of a putative biological significance, namely that the core protein fragmentation may play a role in nucleocapsid disassembly.     

RNA viruses as vectors for the expression of heterologous proteins

RNA viruses comprise a wide variety of infectious agents, some of which are the cause of disease in humans, animals, and plants. Recombinant DNA technology is now making it feasible to modify these genomes and engineer them to express heterologous proteins. Several different schemes are being employed that depend on the genome organization of the virus and on the strategy of replication of the particular virus. Several different examples are illustrated and potential uses as well as possible problems are discussed. In the future reverse genetics may convert some of these viruses from agents of disease to agents of cure.     

一种基于塞姆利基森林病毒复制子的新型复制子载体

RNA复制子是能自主复制的病毒RNA。基于RNA复制子的表达载体和基因疫苗比常规真核表达载体和DNA疫苗具有更大的优越性。以塞姆利基森林病毒RNA复制子衍生的真核表达载体pSFV1为骨架 ,插入CMV立即早期启动子和SV40晚期Poly(A)信号 ,构建了一种完全基于DNA的复制型表达载体pSFV1CS ,将增强型绿色荧光蛋白基因EGFP插入其中 ,构建了重组质粒pSFV1CS EGFP ,通过转染 2 93T细胞 ,证实外源基因能在其中高效表达。该载体可用于表达真核蛋白和构建复制子载体疫苗。     

Safety aspects related to recombinant protein expression from Semliki Forest virus vectors

Semliki Forest virus vectors (SFV) have been developed for efficient transgene expression to result in high receptor yields(50–200 pmol receptor/mg protein) in a variety of mammalian host cells. Transfer of the SFV technology to mammalian cells growing in suspension cultures has made it feasible to produce hundreds of milligrams of receptor proteins in a short time. Large-scale production, however, raises the questions of the safety of handling virally infected cells for down-stream processing. Analysis of cell culture medium and SFV-infected cells revealed that some infectious particles were still present. Replacement of virus-containing medium at 2 h post-infection efficiently removed the majority of infectious replication-deficient SFV particles. Washes with PBS further reduced the number of infectious particles significantly both in the medium and associated with cells to levels that allowed safe handling of SFV-infected cells outside the cell culture facility for biochemical, pharmacological, or electrophysiological assays or down-stream processes in connection to receptor purification. Furthermore, engineering of novel temperature-sensitive mutant SFV vectors resulted in temperature-controlled transgene expression, which completely eliminates the risk of contaminating laboratory personnel. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ultraviolet-crosslinking reveals specific affinity of eukaryotic initiation factors for Semliki Forest virus mRNA

Eukaryotic initiation factors (eIF) associate readily with ³²P-labeled Semliki Forest virus (SFV) mRNA in vitro, forming complexes which can be crosslinked by 254 nm ultraviolet irradiation. After ribonuclease digestion, the initiation factors were released and analysed by gel electrophoresis. Autoradiography revealed proteins by virtue of crosslinked ³²P-labeled mRNA fragments. eIF-4A, -4B and -4C as well as three subunits of eIF-3 could be crosslinked with SFV mRNA. None of these proteins bound to ribosomal RNAs.     

基于Semliki Forest病毒RNA复制子的猪瘟RNA疫苗初步研究

将猪瘟病毒E2基因克隆于我们此前构建的衍生于Semliki Forest病毒(semliki forest virus,SFV)RNA复制子的新型真核表达载体pSFV1CS中,获得重组质粒pSFV1CS-E2。用纯化的pSFV1CS-E2分别转染BHK-21细胞和293T细胞,经间接免疫荧光试验检测显示,CSFV E2基因在转染细胞中得到表达。小鼠接种试验结果表明,10μg或100μg pSFV1CS-E2可诱导小鼠产生猪瘟特异性抗体。     

基于DNA的Semliki森林病毒复制子载体体内外高水平表达外源基因

基于DNA的复制子载体显著地提高了复制子载体的应用范围,在体外可用于高水平表达外源基因,大规模制备重组病毒颗粒,在体内可用于复制子疫苗和基因治疗载体研究.将复制子RNA的cDNA置于RNA聚合酶Ⅱ启动子和转录终止子控制下时,基于RNA的复制子载体可转变为基于DNA的复制子载体.当DNA载体转染细胞后,第一阶段,RNA聚合酶Ⅱ启动子在核内起始合成RNA,经过加工和修饰后运输到细胞质中,相当于复制子RNA,第二阶段,该RNA自我复制及表达外源基因,相当于病毒RNA复制循环.在成功地构建了基于DNA和RNA的双功能复制子表达载体pSCTA和辅助载体pSHCTA的基础上,为了获得高效的基于DNA的复制子载体,对其进行改进而构建了共4种不同的基于DNA的semliki森林病毒复制子,通过对表达载体和相应的辅助载体表达报告基因及对制备重组病毒颗粒的能力进行比较,获得了复制能力提高的复制子载体pSCAR和pSHCAR.该表达载体pSCAR可高水平表达外源基因,与辅助载体pSHCAR共转染可制备高滴度的重组病毒颗粒,并且也能表达抗原基因.另外,报告基因在DNA复制子载体注射的小鼠体内得到了高水平表达,并且DNA免疫小鼠后也诱导产生高滴度特异性抗体以及细胞免疫反应.结果表明,经过改造SFV复制子载体,获得了高效的基于DNA的SFV复制子载体.该复制子载体增强了原复制子载体应用能力,并有潜力作为复制子疫苗和基因治疗载体.     

Semliki Forest virus vectors expressing transforming growth factor beta inhibit experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Balb/c mice

Cytokine immunomodulation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model for multiple sclerosis, has remained a formidable treatment option, but access into the CNS is hampered due to the impermeability of the blood-brain barrier. In this report, we describe the construction and characterization of CNS-homing gene delivery/therapy vectors based on avirulent Semliki Forest virus (SFV) expressing either native or mutant transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1). Biological activity of the expressed inserts was demonstrated by PAI-1 promoter driven luciferase production in mink cells and TGF-beta1 mRNA was demonstrated in the CNS of virus treated mice by in situ hybridization and RT-PCR. Both vectors, when given intraperitoneally to EAE mice significantly reduced disease severity compared to untreated mice. Our results imply that immunomodulation by neurotropic viral vectors may offer a promising treatment strategy for autoimmune CNS disorders.     

A型肉毒毒素受体结合区Hc在重组SFV复制子载体中的表达

为了在哺乳动物细胞中表达A型肉毒毒素Hc抗原, 构建了含A型肉毒毒素受体结合区Hc基因的基于RNA和DNA的重组Semliki森林病毒(Semliki forest virus, SFV)复制子表达载体。RNA和DNA复制子载体转染BHK21细胞后, 经间接免疫荧光、Western印迹和ELISA检测, 结果表明非分泌型和分泌型的Hc抗原在细胞中都得到了有效地表达; 而且复制子表达载体与辅助病毒载体共转染均可制备高滴度的重组病毒颗粒, 该重组病毒颗粒感染细胞后, 也都能表达Hc抗原。以上结果表明, 基于RNA和DNA的重组SFV复制子表达载体在细胞中均可有效地表达Hc抗原和制备具有感染能力并能表达Hc抗原的重组病毒颗粒。基于RNA和DNA的重组SFV复制子表达载体的构建和含A型肉毒毒素受体结合区Hc基因的重组病毒颗粒的获得, 为进一步观察SFV复制子疫苗的免疫原性奠定了基础, 从而为A型肉毒毒素新型疫苗的研制提供了新途经。     

Alphaviral vectors for gene transfer into neurons

Alphaviruses are small, enveloped positive-strand RNA viruses that have been successfully transformed into expression vectors in the case of Semliki Forest virus (SFV), Sindbis virus (SIN), and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. Compared to other viral vectors, their advantages are easy and fast generation of recombinant viral particles, rapid onset, and high-level transgene expression. When applied to neuronal tissue, SFV and SIN vectors possess the additional advantage of efficiently and preferentially transducing neurons rather than non-neuronal cells. This article gives an overview of the biology of SFV and SIN, their generation into expression vectors, and their application in neurobiology, with particular emphasis on the transduction of hippocampal neurons. In addition, it describes the more recent development of alphaviral vectors with decreased or absent cytotoxicity and lowered transgene expression, temperature-controllable gene expression, and altered host-cell specificity in the central nervous system (CNS). Finally, the review evaluates the use of SFV and SIN vectors in hippocampal tissue cultures vs recombinant lentivirus, adenovirus type 5, adeno-associated virus type 2, and measles virus.     

Overproduction of human M₃ muscarinic acetylcholine receptor: an approach toward structural studies

Human M(3) muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M3R), present in both the central and the peripheral nervous system, is involved in several neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. Recently, M3R overexpression has been suggested to play a role in certain forms of cancer, showing promise as a new potential pharmacological target. However, the lack of structural information hampered to develop a new potent selective and potent antagonist. We describe here different strategies for overexpressing functional M3R on the perspective of future biophysical studies. To achieve this goal, four tagged M3R genes were engineered and codon optimized. Different heterologous expression systems, including mammalian cells and viral transfection, were employed to overexpress M3R. Although codon optimization resulted in only twofold to threefold increase of M3R expression, we found that epitope tagging of the synthetic M3R, especially with hemagglutinin and Flag epitope tags, could improve M3R expression levels. On the other hand, viral transfection led to a yield of 27 pmol/mg protein that is the highest level reported so far for this receptor subtype in mammalian cells. Taking together several of the strategies used can help increasing M3R expression, not only to start purification efforts but also for secondary structural analysis trial and functional analyses.     

Protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) elicited in mice by plasmid DNA immunisation encoding a secreted RSV G protein-derived antigen

Plasmid vectors encoding two different variants, one cytoplasmic and one secreted version, of a candidate vaccine BBG2Na to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), were constructed and evaluated in a nucleic acid vaccination study. The two different vectors, which employed the Semliki Forest virus gene amplification system, were found to express BBG2Na appropriately in in vitro cell cultures. Immunisation of mice with the plasmid vectors elicited significant serum anti-BBG2Na IgG responses only in the mice receiving the plasmid encoding the secreted version of BBG2Na. Consistent with antibody induction data, sterilising lung protection against RSV-A challenge was also only observed in this group. These results indicate that the targeting of antigen expression (intracellular versus secreted) would be an important factor to consider in the design of nucleic acid vaccines.     

Semliki Forest virus induced cell-cell fusion at neutral extracellular pH

Semliki Forest virus-induced cell-cell fusion from within was considered to exclusively occur at mildly acidic pH (<6.2). Data of this study show that such cell fusion can also be triggered by transient acidification of the cytoplasm of infected cells at an extracellular, neutral pH. Results were obtained by utilizing NH₄Cl pulses combined with covalent modification of cell surface proteins. The observation implies a revision of the current consensus regarding the mechanism of Semliki Forest virus induced cell-cell fusion. We propose a model in which at least two peptide segments of the viral spike protein E₁ may be involved in triggering the fusion event.     

A model of the binding, entry, uncoating, and RNA synthesis of Semliki Forest virus in baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells

A quantitative understanding of viral trafficking would be useful in treating viral-mediated diseases, designing protocols for viral gene therapy, and optimizing heterologous protein production. In this article, a model for the trafficking of Semliki Forest virus and its RNA synthesis in baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells is presented. This model includes the various steps leading to infection such as attachment, endocytosis, and viral fusion in the endosome. The model estimates a mean fusion time of 4 to 6 min for the wild-type virus, and 38 min for Fus-1, an SFV mutant which requires a lower pH for fusion. These mean fusion times are consistent with the time-scale of endosomal acidification, suggesting viruses fuse almost instantaneously with the endosomal membrane as soon as the pH of the endosome drops below the pH threshold of the virus. Infection is most likely controlled at the level of viral uncoating, as shown by the close agreement between the efficiency of uncoating and the experimentally determined fraction of viruses that is infectious. The viral RNA synthesized per cell is best described by assuming that it depends on the number of uncoated viruses prior to the onset of replication according to a saturation-type expression. A Poisson distribution is used to determine the distribution of uncoated viruses among the cells. Because attachment is the rate-limiting step in the uncoating of the virus, increasing the attachment rate can lead to enhanced RNA synthesis and, hence, new virion production. Such an increase in the attachment rate may be obtained by lowering the medium pH or the addition of a polycation. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

传统DNA疫苗载体与Semliki森林病毒复制子对HIV-1 Pr55gag表达与体液免疫原性的比较性研究

为探索Semliki森林病毒(SFV)衍生的复制型DNA载体可否用于HIV疫苗的候选载体,对该载体与传统DNA疫苗载体对HIV-1Pr55gag的表达与体液免疫原性进行了系统比较研究.将野生型(wtgag)及密码子改造(syngag)的HIV-1 ⅢB gag基因分别克隆于SFV DNA载体及传统DNA疫苗载体[pCDNA3.1(+)],对其Pr55gag细胞内表达水平、Pr55gag病毒样颗粒释放、以及在BALB/c鼠的体液免疫原性进行了比较.在293T、H1299、C2C12和BHK细胞系中,SFV-wtgag可以Rev非依赖方式有效表达Pr55gag,而pC-wtgag转染的细胞不能有效表达Pr55gag,从而不能诱导小鼠产生免疫反应.虽然SFV质粒的细胞转化效率明显低于pCDNA载体,SFV-wtgag和SFV-syngag在细胞内Pr55gag的表达量与pC-syngag相似,而Pr55gag病毒样颗粒的释放明显低于pC-syngag.在肌内注射免疫的小鼠中,低剂量(0.1和1.0μg)的SFV及pCDNA gag表达质粒均未诱导出GAG特异性免疫反应.在高剂量(10,30,100μg)免疫组中,与SFV gag表达质粒相比,pC-syngag可诱导出较高水平的TH1型GAG特异性抗体.SFV-syngag较SFV-wtgag可诱导出高水平的体液免疫反应.结果提示,SFV衍生的复制子单独使用不能在小鼠诱导出优于传统DNA疫苗载体的HIV-1 GAG特异性体液免疫反应,其原因可能与病毒样颗粒的释放有关.密码子改造的gag基因的优势在SFV载体系统中得到了进一步证实.     

猪2型圆环病毒ORF2基因在塞姆利基森林病毒RNA复制子衍生的新型真核表达载体中的表达

猪 2型圆环病毒 (porcinecircovirus 2 ,PCV2 )是断乳仔猪多系统衰竭综合征 (postweaningmultisystemicwastingsyndrome,PMWS)的原发性病原。PCV2的ORF2编码病毒唯一的结构蛋白Cap。根据GenBank中公布的PCV2JXL株的序列设计一对引物 ,应用PCR方法从该毒株感染的PK 15细胞中扩增出完整的ORF2基因 ,将此基因克隆于本实验室此前构建的塞姆利基森林病毒 (SemlikiForestvirus,SFV)RNA复制子衍生的新型真核表达载体Psfv1cs中的BamHⅠ位点 ,获得重组质粒pSFV1CS Cap。用pSFV1CS-Cap分别转染BHK-21细胞和293T细胞 ,经间接免疫荧光试验检测表明 ,PCV2 ORF2基因在转染细胞中得到表达。小鼠接种试验表明 ,该重组质粒能诱导小鼠产生特异性抗体.