Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Glycoprotein B Requires a Cysteine Residue at Position 633 for Folding, Processing, and Incorporation into Mature Infectious Virus Particles

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B (gB) resides in the virus envelope in an oligomeric form and plays an essential role in virus entry into susceptible host cells. The oligomerizing domain is a movable element consisting of amino acids 626 to 653 in the gB external domain. This domain contains a single cysteine residue at position 633 (Cys-633) that is predicted to form an intramolecular disulfide bridge with Cys-596. In this study, we examined gB oligomerization, processing, and incorporation into mature virus during infection by two mutant viruses in which either the gB Cys-633 [KgB(C633S)] or both Cys-633 and Cys-596 [KgB(C596S/C633S)] residues were mutated to serine. The result of immunofluorescence studies and analyses of released virus particles showed that the mutant gB molecules were not transported to the cell surface or incorporated into mature virus envelopes and thus infectious virus was not produced. Immunoprecipitation studies revealed that the mutant gB molecules were in an oligomeric configuration and that these mutants produced hetero-oligomers with a truncated form of gB consisting of residues 1 to 43 and 595 to 904, the latter containing the oligomerization domain. Pulse-chase experiments in combination with endoglycosidase H treatment determined that the mutant molecules were improperly processed, having been retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed that the cysteine mutations resulted in gB misfolding and retention by the molecular chaperones calnexin, calreticulin, and Grp78 in the ER. The altered conformation of the gB mutant glycoproteins was directly detected by a reduction in monoclonal antibody recognition of two previously defined distinct antigenic sites located within residues 381 to 441 and 595 to 737. The misfolded molecules were not transported to the cell surface as hetero-oligomers with wild-type gB, suggesting that the conformational change could not be corrected by intermolecular interactions with the wild-type molecule. Together, these experiments confirmed that a disulfide bridge involving Cys-633 and Cys-596 is not essential for oligomerization but rather is required for proper folding and maintenance of a gB domain essential to complete posttranslational modification, transport, and incorporation into mature virus particles.     

Green micellar spectrofluorimetric determination of α-mangostin found in herbal products as antioxidant and other biological activities beneficial to human health

Pharmaceutical product quality control (QC) needs quick, sensitive and economical procedures to deliver high throughput at low cost, which is the key factor considered by such economic facilities. To lessen the risky effects of research laboratories, researchers must take into account the ecological impacts. α-Mangostin (MAG) exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-allergic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antimalarial activities. Based on the spectrofluorimetric approach, a novel straightforward, sensitive and environmentally friendly method for MAG determination was developed and validated. Many variables were investigated to improve MAG native fluorescence, including solvent type, buffers, pH and additional surfactants. The best MAG fluorescence sensitivity was found in Britton–Robinson buffer (pH 4) at 450 nm after irradiation at 350 nm in the concentration range of 5–50 ng ml⁻¹. The technique was successfully used to determine the presence of MAG in both its approved dose forms and in samples of spiked human plasma, as per FDA standards for validation. According to their evaluation on two recent greenness criteria (GAPI [Green Analytical Procedure Index] and AGREE [Analytical GREEnness]), the suggested approach has been shown to be environmentally beneficial because it normally uses biodegradable chemicals in solvent-free aqueous phases.     

Functional domains of the fatty acid transport proteins: studies using protein chimeras

Fatty acid transport proteins (FATP) function in fatty acid trafficking pathways, several of which have been shown to participate in the transport of exogenous fatty acids into the cell. Members of this protein family also function as acyl CoA synthetases with specificity towards very long chain fatty acids or bile acids. These proteins have two identifying sequence motifs: The ATP/AMP motif, an approximately 100 amino acid segment required for ATP binding and common to members of the adenylate-forming super family of proteins, and the FATP/VLACS motif that consists of approximately 50 amino acid residues and is restricted to members of the FATP family. This latter motif has been implicated in fatty acid transport in the yeast FATP orthologue Fat1p. In the present studies using a yeast strain containing deletions in FAT1 (encoding Fat1p) and FAA1 (encoding the major acyl CoA synthetase (Acsl) Faa1p) as an experimental platform, the phenotypic and functional properties of specific murine FATP1-FATP4 and FATP6-FATP4 protein chimeras were evaluated in order to define elements within these proteins that further distinguish the fatty acid transport and activation functions. As expected from previous work FATP1 and FATP4 were functional in the fatty acid transport pathway, while and FATP6 was not. All three isoforms were able to activate the very long chain fatty acids arachidonate (C(20:4)) and lignocerate (C(24:0)), but with distinguishing activities between saturated and highly unsaturated ligands. A 73 amino acid segment common to FATP1 and FATP4 and between the ATP/AMP and FATP/VLACS motifs was identified by studying the chimeras, which is hypothesized to contribute to the transport function.     

Effectiveness of Ultra-Low Volume Nighttime Applications of an Adulticide against Diurnal Aedes albopictus,a Critical Vector of Dengue and Chikungunya Viruses

Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, continues expanding its geographic range and involvement in mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya and dengue. Vector control programs rarely attempt to suppress this diurnal species with an ultra-low volume (ULV) adulticide because for maximum efficacy applications are conducted at night. During 2009–2011 we performed experimental nighttime applications of a novel adulticide (DUET®) against field populations of Ae. albopictus within an urban site composed of approximately 1,000 parcels (home and yard) in northeastern USA. Dual applications at mid label rate of the adulticide spaced one or two days apart accomplished significantly higher control (85.0±5.4% average reduction) than single full rate applications (73.0±5.4%). Our results demonstrate that nighttime ULV adulticiding is effective in reducing Ae. albopictus abundance and highlight its potential for use as part of integrated pest management programs and during disease epidemics when reducing human illness is of paramount importance.     

In vitro characterization of the Bacillus subtilis protein tyrosine phosphatase YwqE

Both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria possess protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) with a catalytic Cys residue. In addition, many gram-positive bacteria have acquired a new family of PTPs, whose first characterized member was CpsB from Streptococcus pneumoniae. Bacillus subtilis contains one such CpsB-like PTP, YwqE, in addition to two class II Cys-based PTPs, YwlE and YfkJ. The substrates for both YwlE and YfkJ are presently unknown, while YwqE was shown to dephosphorylate two phosphotyrosine-containing proteins implicated in UDP-glucuronate biosynthesis, YwqD and YwqF. In this study, we characterize YwqE, compare the activities of the three B. subtilis PTPs (YwqE, YwlE, and YfkJ), and demonstrate that the two B. subtilis class II PTPs do not dephosphorylate the physiological substrates of YwqE.