The structure of the isolated, central hairpin of the HDV antigenomic ribozyme: novel structural features and similarity of the loop in the ribozyme and free in solution.

The structure of an RNA hairpin containing a seven-nucleotide loop that is present in the self-cleaving sequence of hepatitis delta virus antigenomic RNA was determined by high resolution NMR spectroscopy. The loop, which is composed of only one purine and six pyrimidines, has a suprisingly stable structure, mainly supported by sugar hydroxyl hydrogen bonds and base-base and base-phosphate stacking interactions. Compared with the structurally well-determined, seven-membered anticodon loop in tRNA, the sharp turn which affects the required 180 degrees change in direction of the sugar-phosphate backbone in the loop is shifted one nucleotide in the 3' direction. This change in direction can be characterized as a reversed U-turn. It is expected that the reversed U-turn may be found frequently in other molecules as well. There is evidence for a new non-Watson-Crick UC base pair formed between the first and the last residue in the loop, while most of the other bases in the loop are pointing outwards making them accessible to solvent. From chemical modification, mutational and photocrosslinking studies, a similar picture develops for the structure of the hairpin in the active ribozyme indicating that the loop structure in the isolated hairpin and in the ribozyme is very similar.     

Influenza H5N1 virus infection of polarized human alveolar epithelial cells and lung microvascular endothelial cells

Background

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus is entrenched in poultry in Asia and Africa and continues to infect humans zoonotically causing acute respiratory disease syndrome and death. There is evidence that the virus may sometimes spread beyond respiratory tract to cause disseminated infection. The primary target cell for HPAI H5N1 virus in human lung is the alveolar epithelial cell. Alveolar epithelium and its adjacent lung microvascular endothelium form host barriers to the initiation of infection and dissemination of influenza H5N1 infection in humans. These are polarized cells and the polarity of influenza virus entry and egress as well as the secretion of cytokines and chemokines from the virus infected cells are likely to be central to the pathogenesis of human H5N1 disease.

Aim

To study influenza A (H5N1) virus replication and host innate immune responses in polarized primary human alveolar epithelial cells and lung microvascular endothelial cells and its relevance to the pathogenesis of human H5N1 disease.

Methods

We use an in vitro model of polarized primary human alveolar epithelial cells and lung microvascular endothelial cells grown in transwell culture inserts to compare infection with influenza A subtype H1N1 and H5N1 viruses via the apical or basolateral surfaces.

Results

We demonstrate that both influenza H1N1 and H5N1 viruses efficiently infect alveolar epithelial cells from both apical and basolateral surface of the epithelium but release of newly formed virus is mainly from the apical side of the epithelium. In contrast, influenza H5N1 virus, but not H1N1 virus, efficiently infected polarized microvascular endothelial cells from both apical and basolateral aspects. This provides a mechanistic explanation for how H5N1 virus may infect the lung from systemic circulation. Epidemiological evidence has implicated ingestion of virus-contaminated foods as the source of infection in some instances and our data suggests that viremia, secondary to, for example, gastro-intestinal infection, can potentially lead to infection of the lung. HPAI H5N1 virus was a more potent inducer of cytokines (e.g. IP-10, RANTES, IL-6) in comparison to H1N1 virus in alveolar epithelial cells, and these virus-induced chemokines were secreted onto both the apical and basolateral aspects of the polarized alveolar epithelium.

Conclusion

The predilection of viruses for different routes of entry and egress from the infected cell is important in understanding the pathogenesis of influenza H5N1 infection and may help unravel the pathogenesis of human H5N1 disease.     

Mesenchymal stem cells and collagen patches for anterior cruciate ligament repair

AIM: To investigate collagen patches seeded with mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) and/or tenocytes(TCs) with regards to their suitability for anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) repair. METHODS: Dynamic intraligamentary stabilization utilizes a dynamic screw system to keep ACL remnants in place and promote biological healing, supplemented by collagen patches. How these scaffolds interact with cells and what type of benefit they provide has not yet been investigated in detail. Primary ACL-derived TCs and human bone marrow derived MSCs were seeded onto two different types of 3D collagen scaffolds, Chondro-Gide?(CG) and Novocart?(NC). Cells were seeded onto the scaffolds and cultured for 7 d either as a pure populations or as "premix" containing a 1:1 ratio of TCs to MSCs. Additionally, as controls, cells were seeded in monolayers and in co-cultures on both sides of porous high-density membrane inserts(0.4 μm). We analyzed the patches by real time polymerase chain reaction, glycosaminoglycan(GAG), DNA and hydroxyproline(HYP) content. To determine cell spreading and adherence in the scaffolds microscopic imaging techniques, i.e., confocal laser scanning microscopy(c LSM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM), were applied.RESULTS: CLSM and SEM imaging analysis confirmed cell adherence onto scaffolds. The metabolic cell activity revealed that patches promote adherence and proliferation of cells. The most dramatic increase in absolute metabolic cell activity was measured for CG samples seeded with tenocytes or a 1:1 cell premix. Analysis of DNA content and c LSM imaging also indicated MSCs were not proliferating as nicely as tenocytes on CG. The HYP to GAG ratio significantly changed for the premix group, resulting from a slightly lower GAG content, demonstrating that the cells are modifying the underlying matrix. Real-time quantitativepolymerase chain reaction data indicated that MSCs showed a trend of differentiation towards a more tenogenic-like phenotype after 7 d.CONCLUSION: CG and NC are both cyto-compatible with primary MSCs and TCs; TCs seemed to perform better on these collagen patches than MSCs.     

A sclerostin-based theory for strain-induced bone formation

Bone formation responds to mechanical loading, which is believed to be mediated by osteocytes. Previous theories assumed that loading stimulates osteocytes to secrete signals that stimulate bone formation. In computer simulations this 'stimulatory' theory successfully produced load-aligned trabecular structures. In recent years, however, it was discovered that osteocytes inhibit bone formation via the protein sclerostin. To reconcile this with strain-induced bone formation, one must assume that sclerostin secretion decreases with mechanical loading. This leads to a new 'inhibitory' theory in which loading inhibits osteocytes from inhibiting bone formation. Here we used computer simulations to show that a sclerostin-based model is able to produce a load-aligned trabecular architecture. An important difference appeared when we compared the response of the stimulatory and inhibitory models to loss of osteocytes, and found that the inhibitory pathway prevents the loss of trabeculae that is seen with the stimulatory model. Further, we demonstrated with combined stimulatory/inhibitory models that the two pathways can work side-by-side to achieve a load-adapted bone architecture.     

Loopstructures in synthetic oligonucleotides. Hairpin stability and structure studied as a function of loop elongation

The formation of hairpin structures in the homologous, (partly) self-complementary DNA fragments d(ATCCTAT_nTAGGAT), n = 0–7, was studied by means of nuclear magnetic resonance, T-jump and ultra-violet techniques. It is shown that all compounds in the series may adopt hairpin-like conformations, albeit for n < 3 this only occurs to a significant amount at relatively low concentrations (∼ 10μM). For the present series of oligonucleotides, hairpin formation is accompanied by an apparent loop enthalpy significantly different from zero. The stability of the DNA hairpins turns out to be at its maximum for loop lengths of four or five residues, whereas earlier experiments (Tinocoet al., 1973) indicated that loop lengths of six to seven residues are most favourable for RNA hairpins. This is explained by considering the difference in geometry of A-RNA and B-DNA helices.     

Biochemical and biophysical studies on the folding of the core region of the origin of replication of bacteriophage M13.

DNA oligonucleotides with the sequence corresponding to the plus strand origin of replication of the filamentous bacteriophage M13 are studied. Biochemical structure probing and UV melting studies, supplemented with initial NMR experiments, are used to investigate structural features of a 51-nucleotides long synthetic oligonucleotide and two oligonucleotides that are integral parts of this latter molecule. The results demonstrate the feasibility and complementarity of the use of methidiumpropyl.EDTA-Fe(II) and nuclease S1 in the structural analysis of small oligonucleotides. The bacteriophage origin region appears to comprise two hairpins. The first hairpin, which contains a cleavage site for the bacteriophage gene II protein, has a large and probably flexible loop. NMR as well as UV melting studies demonstrate that the second hairpin contains a stable three-membered loop. Both hairpins are present in the 51-mer, which forms a stable tertiary structure.     

Synthesis and proton-NMR studies of oligonucleotides containing an apurinic (AP) site

In order to elucidate the conformational properties of base-deleted oligodeoxyribonucleotides, the molecules d-CpS(pCpG)n (n = 1,2; S = sugar) were synthesized by the phosphotriester method and characterized by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Complete assignment of all non-exchangeable proton resonances of both compounds was obtained by 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques. In combination with computer simulation, these spectra yielded proton-proton and proton-phosphorus coupling constants of high accuracy. These data provide valuable information about the sugar and the backbone conformation. It appears that d-Cp1Sp2Cp3G4 does not form a duplex under any of the conditions studied. On the contrary, the base-deleted hexamer d-Cp1Sp2Cp3Gp4Cp5G6 occurs as a right-handed' staggered' DNA duplex at 280 K: the core of this duplex is formed by the residues C(3)-G(6); two 'dangling' residues C(1) and S(2) are located at the two 5'-ends of the duplex. The assignment of the corresponding imino proton resonances for [d-CpS(pCpG)2]2 was based on their thermal behavior: the line broadening of these resonances was studied as a function of temperature. The chemical shift and the number of imino proton resonances accord well with the number and type of Watson-Crick base pairs which can be formed in the staggered duplex described above. Thermodynamic parameters of duplex formation were obtained from an analysis of the chemical shift versus temperature profiles of aromatic base and H-1' protons. It is suggested that the cytosine ring of C(1) stacks, at least part of the time, with the guanine ring on the nucleotide residue, G(6), situated in the complementary strand. The binding of Lys-Trp-Lys to [d-CpS(pCpG)2]2 as well as to [d-CpGpCpG]1 was investigated. It is concluded that the indole ring of the tryptophan residue probably stacks on top of the 3'-terminal guanine base of both duplexes, but not on the nucleic acid bases next to the apurinic (AP) site.