Double-stranded RNA binding may be a general plant RNA viral strategy to suppress RNA silencing

In plants, RNA silencing (RNA interference) is an efficient antiviral system, and therefore successful virus infection requires suppression of silencing. Although many viral silencing suppressors have been identified, the molecular basis of silencing suppression is poorly understood. It is proposed that various suppressors inhibit RNA silencing by targeting different steps. However, as double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) play key roles in silencing, it was speculated that dsRNA binding might be a general silencing suppression strategy. Indeed, it was shown that the related aureusvirus P14 and tombusvirus P19 suppressors are dsRNA-binding proteins. Interestingly, P14 is a size-independent dsRNA-binding protein, while P19 binds only 21-nucleotide ds-sRNAs (small dsRNAs having 2-nucleotide 3' overhangs), the specificity determinant of the silencing system. Much evidence supports the idea that P19 inhibits silencing by sequestering silencing-generated viral ds-sRNAs. In this study we wanted to test the hypothesis that dsRNA binding is a general silencing suppression strategy. Here we show that many plant viral silencing suppressors bind dsRNAs. Beet yellows virus Peanut P21, clump virus P15, Barley stripe mosaic virus gammaB, and Tobacco etch virus HC-Pro, like P19, bind ds-sRNAs size-selectively, while Turnip crinkle virus CP is a size-independent dsRNA-binding protein, which binds long dsRNAs as well as ds-sRNAs. We propose that size-selective ds-sRNA-binding suppressors inhibit silencing by sequestering viral ds-sRNAs, whereas size-independent dsRNA-binding suppressors inactivate silencing by sequestering long dsRNA precursors of viral sRNAs and/or by binding ds-sRNAs. The findings that many unrelated silencing suppressors bind dsRNA suggest that dsRNA binding is a general silencing suppression strategy which has evolved independently many times.     

Presence of Anti-Microbial Antibodies in Liver Cirrhosis – A Tell-Tale Sign of Compromised Immunity?

Background

Bacterial translocation plays important role in the complications of liver cirrhosis. Antibody formation against various microbial antigens is common in Crohn''s disease and considered to be caused by sustained exposure to gut microflora constituents. We hypothesized that anti-microbial antibodies are present in patients with liver cirrhosis and may be associated with the development of bacterial infections.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Sera of 676 patients with various chronic liver diseases (autoimmune diseases:266, viral hepatitis C:124, and liver cirrhosis of different etiology:286) and 100 controls were assayed for antibodies to Saccharomyces cerevisiae(ASCA) and to antigens derived from two intestinal bacterial isolates (one gram positive, one gram negative, neither is Escherichia coli). In patients with liver cirrhosis, we also prospectively recorded the development of severe episodes of bacterial infection. ASCA and anti-OMP Plus™ antibodies were present in 38.5% and 62.6% of patients with cirrhosis and in 16% and 20% of controls, respectively (p<0.001). Occurrence of these antibodies was more frequent in cases of advanced cirrhosis (according to Child-Pugh and MELD score; p<0.001) or in the presence of ascites (p<0.001). During the median follow-up of 425 days, 81 patients (28.3%) presented with severe bacterial infections. Anti-microbial antibody titers (p = 0.003), as well as multiple seroreactivity (p = 0.036), was associated with infectious events. In logistic regression analysis, the presence of ascites (OR:1.62, 95%CI:1.16–2.25), co-morbidities (OR:2.22, 95%CI:1.27–3.86), and ASCA positivity (OR:1.59, 95%CI:1.07–2.36) were independent risk factors for severe infections. A shorter time period until the first infection was associated with the presence of ASCA (p = 0.03) and multiple seropositivity (p = 0.037) by Kaplan-Meier analysis, and with Child-Pugh stage (p = 0.018, OR:1.85) and co-morbidities (p<0.001, OR:2.02) by Cox-regression analysis.

Conclusions/Significance

The present study suggests that systemic reactivity to microbial components reflects compromised mucosal immunity in patients with liver cirrhosis, further supporting the possible role of bacterial translocation in the formation of anti-microbial antibodies.     

Small RNA binding is a common strategy to suppress RNA silencing by several viral suppressors

RNA silencing is an evolutionarily conserved system that functions as an antiviral mechanism in higher plants and insects. To counteract RNA silencing, viruses express silencing suppressors that interfere with both siRNA- and microRNA-guided silencing pathways. We used comparative in vitro and in vivo approaches to analyse the molecular mechanism of suppression by three well-studied silencing suppressors. We found that silencing suppressors p19, p21 and HC-Pro each inhibit the intermediate step of RNA silencing via binding to siRNAs, although the molecular features required for duplex siRNA binding differ among the three proteins. None of the suppressors affected the activity of preassembled RISC complexes. In contrast, each suppressor uniformly inhibited the siRNA-initiated RISC assembly pathway by preventing RNA silencing initiator complex formation.     

Subunit interactions in the first component of complement, C1

Interactions between C1q and other subunits of C1 were analyzed by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. A zone of dilute, radioiodine labelled C1q was sedimented through uniform concentrations of either C1r2C1s2, C1r2, C1r2 or C1s(2). The dissociation constants were found to be 3 x 10(-9) M and 6 x 10(-9) M for C1r2C1s2 and C1r2 binding respectively. Hill coefficients of 1 indicated no cooperativity in these bindings. Positive cooperativity was found in binding of C1s to C1q. Dissociation constants of 2 x 10(-6) M and 5 x 10(-8) M were obtained form computer modelling of a two step binding mechanism. No interaction was detected between C1q and activated C1r2. The data indicate that most of the interactions between C1q and C1r2C1s2 originates from a strong binding to the C1r2 moiety of the zymogen complex. This interaction is lost upon activation of C1r2.     

Identification of Basic Nuclear Proteins by their Boronate Complex

A new histochemical reaction for the identification of histone type basic proteins has been developed. Carbonyldiimidazol is used to activate the basic proteins of TCA-extracted nuclei, their m-aminophenylboronic acid complex is prepared, and the DNA-free, histone-containing nuclei are stained with toluidine blue at pH 5.5.     

Biomass of planktonic crustaceans and the food of young cyprinids in the littoral zone of Lake Balaton

The littoral zone of Lake Balaton and its periphyton-zooplankton-fish communities have been investigated intensively in recent years. Total average number of crustacean plankton varied from 36 to 126 ind l^–1, their biomass from 0.49 to 1.86 mg ww l^–1 month^–1 at different areas of the littoral zone. In general, these values for the above parameters were higher in hypertrophic areas. 23 fish species occurred in the littoral zone with cyprinids dominating. The seasonal food spectra of Y-O-Y roach (Rutilus rutilus), white bream (Blicca bjoerkna) and bream (Abramis brema) were based mainly on planktonic crustaceans and benthic/periphytic invertebrates. According to the frequency of occurrence of crustaceans and other invertebrates, the food composition of young cyprinids differed significantly in the NE and SW-basins of the lake.     

Spontaneous reversibility of advanced toxic liver cirrhosis.

The spontaneous restoration of liver cirrhosis induced by 6 and 9 month CC14 treatment has been studied. The OH-proline content of the liver stroma, the DNA content of the parenchyma, and the Co/DNA ratio were determined. Observations lasted for 4 months after completion of treatment. Cirrhosis developed after 6 month, CC14 administration was reversible in 3--4 months after the discontinuation of treatment; the normal stroma parenchyma ration had gradually normalized. Nine month treatment exhausted the capacity of the stroma for spontaneous recovery and the parenchyma regenerated to a lesser extent. Fibrosis remained practically irreversible 4 months after CC14 administration.     

Substrate-induced dissociation of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and its complex formation with fructose-bisphosphate aldolase

A threefold decrease in specific activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was found on going from 800 nM to 10 nM enzyme concentration. According to ultracentrifugal analyses the dimeric glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (molecular weight 78,000) dissociates into monomers in the equilibrium mixture of its substrates and products. The concentration-dependent decrease in the specific activity is interpreted as a consequence of subunit dissociation and the estimated dissociation constants are 0.7 micro M and 3.5 micro M at 38 degrees C and 20 degrees C respectively. According to active-enzyme-band centrifugation experiments and kinetic analysis aldolase forms a complex with glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and this complex formation influences the specific activity of the dehydrogenase. The interaction between glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and aldolase can provide a regulatory mechanism at the branching point of glycolytic and lipid metabolic pathways.