Replication-competent bacterial artificial chromosomes of Marek's disease virus: novel tools for generation of molecularly defined herpesvirus vaccines

Marek's disease (MD), a highly infectious disease caused by an oncogenic herpesvirus, is one of the few herpesvirus diseases against which live attenuated vaccines are used as the main strategy for control. We have constructed bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) of the CVI988 (Rispens) strain of the virus, the most widely used and effective vaccine against MD. Viruses derived from the BAC clones were stable after in vitro and in vivo passages and showed characteristics and growth kinetics similar to those of the parental virus. Molecular analysis of the individual BAC clones showed differences in the structure of the meq gene, indicating that the commercial vaccine contains virus populations with distinct genomic structures. We also demonstrate that, contrary to the published data, the sequence of the L-meq of the BAC clone did not show any frameshift. Virus stocks derived from one of the BAC clones (clone 10) induced 100 percent protection against infection by the virulent strain RB1B, indicating that BAC-derived viruses could be used with efficacies similar to those of the parental CVI988 vaccines. As a DNA vaccine, this BAC clone was also able to induce protection in 6 of 20 birds. Isolation of CVI988 virus from all of these six birds suggested that immunity against challenge was probably dependent on the reconstitution of the virus in vivo and that such viruses are also as immunogenic as the in vitro-grown BAC-derived or parental vaccine viruses. Although the reasons for the induction of protection only in a proportion of birds (33.3%) that received the DNA vaccine are not clear, this is most likely to be related to the suboptimal method of DNA delivery. The construction of the CVI988 BAC is a major step towards understanding the superior immunogenic features of CVI988 and provides the opportunity to exploit the power of BAC technology for generation of novel molecularly defined vaccines.     

Effect of solid meal on gastric emptying of,and glycemic and cardiovascular responses to,liquid glucose in older subjects

Gastric emptying is a determinant of the postprandial glycemic and cardiovascular responses to oral carbohydrate. We evaluated the effects of a solid meal on gastric emptying and the glycemic and cardiovascular responses to oral glucose in healthy older subjects. Ten subjects aged 72.1 +/- 1.9 yr were studied. Each subject had measurements of gastric emptying, blood glucose, serum insulin, blood pressure, and heart rate after ingestion of a 50-g glucose drink (300 ml) with (mixed meal) or without (liquid only) a solid meal (300 g ground beef). Gastric emptying of liquid was initially slightly more rapid (P < 0.05) after the mixed meal compared with liquid only at 5 min (92.0 +/- 1.5 vs. 96.0 +/- 1.3%) and much slower (P < 0.05) after 120 min. The time to peak blood glucose was less (39.0 +/- 4.0 vs. 67.5 +/- 10.3 min; P < 0.01) and blood glucose subsequently lower (P < 0.01) after the mixed meal. The increase in serum insulin was greater (P < 0.001) after the mixed meal. Blood pressure fell (P < 0.05) in the first 30 min, with no difference between the two meals. Increase in heart rate after both meals (P < 0.005), was greater (P < 0.05) after the mixed meal. The presence of a noncarbohydrate solid meal had discrepant effects on early and subsequent emptying of a nutrient liquid, which affects postprandial glycemia and increased heart rate.     

The use of cellulase in inhibiting biofilm formation from organisms commonly found on medical implants

A study was made of the use of cellulase to inhibit biofilm formation by a pathogenic bacterium commonly found in medical implants. A Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm was grown on glass slides in a parallel flow chamber for 4 d with glucose as the nutrient source. Biofilm development was assessed by measuring the colony forming units (CFU) and biomass areal density. Biofilm was grown at pH 5 and 7 in the presence of three different cellulase concentrations, 9.4, 37.6 and 75.2 units ml-1. In addition, a control study using deactivated cellulase was performed. The results show that cellulase is effective in partially inhibiting biomass and CFU formation by P. aeruginosa on glass surfaces. The effect of cellulase depended on concentration and was more effective at pH 5 than pH 7. The experiment was further extended by investigating the effect of cellulase on the apparent molecular weight of purified P. aeruginosa exopolysaccharides (EPS). The observation of EPS using size exclusion chromatography showed a decrease in apparent molecular weight when incubated with enzyme. An increase in the amount of reducing sugar with time when the purified EPS were incubated with enzyme also supports the hypothesis that cellulase degrades the EPS of P. aeruginosa. While cellulase does not provide total inhibition of biofilm formation, it is possible that the enzyme could be used in combination with other treatments or in combinations with other enzymes to increase effectiveness.     

The zinc finger transcription factor Gfi1, implicated in lymphomagenesis,is required for inner ear hair cell differentiation and survival

Gfi1 was first identified as causing interleukin 2-independent growth in T cells and lymphomagenesis in mice. Much work has shown that Gfi1 and Gfi1b, a second mouse homolog, play pivotal roles in blood cell lineage differentiation. However, neither Gfi1 nor Gfi1b has been implicated in nervous system development, even though their invertebrate homologues, senseless in Drosophila and pag-3 in C. elegans are expressed and required in the nervous system. We show that Gfi1 mRNA is expressed in many areas that give rise to neuronal cells during embryonic development in mouse, and that Gfi1 protein has a more restricted expression pattern. By E12.5 Gfi1 mRNA is expressed in both the CNS and PNS as well as in many sensory epithelia including the developing inner ear epithelia. At later developmental stages, Gfi1 expression in the ear is refined to the hair cells and neurons throughout the inner ear. Gfi1 protein is expressed in a more restricted pattern in specialized sensory cells of the PNS, including the eye, presumptive Merkel cells, the lung and hair cells of the inner ear. Gfi1 mutant mice display behavioral defects that are consistent with inner ear anomalies, as they are ataxic, circle, display head tilting behavior and do not respond to noise. They have a unique inner ear phenotype in that the vestibular and cochlear hair cells are differentially affected. Although Gfi1-deficient mice initially specify inner ear hair cells, these hair cells are disorganized in both the vestibule and cochlea. The outer hair cells of the cochlea are improperly innervated and express neuronal markers that are not normally expressed in these cells. Furthermore, Gfi1 mutant mice lose all cochlear hair cells just prior to and soon after birth through apoptosis. Finally, by five months of age there is also a dramatic reduction in the number of cochlear neurons. Hence, Gfi1 is expressed in the developing nervous system, is required for inner ear hair cell differentiation, and its loss causes programmed cell death.     

Haemoproteus spp. and Leukocytozoon spp. in a captive raptor population

Raptors are commonly infected with two blood parasites of the family Haemoproteidae, Haemoproteus spp. and Leukocytozoon spp. To determine if age or length of time in captivity influence prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. and Leukocytozoon spp. infection in captive raptors, blood samples were collected from 55 birds from April 1999 to May 2000. Blood smears were examined for parasitemia and influence of age and length of time in captivity at the time of sample collection were compared. We found juvenile and adult birds were more likely to be infected with Leukocytozoon spp. than were nestlings (P = 0.006) and birds present for > 365 days were more likely to be infected with Haemoproteus spp. and/or Leukocytozoon spp. than were birds captive for < 365 days.     

Helper-dependent adenoviral vector-mediated delivery of woodchuck-specific genes for alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) and IFN-gamma: IFN-alpha but not IFN-gamma reduces woodchuck hepatitis virus replication in chronic infection in vivo

Alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) and IFN-gamma are able to suppress hepadnavirus replication. The intrahepatic expression of high levels of IFN may enhance the antiviral activity. We investigated the effects of woodchuck-specific IFN-alpha (wIFN-alpha) and IFN-gamma(wIFN-gamma) on woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) replication in vivo by helper-dependent adenoviral (HD-Ad) vector-mediated gene transfer. The expression of biologically active IFNs was demonstrated in vitro after transduction of woodchuck cells with HD-Ad vectors encoding wIFN-alpha (HD-AdwIFN-alpha) or wIFN-gamma (HD-AdwIFN-gamma). The transduction efficacy of the HD-Ad vector in woodchuck liver in vivo was tested with a vector expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP). Immunohistochemical staining of liver samples on day 5 after injection showed expression of GFP in a high percentage of liver cells surrounding the central vein. The transduction of livers of WHV carriers in vivo with HD-AdwIFN-alpha or HD-AdwIFN-gamma induced levels of biologically active IFN, which could be measured in the sera of these animals. Expression of wIFN-alpha in the liver reduced intrahepatic WHV replication and WHV DNA in sera of about 1 log step in two of two woodchucks. Transduction with HD-AdwIFN-gamma, however, reduced WHV replicative intermediates only slightly in two of three animals, which was not accompanied with significant changes in the WHV DNA in sera. We demonstrated for the first time the successful HD-Ad vector-mediated transfer of genes for IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma in vivo and timely limited reduction of WHV replication by wIFN-alpha, but not by wIFN-gamma.     

A facile method for determining ice recrystallization inhibition by antifreeze proteins

Ice recrystallization, the growth of large ice crystals at the expense of small ones, stresses freeze tolerant organisms and causes spoilage of frozen foods. This process is inhibited by antifreeze proteins (AFPs). Here, we present a simple method for determining the ice recrystallization inhibition (RI) activity of an AFP under physiological conditions using 10microl glass capillaries. Serial dilutions were prepared to determine the concentration below which RI activity was no longer detected, termed the RI endpoint. For type III AFP this was 200nM. The capillary method allows samples to be aligned and viewed simultaneously, which facilitates RI endpoint determination. Once prepared, the samples can be used reproducibly in subsequent RI assays and can be archived in a freezer for future reference. This method was used to detect the elution of type III AFP from a Sephadex G-75 size-exclusion column. RI activity was found at the expected V(e) for a 7kDa protein and also unexpectedly in the void volume.