A non-stop, single-tube, semi-nested PCR technique for grading the severity of white spot syndrome virus infections in Penaeus monodon.

A single-tube, non-stop, semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was developed for simultaneous detection and severity grading of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infections in the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. The test uses 1 sense primer and 3 antisense primers that produce up to 3 PCR products (1100, 526 and 250 base pairs [bp]) depending upon the severity of infection. Specifically, heavy infections (> or = 2 x 10(4) viral particles) of WSSV produce all 3 fragments, while moderate infections (around 2 x 10(3) viral particles) produce 2 (526 and 250 bp) and light infections (20 to 200 viral particles) produce 1 (250 bp). In addition, the technique uses internal control primers that yield a shrimp characteristic fragment for non-infected samples and samples with a low quantity of viral target in order to assure integrity and reproducibility of the PCR assays. The non-stop, single-tube, semi-nested PCR technique is simple and convenient and can detect as little as 5 fg WSSV DNA (20 viral particles) in crude extracts of postlarval samples or extracts of pleopods and haemolymph from larger shrimp.     

Amino acid substitutions in alphaA and alphaC of Cyt2Aa2 alter hemolytic activity and mosquito-larvicidal specificity

Cyt2Aa2 produced by Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. darmstadiensis exhibits in vitro cytolytic activity against broad range of cells but shows specific in vivo toxicity against larvae of Dipteran insects. To investigate the role of amino acids in alphaA and alphaC of this toxin, 3 single-point mutants (A61C, S108C and V109A) were generated. All 3 mutant proteins were highly produced as inclusion bodies that could be solubilized and activated by proteinase K similar to that of the wild type. Hemolytic activity of A61C and S108C mutants was significantly reduced whereas the V109A mutant showed comparable hemolytic activity to the wild type. Interestingly, the A61C mutant exhibited high larvicidal activity to both Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. S108C and V109A mutants showed low activity against C. quinquefasciatus but relatively high toxicity to A. aegypti. These results demonstrated for the first time that amino acids in alphaA and alphaC are involved in the selectivity of the Cyt toxin to the targeted organism.     

Molecular and biological characterization of molt-inhibiting hormone of Penaeus monodon

The action of molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH) on the inhibition of ecdysone release from the Y-organ of decapod crustacean keeps the animal in the intermolt stage that dominates its molting cycle. MIH is thus one of the major keys in mediating growth and reproduction. This study has isolated cDNA encoding two types of MIH, Pem-MIH1 and Pem-MIH2, from the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon on the basis of sequence homology to MIH from two other shrimp species. The full-length cDNA of Pem-MIH1 was characterized. Pem-MIH1 cDNA harbored 318 bp open reading frame that coded for a translated product containing 28 amino acids of the signal peptide and a putative mature Pem-MIH of 77 amino acids. The recombinant Pem-MIH1 was expressed in Pichia pastoris as a secreted protein. After purification by gel filtration, the purified Pem-MIH1 exhibited the ability to extend molting duration of P. monodon from 11.8 days to 16.3 days suggesting that Pem-MIH1 be responsible for molt-inhibiting function in the shrimp. The attempt to clone Pem-MIH1 and Pem-MIH2 genes was achieved by direct PCR amplification and PCR-based genome walking strategy, respectively. The structure of both Pem-MIH genes, containing three exons interrupted by two introns, was similar to each other and also to that of MIH genes of other crustaceans reported so far. Expression study of Pem-MIH1 and Pem-MIH2 in various tissues of P. monodon revealed the difference in expression patterns. Pem-MIH1 expressed in both the eyestalk and the thoracic ganglia whilst Pem-MIH2 expression was limited to the eyestalk. The expression of MIH in non-eyestalk tissue may suggest additional role of this hormone.     

Mutation of the hydrophobic residue on helix alpha5 of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry4B affects structural stability

Cry4B toxin is a mosquito-larvicidal protein from the Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. We have investigated the role of two conserved hydrophobic residues of Cry4B in structural stabilization. Substitutions of the leucine-175 and isoleucine-189 on helix alpha5 with valine and leucine did not affect the expression level, solubility and proteolytic processing. Steady state analysis of an unfolding experiment as monitored by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrated a typical two-state transition. The determined unfolding free energy for the L175V mutant revealed a structural destabilization of 10.49 kcal/mol relative to the wild type. However unfolding kinetic analysis gave identical activation energy for wild type and both mutants. Our findings suggested that a perturbation on the close packing of the hydrophobic side chains in protein interior could lead to a significant destabilization of the native conformation.     

In vitro determination of dengue virus type 2 NS2B-NS3 protease activity with fluorescent peptide substrates

The NS2B-NS3(pro) polyprotein segment from the dengue virus serotype 2 strain 16681 was purified from overexpressing E. coli by metal chelate affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Enzymatic activity of the refolded NS2B-NS3(pro) protease complex was determined in vitro with dansyl-labeled peptide substrates, based upon native dengue virus type 2 cleavage sites. The 12mer substrate peptides and the cleavage products could be separated by reversed-phase HPLC, and were identified by UV and fluorescence detection. All of the peptide substrates (representing the DEN polyprotein junction sequences at the NS2A/NS2B, NS2B/NS3, NS3/NS4A and NS4B/NS5 sites) were cleaved by the recombinant protease NS2B-NS3(pro). No cleavage was observed with an enzymatically inactive S135A mutant of the NS3 protein, or with a modified substrate peptide of the NS3/NS4A polyprotein site that contained a K2093A substitution. Enzymatic activity was dependent on the salt concentration. A 50% decrease of activity was observed in the presence of 0.1 M sodium chloride. Our results show that the NS3 protease activity of the refolded NS2BNS3(pro) protein can be assayed in vitro with high specificity by using cleavage-junction derived peptide substrates.     

Silencing of yellow head virus replication in penaeid shrimp cells by dsRNA

RNA interference (RNAi) has been shown to inhibit viral replication in some animals and plants. Whether the RNAi is functional in shrimp remains to be demonstrated. In vitro transcribed dsRNAs of YHV helicase, polymerase, protease, gp116, and gp64 were transfected into shrimp primary cell culture and found to inhibit YHV replication. dsRNA targeted to nonstructural genes (protease, polymerase, and helicase) effectively inhibited YHV replication. Those targeted structural genes (gp116 and gp64) were the least effective. These findings are the first evidence that RNAi-mediated gene silencing is operative in shrimp cells. This could be a powerful tool for studying gene function and to develop effective control of viral infection in shrimp.     

Identification of residues in the dengue virus type 2 NS2B cofactor that are critical for NS3 protease activation

Proteolytic processing of the dengue virus polyprotein is mediated by host cell proteases and the virus-encoded NS2B-NS3 two-component protease. The NS3 protease represents an attractive target for the development of antiviral inhibitors. The three-dimensional structure of the NS3 protease domain has been determined, but the structural determinants necessary for activation of the enzyme by the NS2B cofactor have been characterized only to a limited extent. To test a possible functional role of the recently proposed Phix(3)Phi motif in NS3 protease activation, we targeted six residues within the NS2B cofactor by site-specific mutagenesis. Residues Trp62, Ser71, Leu75, Ile77, Thr78, and Ile79 in NS2B were replaced with alanine, and in addition, an L75A/I79A double mutant was generated. The effects of these mutations on the activity of the NS2B(H)-NS3pro protease were analyzed in vitro by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of autoproteolytic cleavage at the NS2B/NS3 site and by assay of the enzyme with the fluorogenic peptide substrate GRR-AMC. Compared to the wild type, the L75A, I77A, and I79A mutants demonstrated inefficient autoproteolysis, whereas in the W62A and the L75A/I79A mutants self-cleavage appeared to be almost completely abolished. With exception of the S71A mutant, which had a k(cat)/K(m) value for the GRR-AMC peptide similar to that of the wild type, all other mutants exhibited drastically reduced k(cat) values. These results indicate a pivotal function of conserved residues Trp62, Leu75, and Ile79 in the NS2B cofactor in the structural activation of the dengue virus NS3 serine protease.