High-Resolution Functional Profiling of the Norovirus Genome

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are a major cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, yet details of the life cycle and replication of HuNoV are relatively unknown due to the lack of an efficient cell culture system. Studies with murine norovirus (MNV), which can be propagated in permissive cells, have begun to probe different aspects of the norovirus life cycle; however, our understanding of the specific functions of the viral proteins lags far behind that of other RNA viruses. Genome-wide functional profiling by insertional mutagenesis can reveal protein domains essential for replication and can lead to generation of tagged viruses, which has not yet been achieved for noroviruses. Here, transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis was used to create 5 libraries of mutagenized MNV infectious clones, each containing a 15-nucleotide sequence randomly inserted within a defined region of the genome. Infectious virus was recovered from each library and was subsequently passaged in cell culture to determine the effect of each insertion by insertion-specific fluorescent PCR profiling. Genome-wide profiling of over 2,000 insertions revealed essential protein domains and confirmed known functional motifs. As validation, several insertion sites were introduced into a wild-type clone, successfully allowing the recovery of infectious virus. Screening of a number of reporter proteins and epitope tags led to the generation of the first infectious epitope-tagged noroviruses carrying the FLAG epitope tag in either NS4 or VP2. Subsequent work confirmed that epitope-tagged fully infectious noroviruses may be of use in the dissection of the molecular interactions that occur within the viral replication complex.     

Genes for serum amyloid A proteins map to Chromosome 7 in the mouse

Summary Several restriction fragment length variants have been detected among inbred strains using a mouse serum amyloid A cDNA clone. Five variants were shown to segregate as a single genetic unit and were mapped to Chromosome 7 between the glucose phosphate isomerase locus (Gpi-1) and the pink eye dilution locus (p) using recombinant inbred and congenic strains. The finding that no major MspI or BclI restriction fragments were shared between digests of DNAs from a Chromosome 7 congenic strain and its inbred partner, indicate that most, and probably all, sequences detected with the probe are clustered on Chromosome 7. Aneuploid mapping was used to show that the serum amyloid A gene complex (Saa) is proximal to the Chromosome 7 breakpoint in T(7;X)1Ct, a translocation in which the middle third of Chromosome 7 is inserted into the X-chromosome. A survey of inbred strains revealed a single common Saa haplotype and eight rare haplotypes. The complex distribution of 14 different variants suggests that recombination may have played a role in haplotype evolution.This work was supported by grants GM18684 and CA33093 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Cancer Institute, respectively.     

Paleomicrobiology: Revealing Fecal Microbiomes of Ancient Indigenous Cultures

Coprolites are fossilized feces that can be used to provide information on the composition of the intestinal microbiota and, as we show, possibly on diet. We analyzed human coprolites from the Huecoid and Saladoid cultures from a settlement on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. While more is known about the Saladoid culture, it is believed that both societies co-existed on this island approximately from 5 to 1170 AD. By extracting DNA from the coprolites, followed by metagenomic characterization, we show that both cultures can be distinguished from each other on the basis of their bacterial and fungal gut microbiomes. In addition, we show that parasite loads were heavy and also culturally distinct. Huecoid coprolites were characterized by maize and Basidiomycetes sequences, suggesting that these were important components of their diet. Saladoid coprolite samples harbored sequences associated with fish parasites, suggesting that raw fish was a substantial component of their diet. The present study shows that ancient DNA is not entirely degraded in humid, tropical environments, and that dietary and/or host genetic differences in ancient populations may be reflected in the composition of their gut microbiome. This further supports the hypothesis that the two ancient cultures studied were distinct, and that they retained distinct technological/cultural differences during an extended period of close proximity and peaceful co-existence. The two populations seemed to form the later-day Taínos, the Amerindians present at the point of Columbian contact. Importantly, our data suggest that paleomicrobiomics can be a powerful tool to assess cultural differences between ancient populations.     

Embryonal carcinoma-derived growth factor activates protein kinase C in vivo and in vitro.

We have recently reported that a polypeptide mitogen, the embryonal carcinoma-derived growth factor (ECDGF), induces phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in intact C3H 10T 1/2 mouse fibroblasts with concomittant loss of high affinity EGF binding sites. This phenomenon appears to be mediated through an activation of protein kinase C. Several groups have described an acidic 80,000 dalton protein substrate of protein kinase C. In this paper, we demonstrate that the addition of ECDGF or the phorbol ester TPA to intact C3H 10T 1/2 cells results in the enhanced phosphorylation of this 80 kd protein in vivo. Furthermore, this response is demonstrable in vitro. Thus the addition of ECDGF, the phorbol ester TPA, protein kinase C or phosphoinositidase C to crude membranes prepared from C3H 10T 1/2 cells resulted in the enhanced phosphorylation of this protein. Data obtained by phosphopeptide mapping of the 80 kd protein show that the ECDGF-induced activation of protein kinase C in our membrane preparations is comparable with that obtained in vivo. The availability of an in vitro system in which this response is preserved should now allow a detailed biochemical analysis of the steps between binding of a mitogen to its receptor and the activation of protein kinase C.     

Interactions of ovalbumin and of its putative signal sequence with phospholipid monolayers. Possible importance of differing lateral stabilities in protein translocation.

Surface properties of ovalbumin and of its putative signal sequence, and their interactions with phospholipids at an air-water interface, have been studied. The mature protein can form an interfacial film spontaneously from its bulk solution, whereas the signal sequence cannot. Mature ovalbumin also penetrates phospholipid monolayers from the subphase (independently of the type of phospholipid present), whereas its signal sequence does not. The surface stability of a spread film of the signal sequence is, however, higher than that of a film of mature ovalbumin. Above specific threshold concentrations of signal peptide and of mature ovalbumin in mixed films with phospholipids, two separate phases are formed. In such immiscible films, the signal sequence peptide is also able to support a higher lateral surface pressure than mature ovalbumin, at corresponding areas of peptide and mature protein in the mixed monolayers. It is suggested that the differing lateral stabilities of ovalbumin and of its putative signal sequence may be relevant to the translocation of ovalbumin across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, and a scheme for its translocation is proposed that is based on these properties.     

On the mechanism of cellular cadmium uptake

Review of the available evidence on the mechanism of cellular Cd uptake in the rat jejunum supports the concept that this process consists of nonspecific binding to anionic sites on the membrane, followed by a temperature-dependent and rate-limiting internalization step. Because temperature-sensitive transmembrane movement of Cd can be demonstrated also in isolated brush-border vesicles and in erythrocyte ghosts, it is not likely to result from pinocytosis but may be related directly to membrane fluidity. There is no need to assume the existence of saturable Cd carriers, or competition of Cd with essential polyvalent cations for their specific transport systems. Uptake of Cd by tubular epithelium in the kidney of the intact rabbit appears to resemble that described for the jejunum, with the internalization step limiting the rate of uptake.     

Antibodies to the ATP-binding site of the human epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor as specific inhibitors of EGF-stimulated protein-tyrosine kinase activity

A region of the primary amino acid sequence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF) protein-tyrosine kinase, which is involved in ATP binding, was identified using chemical modification and immunological techniques. EGF receptor was 14C-labelled with the ATP analogue 5'-p-fluorosulphonylbenzoyladenosine and from a tryptic digest a single radiolabelled peptide was isolated. The amino acid sequence was determined to be residues 716-724 and hence lysine residue 721 is located within the ATP-binding site. Antisera were elicited in rabbits to a synthetic peptide identical to residues 716-727 of the EGF receptor and the homologous sequence in v-erb B transforming protein from avian erythroblastosis virus. The affinity-purified antibodies precipitated human ECF receptor from A431 cells and placenta, and the v-erb B protein from erythroblasts. The antibodies inhibited EGF-stimulated receptor protein-tyrosine kinase autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of an exogenous peptide substrate containing tyrosine. The antibodies did not immunoprecipitate the transforming proteins pp60v-src or P120gag-abl or cAMP-dependent protein kinase, proteins which have homologous but not identical sequences surrounding the lysine residue within the ATP-binding site, nor did they react with the platelet-derived growth factor receptor. The antibodies had no effect on the kinase activity of purified v-abl protein in solution. The antibodies may therefore be a specific inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase of the EGF receptor.