柯萨奇病毒B组3型基因组剪切片段的序列分析

柯萨奇病毒B组(Coxsackievirus B,CVB)感染细胞时其基因组RNA存在不稳定现象,但产生机制尚不清楚。本研究将柯萨奇病毒B组3型(CVB3)感染细胞后,利用5′ cDNA末端快速扩增技术(5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends,5′ RACE)扩增并克隆细胞内CVB3基因组片段,并对每条序列及其5′端的二级结构进行分析。结果获得的20条CVB3基因组片段,长度为 2 067～5 547 bp,片段断端主要分布于2Apro和2C编码区。RNAfold分析显示,这些片段多数在5′断点端形成二级茎-环结构。本研究显示,CVB在宿主细胞感染时可形成大量不完整基因组RNA片段,这些片段可在5′断点端形成局部双链结构,提示片段不是随机产生,可能是RNA酶剪切产物。此发现有助于理解CVB基因组不稳定的机制。     

江西省2010年柯萨奇病毒A组24型变异株的全基因组序列分析

急性出血性结膜炎(Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis,AHC)是目前人类最常见的眼病之一,柯萨奇病毒A组24型变异株(Coxsackievirus A24 variant,CV-A24v)是近年来报道引起该病的主要病原体。本研究选取10株来自江西省2010年AHC暴发疫情的CV-A24v,采用特异性引物扩增并测定其全基因组序列。对该10条CV-A24v的全基因组序列进行系统发育分析以及重组分析,计算本研究测定的江西10条以及GenBank中所有22条CV-A24v的全基因组序列的氨基酸置换熵值,并预测其正向选择位点。结果表明,在江西10条CV-A24v基因组序列中未检测到重组。基于全基因组序列构建的最大似然树表明江西10株CV-A24v属于GIV基因型,且分处于两条传播链。对上述32条CV-A24v序列的氨基酸置换熵值计算,共得到25个易突变位点(熵值>0.6),易突变概率最高的区段为2A区。基于Datamonkey中FUBAR和FEL模型分析,发现位于结构蛋白VP2区的234位氨基酸为两种模型共同获得的CV-A24v的正向选择位点。本研究分析了江西10株CV-A24v的全基因组序列特征,为CV-A24v引起的AHC防控工作提供了基础资料。     

小檗碱通过JNK通路调控柯萨奇病毒B3感染心肌细胞凋亡的作用

小檗碱是具有细胞保护作用的生物碱,能够在柯萨奇病毒B3(CVB3)感染引起的病毒性心肌炎小鼠中发挥心肌保护作用,但具体的机制未阐明。在内皮细胞中,小檗碱通过c-Jun氨基末端激酶(JNK)通路抑制细胞凋亡,因此本研究将分析小檗碱通过JNK通路调控CVB3感染心肌细胞凋亡的作用。H9c2心肌细胞分为对照组(不含药物的DMEM处理)、模型组(含CVB3的DMEM处理)、小檗碱组(含CVB3及小檗碱的DMEM处理)、小檗碱+JNK质粒组(含CVB3、小檗碱、JNK质粒的DMEM处理),检测细胞凋亡率、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白介素-6(IL-6)、活性氧(ROS)、丙二醛(MDA)的含量、p-JNK、cleaved caspase-3、bax、bcl-2的表达量。结果显示,模型组的细胞凋亡率、TNF-α、IL-6、ROS、MDA的含量、p-JNK、cleaved caspase-3、bax的表达量高于对照组,bcl-2的表达量低于对照组(P<0.05);小檗碱组的细胞凋亡率、TNF-α、IL-6、ROS、MDA的含量、p-JNK、cleaved caspase-3、bax的表达量低于模型组,bcl-2的表达量高于模型组(P<0.05);小檗碱+JNK质粒组的细胞凋亡率、TNF-α、IL-6、ROS、MDA的含量、p-JNK、cleaved caspase-3、bax的表达量高于小檗碱组,bcl-2的表达量低于小檗碱组(P<0.05)。以上结果表明小檗碱对CVB3感染心肌细胞的凋亡具有抑制作用,抑制JNK通路是介导这一作用可能的分子机制。     

Coxsackievirus A16 infection triggers apoptosis in RD cells by inducing ER stress

Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) infection, which is responsible for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), has become a common health problem in Asia due to the prevalence of the virus. Thus, it is important to understand the pathogenesis of CA16 infection. Viruses that induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are confronted with the unfolded protein response (UPR), which may lead to apoptotic cell death and influence viral replication. In this study, we found that CA16 infection could induce apoptosis and ER stress in RD cells. Interestingly, apoptosis via the activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9 in the extrinsic or intrinsic apoptotic pathways in RD cells was inhibited by 4-phenyl butyric acid (4PBA), a chemical chaperone that reduces ER stress. These results suggest that CA16 infection leads to ER stress, which in turn results in prolonged ER stress-induced apoptosis. This study provides a new basis for understanding CA16 infection and host responses.     

Heart rhythm genomic fabric in hypoxia

The molecular mechanisms by which chronic hypoxia, whether constant (CCH) or intermittent (CIH), alters the heart rhythm are still under debate. Expression level, control, maturational profile and intercoordination of 54 genes encoding heart rhythm determinants (HRDs) were analyzed in 36 mice subjected for 1, 2 or 4 weeks of their early life to normal atmospheric conditions or to CCH or CIH. Our analysis revealed a complex network of genes encoding various heart rate, inotropy and development controllers, receptors, ion channels and transporters, ankyrins, epigenetic modulators and intercalated disc components (adherens, cadherins, catenins, desmosomal, gap and tight junction proteins). The network is remodeled during maturation and substantially and differently altered by CIH and CCH. Gene Prominence Analysis that ranks the genes according to their expression stability and networking within functional gene webs, confirmed the HRD status of certain epigenetic modulators and components of the intercalated discs not yet associated with arrhythmia.     

Towards broadly protective polyvalent vaccines against hand,foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by multiple enterovirus infections is a serious health threat to children in the Asia–Pacific region. This article reviews progresses in the development of vaccines for HFMD and discusses the need for polyvalent HFMD vaccines for conferring broad-spectrum protection.     

Synthesis, structure-activity relationship and in vitro biological evaluation of N-arylethyl isoquinoline derivatives as Coxsackievirus B3 inhibitors

Currently, there is no approved antiviral drug for the infection caused by enteroviruses. A series of novel N-arylethyl isoquinoline derivatives defined with substituents on the ring A and C were designed, synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their activities against Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3). The primary structure-activity relationship revealed that substituents on the ring A were not beneficial for the activity. Among these analogs synthesized, compound 7f bearing a methylenedioxy at the R(4) and R(5) positions afforded an anti-CVB3 activity and a reasonable selectivity index (SI=26.8); furthermore, 7f exhibited a moderate activity against enterovirus 71 (EV71) with SI value of 9.0. Thus it has been selected as an anti-enteroviral lead compound for further investigation.     

Novel recognition sequence of coxsackievirus 2A proteinase

Coxsackievirus B1 (CVB1) 2A proteinase (2A(pro)) is a cysteine proteinase that cleaves the viral monocistronic polyprotein between the C-terminus of the VP1 region and the N-terminus of the 2A region, and also shuts off translational initiation in host cells by cleavage of eukaryotic initiation factor 4G (eIF4G) isoforms. We expressed in Escherichia coli a series of fusions in which various C-terminal fragments of VP1 were linked to the N-terminus of 2A(pro), and we also employed site-directed mutagenesis to introduce mutations of several amino acid residues. Our results showed that the presence of the C-terminal three amino acid residues of VP1 at the N-terminus of 2A(pro) is sufficient for specific self-cleavage between VP1 and 2A(pro) to generate mature 2A(pro), but the P4 amino acid also plays an important role. We further found that 2A(pro) cleaves the amino acid sequence Leu-Val-Pro-Arg-( *)Gly-Ser (LVPRGS motif), which is the target sequence of thrombin.