scholarly journals Generation of an Influenza A Virus Vector Expressing Biologically Active Human Interleukin-2 from the NS Gene Segment

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (16) ◽  
pp. 10672-10677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Kittel ◽  
Boris Ferko ◽  
Martina Kurz ◽  
Regina Voglauer ◽  
Sabine Sereinig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Virus Vector ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Ns1 Protein ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Ns Gene ◽  
Mouse Lungs

ABSTRACT Engineering of the influenza A virus NS1 protein became an attractive approach to the development of influenza vaccine vectors since it can tolerate large inserts of foreign proteins. However, influenza virus vectors expressing long foreign sequences from the NS1 open reading frame (ORF) are usually replication deficient in animals due to the abrogation of their NS1 protein function. In this study, we describe a bicistronic expression strategy based on the insertion of an overlapping UAAUG stop-start codon cassette into the NS gene, allowing the reinitiation of translation of a foreign sequence. Although the expression level of green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the newly created reading frame was significantly lower than that obtained previously from an influenza virus vector expressing GFP from the NS1 ORF, the bicistronic vector appeared to be replication competent in mice and showed outstanding genetic stability. All viral isolates derived from mouse lungs at 10 days postinfection were still capable of expressing GFP in infected cells. Utilizing this bicistronic approach, we constructed another recombinant influenza virus, allowing the secretion of biologically active human interleukin-2 (IL-2). Although this virus also replicated to high titers in mouse lungs, it did not display any mortality rate in infected animals, in contrast to control viruses. Moreover, the IL-2-expressing virus showed an enhanced CD8+ response to viral antigens in mice after a single intranasal immunization. These results indicate that influenza viruses could be engineered for the expression of biologically active molecules such as cytokines for immune modulation purposes.

scholarly journals STUDIES ON INFLUENZA VIRUS

1941 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin H. Lennette ◽  
Frank L. Horsfall
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Chick Embryo ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Complement Fixation ◽  
Soluble Antigen ◽  
Swine Virus ◽  
Specific Fixation ◽  
Mouse Lungs

Influenza complement fixation tests designed for use with ferret serum are described. Complement-fixing antigens derived from influenza ferret lungs were unsatisfactory due to their low content of soluble antigen; those prepared from mouse lungs or developing chick embryo membranes proved to be better antigenically and were reliable when the various reagents in the test were properly adjusted to eliminate non-specific fixation of complement. The results of cross complement fixation tests indicated that the soluble antigens of the PR8 and W.S. strains of influenza A virus were closely similar, if not identical. They indicated also that the soluble antigen of swine virus possessed components present in the antigens of the human strains of virus.

scholarly journals Rewiring the RNAs of influenza virus to prevent reassortment

2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (37) ◽  
pp. 15891-15896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinshan Gao ◽  
Peter Palese
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Ha Gene ◽  
Ns Gene ◽  
Virus Rna ◽  
Reassortant Viruses ◽  
Packaging Signals

Influenza viruses contain segmented, negative-strand RNA genomes. Genome segmentation facilitates reassortment between different influenza virus strains infecting the same cell. This phenomenon results in the rapid exchange of RNA segments. In this study, we have developed a method to prevent the free reassortment of influenza A virus RNAs by rewiring their packaging signals. Specific packaging signals for individual influenza virus RNA segments are located in the 5′ and 3′ noncoding regions as well as in the terminal regions of the ORF of an RNA segment. By putting the nonstructural protein (NS)-specific packaging sequences onto the ORF of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene and mutating the packaging regions in the ORF of the HA, we created a chimeric HA segment with the packaging identity of an NS gene. By the same strategy, we made an NS gene with the packaging identity of an HA segment. This rewired virus had the packaging signals for all eight influenza virus RNAs, but it lost the ability to independently reassort its HA or NS gene. A similar approach can be applied to the other influenza A virus segments to diminish their ability to form reassortant viruses.

scholarly journals Characterization of a Neuraminidase-Deficient Influenza A Virus as a Potential Gene Delivery Vector and a Live Vaccine

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 3083-3088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoko Shinya ◽  
Yutaka Fujii ◽  
Hiroshi Ito ◽  
Toshihiro Ito ◽  
Yoshihiro Kawaoka
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Mutant Cell ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Foreign Genes ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT We recently identified a packaging signal in the neuraminidase (NA) viral RNA (vRNA) segment of an influenza A virus, allowing us to produce a mutant virus [GFP(NA)-Flu] that lacks most of the NA open reading frame but contains instead the gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP). To exploit the expanding knowledge of vRNA packaging signals to establish influenza virus vectors for the expression of foreign genes, we studied the replicative properties of this virus in cell culture and mice. Compared to wild-type virus, GFP(NA)-Flu was highly attenuated in normal cultured cells but was able to grow to a titer of >106 PFU/ml in a mutant cell line expressing reduced levels of sialic acid on the cell surface. GFP expression from this virus was stable even after five passages in the latter cells. In intranasally infected mice, GFP was detected in the epithelial cells of nasal mucosa, bronchioles, and alveoli for up to 4 days postinfection. We attribute the attenuated growth of GFP(NA)-Flu to virion aggregation at the surface of bronchiolar epithelia. In studies to test the potential of this mutant as a live attenuated influenza vaccine, all mice vaccinated with ≥105 PFU of GFP(NA)-Flu survived when challenged with lethal doses of the parent virus. These results suggest that influenza virus could be a useful vector for expressing foreign genes and that a sialidase-deficient virus may offer an alternative to the live influenza vaccines recently approved for human use.

scholarly journals The accumulation of influenza A virus segment 7 spliced mRNAs is regulated by the NS1 protein

2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole C. Robb ◽  
Ervin Fodor
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Viral Infection ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Mrna Splicing ◽  
Ns1 Protein ◽  
Binding Ability ◽  
Alternatively Spliced ◽  
Transcription And Replication

The influenza A virus M1 mRNA is alternatively spliced to produce M2 mRNA, mRNA3, and in some cases, M4 mRNA. Splicing of influenza mRNAs is carried out by the cellular splicing machinery and is thought to be regulated, as both spliced and unspliced mRNAs encode proteins. In this study, we used radioactively labelled primers to investigate the accumulation of spliced and unspliced M segment mRNAs in viral infection and ribonucleoprotein (RNP) reconstitution assays in which only the minimal components required for transcription and replication to occur were expressed. We found that co-expression of the viral NS1 protein in an RNP reconstitution assay altered the accumulation of spliced mRNAs compared with when it was absent, and that this activity was dependent on the RNA-binding ability of NS1. These findings suggest that the NS1 protein plays a role in the regulation of splicing of influenza virus M1 mRNA.

scholarly journals Strong interferon-inducing capacity of a highly virulent variant of influenza A virus strain PR8 with deletions in the NS1 gene

2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (12) ◽  
pp. 2990-2994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Kochs ◽  
Luis Martínez-Sobrido ◽  
Stefan Lienenklaus ◽  
Siegfried Weiss ◽  
Adolfo García-Sastre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Ns1 Protein ◽  
Efficient Induction ◽  
Ns1 Gene ◽  
Mouse Lungs ◽  
Highly Virulent ◽  
Complete Deletion

Influenza viruses lacking the interferon (IFN)-antagonistic non-structural NS1 protein are strongly attenuated. Here, we show that mutants of a highly virulent variant of A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) carrying either a complete deletion or C-terminal truncations of NS1 were far more potent inducers of IFN in infected mice than NS1 mutants derived from standard A/PR/8/34. Efficient induction of IFN correlated with successful initial virus replication in mouse lungs, indicating that the IFN response is boosted by enhanced viral activity. As the new NS1 mutants can be handled in standard biosafety laboratories, they represent convenient novel tools for studying virus-induced IFN expression in vivo.

scholarly journals Functional Evolution of Influenza Virus NS1 Protein in Currently Circulating Human 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Viruses

2017 ◽  
Vol 91 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia M. Clark ◽  
Aitor Nogales ◽  
Luis Martinez-Sobrido ◽  
David J. Topham ◽  
Marta L. DeDiego
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Proinflammatory Cytokines ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Host Gene ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 ◽  
Ns1 Protein ◽  
Host Gene Expression ◽  
Mouse Lungs

ABSTRACT In 2009, a novel H1N1 influenza virus emerged in humans, causing a global pandemic. It was previously shown that the NS1 protein from this human 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus was an effective interferon (IFN) antagonist but could not inhibit general host gene expression, unlike other NS1 proteins from seasonal human H1N1 and H3N2 viruses. Here we show that the NS1 protein from currently circulating pH1N1 viruses has evolved to encode 6 amino acid changes (E55K, L90I, I123V, E125D, K131E, and N205S) with respect to the original protein. Notably, these 6 residue changes restore the ability of pH1N1 NS1 to inhibit general host gene expression, mainly by their ability to restore binding to the cellular factor CPSF30. This is the first report describing the ability of the pH1N1 NS1 protein to naturally acquire mutations that restore this function. Importantly, a recombinant pH1N1 virus containing these 6 amino acid changes in the NS1 protein (pH1N1/NSs-6mut) inhibited host IFN and proinflammatory responses to a greater extent than that with the parental virus (pH1N1/NS1-wt), yet virus titers were not significantly increased in cell cultures or in mouse lungs, and the disease was partially attenuated. The pH1N1/NSs-6mut virus grew similarly to pH1N1/NSs-wt in mouse lungs, but infection with pH1N1/NSs-6mut induced lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines, likely due to a general inhibition of gene expression mediated by the mutated NS1 protein. This lower level of inflammation induced by the pH1N1/NSs-6mut virus likely accounts for the attenuated disease phenotype and may represent a host-virus adaptation affecting influenza virus pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Seasonal influenza A viruses (IAVs) are among the most common causes of respiratory infections in humans. In addition, occasional pandemics are caused when IAVs circulating in other species emerge in the human population. In 2009, a swine-origin H1N1 IAV (pH1N1) was transmitted to humans, infecting people then and up to the present. It was previously shown that the NS1 protein from the 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus is not able to inhibit general gene expression. However, currently circulating pH1N1 viruses have evolved to encode 6 amino acid changes (E55K, L90I, I123V, E125D, K131E, and N205S) that allow the NS1 protein of contemporary pH1N1 strains to inhibit host gene expression, which correlates with its ability to interact with CPSF30. Infection with a recombinant pH1N1 virus encoding these 6 amino acid changes (pH1N1/NSs-6mut) induced lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines, resulting in viral attenuation in vivo. This might represent an adaptation of pH1N1 virus to humans.

scholarly journals Role of Itk signalling in the interaction between influenza A virus and T-cells

2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 987-997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kewei Fan ◽  
Yinping Jia ◽  
Song Wang ◽  
Hua Li ◽  
Defeng Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection

Although the T-cell-mediated immune response to influenza virus has been studied extensively, little information is available on the direct interaction between influenza virus and T-cells that pertains to severe diseases in humans and animals. To address these issues, we utilized the BALB/c mouse model combined with primary T-cells infected with A/WSN/33 influenza virus to investigate whether influenza virus has an affinity for T-cells in vivo. We observed that small proportions of CD4+ T-cells and CD8+ T-cells in spleen and thymus expressed viral proteins in infected mice. A significant proportion of mouse primary T-cells displayed expression of α-2,6 sialic acid-linked influenza virus receptor and were infected directly by influenza A virus. These experiments reveal that there exists a population of T-cells that is susceptible to influenza A virus infection. Furthermore, we employed human Jurkat T-cells to investigate the virus–T-cell interaction, with particular emphasis on understanding whether Itk (interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase), a Tec family tyrosine kinase that regulates T-cell activation, is involved in virus infection of T-cells. Interestingly, influenza virus infection resulted in an increased recruitment of Itk to the plasma membrane and an increased level of phospholipase C-γ1 (PLC-γ1) phosphorylation, suggesting that Itk/PLC-γ1 signalling is activated by the virus infection. We demonstrated that depletion of Itk inhibited the replication of influenza A virus, whereas overexpression of Itk increased virus replication. These results indicate that Itk is required for efficient replication of influenza virus in infected T-cells.

scholarly journals Histone Deacetylase 6 Knockout Mice Exhibit Higher Susceptibility to Influenza A Virus Infection

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Zanin ◽  
Jennifer DeBeauchamp ◽  
Gowthami Vangala ◽  
Richard J. Webby ◽  
Matloob Husain
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Histone Deacetylase ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Antiviral Response ◽  
Histone Deacetylase 6 ◽  
Influenza A Virus Infection ◽  
Innate Antiviral Response ◽  
Mouse Lungs

The host innate defence against influenza virus infection is an intricate system with a plethora of antiviral factors involved. We have identified host histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) as an anti-influenza virus factor in cultured cells. Consistent with this, we report herein that HDAC6 knockout (KO) mice are more susceptible to influenza virus A/PR/8/1934 (H1N1) infection than their wild type (WT) counterparts. The KO mice lost weight faster than the WT mice and, unlike WT mice, could not recover their original body weight. Consequently, more KO mice succumbed to infection, which corresponded with higher lung viral loads. Conversely, the expression of the critical innate antiviral response genes interferon alpha/beta, CD80, CXCL10 and IL15 was significantly downregulated in KO mouse lungs compared to WT mouse lungs. These data are consistent with the known function of HDAC6 of de-acetylating the retinoic acid inducible gene-I (RIG-I) and activating the host innate antiviral response cascade. Loss of HDAC6 thus leads to a blunted innate response and increased susceptibility of mice to influenza A virus infection.

scholarly journals Influenza Virus Evades Innate and Adaptive Immunity via the NS1 Protein

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (13) ◽  
pp. 6295-6304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Fernandez-Sesma ◽  
Svetlana Marukian ◽  
Barbara J. Ebersole ◽  
Dorothy Kaminski ◽  
Man-Seong Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Innate Immunity ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Adaptive Immunity ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Type I ◽  
Ns1 Protein ◽  
Dc Maturation

ABSTRACT Both antibodies and T cells contribute to immunity against influenza virus infection. However, the generation of strong Th1 immunity is crucial for viral clearance. Interestingly, we found that human dendritic cells (DCs) infected with influenza A virus have lower allospecific Th1-cell stimulatory abilities than DCs activated by other stimuli, such as lipopolysaccharide and Newcastle disease virus infection. This weak stimulatory activity correlates with a suboptimal maturation of the DCs following infection with influenza A virus. We next investigated whether the influenza A virus NS1 protein could be responsible for the low levels of DC maturation after influenza virus infection. The NS1 protein is an important virulence factor associated with the suppression of innate immunity via the inhibition of type I interferon (IFN) production in infected cells. Using recombinant influenza and Newcastle disease viruses, with or without the NS1 gene from influenza virus, we found that the induction of a genetic program underlying DC maturation, migration, and T-cell stimulatory activity is specifically suppressed by the expression of the NS1 protein. Among the genes affected by NS1 are those coding for macrophage inflammatory protein 1β, interleukin-12 p35 (IL-12 p35), IL-23 p19, RANTES, IL-8, IFN-α/β, and CCR7. These results indicate that the influenza A virus NS1 protein is a bifunctional viral immunosuppressor which inhibits innate immunity by preventing type I IFN release and inhibits adaptive immunity by attenuating human DC maturation and the capacity of DCs to induce T-cell responses. Our observations also support the potential use of NS1 mutant influenza viruses as live attenuated influenza virus vaccines.

scholarly journals RNase L Targets Distinct Sites in Influenza A Virus RNAs

2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 2764-2776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphne A. Cooper ◽  
Shuvojit Banerjee ◽  
Arindam Chakrabarti ◽  
Adolfo García-Sastre ◽  
Jay R. Hesselberth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Antiviral Activity ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Deep Sequencing ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Rnase L ◽  
Cleavage Sites ◽  
Ns1 Protein ◽  
Viral Rnas

ABSTRACTInfluenza A virus (IAV) infections are influenced by type 1 interferon-mediated antiviral defenses and by viral countermeasures to these defenses. When IAV NS1 protein is disabled, RNase L restricts virus replication; however, the RNAs targeted for cleavage by RNase L under these conditions have not been defined. In this study, we used deep-sequencing methods to identify RNase L cleavage sites within host and viral RNAs from IAV PR8ΔNS1-infected A549 cells. Short hairpin RNA knockdown of RNase L allowed us to distinguish between RNase L-dependent and RNase L-independent cleavage sites. RNase L-dependent cleavage sites were evident at discrete locations in IAV RNA segments (both positive and negative strands). Cleavage in PB2, PB1, and PA genomic RNAs suggests that viral RNPs are susceptible to cleavage by RNase L. Prominent amounts of cleavage mapped to specific regions within IAV RNAs, including some areas of increased synonymous-site conservation. Among cellular RNAs, RNase L-dependent cleavage was most frequent at precise locations in rRNAs. Our data show that RNase L targets specific sites in both host and viral RNAs to restrict influenza virus replication when NS1 protein is disabled.IMPORTANCERNase L is a critical component of interferon-regulated and double-stranded-RNA-activated antiviral host responses. We sought to determine how RNase L exerts its antiviral activity during influenza virus infection. We enhanced the antiviral activity of RNase L by disabling a viral protein, NS1, that inhibits the activation of RNase L. Then, using deep-sequencing methods, we identified the host and viral RNAs targeted by RNase L. We found that RNase L cleaved viral RNAs and rRNAs at very precise locations. The direct cleavage of IAV RNAs by RNase L highlights an intimate battle between viral RNAs and an antiviral endonuclease.

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