scholarly journals Neuroinvasiveness of the MR766 strain of Zika virus in IFNAR-/- mice maps to prM residues conserved amongst African genotype viruses

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. e1009788
Author(s):  
Eri Nakayama ◽  
Fumihiro Kato ◽  
Shigeru Tajima ◽  
Shinya Ogawa ◽  
Kexin Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Suckling Mouse ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Lethal Infection ◽  
Molecular Determinants ◽  
High Virulence ◽  
Β Receptor ◽  
Prm Protein

Zika virus (ZIKV) strains are classified into the African and Asian genotypes. The higher virulence of the African MR766 strain, which has been used extensively in ZIKV research, in adult IFNα/β receptor knockout (IFNAR-/-) mice is widely viewed as an artifact associated with mouse adaptation due to at least 146 passages in wild-type suckling mouse brains. To gain insights into the molecular determinants of MR766’s virulence, a series of genes from MR766 were swapped with those from the Asian genotype PRVABC59 isolate, which is less virulent in IFNAR-/- mice. MR766 causes 100% lethal infection in IFNAR-/- mice, but when the prM gene of MR766 was replaced with that of PRVABC59, the chimera MR/PR(prM) showed 0% lethal infection. The reduced virulence was associated with reduced neuroinvasiveness, with MR766 brain titers ≈3 logs higher than those of MR/PR(prM) after subcutaneous infection, but was not significantly different in brain titers of MR766 and MR/PR(prM) after intracranial inoculation. MR/PR(prM) also showed reduced transcytosis when compared with MR766 in vitro. The high neuroinvasiveness of MR766 in IFNAR-/- mice could be linked to the 10 amino acids that differ between the prM proteins of MR766 and PRVABC59, with 5 of these changes affecting positive charge and hydrophobicity on the exposed surface of the prM protein. These 10 amino acids are highly conserved amongst African ZIKV isolates, irrespective of suckling mouse passage, arguing that the high virulence of MR766 in adult IFNAR-/- mice is not the result of mouse adaptation.

Basis of hematopoietic defects in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B and PDGF β-receptor null mice

Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 97 (7) ◽  
pp. 1990-1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang E. Kaminski ◽  
Per Lindahl ◽  
Nancy L. Lin ◽  
Virginia C. Broudy ◽  
Jeffrey R. Crosby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fetal Liver ◽  
Liver Cells ◽  
Platelet Derived Growth Factor ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Liver Growth ◽  
Hematologic Disorders ◽  
Fetal Liver Cells ◽  
Β Receptor

Abstract Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B and PDGF β-receptor (PDGFRβ) deficiency in mice is embryonic lethal and results in cardiovascular, renal, placental, and hematologic disorders. The hematologic disorders are described, and a correlation with hepatic hypocellularity is demonstrated. To explore possible causes, the colony-forming activity of fetal liver cells in vitro was assessed, and hematopoietic chimeras were demonstrated by the transplantation of mutant fetal liver cells into lethally irradiated recipients. It was found that mutant colony formation is equivalent to that of wild-type controls. Hematopoietic chimeras reconstituted with PDGF-B−/−, PDGFRβ−/−, or wild-type fetal liver cells show complete engraftment (greater than 98%) with donor granulocytes, monocytes, B cells, and T cells and display none of the cardiovascular or hematologic abnormalities seen in mutants. In mouse embryos, PDGF-B is expressed by vascular endothelial cells and megakaryocytes. After birth, expression is seen in macrophages and neurons. This study demonstrates that hematopoietic PDGF-B or PDGFRβ expression is not required for hematopoiesis or integrity of the cardiovascular system. It is argued that metabolic stress arising from mutant defects in the placenta, heart, or blood vessels may lead to impaired liver growth and decreased production of blood cells. The chimera models in this study will serve as valuable tools to test the role of PDGF in inflammatory and immune responses.

scholarly journals The anti-inflammatory peptide Ac-SDKP is released from thymosin-β4 by renal meprin-α and prolyl oligopeptidase

2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (10) ◽  
pp. F1026-F1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nitin Kumar ◽  
Pablo Nakagawa ◽  
Branislava Janic ◽  
Cesar A. Romero ◽  
Morel E. Worou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Rat Kidney ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Thymosin Β4 ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Prolyl Oligopeptidase ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP) is a natural tetrapeptide with anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties. Previously, we have shown that prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) is involved in the Ac-SDKP release from thymosin-β4 (Tβ4). However, POP can only hydrolyze peptides shorter than 30 amino acids, and Tβ4 is 43 amino acids long. This indicates that before POP hydrolysis takes place, Tβ4 is hydrolyzed by another peptidase that releases NH2-terminal intermediate peptide(s) with fewer than 30 amino acids. Our peptidase database search pointed out meprin-α metalloprotease as a potential candidate. Therefore, we hypothesized that, prior to POP hydrolysis, Tβ4 is hydrolyzed by meprin-α. In vitro, we found that the incubation of Tβ4 with both meprin-α and POP released Ac-SDKP, whereas no Ac-SDKP was released when Tβ4 was incubated with either meprin-α or POP alone. Incubation of Tβ4 with rat kidney homogenates significantly released Ac-SDKP, which was blocked by the meprin-α inhibitor actinonin. In addition, kidneys from meprin-α knockout (KO) mice showed significantly lower basal Ac-SDKP amount, compared with wild-type mice. Kidney homogenates from meprin-α KO mice failed to release Ac-SDKP from Tβ4. In vivo, we observed that rats treated with the ACE inhibitor captopril increased plasma concentrations of Ac-SDKP, which was inhibited by the coadministration of actinonin (vehicle, 3.1 ± 0.2 nmol/l; captopril, 15.1 ± 0.7 nmol/l; captopril + actinonin, 6.1 ± 0.3 nmol/l; P < 0.005). Similar results were obtained with urinary Ac-SDKP after actinonin treatment. We conclude that release of Ac-SDKP from Tβ4 is mediated by successive hydrolysis involving meprin-α and POP.

scholarly journals A C-terminal Hydrophobic Region is Required for Homo-Oligomerization of the Hepatitis E Virus Capsid (ORF2) Protein

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 122-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Xiaofang ◽  
Mohammad Zafrullah ◽  
Faizan Ahmad ◽  
Shahid Jameel
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Hydrophobic Region ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Orf2 Protein ◽  
Acute Form ◽  
Open Reading Frame 2

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of hepatitis E, an acute form of viral hepatitis. The open reading frame 2 (ORF2) of HEV encodes the viral capsid protein, which can self-oligomerize into virus-like particles. To understand the domains within this protein important for capsid biogenesis, we have carried out in vitro analyses of association and folding patterns of wild type and mutant ORF2 proteins. When expressedin vitroor in transfected cells, the ORF2 protein assembled as dimers, trimers and higher order forms. While N-terminal deletions upto 111 amino acids had no effect, the deletion of amino acids 585–610 led to reduced homo-oligomerization. This deletion also resulted in aberrant folding of the protein, as determined by its sensitivity to trypsin. This study suggests that a C-terminal hydrophobic region encompassing amino acids 585–610 of the ORF2 protein might be critical for capsid biogenesis.

scholarly journals The Slow Wallerian Degeneration Protein, WldS, Binds Directly to VCP/p97 and Partially Redistributes It within the Nucleus

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 1075-1084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heike Laser ◽  
Laura Conforti ◽  
Giacomo Morreale ◽  
Till G.M. Mack ◽  
Molly Heyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Wallerian Degeneration ◽  
Nuclear Protein ◽  
Ubiquitin Proteasome System ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Ubiquitin Proteasome ◽  
Direct Binding ◽  
Synthesis Activity ◽  
Additional Role

Slow Wallerian degeneration (WldS) mutant mice express a chimeric nuclear protein that protects sick or injured axons from degeneration. The C-terminal region, derived from NAD+ synthesizing enzyme Nmnat1, is reported to confer neuroprotection in vitro. However, an additional role for the N-terminal 70 amino acids (N70), derived from multiubiquitination factor Ube4b, has not been excluded. In wild-type Ube4b, N70 is part of a sequence essential for ubiquitination activity but its role is not understood. We report direct binding of N70 to valosin-containing protein (VCP; p97/Cdc48), a protein with diverse cellular roles including a pivotal role in the ubiquitin proteasome system. Interaction with WldS targets VCP to discrete intranuclear foci where ubiquitin epitopes can also accumulate. WldS lacking its N-terminal 16 amino acids (N16) neither binds nor redistributes VCP, but continues to accumulate in intranuclear foci, targeting its intrinsic NAD+ synthesis activity to these same foci. Wild-type Ube4b also requires N16 to bind VCP, despite a more C-terminal binding site in invertebrate orthologues. We conclude that N-terminal sequences of WldS protein influence the intranuclear location of both ubiquitin proteasome and NAD+ synthesis machinery and that an evolutionary recent sequence mediates binding of mammalian Ube4b to VCP.

scholarly journals Mutations within the Putative Membrane-Spanning Domain of the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Transmembrane Glycoprotein Define the Minimal Requirements for Fusion, Incorporation, and Infectivity

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (20) ◽  
pp. 9601-9612 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. West ◽  
Patrick B. Johnston ◽  
Susan R. Dubay ◽  
Eric Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Cell Fusion ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Expression Vectors ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Minimum Requirement ◽  
Helical Turn ◽  
Membrane Spanning

ABSTRACT The membrane-spanning domain (MSD) of a number of retroviral transmembrane (TM) glycoproteins, including those from the human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV), have been predicted to contain a charged arginine residue. The wild-type SIV TM glycoprotein is 354 amino acids long. The entire putative cytoplasmic domain of SIV (amino acids 193 to 354) is dispensable for virus replication in vitro, and such truncation-containing viruses are capable of reaching wild-type titers after a short delay. We show here that further truncation of eight additional amino acids to TM185 results in a protein that lacks fusogenicity but is, nevertheless, efficiently incorporated into budding virions. By analyzing a series of nonsense mutations between amino acids 193 and 185 in Env expression vectors and in the SIVmac239 proviral clone, a region of the SIV TM that contains the minimum requirement for glycoprotein-mediated cell-to-cell fusion and that for virus replication was identified. Virus entry and infectivity were evident in truncations to a minimum of 189 amino acids, whereas cell-cell fusion was observed for a protein of only 187 amino acids. Glycoprotein was efficiently incorporated into budding virions in truncations up to 185 amino acids, indicating that such proteins are membrane anchored and are transported to the cell surface. However, truncation of the TM to 180 amino acids resulted in a protein that displays a transport defect and may be retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. Based on our analyses of these mutants, an alternative model for the MSD of SIV is proposed. Our model suggests that membrane-imbedded charged residues can be neutralized by side-chain interactions with lipid polar head groups. As a consequence, the membrane-spanning region can be reduced by more than a helical turn. This new model accounts for the ability of truncations within the predicted MSD to remain membrane anchored and maintain biological activity.

scholarly journals Cell surface expression of v-fms-coded glycoproteins is required for transformation.

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 1999-2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
M F Roussel ◽  
C W Rettenmier ◽  
A T Look ◽  
C J Sherr
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Gene Product ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Protein Kinase Activity ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Specific Protein Kinase

The viral oncogene v-fms encodes a transforming glycoprotein with in vitro tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. Although most v-fms-coded molecules remain internally sequestered in transformed cells, a minor population of molecules is transported to the cell surface. An engineered deletion mutant lacking 348 base pairs of the 3.0-kilobase-pair v-fms gene encoded a polypeptide that was 15 kilodaltons smaller than the wild-type v-fms gene product. The in-frame deletion of 116 amino acids was adjacent to the transmembrane anchor peptide located near the middle of the predicted protein sequence and 432 amino acids from the carboxyl terminus. The mutant polypeptide acquired N-linked oligosaccharide chains, was proteolytically processed in a manner similar to the wild-type glycoprotein, and exhibited an associated tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity in vitro. However, the N-linked oligosaccharides of the mutant glycoprotein were not processed to complex carbohydrate chains, and the glycoprotein was not detected at the cell surface. Cells expressing high levels of the mutant glycoprotein did not undergo morphological transformation and did not form colonies in semisolid medium. The transforming activity of the v-fms gene product therefore appears to be mediated through target molecules on the plasma membrane.

scholarly journals Characteristic Observation of Cordyceps Militaris (L) Wild Type Strain from Five Oil Palm Plantation in Muara Wahau East Borneo

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-175
Author(s):  
Edwin Aprianda ◽  
Gunawan Djajakirana ◽  
Darmawan Darmawan
Keyword(s):  
Oil Palm ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Colony Diameter ◽  
Virulence Potential ◽  
Rich Media ◽  
High Virulence ◽  
Incubation Method

Cordycep militaris (L) is known in oil palm plantations as a natural enemy of nettle caterpillars.  This fungus infects the caterpillars that descend down to become pupae around the palm circle, so that the pupae do not develop into imago and the pest's life cycle will be interrupted. This fungus is one of the 3 main entomopathogenic fungi used as bioinsecticides to control pests in oil palm plantations. In this study, the characteristics of C. militaris were observed from 5 oil palm plantations cultured in vitro using two types of media and two incubation methods. The results showed that there were mycelium pigmentation in nutrient-rich media Sabouraud Dextrose Agar plus Yeast extract (SDAY) when incubated with lighting.  Only one of five mycelium cultures using SDAY media showed pigmentation on the no-light incubation method. Pigmentation did not occur in nutrient-poor media such as agar (WA), either incubated with lighting or with no-light. The growth of isolates was generally higher on SDAY media than on WA media. This study showed that C. militaris is a facultative phagotrophic fungus. The highest growth of isolates cultured on SDAY media incubated with lighting was found in isolates A and C, with colony diameter 90 mm, high mycelium density (+++) and hairy texture like cotton at the end of the 3rd week after inoculation.  In the no-light incubation method, the highest growth was found in isolates B and C with colony diameter 90 mm, high mycelium density (+++) and hairy texture like cotton at the end of the 3rd week after inoculation. Isolates A and C showed high virulence potential to be used as bioinsecticides.

scholarly journals Recombination in enteroviruses is a ubiquitous event independent of sequence homology and RNA structure

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadi G. Alnaji ◽  
Kirsten Bentley ◽  
Ashley Pearson ◽  
Andrew Woodman ◽  
Jonathan D. Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Structure ◽  
Infectious Virus ◽  
Recombination Frequency ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Molecular Determinants ◽  
Virus Progeny ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Recombinant Genome

ABSTRACTRecombination within RNA viruses is an important evolutionary process that can significantly influence virus fitness and has been repeatedly reported to compromise vaccine effectiveness. However, its precise mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we used an established poliovirus-based in vitro assay (CRE-REP) to investigate the molecular determinants of recombination and show that neither sequence identity, nor RNA structure, have any significant effect on recombination frequency. Since the CRE-REP assay is confined by the ability to detect infectious virus progeny, we utilized deep sequencing to study the recombinant genome population that arises early in infection and before any bottleneck of selection for viable progeny. We were able to detect and analyse hundreds of recombinants containing sequence insertions or deletions, or that were of wild type genome length. While we found higher diversity in recombination events than from CRE-REP assays, the analyses demonstrate no biases towards sequence or structure, in support of the CRE-REP assay findings. The results suggest that genome functionality and fitness are of greater importance in determining the identity of recombinants. These studies provide critical information that can improve our understanding of the recombination process, and consequently allow for the production of less recombinogenic and more stable vaccines.

scholarly journals Attenuation of Zika Virus by Passage in Human HeLa Cells

Vaccines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li ◽  
Collins ◽  
Widen ◽  
Davis ◽  
Kaiser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hela Cell ◽  
Hela Cells ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Infected Animal ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
A549 Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Nonstructural Protein 1

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus. Previous studies have shown that mosquito-transmitted flaviviruses, including yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses, could be attenuated by serial passaging in human HeLa cells.  Therefore, it was hypothesized that wild-type ZIKV would also be attenuated after HeLa cell passaging. A human isolate from the recent ZIKV epidemic was subjected to serial HeLa cell passaging, resulting in attenuated in vitro replication in both Vero and A549 cells. Additionally, infection of AG129 mice with 10 plaque forming units (pfu) of wild-type ZIKV led to viremia and mortality at 12 days, whereas infection with 103 pfu of HeLa-passage 6 (P6) ZIKV led to lower viremia, significant delay in mortality (median survival: 23 days), and increased cytokine and chemokine responses.  Genomic sequencing of HeLa-passaged virus identified two amino acid substitutions as early as HeLa-P3: pre-membrane E87K and nonstructural protein 1 R103K. Furthermore, both substitutions were present in virus harvested from HeLa-P6-infected animal tissue. Together, these data show that, similarly to other mosquito-borne flaviviruses, ZIKV is attenuated following passaging in HeLa cells. This strategy can be used to improve understanding of substitutions that contribute to attenuation of ZIKV and be applied to vaccine development across multiple platforms.

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