bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic and molecular analyses of spontaneous mutants of human rhinovirus 14 that are resistant to an antiviral compound
Authors: Heinz B A , Rueckert R R , Shepard D A , Dutko F J , McKinlay M A , Fancher M , Rossmann M G , Badger J , Smith T J
Published: January 2020

Spontaneous mutants of human rhinovirus 14 resistant to WIN 52084, an antiviral compound that inhibits attachment to cells, were isolated by selecting plaques that developed when wild-type virus was plated in the presence of high (2 micrograms/ml) or low (0.1 to 0.4 micrograms/ml) concentrations of the compound. Two classes of drug resistance were observed: a high-resistance (HR) class with a frequency of about 4 x 10(-5), and a low-resistance (LR) class with a 10- to 30-fold-higher frequency. The RNA genomes of 56 HR mutants and 13 LR mutants were sequenced in regions encoding the drug-binding site. The HR mutations mapped to only 2 of the 16 amino acid residues that form the walls of the drug-binding pocket. The side chains of these two residues point directly into the pocket and were invariably replaced by bulkier groups. These findings, and patterns of resistance to related WIN compounds, support the concept that HR mutations may hinder the entry or seating of drug within the binding pocket. In contrast, all of the LR mutations mapped to portions of the polypeptide chain near the canyon floor that move when the drug is inserted. Because several LR mutations partially reverse the attachment-inhibiting effect of WIN compounds, these mutants provide useful tools for studying the regions of the capsid structure involved in attachment. This paper shows that the method of escape mutant analysis, previously used to identify antibody binding sites on human rhinovirus 14, is also applicable to analysis of antiviral drug activity.
Cytocidal effect of tumor necrosis factor on cells chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): enhancement of HIV replication
Authors: Matsuyama T , Hamamoto Y , Soma G , Mizuno D , Yamamoto N , Kobayashi N
Published: January 2020

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a monokine initially described as a tumoricidal agent, facilitated the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro. The viability of human T-cell line MOLT-4/HIV, chronically infected with HIV, was affected by the addition of a low dose (10 ng/ml) of recombinant TNF-alpha (rTNF-alpha), while uninfected MOLT-4 cells were resistant to treatment with rTNF-alpha at concentrations up to 1,000 ng/ml. A marked increase in the level of HIV-specific RNA was detected in MOLT-4/HIV cells as early as 1 h after exposure to rTNF-alpha and reached almost maximum level within 6 h. Production of HIV particles from MOLT-4/HIV was also increased at 6 h after treatment with rTNF-alpha. Nearly identical phenomena were observed in CCRF-CEM/HIV, Jurkat/HIV, and H9/HIV cells, although the sensitivity of these cell lines to rTNF-alpha varied. A human T-lymphotropic virus type 1-infected cell line, MT-4, was insensitive to treatment with rTNF-alpha.
Induction of human interferon gene expression is associated with a nuclear factor that interacts with the NF-kappa B site of the human immunodeficiency virus enhancer
Authors: Hiscott J , Alper D , Cohen L , Leblanc J F , Sportza L , Wong A , Xanthoudakis S
Published: January 2020

The relationship between transcription of alpha and beta interferon (IFN-alpha and IFN-beta) genes and the interaction of IFN promoter-binding transcription factors has been examined in monoblastoid U937 cells following priming with recombinant IFN-alpha 2 (rIFN-alpha 2) and Sendai virus induction. Pretreatment of U937 cells with rIFN-alpha 2 prior to Sendai virus infection increased the mRNA levels of IFN-alpha 1, IFN-alpha 2, and IFN-beta as well as the final yield of biologically active IFN. Analysis of nuclear protein-IFN promoter DNA interactions by electrophoretic mobility-shift assays demonstrated increased factor binding to IFN-alpha 1 and IFN-beta regulatory domains, although no new induction-specific complexes were identified. On the basis of competition electrophoretic mobility-shift assay results, factors interacting with the IFN-alpha 1 and IFN-beta promoters appear to be distinct DNA-binding proteins. U937 factor binding was localized to the P2 domain (-64 to -55) of the IFN-beta regulatory element, a sequence motif with 80% homology to the recognition site of transcription factor NF-kappa B. Protein-DNA interactions within the IFN-beta P2 domain were, in fact, specifically competed by either excess homologous P2 fragment or the human immunodeficiency virus enhancer element which contains two duplicated NF-kappa B recognition sites. Hybrid promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion plasmids, containing either the IFN-beta regulatory element or the human immunodeficiency virus enhancer element linked to the simian virus 40 promoter, were analyzed for virus and phorbol ester inducibility in epithelial and lymphoid cells, respectively. In the 293 cell line, both plasmids were constitutively expressed but not virus inducible, while in Jurkat cells, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity from these plasmids was induced by tumor-promoting agent treatment. These experiments suggest that induction of IFN gene expression may be controlled in part by transcription regulatory proteins binding to an NF-kappa B-like site within the IFN-beta promoter.
The palindromic LTR-LTR junction of Moloney murine leukemia virus is not an efficient substrate for proviral integration
Authors: Lobel L I , Murphy J E , Goff S P
Published: January 2020

We generated viral constructs to test the hypothesis that the major substrate on retroviral DNA that is utilized for proviral DNA integration is the palindromic sequence, termed the LTR-LTR junction, normally present in circular molecules formed by joining the two termini of linear proviral DNA. Recombinant viral genomes were built which carried a selectable marker and an extra copy of the LTR-LTR junction from a cloned circular provirus. The junction sequence in each case was positioned such that its use during integration would lead to an easily detected, aberrantly integrated proviral DNA. Analysis of DNA from cells infected with the virus constructs showed that the introduced junction sequence is used at least 1,000-fold less efficiently than the natural sequences at the ends of the genome. This suggests that a linear or more exotic DNA intermediate is most likely the true precursor for the integration reaction.
Oligomeric structure of gp41, the transmembrane protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1
Authors: Pinter A , Honnen W J , Tilley S A , Bona C , Zaghouani H , Gorny M K , Zolla-Pazner S
Published: January 2020

We characterized the structural forms of the human immunodeficiency virus env-encoded proteins with a panel of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Western blot (immunoblot) assays with antibodies specific for gp41 invariably recognized a major component of 160 kilodaltons and a less intense component of 120 kilodaltons in viral lysates. We demonstrated that these species are noncovalently associated tetramers and trimers of gp41 which represent the native form of this protein in virions. These complexes were stable when boiled in the presence of low concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate but were dissociated to gp41 monomers at high sodium dodecyl sulfate concentrations. Moreover, two human monoclonal antibodies preferentially recognized the oligomeric complexes over monomeric gp41 in Western blots, indicating the presence of epitopes recognized by the human immune system on the gp41 multimers which are not efficiently expressed by the dissociated monomers. The demonstration of the existence of multimeric env complexes and the enhanced and altered antigenicity of such multimers may be relevant to the design of subunit and recombinant human immunodeficiency virus env vaccines.
Nucleotide sequences at recombinational junctions present in pseudorabies virus variants with an invertible L component
Authors: Lu Z Q , DeMarchi J M , Harper L , Rall G F , Ben-Porat T
Published: January 2020

The genome of pseudorabies virus (PrV) consists of two components--a noninvertible long (L) and an invertible short (S) component. The S component is bracketed by inverted repeats. In some variant strains of PrV (which have a selective growth advantage in certain cell lines), a sequence normally present at the left end of the L component has been translocated to the right end of the L component next to the inverted repeat. Consequently, these strains have acquired a genome with an L component that is bracketed by inverted repeats and that also inverts. We have determined the restriction maps and have analyzed the nucleotide sequences of those parts of the genome of three strains with invertible L components that contain the translocated segment of DNA. The results were as follows. The translocated fragments were derived in all cases from the extreme left end of the L component only. The sizes of the translocated fragments were similar, ranging from 1.3 to 1.4 kilobase pairs. The junction between the L and S components in these strains was the same as that in standard viral concatemeric DNA. The translocation of sequences from the left end of the genome next to the inverted repeats was always accompanied by a deletion of sequences from the right end of the L component. The sizes of the deleted fragments varied considerably, ranging from 0.8 to 2.3 kilobase pairs. Sequence homology at the points of recombination, i.e., at the junction between the right end and the left end of the L component, existed sometimes but not always. A model depicting how a virus with a class 2 genome (such as PrV) may acquire a genome with characteristics of a class 3 genome (such as herpes simplex virus) is presented.
Detection of pseudorabies virus transcripts in trigeminal ganglia of latently infected swine
Authors: Cheung A K
Published: January 2020

Two pseudorabies virus (PRV) poly(A)+ RNAs, 2.0 and 0.95 kilobases, were detected in the trigeminal ganglia of latently infected pigs. These RNAs were partially colinear at the 3' end. They were located in the BamHI J fragment (0.706 to 0.737 map units), 3' of the PRV immediate-early gene. A potential polyadenylation signal was also identified in BamHI-J. The direction of transcription of the latency-associated RNAs was antiparallel (i.e., opposite in polarity) to that of the PRV immediate-early mRNA.
The promoter-regulatory region of the major immediate-early gene of human cytomegalovirus responds to T-lymphocyte stimulation and contains functional cyclic AMP-response elements
Authors: Hunninghake G W , Monick M M , Liu B , Stinski M F
Published: January 2020

Prior studies have demonstrated that a small proportion of blood lymphocytes from patients with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection express only the viral immediate-early (IE) genes (L. Einhorn and A. Ost, J. Infect. Dis. 149:207-214, 1984; G. P. A. Rice, R. D. Schrier, and M. B. A. Oldstone, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:6134-6138, 1984). The present studies demonstrate that the IE genes of HCMV are transcribed in Jurkat cells (T lymphocytes) only after activation of the cells with mitogens. Transcription of the IE genes is from an upstream enhancer promoter-regulatory region containing several different repeated sequence motifs. Chimeric plasmids were constructed with just a single copy or three copies of a synthetic oligonucleotide sequence of either the 16-, 18-, 19-, or 21-base-pair (bp) repeat elements upstream of the minimal wild-type promoter sequence to drive expression of the indicator gene, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). The 18- or 19-bp motifs in the enhancer region were found to be important in mediating the effect of the mitogens. However, the CAT activity detected with the 19-bp repeat was always significantly higher than that found with the 18-bp repeat. There was an additive effect by multiple copies of the 18- or 19-bp repeat sequences on gene expression. The 19-bp repeat contains a sequence identical to that described for a cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element, and plasmids containing only this sequence and the minimal promoter sequences upstream of the CAT gene respond to agents which increase intracellular cAMP. Functional cAMP response elements are present in the wild-type promoter-regulatory region and are associated with the 19-bp repeat sequences. It is proposed that activation of lymphocytes results in expression of the IE genes of HCMV, in part via the activation of cellular trans-acting factors which interact with the 18- and 19-bp motifs in the HCMV IE promoter-regulatory region. The 19-bp repeat is the major contributor to the strength of this enhancer-containing promoter-regulatory region.
Characterization of a YAC-1 mouse cell receptor for group B coxsackieviruses
Authors: Hsu K H , Crowell R L
Published: January 2020

A receptor on YAC-1 cells, a mouse T-lymphoma cell line, bound all six serotypes of the group B coxsackieviruses (CVB). In addition, the cells produced infectious virus. Each of the CVB competed for the same receptor on YAC-1 cells. CVB3 bound relatively slowly to YAC-1 cells (k = 4 x 10(-11) min-1 cell-1), and there were only 500 attachment sites per cell. A rabbit antiserum prepared against the HeLa cell receptor protein Rp-a specifically inhibited the binding of CVB1 and CVB3. A virus-receptor complex with CVB3 could be isolated from detergent (0.5% sodium deoxycholate, 1% Triton X-100)-solubilized YAC-1 plasma membranes. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the iodinated virus-receptor complex revealed a band with the same mobility as Rp-a. The results suggested that the YAC-1 receptor for CVB resembles that of the HeLa cell receptor.
Genetic assignment of multiple E2 gene products in bovine papillomavirus-transformed cells
Authors: Lambert P F , Hubbert N L , Howley P M , Schiller J T
Published: January 2020

The E2 open reading frame of bovine papillomavirus type 1 has been shown genetically to encode at least three transcriptional regulatory factors, and three E2 specific proteins have been recently identified in virally transformed rodent cells. In this study, the genes encoding these E2 specific proteins have been determined. The 48-kilodalton (kDa) protein was identified as the product of a full-length E2 open reading frame cDNA, which confirmed that this polypeptide is the E2 transactivator. The 31-kDa E2 protein species, which is the most abundant E2 specific polypeptide, was identified by analysis of both bovine papillomavirus type 1 mutants and cDNAs to be the previously identified E2 transcriptional repressor, E2-TR, which results from translation initiation at an internal E2 ATG codon. The smallest E2 protein species, the 28-kDa polypeptide, was identified as the product of the E8/E2 fusion gene which results from translation of a spliced mRNA species.
Predominant CD4 T-lymphocyte tropism of human herpesvirus 6-related virus
Authors: Takahashi K , Sonoda S , Higashi K , Kondo T , Takahashi H , Takahashi M , Yamanishi K
Published: January 2020

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6)-related virus was isolated from CD4+ CD8- and CD3+ CD4+ mature T lymphocytes but could not be isolated from CD4- CD8+, CD4- CD8-, and CD3- T cells in the peripheral blood of exanthem subitum patients. HHV-6-related virus predominantly infected CD4+ CD8+, CD4+ CD8-, and CD3+ CD4+ cells with mature phenotypes and rarely infected CD4- CD8+ cells from cord blood mononuclear cells, which suggested predominant CD4 mature T-lymphocyte tropism of HHV-6-related virus.
Thymic atrophy characteristic in transgenic mice that harbor pX genes of human T-cell leukemia virus type I
Authors: Furuta Y , Aizawa S , Suda Y , Ikawa Y , Kishimoto H , Asano Y , Tada T , Hikikoshi A , Yoshida M , Seiki M
Published: January 2020

The human T-cell leukemia viruses (HTLV) are associated with T-cell malignancies in humans. The malignant transformation occurs after a long latency in some carriers, and its mechanism appears to be distinct from that of other classes of retroviruses which induce transformation through viral or cellular oncogenes. A widely postulated explanation is that the products of novel pX genes transactivate endogenous cellular genes which lead to tumor development in T cells. To directly examine the pathological effects of pX genes in vivo, we produced transgenic mice harboring the HTLV type I pX genes under several regulatory units: HTLV type I long terminal repeat, immunoglobulin enhancer-simian virus 40 promoter, and mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat. Atrophy of the thymus was characteristic in these mice no matter which regulatory unit directed the expression of the genes.
Activation of endogenous c-fos proto-oncogene expression by human T-cell leukemia virus type I-encoded p40tax protein in the human T-cell line, Jurkat
Authors: Nagata K , Ohtani K , Nakamura M , Sugamura K
Published: January 2020

We examined the ability of the trans-acting factor p40tax of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I), which is thought to be a crucial molecule in T-cell transformation by HTLV-I, to activate expression of a set of endogenous cellular genes related to T-cell proliferation. For this purpose we established a subclone (JPX-9) of Jurkat cells that was stably transfected with an expression plasmid containing the p40tax gene, whose expression is definitely dependent on heavy-metal ions. Expression of the interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain in JPX-9 cells was induced in response to the induction of p40tax expression, as has been demonstrated by others in transient transfection experiments with Jurkat cells. In addition, we found that significant enhancement of expression of the nuclear proto-oncogene c-fos was closely associated with expression of p40tax. Continous enhancement in the level of c-fos mRNA was observed in the presence of p40tax. In contrast, mRNA levels of other nuclear proto-oncogenes (c-myc, c-myb, and c-jun) were not appreciably effected by the expression of p40tax. These results suggest that (i) in addition to the interleukin-2-interleukin-2 receptor system, cellular genes such as c-fos, which regulate normal T-cell growth, are also activated directly or indirectly by p40tax and (ii) p40tax-induced modulation of gene expression plays a crucial role in T-cell transformation by HTLV-I.
Identification of the thymidine kinase gene of feline herpesvirus: use of degenerate oligonucleotides in the polymerase chain reaction to isolate herpesvirus gene homologs
Authors: Nunberg J H , Wright D K , Cole G E , Petrovskis E A , Post L E , Compton T , Gilbert J H
Published: January 2020

Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV) is the causative agent of viral rhinotracheitis in cats. Current vaccination programs employing attenuated live and killed FHV vaccines have been effective in reducing the incidence of this disease. As an initial step in the development of recombinant FHVs for use in the vaccination of cats, we have identified the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of this feline-specific alphaherpesvirus. Comparisons of the amino acid sequences of other herpesvirus TK proteins have shown that these proteins are highly divergent, sharing only short regions of imperfect amino acid identity. We have used the polymerase chain reaction method of DNA amplification to increase the specificity associated with the use of short, highly degenerate oligonucleotide probes derived from regions of imperfect amino acid conservation. These methods were used to isolate the TK gene of FHV and should prove to be useful in the identification of new members of other viral and cellular gene families. A recombinant FHV bearing a deletion in the identified TK gene was constructed and shown to possess the expected TK- phenotype. The FHV TK gene is located at a position of approximately 40% in the long unique component of the FHV genome. The location of the TK gene and the location and orientation of flanking FHV genes, homologs of herpes simplex virus type 1 UL24 and UL22, are conserved among alphaherpesviruses.
Genetic analysis of the filamentous bacteriophage packaging signal and of the proteins that interact with it
Authors: Russel M , Model P
Published: January 2020

The single-stranded DNA of filamentous phages (f1, fd, M13, Ike) contains a region that can fold into a hairpin structure that serves to earmark the DNA for encapsidation. Second-site suppressor mutants of f1 that can compensate for deletion of this packaging signal have been isolated and characterized. The mutations lie in three genes, two that encode virion proteins located at the end of the particle that is first to emerge from the cell, the end at which the packaging signal is located, and the third in a gene whose product is required for assembly but which is not itself a part of the virion. Analysis of base substitution and deletion mutations in the packaging signal suggests that both structural and sequence elements are important to its proper function.
Neutralizing antibodies specific for glycoprotein H of herpes simplex virus permit viral attachment to cells but prevent penetration
Authors: Fuller A O , Santos R E , Spear P G
Published: January 2020

Monoclonal antibodies specific for gH of herpes simplex virus were shown previously to neutralize viral infectivity. Results presented here demonstrate that these antibodies (at least three of them) block viral penetration without inhibiting adsorption of virus to cells. Penetration of herpes simplex virus is by fusion of the virion envelope with the plasma membrane of a susceptible cell. Electron microscopy of thin sections of cells exposed to virus revealed that neutralized virus bound to the cell surface but did not fuse with the plasma membrane. Quantitation of virus adsorption by measuring the binding of purified radiolabeled virus to cells revealed that the anti-gH antibodies had little or no effect on adsorption. Monitoring cell and viral protein synthesis after exposure of cells to infectious and neutralized virus gave results consistent with the electron microscopic finding that the anti-gH antibodies blocked viral penetration. On the basis of the results presented here and other information published elsewhere, it is suggested that gH is one of three glycoproteins essential for penetration of herpes simplex virus into cells.
Adeno-associated virus P5 promoter contains an adenovirus E1A-inducible element and a binding site for the major late transcription factor
Authors: Chang L S , Shi Y , Shenk T
Published: January 2020

Activity of the adeno-associated virus P5 transcriptional control region was found to be induced by adenovirus E1A gene products. A pair of adjacent sequence elements was found to mediate both basal and E1A-induced P5 activity. The first element is a binding site for the major late transcription factor (MLTF), a factor first identified on the basis of its binding to a specific sequence within the adenovirus major late promoter. The second element is a tandemly repeated 10-base-pair sequence whose relationship to previously described binding sites is unclear. Each element individually conferred E1A responsiveness on a heterologous promoter, and deletion analysis demonstrated that each contributed to the level of P5 activity in the presence of E1A products both in transfection- and infection-based assays. Although deletion of the MLTF binding site led to reduced P5 transcriptional activity in the presence of E1A proteins, the deletion generated enhanced P5 basal activity in the absence of the transcriptional activator. The negative effect of the MLTF binding site in the absence of activator and its positive effect in the presence of activator combine to enhance the magnitude of the response by the P5 control region to E1A gene products.
Cytopathic effects induced by Epstein-Barr virus replication in epithelial nasopharyngeal carcinoma hybrid cells
Authors: Sato H , Takimoto T , Tanaka S , Ogura H , Shiraishi K , Tanaka J
Published: January 2020

NPC-KT cl.S61, a subclone derived from an epithelial-nasopharyngeal carcinoma hybrid cell line (NPC-KT), showed cytopathic changes characteristic of herpesvirus replication, including formation of multinucleated giant cells and inclusion bodies, when Epstein-Barr virus replicative cycle was induced by 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine. Acyclovir (an inhibitor of herpesvirus DNA polymerase), Epstein-Barr virus-immune human serum, or 2-deoxyglucose (an inhibitor of the glycosylation) interfered with syncytium formation, indicating that a virus-specified glycoprotein belonging to the late group is responsible for cell fusion induced by Epstein-Barr virus replication in cl.S61 cells.
Functional interaction of constant and variable domains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp120
Authors: Willey R L , Ross E K , Buckler-White A J , Theodore T S , Martin M A
Published: January 2020

A previously reported amino acid substitution within the second conserved domain of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 envelope results in the production of noninfectious particles. Molecular characterization of spontaneous revertant viruses, which arose during long-term cocultures of this env mutant, revealed that an amino acid change within another region of gp120 could functionally compensate for the mutation and restore infectivity. In the current study, we have introduced a conservative amino acid substitution at this second-site revertant codon and observed a marked reduction in HIV-1 infectivity. During the passage of this defective virus in cocultures, yet another revertant appeared which contained an amino acid change within a variable region of gp120 which restored infectivity to near wild-type levels. These results, in combination with other point mutations that have been introduced into the HIV-1 envelope, suggest that at least three discrete regions of gp120 may interact during the establishment of a productive viral infection. This critical step occurs subsequent to the adsorption of virions to the cell surface and either prior to or concomitant with the fusion of viral and cellular membranes.
Interactions of minute virus of mice and adenovirus with host nucleoli
Authors: Walton T H , Moen P T , Fox E , Bodnar J W
Published: January 2020

Biochemical evidence is presented that both minute virus of mice (MVM) and adenovirus interact with the nucleolus during lytic growth and that MVM can also target specific changes involving nucleolar components in adenovirus-infected cells. These virus-nucleolus interactions were studied by analysis of intranuclear compartmentalization of both viral DNAs and host nucleolar proteins: (i) MVM in mouse cells (its normal host) replicates its DNA in the host nucleoli; (ii) specific nucleolar proteins as well as small nuclear ribonucleoprotein antigens are recompartmentalized to multiple intranuclear foci in adenovirus-infected HeLa cells; and (iii) when adenovirus helps MVM DNA replication in a nonpermissive human cell (HeLa), the MVM DNA is also recompartmentalized for synthesis. The data suggest mechanisms for disruption of nucleolar function common to oncogenic or oncolytic virus lytic growth and cell transformation.
Identification of a new transcriptional initiation site and the corresponding functional gene 2b in the murine coronavirus RNA genome
Authors: Shieh C K , Lee H J , Yokomori K , La Monica N , Makino S , Lai M M
Published: January 2020

We have previously shown that some strains of the murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) synthesize an additional mRNA species (mRNA 2b, previously called mRNA 2a) with a size intermediate between that of mRNAs 2 and 3, suggesting the presence of an optional transcriptional initiation site. This transcriptional start is dependent on the leader sequence of the virus strains. To study the mechanism of coronavirus transcriptional regulation, we have cloned and sequenced the region of the viral genome corresponding to the 5' unique coding region of mRNA 2 of the JHM strain of MHV. In addition to the open reading frame (ORF) predicted to encode the viral nonstructural protein p30, a second complete ORF, with the potential to encode a 439-amino-acid polypeptide, was discovered. The transcriptional initiation sites of both mRNA 2a (formerly called mRNA 2) and mRNA 2b were determined by primer extension studies and RNA sequencing. The data indicated that transcription of mRNA 2a initiated at a site, UCUAUAC, that resembled the consensus intergenic sequence. In contrast, the start signal of the optional mRNA 2b, UAAUAAAC, deviated from the consensus sequence. mRNA 2b is a functional mRNA, as shown by in vitro translation studies of mRNA and ORF 2b and by the detection of an additional viral structural protein, gp65, in the JHM strain that synthesized this mRNA. Although the A59 strain of MHV was found to retain ORF 2b, it lacked the correct transcriptional and translational start signals for this gene. This study has therefore identified an optional gene product for murine coronaviruses and provided insights into the mechanism of regulation of MHV RNA transcription.
Herpes simplex virus ribonucleotide reductase: expression in Escherichia coli and purification to homogeneity of a tyrosyl free radical-containing, enzymatically active form of the 38-kilodalton subunit
Authors: Ingemarson R , Gräslund A , Darling A , Thelander L
Published: January 2020

Infection of mammalian cells with herpes simplex virus (HSV) induces a virus-encoded ribonucleotide reductase which is different from the cellular enzyme. This essential viral enzyme consists of two nonidentical subunits of 140 and 38 kilodaltons (kDa) which have not previously been purified to homogeneity. The small subunit of ribonucleotide reductases from other species contains a tyrosyl free radical essential for activity. We have cloned the gene for the small subunit of HSV-1 ribonucleotide reductase into a tac expression plasmid vector. After transfection of Escherichia coli, expression of the 38-kDa protein was detected in immunoblots with a specific monoclonal antibody. About 30 micrograms of protein was produced per liter of bacterial culture. The 38-kDa protein was purified to homogeneity in an almost quantitative yield by immunoaffinity chromatography. It contained a tyrosyl free radical which gave a specific electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum identical to that we have observed in HSV-infected mammalian cells and clearly different from that produced by the E. coli and mammalian ribonucleotide reductases. The recombinant 38-kDa subunit had full activity when assayed in the presence of HSV-infected cell extracts deficient in the native 38-kDa subunit.
The 1:1 N-NS protein complex of vesicular stomatitis virus is essential for efficient genome replication
Authors: La Ferla F M , Peluso R W
Published: January 2020

We studied the effect pH had on the N-NS protein complex to determine its role in vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) genome replication, as we had previously shown that VSV genome replication in vitro requires the interaction of the viral N and NS proteins into a 1:1 complex. A previous report showed that the growth of VSV in L cells was sensitive to the pH of the environment (M. Fiszman, J. B. Leaute, C. Chany, and M. Girard, J. Virol. 13:801-808, 1974). We hypothesized that low pH might disrupt the N-NS protein complex, and so we investigated the molecular events leading to inhibition of viral RNA replication in vitro from extracts that were prepared from VSV-infected cells incubated at pH 6.6. We found that viral genome RNA synthesis in vitro was reduced when infected cells were maintained at pH 6.6. Through immunoprecipitation analysis of the viral soluble protein pool, we found that a complex that usually exists between the N and NS proteins at pH 7.4 was altered in extracts from infected cells maintained at pH 6.6, and this was responsible for the observed effects on viral replication. The effect of low pH on the N-NS protein complex could not be abolished by increasing the concentration of the altered complex, indicating that the effects is more than simply a decrease in the level of the protein complex in the cell. Our data provide additional evidence that the 1:1 N-NS protein complex, and not the N protein alone, serves as the substrate for viral RNA replication in vivo.
Only a minor fraction of plasma membrane-associated large T antigen in simian virus 40-transformed mouse tumor cells (mKSA) is exposed on the cell surface
Authors: Walser A , Rinke Y , Deppert W
Published: January 2020

The bulk of simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen in SV40-infected and -transformed cells localizes within the cell nucleus, while a minor fraction specifically associates with the plasma membrane (PM) and is exposed on the cell surface. PM-associated large T seems to span the lipid bilayer but, on the other hand, does not display typical features of a transmembrane protein. To further characterize the postulated transmembrane orientation of large T, we asked whether all large T molecules associated with the plasma membrane indeed are exposed on the cell surface. We compared the amount of cell surface-exposed large T, determined on living cells by a sensitive 3H-protein A-binding assay and by external immunoprecipitation, with that of total PM-associated large T extracted from isolated PM. We demonstrate that in mKSA cells (SV40-transformed BALB/c mouse fibroblasts), total PM-associated large T accounted for a substantial portion (ca. 2%) of total cellular large T. However, only 0.1 to 0.2% of it could be detected on the cell surface. Thus, only a minor fraction of PM-associated large T (less than 10%) is exposed on the surface of these cells. Interior PM-associated large T is stably associated with the plasma membrane, while the small fraction of surface-exposed large T is rapidly released from the cell surface.
Oncogenicity of human N-ras oncogene and proto-oncogene introduced into retroviral vectors
Authors: Souyri M , Vigon I , Charon M , Tambourin P
Published: January 2020

The N-ras gene is the only member of the ras family which has never been naturally transduced into a retrovirus. In order to study the in vitro and in vivo oncogenicity of N-ras and to compare its pathogenicity to that of H-ras, we have inserted an activated or a normal form of human N-ras cDNA into a slightly modified Harvey murine sarcoma virus-derived vector in which the H-ras p21 coding region had been deleted. The resulting constructions were transfected into NIH 3T3 cells. The activated N-ras-containing construct (HSN) induced 10(4) foci per microgram of DNA and was found to be as transforming as H-ras was. After infection of the transfected cells by either the ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus or the amphotropic 4070A helper viruses, rescued transforming viruses were injected into newborn mice. Both pseudotypes of HSN virus containing activated N-ras induced the typical Harvey disease with similar latency. However, we found that the virus which contained normal N-ras p21 (HSn) was also pathogenic and induced splenomegaly, lymphadenopathies, and sarcoma in mice after a latency of 3 to 7 weeks. In addition, Moloney murine leukemia virus pseudotypes of N-ras caused neurological disorders in 30% of the infected animals. These results differed markedly from those of previous experiments in which we had inserted the activated form of N-ras in the pSV(X) vector: the resulting SVN-ras virus was transforming on NIH 3T3 cells but was poorly oncogenic in vivo (M. Souyri, C. F. Koehne, P. V. O'Donnel, T. H. Aldrich, M. E. Furth, and E. Fleissner, Virology 158:69-78). However, similarly poor oncogenicity was also observed when the v-H-ras coding sequence was inserted in pSV(X) vector, which indicated that the vector sequences play a crucial role in the pathogenicity of a given oncogene. Altogether, these data demonstrated unequivocally that N-ras is potentially as oncogenic as H-ras and that such oncogenic effect could depend on the vector environment.
Adenovirus type 12 E1A down regulates expression of a transgene under control of a major histocompatibility complex class I promoter: evidence for transcriptional control
Authors: Meijer I , Jochemsen A G , de Wit C M , Bos J L , Morello D , van der Eb A J
Published: January 2020

The E1 region of human adenovirus type 12 (Ad12 E1) represses the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes in transformed primary rodent cells. Conflicting results have been reported as to whether this E1A-mediated repression occurs at a transcriptional or a posttranscriptional level. In the present study, we show that in Ad12 E1-transformed primary baby mouse kidney cells from transgenic mice harboring the human growth hormone gene under control of an H-2K promoter both the expression of the endogenous MHC class I genes and the expression of the transgene are repressed. This experiment, as well as nuclear run-on analyses performed with single-stranded probes, revealed that Ad12 E1A inhibits MHC class I gene expression by repressing its promoter.
A karyophilic signal sequence in adenovirus type 5 E1A is functional in Xenopus oocytes but not in somatic cells
Authors: Slavicek J M , Jones N C , Richter J D
Published: January 2020

The carboxy-terminal five amino acids of the adenovirus type 5 E1A gene product are necessary and sufficient for this protein to become localized in the nuclei of somatic cells. In this report, we demonstrate that E1A contains a second nuclear localization signal, which resides within residues 140 to 185 and which functions in Xenopus oocytes but not Xenopus or mammalian somatic cells. These data demonstrate the cell-type-specific utilization of a nuclear localization signal.
Structure of the bacteriophage T4 baseplate as determined by chemical cross-linking
Authors: Watts N R , Coombs D H
Published: January 2020

We have carried out a series of reversible chemical cross-linking experiments using the reagent ethylene glycol-bis(succinimidylsuccinate) with the goal of determining the three-dimensional structure of the bacteriophage T4 baseplate. In a previous report, we investigated the near-neighbor contacts in baseplate precursors and substructures (N.R.M. Watts and D.H. Coombs, J. Virol. 63:2427-2436, 1989). Here we report completion of the analysis by examining finished baseplates and tails. Most of the previous contacts were confirmed, and we report several new contacts, including those within the central hub (gp5-gptd2, gp26-gptd), between the hub and the outer wedges (gp6-gp27(2], between baseplate and sheath (gp54-gp18), and between sheath and core (gp19-gp18). On the basis of this and other available information, a partial three-dimensional model of the baseplate is proposed.
A cis downstream element participates in regulation of in vitro transcription initiation from the P38 promoter of minute virus of mice
Authors: Krauskopf A , Resnekov O , Aloni Y
Published: January 2020

We report the use of a HeLa whole cell extract (WCE) runoff transcription system for the study of cis- and trans-acting elements, participating in the regulation of transcription initiation from the P38 promoter of the parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVM). Our initial studies with HeLa WCE indicated that transcription from the P38 promoter is very inefficient, compared with transcription from the P4 promoter. Supplementation of the HeLa WCE with WCE prepared from uninfected Ehrlich ascites cells enhanced transcription from the P38 promoter twofold, indicating a role for a cellular factor in transcription from the P38 promoter. Furthermore, supplementation with WCE prepared from MVM-infected Ehrlich ascites cells enhanced transcription from the P38 promoter about sixfold, indicating a role for a virally encoded or induced factor. Analyses of runoffs produced by transcription of DNA templates digested with various restriction enzymes defined a downstream promoter element (DPE) necessary for efficient transcription initiation from the P38 promoter. This element resides 282 to 647 base pairs 3' to the transcription initiation site, between the NarI site and the HindIII site (2287 to 2652, MVM numbering system). The virally encoded NS1 protein was shown by DNA precipitation to bind directly or indirectly through a cellular factor to the DPE. This interaction is suggested to be involved in the up regulation of the P38 promoter of MVM. Finally, with a DNase I protection assay performed on a fragment containing the DPE, we estimated the sequence involved in the binding of a factor present in uninfected and infected extracts. The correlation between the binding and transcription activation is discussed.
Human cells infected with retrovirus vectors acquire an endogenous murine provirus
Authors: Scadden D T , Fuller B , Cunningham J M
Published: January 2020

A 5.2-kilobase mouse RNA is expressed in human cells following infection with recombinant retroviruses propagated in mouse NIH 3T3 cells as psi-2 pseudotypes. This RNA is transcribed from a defective mink cell focus-forming provirus and copackaged into virions and integrated into human target cell DNA at a frequency comparable to that of the recombinant retrovirus genome.
Protection from herpes simplex virus type 1 lethal and latent infections by secreted recombinant glycoprotein B constitutively expressed in human cells with a BK virus episomal vector
Authors: Manservigi R , Grossi M P , Gualandri R , Balboni P G , Marchini A , Rotola A , Rimessi P , Di Luca D , Cassai E , Barbanti-Brodano G
Published: January 2020

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B (gB-1) gene, deleted of 639 nucleotides that encode the transmembrane anchor sequence and reconstructed with the extramembrane and intracytoplasmic domains, was cloned under control of the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat in the episomal replicating vector pRP-RSV, which contains the origin of replication and early region of the human papovavirus BK as well as a cDNA for a mutant mouse dihydrofolate reductase that is resistant to methotrexate. gB-1 (0.15 to 0.25 pg per cell per 24 h) was constitutively secreted into the culture medium of pRP-RSV-gBs-transformed human 293 cells. Treatment of transformed cells with methotrexate at high concentrations (0.6 to 6 microM) increased gB-1 production 10- to 100-fold, because of an amplification of the episomal recombinant. Mice immunized with secreted gB-1 produced HSV-1- and HSV-2-neutralizing antibodies and were protected against HSV-1 lethal, latent, and recurrent infections. Constitutive expression of secreted gB-1 in human cells may establish a system to develop diagnostic material and a subunit vaccine for HSV infections.
Functional analysis of the internal translation initiation site of foot-and-mouth disease virus
Authors: Kühn R , Luz N , Beck E
Published: January 2020

Mutagenesis of the large untranslated sequence at the 5' end of the genome of foot-and-mouth disease virus revealed that a region of approximately 450 nucleotides preceding the open reading frame of the viral polyprotein is involved in the regulation of translation initiation at two internal start sites. Variations in two domains of this region reduced the translation efficiency up to 10-fold, whereas an intermediate segment seemed to be less essential. A pyrimidine-rich sequence preceding the start codon was most sensitive in that conversion of single pyrimidine residues to purines decreased the translation efficiency strongly. The data are in agreement with a recently proposed general structural model for the internal ribosome entry site of the cardiovirusaphthovirus subgroup of picornaviruses (E. V. Pilipenko, V. M. Blinov, B. K. Chernov, T. M. Dmitrieva, and V. I. Agol, Nucleic Acids Res. 17:5701-5711, 1989). They suggest, however, that this model represents only a core structure for the internal entry of ribosomes and that foot-and-mouth disease virus and other members of the picornaviruses need additional regulatory RNA elements for efficient translation initiation.
Mutation of lysine 405 to serine in the parvovirus H-1 NS1 abolishes its functions for viral DNA replication, late promoter trans activation, and cytotoxicity
Authors: Li X , Rhode S L
Published: January 2020

A consensus sequence in parvovirus nonstructural protein NS1 has been predicted to be an ATP-binding domain associated with an ATPase and a DNA helicase activity. To investigate the function of NS1 in viral gene expression, a site-directed mutagenesis converting NS1 lysine 405 to serine in parvovirus H-1 was carried out by the polymerase chain reaction. As shown previously, a parvovirus genome containing a deleted NS1 gene was excised from a bacterial plasmid and replicated when a wild-type NS1 gene was provided in trans but failed to be excised and replicate when the mutant NS1 gene was supplied. Interestingly, the serine 405 mutation totally lost the activity of trans activation on the virus late promoter (P38) in a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay and it lost evidence for cytotoxicity in two tumor cell lines (HeLa Gey and NB324K). The serine 405 NS1 protein was translocated normally to the nucleus. These results suggest that the NS1 lysine 405 of H-1 in its putative purine nucleotide-binding site is essential for viral DNA replication and that this domain may be involved in the regulation of the P38 promoter by an unknown mechanism. The loss of NS1 cytotoxicity on tumor cells suggests that NS1 expression is the major cause of cell killing by parvoviruses, which may facilitate further study of the mechanism of oncosuppression by parvoviruses.
Cooperation of v-jun and v-erbB oncogenes in embryo fibroblast transformation in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Garcia M , Samarut J
Published: January 2020

Retroviral vectors carrying either the v-jun and v-erbB sequences or the v-jun gene linked to the neomycin resistance gene were constructed on the basis of the structural genome organization of avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV). These viruses, called JB and JN, respectively, were rescued as Rous-associated virus-1 pseudotypes, and they were shown to successfully transform chicken embryo fibroblasts in vitro. However, in agar, colonies developed from JB-infected fibroblasts were three to five times larger than those obtained after infection with JN or with AEV Pst124 carrying only a functional v-erbB gene. In vivo, on chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays, JB produced fibrosarcomas that were more rapidly growing and much larger than those induced by JN or AEV Pst124. Moreover, in chickens infected in ovo with JB, multiple fibrosarcomas arose in different organs a few days after birth, whereas no tumor could be detected in parallel experiments in either JN- or AEV Pst124-infected animals. These results demonstrate that in embryo fibroblast cells, v-jun and v-erbB can act synergistically to enhance the transformation potential of either oncogene alone both in vitro and in vivo.
Sequence diversity in S1 genes and S1 translation products of 11 serotype 3 reovirus strains
Authors: Dermody T S , Nibert M L , Bassel-Duby R , Fields B N
Published: January 2020

The S1 gene nucleotide sequences of 10 type 3 (T3) reovirus strains were determined and compared with the T3 prototype Dearing strain in order to study sequence diversity in strains of a single reovirus serotype and to learn more about structure-function relationships of the two S1 translation products, sigma 1 and sigma 1s. Analysis of phylogenetic trees constructed from variation in the sigma 1-encoding S1 nucleotide sequences indicated that there is no pattern of S1 gene relatedness in these strains based on host species, geographic site, or date of isolation. This suggests that reovirus strains are transmitted rapidly between host species and that T3 strains with markedly different S1 sequences circulate simultaneously. Comparison of the deduced sigma 1 amino acid sequences of the 11 T3 strains was notable for the identification of conserved and variable regions of sequence that correlate with the proposed domain organization of sigma 1 (M.L. Nibert, T.S. Dermody, and B. N. Fields, J. Virol. 64:2976-2989, 1990). Repeat patterns of apolar residues thought to be important for sigma 1 structure were conserved in all strains examined. The deduced sigma 1s amino acid sequences of the strains were more heterogeneous than the sigma 1 sequences; however, a cluster of basic residues near the amino terminus of sigma 1s was conserved. This analysis has allowed us to investigate molecular epidemiology of T3 reovirus strains and to identify conserved and variable sequence motifs in the S1 translation products, sigma 1 or sigma 1s.