- Volume 73, Issue 1, 1992

The kinetics of fusion of influenza virus (A/PR/8/34) with human promyelocytic leukaemia (HL-60), human T lymphocytic leukaemia (CEM) and murine lymphoma (S49) cells were investigated. Fusion was demonstrated by electron microscopy, and monitored by fluorescence dequenching of octadecylrhodamine incorporated in the virus membrane. Rapid fusion was induced upon mild acidification of the medium. At pH 5, all virus particles were capable of fusing with the cells. The initial rate and the extent of fusion were maximal between pH 4.9 and 5.2 and declined sharply below and above this range. The rate constants of adhesion of influenza virus to cells or erythrocyte ghosts were large, indicating a diffusion-controlled process. The rate constants of fusion of the virus with cells were smaller than those found previously for fusion with various liposomes. Although preincubation of the virus at acidic pH in the absence of target membranes almost completely inactivated the virus in its ability to fuse with erythrocyte ghosts, it reduced the extent of fusion with cultured cells by only 20 to 40%. Kinetic analysis of fusion revealed a mode of inactivation of the virus bound to erythrocyte ghosts or suspension cells, below pH 5.4, different from that of the virus preincubated at low pH without target membranes.

We investigated the possible involvement of oxidative mechanisms in the pathogenesis of influenza A/PR8/34 virus infection in mice. As a biochemical marker of oxidative stress, we determined the endogenous concentrations of the antioxidants glutathione and vitamins C and E in their reduced and oxidized forms in the lungs, liver and blood plasma of control and infected animals. Following intranasal infection with 8 to 10 LD50, influenza virus was detected in the lungs, but not in the plasma, liver or other organs. Infection resulted in a decrease in the total concentration of glutathione and vitamins C and E, whereas no relevant change in the ratio of oxidized to total concentration of antioxidants was observed. Changes in the concentration of hepatic antioxidants were significant in the early stages of the infection. The results suggest that hepatic alterations may be caused indirectly by mechanisms related to the host response to virus infection. The observed general decrease in the antioxidant buffering capacity may reduce the ability of tissues to protect against potential oxidative stress. Such stress can occur during bacterial superinfections, which are common in influenza, thereby rendering the host more susceptible to the pathogenic effects of such agents. In addition, reactive oxygen species produced in the lung may inactivate protease inhibitors, resulting in increased protease activity. Using an in vitro system consisting of α1-antiprotease, trypsin and HOCl as the oxidant, we have shown that the infectivity of influenza viruses can be increased up to 10000-fold by proteolytic cleavage of haemagglutinin, leading to activation of the fusogenic properties of this protein.

In order to analyse the expression of the non-structural (ns) protein p80/p125 in cells infected with different pestiviruses at the protein level, radioimmunoprecipitations with the pestivirus-specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) BVD/C16 were performed. Cell lysates infected with cytopathic (cp) and non-cytopathic (ncp) bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus strains and isolates, and with hog cholera (HC) virus strains were analysed. From cpBVD virus-infected cells, the MAb precipitated one or more proteins corresponding to ns p125, displaying a marked size heterogeneity. In contrast, the lower M r ns p80 proteins from all cpBVD virus strains and isolates analysed had identical electrophoretic motility. The ncpBVD virus strains displayed either one single band or a doublet of the p125 protein and no p80 cleavage products. The p125 proteins precipitated from HC virus-infected cells showed no size heterogeneity. The possibility is discussed that multiple recombination events, including both insertions or deletions in the genomes of ncpBVD viruses, may lead to the heterogeneous expression of the ns p125 in cpBVD virus populations.

Viral protein and RNA synthesis were compared in BHK and Aedes albopictus C6/36 (mosquito) cells infected with Bunyamwera virus. In BHK cells host protein synthesis was inhibited and viral proteins were detected until the cells died; in C6/36 cells there was little inhibition of host proteins and viral proteins could not be detected after 36 h post-infection. Relatively more S segment RNA than L or M segment RNA was produced in infected C6/36 cells compared to BHK cells. A persistent infection of C6/36 cells was established and the cells were passaged at weekly intervals for over a year. The titre of virus released from the cells and the level of viral RNA in the cells at different passages fluctuated markedly, but there was no simple relationship between virus titre and the amount of viral RNA. Northern blot analysis of viral RNA extracted from persistently infected cells revealed the presence of subgenomic RNAs derived from the L RNA segment. These defective RNAs were not packaged into nucleocapsids. The presence of the defective RNAs did not correlate with resistance of cells cloned from the persistently infected population to superinfection with homologous virus. Hence the role of these defective RNAs in the maintenance of the persistent state remains to be elucidated.

A photoactive nucleotide analogue of UTP, 5-azidouridine 5′-triphosphate (5-N3UTP), has been demonstrated to interact with the RNA polymerase of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) transcription complex. Kinetic studies indicated that 5-N3UTP served as an efficient replacement for UTP in in vitro polymerase reactions. The K m for the azido analogue was 27 µm and that of the natural substrate, UTP, was 7 µm. Photolysis of [γ-32P]5-N3UTP in the presence of VSV transcription complexes resulted in selective radiolabelling of the L protein. This photolabelling was saturable with an apparent K d of 28 µm. The L protein was protected from [γ-32P]5-N3UTP-mediated photolabelling by competing natural substrates (UTP, CTP, ATP, GTP). The stoichiometry of photoprobe incorporation into the transcription complex was close to unity with respect to the L protein. These data provide evidence that the nucleotide-binding domain of the VSV RNA polymerase contains amino acid residues of the L protein.

A photoaffinity analogue of ATP, 8-azido-adenosine 5′-triphosphate (8-N3ATP), was used to probe ATP-binding sites in native transcription complexes of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) (New Jersey serotype). The analogue was found to be a substrate for a serine/threonine protein kinase that phosphorylated both the NS and L proteins of native complexes. The analogue failed to interact with the RNA polymerase, another ATP-utilizing activity associated with the transcription complex. Kinetic analyses of both ATP and 8-N3ATP utilization by the protein kinase yielded biphasic saturation curves. Photolysis of 8-N3ATP in the presence of VSV transcription complexes resulted in selective labelling of the L protein. The photolabelling of L was saturable and apparently biphasic. Photolabelling of the L protein was significantly reduced by competition with ATP whereas other nucleoside triphosphates (GTP, UTP and CTP) were ineffective competitors. The stoichiometry of photolabelling was 0.2 at 10 µm-8N3ATP and 1.3 at 100 µm-ATP. These data provide chemical evidence for a virus-encoded serine/threonine protein kinase which resides on the L protein.

Under conditions in which a clonal cell line (M10) isolated from a human T cell lymphotrophic virus type I-transformed MT-4 cell line was completely killed by infection with wild-type human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), equivalent M10 cells survived infection with HIV-1 vif, vpr or vpu mutant virus after transient cytopathic effects. Several cell clones, which were isolated from the proliferating M10 cells after infection with vif and vpu mutant viruses (M10/vif − and M10/vpu −), had heterogeneous HIV-1 phenotypes in terms of HIV-1 antigen expression, their syncytium forming capacity, reverse transcriptase activity and the infectivity of HIV-1 particles produced. When the replication kinetics of the HIV-1 particles produced were assayed in M10 cells, the clones could be classified into three types, i.e. type I producing non-infectious HIV-1, type II producing infectious HIV-1 with low replicative ability and type III producing infectious HIV-1 with a replicative ability similar to that of wild-type HIV-1. HIV-1 major viral cell proteins and virus particle fractions were almost typical in types II and III but not in type I. Electron microscopic examination of particles released by I, II and III clones revealed rare defective, predominantly defective and essentially normal virions, respectively. Northern and Southern blot analyses revealed no apparent deletion in the proviral DNA and mRNA prepared from these clones, except in the case of type I and II clones isolated from M10/vpu − which contained large deletions in the mRNAs for gag and gag-pol proteins. Thus, M10 cells surviving infection with HIV-1 vif or vpu mutants are heterogeneous, persistently expressing HIV-1 antigens and producing non-infectious or less cytopathic virus.

Full-length (72K) and truncated (61K) CryIVD mosquitocidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) were expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda cells and larvae of Trichoplusia ni using a baculovirus vector to investigate the role of CryIVD peptides in toxicity as well as to evaluate further the baculovirus/lepidopteran system for expressing Bt proteins. The cryIVD genes were inserted into the Autographa californica multinucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) under control of the polyhedrin promoter by recombination in S. frugiperda cells between a transfer vector carrying the Bt genes and vDA26Z, a recombinant AcMNPV carrying the Escherichia coli β-galactosidase gene under control of the DA26 promoter. Recombinant AcMNPVs carrying the genes were detected as blue occlusion body-negative plaques in monolayers of S. frugiperda cells grown in the presence of X-Gal. Infection of S. frugiperda cells and T. ni larvae with plaque-purified recombinant virus, expressing either the full-length or truncated CryIVD protein, resulted in the synthesis of proteins of the expected size, as confirmed by immunoblot analyses, and their crystallization into cuboidal inclusions in the cytoplasm. Infected cells and purified inclusions from the virus (AcCryIVD) expressing the full-length protein were highly toxic to mosquito larvae, but similar preparations from the virus (AcCryIVD-C) expressing the truncated protein with a 9.6K deletion at the N terminus were non-toxic. Proteolysis with trypsin of CryIVD proteins produced by Bt and the recombinant AcMNPVs yielded peptides corresponding in size, showing that synthesis of mosquitocidal Bt proteins in lepidopteran cells occurred. The lack of toxicity of the truncated CryIVD protein, which like the toxic full-length protein yielded a 34K protein on proteolysis that has been implicated in toxicity, indicates that by itself this protein is non-toxic. These results demonstrate the utility of the baculovirus system for expression of mosquitocidal Bt proteins and for investigation of their mode of action.

Using purified bacterially expressed herpes simplex virus type 1 ribonucleotide reductase large subunit (R1) and the proteolytic enzymes chymotrypsin and trypsin, we have generated stable N-terminal truncations. Chymotrypsin removes 246 amino acids from the amino terminus to produce a fragment (dN246R1) which retains full enzymic activity and affinity for the small subunit (R2). Treatment of R1 with trypsin produces a 120K protein and a cleavage at amino acid residue 305 to produce a fragment (dN305R1) which remains associated with a 33K N-terminal polypeptide. Although this 33K-dN305R1 complex retains full binding affinity for R2 its reductase activity is reduced by approximately 50%. Increasing the concentration of trypsin removes the 33K N-terminal polypeptide resulting in dN305R1 which, when bound to R2, has full ribonucleotide reductase activity. Like R1, dN246R1 and dN305R1 each exist as dimers showing that the first 305 amino acids of R1 are not necessary for dimer formation. These results indicate that, in structural studies of subunit interaction, dN246R1 or dN305R1 can be considered as suitable replacements for intact R1.

Mice with severe combined immunodeficiency were inoculated intraperitoneally with 50 × 106 human tonsillar mononuclear cells (hu-TMCs) from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody seropositive or seronegative human subjects. Between 5 and 11 weeks later, 29.4% (10/34) of mice injected with hu-TMCs from EBV seropositive donors, but none of 34 animals receiving hu-TMCs from EBV seronegative donors, developed intraabdominal and/or intrathoracic tumours (P, 0.002). By means of in situ hybridization using alpha satellite DNA from human chromosome 17, all tumours produced after cell transfer from EBV seropositive donors were identified to be of human origin. Histologically the tumours resembled large cell lymphomas; the EBV genome was detected by in situ hybridization and EBV nuclear antigen by immunofluorescence in these tumours. The tumours were poly- or oligoclonal, and stained for human IgG and IgM, and less frequently IgA and IgD. Serum levels of human immunoglobulin in animals developing human tumours were significantly higher than in reconstituted mice without tumours and the sera exhibited polyoligo- or monoclonality in immunoelectrophoresis. Human interleukin 6 was detected in the serum of six of 10 animals with human lymphomas, but not in any animals without human lymphoma.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 10 woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV)-infected wood-chucks were examined for the presence of WHV surface (WHs) and core (WHc) antigens (WHsAg and WHcAg) by cytofluorometry using fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-WHs and anti-HBc-purified immunoglobulins from woodchuck and human sera. The presence of viral DNA and RNA was detected in the serum and PBMCs from the same blood samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with two primer sets located in the S and C genes of the WHV genome. Seven animals were found positive for both WHsAg and WHcAg on the surface of PBMCs: four WHV-chronic carriers, two WHsAg-positive animals with acute WHV infection, and one woodchuck which was bled during the incubation phase of WHV infection and which became WHsAg-positive only 1 month later. Sixteen to 71% of the studied leukocyte population expressed WHsAg with a low density of expression whereas 7 to 72% expressed WHcAg with a high density of expression. Only two cases were positive for WHsAg without WHcAg on PBMCs, one WHV chronic carrier and one anti-WHs-positive animal. All woodchucks positive for WHcAg and/or WHsAg by cytofluorometry were positive also for WHV DNA and RNA in PBMCs by PCR. The tenth animal was found negative for both viral antigens as well as for WHV DNA and RNA in PBMCs despite the presence of persistent viral DNA in the serum as detected by PCR. Five healthy woodchucks devoid of WHV serological markers served as negative controls. These results obtained with a novel approach further confirm, in the wood chuck model, that a significant proportion of PBMCs are probably permissive for WHV replication. The possible immunopathogenic implications of the phenomenon are discussed.

The enhancer element of hepatitis B virus (HBV) regulates the transcription of all HBV mRNA, including the pregenomic mRNA used during replication. This pregenomic mRNA is transcribed from the core gene promoter which is located 500 bp downstream from the HBV enhancer element. To examine the effect of the HBV enhancer on the activity of the core gene promoter, we constructed various plasmids containing different combinations of HBV enhancer and core gene promoter sequences regulating the expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. When the HBV enhancer was positioned immediately adjacent to the core gene promoter, the enhancer increased the activity of the core gene promoter nearly 30-fold. In contrast, the HBV enhancer only modestly stimulated the core gene promoter (less than threefold) at its native position in the HBV genome. This weak HBV enhancer activity was due to a DNA sequence located between the enhancer and the core gene promoter and not due to the increased distance between the enhancer and the core gene promoter. Competition experiments demonstrated that a trans-acting factor(s) bound this sequence and repressed the enhancer. This DNA sequence contains the C/EBP, AP-1 and NF-1 regulatory sites. No inhibition of enhancer activity was observed when only the AP-1 and C/EBP sites were present. Repression of the HBV enhancer was not detected when the NF-1 site was disrupted, indicating that the NF-1 site was involved in the suppression of the HBV enhancer.

A series of hepatitis B virus open reading frame (ORF) preS-S variants, including mutants in which the relative order of the in-frame start codons (AUG1, AUG2 and AUG3) and nearby sequences had been altered, was expressed both in vivo (in HepG2 hepatoblastoma cells) and in vitro (by T7 promoter-driven transcription followed by translation in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate). The ratio of the synthesis of the large, middle (M) and major (S) proteins or their chimeric counterparts was analysed to study the translational regulation of ORF expression. As expected on the basis of the ribosome scanning model, the AUG sequence context was found to be a prominent factor in determining the different translational behaviour of the two preS-S-specific mRNAs of 2.4 kb (predominantly translated from AUG1) and 2.1 kb (which includes AUG2 and/or AUG3 and can be translated from either). Results from both experimental systems suggested that initiation at internal AUGs in the 2.4 kb RNA is possible. In experiments in vitro, preS-S mutants bearing lesions in a region 5′ to AUG2, which has been implicated in AUG2/AUG3 cis repression, showed no increase in the utilization of internal AUGs. In addition, the chimeric envelope polypeptides produced in transfected HepG2 cells in this study were informative with respect to preS-mediated endoplasmic retention: replacement of the preS2 N terminus with that from preS1 generated a chimeric M protein that was glycosylated within the putative preS1 retention sequence ad was not secreted. Thus, the preS1 retention sequence most likely acts inside the lumen of endoplasmic reticulum and its function is insensitive to glycosylation. A similar element might be active at the N terminus of M protein.

The competence of non-hepatocytes to support hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene expression and replication was studied by transient transfection of various human cell lines with a head-to-tail dimer of HBV DNA. Independent of their neuroectodermal, mesenchymal or epithelial origin, all non-hepatocyte cell lines tested synthesized and secreted hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core/e antigen (HBc/eAg). Further analyses of two of these cell lines (LS 180 and COLO 320) identified the two major HBV transcripts of 3.6 and 2.2/2.4 kb length, respectively. LS 180 cells were permissive for HBV and duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) DNA replication and secretion of infectious virions. COLO 320 cells also supported HBV DNA replication, but did not appear to export complete viral particles. These findings provide direct evidence that both HBV and DHBV can replicate in non-hepatic tumour cell lines, one of which is shown also to produce infectious virions.

Integrated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA previously cloned from a hepatocellular carcinoma genomic library derived from a Japanese patient was characterized further. Sequence analysis of restriction fragments bearing the virus-host junctions defined 3125 nucleotides of essentially un-rearranged HBV DNA of the adr subtype with the right junction mapping within the cohesive region at position 1970 and the left within the pre-core at position 1886. The right viral-host junction contains a 7 bp repeat (TGTAGGC) and a possible 2 bp inversion. The integrated HBV DNA includes the complete open reading frames for core, pre-S, S and polymerase and a 3′ truncated X gene, and lacks most of the pre-core. Integration has occurred at a mutational hot spot of the viral genome and appears to be located in a region of semi-repetitive genomic DNA 3′ to the β-globin gene cluster.

Antisera to a peptide representing the extreme carboxy terminus of the hepatitis delta virus antigen (HDAg) open reading frame (residues 197 to 211) recognized only the large (p27δ) and not the small (p24δ) form of HDAg in immunoblots of infected liver extracts, thereby providing direct proof that p27δ and p24δ differ in their carboxyl-terminal sequence and that p27δ results from mutation within the stop codon terminating translation of p24δ. Reactions with other peptide antisera demonstrated that multiple smaller virus-specified proteins were carboxy-terminally truncated forms of HDAg, and immunoprecipitation studies suggested that different forms of HDAg were present as heterologous complexes within the liver extract.

Three bovine herpesvirus type 4 (BHV-4) proteins released into the culture medium of infected cells were identified, with M r values of 135K, 16K and 14.5K. Among these three proteins, two were precipitated by the monoclonal antibodies characterized in this work. One is a glycoprotein of 135K (gp8) which does not seem to be involved in BHV-4 neutralization. Moreover, this 135K glycoprotein adsorbed onto uninfected susceptible cells. The attachment of gp8 to cells was totally inhibited by the prior adsorption of unlabelled viral proteins. Moreover, anti-gp8 monoclonal antibodies were effective in inhibiting the adsorption of gp8. These results indicate that gp8 could be involved in BHV-4 attachment.

The 10K gene of simian herpes B virus (SHBV) has been located and the nucleotide sequence determined. Its relationship to homologous genes in other herpesviruses has been examined. The SHBV 10K gene exhibits a closer relationship to its homologue in HSV-1 than to those in the other viruses studied. Nucleotide sequence identity of 61% was found between the HSV-1 and SHBV 10K genes, and 57% identity was found between the corresponding predicted protein sequences. A comparison of the amino acid sequences of the herpesvirus 10K proteins has revealed a number of conserved features. These are examined in relation to possible functions of the 10K proteins. Implications for evolutionary relationships between SHBV and other herpesviruses are discussed.