- Volume 75, Issue 8, 1994

Reactivation was induced by explantation of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from mice that were latently infected with herpes simplex virus type 1. Reactivation was first detected, using combined in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry, at 2 or 3 days post-explantation (p.e.). Evidence of reactivation was found primarily in neurons that did not also contain latency-associated transcripts (LATs). Occasionally, mRNA of immediate early gene 2 (IE2) or IE4/5, in the absence of other viral mRNAs or antigen, was found in LAT+ neurons. Thus, if reactivation was occurring in LAT+ neurons, the LATs must have been lost as an early consequence; however we could detect neither a decrease in the percentages of LAT+ neurons nor a reduction in the intensity of the LAT signal during the period of reactivation. However, the number of foci of reactivation was generally less than 2·9% of the estimated number of LAT+ cells in the DRG; this may account for our failure to see such changes. A redistribution of the LATs into the cytoplasm was found in some cells but this could reflect the poor survival and consequent death of the explanted neurons. We conclude that the majority of LAT+ neurons did not reactivate on explantation and that if reactivation occurred only in LAT+ neurons, the LATs must have been removed from the nucleus as an early consequence of reactivation. Alternatively, there may be a population of latently infected cells that do not express LATs.

The nucleotide sequence of the genes encoding the canine herpesvirus (CHV) gB, gC and gD homologues was determined. These genes are predicted to encode polypeptides of 879, 459 and 345 amino acids, respectively. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences of CHV gB, gC and gD with the homologous sequences from other herpesviruses indicates that CHV is an alphaherpesvirus, a conclusion that is consistent with the previous classification of this virus according to biological properties. Alignment of the homologous gB, gC and gD amino acid sequences indicates that most of the cysteine residues are conserved, suggesting that these glycoproteins possess similar tertiary structures. The nucleotide sequence of the open reading frame downstream from the CHV gC gene was also determined. The predicted amino acid sequence of this putative polypeptide appears to be homologous to a family of proteins encoded downstream from the gC gene in most, although not all, alphaherpesviruses.

The extracellular portion (amino acids 1 to 844) of the equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) glycoprotein gpl4, the homologue of gB of herpes simplex virus, was expressed in Escherichia coli and in insect cells using a recombinant baculovirus. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the recombinant E. coli expressed a fusion protein of M r 135K which was composed of the truncated gpl4 and the maltose-binding protein (MBP) provided by the vector and a 90K protein lacking the MBP moiety. Both proteins were sequestered within the cells in form of inclusion bodies. Infection of insect cells with the recombinant baculovirus resulted in the production of a 115K to 118K glycoprotein which was cleaved intracellularly into two subunits of M r 55K and 63K to 65K. The cleaved subunits were secreted into the cell culture supernatant and formed disulphide-linked dimers of M r 120K to 122K. The recombinant proteins produced in E. coli and in insect cells elicited EHV-1-specific antibodies in goats as demonstrated by Western blot analysis. The gpl4 expressed in insect cells induced antibodies with virus-neutralizing activity. In contrast, the truncated gpl4 expressed by E. coli failed to elicit neutralizing antibodies. The results suggest that posttranslational modification of the EHV-1 gpl4 may be important for the expression of epitopes necessary for the induction of neutralizing antibodies.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 UL37 gene encodes a protein with an M r of 120K that is produced at late times after infection. To study the properties of this protein we have linked a 10 amino acid epitope derived from a human cytomegalovirus protein to the UL37 polypeptide coding sequences by inserting an oligonucleotide at a SpeI site that is unique in the virus genome and lies close to the 3′ end of the open reading frame. From studies on the resultant virus recombinant using a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the inserted epitope we find that, contrary to a previous report, the UL37 protein is a structural component of both virions and L particles and is present in the tegument of virus particles. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis revealed that the protein is distributed throughout infected cells but is more abundant in the cytoplasm than the nucleus.

The HSZP strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is defective with respect to the early shutoff of host protein synthesis but is effective at interfering with the early shutoff function of the HSV-1 KOS strain, even when heat-inactivated or neutralized by antibody. The interference was not due to exclusion of strain KOS by HSZP at the level of adsorption or penetration. The component responsible for the interference is an integral part of HSZP virions. Strain HSZP inactivated with zinc ions failed to interfere with the early shutoff function of the superinfecting strain KOS. The same effect was also found with strain HSZP purified from cells treated with 2-deoxy-d-glucose. This finding supports the idea that a specific interaction between HSZP virions and the cell surface can be responsible for the interference phenomenon.

Laboratory animal models are important tools for the identification of avirulent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strains which have potential for use in humans as vaccine strains or gene therapy vectors. We have studied an HSV-1 17+ variant, 1716, that has a deletion in the γ34.5 gene and which replicates poorly in the footpads of mice and is unable to grow in the mouse central nervous system or dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of the peripheral nervous system following peripheral inoculation. However, 1716 is known to be capable of establishing latent infections in the DRG of mice. Here we show that 1716 is avirulent after ocular infection and has low virulence after intracranial inoculation in SCID mice. Since SCID mice are much more sensitive to HSV-1 infection than immunocompetent mice, our results clearly demonstrate the drastically reduced virulence of the variant 1716 and provide additional support for the hypothesis that this variant would be avirulent in humans.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) gene US3 has been shown to encode a serine-threonine protein kinase. In this study, we have tried to identify target proteins of the US3 protein kinase using a US3 lacZ insertion mutant of HSV-2. When permeabilized cells were labelled with [γ-32P]ATP under the optimum conditions for the US3 enzyme, the most striking difference between wild-type HSV-2 strain 186- and mutant-infected cells was observed in the phosphorylation of proteins ranging in M r values from 14K to 22K. Studies of in vitro phosphorylation with purified virions and with cells infected with a US9-defective HSV-1 mutant suggested that a tegment phosphoprotein encoded by the US9 gene may be a target of HSV-2 US3 protein kinase.

The sequence of the fibre of bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAd3) predicts an extremely long structure due to a large number of 15-residue repeats in the fibre shaft, the tail and head domains being similar in size to the human adenovirus fibres. The length of the fibre was confirmed using negative-strain electron microscopy of BAd3 pentons (fibre plus penton base). The fibre was found to be bent in several discrete places and the bending sites appear to correspond with irregular repeats in the shaft. We suggest that bending of the fibre is needed for the interaction of the penton base with the secondary receptors on the cell surface.

Recombinant human papillomavirus type 11 (HPV-11) virus-like particles (VLPs) were tested for their ability to induce the formation of neutralizing antibodies, and were also tested for serodiagnostic capabilities in an ELISA in comparison with HPV-11 whole virions. VLPs, purified by CsCl density gradient centrifugation from the cell-free supernatant of Ac 11 LI-infected Sf9 suspension cell cultures, were used to immunize rabbits and anti-VLP antibodies were tested in the athymic mouse model of HPV-11 infection. Pretreatment of infectious HPV-11 virions with the immune serum of VLP-treated animals caused a marked reduction of graft growth (P < 10−4) and viral gene expression (P < 10 −4), similar to the effects obtained using whole virion postimmune serum, and consistent with immune neutralization. To assess the serodiagnostic capabilities of VLPs, a VLP ELISA was developed and used to analyse sera that were tested previously in an HPV-11 whole virion ELISA. Specific antibodies were detected in 49% of patients’ sera (P = 2 × 10−4), and individual VLP sero- reactivities correlated with those previously obtained using whole virions as the antigen (r = 0·87; P < 10−6). These results indicate that recombinant VLPs can be used to elicit a neutralizing antibody response, and can substitute faithfully for native virions in the development of HPV-serodiagnostic immunoassays.

Using a plasmid (pSWS) similar to one that has been successfully used for large-scale production of hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelope protein particles (pSVS) but containing the corresponding woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) envelope gene sequences, we have stably transformed the rodent dihydrofolate reductase-deficient cell line CHO dhfr −. Although production of WHV envelope particles in CHO/pSWS cell lines was low, it was sufficient to test whether these particles could bind to polymerized serum albumin. Whereas binding of HBV particles produced in CHO/pSVS cells to polymerized human serum albumin could readily be detected, we found no evidence that the WHV envelope protein particles produced in vitro bind to either human or woodchuck polymerized serum albumin.

Sequence analysis of the p10 genes of three Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) isolates collected in Taiwan (Ta) and Japan (T3 and D1) showed that all possessed a deletion of an adenine residue, 210 bp downstream from the first base of the initiation codon when compared to the p10 gene of Autographa califomica (multinucleocapsid) NPV (AcMNPV). This deletion caused a downstream termination codon to come inframe with the coding sequence of p10, so that the p10 gene of BmNPV encoded a protein of 70 amino acid residues with an M r of 7700. This is considerably shorter than the 10000 M r protein encoded by the closely related AcMNPV.

An analysis of the humoral immunogenicity of a candidate AIDS vaccine (VaxSyn) in a murine model system is presented. Sera taken from a panel of mice immunized with the immunogen were analysed for their ability to bind a panel of gpl20-representing peptides and limited reactivity to known sites of immunological interest was observed. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were characterized as binding to a more restricted variety of regions on gpl20 including Cl, V2, V4 and the C terminus. A tetrazolium-based cytocidicity assay was used and shown to be an effective and objective method for the screening of human immunodeficiency virus (HlV)-neutralizing activity in large numbers of samples. None of the MAbs characterized in this study neutralize HIV-1 reference strains. The significance of these findings in view of previous publications is discussed.

Recombinant vaccinia viruses were constructed that expressed the complete env gene of feline immunodeficiency virus with or without the nucleotide sequence encoding the cleavage site between the surface (SU) protein and the transmembrane (TM) protein. The removal of this cleavage site resulted in the expression of a 150K protein that was processed into a 130K protein and was not cleaved into the SU and the TM proteins. Removal of the cleavage site also facilitated incorporation of the SU protein in immune-stimulating complexes (iscoms). Antibody responses to both an SU and a TM peptide representing two immunodominant B cell epitopes were measured. These were higher in cats immunized with iscoms prepared from the cleavage site-deleted envelope protein than in cats immunized with iscoms prepared from the native envelope protein or immunized with the envelope protein and the adjuvant Quil A.

Complete nucleotide sequences were obtained from the nucleoprotein genes of three influenza A viruses and partial nucleotide sequences were obtained from the polymerase, neuraminidase, matrix, and non-structural protein genes of four influenza A viruses that had been isolated between 1931 and 1939 from clinically sick pigs in the United States or Europe. A phylogenetic analysis of the open reading frames of nine nucleoprotein genes showed that the U.S. swine influenza virus isolates from 1931 and 1937 originated from the classic swine viral nucleoprotein lineage, whereas the European swine strains from 1938 and 1939 were placed among the early human influenza virus nucleoprotein lineage. All the partial gene sequences obtained from the two European swine strains from 1938 and 1939 were also more closely related to early human H1N1 reference strains than to the U.S. swine isolates from 1931 and 1937, indicating that none of the four viruses isolated from swine had acquired genes from a heterologous lineage through reassortment.

An in vivo system in which expression of a synthetic influenza virus-like chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) RNA is driven by influenza virus proteins synthesized from cloned cDNAs has been developed. Expression of the four influenza virus core proteins (nucleoprotein, PA, PB1 and PB2) was performed by transfection of four pGEM recombinant plasmids, each containing one of the four viral genes, into cell cultures previously infected with a vaccinia virus recombinant encoding the T7 RNA polymerase (vTF7-3). When a naked negative-sense influenza virus-like CAT RNA was transfected into cells expressing the four influenza virus proteins, CAT activity was detected in the cell extracts, demonstrating that the expressed proteins had RNA-synthesizing activity. In this system, CAT RNA templates containing additional nucleotides at the 3′ end were also expressed, resulting in CAT activity. This showed that the influenza virus polymerase can recognize its promoter when located internally on an RNA template. In influenza virus-infected cells however, CAT activity was detected only when the CAT RNA contained the viral promoter at the exact 3′ end and was transfected as in vitro assembled ribonucleoprotein. These results are discussed in terms of the different requirements of the two helper systems for expression of an exogenously added RNA.

The IgA antibody response to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was determined in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) of 22 infants and children infected with RSV group A strains, employing an ELISA. The antibody activity observed during the convalescent phase against whole virus, fusion glycoprotein (F) and large glycoprotein (G) was examined in young infants (under 6 months) and compared with that of older individuals (6 to 16 months). Both groups showed similar degrees of IgA antibody activity to whole virus in NPS; however, older individuals showed a significantly higher activity of IgA F antibody than that of IgA G antibody in the NPS. On the other hand, in the NPS of young infants, IgA F antibody was somewhat suppressed and IgA G antibody activity predominated over that of IgA F. Pre-existing (maternal) serum IgG anti-RSV F antibody activity was higher than that of antibody to G. A significant reverse correlation was observed between the activity of preexisting serum IgG F antibody and NPS IgA F antibody in the convalescent phase after primary infection with RSV. These observations suggest that maternally derived RSV IgG antibody, which contains abundant anti-F activity, may suppress the development of IgA F antibody response at infection sites in the respiratory tract in young infants during primary RSV infection. These changes may be related to the severity of acute infection and longer convalescence often observed in young infants during RSV infection.

Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYW)-infected sugarbeets were obtained from many parts of Europe and also from some sites in Asia and the U.S.A. Reverse transcription (RT)–PCR products of more than 1 kbp were obtained for four different regions of the viral genome which may be particularly important with respect to the pathogenic properties of the virus, i.e. for the coat protein and the 42K protein-encoding regions on RNA 2 and for major parts of RNAs 3 and 4. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns obtained with these PCR products revealed the existence of two major strain groups of BNYW, named type A and type B. The A type was detected in Greece, the former Yugoslavia, Slovakia, parts of Austria, Italy, Spain, parts of France, Belgium, The Netherlands and England as well as in Asia (Turkey, Kazachstan, China and Japan) and the U.S.A. The B type occurs in Germany and parts of France. Mixed infections were detected at the borderline regions between areas of the A and B types. Comparisons of published and newly determined nucleotide sequences of the respective parts of the BNYW genome indicate that the percentage of nucleotide differences between the A and the B type is approximately 3 % for the respective regions of RNAs 2 and 3 and approximately 1·5% for RNA 4. Nucleotide sequences appear to be remarkably stable within each of the two strain groups. The majority of the nucleotide differences between the A and B types occur in the third triplet position. The amino acid changes in the coat protein area are outside the four previously determined antigenic regions that are accessible on the surface of the virus particles and are involved in the formation of continuous and presumably also discontinuous epitopes. This may explain why serological differences between the two strain groups have not been found.

Electrophoretic profiles of the dsRNAs of field isolates of rice dwarf virus (RDV) were compared with those of an isolate maintained at Hokkaido University (RDV-H). Unexpectedly, the genomic dsRNAs of most of the field isolates showed distinct electrophoretic mobility profiles. This was the case even among isolates from the same region. Genome segment 12 (SI2) from some variants migrated faster than S12 from RDV-H. These RNAs were converted to full-length cDNAs and sequenced. S12 from all the variants had the same length of 1066 nucleotides with nucleotide sequence identities of 96 to 99%. Three open reading frames previously reported were present in all the variants, and the sequence identities were 95 to 99% for P12, 98 to 100% for P120Pa, and nearly 100% for P120Pb. A comparison of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the variants with sequences of the RDV-H and Akita isolate showed that there are two genomic types, one represented by RDV-H and the other by the Akita isolate.