Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B W Mahy

Publications and source records attributed to B W Mahy.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Capped mRNAs may stimulate the influenza virion polymerase by allosteric modulation.

Analogues of the mRNA 5'-terminal methyl cap structure were found to stimulate the influenza virion RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The single nucleotide analogue m7GMP was incorporated into RNA during transcription in vitro, and the stimulatory effect was not additive with the primer ApG, suggesting that m7GMP stimulates the virion polymerase by priming virus-specific mRNA synthesis, as has been shown for ApG. By contrast, stimulation by m7G(5')ppp(5')m6AM2-O was additive with that by ApG, and we could not demonstrate incorporation of the similar analogue m7G(5')ppp(5')Am2-O into RNA during transcription. We propose that these dinucleotide cap analogues stimulate the virion polymerase by allosteric modulation, independent of priming. This stimulation can be abolished by mutation, without loss of other activities associated with the cap-dependent endonuclease.

Allosteric Regulation↗
PubMed1984

Molecular cloning of the nucleoprotein gene of canine distemper virus.

Messenger RNAs labelled in vivo in Vero cells infected with canine distemper virus were analysed by electrophoresis on 1.5% agarose gels containing 2 M-formaldehyde. Seven virus-specific RNA bands could be distinguished which were not sensitive to actinomycin D treatment and were confined to the polyadenylated RNA fraction. The most abundant virus-specific mRNA species had a molecular weight of 0.52 X 10(6) and its coding capacity was consistent with it being the mRNA for the most abundant virus-specific protein, the nucleoprotein. Polyadenylated RNA of this size class was purified by electrophoresis on a polyacrylamide gel and cloned into the PstI site of plasmid pBR322. A virus-specific clone obtained, clone 224, was then used to select messenger RNA from infected cells. The messenger RNA selected had a molecular weight of 0.52 X 10(6) and directed the synthesis of only the virus-specific nucleoprotein when used to stimulate a wheat germ cell-free system.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Reverse transcriptase activity and particles of retroviral density in cultured canine lymphosarcoma supernatants.

Lymphoid tissue from 43 cases of canine lymphosarcoma and from 40 clinically normal dogs have been examined for markers of retrovirus infection. From 69-76% of culture supernatants from lymphosarcomas were shown to contain particles of retroviral density and to possess poly rC-oligo dG templated polymerase (reverse transcriptase) activity compared with 17-24% of culture supernatants from normal canine lymphoid cells. In 6 culture supernatants from cases of lymphosarcoma, high molecular weight 60-70S RNA was detected and shown to be found in association with this particulate reverse transcriptase activity. No such RNA was detected in 6 culture supernatants from normal canine lymphoid cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity in murine coronavirus-infected cells.

The multiplication of murine coronavirus strains A59 or JHM in Sac(-) cells was unaffected by the presence of alpha-amanitin at concentrations which inhibited the host cell DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity. In cells infected with the A59 virus strain, actinomycin D-resistant RNA synthesis could readily be detected by pulse-labelling with [3H]uridine; this virus-specific RNA synthesis was not induced in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin. A new RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity was detected in the large particle fraction of A59 virus-infected cells. Optimal conditions for enzyme activity in vitro were established. Maximum activity occurred 5 h after infection, coincident with the peak of virus-specific RNA synthesis detected by pulse-labelling in vivo.

Amanitins↗
PubMed1982

Synthesis of RNA segments 1-3 during generation of incomplete influenza A (fowl plague) virus.

Incomplete influenza A virus (fowl plague Dobson strain) was prepared by undiluted passage in primary chick embryo fibroblast cells. Analysis of released virus RNA revealed a deficiency in RNA segments 1-3, characteristic of incomplete virus formation. The virus yield from a high multiplicity infection with standard virus always showed this deficiency, even when analysed as early as 6 hours post-infection, whereas infection at low multiplicity gave rise to virus indistinguishable in RNA composition from the parent virus. The relative amounts of intracellular, non-polyadenylated, complementary RNA (template RNA) were found to reflect accurately the eventual RNA composition of released virus, and were altered in phase with PFU:HAU ratio, throughout a von Magnus cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Incomplete avian influenza virus contains a defective non-interfering component.

Incomplete avian influenza (fowl plague) virus derived by undiluted egg passage, displayed an increased capacity to promote the synthesis of intracellular virus-specific proteins when compared with standard virus. The in vitro virion-bound RNA polymerase activity of incomplete virus was also greater than could be explained by the presence of residual infectious virus. When the titres of infectious and interfering virus species were determined directly, they did not account for all the virus present. The existence of defective non-interfering (DNI) virus, even in standard virus preparations, was inferred. DNI virus is capable of initiating infection, synthesis of mRNA and proteins but cannot complete a productive replication cycle, and does not interfere with multiplication of standard virus. Such DNI virus could exaggerate the true extent of DI virus formation by lowering the PFU:HAU ratio and so account for the failure to correlate infectivity with RNA composition or RNA polymerase activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Nucleotide sequence of fowl plague virus RNA segment 7.

Nucleotide sequence analysis of a recombinant DNA clone of RNA segment 7 from FPV/Rostock/34 has shown it to be highly conserved in comparison with RNA segment 7 from two human strains (Allen et al., 1980; Winter & Fields, 1980; Lamb & Lai, 1981). FPV RNA segment 7 contains the coding capacity for two polypeptide chains. The sequence homology between RNA segment 7 of avian and human viruses was greater than 90%, and most of the changes did not result in amino acid substitutions.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1982

Identification of the cap-binding protein of two strains of influenza A/FPV.

We have identified the cap-recognizing protein of two strains of influenza A fowl plague virus (FPV) by photoaffinity labelling of virion proteins with a photoreactive analogue of the 5'-methyl cap structure of messenger RNA. The cap-recognizing protein of influenza A/FPV/Rostock/34 is the P2 polypeptide, and that of influenza A/FPV/Dutch/27 (Dobson) is the P3 polypeptide. In each case the cap-recognizing protein is the product of RNA segment 1.

Affinity Labels↗
PubMed1982

Extragenic suppression of a ts phenotype during recombination between ts mutants of two fowl plague virus strains with a ts mutation in gene 1.

Fowl plague virus (FPV) ts mutants belonging to six recombination groups and obtained from the Weybridge strain (in the U.S.S.R.) or the Rostock strain (in the U.K.) have been studied in a recombination test. Temperature-sensitive mutants obtained from different FPV strains were revealed which had a ts mutation in gene 1; however, their crossing resulted in ts+ recombinants which appeared with a high frequency. This phenomenon was due not to intragenic complementation but to extragenic suppression, when the expression of a ts phenotype of the Rostock strain mutant gene 1 is suppressed by gene 2 products of the Weybridge strain.

Gene Expression Regulation↗
PubMed1981

Evidence for the involvement of influenza A (fowl plague Rostock) virus protein P2 in ApG and mRNA primed in vitro RNA synthesis.

Eleven temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of influenza A (fowl plague, Rostock) virus were analysed for in vitro RNA transcriptase activity in reactions primed by ApG or globin mRNA at 31 degrees C or at 40.5 degrees C, the restrictive temperature for ts mutant growth. Only those ts mutants studied which were defective in RNA segment 1, coding for the virion P2 protein, were defective in RNA transcriptase activity when compared to wild-type virus. Mutants having a defect in the P2 protein had no significant RNA transcriptase activity in reactions at 40.5 degrees C primed by globin mRNA. However, one mutant showed RNA transcriptase activity similar to wild-type virus at 40.5 degrees C when ApG (0.3 mM) was used as primer. The results suggest that influenza (fowl plague, Rostock) P2 protein is directly involved in the mRNA priming reaction, as well as in the RNA transcription reaction in vitro.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1980

Influence of the host cell on influenza virus replication.

The replication of influenza virus is characterized by a unique dependence upon host cell nuclear function. In contrast to all other negative strand RNA viruses, transcription from host cellular DNA is a prerequisite for the synthesis of virus-specific messenger RNA; new DNA synthesis is not required. We have analysed the distribution of each of the nine virus-specified proteins between the nucleus and cytoplasm of virus-infected cells, and find that in addition of the NP and the NS1 proteins, two of the three P proteins show preferential migration into the nucleus. This subgroup of virus proteins may be involved in the early transcription of the viral genome which probably occurs in the nucleus. In non-permissive cell lines and in cells whose DNA function has been impaired by treatment with ultraviolet light, N-acetoxyacetaminofluorene or low doses of actinomycin D, production of some late virus proteins is inhibited. The specific host function required for this switch to late protein synthesis is unknown but in the cells treated with actinomycin D an abnormal accumulation of virus-specific mRNA occurs in the nucleus. In all cases studied, synthesis of new vRNA ceases when production of these late proteins has been blocked.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Influenza virus-specific RNA and protein syntheses in cells infected with temperature-sensitive mutants defective in the genome segment encoding nonstructural proteins.

Virus-specific protein and RNA syntheses have been analyzed in chicken embryo fibroblast cells infected with two group IV temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of influenza A (fowl plague) virus in which the ts lesion maps in RNA segment 8 (J. W. Almond, D. McGeoch, and R. D. Barry, Virology 92:416-427, 1979), known to code to code for two nonstructural proteins, NS1 and NS2. Both mutants induced the synthesis of similar amounts of all the early virus-specific proteins (P1, P2, P3, NP, and NS1) at temperatures that were either permissive (34 degrees C) or nonpermissive (40.5 degrees C) for replication. However, the synthesis of M protein, which normally accumulates late in infection, was greatly reduced in ts mutant-infected cells at 40.5 degrees C compared to 34 degrees C. The NS2 protein was not detected at either temperature in cells infected with one mutant (mN3), and was detected only at the permissive temperature in cells infected with mutant ts47. There was no overall reduction in polyadenylated (A+) complementary RNA, which functions as mRNA, in cells infected with these mutants at 40.5 degrees C compared to 34 degrees C, nor was there any evidence of selective accumulation of this type of RNA within the nucleus at the nonpermissive temperature. No significant differences in ts mutant virion RNA transcriptase activity were detected by assays in vitro at 31 and 40.5 degrees C compared to wild-type virus. Virus-specific non-polyadenylated (A-) complementary RNA, which is believed to act as the template for new virion RNA production, accumulated normally in cells at both 34 and 40.5 degrees C, but at 40.5 degrees C accumulation of new virion RNA was reduced by greater than 90% when compared to accumulation at 34 degrees C.

Animals↗