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M M Lai

Publications and source records attributed to M M Lai.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Molecular cloning and characterization of an isolate of hepatitis delta virus from Taiwan.

The genomic RNA of an Asian isolate of hepatitis delta virus was cloned from a Chinese patient from Taiwan, using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify cDNA for cloning and sequencing. The sequence of this hepatitis delta virus isolate shares an 86% to 88% similarity with the three published hepatitis delta virus RNA sequences, suggesting heterogeneity of hepatitis delta viruses from different geographical areas. Four highly conserved, long stretches of sequence were found. These four regions corresponded to the sequences required for the autocatalytic cleavage activities of the genomic and antigenomic RNAs and the middle and the carboxyl terminal parts of the open reading frame for the delta antigen on the antigenomic strand. The conservation of nucleotide sequence in these four regions was further confirmed by sequencing additional hepatitis delta virus RNAs obtained from three patients with chronic delta hepatitis who lived in Los Angeles. These findings suggest that the conserved sequences are critical for viral replication. These conserved regions offer ideal sites for primer selection to carry out polymerase chain reactions to detect hepatitis delta virus RNA in patients with hepatitis delta virus infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Functional studies of hepatitis delta antigen and delta virus RNA.

We have sequenced an HDV RNA from an acute delta hepatitis patient from the Nauru Islands. By comparison with other HDV sequences previously reported, we have identified three conserved regions: the first one is the sequence around the catalytic cleavage site for genomic-sense RNA; the second is the corresponding site for the antigenomic sense RNA; and the third is the sequence encoding the middle domain of the hepatitis delta antigen. We have shown that the middle domain of the delta antigen can bind specifically to the HDV RNA. This binding was demonstrated both in vitro and in the purified virion. It was suggested that this RNA-protein interaction is important for HDV RNA replication. We also suggest that the conserved sequences provide ideal primers for use in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in clinical diagnosis of HDV infections. We recommend the use of nucleotides 870-900 and 690-720 (Makino et al., 1987a) as primers for routine screening.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Murine coronavirus gene 1 polyprotein contains an autoproteolytic activity.

The 5' most gene of the murine coronavirus genome, gene 1, is presumed to encode the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. cDNA clones representing this gene encompass more than 22 kilobases, suggesting that this region may encode multifunctional polyprotein(s). It has previously been shown that the N-terminal portion of this gene product is cleaved into a protein of 28 kilodaltons (p28). To identify possible functional domains of gene 1 and further understand the mechanism of synthesis of the p28 protein, cDNA clones representing the 5'-most 5.3 kilobases of the murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus strain JHM were subcloned into pT7 vectors from which RNAs were transcribed and translated in vitro. Although p28 is encoded from the first 1 kilobase at the 5'-end of the genome, translation of in vitro transcribed RNAs indicated that this protein was not detected unless the product of the entire 5.3 kilobase region was synthesized. This result suggests that the region close to 5.3 kilobases from the 5'-end of the genomic RNA is essential for the proteolytic cleavage and may contain an autoproteolytic activity. Addition of the protease inhibitor ZnCl2 blocked cleavage of the p28 protein. Site-directed mutagenesis of Cys residue 1137 significantly reduced the cleavage of the p28 protein, indicating that this residue, probably in conjunction with a downstream domain, plays an essential role in the cleavage of p28. This Cys residue may be part of a papain-like autoprotease encoded by gene 1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Studies of coronavirus DI RNA replication using in vitro constructed DI cDNA clones.

Sequence analysis of an intracellular defective-interfering (DI) RNA, DIssE, of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) revealed that it is composed of three noncontiguous genomic regions, representing the first 864 nucleotides of the 5'-end, an internal 748 nucleotides of the polymerase gene, and 601 nucleotides from the 3'-end of the parental MHV genome. DIssE had three base substitutions within the leader sequence and also a deletion of nine nucleotides located at the junction of the leader and the remaining genomic sequence. A system was developed for generating DI RNAs to study the mechanism of MHV RNA replication. A cDNA copy of DIssE RNA was placed downstream of T7 RNA polymerase promoter to generate DI RNAs capable of extremely efficient replication in the presence of a helper virus. We demonstrated that, in the DI RNA-transfected cells, the leader sequence of these DI RNAs was switched to that of the helper virus during one round of replication. This high-frequency leader sequence exchange was not observed if a nine-nucleotide stretch at the junction between the leader and the remaining DI sequence was deleted. This observation suggests that a free leader RNA is utilized for the replication of MHV RNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Sequence analysis of the membrane protein gene of human coronavirus 229E.

Human coronaviruses (HCV) are ubiquitous pathogens which cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, and possibly neurological disorders. To better understand the molecular biology of the prototype HCV-229E strain, the complete nucleotide sequence of the membrane protein (M) gene was determined from cloned cDNA. The open reading frame is preceded by a consensus transcriptional initiation sequence UCUAAACU, identical to the one found upstream of the N gene. The M gene encodes a 225-amino acid polypeptide with a molecular weight (MW) of 25,822, slightly higher than the apparent MW of 19,000-22,000 observed for the unprocessed M protein obtained after in vitro translation and immunoprecipitation. The M amino acid sequence presents a significant degree of homology (38%) with its counterpart of transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV). The M protein of HCV-229E is highly hydrophobic and its hydropathicity profile shows a transmembranous region composed of three major hydrophobic domains characteristic of a typical coronavirus M protein. About 10% (20 amino acids) of the HCV-229E M protein constitutes a hydrophilic and probably external portion. One N-glycosylation and three potential O-glycosylation sites are found in this exposed domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Sequence conservation and divergence of hepatitis delta virus RNA.

The complete RNA sequence of the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) obtained from the Nauru Island in the Pacific was determined by cDNA cloning and amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sequence showed 14-17% divergence from the two known HDV RNA sequences. There are three highly conserved domains: the region around the autocatalytic cleavage site of the genomic RNA (nucleotides 659 to 772), the region around the autocatalytic cleavage site of the antigenomic-sense RNA (nucleotides 847 to 966), and the region around the middle one-third domain of the open reading frame (ORF) encoding the hepatitis delta antigen on the antigenomic RNA (nucleotides 1267 to 1347). The two autocatalytic activities are required for the cleavage and ligation of HDV RNA during RNA replication. The third conserved domain codes for the RNA-binding domain of HDAg, which specifically interacts with HDV RNA. Three nucleotide changes within the genomic catalytic sequence are present but did not alter the catalytic cleavage activity of the HDV RNA. Microheterogeneity of the RNA sequences was also detected. One of these occurred within the coding region of the delta antigen, creating an amber termination codon in some of the RNA species. Thus, this HDV strain contains two different RNA species, one of which encodes a delta antigen of 214 amino acids and the other 195 amino acids. These two protein species were detected by immunoblotting of the patient's plasma. In contrast to other HDV strains, only three ORFs capable of encoding more than 100 amino acids each are present in this HDV RNA. We recommend that oligonucleotides complementary to the highly conserved sequences should be used as primers for PCR in clinical detection assays of hepatitis delta virus infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Heterogeneity of hepatitis delta antigen.

Hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg) is the only known protein encoded by the hepatitis delta virus (HDV). Two HDAg species of different sizes have been detected in the sera and livers of the infected humans, chimpanzees, and woodchucks, even though only one RNA species was previously identified in most of the HDV strains. To study HDAg heterogeneity, we took advantage of the fact that a single base mutation at nucleotide 1015 (C to U), which results in an amber termination codon in the HDAg open reading frame (ORF), eliminates a unique Ncol restriction enzyme site. We screened various HDV cDNA clones and detected sequence heterogeneity of the HDAg-coding region on the basis of the presence or absence of the Ncol site. Five delta hepatitis patients were examined. In every patient, two types of HDAg-coding sequence were detected at nucleotide 1015: one which contains a C and results in an ORF encoding a delta antigen of 214 amino acids, and the other which possesses a U and results in an amber termination codon and a truncated HDAg species of 195 amino acids. The in vitro translation products of these two ORFs comigrated with the two HDAg species from the patient's plasma on SDS polyacrylamide gels. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the HDV RNA from some patients' sera and subsequent sequencing showed several additional mutations in the HDAg-coding region. These mutations are independent of the C or U nucleotide change at the site of the amber termination codon.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMed1990

A clustering of RNA recombination sites adjacent to a hypervariable region of the peplomer gene of murine coronavirus.

Coronaviruses undergo RNA recombination at a very high frequency. To understand the mechanism of recombination in murine coronavirus, we have performed RNA sequencing of viral genomic RNA to determine the precise sites of recombination in a series of recombinants which have crossovers within the gene encoding the peplomer protein. We found that all of the recombination sites are clustered within a region of 278 nucleotides in the 5'-half of the gene. This region in which all of the crossovers occurred represents a small fraction of the distance between the two selection markers used for the isolation of these recombinant viruses. This result suggests that this region may be a preferred site for RNA recombination. The crossover sites are located within and immediately adjacent to a hypervariable area of the gene. This area has undergone deletions of varying sizes in several virus strains which have been passaged either in vivo or in vitro. These results suggest that a similar RNA structure may be involved in the occurrence of both recombination and deletion events.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Design, synthesis, testing, and quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis of substituted salicylaldehyde Schiff bases of 1-amino-3-hydroxyguanidine tosylate as new antiviral agents against coronavirus.

Further modifications of the structural features of Schiff bases of hydroxyaminoguanidines (SB-HAG) led to nine substituted salicylaldehyde Schiff bases of HAG (SSB-HAG) derivatives and three other SB-HAG derivatives. These new compounds were tested for the first time against infection by a coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). The most active compound, 2 [1-[(3'-allyl-2'-hydroxybenzylidene)amino]- 3-hydroxyguanidine], against the growth of MHV is about 376 times more active than hydroxyguanidine and about 564 times more active than HAG itself when the TCID50 values are compared. Plaque assays of MHV released from cells treated with these compounds suggest that SSB-HAG tosylate may inhibit the transcription of viral RNAs in virus-infected cells. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analyses of two subsets show that the inhibitory activities correlate well with the electronic and the lipophilic parameters. The structural requirements for the antiviral activity of substituted SSB-HAG tosylate against coronaviral infection are stringent according to the inhibitory activities and QSAR analysis of these new compounds.

Aldehydes↗
PubMed1990

Analysis of efficiently packaged defective interfering RNAs of murine coronavirus: localization of a possible RNA-packaging signal.

We have previously shown that most of the defective interfering (DI) RNA of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) are not packaged into virions. We have now identified, after 21 serial undiluted passages of MHV, a small DI RNA, DIssF, which is efficiently packaged into virions. The DIssF RNA replicated at a high efficiency on its transfection into the helper virus-infected cells. The virus released from the transfected cells interfered strongly with mRNA synthesis and growth of helper virus. cDNA cloning and sequence analysis of DIssF RNA revealed that it is 3.6 kb and consists of sequences derived from five discontinuous regions of the genome of the nondefective virus. The first four regions (domains I to IV) from the 5' end are derived from gene 1, which presumably encodes the RNA polymerase of the nondefective virus. The entire domain I (859 nucleotides) and the first 750 nucleotides of domain II are also present in a previously characterized DI RNA, DIssE, which is not efficiently packaged into virions. Furthermore, the junction between these two domains is identical between the two DI RNAs. The remaining 77 nucleotides at the 3' end of domain II and all of domains III (655 nucleotides) and IV (770 nucleotides) are not present in DIssE RNA. These four domains are derived from gene 1. In contrast, the 3'-most domain (domain V, 447 nucleotides) is derived from the 3' end of the genomic RNA and is also present in DIssE. The comparison of primary sequences and packaging properties between DIsse and DIssF RNAs suggested that domains III and IV and part of the 3' end of domain II contain the packaging signal for MHV RNA. This conclusion was confirmed by inserting these DIssF-unique sequences into a DIssE cDNA construct; the in vitro-transcribed RNA from this hybrid construct was efficiently packaged into virion particles. DIssF RNA also contains an open reading frame, which begins from domain I and ends at the 5'-end 20 bases of domain III. In vitro translation of DIssF RNA and metabolic labeling of the virus-infected cells showed that this open reading frame is indeed translated into a 75-kDa protein. The structures of both DIssE and DIssF RNAs suggest that a protein-encoding capability is a common characteristic of MHV DI RNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Characterization of hepatitis delta antigen: specific binding to hepatitis delta virus RNA.

It has previously been shown that human hepatitis virus delta antigen has an RNA-binding activity (Chang et al., J. Virol. 62:2403-2410, 1988). In the present study, the specificity of such an RNA-protein interaction was demonstrated by expressing various domains of the delta antigen in Escherichia coli as TrpE fusion proteins and testing their RNA-binding activities in a Northwestern protein-RNA immunoblot assay and RNA gel mobility shift assay. Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA bound specifically to the delta antigen in the presence of an excess amount of unrelated RNAs and a relatively high salt concentration. Both genome- and antigenome-sense HDV RNAs and at least two different regions of HDV genomic RNA bound to the delta antigen. Surprisingly, these two different regions of HDV genomic RNA could compete with each other for delta antigen binding, although they do not have common nucleotide sequences. In contrast, this binding could not be competed with by other viral or cellular RNA. Since both the genomic and antigenomic HDV RNAs had strong intramolecular complementary sequences, these results suggest that the binding of delta antigen is probably specific for a secondary structure unique to the HDV RNA. By expressing different subdomains of the delta antigen, we found that the middle one-third of delta antigen was responsible for binding HDV RNA. Neither the N-terminal nor the C-terminal domain bound HDV RNA. Binding between the delta antigen and HDV RNA was also demonstrated within the HDV particles isolated from the plasma of a human delta hepatitis patient. This in vivo binding resisted treatment with 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and 0.5% Nonidet P-40. In addition, we showed that the antiserum from a human patient with delta hepatitis reacted with all three subdomains of the delta antigen, indicating that all of the domains are immunogenic in vivo. These studies demonstrated the specific interaction between delta antigen and HDV RNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

RNA conformational requirements of self-cleavage of hepatitis delta virus RNA.

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA subfragments undergo self-cleavage at varying efficiencies. We have developed a procedure of using repeated cycles of heat denaturation and renaturation of RNA to achieve a high efficiency of cleavage. This effect can also be achieved by gradual denaturation of RNA with heat or formamide. These results suggest that only a subpopulation of the catalytic RNA molecules assumes the active conformation required for self-cleavage. This procedure could be of general use for detecting catalytic RNA activities.

Catalysis↗
PubMed1990

Cytochrome c mRNA and alpha-actin mRNA in muscles of rats fed beta-GPA.

A diet of 1% beta-guanidinopropionic acid (beta-GPA) fed to rats for weeks results in decreased muscle adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate concentrations (J. Biol. Chem. 249: 1060-1063, 1974), increased activities of selected mitochondrial enzymes (Biochem. J. 232: 125-131, 1985), and atrophied type IIb fibers (Lab. Invest. 33: 151-158, 1975). The hypothesis of the present study was that chronic beta-GPA feeding would increase cytochrome c mRNA in muscle and would decrease alpha-skeletal actin mRNA in type IIb muscle. Data collected supported, in part, the hypothesis. After 22 days of a 1% beta-GPA diet, cytochrome c mRNA was increased 60-67% in muscles with inherently low cytochrome c mRNA but was not altered in muscles with higher cytochrome c mRNA levels. alpha-Skeletal actin mRNA was unchanged in muscles with low and high cytochrome c mRNA after 22 days of 1% beta-GPA. After 66 days of beta-GPA feeding, both cytochrome c mRNA and alpha-skeletal actin mRNA were decreased 18 and 26%, respectively, per unit of total RNA, in white quadriceps muscle. At the same time muscles composed of predominantly type II fibers atrophied 22%, whereas type I muscle size was unaltered. These data suggest that high-energy phosphate levels could play some role in adaptive changes in muscle composition.

Actins↗
PubMed1990

Determinants of coronavirus MHV pathogenesis are localized to 3' portions of the genome as determined by ribonucleic acid-ribonucleic acid recombination.

Recombinant viruses derived from coronaviruses mouse hepatitis virus strains JHM and A59, were used to map biologic properties of the virus to viral genes. The 3' portion (about 25%) of the viral genome, including the genes coding for all of the structural proteins, controls biologic properties such as organ tropism of the virus, pattern of the virus-induced central nervous system pathology in mice, plaque morphology, and virus yield in tissue culture.

Animals↗