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Biomedical subjects

R Ahmed

Publications and source records attributed to R Ahmed.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Biology of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. V. Recognition is restricted to gene products encoded by the viral S RNA segment.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) Armstrong (ARM) strain-specific, H-2d-restricted CTL effectively lyse syngeneic targets infected by LCMV ARM, but show reduced killing of LCMV Pasteur (PAST) strain-infected H-2d cells. We have reassorted the two RNA segments, large (L) and small (S), of LCMV ARM and PAST to generate LCMV with genotypes of L ARM/S PAST and L PAST/S ARM. By using these reassortants and both LCMV primary CTL and CTL clones, we report that the induction, recognition, and lysis of LCMV-specific CTL depend on the S RNA segment and the genes it encodes.

Animals↗

Perturbation of differentiated functions during viral infection in vivo. I. Relationship of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and host strains to growth hormone deficiency.

Disordered growth and glucose metabolism secondary to growth hormone deficiency is associated with persistent lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. C3H/St, BALB/WEHI, and SWR/J mice infected at birth with LCMV:ARM carried virus in their blood and organs throughout life but only C3H/St mice developed growth hormone insufficiency. BALB/WEHI and SWR/J infected mice contained normal amounts of growth hormone in their pituitaries and a relatively small proportion of the cells containing growth hormone replicated the virus. In susceptible C3H/St mice, the disease-causing viral strains (LCMV:ARM, E-350, and Pasteur) replicated to higher titers and infected the vast majority of cells producing growth hormone in the anterior lobe of the pituitary. In contrast, LCMV strains Traub and WE replicated in far fewer growth hormone-producing cells and failed to disorder growth hormone synthesis. In another paper (Y. Riviere, R. Ahmed, P. Southern, and M. B. A. Oldstone (1985), Virology 142, 175-182) these findings are used to make reassortants between LCMV:ARM (disease positive) and LCMV:WE (disease nil) and the pathogenic effect is mapped to the small RNA segment of LCMV:ARM. Peptides cleaved by trypsin and chymotrypsin from growth hormone molecules isolated from infected cells or control cells were equivalent when examined by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Further, transfer of antibody to interferon failed to alter the growth hormone insufficiency in these mice, although it corrected LCMV-induced liver disease of BALB mice, suggesting that interferon did not play a dominant role in this disease. The selective tropism of LCMV:ARM for cells containing growth hormone over cells that contain prolactin was observed in both infected animals and in cultured GH-3 cells.

Animals↗

Perturbation of differentiated functions during viral infection in vivo. II. Viral reassortants map growth hormone defect to the S RNA of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus genome.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) Armstrong caused disordered growth and glucose metabolism secondary to growth hormone deficiency in infected C3H/St mice. In contrast, LCMV strain WE replicated in fewer growth hormone-producing cells, failed to disrupt growth hormone synthesis, and did not cause growth hormone-induced disease in infected, matched controls. The generation of genetic reassortant viruses between the virulent strain of LCMV:Armstrong and the avirulent strain, LCMV:WE, is reported. Using such reassortants and both parental strains of virus in C3H/St mice, the perturbation of growth hormone synthesis was clearly mapped to the S RNA segment of LCMV:ARM.

Animals↗

The S RNA segment of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus codes for the nucleoprotein and glycoproteins 1 and 2.

The lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) genome consists of a large RNA segment and a small RNA segment. The three major structural proteins of this virus are an internal nucleoprotein and two surface glycoproteins. Intertypic reassortants between the Armstrong and WE strains of LCMV were made to map proteins encoded by the LCMV genome segments. Using monoclonal antibodies specific for the nucleoprotein and the glycoproteins of WE and Armstrong, we showed that the small RNA segment of LCMV codes for the three major structural polypeptides.

Animals↗

Genetic mapping of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus pathogenicity: virulence in guinea pigs is associated with the L RNA segment.

The Armstrong CA 1371 (ARM) and WE strains of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) differ in the ability to produce disease in adult guinea pigs. Infection with the ARM strain is not lethal, even at high virus doses (greater than 10,000 PFU), whereas the WE strain causes 100% mortality even at low doses (less than 10 PFU). To determine the genetic basis of this virulence, intertypic reassortants were made between the ARM and WE strains of LCMV. The two reassortants with the genotypes WE/ARM (L segment of WE and S segment of ARM) and ARM/WE (L segment of ARM and S segment of WE) were tested for their pathogenicity in guinea pigs. The ARM/WE reassortant was avirulent like the ARM/ARM parental strain. Minimal viral replication was observed in organs of guinea pigs inoculated with 10(2) or 10(5) PFU of ARM/ARM or ARM/WE, and all animals survived. In contrast, the WE/ARM reassortant was highly virulent like the WE/WE parental strain and killed all of the infected animals. High levels of viral replication were observed in guinea pigs infected with the latter two strains. In contrast to these in vivo observations, both the parental strains and the ARM/WE or WE/ARM reassortants had similar growth potential in cultured guinea pig fibroblasts. Thus, the L RNA segment of LCMV WE is important for viral replication in vivo and is associated with fatal acute disease after infection of adult guinea pigs.

Animals↗

Selection of genetic variants of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in spleens of persistently infected mice. Role in suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte response and viral persistence.

We studied the mechanism of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) persistence and the suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in BALB/c WEHI mice infected at birth with LCMV Armstrong strain. Using adoptive transfer experiments we found that spleen cells from persistently infected (carrier) mice actively suppressed the expected LCMV-specific CTL response of spleen cells from normal adult mice. The suppression was specific for the CTL response and LCMV -specific antibody responses were not affected. Associated with the specific CTL suppression was the establishment of persistent LCMV infection. The transfer of spleen or lymph node cells containing LCMV -specific CTL resulted in virus clearance and prevented establishment of the carrier state. The suppression of LCMV -specific CTL responses by carrier spleen cells is not mediated by a suppressor cell, but is due to the presence of genetic variants of LCMV in spleens of carrier mice. Such virus variants selectively suppress LCMV-specific CTL responses and cause persistent infections in immunocompetent mice. In striking contrast, wild-type LCMV Armstrong, from which these variants were generated, induces a potent CTL response in immunocompetent mice and the LCMV infection is rapidly cleared. Our results show that LCMV variants that emerge during infection in vivo play a crucial role in the suppression of virus-specific CTL responses and in the maintenance of virus persistence.

Acute Disease↗

Virus specificity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes generated during acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection: role of the H-2 region in determining cross-reactivity for different lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus strains.

We have compared the relatedness of five different strains of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) as assessed by LCMV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Several different mouse strains were injected with each of the five LCMV strains, and the cross-reactivity of virus-specific CTL generated during the acute infection was tested by killing on a panel of target cells infected with the various LCMV strains. We found that the cross-reactivity pattern of LCMV-specific CTL generated in mice of H-2d haplotype (BALB/c WEHI and DBA/2) was strikingly different from that in mice of H-2b haplotype (C57BL/6 and C3H.Sw/Sn), suggesting that the fine specificity of LCMV-specific CTL is a function of the H-2 region. The characteristic cross-reactivity patterns were also observed in (C57BL/6 X DBA/2)F1 mice, demonstrating that the repertoire of the H-2b- and H-2d-restricted LCMV-specific CTL is not changed as a result of complementation by gene products of the other major histocompatibility haplotype. Studies with congenic BALB.B10 and (BALB.B10 X BALB/c)F1 mice firmly established that the characteristic cross-reactivity patterns of LCMV-specific CTL map to the H-2 region and are not influenced by background genes outside the major histocompatibility locus. These results suggest that LCMV determinants seen in the context of H-2d-restricting elements are different from those seen in the context of H-2b-restricting elements. Moreover, our studies show that CTL can be used as probes for dissecting differences among various LCMV strains, but the degree of relatedness between the different LCMV strains is not absolute when measured by CTL recognition. Since the H-2 region regulates the fine specificity of CTL generated during LCMV infection in its natural host, the degree of cross-protective immunity developed during a viral infection apparently depends on the major histocompatibility haplotype. The importance of these findings lies in understanding susceptibility or resistance of various host populations to viral infections and in designing vaccination programs to provide immunity.

Animals↗

Biology of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. I. Generation and recognition of virus strains and H-2b mutants.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were induced in C57BL/6 and (C57BL/6 X DBA/2)F1 mice after immunization with the Armstrong strain of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV-Arm) and were cloned by limiting dilution in vitro. The cytotoxic activity of these clones was LCMV specific and H-2 restricted. All clones induced in C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice with LCMV-Arm lysed target cells infected with each of five distinct strains of LCMV (Arm, Traub , WE, Pasteur, and UBC ), suggesting recognition of common regions of viral proteins in association with H-2b molecules. In contrast, one clone obtained from (B6 X D2)F1 mice and restricted to the H-2d haplotype only lysed cells infected with one of three strains of virus (Arm, Traub , WE) but not two others (Pasteur, UBC ), suggesting recognition of variable regions of viral proteins in the context of H-2d molecules. To assess the fine specificity for H-2 molecules, we tested H-2Kb-restricted CTL clones for their ability to kill LCMV-infected target cells bearing mutations in their H-2Kb, and we tested clones presumed to be restricted to the H-2Db region for their ability to all LCMV targets cells bearing a mutation in the H-2Db region. Several different patterns of killing of the mutant targets were observed, indicating that a number of different epitopes on the H-2b molecules were used as restricting determinants for LCMV antigen recognition by CTL. Thus, cross-reactive viral determinants were recognized in the context of several different restricting determinants. Mutations in the N or C1 domains of the H-2 molecule affected recognition by a single LCMV specific CTL clone. One implication of this result is that CTL recognize a conformational determinant on the H-2 molecule formed by the association of virus antigen(s) with H-2. An alternate explanation is that one site on the H-2 molecule is involved in the interaction of viral antigens with H-2, whereas another may serve as a binding site for the CTL receptor.

Animals↗

A genetic map of reovirus: assignment of the newly defined mutant groups H, I, and J to genome segments.

Mutants representing three previously undefined reovirus type 3 mutant groups have been isolated following backcross of suppressed pseudorevertants to wild type (R.F. Ramig and B.N. Fields, 1979, Virology 92, 155-167; R. Ahmed, P.R. Chakraborty, A.F. Graham, R.F. Ramig, and B.N. Fields, 1980, J. Virol. 34, 383-389). The prototype mutant of each of the three new mutant groups was mapped by analysis of genome segment segregation in intertypic recombinants derived from crosses between the type 3 ts mutants and ts mutants of type 1 or type 2. Segregation analysis revealed the location of the group H prototype mutant tsH(26/8) to be genome segment M1, that of the group I prototype mutant tsI(138) to be segment L3, and that of the group J prototype mutant tsJ(128) to be segment S1. Mapping of the group I and J lesions required the identification of suppressed ts lesions in some of the intertypic rcombinant clones.

Animals↗

Genetic variation during persistent reovirus infection: isolation of cold-sensitive and temperature-sensitive mutants from persistently infected L cells.

We have examined the evolution of reovirus in two independently established persistently infected (p.i.) cell lines. We found that reovirus undergoes extensive mutation during persistent infection in L cells. However, there was no consistent pattern of virus evolution; in one p.i. cell line temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants were selected, whereas cold-sensitive (cs) mutants were isolated from the second p.i. culture. Neither the cs nor the ts mutants isolated from the carrier cultures expressed their defect at 37 degrees, the temperature at which the p.i. cells were maintained, indicating that the cs and ts phenotypes were nonselected markers. These results emphasize the point that emergence of the ts or cs mutants during persistent infection only signifies that the virus has changed; it does not necessarily imply that the particular mutant is essential for the maintenance of the persistent infection. Given the high mutation rate of viruses, and the wide spectrum of viral mutants present in carrier cultures, it is essential to distinguish the relevant changes from those which may simply represent an epiphenomenon. In the accompanying paper (R. S. Kauffman, R. Ahmed, and B. N. Fields Virology, 130, 79-87, 1983), we show that by using a genetic approach, it is possible to identify the viral gene(s) which are critical for the maintenance of persistent reovirus infection.

Animals↗

Selection of a mutant S1 gene during reovirus persistent infection of L cells: role in maintenance of the persistent state.

LR-7 cells, variant L cells derived from a type 3 reovirus persistently infected (p.i.) carrier culture (R. Ahmed, W. M. Canning, R. S. Kauffman, A. H. Sharpe, J. V. Hallum, and B. N. Fields, Cell 25, 325-332, 1983) were used to define the viral genes critical for maintenance of the persistent state. A cloned viral isolate (L/C virus) derived from the p.i. culture replicated normally in LR-7 cells, while wild-type (wt) viruses of the three reovirus serotypes replicated less efficiently. To identify the viral gene(s) permitting enhanced replication of L/C virus in LR-7 cells, viral reassortants were prepared by mixed infection of L cells with L/C virus and type 1 wt. Study of the one-step growth curves and final yields of large numbers of reassortants in both L cells and LR-7 cells revealed that the presence of the S1 gene from L/C virus was critical for normal viral replication in LR-7 cells. However, this phenotype was suppressed by the simultaneous presence in reassortants of both the M2 and S4 genes from the type 1 wt parent. The critical change in the S1 gene occurred by passage 13 (63 days) after initiation of the carrier culture. Although multiple mutations are present in the viral population from p.i. cultures, certain specific mutations can be identified as critical for maintenance of the persistent state.

Animals↗

Role of the S4 gene in the establishment of persistent reovirus infection in L cells.

We have studied the viral genes playing a role in persistence of reovirus in L cells. We established persistent infections by coinfecting L cells using wild-type reovirus type 2 and defective reovirus type 3. An analysis of the genomic double-stranded RNA pattern of the virus population selected during persistent infection revealed that the S4 gene was derived from the defective parent in three independently established lines, suggesting that the S4 gene plays an essential role in the establishment of persistent infection. The selection of recombinant viruses containing the S4 gene derived from the defective virus was specific for persistent infection, since it was not selected in lytic infections. Following the establishment of persistent infection, mutations in the S1 gene appeared in two of three cell lines. Thus mutations in the S4 gene play a critical role in the establishment of persistent infection, while mutations in the S1 gene play a role in the maintenance of the persistent infection.

Animals↗

Role of the host cell in persistent viral infection: coevolution of L cells and reovoirus during persistent infection.

Mutant L cells, designated LR cells, were isolated after "curing" a persistently infected cell line (L/C) with antireovirus serum. The LR cells were shown to be virus-free; no reovirus was detectable by infectious center assays, plaque assays, presence of viral proteins, presence of viral dsRNA and immunofluorescence studies. Persistent infections were readily established n LR cells following infection with either cloned, low passage wild-type reovirus or cloned, low passage reovirus isolated from carrier cultures. Reovirus isolated from carrier cultures, however, grew much better than wild-type reovirus in LR cells and showed complete dominance over wild-type reovirus in coinfection experiments. Infection of LR cells with wild-type reovirus resulted in a low-level persistent infection with inefficient viral replication; these mutant L cells were partially resistant to infection with wild-type reovirus. In contrast, infection of the mutant L cells with virus isolated from the persistently infected cells resulted in a persistent infection accompanied with efficient viral replication. Infection of the original L cells with either wild-type reovirus or reovirus isolated from the persistently infected cells resulted in a lytic infection with no surviving cells. Thus the host cell plays a crucial role in the maintenance of persistent reovirus infection. Our results show that there is a coevolution of both mutant L cells and mutant reovirus during persistent infection.

Animals↗

Bifunctional enzyme activity at the same active site: competitive inhibition kinetics with 3 alpha/20 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

20 beta-Hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-3-one (HPO) is a competitive inhibitor of reduction by 3 alpha/20 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 alpha/20 beta-HSD; E.C.1.1.1.53) of 17 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstan-3-one (DHT; 3 alpha-activity; Ki = 4.6x10(-5)M), and of 6 beta-acetoxyprogesterone (6 beta-AP; 20 beta-activity; Ki = 4.34x10(-5)M). HPO and DHT inhibit affinity alkylation of 3 alpha/20 beta-HSD by 6 beta-bromoacetoxyprogesterone (6 beta-BAP). The facts that 1) enzyme 3 alpha-activity and 20 beta-activity are both competitively inhibited by HPO with practically identical Ki-values, 2) 6 beta-BAP is solely a 20 beta-activity substrate for 3 alpha/20 beta-HSD, 3) one mole of 6 beta-BAP reacts with one mole of 3 alpha/20 beta-HSD to simultaneously inactivate 3 alpha- and 20 beta-activity, and 4) inactivation of 3 alpha/20 beta-HSD by 6 beta-BAP is inhibited by DHT (a C19-steroid) or HPO (a C21-steroid), support the view that the same active site of 3 alpha/20 beta-HSD possesses both 3 alpha- and 20 beta-activity. Bifunctional activity at the same active site is considered for other steroid-specific enzymes in female mammalian reproductive systems.

20-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗