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Insertional inactivation of the vaccinia virus 32-kilodalton gene is associated with attenuation in mice and reduction of viral gene expression in polarized epithelial cells.

The mechanism of poxvirus attachment to cells is poorly understood. We have identified a 32-kDa envelope protein of vaccinia virus which binds to the surface of cultured cells. This binding is specific and selective (J.-S. Maa, J. F. Rodriguez, and M. Esteban, J. Biol. Chem. 265:22174-22180, 1990; C. Lai, S. Gong, and M. Esteban, J. Virol. 65:499-504, 1991). In this investigation, we studied the effect of inactivating the 32-kDa gene (32K gene) on the biology of vaccinia virus. We show that inactivation of the 32K gene decreases by 80% the mortality of mice infected with 32K- vaccinia virus. This reduction in mortality correlates with diminished viral gene expression in target tissues. In highly polarized epithelial cells, viral gene expression of 32K- virus was reduced (50 to 60%) at both the apical and basolateral surfaces in comparison with a 32K+ virus. Restriction of virus gene expression in polarized cell surfaces occurs for both intracellular and extracellular forms of infectious 32K- vaccinia virus. The two infectious forms of vaccinia virus 32K+ infect polarized cells preferentially by the basolateral surface. Our findings provide evidence of the importance of the 32-kDa protein in viral pathogenesis.

Animals↗

Histologic otosclerosis is associated with the presence of measles virus in the stapes footplate.

HYPOTHESIS: Persistent measles virus infection of the otic capsule is presumed to be one of the etiologic factors in otosclerosis. The viral pathogenesis of otosclerosis could be established only by correlative analysis: histologic examination of the stapes footplates and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction amplification of the viral RNA. At present, histologic analysis of the removed stapes footplates is the only appropriate method of distinguishing otosclerotic and nonotosclerotic stapes fixations. BACKGROUND: The presence of measles virus was shown in otosclerotic patients by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction amplification of the viral RNA and detecting the viral proteins by immunohistochemistry. METHODS: Nucleic acids (mRNA, vRNA, and DNA) were extracted from ankylotic stapes footplates of stapes fixation patients (n = 44). Measles virus genomic nucleoprotein RNA was amplified by seminested reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Amplification results were correlated to postoperative histologic findings. RESULTS: Measles virus RNA was detectable only in histologically otosclerotic stapes footplates (n = 32). Histology for virus-negative footplates (n = 12) excluded otosclerosis. Virus-negative stapes footplates showed annular calcification (n = 8), bone resorption with increased numbers of hemosiderophages (n = 2), and mononuclear cell infiltration with osteolysis (n = 2). CONCLUSION: Stapes ankylosis is a heterogenous disease causing conductive hearing loss with different causes. Nonotosclerotic stapes fixations may belong to degenerative disorders with variable histopathology. Otosclerosis is an inflammatory disease resulting from persisting measles virus infection of the otic capsule.

Adult↗

Human papillomavirus, human immunodeficiency virus, and cervical cancer: newly recognized associations?

There are now sufficient data to conclude that women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and preinvasive stages of cervical cancer. This association is not completely due to immunosuppression. It is likely that HPV pathogenesis is altered in HIV-infected women. Preinvasive cervical neoplasia likely occurs more frequently in HIV-infected women because of several factors, including immunosuppression, viral interactions, and alterations in viral pathogenesis. As new treatments prolong the life of HIV-infected individuals, we must continue to be aware of and reactive to an increasing number of opportunistic complications of HIV infection, such as HPV infection and associated diseases.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Human papillomaviruses: their clinical significance in the management of cervical carcinoma.

Studies have shown a strong association between certain human papillomaviruses and the development of cervical carcinoma and its precursor lesions. The oncogenic potential of papillomaviruses has been clearly demonstrated in both laboratory animals and cultured cells. Recent advances in our understanding of viral pathogenesis have provided insights into the natural history of papillomavirus infection and subsequent development of neoplasia. A more thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for viral oncogenesis will facilitate the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat papillomavirus-associated cervical neoplasias. Strategies under current investigation are focusing on the induction of effective humoral and cell-mediated immunity, the expression of HPV gene products, and cofactors that interact with HPV gene products to affect cell transformation. As a result of these investigative efforts, prophylactic HPV capsid vaccines and other gene therapies may soon become clinically available.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗

New approaches to the development of live attenuated rabies vaccines.

In the United States, extensive reservoirs of the rabies virus exist in many diverse wild animal species, which continue to pose a serious risk of lethal infection of humans and cause an economic burden exceeding $1 billion annually. Previous experience with rabies control in foxes in Europe has clearly demonstrated that oral immunization with live vaccines is the only practical approach to eradicate rabies in free-ranging animals. However, unlike Europe where vulpine rabies was the only major reservoir, the Americas harbor a variety of species including raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and bats that serve as the primary reservoirs of rabies. Each of these animal reservoirs carries an antigenically distinct virus variant. The currently available modified-live rabies virus vaccines have either safety problems or do not induce sufficient protective immunity in particular wildlife species. Therefore, there is a need for the development of new live rabies virus vaccines that are very safe and highly effective in particular wildlife species. Based on previous observations indicating that the potency of a vaccine is significantly increased if the G protein of the vaccine strain is identical to that of the target virus, we have used a reverse genetics approach to engineer viruses that contain G proteins from virus strains associated with relevant wildlife species. Furthermore, because our recent data also indicate that the pathogenicity of a particular rabies virus strain is inversely proportional to its ability to induce apoptosis and that low-level apoptosis-inducing ability is associated with low anti-viral immune responses, we inserted genes encoding pro-apoptotic proteins to stimulate immunity or otherwise interfere with viral pathogenesis into these recombinant viruses to enhance their efficacy and safety.

Animals↗

Densovirinae as gene transfer vehicles.

Densoviruses present an attractive opportunity to develop expression vectors for insects. They exhibit several features that are beneficial for such vectors. The genomes of densoviruses are among the smallest of animal DNA viruses, and, therefore are easier to use for cloning and transfection procedures. The fact that cloned densovirus genomes are infectious greatly simplifies their applications. It seems that both densovirus promoters have high constitutive activity and they can be further transactivated with NS. The major nonstructural protein, NS1, can retain its functions even if fused to a foreign protein. If the recombinant genome carrying a gene of interest is supplied with the missing virus functions, it can be packaged into transducing particles. The packaging capacity of the densovirus particles can accommodate a foreign gene encoding a polypeptide of up to 150 kDa. Finally, the functions missing from the recombinant densovirus genome that are necessary for the production of transducing particles can be supplied in several different ways: they can be expressed from a helper plasmid, in cells transformed with the virus genes, or from an RNA virus. The last two methods produce transducing particles which are free of wild type virus. Densovirus transducing particles can be used for the delivery and expression of a gene of interest in insect cell culture or living insects. Transducing particles expressing reporter genes can be valuable tools in the study of viral pathogenesis and perhaps in the genetic manipulation of insects.

Animals↗

Tobacco mosaic virus infection stimulates the phosphorylation of a plant protein associated with double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase activity.

The influence of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection on nucleotide binding and phosphorylation of an Mr 68,000 host-encoded protein (p68) was examined. The phosphorylation of p68 in homogenates from TMV-infected tissues was 4-fold greater than in homogenates from mock inoculated tissues. Phosphorylation of p68 in extracts from mock inoculated tissues was enhanced by the addition of double-stranded (ds) RNA. Nucleotide photoaffinity labeling experiments indicate that p68 contains an ATP binding site with characteristics consistent with protein kinase activity. Antiserum raised against a dsRNA-dependent protein kinase activity. Antiserum raised against a dsRNA-dependent protein kinase from interferon-treated human cells immunoprecipitated p68 from extracts of TMV-infected tissue, and p68-containing immunocomplexes catalyzed the phosphorylation of endogenous p68. These data suggest that p68 may be an autophosphorylating, dsRNA-dependent protein kinase involved in viral pathogenesis. Based upon analogous functions demonstrated for dsRNA-dependent protein kinases in mammalian systems, p68 may have a role in the regulation of protein synthesis and viral replication in infected cells.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗

Generation of eGFP expressing recombinant Zaire ebolavirus for analysis of early pathogenesis events and high-throughput antiviral drug screening.

Zaire ebolavirus causes large outbreaks of severe and usually fatal hemorrhagic disease in humans for which there is no effective treatment or cure. To facilitate examination of early critical events in viral pathogenesis and to identify antiviral compounds, a recombinant Zaire ebolavirus was engineered to express a foreign protein, eGFP, to provide a rapid and sensitive means to monitor virus replication in infected cells. This genetically engineered virus represents the first insertion of a foreign gene into ebolavirus. We show that Ebola-eGFP virus (EboZ-eGFP) infects known early targets of human infections and serves as an ideal model to screen antiviral compounds in less time than any previously published assay.

Animals↗

Accurate representation of the hepatitis C virus quasispecies in 5.2-kilobase amplicons.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) exists as a swarm of genetically distinct but related variants, or a quasispecies, whose complexity and sequence evolution are critical to studies of viral pathogenesis. Because most studies of the HCV quasispecies have focused on a relatively small genomic segment, the first hypervariable region of the E2 gene, it is possible that viral complexity is occasionally underestimated (due to primer mismatch) and that sequence evolution is misperceived due to unrecognized covariation. This report describes a sensitive and reproducible method to amplify most of the HCV genome as a single 5.2-kb amplicon by using primers directed at relatively conserved genomic segments. Using 52 specimens obtained during acute infection over a range of viral RNA concentrations, the overall rate of successful amplification was 94% and varied in a concentration-dependent manner, with successful amplification in 26 of 26 (100%) specimens at greater than 10(5) IU/ml, 15 of 16 (94%) at 10(4) to 10(5) IU/ml, 6 of 7 (86%) at 10(3) to 10(4) IU/ml, and 2 of 3 (67%) at less than 10(3) IU/ml. Quasispecies complexity, determined by using this novel long-amplicon method followed by heteroduplex mobility assay combined with single-stranded conformational polymorphism (HDA+SSCP) analysis, was very high, even during acute HCV infection, when 10 to 21 (median, 16) different HDA+SSCP patterns were detected among 33 cDNA clones examined. Replicate analyses indicate that this diversity is not dominated by random errors generated during amplification. Therefore, the HCV quasispecies is highly complex even during acute infection and is accurately represented in amplicons representing more than half of the viral genome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Induction of potent humoral and cell-mediated immune responses by attenuated vaccinia virus vectors with deleted serpin genes.

Vaccinia virus (VV) has been effectively utilized as a live vaccine against smallpox as well as a vector for vaccine development and immunotherapy. Increasingly there is a need for a new generation of highly attenuated and efficacious VV vaccines, especially in light of the AIDS pandemic and the threat of global bioterrorism. We therefore developed recombinant VV (rVV) vaccines that are significantly attenuated and yet elicit potent humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. B13R (SPI-2) and B22R (SPI-1) are two VV immunomodulating genes with sequence homology to serine protease inhibitors (serpins) that possess antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties. We constructed and characterized rVVs that have the B13R or B22R gene insertionally inactivated (vDeltaB13R and vDeltaB22R) and coexpress the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (v50DeltaB13R and v50DeltaB22R). Virulence studies with immunocompromised BALB/cBy nude mice indicated that B13R or B22R gene deletion decreases viral replication and significantly extends time of survival. Viral pathogenesis studies in immunocompetent CB6F(1) mice further demonstrated that B13R or B22R gene inactivation diminishes VV virulence, as measured by decreased levels of weight loss and limited viral spread. Finally, rVVs with B13R and B22R deleted elicited potent humoral, T-helper, and cytotoxic T-cell immune responses, revealing that the observed attenuation did not reduce immunogenicity. Therefore, inactivation of immunomodulating genes such as B13R or B22R represents a general method for enhancing the safety of rVV vaccines while maintaining a high level of immunogenicity. Such rVVs could serve as effective vectors for vaccine development and immunotherapy.

Animals↗

Baculoviruses and apoptosis: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Since 1991, when a baculovirus was first shown to inhibit apoptosis of its host insect cells, considerable contributions to our knowledge of apoptosis have arisen from the study of these viruses and the anti-apoptotic genes they encode. Baculovirus anti-apoptotic genes include p35, which encodes the most broadly acting caspase inhibitor protein known, and iap (inhibitor of apoptosis) genes, which were the first members of an evolutionarily conserved gene family involved in regulation of apoptosis and cytokinesis in organisms ranging from yeast to humans. Baculoviruses also provide an ideal system to study the effects of an apoptotic response on viral pathogenesis in an animal host. In this review, I discuss a number of interesting recent developments in the areas of apoptotic regulation by baculoviruses and the effects of apoptosis on baculovirus replication and pathogenesis.

Animals↗

JC virus and simian virus 40 enhancers and transforming proteins: role in determining tissue specificity and pathogenicity in transgenic mice.

When introduced into the germ line of mice, the simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen under the control of its own transcriptional enhancer and promoter selectively induced tumors in the choroid plexus as well as thymic hyperplasia and kidney pathology. In contrast, the JC virus (JCV) T antigen under the control of its own regulatory sequences induced hypomyelination of the central nervous system and tumors of neural origin. Since SV40 and JCV have extensive sequence homology, except for their transcriptional control regions, these observations suggest but do not prove that, although the diseases induced by the two viruses, are consequences of the transforming gene, they are determined predominantly by the respective viral enhancers and promoters. To test this hypothesis, the regulatory regions of the two viruses were exchanged, and transgenic mice were derived with either chimeric construct. Like wild-type JCV, the construct containing the SV40 T antigen under the control of the JCV regulatory region induced hypomyelination of the central nervous system and neural tumors. Surprisingly, mice with this construct also developed choroid plexus carcinomas. Like the wild-type SV40 transgenic mice, mice with the JCV T antigen under the control of the SV40 enhancer and promoter developed choroid plexus tumors and renal pathology. Unexpectedly, they also had hyperplasia of the thyroid follicular cells. These findings not only provide direct evidence for the specificity of the respective viral regulatory region but also, more importantly, show that the transforming genes play a critical role in determining viral pathogenesis.

Animals↗

Two subgroups of stapes fixation: otosclerosis and pseudo-otosclerosis.

HYPOTHESIS: Stapes ankylosis is a disease with variable histopathology and can be caused by otosclerosis or pseudo-otosclerosis. Viral pathogenesis of otosclerosis could be established only by correlative analysis: histologic examination of the stapes footplate and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of the viral RNA. BACKGROUND: Presence of the RNA genome of measles virus was demonstrated in the footplates of clinically otosclerotic patients by RT-PCR, and also viral proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry. METHODS: Nucleic acids were extracted from ankylotic stapes footplates of clinically stapes fixation patients (n = 104). Measles virus genomic nucleoprotein (NP) RNA was amplified by seminested RT-PCR. Amplification results were correlated to postoperative histologic and audiologic findings. RESULTS: Measles virus RNA was detectable only in histologically otosclerotic stapes footplates (n = 67). Histology for virus negative footplates (n = 37) excluded otosclerosis. Virus negative stapes footplates showed nonotosclerotic, degenerative disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Stapes ankylosis is a heterogeneous disease causing conductive hearing loss with different etiologies. Nonotosclerotic stapes fixations could be established as pseudo-otosclerosis and may belong to nonspecific, degenerative disorders with variable and noncharacteristic histopathology. Otosclerosis is an inflammatory disease caused by persisting measles virus infection of the otic capsule.

Adult↗

In vitro detection of bovine immunodeficiency-like virus using monoclonal antibodies generated to a recombinant gag fusion protein.

An Escherichia coli recombinant fusion protein containing the major core protein of bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV) was used to immunize mice for generation of monoclonal antibodies to BIV p26. Eight hybridomas specific for BIV p26 were identified and two antibodies, designated 104 and 142, were further characterized. Both 104 and 142 antibodies were isotyped as IgG1; they reacted specifically with both BIV p26 and the recombinant fusion protein in Western immunoblot analyses. However, the epitope specificity of the antibodies was different. Immunoperoxidase assays were used to determine if antibodies 104 and/or 142 could detect BIV replication in cell culture. Both antibodies were found to react with BIV-induced syncytia and individual BIV-infected cells. The antibodies were also used successfully in a focal immunoassay for quantitation of BIV-infected cells. These antibodies will provide valuable reagents for detection and quantitation of BIV replication in studies of viral pathogenesis and immunity.

Animals↗

Role of viral replication in extrahepatic syndromes related to hepatitis B virus infection.

Approximately 20% of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may experience extrahepatic disease. These manifestations include a viral prodrome with a serum sickness-like syndrome, polyarteritis nodosa, glomerulonephritis, as well as various neurological and dermatologic diseases amongst other manifestations. The viral pathogenesis is not well understood and has been difficult to study due to the lack of an animal model of HBV-related extrahepatic disease. Deposition of immune complexes and activation of the complement cascade has been most widely studied. However, circulating immune complexes are physiologic and occur more frequently than extrahepatic disease. Also, HBV-related extrahepatic syndromes occur in the absence of immune complex formation. Several studies support the notion that HBV replication in extrahepatic tissues may also precipitate disease but extrahepatic replication has commonly been observed without any apparent cytopathic or immune related tissue damage. It is clear that suppression of viral replication with antiviral therapy or spontaneous viral clearance positively correlates with resolution of extrahepatic disease. The use of continuous immunosuppressive therapy has largely been abandoned with the advent of robust antiviral strategies to manage disease. These data support the notion that a combination of factors including inadequate clearance immune complexes and viral replication in extrahepatic tissues play an important role in the pathogenesis. This conceptual framework is potentially significant as it emphasizes the importance of antiviral treatment in the management of extrahepatic disease.

Antiviral Agents↗

Oncolytic viruses for cancer therapy I. Cell-external factors: virus entry and receptor interaction.

After being recognized for their anti-neoplastic properties at the beginning of the last century, viruses are again being considered for use as therapeutic agents against cancer. Certain virus species have a propensity to replicate within transformed cells, which are commonly rendered vulnerable due to tumor-specific defects in their defense against viral infection. Other viruses have been modified to subject them to tumor-specific growth conditions. Oncolytic viruses carry the promise to efficiently target cancer cells for destruction and spread throughout tumor tissue to reach distant neoplastic loci without causing collateral damage to healthy tissues. In contrast to conventional cancer chemotherapy, viral anti-neoplastic agents require complex interactions with the host organism to reach their target and to unfold their oncolytic activity. Recent progress in the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of viral pathogenesis has opened up new opportunities to manipulate virus-host interactions, generating effective anti-tumor strategies. On the other hand, significant obstacles towards the application of safe and efficacious viral therapies have become apparent. These frequently relate to the lack of cell culture and animal tumor models that accurately reflect the characteristics of cancerous tissues in patients. Throughout the past century, viral therapeutics against cancer have evolved into a new class of treatment strategies characterized by unique opportunities and challenges. A growing number of oncolytic viruses has entered clinical investigation or is scheduled to do so in the near future. Great efforts are being undertaken to rekindle an old idea and, with the help of new technologies, to realize its promise of new treatment facilities for cancer.

Genetic Therapy↗

A Friend virus mutant encodes a small glycoprotein that causes erythroleukemia.

The Pvu delta mutant of Friend spleen focus-forming virus encodes the smallest env glycoprotein (apparent M(r), 41,000) known to activate erythropoietin receptors. In vivo, Pvu delta causes erythroblastosis and the development of erythroleukemia. We isolated two leukemic cell lines that contain Pvu delta; both synthesize hemoglobin in response to dimethyl sulfoxide. The Pvu delta env gene contains a 204-base deletion in the ecotropic-specific region, suggesting that this domain of the glycoprotein is not essential for viral pathogenesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Ultrastructural localization of viral nucleic acid by in situ hybridization.

In situ hybridization has become a standard technique in the localization of viral nucleic acids in tissue sections and cytologic preparations at the light microscopic level. We have extended this technique to the electron microscopic level using human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in cultured human foreskin fibroblasts, and have shown for the first time that colloidal gold can be used to study intranuclear localization of viral replication. CMV-infected fibroblasts exhibiting early (4-day) and late (18-day) cytopathic effect were fixed in formalin, gently permeabilized with detergent and protease, and hybridized with a biotinylated CMV DNA probe. Hybridized sequences were localized by a pre-embedding technique using streptavidin-conjugated 15 to 20 nm colloidal gold particles. Ultrastructural nuclear and cytoplasmic architecture were well preserved through permeabilization and hybridization steps. Viral DNA was clearly detected in fibroblast nuclei containing nascent and well-formed electron-dense viral inclusions. Gold particles were localized to the periphery of electron-dense nuclear inclusions, occasionally in association with 70 nm nuclear dense bodies, but not with complete viral nucleocapsids. DNA hybridization was abolished by pretreatment of infected cells with DNase. Cross-hybridization of CMV DNA sequences with human DNA or with herpes simplex virus genome was not observed. The ultrastructural findings suggest that CMV DNA replication may occur at the margins of electron-dense regions in maturing viral inclusions, and that viral DNA associated with core dense bodies is available for hybridization with complementary nucleic acid sequences. This technique can be useful in studies of viral pathogenesis.

Cells, Cultured↗