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Evaluation of a novel bioartificial liver in rats with complete liver ischemia: treatment efficacy and species-specific alpha-GST detection to monitor hepatocyte viability.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is an urgent need for an effective bioartificial liver system to bridge patients with fulminant hepatic failure to liver transplantation or to regeneration of their own liver. Recently, we proposed a bioreactor with a novel design for use as a bioartificial liver (BAL). The reactor comprises a spirally wound nonwoven polyester fabric in which hepatocytes are cultured (40 x 10(6) cells/ml) as small aggregates and homogeneously distributed oxygenation tubing for decentralized oxygen supply and CO2 removal. The aims of this study were to evaluate the treatment efficacy of our original porcine hepatocyte-based BAL in rats with fulminant hepatic failure due to liver ischemia (LIS) and to monitor the viability of the porcine hepatocytes in the bioreactor during treatment. The latter aim is novel and was accomplished by applying a new species-specific enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the determination of porcine alpha-glutathione S-transferase (alpha-GST), a marker for hepatocellular damage. METHODS: Three experimental groups were studied: the first control group (LIS Control, n = 13) received a glucose infusion only; a second control group (LIS No-Cell-BAL, n = 8) received BAL treatment without cells; and the treated group (LIS Cell-BAL, n = 8) was connected to our BAL which had been seeded with 4.4 x 10(8) viable primary porcine hepatocytes. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to previous comparable studies, BAL treatment significantly improved survival time in recipients with LIS. In addition, the onset of hepatic encephalopathy was significantly delayed and the mean arterial blood pressure significantly improved. Significantly lower levels of ammonia and lactate in the LIS Cell-BAL group indicated that the porcine hepatocytes in the bioreactor were metabolically activity. Low pig alpha-GST levels suggested that our bioreactor was capable of maintaining hepatocyte viability during treatment. These results provide a rationale for a comparable study in LIS-pigs as a next step towards potential clinical application.

Animals↗

Species-specific Cd-stress response in the white rot basidiomycetes Abortiporus biennis and Cerrena unicolor.

The effect of cadmium (Cd) on fungal growth, Cd bioaccumulation and biosorption, and on the formation of potential heavy metal response indicators such as thiols, oxalate, and laccase was investigated in the white rot fungi Cerrena unicolor andAbortiporus biennis. Only the highest Cd concentration employed (200 microM) inhibited growth of C. unicolor, whereas already lower Cd concentrations caused decreasing mycelia dry weights in A. biennis. Cd biosorption onto the mycelial surface was the predominant Cd sequestration mechanism in C. unicolor. Surface-bound and bioaccumulated Cd concentrations were essentially in the same range in A. biennis, leading to considerably higher intracellular Cd concentrations in A. biennis than in C. unicolor. Oxalate and laccase were produced by both of the fungal strains and their extracellular levels were elevated upon Cd exposure. Oxalate concentrations and laccase titres were considerably higher in C. unicolor than in A. biennis. Both fungi responded to increasing Cd concentrations by increasing intracellular amounts of thiol compounds (cysteine, gamma-glutamylcysteine, glutathione in both its reduced and oxidized form) but Cd application increased the amounts of thiols to a higher extend in A. biennis. Taken together, these species-specific responses towards Cd suggest that C. unicolor possesses a more efficient system than A. biennis to keep intracellular Cd concentrations low.

Basidiomycota↗

The structure of the TATA-less rat tissue-type plasminogen activator gene. Species-specific sequence divergences in the promoter predict differences in regulation of gene expression.

The genomic region carrying the rat tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) gene including its 5'-flanking sequence has been isolated and characterized by restriction enzyme analysis, Southern blotting, and DNA sequencing of all coding parts and the promoter region. The gene is approximately 25 kilobase pairs in size and comprises 14 exons separated by 13 introns. All the exon/intron boundaries agree with the GT-AG rule. The organization of the rat tPA gene is very similar to its human counterpart, and the location of the introns in the protein structure is identical to the human tPA gene. To characterize the promoter region, the transcription initiation site was identified by S1 nuclease protection experiments. A DNA fragment carrying 621 nucleotides of the 5'-flanking sequence was found to confer basal promoter activity and hormone responsiveness to a reporter gene construct in primary cultures of rat granulosa cells. Analysis of the rat tPA promoter sequence and a comparison with the human and mouse counterparts reveal several species-specific differences: the rat and mouse tPA promoters lack typical TATA and CAAT sequences found in the human tPA gene. Furthermore, the rat tPA promoter contains a consensus cAMP-responsive element shown to be required for cAMP responsiveness in eucaryotic genes. At the same position as the cAMP-responsive element in the rat gene, the mouse and human tPA genes have a 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-responsive element known to mediate activation by phorbol esters. The differences in the promoter sequences of the rat, mouse, and human tPA genes may have implications for the regulation of the tPA gene in different species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Species-specific activity of rat recombinant interleukin-1 beta.

We have constructed expression clones for mature rat interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Using these clones, rat recombinant IL-1 beta (rrIL-1 beta) was prepared and purified by a single-step cation-exchange chromatography method. In addition, synthetic rrIL-1 beta mRNA was transcribed and used to synthesize radiolabeled 35S-rrIL-1 beta for binding studies. The rrIL-1 beta produced was demonstrated to have IL-1 bioactivity in a mouse thymocyte proliferation assay, in which it could be blocked by inclusion of human recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist (hrIL-1Ra). Similarly, rrIL-1 beta induced LIF mRNA expression in cultured rat sympathetic ganglia. In each case, the maximal dose of rrIL-1 beta was similar to that of human IL-1 beta. However, the peak response in rat tissue was twofold higher with rat IL-1 beta than with human IL-1 beta. The expression of rrIL-1 beta provides a useful tool for studying IL-1 receptors in rat, in which human and mouse IL-1 beta have been found to bind poorly. Species-specific activity of rat IL-1 beta may correlate with compensatory ionic properties of rat IL-1 receptor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Involvement of TLR4/MD-2 complex in species-specific lipopolysaccharide-mimetic signal transduction by Taxol.

Taxol, an antitumor agent derived from a plant, mimics the action of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice, but not in humans. The LPS-mimetic activity of Taxol is not observed in LPS-hyporesponsive C3H/HeJ mice which possess a point mutation in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4); therefore, TLR4 appears to be involved in both Taxol and LPS signaling. In addition, TLR4 was recently shown to physically associate with MD-2, a molecule that confers LPS-responsiveness on TLR4. Here we examined whether or not TLR4/MD-2 complex mediates a Taxol-induced signal by using transformants of the mouse pro-B cell line, Ba/F3, expressing mouse TLR4 alone, both mouse TLR4 and mouse MD-2, and both mouse MD-2 and mouse TLR4 lacking the cytoplasmic portion. Our results demonstrated that co-expression of mouse TLR4 and mouse MD-2 was required for Taxol responsiveness, and that the TLR4/MD-2 complex is the shared molecule in Taxol and LPS signal transduction in mice. We also found that mouse MD-2, but not human MD-2, is involved in Taxol signaling, suggesting that MD-2 is responsible for the species-specific responsiveness to Taxol.

Animals↗

Efficient replication of polyomavirus DNA in a cell-free system supplemented with Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein, which exhibits species-specificity in the requirement for DNA polymerase alpha-primase.

We established a modified cell-free system for polyomavirus (PyV) DNA replication, which was supplemented with Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB). DNA synthesis in this system was enhanced by 1.4- to over 15-fold depending upon the amount of cell extracts contained in the reaction mixture. By supplementing with E. coli SSB, we were able to reduce the amount of cell extracts in the reaction mixture, and to lower the concentrations of creatine phosphate and Tris, rendering this system more resistant to salts than the conventional PyV DNA replication system. The modified system was characterized using mutant cell extracts which had heat-inactivated DNA polymerase alpha. DNA synthesis in the system was dependent on PyV T antigen, the PyV origin of DNA replication, mutant cell extracts, and DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex purified from wild-type cells. The DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex was not replaced by DNA polymerase alpha, indicating that this system requires a functional DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex. This system exhibited species-specificity in the requirement for DNA polymerase alpha-primase; only mouse DNA polymerase alpha-primase but not human DNA polymerase alpha-primase functioned in this system.

Animals↗

The C-terminal region of mitochondrial single-subunit RNA polymerases contains species-specific determinants for maintenance of intact mitochondrial genomes.

Functional conservation of mitochondrial RNA polymerases was investigated in vivo by heterologous complementation studies in yeast. It turned out that neither the full-length mitochondrial RNA polymerase of Arabidopsis thaliana, nor a set of chimeric fusion constructs from plant and yeast RNA polymerases can substitute for the yeast mitochondrial core enzyme Rpo41p when expressed in Deltarpo41 yeast mutants. Mitochondria from mutant cells, expressing the heterologous mitochondrial RNA polymerases, were devoid of any mitochondrial genomes. One important exception was observed when the carboxyl-terminal domain of Rpo41p was exchanged with its plant counterpart. Although this fusion protein could not restore respiratory function, stable maintenance of mitochondrial petite genomes (rho(-))(-) was supported. A carboxyl-terminally truncated Rpo41p exhibited a comparable activity, in spite of the fact that it was found to be transcriptionally inactive. Finally, we tested the carboxyl-terminal domain for complementation in trans. For this purpose the last 377 amino acid residues of yeast mitochondrial Rpo41p were fused to its mitochondrial import sequence. Coexpression of this fusion protein with C-terminally truncated Rpo41p complemented the Deltarpo41 defect. These data reveal the importance of the carboxyl-terminal extension of Rpo41p for stable maintenance of intact mitochondrial genomes and for distinct species-specific intramolecular protein-protein interactions.

Arabidopsis↗

Species-specific class I gene expansions formed the telomeric 1 mb of the mouse major histocompatibility complex.

We have determined the complete sequence of 951,695 bp from the class I region of H2, the mouse major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) from strain 129/Sv (haplotype bc). The sequence contains 26 genes. The sequence spans from the last 50 kb of the H2-T region, including 2 class I genes and 3 class I pseudogenes, and includes the H2-M region up to Gabbr1. A 500-kb stretch of the H2-M region contains 9 class I genes and 4 pseudogenes, which fall into two subfamilies, M1 and M10, distinct from other mouse class I genes. This M1/M10 class I gene-cluster is separated from the centromeric H2-T and the telomeric H2-M4, -5 and -6 class I genes by "nonclass I genes". Comparison with the corresponding 853-kb region of the human Mhc, which includes the HLA-A region, shows a mosaic of conserved regions of orthologous nonclass I genes separated by regions of species-specific expansion of paralogous Mhc class I genes. The analysis of this mosaic structure illuminates the dynamic evolution of the Mhc class I region among mammals and provides evidence for the framework hypothesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

New species-specific alleles at the primate MHC-G locus.

Six different ape MHC-G DNA sequences (four in humans: HLA-G*01011, HLA-G*II, HLA-G*0103, and HLA-G*IV; one in chimpanzees: Patr-G*I; and one in gorillas: Gogo-G*1) have been obtained. Only synonymous or conservative ("Thr"-to-"Ser") substitutions are allowed between the four human alleles. One allele of MHC-G exon-2 sequences has been found both in gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). The Patr-G*I DNA sequence shows two nonsynonymous substitutions when compared with the human HLA-G*01011 sequence: "CGG"-to-"TGG" ("Arg"-to-"Trp") at codon 35 and "ATG"-to-"ATA" ("Met"-to-"Ile") at codon 76. One nonsynonymous "GAG"-to-"GGG" ("Glu"-to-"Gly") substitution is observed in the Gogo-G*I exon-2 DNA sequence, when compared with the human *01011 allele. None of these three different substitutions have been observed in humans and are, thus, considered species specific. Also, evidence is provided that the human HLA-G*II and G*0103 may have been originated after human speciation. Finally, phylogenetic relationships among the six MHC-G alleles, tamarins G-"like" alleles, and other human class I genes (both "classical" and "nonclassic") are discussed.

Alleles↗

Hibernation in ground squirrels induces state and species-specific tolerance to hypoxia and aglycemia: an in vitro study in hippocampal slices.

Hibernation in mammals is associated with a regulated depression of global cellular functions accompanied by reductions of cerebral blood flow that would render the brain profoundly ischemic under normal conditions. Homeostatic control is preserved, however, and brain damage does not occur. We investigated the possibility that hibernation not only confers tolerance to profound hypothermia, but also to hypoxia and aglycemia independent of temperature. Hippocampal slices from ground squirrels Citellus tridecemlineatus in both the active and hibernating states and from rats were subjected to in vitro hypoxia and aglycemia at incubation temperatures of 36 degrees C, 20 degrees C, and 7 degrees C and evaluated histologically. A binary bioassay was used to determine the duration of hypoxia/aglycemia tolerated in each group. At all temperatures, slices from hibernating animals were most tolerant compared with both active squirrels and rats. Slices from active ground squirrels were more tolerant than rat at 20 degrees C and 7 degrees C but not at 36 degrees C indicating a species-specific difference that becomes manifest at lower temperatures. These results indicate that hibernation is associated not only with tolerance to profound hypothermia but also to deprivation of oxygen and glucose. Because tolerance was already demonstrable at the shortest duration of hibernation studied, rapid therapeutic induction of a similar state may be possible. Therefore, identification of the regulatory mechanisms underlying this tolerance may lead to novel neuroprotective strategies.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Human topoisomerase I promotes HIV-1 proviral DNA synthesis: implications for the species specificity and cellular tropism of HIV-1 infection.

Although HIV type 1 (HIV-1) cannot efficiently replicate in simian cells, the mechanism(s) involved in the restriction of virus tropism remain unclear. To investigate this, we have focused on the identification of human cellular factors that can influence the infectivity of HIV-1 derived from African green monkey producer cells. Whereas the infectivity of HIV-1 derived from such cells was only 10-15% of that of human cell-derived virus, expression of human topoisomerase I in the African green monkey cells resulted in a 5-fold increase of the infectivity of progeny HIV-1 virions. Replacement of glutamate-236 and asparagine-237 of human topoisomerase I with the corresponding residues (aspartate and serine, respectively) of the African green monkey enzyme abolished this enhancement of HIV-1 infectivity. This positive effect of human topoisomerase I expression in the African green monkey producer cells seemed to result from the promotion of HIV-1 cDNA synthesis. Thus, human topoisomerase I plays an important role in HIV-1 replication and infectivity, and differences in the species specificity of HIV-1 infection can at least in part be attributed to differences in topoisomerase I activities.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Species-specific microhelix aminoacylation by a eukaryotic pathogen tRNA synthetase dependent on a single base pair.

We report here that tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from the eukaryotic pathogen Pneumocystis carinii is a 370 amino acid polypeptide with characteristic elements of a class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and aligns with the prokaryotic tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases in the class-defining active site region, including the tRNA acceptor helix-binding region. The expressed enzyme is a dimer that aminoacylates yeast tRNA but not Escherichia coli tRNA(Tyr). Like most tRNAs, prokaryotic tyrosine tRNAs have a G1.C72 base pair at the ends of their respective acceptor helices. However, the eukaryote cytoplasmic tyrosine tRNAs have an uncommon C1.G72 base pair. We show that P. carinii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase charges a seven base pair hairpin microhelix (microhelixTyr) whose sequence is derived from the acceptor stem of yeast cytoplasmic tRNATyr. In contrast, the enzyme does not charge E. coli microhelixTyr. Changing the C1.G72 of yeast microhelixTyr to G1.C72 abolishes charging by the P. carinii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase. Conversely, we found that E. coli tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase can charge an E. coli microhelixTyr and that charging is sensitive to having a G1.C72 rather than a C1.G72 base pair. The results demonstrate that the common structural framework of homologous tRNA synthetases has the capacity to coadapt to a transversion in a critical acceptor helix base pair and that this coadaptation can account for species-selective microhelix aminoacylation. We propose that species-selective acceptor helix recognition can be used as a conceptual basis for species-specific inhibitors of tRNA synthetases.

Acylation↗

Movement of potexviruses requires species-specific interactions among the cognate triple gene block proteins, as revealed by a trans-complementation assay based on the bamboo mosaic virus satellite RNA-mediated expression system.

The intra- and intercellular transport of potexviruses require interactions among viral RNA, coat protein and elements of the triple gene block proteins (TGBps). In this study, the requirement of bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) TGBps for movement functions and the compatibilities with those of two potexviruses, Potato virus X (PVX) and Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV), were examined using a satellite RNA-mediated trans-complementation assay system. Single or multiple TGBps of BaMV, PVX and FoMV were expressed from BaMV satellite RNA (satBaMV RNA) vectors to complement the functions of green fluorescent protein-tagged, movement-defective BaMV with mutation(s) in the matching gene(s). It was found that individual BaMV TGBps expressed from the satellite vector could function normally in trans, whereas bi-gene BaMV TGBp constructs in which the expression of TGBp3 might be impaired and individual TGBp genes from PVX or FoMV could not complement the movement functions of the defective helper viruses. Furthermore, alterations of the ratio among TGBps by ectopic expression of individual components of TGBps from satBaMV RNA vectors did not affect the cell-to-cell movement capabilities of wild-type BaMV significantly. The results indicate that species-specific interactions among movement proteins are obligatory for the cell-to-cell movement of BaMV and possibly other potexviruses.

Genetic Techniques↗

The min K channel underlies the cardiac potassium current IKs and mediates species-specific responses to protein kinase C.

A clone encoding the guinea pig (gp) min K potassium channel was isolated and expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The currents, gpIsK, exhibit many of the electrophysiological and pharmacological properties characteristic of gpIKs, the slow component of the delayed rectifier potassium conductance in guinea pig cardiac myocytes. Depolarizing commands evoke outward potassium currents that activate slowly, with time constants on the order of seconds. The currents are blocked by the class III antiarrhythmic compound clofilium but not by the sotalol derivative E4031 or low concentrations of lanthanum. Like IKs in guinea pig myocytes, gpIsK is modulated by stimulation of protein kinase A and protein kinase C (PKC). In contrast to rat and mouse IsK, which are decreased upon stimulation of PKC, myocyte IK and gpIsK in oocytes are increased after PKC stimulation. Substitution of an asparagine residue at position 102 by serine (N102S), the residue found in the analogous position of the mouse and rat min K proteins, results in decreased gpIsK in response to PKC stimulation. These results support the hypothesis that the min K protein underlies the slow component of the delayed rectifier potassium current in ventricular myocytes and account for the species-specific responses to stimulation of PKC.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Promoter rearrangements cause species-specific hepatic regulation of the glyoxylate reductase/hydroxypyruvate reductase gene by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha.

In liver, the glyoxylate cycle contributes to two metabolic functions, urea and glucose synthesis. One of the key enzymes in this pathway is glyoxylate reductase/hydroxypyruvate reductase (GRHPR) whose dysfunction in human causes primary hyperoxaluria type 2, a disease resulting in oxalate accumulation and formation of kidney stones. In this study, we provide evidence for a transcriptional regulation by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) of the mouse GRHPR gene in liver. Mice fed with a PPARalpha ligand or in which PPARalpha activity is enhanced by fasting increase their GRHPR gene expression via a peroxisome proliferator response element located in the promoter region of the gene. Consistent with these observations, mice deficient in PPARalpha present higher plasma levels of oxalate in comparison with their wild type counterparts. As expected, the administration of a PPARalpha ligand (Wy-14,643) reduces the plasma oxalate levels. Surprisingly, this effect is also observed in null mice, suggesting a PPARalpha-independent action of the compound. Despite a high degree of similarity between the transcribed region of the human and mouse GRHPR gene, the human promoter has been dramatically reorganized, which has resulted in a loss of PPARalpha regulation. Overall, these data indicate a species-specific regulation by PPARalpha of GRHPR, a key gene of the glyoxylate cycle.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Routine rapid Mycobacterium species assignment based on species-specific allelic variation in the 65-kilodalton heat shock protein gene (hsp65).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of automated DNA sequencing strategies for Mycobacterium species assignment and surrogate rifampin susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates in a hospital-based clinical microbiology laboratory. DESIGN: Consecutive patient specimens (n = 161) cultured in BACTEC 12B medium (growth index of 50 or greater) or on solid media (Löwenstein-Jensen) were analyzed. A 360-bp segment of a gene (hsp65) encoding a 65-kd heat shock protein was sequenced to identify species-specific allelic polymorphism. Identification of sequence variation in the rpoB gene encoding the beta subunit of RNA polymerase was used as a surrogate method to assess rifampin susceptibility in M tuberculosis complex isolates. RESULTS: The automated DNA sequencing strategies rapidly identified virtually all mycobacteria (158 [98%] of 161) to the species level and unambiguously characterized the region of rpoB that contains mutations responsible for rifampin resistance in M tuberculosis strains. With few exceptions, DNA sequence-based species assignment data agreed with diagnostic information obtained by conventional methods. All discrepancies were due to ambiguous biochemical test data or interpretation. The rifampin susceptibility phenotype was correctly predicted for all strains by rpoB sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid mycobacterial species assignment based on hsp65 sequencing can be routinely performed in a hospital diagnostic microbiology laboratory setting. The method is especially useful for identification of fastidious organisms, such as Mycobacterium genavense. Sequencing of the rifampin-resistance-determining region of rpoB provides a convenient surrogate strategy for predicting rifampin susceptibility in M tuberculosis complex isolates.

Alleles↗

Species-specific phosphorylation of mouse and rat p53 in simian virus 40-transformed cells.

We have analyzed in detail the phosphorylation of p53 from normal (3T3) and simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed (SV3T3) BALB/c mouse cells and from normal (F111) and SV40-transformed [FR(wt648)] rat cells by two-dimensional tryptic peptide mapping and phosphoamino acid analyses. To accommodate the different half-lives of p53 in normal (half-life, 15 min) and transformed (half-life, 20 h) cells and possible differences in the rates of turnover of phosphate at specific sites, cells were labeled for 2 h (short-term labeling) or 18 h (long-term labeling). Depending on the labeling conditions, either close similarities or marked differences were observed in the phosphorylation patterns of p53 from normal and transformed cells. After the 2-h labeling, the phosphorylation patterns of p53 from normal and transformed mouse cells were quite similar. In contrast, p53 from normal and transformed rat cells exhibited dramatic quantitative and qualitative differences under these labeling conditions. The reverse was found after an 18-h label leading to steady-state phosphorylation of p53 in transformed cells: while p53 in transformed mouse cells revealed a marked quantitative increase in phosphorylation compared with p53 from normal cells, the corresponding patterns of p53 from normal and transformed rat cells were similar. Our data thus indicate species-specific differences in the phosphorylation of mouse and rat p53 in SV40-transformed cells, reflected by (i) different turnover rates at specific sites in mouse and rat p53 and (ii) phosphorylation of nonhomologous serine and threonine residues in rat p53, as revealed by indirect assignment of phosphorylation sites to the phosphopeptides of rat p53. Analyses of p53 from the SV40 tsA58 mutant-transformed F111 cell lines FR(tsA58)A (N type) and FR(tsA58)57 (A type) yielded no conclusive evidence for a direct correlation between phosphorylation of p53, the metabolic stabilization of p53, and expression of the transformed phenotype.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Genomic characterization of TT viruses (TTVs) in pigs, cats and dogs and their relatedness with species-specific TTVs in primates and tupaias.

Using PCR with primers derived from a non-coding region of the human TT virus (TTV) genome, the TTV sequence in serum samples obtained from pigs (Sus domesticus), dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus) was identified and the entire genomic sequence was determined for each representative isolate. Three TTV isolates (Sd-TTV31 from a pig, Cf-TTV10 from a dog and Fc-TTV4 from a cat) comprising 2878, 2797 and 2064 nucleotides, respectively, each had three open reading frames (ORFs) encoding 436-635 (ORF1), 73-105 (ORF2) and 224-243 (ORF3) aa but lacked ORF4, similar to tupaia TTV. ORF3 was presumed to arise from a splicing of TTV mRNA, similar to human prototype TTV. Although the nucleotide sequence of Sd-TTV31, Cf-TTV10 and Fc-TTV4 differed by more than 50% from each other and from previously reported TTVs of 3.4-3.9 kb and TTV-like mini viruses (TLMVs) of 2.8-3.0 kb isolated from humans and non-human primates as well as tupaia TTVs of 2.2 kb, they resembled known TTVs and TLMVs with regard to genomic organization and presumed transcriptional profile rather than animal circoviruses of 1.7-2.3 kb. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Sd-TTV31, Cf-TTV10 and Fc-TTV4 were closer to TTVs from lower-order primates and tupaias than to TTVs from higher-order primates and TLMVs. These results indicate that domestic pigs, cats and dogs are naturally infected with species-specific TTVs with small genomic size and suggest a wide distribution of TTVs with extremely divergent genomic sequence and length in animals.

Animals↗