Analyses of the genomes of prototype pichinde arenavirus and a virulent derivative of Pichinde Munchique: evidence for sequence conservation at the 3' termini of their viral RNA species.
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An intact 5.7-kb provirus of the avian erythroblastosis virus E26 has been molecularly cloned for comparisons with avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) and other avian tumor viruses. E26 and AMV transform hemopoietic cells exclusively. Both cause myeloblastosis, but E26 also causes erythroblastosis. Sequence analysis of the proviral DNA showed that: The tripartite transforming gene of E26 forms a contiguous reading frame of 1046 codons, including 272 gag, 283 mybE, and 491 ets codons. No subgenomic ets-specific mRNA was detected in E26-infected cells. By contrast, the onc gene of AMV consists almost entirely of a mybA sequence expressed via subgenomic mRNA that extends over the 5' and 3' ends of mybE. mybE is only slightly diverged from the mybA homolog of AMV and even less from the cellular proto-myb sequence with no characteristic mutation that sets apart the two viruses from proto-myb. The U5 region of the long terminal repeat (LTR) of E26 and AMV are colinear and differ only in scattered point mutations. The U3 region of the E26 LTR is different from that of AMV but is colinear and closely related with that of avian carcinoma virus MH2 and also with that of Prague Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), except for an unexpected 16-nucleotide substitution of 22 RSV nucleotides. Upstream of the 3' LTR, the c region of E26 appears to be the same as that of RSV for 70 nucleotides and very similar to those of AMV and MH2 for about 20 to 30 nucleotides. Since the U3s of E26, MH2 and RSV are very closely related and neither MH2 nor RSV show a particular erythroblast tropism, it is possible that the U3 does not play a critical role in the erythroblast tropism of E26. Electrophoretic size analyses of chicken DNA digested with restriction enzymes indicate that DNA fragments totaling over 50 kb hybridize with viral ets DNA.
Lymphotropic papovavirus (LPV) is a new member of the polyomavirus genus. Its host range in vitro is restricted to transformed cells of B-lymphocyte origin. Here the complete 5270-bp DNA sequence of LPV is presented. The LPV early region can encode a large T and a small t antigen but no middle T antigen and the late region can encode the three structural proteins VP1, VP2, and VP3. Based on sequence conservation of shared proteins LPV is equally related to both mouse polyomavirus (Py) and simian virus 40 (SV40) and represents a new distinct species of the polyomavirus genus. Sequence comparisons of LPV, SV40, and Py point out essential conserved sequence features of the polyomavirus genus more clearly than the comparison of only SV40 and Py. The most conserved proteins are VP1 with 42% and large T antigen with 28% of the amino acids conserved among the three viruses. Although least conserved the noncoding DNA sequences of LPV show significant homologies both to SV40 and Py (origin of viral DNA replication and putative early promoter). A 63-bp tandem repeat at the late side of the replication origin possibly represents a LPV enhancer element.
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Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III B (HTLV-III B) derived from H9/HTLV-III cells was cloned by a plaque-forming assay. Cloned viruses showed different restriction cleavage patterns, suggesting that HTLV-III B is a mixture of several viruses. Using two different neutralization assay systems, we compared the envelope antigenicity of uncloned HTLV-III B, cloned viruses, lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV), and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated retrovirus (ARV). A diversity of viral envelope antigens was consistently found among the strains of these AIDS-related retroviruses. These results concur with the previous finding that genomic divergence of AIDS-related viruses is located mainly in the region of the viral envelope gene. Thus, this plaque assay is useful for the clonal analysis of the virus, which is essential for comparing the envelope antigen(s) of the virus.
The nucleotide sequence of segment S1 and the deduced amino acid sequence of VP7 from bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 13 was determined. Sequences were obtained by use of standard dideoxy DNA sequencing and by direct sequencing of genomic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). The dsRNA was sequenced with a new dideoxy protocol that produces 300 to 350 bases per set of reactions. Segment S1 is 1156 bp long and contains one long open reading frame capable of coding for 349 amino acids. The protein, VP7, is rather hydrophobic, and has a calculated molecular weight of 38,619 and a net charge of +1.5 at pH 7.0. Segment S1 of BTV-13 has 79.6% of its nucleotides conserved when compared with segment S1 of BTV-10. While most of these differences occur at the third codon position of the open reading frame, the differences between the 89-base-long, 3' noncoding regions occur predominantly in pockets at positions 1092-1098, 1112-1114, and 1125-1129. Potential stem-loop structures encompassing the stop codon of the open reading frame are proposed for both serotypes. Comparisons of VP7 from BTV-13 and BTV-10 indicate that 93.7% of the amino acid residues are conserved, including a single lysine at position 255. Secondary structure predictions infer an eight-stranded beta-barrel structure between residues 150 and 250. This putative beta-barrel may serve as a target for the development of drugs to combat bluetongue disease. Comparable structures detected in the core proteins of single-stranded RNA viruses from both plants and animals suggest that these viruses and BTV had a common origin.
The complete nucleotide sequence of the large (L) genome segment of Bunyamwera virus has been determined from overlapping cDNA clones. The segment is 6875 nucleotides long and has a base composition of 29.8% A, 17.9% C, 15.4% G, and 36.9% U. Eighteen of the terminal 19 nucleotides at the 3' and 5' ends are complementary. In the viral-complementary (+ sense) RNA there is a single long open reading frame (ORF) from AUG at bases 51-53 to a UAG stop codon at bases 6765-6767; this ORF encodes a polypeptide of 2238 amino acids (MW 259,000), corresponding to the L protein which has been mapped to the L RNA segment by analysis of reassortants of Bunyamwera, Batai, and Maguari viruses. The amino-terminal 46 amino acids of the L protein show strong homology (63% identity) with the amino-termini of ORFs predicted from limited sequence analysis of the L segments of La Crosse and snowshoe hare bunyaviruses. Comparison with the polymerase proteins encoded by other negative-strand viruses showed weak homology with part of the influenza virus PB1 protein, but no homology was detected with the other influenza virus polymerase proteins nor with the L proteins of arenaviruses, paramyxoviruses, and rhabdoviruses. At the 5' end of genomic (- sense) RNA there is an AUG-initiated ORF potentially encoding a protein of 14,700; the significance of this ORF is unknown at present.
The genomic S RNA segment of Prospect Hill virus (PHV), a member of the Hantavirus genus, was molecularly cloned and the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA determined. The PHV S RNA segment is 1675 nucleotides long. A long open reading frame was identified in the viral complementary-sense RNA that could encode a 433 amino acid (49K) nucleocapsid (N) protein. Comparison with the sequence of the related Hantavirus (Hantaan 76-118) S RNA segment indicated that there was 57% nucleotide sequence homology between the two S RNA segments. A higher degree of conservation in amino acid sequence homology (62%) was observed in the N proteins of these viruses. At the N-terminus 147 of 225 amino acids are homologous, while approximately 82% of the 124 amino acids at the C-terminus are homologous between the two N proteins. The longest stretch of homologous amino acid sequence is found in this region, and is 17 amino acids in length. Also, many of the differences in amino acid sequence between the two N proteins resulted from conservative substitutions. Hydropathy plots of the two N proteins also reveal many similarities including a conserved potential antigenic site. Unlike Hantaan virus, a second smaller overlapping open reading frame was observed in the viral complementary-sense RNA of PHV and could potentially encode a 90 amino acid (10.5K) protein. Our data indicate that the N proteins of PHV and Hantaan virus are closely related despite divergence in the nucleotide sequence of their S RNA segments.
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In order to produce more potent and specific fibrinogen receptor (GpIIb/IIIa) antagonists, the Arg-Gly of a chemical series based upon Arg-Gly-Asp was replaced by alkyl chains of varying lengths. The most potent in this series, GR91669, inhibited aggregation of human gel-filtered platelets (GFP) in vitro induced by ADP or the thromboxane A2 mimetic, U46619, with IC50 values of 200nM and 500nM respectively and was selected for further studies. Its inhibitory effects on GFP were reversed by addition of excess fibrinogen. The compound also inhibited ADP- or U46619-induced platelet aggregation in human whole blood (IC50 values of 700nM in both cases). 125I-Fibrinogen binding to ADP-stimulated platelets was inhibited by GR91669 with an IC50 (65nM) similar to that against platelet aggregation. GR91669 (1mM) did not inhibit U46619-induced platelet shape change or 14C-5HT secretion from platelets stimulated by collagen, U46619 or thrombin. Therefore GR91669 inhibits aggregation but has no significant effect on stimulus-response events, a profile consistent with fibrinogen receptor blockade. In addition, GR91669 (1mM), unlike echistatin or Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser, did not disrupt vitronectin recptor-dependent attachment of cultured HUVECS in vitro and similarly did not inhibit Mac-1 dependent adhesion of human granulocytes. Thus, of the integrins tested, GR91669 appears to be specific for GpIIb/IIIa. Following intravenous administration to marmosets of 1 or 10 mg/kg GR91669, ADP (10 microM)-induced platelet aggregation ex vivo was abolished for 15 and 60 minutes respectively. Greater than 50% inhibition was maintained for 30 minutes and 2 hours respectively. GR91669, therefore appears to be a potent, specific fibrinogen receptor antagonist in vitro and which is also active in vivo.
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The authors have developed and patented a neurosurgical retractor system incorporating an infrared emitter and detector that allows detection of cerebral pulsations. Gentle contact with the surface of cat brains shows cerebral pulsations that correlate with arterial pulse as well as mechanical ventilation. The amplitude of cerebral pulsations decreases with higher retraction pressure and disappears at approximately 20 mmHg. The pressure on the surface of the brain decreased 50% in 5 minutes even though the position of the retractor was maintained constant. The authors postulate that monitoring cerebral pulsation may prove useful in clinical neurosurgery with respect to avoiding excessive retraction, which causes brain damage.
We have experimentally produced a ureteral stent which prevents vesicorenal reflux. This stent has a thin silicon sleeve at its distal end (intravesical portion). In a model experiment the sleeve demonstrated an excellent capability to prevent reflux. The sleeve allowed flow of fluid with minimal pressure rise. A patient with bilateral ureteral obstruction was managed with endoscopic insertion of a sleeved stent in the right ureter and a usual pigtail stent in left ureter. During cystography vesicorenal reflux was not observed on the right side while reflux occurred on the left side. Excretory urography forty days after stent placement demonstrated recovery of renal function and maintenance of drainage in both renal units. Thus, the drainage characteristic of this stent appears to be approximately the same as that of usual stent.
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