Incorporation of adenylate cyclase into membranes of giant liposomes using membrane fusion with recombinant baculovirus-budded virus particles.

Recombinant transmembrane adenylate cyclase (AC) was incorporated into membranes of giant liposomes using membrane fusion between liposomes and baculovirus-budded virus (BV). AC genes were constructed into transfer vectors in a form fused with fluorescent protein or polyhistidine at the C-terminus. The recombinant BVs were collected by ultracentrifugation and AC expression was verified using western blotting. The BVs and giant liposomes generated using gentle hydration were fused under acidic conditions; the incorporation of AC into giant liposomes was demonstrated by confocal laser scanning microscopy through the emission of fluorescence from their membranes. The AC-expressing BVs were also fused with liposomes containing the substrate (ATP) with/without a specific inhibitor (SQ 22536). An enzyme immunoassay on extracts of the sample demonstrated that cAMP was produced inside the liposomes. This procedure facilitates direct introduction of large transmembrane proteins into artificial membranes without solubilization.

Detection of a human intracisternal A-type retroviral particle antigenically related to HIV.

Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes. The loss of salivary and lacrimal gland function is accompanied by lymphocytic infiltration. Because similar symptoms and glandular pathology are observed in certain persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a search was initiated for a possible retroviral etiology in this syndrome. A human intracisternal A-type retroviral particle that is antigenically related to HIV was detected in lymphoblastoid cells exposed to homogenates of salivary tissue from patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Comparison of this retroviral particle to HIV indicates that they are distinguishable by several ultrastructural, physical, and enzymatic criteria.

Safety factors involved in the extraction of biologically active proteins from human immunodeficiency virus.

The disruption of the viral coat of human immunodeficiency virus by Triton X-100, a nonionic detergent, is a time-dependent process which requires incubation times of 30 min or longer. Conditions for the production of a noninfectious sample from a viral pellet that can be used to measure reverse transcriptase activity were determined.

[Relation of RNA-dependent DNA-polymerase from the rat liver with virus-like particles]. / Sviaz' RNK-zavisimoi DNK-polimerazy iz pecheni krys s virusopodobnymi chastitsami.

RNA-dependent DNA-polymerase activity was found in the 165 000 g supernatant and pellet of the postmitochondrial rat liver fraction. Further fractionation of the 165 000 g pellet in the linear sucrose gradient (20-50%) showed that RNA-dependent DNA-polymerase activity was distributed between fractions with densities 1.18-1.19 g/ml and 1.09-1.1 g/ml. In the fractions with 1.18-1.19 g/ml density the enzymic activity could be detected only after Triton X-100 treatment and disappeared after the incubation with pancreatic ribonuclease A. Triton X-100 treatment of the 165 000 g supernatant and the fractions with density 1.09-1.1 g/ml did not increase further the enzymic activity. Electron microscopy revealed in the 1.18 g/ml fraction virus-like particles resembling retroviruses of A and C type. In the light peak "non-mature" virus-like particles were found. The 165 000 g supernatant devoid of virus-like particles contained free RNA-dependent DNA-polymerase activity. The virus-like particles of both types seem to be endogenous rat retroviruses serving as a source of the particular and free reverse transcriptase in the rat liver.

[Localizing the major peptides of African swine fever virus and virus-associated enzymes in the virion structure]. / Lokalizatsiia mazhornykh polipeptidov virusa Afrikanskoi chumy svinei i virusassotsiirovannykh fermentov v strukture virionov.

African swine fever virus polypeptides with molecular weight of 120, 78, 69, 59, 56, 45, 39, 28, 26, 24, 16, and 14 kD are the major proteins in the purified virions, as shown by electrophoresis and immunoblotting. A mixture of proteases and pancreatic lipase hydrolyzed the polypeptides of 120 and 78 kD in viral preparations at low concentrations of enzymes, polypeptides of 69, 56, 45, 39, 28, and 14 kD disappeared after treatment with this mixture at medium concentrations, and 26 kD polypeptide was eliminated at a high concentration of the enzymes. The 21 kD polypeptide which did not react with the specific antiviral serum in immunoblotting was not hydrolyzed by proteases contaminating lipase. Treatment with triton X-100 and ether boosted the activity of DNA-dependent RNA-polymerase, whereas treatment with ether followed by resedimentation markedly decreased polymerase activity in the resultant sediment. Treatment with diethyl ether did not influence the activity of virus-associated ATPase, which was partially resistant to denaturating organic solvents acetone and chloroform-methanol mixture. Our findings and published data permitted us to propose a schematic arrangement of viral polypeptides and enzymes in the virion structure.

Further characterization of a protein kinase from foot-and-mouth disease virus.

Acid disruption of foot-and-mouth disease virus released a protein kinase activity that sedimented at less than 7S. This enzyme was separated into three peaks of activity by ion-exchange and hydroxylapatite chromatography. Analysis of the various enzyme fractions by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining revealed that one of the fractions lacked the major virion structural proteins, but still contained two or three other polypeptides. This enzyme phosphorylated mainly one protein (P17) in an in vitro assay.

Characterization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 dimeric RNA from wild-type and protease-defective virions.

We have characterized the dimeric genomic RNA in particles of both wild-type and protease (PR)-deficient human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). We found that the dimeric RNA isolated from PR- mutant virions has a lower mobility in nondenaturing gel electrophoresis than that from wild-type virions. It also dissociates into monomers at a lower temperature than the wild-type dimer. Thus, the dimer in PR- particles is in a conformation different from that in wild-type particles. These results are quite similar to recent findings on Moloney murine leukemia virus and suggest that a postassembly, PR-dependent maturation event is a common feature in genomic RNAs of retroviruses. We also measured the thermal stability of the wild-type and PR- dimeric RNAs under different ionic conditions. Both forms of the dimer were stabilized by increasing Na+ concentrations. However, the melting temperatures of the two forms were not significantly affected by the identity of the monovalent cation present in the incubation buffer. This observation is in contrast with recent reports on dimers formed in vitro from short segments of HIV-1 sequence: the latter dimers are specifically stabilized by K+ ions. K+ stabilization of dimers formed in vitro has been taken as evidence for the presence of guanine quartet structures. The results suggest that guanine quartets are not involved in the structure linking full-length, authentic genomic RNA of HIV-1 into a dimeric structure.

Elongation of DNA complementary to the 5' end of the avian sarcoma virus genome by the virion-associated RNA-dependent DNA polymerase.

RNA-dependent DNA synthesis in a virion-associated reaction has been described as being dependent upon the detergent concentration used for disruption of the virion. In this study, the Triton X-100 concentration was found to affect the elongation of the initially synthesized DNA complementary to the last approximately 100 nucleotides at the 5' end of the RNA (cDNA100). Whereas elongation of cDNA100 increased with time of incubation at the optimal detergent concentration, this process was retarded at higher detergent concentrations. At the optimal detergent concentration, elongated DNA was of low chemical complexity, indicating that extension of cDNA100 occurred at a unique site on the RNA. Higher than optimal detergent concentrations resulted in nonspecific elongation and in DNA of high chemical complexity. This was shown by oligopyrimidine tract analysis. Furthermore, actinomycin D was observed to inhibit the elongation of cDNA100 at the optimal detergent concentration. The nature of the elongation process was elucidated by analysis of DNA synthesized in a virion-associated reaction in the presence of bacteriophage Qbeta RNA. At the optimal detergent concentration DNA complementary only to avian sarcoma virus RNA was synthesized, whereas at higher concentrations DNA was copied from both avian sarcoma virus and Qbeta RNA. We conclude that the elongation mechanism of cDNA100 is affected by the detergent concentration and elongation is unspecific at higher than optimal detergent concentrations. The mechanism by which the nonionic detergent stimulates DNA synthesis has not yet been resolve. We assume that other factors in addition to DNA polymerase are involved in elongation of cDNA100.

Association of type I DNA topoisomerase with herpes simplex virus.

A topoisomerase activity is associated with herpes simplex virus type 1. The enzyme was recovered from purified virions which were disrupted with 6 M-guanidine-HCl followed by renaturation of extracted proteins. Based upon the following observations, the virion activity is classified as a type I topoisomerase: (i) the linking number of a unique DNA topoisomer is altered in steps of one; (ii) ATP and MgCl2 are not required for activity; (iii) the enzyme can be trapped in a covalent complex with DNA; (iv) the covalent linkage to DNA is through a 3' phosphoryl bond. A number of lines of evidence strongly indicate that the topoisomerase is external to the nucleocapsid. For example, the activity was released by treatment of intact virions with NP40, and subsequent washing steps extracted most residual activity. When guanidine extracts were prepared from nucleocapsids, topoisomerase activity was not detectable. Finally, DNA within the virion did not appear to contain covalently attached proteins with properties similar to topoisomerases. Thus, the enzyme appears to be a component of the envelope or tegument structure of the virion.

Characterization of the AIDS-associated retrovirus reverse transcriptase and optimal conditions for its detection in virions.

The RNA-dependent DNA polymerase of the AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV) gives highest activity with the synthetic template, poly(rA)oligo(dT) and prefers Mg2+ over Mn2+ as a divalent cation. It can use other template-primer combinations but with poly(rCm)oligo(dG), it prefers Mn2+ over Mg2+. Detection of ARV reverse transcriptase in culture fluids is substantially increased with an optimal KCl concentration and a special combination of EGTA and reducing agents. Our results indicate some distinguishing characteristics of the ARV reverse transcriptase and optimal conditions for its detection.

A universal virus inactivant for decontaminating blood and biopharmaceutical products.

Removal of virus infectivity from blood and biopharmaceutical products prepared from blood is an issue of considerable importance. Irrespective of the methods that are chosen it is vital that the biological activity of the product is not impaired. For blood and unfractionated plasma or serum, the problem is even more challenging. Selective inactivation of the genome is the key step in the preparation of killed virus vaccines. Imines have been used for more than 30 years for the preparation of inactivated foot-and-mouth disease virus vaccines without any evidence of survival of virus infectivity. Moreover, the immunogenicity of the virus is unimpaired. Viruses belonging to all the recognised families can be inactivated by imines. The biological properties of several proteins, including the cell growth-promoting factors in calf serum, are not impaired using conditions which ensure the inactivation of > 10(15) infectious units of poliovirus and foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Moreover, both viruses can be inactivated by imines at 4 degrees C, thus providing a method for removing infectivity from protein preparations which are unstable at higher temperatures. The mechanism by which FMDV is inactivated has been studied. We found that the RNA extracted from the virus after inactivation at 4 degrees C was not degraded and contained no hidden breaks but nevertheless was non-infectious. However, it could be amplified by PCR using primers corresponding to the gene coding for a portion of the viral RNA polymerase, but not from that coding for VP1, one of the structural proteins, showing that alteration of a base or bases had occurred in that region.