RESUMO
One of the most fascinating findings in retrovirology is the construction of viral vectors based on foamy viruses (FVs) for gene therapy. The envelope glycoprotein (Env), one of the structural proteins of FV, is an important antigen in the immunoassays, as it is highly specific. To compare the characteristics of all 15 available FV Envs, the phylogenesis, hydrophobicity, modifications, and conserved motifs were analyzed based on the Env sequences. Meanwhile, the secondary structures of transmembrane (TM) domains of FV Envs were predicted. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on Envs indicated that the foamy viruses from different hosts could form three groups. The hydrophobicity analysis revealed that FV Envs had two prominent hydrophobic regions, which was similar to other retroviruses. Though the glycosylation, ubiquitination, and the secondary structures of TM domains of FV Envs were in line with other retroviruses, the roles were distinctly different. Interestingly, the analyses of conserved motifs suggested that FV Envs possessed several specific functional motifs.
Assuntos
Infecções por Retroviridae/veterinária , Infecções por Retroviridae/virologia , Spumavirus/genética , Proteínas do Envelope Viral/química , Proteínas do Envelope Viral/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Humanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Filogenia , Conformação Proteica , Alinhamento de Sequência , Spumavirus/química , Spumavirus/classificação , Proteínas do Envelope Viral/metabolismoRESUMO
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), one of the key ligand-activated nuclear receptors interacting with PPAR response elements (PPREs), may trigger the expression of PPAR-responsive genes and be involved in the transcriptional regulation of lipid metabolism, energy balance, and some diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated that the mouse Ppsig gene is a novel PPARα target gene taking a pivotal role in maintaining energy balance during fasting. Disparity between humans and rodents in their PPAR systems requires corroborating experiments to determine whether the hPpsig gene (Ppsig homologous gene in human) is also a PPARα target gene. In this work, eight putative PPREs in the promoter and first intron of hPpsig were identified. However, only one intronic PPRE could respond to PPARα by transient transfection. Furthermore, the binding activity of PPARα with this intronic PPRE was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay in vitro. This investigation might help to elucidate the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of Ppsig in humans.