Restriction map of the hepatitis B virus DNA cloned in Escherichia coli.

A plasmid carrying the complete genome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) inserted into the BamHI site of the pBR322 plasmid vector has been constructed. The physical map of HBV DNA established for 13 restriction endonucleases allows to conclude that the cloned DNA is similar, but not identical to the HBV DNA of ayw subtype.

Expression of hepatitis B virus surface antigen gene in Escherichia coli.

Direct expression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) gene under the control of the Escherichia coli tryptophan operon (trp) promoter has been achieved. Synthesis of HBsAg (both complete and lacking its N-terminal segment) as a part of hybrid proteins with the N-terminal portion coded by genes cat, kan or bla is controlled by the appropriate promoters, as well as by the trp promoter. The highest levels of expression, including those for direct synthesis of HBsAg, provide the accumulation of about 10(5) polypeptide molecules per bacterial cell.

[The comparative mapping of virion and cloned DNA of the hepatitis B virus]. / Sravnitel'noe kartirovanie virionnoi i klonirovannoi DNK virusa gepatita B.

The entire hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome and its fragments have been cloned into the BamHI site of the plasmid pBR322 vector. The identity of physical maps of cloned and authentic virion DNAs was demonstrated by restriction enzyme analysis. The location of restriction sites is suggestive of a certain similarity between the studied HBV DNA and HBV DNA, subtype ayw (Galibert et al., 1979). From the restriction enzyme analysis of virion DNA repaired and 32P-labeled by the endogenous DNA-polymerase reaction, the new information concerning the location and maximal length (approximately 1500 nucleotides) of the single-stranded region of HBV DNA has been established.

[Subjection of tetracycline resistance genes to cat promotor gene in plasmid pBR325]. / Podstanovka genov, opredeliaiushchikh ustoichivost' k tetratsiklinu, pod promotor gena cat v plazmide pBR325.

A series of plasmids with tetracycline resistance genes (Tcr-operon) subjected to transcription from chloramphenicol acetyl transferase promoter (Cmr-promoter) have been constructed on the basis of plasmid pBR325, AprCmrTcr. For this purpose, a 0.8 Md fragment in pBR325 DNA bordered by unique EcoRI and HindIII restriction sites was cut out and structural genes of Tcr-operon were fused to the cat gene nucleotides corresponding to Cmr-promoter and first 72 amino acids of cat (alton, Vapnek, 1979; Marcoli et al., 1980). These plasmids with molecular weight amounting to 3 Md confer AprTcr phenotype to host cells. Tetracycline resistance can be eliminated completely by the deletion of a) Cmr-promoter; b) part of the first Tcr-operon gene.

[Bacteriophage MS2 mutants with disrupted phage replicase repressor activity]. / Mutanty bakteriofaga MS2 a narusheniem repressornoi aktivnosti fagovoi replicazy.

A number of ts-mutants with altered characteristics of RNA synthesis in non-suppressor cells at elevated temperatures have been obtained after HNO2-treatment of phage MS2am623 (amber mutation in site 50). The mutant ts130 is studied in detail: its peak of RNA synthesis is displaced 10 min. later and the total amount of RNA is reduced in 5-10 times. No RNA synthesis is observed in ts130-infected cell at 46 degrees C. Changes in the character of RNA synthesis are accompanied by the over-production of phage subunit of replicase: at 42 degrees C the replicase/RNA ratio in ts130 is 20 times higher than that of the original phage MS2am623. It is assumed that there is a decrease in the activity of replicase--RNA repressor complex in ts130 resulting in the loss of replicase control over its own synthesis while the control of coat protein synthesis remains unaffected.

[Regulation of RNA replication in RNA-containing bacteriphages. RNA synthesis in coat protein polar mutants]. / Reguliatsiia replikatsii RNK u RNK-soderzhashchikh bakteriofagov. Sintez RNK u poliarnykh mutantov po belku obolochki.

The synthesis of RNA by polar coat protein mutants f2sus3 and Qbetaam12 under suppressor (Escherichia coli S26R1E, Su+-1; H12R8a Su+-3) and non-suppressor (E. coli AB259; S26) conditions was examined. It was demonstrated that the synthesis of viral RNA under non-suppressor conditions in the presence of rifamycin produced the same gaussian pattern of rates as the synthesis of RNA by wild type phage or non-polar coat protein mutants. However, the total amount of RNA was decreased approximately 10-fold and the peak of RNA synthesis was displaced 7--10 min later. The number of infective centers was reduced also 10-fold indicating that a certain time-lapse was required to overcome the polarity of the parental RNA, this process being of single occurrence, exclusively on the parental RNA, but not on the progeny strains. As a consequence, it was concluded that the initiation of translation at the replicase cistron starts on the nascent RNA chains within the replicative complexes and not on the fully-synthesized templates with their complete secondary structure. The data obtained are not in contradiction with the hypothesis concerning the role of the repressor complex II (replicase-RNA) to slow down the synthesis of replicase and RNA in the coat protein mutants. The polarity can not be responsible probably for the blocking of the replicase cistron on the nascent chain following the block of coat protein cistron. Therefore, it appears appropriate to assume the existence of two binding sites for the replicase as repressor which is in keeping with the conclusions of Weissmann and co-workers.

Replication of RNA bacteriophages in the presence of rifamycin.

Replication of RNA bacteriophages in the presence of rifamycin was studied in different Escherichia coli strains that vary in RNase content but are not isogenic: AB259 RNase+, Q13 RNase I- PNPase-, AB105 RNase I- RNase III-. It was found that rifamycin did not affect characteristics of phage replication such as the general pattern of viral RNA synthesis and intracellular development of the phage. These characteristics are strain specific and independent of the cell growth rate, which defines only phage release. The inhibition of cell division by rifamycin interfered with the release of the phage and thus produced an apparent effect of rifamycin on phage replication.

Control of replication in RNA bacteriophages.

The rates of viral RNA and protein syntheses for wild-type RNA bacteriophages and their nonpolar, coat protein amber mutants were determined in amber suppressor (S26R1E, Su-1 and H12R8a, Su-3) and nonsuppressor (AB259, S26, and Q13) strains of Escherichia coli in the presence of rifamycin. It was demonstrated that the rates of synthesis of phage-specific replicase and RNA minus strands drop off concurrently in both wild-type and coat protein mutant-infected Su(-) and Su(+) cells after 10 and 15 min postinfection, respectively. The rate of synthesis of RNA plus strands started to decline 5 to 10 min later in both cases. Excessive synthesis of replicase in the coat protein mutant-infected cells was accompanied by a similar overproduction of RNA minus strands, but not of plus strands. Partial suppression of protein synthesis in wild-type phage-infected cells abolishing coat protein control over replicase accumulation led to prolongation of replicase synthesis. Such an effect was observed also in coat protein mutant-infected cells, indicating that the excess of replicase itself may be capable of suppression of replicase synthesis in the absence of coat protein. The prolongation of replicase synthesis was followed by the prolonged synthesis of RNA minus strands in both cases. Moreover, replicase and minus strands were formed in nearly equal amounts when protein synthesis was partially inhibited. Assuming functional instability of phage RNAs, the observed coupling of replicase and minus-strand RNA synthesis offers a possibility for control of viral RNA replication by means of control of replicase synthesis on the translational level. A hypothesis is put forward to explain the molecular mechanism of such coupling between the syntheses of replicase and RNA minus strands.