Development and characterization of a bovine serum evaluation panel as a standard for immunoassays based on detection of antibodies against foot-and-mouth disease viral non-capsid proteins.

The widespread perception of the effectiveness of applying tests based on the detection of antibodies against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) viral non-capsid proteins (NCPs) to assess virus circulation irrespective of vaccination triggered the demand for international standards to evaluate the comparative performance of the upcoming assays against the OIE Index test developed at the Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center, PAHO/WHO. To this end, a panel was developed composed of 34 cattle sera from animals with an unambiguous exposed/infected status, covering serotypes O, A and C, obtained either under experimental conditions or from the field in regions with different epidemiological situations. Reference values in the Index test and their reproducibility in other laboratories, data on stability as well as results in four other commercial kits and one in house test were obtained. The characteristics of the panel which comprise adequate preparation following international guidelines, a broad range of antibody reactivity, proper stability and the ability to assess comparative diagnostic sensitivity, make it suitable as a reference standard to evaluate if tests equivalent to the OIE Index method are used in support of FMD control programs and by trading partners, and also whether they maintain their standards of diagnostic performance.

Core transcription restores in vitro inhibition of protein synthesis induced by vaccinia virus.

When Ehrlich acistes tumor cell lysate is incubated in the presence of vaccinia core, protein synthesis is impaired. However, when the same system is coupled with viral transcription, protein synthesis is restored. The reversal of endogenous protein synthesis is inhibited by actinomycin D, suggesting that de novo RNA synthesis is required for the reversal of total protein synthesis. When the in vitro products of synthesis are analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, two newly synthesized peptides which are not present in the noncoupled transcription-translation system are observed. These two peptides have molecular weights of 31 000 and 25 000, similar to viral early proteins.

The surface charge of L-A9 cells and Aedes albopictus cells infected with Marituba (Bunyaviridae) virus.

The surface charge of Marituba virus infected L-A9 cells and Aedes albopictus cells was estimated by direct measurement of their electrophoretic mobilities. Uninfected L-A9 cells and A. albopictus cells have mean electrophoretic mobilities of -1.083 microns/s X cm/V and -1.019 microns/s X cm/V, respectively. In Marituba virus infected L-A9 cells a progressive decline in the electrophoretic mobility was observed. In contrast, in Marituba virus infected A. albopictus cells the electrophoretic mobility of the cell surface was unaltered.

Weak bases affect late stages of Mayaro virus replication cycle in vertebrate cells.

This paper describes the effect of two weak bases (ammonium chloride and chloroquine) on the morphogenesis of Mayaro virus. When Mayaro virus-infected TC7 (monkey kidney) cells were treated with these agents it was observed that weak bases caused a significant reduction in virus yield. Also, cellular protein synthesis, which is inhibited by Mayaro virus infection, recovered to nearly normal levels. However, the synthesis of Mayaro virus proteins was affected. These phenomena were dose-dependent. The process of Mayaro virus infection in vertebrate cells is very rapid. Virus precursors are not observed in cell cytoplasm and budding through the plasma membrane seems to be the only way of virus release. Electron microscopy of cells infected with Mayaro virus and treated with weak bases revealed an accumulation of virus structures in cell cytoplasm. The study also noted an inhibition of budding through the plasma membrane and the appearance of virus particles inside intracytoplasmic vacuoles. These observations indicate an impairment at the final stages of the virus replication cycle.

Selective inhibition of protein synthesis by hypertonic medium in Marituba (Bunyaviridae) virus-infected L-A9 cells.

Elevation of the NaCl concentration in the growth medium of L-A9 cells caused an inhibition of the protein synthesis accompanied by a complete breakdown of polyribosomes. However, a complete recovery of the rate of protein synthesis was observed when isotonicity was restored. In Marituba virus infected cells, protein synthesis became resistant to hypertonic treatment. Under hypertonic conditions cellular protein synthesis was selectively suppressed and an enhancement of virus proteins was observed. Analysis of the virus specific proteins by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the synthesis of G1 was unalterable, and N was stimulated.

Inactivation of classical swine fever virus: association of hydrostatic pressure and ultraviolet irradiation.

Reversible pressure-induced disassembly of several viruses has suggested the idea of using hydrostatic pressure to suppress virus infectivity. In this study, the effects of high hydrostatic pressure and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation were investigated on classical swine fever virus (CSFV) in an attempt to eliminate residual infectivity. The structural modifications were followed by intrinsic fluorescence and biological activity assays. The kinetics of CSFV inactivation showed that pressure-induced inactivation was not enough to eliminate viral infectivity. However, when pressure was applied in association with UV irradiation no infectious focus was observed. The application of these two methods against CSFV can be an attractive inactivation strategy for the development of a vaccine.

Effect of prostaglandin A1 in the induction of stress proteins in Aedes albopictus cells.

Prostaglandins are natural fatty acid derivatives with diverse physiological effects, including immune function and the control of cell growth. While the action of prostaglandins in the induction of stress proteins in vertebrate cells is well documented, their functions in invertebrate cells have been poorly investigated. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of prostaglandin A1 (PGA1; 0.25, 1.25 and 12.5 micrograms/ml) on protein synthesis during the growth of Aedes albopictus cells. We found that PGA1 stimulates the synthesis of several polypeptides with molecular masses of 87, 80, 70, 57, 29, 27 and 23 kDa in Aedes albopictus cells. When the proteins induced by PGA1 and those induced by heat treatment were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, PGA1 was found to induce the stress proteins. The HSP70 family and the low-molecular weight polypeptides (29 and 27 kDa, respectively) were induced by PGA1 in the lag phase. We also observed that PGA1 is able to induce a 23-kDa polypeptide independently of the growth phase of the cell.

Prostaglandin A1 inhibits replication of Mayaro virus in Aedes albopictus cells.

Prostaglandin A1 (PGA1) reduced Mayaro virus replication in Aedes albopictus (mosquito) cells in culture. The highest nontoxic dose of PGA1, 7.5 microM, decreased virus production by 90%. In Mayaro virus-infected cells, PGA1 inhibited virus-specific protein synthesis. However, in mock-infected cells the presence of PGA1 stimulated the synthesis of several proteins with molecular masses of 70, 57 and 23 kDa, respectively. The data obtained from this study show that PGA1 plays a role in the metabolic regulation of Aedes albopictus cells, blocking the synthesis of Mayaro virus and inducing the synthesis of cellular polypeptides.

Inhibition of Mayaro virus replication by prostaglandin A1 and B2 in Vero cells.

The effect of prostaglandins (PGA1 and PGB2) on the replication of Mayaro virus was studied in Vero cells. PGA1 and PGB2 antiviral activity was found to be dose-dependent. However, while 10 micrograms/ml PGB2 inhibited virus yield by 60%, at the same dose PGA1 suppressed virus replication by more than 90%. SDS-PAGE analysis of [35S]-methionine-labelled proteins showed that PGA1 did not alter cellular protein synthesis. In infected cells, PGA1 slightly inhibited the synthesis of protein C, while drastically inhibiting the synthesis of glycoproteins E1 and E2.

Effect of isoprinosine on rotavirus replication in vitro.

Isoprinosine (IPS) is a synthetic drug whose antiviral effect on rotavirus replication in vitro has been characterized in terms of the decrease in metachromasia after acridine orange staining. The present study describes the effect of IPS on the synthesis of viral RNA in vitro. MA-104 cell cultures infected with simian rotavirus strain SA-11 were incubated with zero, 250, 500 and 1,000 micrograms/ml IPS and 22, 24, 48, 52, 72 and 76 h after infection the cultures were submitted to a 1-h starvation period, followed by a 2-h pulse with 10 microCi/ml of [3H]-uridine. The homogenates of virus-infected cultures treated or not with IPS were submitted to phenol/chloroform extraction followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amount of radioactivity in viral RNA eluted from the gel strips was determined. Inhibition of viral RNA synthesis was highest at the IPS concentration of 1,000 micrograms/ml at 72 h after infection, corresponding to 78% inhibition. Although the results obtained in vitro suggest that IPS may be useful for the treatment of rotavirus infection, an in vivo demonstration of its efficacy is needed.

Interferon induction in mouse fibroblast L-A9 cells.

Mouse L-A9 cell interferon was induced by infection with Newcastle disease virus. Interferon production was 1.5 X 10(5) IU/10(7) cells. Interferon was partially purified by precipitation with ammonium sulphate, chromatography on CM-Sephadex and hydrophobic chromatography on octyl-agarose. The specific activity of the final preparation was 1.7 X 10(7) IU/mg protein. Treatment of L-A9 cells with 20 IU/ml interferon prior to viral infection inhibited the intracellular accumulation of reovirus-specific double-stranded RNA. Dose-response studies of the cells to interferon indicated that L-A9 cells require 10, 13 and 15 IU/ml to obtain 50% viral plaque reduction for Marituba virus, vesicular stomatitis virus and reovirus, respectively. The present results demonstrate the potential of mouse L-A9 cells as an interferon-producing system and also as a model for the study of the effect of cellular response to exogenous interferon treatment on the replication of RNA viruses.

Effect of high temperature on Aedes albopictus cells infected with Mayaro virus.

The multiplication of Mayaro virus in Aedes albopictus cells was drastically inhibited after incubation at 37 degrees C. The effect of short-term exposure of infected cells to high temperatures (heat shock) produced a preferential translation of the heat shock messengers when compared to the viral mRNAs. When cells were shifted back to 28 degrees C (the optimum growth temperature for Aedes albopictus cells), preferential translation of viral mRNA occurred. Although the infected cells were programmed for preferential translation of viral messengers, the thermal treatment was able to shift the translational machinery towards synthesis of heat shock proteins.

Inhibition of Mayaro virus replication by cerulenin in Aedes albopictus cells.

The antibiotic cerulenin, an inhibitor of lipid synthesis, was shown to suppress Mayaro virus replication in Aedes albopictus cells at non-cytotoxic doses. Cerulenin blocked the incorporation of [3H]glycerol into lipids when present at any time post infection (p.i.). Cerulenin added at the beginning of infection inhibited the synthesis of virus proteins. However, when this antibiotic was added at later stages of infection, it had only a mild effect on the virus protein synthesis. The possibility that cerulenin acts by blocking an initial step in the Mayaro virus replication after virus entry and before late viral translation is discussed.

Effect of prostaglandin A1, arsenite and aspirin on stress proteins response in mosquito cells.

The stress response of eukaryotic cells is characterized by changes in the metabolism of responding cells, most notably by increased synthesis of a group of proteins known as heat shock (HSP) proteins In this paper the effect of prostaglandin A1 (PGA1), arsenite and aspirin in Aedes albopictus cells was investigated. In cells treated with PGA1 (10 microg/ml) we observed the induction of several polypeptides with molecular masses of 87, 80, 70, 57, 29 and 23 kDa. Immunoblot analysis revealed that arsenite induces a marked synthesis of HSP70, and aspirin administered during the hyperthermic treatment caused a small increase of HSP70 synthesized.

Effect of brefeldin A on Mayaro virus replication in Aedes albopictus and Vero cells.

Brefeldin A (BFA), a fungal metabolite that blocks transport of newly synthesized proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum, was found to inhibit Mayaro virus replication. At the concentration of 0.05 microgram/ml, the yield of the virus was inhibited by 94% in Aedes albopictus cells and by 99.5% in Vero cells. Treatment of A. albopictus cells with BFA did not inhibit the virus protein synthesis. However, this compound drastically reduced viral protein synthesis in Vero cells. The inhibitory effect progressively declined when BFA was added at late times post infection (p.i.). The effect of BFA on protein glycosylation is discussed.

Interferon action on Mayaro virus replication.

Treatment of TC7 cells with interferon (IFN) drastically reduced the yield of infectious Mayaro virus under experimental conditions that virus attachment and penetration into the cells were not affected. In IFN-treated cells, synthesis of Mayaro virus proteins was inhibited and cellular protein synthesis was restored. This phenomenon is dependent on IFN concentration and multiplicity of infection. Electron microscopy of these cells revealed normal and anomalous viral particles inside cytoplasmic vacuoles. This suggests that IFN also interferes with Mayaro virus morphogenesis and inhibits the release of virions from cells.

Effect of monensin on Mayaro virus replication in monkey kidney and Aedes albopictus cells.

The effect of a cationic ionophore, monensin, on the replication of Mayaro virus in monkey kidney TC7 and Aedes albopictus cells has been studied. Treatment of these cells with 1 micromol/l monensin during infection did not affect the virus protein synthesis but inhibited severely the virus replication. Electron microscopy of the cells infected with Mayaro virus and treated with monensin revealed that the morphogenesis of Mayaro virus was impaired in TC7 but not in A. albopictus cells.

Na+ and K+ concentration and regulation of protein synthesis in L-A9 and Aedes albopictus cells infected with Marituba virus (Bunyaviridae).

Infection of L-A9 cells with Marituba virus produces a severe inhibition of protein synthesis. This inhibition is temporally correlated with an increase in the intracellular Na+ concentration and a decrease in the intracellular K+ concentration. However, in Marituba virus-infected Aedes albopictus cells the intracellular level of Na+ and K+ ions and protein synthesis remained unaltered. Incubation of both cell types at high NaCl concentration facilitated the translation of viral RNA whereas the cellular protein synthesis was inhibited. Using a hypotonic medium, the opposite was found. Results are discussed in terms of a possible involvement of these ions in the viral translational process.

Inhibition of Mayaro virus replication by prostaglandin A(1) in Vero cells.

Prostaglandins exhibit antiviral activity against a wide variety of RNA and DNA viruses. In the present report, we describe the effect of cyclopentenone prostaglandin A(1) (PGA(1)) on Mayaro virus replication in Vero cells. Virus yield was significantly reduced at nontoxic concentrations which did not suppress DNA, RNA or protein synthesis in uninfected or infected cells. Antiviral action decreased if PGA(1) was added at later times after infection. In Mayaro virus-infected cells, PGA(1) inhibited the synthesis of virus proteins. This effect is accompanied by the induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs). Actinomycin D treatment not only inhibited the induction of HSPs but also partially prevented PGA(1) antiviral activity.