Computational Analysis Reveals a Critical Point Mutation in the N-Terminal Region of the Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Responsible for the Cross-Species Infection with Canine Distemper Virus

Infection of hosts by morbilliviruses is facilitated by the interaction between viral hemagglutinin (H-protein) and the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM). Recently, the functional importance of the n-terminal region of human SLAM as a measles virus receptor was demonstrated. However, the functional roles of this region in the infection process by other morbilliviruses and host range determination remain unknown, partly because this region is highly flexible, which has hampered accurate structure determination of this region by X-ray crystallography. In this study, we analyzed the interaction between the H-protein from canine distemper virus (CDV-H) and SLAMs by a computational chemistry approach. Molecular dynamics simulations and fragment molecular orbital analysis demonstrated that the unique His28 in the N-terminal region of SLAM from Macaca is a key determinant that enables the formation of a stable interaction with CDV-H, providing a basis for CDV infection in Macaca. The computational chemistry approach presented should enable the determination of molecular interactions involving regions of proteins that are difficult to predict from crystal structures because of their high flexibility.     

Fusion Proteins Cpn10-E^rns with Properties of Generating CSFV-Neutralized Antibodies

IntroductionClassical swine fever(CSF), included in the listA of the Office International des Epizooties(OIE), is ahighly contagious disease of domestic pigs and is con-sidered as the mostharmful disease occurring in pigs allover the world[1]. Outbreaks o…     

猪传染性胃肠炎病毒聚合酶基因反义RNA对病毒的抑制作用

通过PCR扩增出猪传染性胃肠炎病毒(TGEV)聚合酶部分片段,反向插入逆转录病毒表达载体pLXSN中,用脂质体法将重组质粒plxas-pol转染PA317细胞,经抗生素G418筛选出稳定的产毒细胞克隆,分别扩大培养后,取其上清液感染小鼠成纤维细胞NIH3T3,细胞克隆产生的重组病毒效价达9.0×105CFU/mL。用高效价假病毒感染IBRS2细胞,再经抗生素G418筛选,提取细胞克隆总RNA,经RT-PCR证明plxas-pol整合入IBRS2细胞。以TGEV感染IBRS2细胞和具有抗性的IBRS2细胞所产生的细胞病变为指标,证明该反义RNA对病毒有明显抑制作用,抑制率约为80%。用2×103和4×102TCID50/mL剂量的TGEV感染时,引起细胞死亡的时间分别为21 h和27 h,与对照组相比,抗性细胞系可明显延迟因病毒感染引起细胞死亡的时间。     

蛙虹彩病毒cop基因的克隆表达及亚细胞定位

从蛙虹彩病毒(Rana gryliovirus,RGV)基因组中克隆了含凋亡相关结构域的新基因-cop(Caspaserecruit ment domain only protein,COP)基因的全部编码区,成功构建了重组表达载体,进行了原核表达,并在鲤鱼上皮瘤细胞(Epithelioma papulosumcyprini,EPC)中进行了亚细胞定位.序列分析表明,RGVcop基因全长288 bp,编码一个长为95 aa,分子量为10.4×103的推定蛋白.二级结构预测表明其含有5个α螺旋.同源性比对分析显示,RGVcop与其他6株虹彩病毒及人类cop相关蛋白同源性最高为94%,最低为33%.重组原核表达质粒pET28a-COP转化大肠杆菌BL21后,经IPTG诱导表达,获得一条约14×103的融合蛋白.重组真核表达质粒pEGFPN3-COP转染EPC细胞,经DAPI染色后,在荧光显微镜下观察显示重组蛋白在整个细胞中均有分布.     

Taura 综合征病毒主要结构蛋白的表达与纯化

根据Taura综合征病毒(TSV)基因组,设计特异性引物,从感染病毒组织中提取组织总RNA后扩增,分别将3个主要结构蛋白基因VP1、VP2和VP3克隆到pGEM TEasyVector.与表达载体连接后,导入大肠杆菌中诱导表达,并纯化目的蛋白.诱导表达的融合蛋白分子量分别为54.2×103、43×103和57.1×103,在变性条件下过柱纯化VP1和VP2,一次可以纯化10mg以上纯度较高的蛋白.     

罗氏沼虾幼苗体内一种极小病毒的序列测定与分析

从患罗氏沼虾幼苗肌肉白浊病的幼虾体内分离到两种病毒颗粒,诺达病毒(MrNV)和直径只有15nm的小病毒颗粒(extrasmallvirus,XSV),本文通过建立病毒cDNA文库获得XSV基因组的部分序列,在此基础上合成探针,用从病虾组织中提取的总PNA进行Northern杂交,结果表明XSV基因组至少包括两条RNA片段.利用不同的方法对XSV的两端序列进行克隆和测定,分别得到了872、831和662bp3个相互重叠的序列片段,这3个序列的阅读框编码一个相同的大小在17×103左右的蛋白.     

脑神经退行性疾病中的有机化学-朊病毒(疯牛病)中的蛋白物理有机化学和自由基化学

通过关于“普里昂”蛋白病毒疾病的已有临床、医学生理、免疫和化学等方面的现象，讨论了朊病毒当中的部分蛋白氧化损伤和蛋白自由基化学本质。     

Investigation of Tomato Plant Defence Response to Tobacco Mosaic Virus by Determination of Methyl Salicylate with SPME-Capillary GC-MS

Headspace SPME was applied to investigation of tomato plant defence response to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) by determination of compounds emitted from tomato plants at the extraction conditions of 25 °C and 15 min. It was found that TMV-inoculated tomato plant released large amount of methyl salicylate (MeSA) as response to TMV and MeSA concentration changed dramatically with time after inoculation. Gaseous MeSA as a signaling compound could induce in surrounding tomato plants to produce salicylic acid (SA) and synthesize and release MeSA. These results show that MeSA might be an airborne plant-signalling molecule in tomato plant response to TMV. The present method provided low detection limit of 2.0 ng L^–1 and needed little sample preparation time (15 min), so the method makes it easy to find the critical times of tomato plant response to TMV by fast determination of MeSA released from tomato plant.     

Detection and assessment of citrus tristeza virus antigens by computer-aided scanning densitometry

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) extracted from Etrog citron (C.medica L.) was immunoprecipitated. The immunoprecipitate was fractionated by SDS-PAGE and western blotted onto nitrocellulose. The CTV antigens were determined by immunoblot analysis using rabbit anti-CTV IgG, and the protein-band pattern exhibited on the nitrocellulose was assessed by soft-laser scanning densitometry. The densitometric tracing revealed the presence of bands that were not visible to the naked eye. Using the superimposition mode of the instrument, it was also revealed that the protein-band patterns of different CTV samples were not identical. Computer-aided soft-laser scanning densitometry proved to be a powerful approach in the detection and assessment of protein bands revealed on nitrocellulose immunoblots, which we were previously unable to do employing conventional methods.