Retroviral invasion of the koala genome

Endogenous retroviruses are a common ancestral feature of mammalian genomes with most having been inactivated over time through mutation and deletion. A group of more intact endogenous retroviruses are considered to have entered the genomes of some species more recently, through infection by exogenous viruses, but this event has never been directly proved. We have previously reported koala retrovirus (KoRV) to be a functional virus that is associated with neoplasia. Here we show that KoRV also shows features of a recently inserted endogenous retrovirus that is vertically transmitted. The finding that some isolated koala populations have not yet incorporated KoRV into their genomes, combined with its high level of activity and variability in individual koalas, suggests that KoRV is a virus in transition between an exogenous and endogenous element. This ongoing dynamic interaction with a wild species provides an exciting opportunity to study the process and consequences of retroviral endogenization in action, and is an attractive model for studying the evolutionary event in which a retrovirus invades a mammalian genome.     

逆转录病毒复制早期阶段中有关的细胞因子

逆转录病毒复制的早期阶段包括：病毒一细胞膜融合、逆转录、病毒的双链DNA整合插入宿主细胞染色体。在这些过程中，逆转录病毒必须利用若干细胞因子，诸如特异的细胞表面受体、细胞骨架的某些组分和核质转运有关因子。本书是关于逆转录病毒复制早期作用机制的专著。     

Retroviral transduction of T-cell antigen receptor beta-chain and myc genes

Support for multistage models of oncogenesis has been provided by several highly leukaemogenic retrovirus isolates that have transduced more than one host cell gene. Where functional studies have been performed, these retroviral oncogenes show synergy for in vitro transformation and leukaemogenesis. In naturally occurring feline leukaemias associated with feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), retroviral transduction of myc is a frequent oncogenic mechanism. But evidence suggesting that the FeLV v-myc genes might be insufficient for leukaemogenesis was provided by the latency (12 weeks) and clonality of FeLV/v-myc-induced tumours and the absence of demonstrable in vitro transformation by these viruses. In the search for secondary leukaemogenic events in FeLV/v-myc tumours, we have identified a case of FeLV transduction of a T-cell antigen receptor beta-chain gene. The proviruses carrying this gene (which we have named v-tcr) were a separate population from those carrying v-myc. In its normal role, the T-cell receptor beta-chain forms part of a multimeric complex involved in antigen recognition and T-cell activation. We suggest that v-tcr is a novel viral oncogene which assisted v-myc in the genesis of a naturally occurring case of thymic lymphosarcoma.     

IL-2和EGFP共表达逆转录病毒载体的构建

设计质粒pR evT et-O n和pIRES2-EGFP的接头序列,经一系列酶切连接,重组为含有增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)基因和多克隆位点(M CS)的逆转录病毒载体pR evIRES2-EGFP;同时将质粒pBV 220-IL-2和pEGFP-C 1重组为含有人白细胞介素-2(h IL-2)的过渡质粒pEGFP-C 1-IL-2.再酶切质粒pEGFP-C 1-IL-2,琼脂糖凝胶电泳回收IL-2基因片段,并将其连接到pR evIRES2-EGFP的多克隆位点中,转化E.coli DH 5α进行扩增,提取质粒DNA获得重组体pR evIRES2-EGFP-IL-2.鉴定结果表明构建的逆转录病毒表达载体pR evIRES2-EGFP-IL-2完全正确.     

Retroviral gag and DNA endonuclease coding sequences in IgE-binding factor gene

Immunoglobulin-binding factors are known to regulate the synthesis of B-cell-derived immunoglobulin heavy-chain isotypes. Cloning and nucleotide sequence determination of complementary DNA encoding rodent IgE-binding factors (IgE-BF) revealed that messenger RNA encodes a glycoprotein of 557 amino acids which is expressed as a precursor of relative molecular mass (Mr) 60,000 (60K) in COS7 monkey cells. We report here that the 3' two-thirds of the IgE-BF coding sequence shows a surprising homology (72%) at the DNA level with coding sequences of the gag and pol (DNA endonuclease) genes of the Syrian hamster intracisternal A particle (IAP H18), an endogenous retrovirus. This marked homology demonstrates that the rodent gene encoding IgE-BF is a hybrid gene which evolved very recently by integrating genes of viral origin, and that the encoded polypeptide comprises three separate domains: an IgE-BF domain and retrovirus-derived gag and DNA endonuclease-like domains. This may represent the first report of a cellular gene containing a virus-derived coding sequence.     

Mapping antibody binding sites on protein antigens.

The large surfaces of protein antigens that interact with antibody-combining sites can be determined using deuterium-exchange labelling and two-dimensional 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This technique may also be applied to other protein-protein interactions to identify key residues that contribute to the affinity.     

肌细胞途径血友病B基因治疗的载体优化研究

构建了含有ＭＣＫ增强子,βａｃｔｕｎ启动子,及ｈＦＩＸ内含子１的３个载体Ｇ１ＮａＭＢＡＩＸ,Ｇ１ＮａＭＢＡｉＩＸ,Ｇ１ＮａＰＡＩＸｉ‘ＢＡＭ。转入ＰＡ３１７和成肌细胞Ｃ２Ｃ１２细胞后测定ｈＦＩＸ的表达,发现反向构建的Ｇ１ＮａＰＡＩＸｉ’ＢＡＭ表达最高且最稳定,而正向构建的Ｇ１ＮａＭＢａＩｉｘ的内含子常被剪切,在Ｃ２Ｃ１２细胞中表达不高。     

Interaction of peptide antigens and class II major histocompatibility complex antigens

T lymphocytes require a foreign antigen to be presented on a cell surface in association with a self-transplantation antigen before they can recognize it effectively. This phenomenon is known as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction. It is not clear how an incalculably large number of foreign proteins form unique complexes with a very limited number of MHC molecules. We studied the recognition properties of T cells specific for a peptide derived from bacteriophage lambda cI protein. Analogues of this peptide, as well as peptides derived from other unrelated antigens which can be presented in the context of the same MHC molecule, can competitively inhibit activation of these T cells by the cI peptide. Furthermore, these unrelated antigens can stimulate cI-specific T cells if certain specific amino-acid residues are replaced. Here we suggest a model in which all antigens give rise to peptides that can bind to the same site on the MHC molecule. T-cell recognition of this site (which is presumed to be polymorphic) with or without antigen bound can explain self-selection in the thymus and MHC restriction.