Stimulation of polydnavirus replication by 20-hydroxyecdysone

During oviposition the endoparasitic waspCampoletis sonorensis, introduces a polydnavirus into parasitized insects where viral gene expression is required for endoparasite survival. The polydnavirus is integrated into wasp chromosomal DNA and replicates only in the ovary. Ecdysteroids regulate the developmental expression of many insect genes and may regulate polydnavirus replication. Direct verification of viral replication was performed by dot blot hybridization and by amplifying DNA sequences containing the viral integration site; this junction fragment cannot be amplified from integrated virus. Thoracic ligations and in vitro ecdysteroid treatments of wasp ovaries support the hypothesis that polydnavirus DNA replication is regulated by ecdysteroid during parasite development.     

The implications of viral reservoirs on the elite control of HIV-1 infection

The mechanisms by which a small percentage of HIV-1 infected individuals known as elite suppressors or controllers are able to control viral replication are not fully understood. Early cases of viremic control were attributed to infection with defective virus, but subsequent work has demonstrated that infection with a defective virus is not the exclusive cause of control. Replication-competent virus has been isolated from patients who control viral replication, and studies have demonstrated that evolution occurs in plasma virus but not in virus isolates from the latent reservoir. Additionally, transmission pair studies have demonstrated that patients infected with similar viruses can have dramatically different outcomes of infection. An increased understanding of the viral factors associated with control is important to understand the interplay between viral replication and host control, and has implications for the design of an effective therapeutic vaccine that can lead to a functional cure of HIV-1 infection.     

Activation of GCN2 upon HIV-1 infection and inhibition of translation

Higher eukaryotic organisms have a variety of specific and nonspecific defense mechanisms against viral invaders. In animal cells, viral replication may be limited through the decrease in translation. Some viruses, however, have evolved mechanisms that counteract the response of the host. We report that infection by HIV-1 triggers acute decrease in translation. The human protein kinase GCN2 (eIF2AK4) is activated by phosphorylation upon HIV-1 infection in the hours following infection. Thus, infection by HIV-1 constitutes a stress that leads to the activation of GCN2 with a resulting decrease in protein synthesis. We have shown that GCN2 interacts with HIV-1 integrase (IN). Transfection of IN in amino acid-starved cells, where GCN2 is activated, increases the protein synthesis level. These results point to an as yet unknown role of GCN2 as an early mediator in the cellular response to HIV-1 infection, and suggest that the virus is able to overcome the involvement of GCN2 in the cellular response by eliciting methods to maintain protein synthesis.     

Stimulation of polydnavirus replication by 20-hydroxyecdysone.

During oviposition the endoparasitic wasp Campoletis sonorensis, introduces a polydnavirus into parasitized insects where viral gene expression is required for endoparasite survival. The polydnavirus is integrated into wasp chromosomal DNA and replicates only in the ovary. Ecdysteroids regulate the developmental expression of many insect genes and may regulate polydnavirus replication. Direct verification of viral replication was performed by dot blot hybridization and by amplifying DNA sequences containing the viral integration site; this 'junction' fragment cannot be amplified from integrated virus. Thoracic ligations and in vitro ecdysteroid treatments of wasp ovaries support the hypothesis that polydnavirus DNA replication is regulated by ecdysteroid during parasite development.     

Increase of interferon antiviral activity by exogenous cyclic adenosine-3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP).

Some effects of cAMP on replication of Semliki Forest Virus in chick embryo fibroblast cell cultures are described. Depending on concentration, the incorporation of [3H]-uridine into viral RNA or the formation of plaque-forming units is inhibited; the highest concentration tested was 8 mM. Cyclic AMP has an effect of its own and increases the Interferon action in the lower concentration ranges of Interferon (up to 1 unit/ml). The effect of cyclic AMP is fast, needs no induction and is also visible in late phases of viral replication. However, these experiments do not establish a causal relation between cAMP and Interferon.     

Genetic studies of diseases

Since the identification of RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) in 1998, RNAi has become an effective tool to inhibit gene expression. The inhibition mechanism is triggered by introducing a short interference double-stranded RNA (siRNA,19 approximately 27 bp) into the cytoplasm, where the guide strand of siRNA (usually antisense strand) binds to its target messenger RNA and the expression of the target gene is blocked. RNAi has been widely applied in gene functional analysis, and as a potential therapeutic strategy in viral diseases, drug target discovery, and cancer therapy. Among the factors which may compromise inhibition efficiency, how to design siRNAs with high efficiency and high specificity to its target gene is critical. Although many algorithms have been developed for this purpose, it is still difficult to design such siRNAs. In this review, we will briefly discuss prediction methods for siRNA efficiency and the problems of present approaches.     

Advances in anti-viral immune defence: revealing the importance of the IFN JAK/STAT pathway

Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is a potent anti-viral cytokine, critical to the host immune response against viruses. IFN-α is first produced upon viral detection by pathogen recognition receptors. Following its expression, IFN-α embarks upon a complex downstream signalling cascade called the JAK/STAT pathway. This signalling pathway results in the expression of hundreds of effector genes known as interferon stimulated genes (ISGs). These genes are the basis for an elaborate effector mechanism and ultimately, the clearance of viral infection. ISGs mark an elegant mechanism of anti-viral host defence that warrants renewed research focus in our global efforts to treat existing and emerging viruses. By understanding the mechanistic role of individual ISGs we anticipate the discovery of a new “treasure trove” of anti-viral mediators that may pave the way for more effective, targeted and less toxic anti-viral therapies. Therefore, with the aim of highlighting the value of the innate type 1 IFN response in our battle against viral infection, this review outlines both historic and recent advances in understanding the IFN-α JAK/STAT pathway, with a focus on new research discoveries relating to specific ISGs and their potential role in curing existing and future emergent viral infections.     

si—DNMT1对肝门部胆管癌细胞抑癌基因甲基化的作用

目的研究RNA干扰对肝门部胆管癌细胞株QRC939抑癌基因甲基化的影响,初步探谤其在胆管癌治疗中的价值。方法构建靶向hDNMT1的发夹式siRNA表达载体;运用脂质体介导法将其转染人胆管癌细胞QBC939;RT-PCR法检测不同时间点hDNMT1、CDH1、p15的表达水平;MSP方法检测转染前后抑癌基因CDH1、p15的甲基纯状态;MTT检测各组细胞的增殖能力。结果1）hDNMT1的基因沉默恢复了抑癌基因CDH1、p15的表达水平;2）CDH1、p15的表达沉默是由启动子高甲基亿导致的;3）转染靶向hDNMT1的发夹式siRNA表达载体能有效地抑制QBC939的增殖能力。结论靶向hDNMT1的发夹式siRNA表达载体能有效、持续、稳定发挥对hDNMT1的基因沉默作用,恢复抑癌基因CDH1、p15的表达水平,从而抑制QBC939肿瘤细胞增殖。     

Increase of interferon antiviral activity by exogenous cyclic adenosine-3′∶5′-monophosphate (cAMP)

Summary Some effects of cAMP on replication of Semliki Forest Virus in chick embryo fibroblast cell cultures are described. Depending on concentration, the incorporation of [³H]-uridine into viral RNA or the formation of plaqueforming units is inhibited; the highest concentration tested was 8 mM. Cyclic AMP has an effect of its own and increases the Interferon action in the lower concentration ranges of Interferon (up to 1 unit/ml). The effect of cyclic AMP is fast, needs no induction and is also visible in late phases of viral replication. However, these experiments do not establish a causal relation between cAMP and Interferon.Work supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, grants 3.1050 and 3.540.     

Protective effect of Shigyaku-to,a traditional Chinese herbal medicine,on the infection of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in mice

The antiviral activity of Shigyaku-to (TJS-109), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, was investigated in mice infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). TJS-109 is a combination of the medicinal plant extracts fromZingiberis siccatum rhizoma,Aconiti tuber andGlycyrrhizae radix in a specific proportion. Mice infected with a 10 LD₅₀ dose of HSV-1 were treated with TJS-109 orally at doses of 1.25 to 20 mg/kg 2 days before, and 1 and 4 days after the infection. The treated groups had 80% (1.25 mg/kg), 40% (5 mg/kg) and 23% (20 mg/kg) mortality rates 25 days after the infection as compared with a 100% mortality rate in control mice treated with saline. When HSV-1 infected mice (recipients) received CD8⁺T cell fractions derived from spleens of mice treated with TJS-109 (donors), 70% of recipients survived, as compared with 0% survivors in the groups of mice treated with saline, B cell fractions, CD4⁺ T cell fractions or macrophage-enriched fractions prepared from the same donors. TJS-109 did not show any virucidal activities against HSV-1 or any virostatic activities on the growth of HSV-1 in Vero cells. These results suggest that TJS-109 protected mice exposed to lethal amounts of HSV-1 through the activation of CD8⁺ T cells.