• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.41-47
• /
• 2007

The Hantaan virus (HTNV) is an enveloped virus that is capable of inducing low pH-dependent cell fusion. We molecularly cloned the viral glycoprotein (GP) and nucleocapsid (NP) cDNA of HTNV and expressed them in Vero E6 cells under the control of a CMV promoter. The viral gene expression was assessed using an indirect immunofluorescence assay and immunoprecipitation. The transfected Vero E6 cells expressing GPs, but not those expressing NP, fused and formed a syncytium following exposure to a low pH. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against envelope GPs inhibited cell fusion, whereas MAbs against NP did not. We also investigated the N-linked glycosylation of HTNV GPs and its role in cell fusion. The envelope GPs of HTNV are modified by N-linked glycosylation at five sites: four sites on G1 (N134, N235, N347, and N399) and one site on G2 (N928). Site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct eight GP gene mutants, including five single N-glycosylation site mutants and three double-site mutants, which were then expressed in Vero E6 cells. The oligosaccharide chain on residue N928 of G2 was found to be crucial for cell fusion after exposure to a low pH. These results suggest that G2 is likely to be the fusion protein of HTNV.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.207-213
• /
• 2014

The structural proteins of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) consist of nucleocapsid protein C and envelope glycoprotein $E^{rns}$ (E0), E1 and E2. Among them, E2, the most immunogenic of the CSFV glycoproteins, induces a protective immune response in swine. In this study, to determine the optimal expression conditions of glycoprotein E2 using baculovirus system, we investigated the influence of insect cells and media to the expression of recombinant E2. Recombinant virus containing glycoprotein E2 coding gene was constructed with bApGOZA DNA. Expression of the glycoprotein E2 was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis using anti-CSFV E2 monoclonal antibodies. Expression of glycoprotein E2 in Sf21 cells was first observed after 3 days and reached a maximum on the 5th day after infection. Furthermore, the highest levels of glycoprotein E2 expression were observed at multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 5. When three different insect cell lines (Sf21, High-Five and Se301) were tested, High-Five cells showed the highest production. In addition, four different serum-free and serum-supplemented media, respectively, were tested for the expression of glycoprotein E2 and the budded virus (BV) titers. As a result, serum-supplemented medium provided the best conditions for protein production and the BV yield.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.358-367
• /
• 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an international health emergency. Current diagnostic tests are based on the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method, which is the gold standard test that involves the amplification of viral RNA. However, the RT-qPCR assay has limitations in terms of sensitivity and quantification. In this study, we tested both qPCR and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect low amounts of viral RNA. The cycle threshold (CT) of the viral RNA by RT-PCR significantly varied according to the sequences of the primer and probe sets with in vitro transcript (IVT) RNA or viral RNA as templates, whereas the copy number of the viral RNA by ddPCR was effectively quantified with IVT RNA, cultured viral RNA, and RNA from clinical samples. Furthermore, the clinical samples were assayed via both methods, and the sensitivity of the ddPCR was determined to be equal to or more than that of the RT-qPCR. However, the ddPCR assay is more suitable for determining the copy number of reference materials. These findings suggest that the qPCR assay with the ddPCR defined reference materials could be used as a highly sensitive and compatible diagnostic method for viral RNA detection.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.383-387
• /
• 2017

In 2016, less than 30% of virus-like symptoms such as chlorosis, necrosis and ringspots were observed in Hoya carnosa from commercial greenhouse in Eumseong, Korea. A total of 6 samples from Hoya carnosa were collected both symptomatic and asymptomatic plants and tested for virus infection by RT-PCR of 3 viruses known to infect Hoya spp. including Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) and Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV). Three symptomatic samples were positives for INSV. Also, it was not the virus detected in three asymptomatic samples. To further confirm the presence of INSV, complete nucleocapsid (N) gene of the virus were amplified and sequenced from two samples. BLAST analysis of the consensus sequence showed that two isolates (INSV-Hy1 and -Hy2) shared nucleotide sequence identities of 99% with each other and 97-99% with other INSV isolates available in the GenbBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these isolates closely related to the INSV isolates from ornamental from China. This is the first report of INSV on Hoya carnosa from Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2018.05a
• /
• pp.588-591
• /
• 2018

Baculovirus was originally isolated from the alfalfa looper and contains a 134-kbp genome with 154 open reading frames (ORF). The major capsid protein VP39 together with some minor proteins forms the nucleocapsid ($21nm{\times}260nm$) that encloses the DNA with p6.9 protein. They are double-stranded, circular, supercoiled DNA molecules in a rod-shaped capsid. Wild-type baculoviruses exhibit both lytic and occluded life cycles that develop independently throughout the three phases of virus replication. Recombinant baculoviruses can transfer their vectors and express their recombinant proteins in a wide range of mammalian cell types. Especially, inclusion of a dominant selectable marker in these baculoviral vectors can express diverse recombinant genes in many cells. Baculoviral vectors were reconstructed with cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter,uroplakin II promoter, polyhedron promoter, vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSVG), enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), protein transduction domain (PTD) gene and so on. These reconstructed vectors were infected into various cell and cell lines. We performed transfection and expression of these recombinant vectors comparison with other control vectors. From this study, we knew that transfection and expression of these recombinant vectors have higher efficacy than any control vector. This work was supported by a grant from Mid-Career Researcher Program(NRF-2016R1A2B4016552) through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning(MSIP).

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 2012

$Tomato$ $spotted$ $wilt$ $virus$ (TSWV)-infected $Capsicum$ $annuum$ plants were collected from open fields during June to July in 2010. The TSWV isolates were designated as Gneung, Ghang-Kjj, Gchang-Njc, Ghae, and Pap. The nucleotide sequence of the nucleocapsid protein (N) and movement protein (NSm) of the five isolates was determined. The pathogenicity of the five isolates was determined on 14 $C.$ $annuum$ cultivars two times by using mechanical inoculation. The five isolates induced different response: Both Gneung and Gchang-Kjj did not infect any of the cultivars in the 2nd trial, while Gchang-Njc, Ghae and Pap infected 11, 6 and 13 of 14 cultivars, respectively. The five isolates also were tested on $Solanum$ $lycopersicum$ breeding line TGC09-71 and three $Nicotiana$ species. $S.$ $lycopersicum$ showed a similar response to the five isolates as did $C.$ $annuum$. Both Gchang-Njc and Ghae infected systemically all three $Nicotiana$ species tested. While both Pap and Gneung did not infect any of the $Nicotiana$ species tested. In conclusion, five TSWV isolates induced different infection spectra in $C.$ $annuum$ cultivars, $Nicotiana$ species and an $S.$ $lycopersicum$ breeding line. Amino acid sequence analysis of the NSm gene could not support or explain the different infection spectra of the five isolates. This study indicated that various isolates must be used as virus inocula for evaluation of $C.$ $annuum$ and $S.$ $lycopersicum$ cultivars in breeding programs for TSWV resistance.