• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제16권10호
• /
• pp.1634-1639
• /
• 2006

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-encoded nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) possesses RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity, which is considered essential for viral proliferation. Thus, HCV NS5B is a good therapeutic target protein for the development of anti-HCV agents. In this study, we isolated two different kinds of nuclease-resistant RNA aptamers with 2'-fluoro pyrimidines against the HCV NS5B from a combinatorial RNA library with 40 nucleotide random sequences, using SELEX technology. The isolated RNA aptamers were observed to specifically and avidly bind the HCV NS5B with an apparent $K_d$ of 5 nM and 18 nM, respectively, in contrast with the original RNA library that hardly bound the target protein. Moreover, these aptamers could partially inhibit RNA synthesis of the HCV subgenomic replicon when transfected into Huh-7 hepatoma cell lines. These results suggest that the RNA aptamers selected in vitro could be useful not only as therapeutic agents of HCV infection but also as a powerful tool for the study of the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase mechanism.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제42권10호
• /
• pp.721-728
• /
• 2019

Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza virus has been shown to inhibit the innate immune response by blocking the induction of interferon (IFN). In this study, we isolated two single-stranded RNA aptamers specific to NS1 with $K_d$ values of $1.62{\pm}0.30nM$ and $1.97{\pm}0.27nM$, respectively, using a systematic evolution of ligand by exponential enrichment (SELEX) procedure. The selected aptamers were able to inhibit the interaction of NS1 with tripartite motif-containing protein 25 (TRIM25), and suppression of NS1 enabled retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) to be ubiquitinated regularly by TRIM25. Additional luciferase reporter assay and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) experiments demonstrated that suppression of NS1 by the selected aptamers induced IFN production. It is noted that viral replication was also inhibited through IFN induction in the presence of the selected aptamers. These results suggest that the isolated aptamers are strongly expected to be new therapeutic agents against influenza infection.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• 제39권5호
• /
• pp.449-465
• /
• 2023

Plants are challenged by various pathogens throughout their lives, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and insects; consequently, they have evolved several defense mechanisms. In addition, plants have developed localized and systematic immune responses due to biotic and abiotic stress exposure. Animals are known to activate DNA damage responses (DDRs) and DNA damage sensor immune signals in response to stress, and the process is well studied in animal systems. However, the links between stress perception and immune response through DDRs remain largely unknown in plants. To determine whether DDRs induce plant resistance to pathogens, Arabidopsis plants were treated with bleomycin, a DNA damage-inducing agent, and the replication levels of viral pathogens and growth of bacterial pathogens were determined. We observed that DDR-mediated resistance was specifically activated against viral pathogens, including turnip crinkle virus (TCV). DDR increased the expression level of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and the total salicylic acid (SA) content and promoted mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascades, including the WRKY signaling pathway in Arabidopsis. Transcriptome analysis further revealed that defense-and SA-related genes were upregulated by DDR. The atm-2atr-2 double mutants were susceptible to TCV, indicating that the main DDR signaling pathway sensors play an important role in plant immune responses. In conclusion, DDRs activated basal immune responses to viral pathogens.

• 한국어병학회지
• /
• 제11권2호
• /
• pp.129-136
• /
• 1998

1997년 3월 전라남도 및 경상남도의 해산어 육상 및 가두리 양식장에서 양성 중이던 넙치가 HRV(hirame rhabdovirus, Rhabdovirus olivaceus) 감염증과 유사한 증상을 나타내어 그 원인을 조사한 결과 새로운 rhabdovirus가 분리 되었다. 분리 바이러스(DF-9708)는 RTG-2 및 EPC 세포주에서 $15^{\circ}C$로 배양하였을 때 랩도바이러스 특유의 세포변성효과(CPE)를 나타내었으나 CHSE-214에서는 증식되지 않았다. 투과전자현미경으로 감염 세포내의 바이러스 입자 형태를 관찰해본 결과 bullet-shape의 크기 $70nm{\times}100\sim150nm$으로 인벨롭을 가진 바이러스였다. 분리바이러스는 pH 3 및 diethyl ether의 처리 조건에서는 감염성을 상실하였고, 열($50^{\circ}C$ 5 min, $60^{\circ}C$ 1 min)에도 약한 성상을 나타내었다. DNA 저해제인 IUdR $10^{-4}$M 처리에 의해서는 바이러스 감염가에 영향을 받지 않았다. 분리 바이러스는 Anti-HRV(8401-H) rabbit serum에 의해서만 중화 되었고, 전염성 조혈기 괴사증 바이러스(IHNV), 연어과 레오바이러스(CSV), 바이러스성 선회병 바이러스(RVS) 및 전염성 췌장괴사증 바이러스(IPNV) 등의 국내에서 분리되어지는 바이러스 항체로는 중화되지 않았다. 초원심법으로 정제한 분리 바이러스를 전기영동 한 결과 polymerase(L), glycoprotein(G), nucleoprotein(N) 및 2개의 matrix proteins(M1 및 M2)으로 구성되어져 있었으며, 각 단백질의 분자량은 L, 160 kDa; G, 55 kDa; N, 45 kDa; M1, 26 kDa; M2, 22 kDa의 크기로 계산되었다. 새롭게 분리된 바이러스는 외부증상으로는 기존의 HRV 감염과 유사한 점을 나타내었으나 그 바이러스학적 특성에 있어 약간의 차이점이 있어 본 분리바이러스를 우선 Nubchi rhabdovirus(NRV)(HRV-like)로 부르기로 한다.

• 대한바이러스학회지
• /
• 제30권1호
• /
• pp.39-49
• /
• 2000

The genome of Hantaan virus, the prototype of the hantavirus genus, is composed of three segmented, single stranded negative sense RNA genome. The 5' and 3' termini of the Hantaan virus RNA genome contain noncoding regions (NCRs) that are highly conserved and complementary to form panhandle structures. There are some reports that these NCRs seems to control gene expression and viral replication in influenza virus and vesicular stomatitis virus. In this study, we examined whether NCRs in Hantaan virus playa role in expression of the viral nucleocapsid protein (Np) and foreign (luciferase) gene. The 5' and/or 3' NCR-deleted mutants were constructed and analysed. The Np expression of 5' NCR-deleted clone was similar to that of the clone containing full S genome. In the case of 3' NCR-deleted clone, it showed 40% reduction. To investigate the role of NCR in foreign gene expression, the clones which are replaced ORF of Hantaan viral Np gene with that of luciferase gene were constructed. The results were similar to those of the experiments using Np gene. These results suggest that 3' NCR is more important than 5' NCR in protein expression. To find out a critical region of 3' NCR in protein expression, several clones with a deleted part of 3' NCR were constructed and analyzed. The deletion of the conserved region in 3' NCR showed $20{\sim}30%$ decrease in Np expression. However there were no change in luciferase activities between clones with or without non-conserved region of 3' NCR. These results suggest that the 3' NCR of Hantaan virus S genome, especially conserved region in 3' NCR, plays an important role in the expression of Hantaan viral Np and foreign genes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제27권9호
• /
• pp.1701-1710
• /
• 2017

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is the etiologic agent of classical swine fever, a highly contagious disease that causes significant economic losses to the swine industry. The lapinized C-strain, a widely used vaccine strain against CSFV, has low growth efficiency in cell culture, which limits the productivity in the vaccine industry. In this study, a recombinant virus derived from C-strain was constructed and subjected to continuous passaging in PK-15 cells with the goal of acquiring a high progeny virus yield. A cell-adapted virus variant, RecCpp80, had nearly 1,000-fold higher titer than its parent C-strain but lost the ability to induce fever in rabbits. Sequence analysis of cell-adapted RecC variants indicated that at least six nucleotide changes were fixed in RecCpp80. Further adaption of RecCpp80 variant in swine testicle cells led to a higher virus yield without additional mutations. Introduction of each of these residues into the wild-type RecC backbone showed that one mutation, M979R (T3310G), located in the C-terminal region of E2 might be closely related to the cell-adapted phenotype. Rabbit inoculation revealed that $RecCpp40_{+10}$ failed to induce fever in rabbits, whereas $RecCpp80_{+10}$ caused a fever response similar to the commercial C-strain vaccine. In conclusion, the C-strain can be adapted to cell culture by introducing specific mutations in its E2 protein. The mutations in RecCpp80 that led to the loss of fever response in rabbits require further investigation. Continuous passaging of the C-strain-based recombinant viruses in PK-15 cells could enhance its in vitro adaption. The non-synonymous mutations at 3310 and 3531 might play major roles in the enhanced capacity of general virus reproduction. Such findings may help design a modified C-strain for improved productivity of commercial vaccines at reduced production cost.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• 제21권5호
• /
• pp.80.1-80.13
• /
• 2020

Background: In suckling piglets, transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) causes lethal diarrhea accompanied by high infection and mortality rates, leading to considerable economic losses. This study explored methods of preventing or inhibiting their production. Bovine antimicrobial peptide-13 (APB-13) has antibacterial, antiviral, and immune functions. Objectives: This study analyzed the efficacy of APB-13 against TGEV through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Methods: The effects of APB-13 toxicity and virus inhibition rate on swine testicular (ST) cells were detected using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT). The impact of APB-13 on virus replication was examined through the 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID₅₀). The mRNA and protein levels were investigated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot (WB). Tissue sections were used to detect intestinal morphological development. Results: The safe and effective concentration range of APB-13 on ST cells ranged from 0 to 62.5 ㎍/mL, and the highest viral inhibitory rate of APB-13 was 74.1%. The log₁₀TCID₅₀ of 62.5 ㎍/mL APB-13 was 3.63 lower than that of the virus control. The mRNA and protein expression at 62.5 ㎍/mL APB-13 was significantly lower than that of the virus control at 24 hpi. Piglets in the APB-13 group showed significantly lower viral shedding than that in the virus control group, and the pathological tissue sections of the jejunum morphology revealed significant differences between the groups. Conclusions: APB-13 exhibited good antiviral effects on TGEV in vivo and in vitro.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• 제40권1호
• /
• pp.11-19
• /
• 2002

Mice immunized with equine herpesvirus type-1(EHV-1) L-particles skewed a significant increase (p<7.75) in serum antibody titers. Upon a booster dose four weeks lateral antibody titers increased significantly. Interestingly, immunization via intravenous or intramuscular route induced significantly higher (p<0.75) antibody titers. However, mice iummunized with UV-treated L-particles, visions or immunization via intranasal route induced lower antibody titers. Upon challenge inoculation with wildtype EHV-1, our data showed there was a poor correlation between antibody titers and protection against virus replication. Therefore, the role of cell-mediated immunity Inwards protection was investigated. As predicted, the strongest cell-mediated immunity, as measured by delayed-hypersensitivity test, was detected in mice immunized with live virus particles. The magnitude of cell-mediated immune response correlated with the efficacy of L-particles as immunizing agent. The highest efficacy, as indicated in mice immunized via intranasal routed was highly correlated with cell-mediated immunity. A similar phenomenon was also demonstrated in mice immunized intranasally with UV-treated L-particles. However, the degree of protection was reduced when mice immunized intravenously or intramuscularly with UV-treated L-particles. In conclusion, protection conferred in these animals was highly implicated by immune cells and the least by antibodies. The route of immunization and the nature of the antigen also contributed to the efficacy of L-particles as immunizing agent. In contrast to that of herpes simplex virus type 1, our data showed EHV-1 non-infectious L-particles are highly suitable for immunization of the host against EHV-1 disease.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제30권2호
• /
• pp.172-177
• /
• 2020

Influenza viruses cause respiratory diseases in humans and animals with high morbidity and mortality rates. Conventional anti-influenza drugs are reported to exert side effects and newly emerging viral strains tend to develop resistance to these commonly used agents. Fritillaria thunbergii (FT) is traditionally used as an expectorant for controlling airway inflammatory disorders. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of FT extracts against influenza virus type A (H1N1) infection in vitro, in ovo, and in vivo. In the post-treatment assay, FT extracts showed high CC50 (7,500 ㎍/ml), indicating low toxicity, and exerted moderate antiviral effects compared to oseltamivir (SI 50.6 vs. 222) in vitro. Antiviral activity tests in ovo revealed strong inhibitory effects of both FT extract and oseltamivir against H1N1 replication in embryonated eggs. Notably, at a treatment concentration of 150 mg/kg, only half the group administered oseltamivir survived whereas the FT group showed 100% survival, clearly demonstrating the low toxicity of FT extracts. Consistent with these findings, FT-administered mice showed a higher survival rate with lower body weight reduction relative to the oseltamivir group upon treatment 24 h after viral infection. Our collective results suggest that FT extracts exert antiviral effects against influenza H1N1 virus without inducing toxicity in vitro, in ovo or in vivo, thereby supporting the potential utility of FT extract as a novel candidate therapeutic drug or supplement against influenza.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제16권6호
• /
• pp.952-960
• /
• 2006

As a unicellular green alga that possesses many of the metabolic pathways present in higher plants, Chlorelia offers many advantages for expression of heterologous proteins. Since strong and constitutive promoters are necessary for efficient expression in heterologous expression systems, the development of such promoters for use in the Chlorella system was the aim of this study. Proteins encoded by the early genes of algal viruses are expressed before viral replication, probably by the host transcriptional machinery, and the promoters of these genes might be useful for heterologous expression in Chlorella. In this study, putative promoter regions of DNA polymerase, ATP-dependent DNA ligase, and chitinase genes were amplified from eight Korean Chlorella virus isolates by using primer sets designed based on the sequence of the genome of PBCV-1, the prototype of the Phycodnaviridae. These putative promoter regions were found to contain several cis-acting elements for transcription factors, including the TATA, CAAT, NTBBF1, GATA, and CCAAT boxes. The amplified promoter regions were placed into Chlorella transformation vectors containing a green fluorescence protein (GFP) reporter gene and the Sh ble gene for phleomycin resistance. C. vulgaris protoplasts were transformed and then selected with phleomycin. The GFP fluorescence intensities of cells transformed with chitinase, DNA polymerase, and DNA ligase gene promoter-GFP fusion constructs were 101.5, 100.8, and 95.8%, respectively, of that of CaMV 35S-GFP-transformed Chlorella cells. These results demonstrate that these viral promoters are active in transformed Chlorella.