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Measuring Dengue Virus RNA in the Culture Supernatant of Infected Cells by Real-time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction

At present, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is an indispensable tool for the detection and quantification of viral genomes in ...

Osaka Medical College

Integration, one of the hallmarks of retrovirus replication, is mediated by a nucleoprotein complex called the preintegration complex (PIC), in which viral DNA is associated with many protein components that are required for completion of the early phase of infection. A striking feature of the PIC is its powerful integration activity in vitro. The PICs from a freshly isolated cytoplasmic extract of infected cells are able to insert viral DNA into exogenously added target DNA in vitro. Therefore, a PIC-based in vitro assay is a reliable system for assessing protein factors influencing retroviral integration. In this study, we applied a microtiter plate-based in vitro assay to a screening study using a protein library that was produced by the wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis system. Using a library of human E3 ubiquitin ligases, we identified RFPL3 as a potential stimulator of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) PIC integration activity in vitro. This enhancement of PIC activity by RFPL3 was likely to be attributed to its N-terminal RING domain. To further understand the functional role of RFPL3 in HIV infection, we created a human cell line overexpressing RFPL3. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that RFPL3 was associated with the human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 PICs in infected cells. More importantly, single-round HIV-1 infection was enhanced significantly by RFPL3 expression. Our proteomic approach displays an advantage in the identification of new cellular proteins affecting the integration activity of the PIC and, therefore, contributes to the understanding of functional interaction between retroviral integration complexes and host factors. 

Identification of RFPL3 protein as a novel E3 ubiquitin ligase modulating the integration activity of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 preintegration complex using a microtiter plate-based assay.

Dengue virus (DENV) is one of the most important arthropod-borne pathogens that cause life-threatening diseases in humans. However, no vaccine or specific antiviral is available for dengue. As seen in other RNA viruses, the innate immune system plays a key role in controlling DENV infection and disease outcome. Although the interferon (IFN) response, which is central to host protective immunity, has been reported to limit DENV replication, the molecular details of how DENV infection is modulated by IFN treatment are elusive. In this study, by employing a gain-of-function screen using a type I IFN-treated cell-derived cDNA library, we identified a previously uncharacterized gene, C19orf66, as an IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) that inhibits DENV replication, which we named Repressor of yield of DENV (RyDEN). Overexpression and gene knockdown experiments revealed that expression of RyDEN confers resistance to all serotypes of DENV in human cells. RyDEN expression also limited the replication of hepatitis C virus, Kunjin virus, Chikungunya virus, herpes simplex virus type 1, and human adenovirus. Importantly, RyDEN was considered to be a crucial effector molecule in the IFN-mediated anti-DENV response. When affinity purification-mass spectrometry analysis was performed, RyDEN was revealed to form a complex with cellular mRNA-binding proteins, poly(A)-binding protein cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1), and La motif-related protein 1 (LARP1). Interestingly, PABPC1 and LARP1 were found to be positive modulators of DENV replication. Since RyDEN influenced intracellular events on DENV replication and, suppression of protein synthesis from DENV-based reporter construct RNA was also observed in RyDEN-expressing cells, our data suggest that RyDEN is likely to interfere with the translation of DENV via interaction with viral RNA and cellular mRNA-binding proteins, resulting in the inhibition of virus replication in infected cells. 

Characterization of RyDEN (C19orf66) as an Interferon-Stimulated Cellular Inhibitor against Dengue Virus Replication.

It remains unclear why gastric disease does not develop in all cases of Helicobacter pylori infection. In this study, we analyzed whether simian virus 5 (SV5) enhanced adherence of H. pylori to adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (AGS). H. pylori in AGS (harboring SV5) and SV5-infected Vero cells, and an agglutination of H. pylori mixed with SV5 were observed by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopies. The adherent rate of H. pylori to SV5-infected Vero cells and treated with an anti-SV5 antibody was determined. H. pylori adhered to the surface of AGS cells near SV5 particles, as shown by scanning and transmission electron microscopies. The adherence of H. pylori to SV5-infected Vero cells was significantly enhanced compared with that to Vero cells. In contrast, the adherence of H. pylori to Vero cells was decreased by treatment with the anti-SV5 antibody. Agglutination of H. pylori mixed with SV5 was observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Agglutination did not occur when SV5 was treated with the anti-SV5 antibody before mixing. These findings demonstrated that SV5 enhanced the adherence of H. pylori to host cells, suggesting that a persistently infected virus may be a factor enhancing the pathogenicity of H. pylori in humans.

Youichi Suzuki

Department of Microbiology and Infection Control

Osaka Medical College

Measuring Dengue Virus RNA in the Culture Supernatant of Infected Cells by Real-time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction