Reverse Genetics to Engineer Positive-Sense RNA Virus Variants

Podsumowanie

The protocol describes a method for introducing controllable genetic diversity in the hepatitis C virus genome by combining full-length mutant RNA synthesis using error-prone PCR and reverse genetics. The method provides a model for phenotype selection and can be used for 10 kb long positive-sense RNA virus genomes.

Streszczenie

The lack of a convenient method for the iterative generation of diverse full-length viral variants has impeded the study of directed evolution in RNA viruses. By integrating a full RNA genome error-prone PCR and reverse genetics, random genome-wide substitution mutagenesis can be induced. We have developed a method using this technique to synthesize diverse libraries to identify viral mutants with phenotypes of interest. This method, called full-length mutant RNA synthesis (FL-MRS), offers the following advantages: (i) the ability to create a large library via a highly efficient one-step error-prone PCR; (ii) the ability to create groups of libraries with varying levels of genetic diversity by manipulating the fidelity of DNA polymerase; (iii) the creation of a full-length PCR product that can directly serve as a template for mutant RNA synthesis; and (iv) the ability to create RNA that can be delivered into host cells as a non-selected input pool to screen for viral mutants of the desired phenotype. We have found, using a reverse genetics approach, that FL-MRS is a reliable tool to study viral-directed evolution at all stages in the life cycle of the hepatitis C virus, JFH1 isolate. This technique appears to be an invaluable tool to employ directed evolution to understand adaptation, replication, and the role of viral genes in pathogenesis and antiviral resistance in positive-sense RNA viruses.

Wprowadzenie

Forward genetic screening begins with a viral phenotype of interest and then, through sequencing its genome and comparing it to that of the original strain, attempts to identify the mutation(s) causing that phenotype. In contrast, in reverse genetic screens, random mutations are introduced in a target gene, followed by an examination of the resultant phenotype(s)¹. For the reverse genetics approach, in vitro mutagenesis is the most widely used technique to create a pool of variants that are subsequently screened for phenotypes of interest. Various genetic tools have been reported for achieving genome-wide random mutagenesis of RNA viru....

Protokół

NOTE: The JFH1 strain (WT) used here was a kind gift from Takaji Wakita, National Institute of Infectious Diseases. The human hepatoma cell line, Huh7.5, was a kind gift from Charles Rice, The Rockefeller University. A schematic of the method is shown in Figure 1.

1. Genome-wide substitution mutagenesis of JFH1 using error-prone PCR

1. To perform ep-PCR, prepare the master mix for four sets of experiments with primers J-For 5'-GTTTTCCCAGTCAGCACGTTGTAAAACGACGGC-3' and J-Rev 5'-CATGATCTGCAGAGAGACCAGTTACGGCACTCTC -3' (Figure 1A), along with th....

Wyniki

A plethora of full-length HCV variants can be generated and screened for drug-resistant phenotypes of interest following the procedures described in Figure 1. Full genome mutant libraries were synthesized using clonal-pJFH1 in decreasing amounts (100-10 ng), as shown in Figure 2. Average yields of ep-PCR products (mutant libraries) ranged from 3.8-12.5 ng/µL. Figure 3 shows the viral transcripts synthesized from the clonal-pJFH.......

Dyskusje

In this study, we have detailed a simple and rapid FL-MRS procedure that integrates ep-PCR¹⁸ and reverse genetics for synthesizing HCV full-genome libraries, which can then be used in a cell culture system to generate replication-competent variants for the screening of drug-resistant phenotypes. The use of low-fidelity Taq DNA polymerase is a prerequisite of ep-PCR that allows the incorporation of substitutions during PCR amplification of a full-length viral genome. We tested several low-fidelity .......

Materiały

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1 kb plus DNA ladder	Thermo Fisher	10787018
1.5 ml centrifuge tube	Tarsons	500010
15 ml centrifuge tube	Tarsons	546021
35 mm cell culture dish	Tarsons	960010
50 ml centrifuge tube	Tarsons	546041
Acetic acid	Merck	A6283
Agarose	HiMedia	MB080
Agrose gel electrophoresis unit	BioRad	1704406
Biosafety Cabinet, ClassII	ESCO	AC2 4S
Bovine serum albumin	HiMedia	MB083
Centrifuge	Eppendorf	5424-R
CFX Connect Real-Time PCR Detection System	BioRad	1855201
Cloning plates 90 mm	Tarson	460091
CO2 Incubator	New Brunswick	Galaxy 170R
Colibri Microvolume Spectrometer	Titertek-Berthold	11050140
DAB Substrate Kit	Abcam	ab94665
dATP Solution	NEB	N0440S
Deoxynucleotide (dNTP) Solution Set	NEB	N0446
Diethyl Pyrocarbonate (DEPC)	SRL chemical	46791
Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)	HiMedia	MB058
DMEM high glucose	Lonza	BE12-604F
EcoR1-HF	NEB	R3101
EDTA tetrasodium salt dihydrate	HiMedia	GRM4918
Ethidium Bromide	Amresco	X328
Fetal bovine serum	Gibco	26140079
Formaldehyde	Fishser Scientific	12755
Gel Documentation System	ALPHA IMAGER
Goat anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) Secondary Antibody, HRP	Thermo Fisher	A16066
Hydrogen peroxide 30%	Merck	107209
Inverted microscope	Nickon	ECLIPSE Ts2
LB broth	HiMedia	M1245
Lipofectamine 2000	Thermo Fisher	116680270	transfection reagent
Mechanical Pipette Set	Eppendorf	3120000909
Methanol	Merck	106009
Micro Tips 0.2-10 µl	Tarsons	521000
Micro Tips 10 - 100 µl	Tarsons	521010
Micro Tips 200-1000 µl	Tarsons	521020
MOPS buffer	GeNei	3601805001730
Nonessential aminoacids (NEAA)	Gibco	11140050
One Shot TOP10 Chemically Competent E. coli	Invitrogen	C404010	E.coli DH5α
Opti-MEM	Gibco	1105-021	minimal essential medium
PCR tubes 0.2 ml	Tarsons	510051
Pencillin/streptomycin	Gibco	15070063
pGEM-T Easy Vector System	Promega	A1360	T-vector DNA
Phosphate buffer saline (PBS)	HiMedia	TI1099
Phusion High-Fidelity DNA Polymerase	NEB	M0530S
Pibrentasvir	Cayman Chemical	27546
Pipette controller	Gilson	F110120
Platinum Taq DNA Polymerase	Thermo	10966034
Prism	GraphPad		statistical analysis software
QIAamp Viral RNA Mini kit	Qiagen	52904	viral isolation kit
QIAprep Spin Miniprep Kit	Qiagen	27106
QIAquick PCR Purification Kit	QIAGEN	28104	cokum purification kit
RNeasy Mini Kit	QIAGEN	74104	RNA cleanup kit
Serological Pipettes 25 ml	Thermo Fisher	170357N
Serological Pipettes 5 ml	Thermo Fisher	170355N
Serological Pipettes10 ml	Thermo Fisher	170356N
Single strand RNA Marker 0.2-10 kb	Merck	R7020
Skim milk	HiMedia	M530
Sodium azide 0.1 M solution	Merck	8591
SuperScript III Reverse Transcriptase	Invitrogen	18080044	reverse transcriptase
T100 Thermal Cycler	BioRad	1861096
T175 cell culture flask	Tarsons	159910
T25 cell culture flask	Tarsons	950040
T7 RiboMax Express Large Scale RNA Production System	Promega	P1320	Large Scale RNA Production System
T75 cell culture flask	Tarsons	950050
Taq DNA Polymerase	Genetix Biotech (Puregene)	PGM040
TaqMan RNA-to-CT 1-Step Kit	Applied Biosystems	4392653
TaqMan RNA-to-CT 1-Step Kit	Thermo Fisher	4392653	commercial qRT-PCR kit
TOPO-XL--2 Complete PCR Cloning Kit	Thermo Fisher	K8050-10	kit for cloning of long-PCR product
Tris base	HiMedia	TC072
Trypsin-EDTA solution	HiMedia	TCL007
Tween 20	HiMedia	MB067
Vacuum Concentrator	Eppendorf, Concentrator Plus	100248
Water bath	GRANT	JBN-18
Xba1	NEB	R0145S