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Acta virologica

Volume 47 / 2003 / number 4

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Review

Articles

Short Communications

Book Review


THE HUMAN INTERFERON SYSTEM: CHARACTERIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION AFTER DISCOVERY OF NOVEL MEMBERS 

P. KONTSEK1,2* , G. KARAYIANNI-VASCONCELOS1, E. KONTSEKOVÁ1

1 Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovak Republic;
2 Department of Microbiology and Virology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Received October 13, 2003; accepted November 13, 2003

Summary. – The human interferon (IFN) system is the best characterized of all animal IFN systems. Until recently it is thought that all IFNs and IFN-related genes and proteins have been discovered. However, in the last three years, the discovery and characterization of IFNs including IFN-epsilon (IFN-e), IFN-kappa (IFN-k) and a novel IFN-lambda (IFN-l) family, in particular, substantially changed this opinion. In this article, we attempt to review recent developments in the field of interferon discovery and present an overview of current classification of the human IFN system. Characterization of the constituent parts of the human IFN system including ligands, receptors and players involved in the signal transduction pathway are discussed.
Key words: 
cytokine; dsRNA IFN family; IFN gene; IFN ligand; IFN polypeptide; IFN receptor; IFN signaling; IFN subgroup; IFN type; IFNAR; IFNGR; IFNLR; JAK-STAT; signal transduction

Acta virologica 47: 201 – 215, 2003


Enhancement of immune responses to the hepatitis B virus core protein THROUGH DNA vaccines With A DNA fragment encoding human IL-1b 163–171 peptide

H.J. SHAO, L. CHEN*, M.S. SHEN, G.F. YU

The Key Laboratory of Cell Biology and Tumor Cell Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P.R. China

Received July 28, 2003; accepted October 27, 2003

Summary. – DNA vaccines have been widely used as effective means of eradicating a variety of viruses, parasites, bacteria as well as means of alleviating allergic and autoimmune diseases and tumors. As interleukin 1 (IL-1) plays an essential role in augmenting both cellular and humoral immune responses to foreign antigens, it may represent a good candidate for an adjuvant to DNA vaccines. Since the inflammatory activity of IL-1 may have a restricted application to DNA vaccines, we explored the possibility of augmenting immune response without unwanted inflammatory effect using IL-1b 163–171 peptide, which is essential for IL-1 receptor 1 binding. A DNA fragment encoding the human IL-1b 163–171 peptide of concern was fused to the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core DNA vaccine, and injected into mice to analyze its immune responses. Compared with the control mice which received hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) alone, significant increase in not only the HBcAg-specific antibody response but also in T cell proliferation was observed in mice which received IL-1b 163–171-HBcAg. These results suggest that the DNA fragment encoding the IL-1b polypeptide of aa 163–171 might represent a good candidate for an adjuvant of DNA vaccines.
Key words:
interleukin 1b; hepatitis B virus core antigen; DNA vaccine

Acta virologica 47: 217 – 221, 2003


Complete Nucleotide Sequence of a potyvirus causing maize dwarf mosaic disease in Central China

X. Liu1,2, X. Wang1*, Y. Zhao1, C. Zheng1, G. Zhou1

1 State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100094, P.R. China; 
2 Institute of Element Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P.R. China

Received July 22, 2003; accepted November 11, 2003

Summary. – The full-length nucleotide sequence of a potyvirus causing the maize dwarf mosaic (MDM) disease in Henan province, central China, was obtained by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of the cDNA 5'-end (5'-RACE). The viral genome comprised of 9596 nucleotides except the polyA tail and encoded a putative polyprotein of 3603 amino acids. The entire genomic sequence of this isolate shared identities of 94.2% and 98.3% with Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) HZ isolate at the nucleotide and deduced amino acid levels, respectively, but only a 69.1% identity with MDM virus (MDMV) Bulgarian isolate (MDMV-Bg) at the nucleotide level. Phylogenetical tree analysis of the complete nucleotide sequences indicated that the Henan isolate of a potyvirus causing MDM disease is in fact a Henan strain of SCMV (SCMV-HN).
Key words: 
maize dwarf mosaic disease; Sugarcane mosaic virus; Henan isolate; Hangzhou isolate; complete nucleotide sequence; taxonomy; central China

Acta virologica 47: 223 – 227, 2003


A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY SPECIFIC TO the HA2 GLYCOPROTEIN OF INFLUENZA A VIRUS HEMAGGLUTININ THAT INHIBITS ITS FUSION ACTIVITY REDUCES REPLICATION OF THE VIRUS

E. Varečková1*, S.A. Wharton2, V. Mucha1, M. Gocník1, f. Kostolanský1

1 Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava 4, Slovak Republic;
2 National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), London, UK

Received October 6, 2003; accepted November 14, 2003

Summary. – Monoclonal antibody (MAb) CF2, which binds to the fusion peptide of influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA) (amino acids (aa) 1–35 of the N-terminus of the light chain of HA), inhibited the fusion activity of HA. This MAb preferentially bound to pH 5-treated virus (with conformationally altered HA) and bound only weakly to the native wild type (wt) virus. However, a significant binding of MAb CF2 to the amantadine resistant virus mutant Ab4 (with a mutation at aa 17 of HA1 leading to a destabilization of HA trimer) was obtained without pH 5 treatment. Exploiting the fusion-inhibition activity of MAb CF2 the effect of this antibody on the virus replication in vitro was followed using both the wt virus and the amantadine resistant mutant Ab4. No reduction of replication of wt virus and a low reduction of replication of Ab4 mutant (by about 20%) was detected by radioimmunoassay after preincubation of the virus with a high concentration of MAb CF2 at room temperature. An increased reduction of replication of Ab4 mutant (by about 40%) was observed in cell radioimmunoassay (RIA) and in plaque assay when the virus was preincubated with MAb at 37°C. Under these conditions a reduction of the wt virus replication also occurred by about 40%. This is the first report on the capacity of a MAb specific to HA2 gp, the light chain of influenza A virus HA, to reduce replication of the virus. This capacity in relation to (i) the affinity of the antibody to the virus, and (ii) the accessibility of corresponding epitopes on the virus surface as well as the proposed mechanism of inhibition of replication of the virus are discussed.
Key words: 
HA2 glycoprotein; influenza A virus; fusion; hemagglutinin; monoclonal antibody; virus neutralization

Acta virologica 47: 229 – 236, 2003


A Recombinant fusion protein and DNA vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease virus type Asia 1 infection in guinea pigs

S. BOPEGAMAGE1*, M. BORSANYIOVÁ1, A. VARGOVÁ1, A. PETROVIČOVÁ1, M. BENKOVIČOVÁ2, P. GOMOLČÁK2

1 State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P.R.China;
2 Yunnan Tropical and Subtropical Animal Virus Diseases Laboratory, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China

Received July 10, 2003; accepted November 24, 2003

Summary. – On the basis of amino acid (aa) sequence of the tandem repeat 133–158~20–34~133–158 which consisted of aa 133–158 of VP1 and aa 20–34 of VP4 of Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) type Asia 1 a recombinant prokaryotic expression vector pAS1-P encoding a fusion protein and eukaryotic expression vectors pAS1-E and pAS1-EDCpG-ODN representing DNA vaccines were constructed. Guinea pigs immunized with these vaccines showed both neutralizing antibody and T cell proliferation responses. FMDV challenge tests for the first time showed that the recombinant fusion protein and pAS1-E and pAS1-EDCpG-ODN vaccines protected 86%, 60% and 43% of guinea pigs from FMDV type Asia1 challenge, respectively. The results also indicated that the immune response of animals treated with the vector pAS1-E containing an oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN), which consisted of immunostimulatory cytosine-phosphate-guanosine (CpG) motifs, was augmented by CpG ODN.
Key words:
Foot-and-mouth disease virus; type Asia 1; DNA vaccine

Acta virologica 47: 237 – 243, 2003


COXSACKIEVIRUS INFECTION OF MICE. I. VIRAL KINETICS AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN MICE EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH COXSACKIEVIRUSES B3 AND B4 BY ORAL ROUTE

S. BOPEGAMAGE1*, M. BORSANYIOVÁ1, A. VARGOVÁ1, A. PETROVIČOVÁ1, M. BENKOVIČOVÁ2, P. GOMOLČÁK2

1 Department of Virology, Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Limbová 14, 833 01 Bratislava, Slovak Republic;
2 Institute of Pathology, Academician L. Derer Hospital and Clinic, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Received January 27, 2003; accepted October 16, 2003

Summary. – We followed the viral kinetics and histopathological changes in different organs of immunocompetent mice infected orally with coxsackieviruses B3 (CVB3) Nancy strain and B4 (CVB4) JVB strain separately. The viruses used were not adapted to mouse organs. In the acute phase of infection, the viral kinetics indicated virus replication in the heart, spleen, thymus, pancreas, and small and large intestines. This was accompanied by histopathological changes, mild infiltration of mononuclear cells and fibrosis in the heart. The necrotic changes with mononuclear infiltration and fibrosis in the myocard was observed on days 56 and 71 p.i. in the CVB4-infected animals only. In the mice infected with CVB3 and CVB4 a prolonged presence of infectious virus was shown in the spleen and small intestine; in the latter viral antigen was localized in smooth muscles of the muscular wall immunohistochemically. This is the first report on prolonged replication of coxsackieviruses (CV) in the spleen and small intestine in orally infected mice.
Key words:
 Coxsackie B3 virus; Coxsackie B4 virus; mouse; oral infection; viral kinetics; histopathology

Acta virologica 47: 245 – 251, 2003


COXSACKIEVIRUS INFECTION OF MICE. II. VIRAL KINETICS AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN MICE EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH COXSACKIEVIRUS B3 BY INTRAPERITONEAL ROUTE

A. VARGOVÁ1, S. BOPEGAMAGE1*, M. BORSANYIOVÁ1, A. PETROVIČOVÁ1, M. BENKOVIČOVÁ2

1 Department of Virology, Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Limbová 14, 833 01 Bratislava, Slovak Republic;
2 Institute of Pathology, Academician L. Derer Hospital and Clinic, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Received January 27, 2003; accepted November 15, 2003

Summary. – The study was focused on kinetics of Coxsackievirus B3 serotype (CVB3) in different organs of Swiss albino mice following intraperitoneal (i.p.) infection. The results indicated that the virus replicated in the heart, spleen, thymus, pancreas, small and large intestines in the acute stage of the infection. Infectious virus was present in the spleen till day 35 post infection (p.i.). Histopathology of the hearts showed mild foci of infiltration of mononuclear cells in the acute stage of infection and massive inflammation of exocrine pancreas on day 5 p.i. These results, when compared to those of our previous study (Bopegamage et al., 2003), suggest that the pathogenesis of the disease may be influenced by the route of virus administration into the host.
Key words: 
Coxsackievirus; B3 serotype; Swiss albino mice; intraperitoneal infection; histopathology

Acta virologica 47: 253 – 257, 2003


DIFFERENTIATION OF CLASSICAL AND VERY VIRULENT STRAINS/ISOLATES OF INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE VIRUS BY REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION – POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION

R. TOROGHI*, J.M. KATARIA, V. BALAMURUGAN

Division of Avian Diseases, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, U.P. 243122, India

Received January 17, 2003; accepted November 10, 2003

Summary. – Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a rapid method for identification and differentiation of viruses. It was used to differentiate very virulent from classical (field/vaccine) strains/isolates of Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). RT-PCR products of 552 bp were generated by amplification of variable region of VP2 gene in three field classical isolates, two vaccine strains and two very virulent isolates of IBDV. The PCR products were digested with SacI, HhaI, SspI and StuI. Digestion of the PCR products with SacI and HhaI revealed the presence of a single restriction site in all the field classical isolates and vaccine strains, but no such a restriction site in very virulent strains. On the other hand digestion of these products with SspI and StuI showed the presence of a single restriction site in very virulent strains but no such a restriction site in classical field isolates and vaccine strains. Although the restriction profiles of classical field Indian isolates and vaccine strains were identical, all of these enzymes could differentiate very virulent Indian strains from classical field isolates and vaccine strains.
Key words:
Infectious bursal disease virus; virulence; reverse trasncription; polymerase chain reaction; restriction analysis

Acta virologica 47: 259 – 263, 2003


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