Passage In Cell Culture Research Articles

STUDYING IMMUNOBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FMDV TYPE O ISOLATES RECOVERED IN THE SOUTH KOREA

The paper presents the results of adaptation of FMDV Type O isolates obtained from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency to pig cell cultures and organisms as well as studies of their infectivity, antigenic activity as well as stability during passages in the PSGK continuous cell culture. Antigenic matching of FMDV Type O isolates, 2014-2015, obtained from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency of the Republic of Korea, with Russian and foreign FMDV Type O production strains was studied. Special attention was given to determination of the inoculation dose for virus cultivation in PSGK-30 for the purpose of subsequent preparation of antigenic preparations and FMD vaccines. The results of strain studies served a basis for their depositing into the FGBI “ARRIAH” strain collection.

A correlation between capsid protein VP2 and the plaque morphology of African horse sickness virus in cell culture.

The attenuated live virus vaccine that is used in South Africa to protect against African horse sickness infection was developed more than 50years ago. With the selection of the vaccine strains by cell culture passage, a correlation between the size of plaques formed in monolayer Vero cultures and attenuation of virus virulence in horses was found. The large plaque phenotype was used as an indication of cell culture adaptation and strongly correlated with attenuation of virulence in horses. There was never any investigation into the genetic causes of either the variation in plaque size, or the loss of virulence. An understanding of the underlying mechanisms of attenuation would benefit the production of a safer AHSV vaccine. To this end, the genomes of different strains of two African horse sickness isolates, producing varying plaque sizes, were compared and the differences between them identified. This comparison suggested that proteins VP2, VP3, VP5 and NS3 were most likely involved in the determination of the plaque phenotype. Comparison between genome sequences (obtained from GenBank) of low and high passage strains from two additional serotypes indicated that VP2 was the only protein with amino acid substitutions in all four serotypes. The amino acid substitutions all occurred within the same hydrophilic area, resulting in increased hydrophilicity of VP2 in the large plaque strains.

Antiviral resistance due to deletion in the neuraminidase gene and defective interfering-like viral polymerase basic 2 RNA of influenza A virus subtype H3N2

Background and objectiveAntiviral treatment of influenza virus infections can lead to drug resistance of virus. This study investigates a selection of mutations in the full genome of H3N2 influenza A virus isolated from a patient in treatment with oseltamivir. Study designRespiratory samples from a patient were collected before, during, and after antiviral treatment. Whole genome sequencing of the influenza virus by next generation sequencing, and low-frequency-variant analysis was performed. Neuraminidase-inhibition tests were performed with oseltamivir and zanamivir, and viruses were propagated in sial-transferase gene transfected Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells. ResultsA deletion at amino acid position 245–248 in the neuraminidase gene occurred after initiation of treatment with oseltamivir. The deleted virus had highly reduced inhibition against oseltamivir but was sensitive to zanamivir. Nine days after discontinuation of oseltamivir treatment the deleted H3N2 virus was still present in the patient. After three passages of the deleted virus in cell culture, the deletion was retained. Several variant mutations appeared in the other genes of the H3N2 virus, where most striking were two major out-of-frame deletions in the polymerase basic 2 (PB2) gene, indicating defective interfering-like viral RNA. ConclusionsThe viruses harboring the 245–248 deletion in the neuraminidase gene were still present after discontinuation of oseltamivir treatment and passages in cell cultures, indicating a potential risk for transmission of the deleted virus. Full genome deep sequencing was useful to reveal variant mutations that might be selected due to antiviral treatment, and defective interfering-like viral PB2 RNA in the respiratory samples was detected.

Amustaline (S-303) treatment inactivates high levels of Chikungunya virus in red-blood-cell components.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infections have been reported in all continents, and the potential risk for CHIKV transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) was demonstrated by the detection of CHIKV RNA-positive donations in several countries. TTIs can be reduced by pathogen inactivation (PI) of blood products. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of amustaline and glutathione (S-303/GSH) to inactivate CHIKV in red-blood-cell concentrates (RBCs). Red-blood-cells were spiked with high level of CHIKV. Infectious titres and RNA loads were measured before and after PI treatment. Residual CHIKV infectivity was also assessed after five successive cell culture passages. The mean CHIKV titres in RBCs before inactivation was 5·81 ± 0·18 log10 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50 )/mL, and the mean viral RNA load was 10·49 ± 0·15 log10 genome equivalent (GEq)/mL. No CHIKV TCID was detected after S-303 treatment nor was replicative CHIKV particles and viral RNA present after five cell culture passages of samples obtained immediately after S-303 treatment. Chikungunya virus was previously shown to be inactivated by the PI technology using amotosalen and ultraviolet A light for the treatment of plasma and platelets. This new study demonstrates that S-303/GSH can inactivate high titres of CHIKV in RBCs.

A Single Amino Acid Change in the Marburg Virus Glycoprotein Arises during Serial Cell Culture Passages and Attenuates the Virus in a Macaque Model of Disease.

Marburg virus (MARV) causes disease with high case fatality rates, and there are no approved vaccines or therapies. Licensing of MARV countermeasures will likely require approval via the FDA's Animal Efficacy Rule, which requires well-characterized animal models that recapitulate human disease. This includes selection of the virus used for exposure and ensuring that it retains the properties of the original isolate. The consequences of amplification of MARV for challenge studies are unknown. Here, we serially passaged and characterized MARV through 13 passes from the original isolate. Surprisingly, the viral genome was very stable, except for a single nucleotide change that resulted in an amino acid substitution in the hydrophobic region of the signal peptide of the glycoprotein (GP). The particle/PFU ratio also decreased following passages, suggesting a role for the amino acid in viral infectivity. To determine if amplification introduces a phenotype in an animal model, cynomolgus macaques were exposed to either 100 or 0.01PFU of low- and high-passage-number MARV. All animals succumbed when exposed to 100PFU of either passage 3 or 13 viruses, although animals exposed to the high-passage-number virus survived longer. However, none of the passage 13 MARV-exposed animals succumbed to 0.01-PFU exposure compared to 75% of passage 3-exposed animals. This is consistent with other filovirus studies that show some particles that are unable to yield a plaque in cell culture can cause lethal disease in vivo. These results have important consequences for the design of experiments that investigate MARV pathogenesis and that test the efficacy of MARV countermeasures. IMPORTANCE Marburg virus (MARV) causes disease with a high case fatality rate, and there are no approved vaccines or therapies. Serial amplification of viruses in cell culture often results in accumulation of mutations, but the effect of such cell culture passage on MARV is unclear. Serial passages of MARV resulted in a single mutation in the region encoding the glycoprotein (GP). This is a region where mutations can have important consequences on outbreaks and human disease [S. Mahanty and M. Bray, Lancet Infect Dis 4:487-498, 2004, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(04)01103-X]. We thus investigated whether this mutation impacted disease by using a cynomolgus macaque model of MARV infection. Monkeys exposed to virus containing the mutation had better clinical outcomes than monkeys exposed to virus without the mutation. We also observed that a remarkably low number of MARV particles was sufficient to cause death. Our results could have a significant impact on how future studies are designed to model MARV disease and test vaccines and therapeutics.

Random Insertional Mutagenesis of a Serotype 2 Dengue Virus Clone.

Protein tagging is a powerful method of investigating protein function. However, modifying positive-strand RNA virus proteins in the context of viral infection can be particularly difficult as their compact genomes and multifunctional proteins mean even small changes can inactivate or attenuate the virus. Although targeted approaches to functionally tag viral proteins have been successful, these approaches are time consuming and inefficient. A strategy that has been successfully applied to several RNA viruses is whole-genome transposon insertional mutagenesis. A library of viral genomes, each containing a single randomly placed small insertion, is selected by passaging in cell culture and the insertion sites can be identified using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Here we describe a protocol for transposon mutagenesis of the 16681 strain of dengue virus, serotype 2. Mutant dengue virus libraries containing short randomly placed insertions are passaged through mammalian cells and insertions are mapped by NGS of the viable progeny. The protocol is divided into four stages: transposon mutagenesis of a dengue cDNA clone, viral genome transfection into permissive cells, isolation of viral progeny genomes, and sequencing library preparation.

Mutations in Hemagglutinin and Polymerase Alter the Virulence of Pandemic A(H1N1) Influenza Virus

To study the pathogenicity factors of the pandemic A(H1N1) influenza virus, a number of mutant variants of the A/Hamburg/5/2009 (H1N1)pdm09 strain were obtained through passage in chicken embryos, mouse lungs, and MDCK cell culture. After 17 lung-to-lung passages of the A/Hamburg/5/2009 in mice, the minimum lethal dose of the derived variant decreased by five orders of magnitude compared to that of the parental virus. This variant differed from the original virus by nine amino acid residues in the following viral proteins: hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and components of the polymerase complex. Additional passaging of the intermediate variants and cloning made it possible to obtain pairs of strains that differed by a single amino acid substitution. Comparative analysis of replicative activity, receptor specificity, and virulence of these variants revealed two mechanisms responsible for increased pathogenicity of the virus for mice. Thus, (1) substitutions in HA (Asp225Gly or Gln226Arg) and compensatory mutation decreasing the charge of HA (Lys123Asn, Lys157Asn, Gly158Glu, Asn159Asp, or Lys212Met) altered viral receptor-binding specificity and restored the functional balance between HA and NA; (2) Phe35Leu substitution in the PA protein increased viral polymerase activity.

Hyperbranched poly(ϵ-lysine) substrate presenting the laminin sequence YIGSR induces the formation of spheroids in adult bone marrow stem cells.

Unlike the fibroblast-like cells formed upon monolayer culture of human mesenchymal stem cells, the natural stem cell niche of the bone marrow and other types of tissues favours the formation of 3-dimensional (3D) cell clusters. The structuring and biological activity of these clusters are regulated by the contacts established by cells with both the basement membrane and neighbour cells and results in their asymmetric division and the consequent maintenance of both a stem population and a committed progeny. The present work demonstrates the potential of a synthetic substrate to mimic the stem cell niche in vitro. The side amino groups of a linear Poly-L-lysine were modified with hyperbranched poly-(ϵ-lysine) peptides, named as dendrons, tethered with the laminin-mimicking sequence, YIGSR. These dendrons presented the YIGSR sequence at the uppermost molecular branching ensuring a controlled spacing of the bioligand. When used to coat the surface of tissue culture plates in a serum-free in vitro cell culture system, the substrate was able to mimic the most relevant features of the basement membrane of the stem cell niche, i.e. the mesh structure of Collagen Type IV and the availability of laminin bioligands relevant to integrin biorecognition. The substrate biomimetic properties were tested for their ability to support the formation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) 3D spheroids similar to those observed in the natural stem cell niches and their ability to maintain stem cell pluripotency markers. These features were related to the substrate-specific expression and localisation of (i) cell adhesion receptors (i.e. β-integrin and N-cadherin), (ii) transcription factors of pluripotency markers and cytoskeleton protein and (iii) regulators of cell migration throughout cell culture passages 2 to 4. The results clearly demonstrate the formation of 3D spheroids starting from the asymmetric division of substrate-adhering spread cells, the clustering of relevant integrins and the expression of specific intracellular pathways controlling cytoskeleton formation suggesting their potential use as a substrate for the handling of stem cells prior to transplantation procedures.

Pathogen inactivation of Dengue virus in red blood cells using amustaline and glutathione.

Dengue virus (DENV) is an arbovirus primarily transmitted through mosquito bite; however, DENV transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) have been reported and asymptomatic DENV RNA-positive blood donors have been identified in endemic countries. DENV is considered a high-risk pathogen for blood safety. One of the mitigation strategies to prevent arbovirus TTIs is pathogen inactivation. In this study we demonstrate that the amustaline and glutathione (S-303/GSH) treatment previously found effective against Zika virus in red blood cells (RBCs) is also effective in inactivating DENV. Red blood cells were spiked with high levels of DENV. Viral RNA loads and infectious titers were measured in the untreated control and before and after pathogen inactivation treatment of RBC samples. DENV infectivity was also assessed over five successive cell culture passages to detect any potential residual replicative virus. The mean ± SD DENV titer in RBCs before inactivation was 6.61 ± 0.19 log 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50 )/mL and the mean viral RNA load was 8.42 log genome equivalents/mL. No replicative DENV was detected either immediately after completion of treatment using S-303/GSH or after cell culture passages. Treatment using S-303/GSH inactivated high levels of DENV in RBCs to the limit of detection. In combination with previous studies showing the effective inactivation of DENV in plasma and platelets using the licensed amotosalen/UVA system, this study demonstrates that high levels of DENV can be inactivated in all blood components.

ID: 1054 Comparison between fresh and cryopreserved Human Amnion Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HAMCs) in terms of serial passaging, morphology and differentiation potential during long term culture

The therapeutic efficiency of Human Amnion Mesenchymal stem cells (HAMCs) is significantly promising. However, its sustainability in long term sub-cultivation has yet to be identified, especially post-cryopreservation. There are concerns whether stem cells which are cryopreserved will be able to retain its functions and differentiation potential efficiently. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of cryopreservation on the serial passaging, morphology and differentiation potential of HAMCs culture post-cryopreservation compared to fresh HAMCs culture. HAMCs was isolated through serial enzymatic digestion of the amnion membrane of human term placenta after delivery. Fresh HAMCs cultures were sub-cultivated until passage 15 while cryopreserved HAMCs samples was preserved at passage 2 of the cell culture and revived after 3 months of cryopreservation period. Through microscopic observation, the cryopreserved HAMCs started to flatten and become larger in size, losing it fibroblastic feature as early as passage 6. The enlarged and flatten morphological features of the HAMCs indicate that the cells began to lose its proliferative activity at this point. In comparison, the HAMCs normally began to enlarge when reaching passage 15 in non-cryopreserved HAMCs cultures. Fresh HAMCs cultures were able to be sustained up to 15 passages while cryopreserved HAMCs were not able to survive pass 10 passages of cell culture. Furthermore, it was observed that both fresh and cryopreserved HAMCs were able to retain its differentiation potential through osteogenesis and adipogenesis medium induction. This was experimentally visualized through positive staining of the calcium composite and lipid droplet in the induced HAMCs culture using Von Kossa stain solution and Oil Red-O stain solution, respectively. Despite retaining it differentiation potential, cryopreserved HAMCs were only able to survive a few passages after being revived. The result suggests that fresh HAMCs is a more suitable candidate to be used in cellular therapy and various clinical application as it were able to retain all its function in long term culture.

Detection of Herpesvirus anguillae (AngHV-1) in European eel Anguilla anguilla (L.) originating from northern Poland-assessment of suitability of selected diagnostic methods.

The Community Action Plan requests EU member states to implement measures that ensure the recovery of the severely depleted European eel stocks. One of the main threats is posed by Anguillid herpesvirus 1 (AngHV-1) leading to increased mortality in both wild and farmed eels. Following recommendations of the OIE to minimize the risk of obtaining false-negative results, the main aim of the study was to optimize diagnostic methods for AngHV-1 detection using conventional PCR, nested PCR and insitu hybridization assay. While 53.3% of the individual organ samples were tested positive for AngHV-1 by PCR, the additional virus analysis via nested PCR revealed that the actual prevalence was 93.3%. In the cell cultivation passages, a cytopathic effect was hardly found in the first two rounds. In the third passage onto cell cultures, a lytic CPE was detected. The identification and confirmation of the viruses obtained from cell cultures as well as directly from the organ tissues were proceeded by PCR, nested PCR and sequencing of the PCR products. While no positive signal was detectable in the first round by PCR using samples from the third cell culture passages, the nested PCR provided weak but visible positive signals.

MicroRNA expression in bone marrow-derived human multipotent Stromal cells

BackgroundMultipotent stromal cells (MSCs) are being studied in the field of regenerative medicine for their multi-lineage differentiation and immunoregulatory capacity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that are responsible for regulating gene expression by targeting transcripts, which can impact MSC functions such as cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration and cell death. miRNAs are expressed in MSCs; however, the impact of miRNAs on cellular functions and donor variability is not well understood. Eight MSC lines were expanded to passages 3, 5 and 7, and their miRNA expression was evaluated using microarray technology.ResultsStatistical analyses of our data revealed that 71 miRNAs out of 939 examined were expressed by this set of MSC lines at all passages and the expression of 11 miRNAs were significantly different between passages 3 and 7, while the expression of 7 miRNAs was significantly different between passages 3 and 5. The expression of these identified miRNAs was evaluated using RT-qPCR for both the first set of MSC lines (n = 6) and a second set of MSC lines (n = 7) expanded from passages 4 to 8. By RT-qPCR only 2 miRNAs, miR-638 and miR-572 were upregulated at passage 7 compared to passage 3 in the first set of MSC lines by 1.71 and 1.54 fold, respectively; and upregulated at passage 8 compared to passage 4 in the second set of MSC lines, 1.35 and 1.59 fold, respectively.ConclusionsThe expression of miR-638 and miR-572 can distinguish MSCs from two different passages of cell culture. These results may be useful in establishing critical quality attributes of MSCs and determining whether changes in these two miRNAs impact cellular functions.

In vitro production of Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus with enhanced insecticidal activity using a genotypically defined virus inoculum

Defective virus accumulations during baculovirus passages in insect cell culture are impediments to large scale baculovirus production. A genotypically defined virus inoculum comprises of stable genotypes was proposed for production of a Thailand isolated SeMNPV in Se-UCR1 insect cells. Targeted genotypes were from wild-type SeMNPV containing naturally mixed genotypes. Plaque assays, PCR screening and XbaI restriction analysis were employed for genotype purification, genotype selection and genome analysis, respectively. A selective marker was pif2 encoded per os infection factor which predominantly deleted, along with the adjacent pif1, in defective viruses. A purified, genetically stable pif2+ (and pif1+) genotype, namely SeThpif2+, was the first tryout. SeThpif2+ occlusion bodies (OBs) possessed insecticidal activity but at lower level than the wild-type. When the SeThpif2+ was co-infected with another purified, genetically stable pif1- (and pif2-) genotype, SeThpif2-, at ratio of 3:1, respectively, mixed genotypes OBs had 2.8 times greater insecticidal activity than the SeThpif2+ alone. Dilution of deleterious PIF1 of SeThpif2+ by the pif1 deletion genotypes, SeThpif2-, was the key for this enhanced activity. A promising approach was described for SeMNPV production in vitro using the virus inoculum whose genotypes compositions were designed to mimic virus interactions in the wild-type, to generate per oral infective baculovirus.

Uncleaved 2A-peptide of foot-and-mouth disease virus can display foreign epitope-tag at the virion surface

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) capsid precursor protein P1-2A is cleaved by viral-encoded 3C protease (3Cpro) to generate VP0, VP3, VP1 and 2A proteins. It was reported earlier that substitution of a single amino acid residue within the 2A peptide sequence (L2P) blocked the 3Cpro mediated VP1/2A cleavage and produced ‘self-tagged’ FMDV particles containing uncleaved 2A-peptide. To determine whether the uncleaved 2A-peptide can function as a target structure to harbour and display exogenous epitope on FMDV particles, a full-length FMDV cDNA clone containing a HA-tag within the uncleaved 2A-peptide sequence was constructed. Subsequently, chimeric marker FMDV, displaying a HA-tag on the viral surface was rescued through reverse genetics approach. The 2A-HA epitope tag-inserted recombinant chimeric FMDV serotype O was genetically stable through up to ten serial passages in cell culture and exhibited growth properties similar to the parental virus. Furthermore the surface displayed HA-epitope tag was able to react with anti-HA antibodies as determined by various immuno-assays. The results from our study suggest that the uncleaved 2A-peptide of FMDV is suitable to present foreign antigenic epitopes on the surface of FMD virion.

De Novo Generation and Characterization of New Zika Virus Isolate Using Sequence Data from a Microcephaly Case.

Zika virus (ZIKV) has recently emerged and is the etiological agent of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS), a spectrum of congenital abnormalities arising from neural tissue infections in utero. Herein, we describe the de novo generation of a new ZIKV isolate, ZIKVNatal, using a modified circular polymerase extension reaction protocol and sequence data obtained from a ZIKV-infected fetus with microcephaly. ZIKVNatal thus has no laboratory passage history and is unequivocally associated with CZS. ZIKVNatal could be used to establish a fetal brain infection model in IFNAR-/- mice (including intrauterine growth restriction) without causing symptomatic infections in dams. ZIKVNatal was also able to be transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. ZIKVNatal thus retains key aspects of circulating pathogenic ZIKVs and illustrates a novel methodology for obtaining an authentic functional viral isolate by using data from deep sequencing of infected tissues. IMPORTANCE The major complications of an ongoing Zika virus outbreak in the Americas and Asia are congenital defects caused by the virus's ability to cross the placenta and infect the fetal brain. The ability to generate molecular tools to analyze viral isolates from the current outbreak is essential for furthering our understanding of how these viruses cause congenital defects. The majority of existing viral isolates and infectious cDNA clones generated from them have undergone various numbers of passages in cell culture and/or suckling mice, which is likely to result in the accumulation of adaptive mutations that may affect viral properties. The approach described herein allows rapid generation of new, fully functional Zika virus isolates directly from deep sequencing data from virus-infected tissues without the need for prior virus passaging and for the generation and propagation of full-length cDNA clones. The approach should be applicable to other medically important flaviviruses and perhaps other positive-strand RNA viruses.

The In Vitro Influence of a Genetic Superoxide-Hydrogen Peroxide Imbalance on Immunosenescence.

As superoxide is a key molecule of inflammatory activation, superoxide-hydrogen peroxide (S-HP) imbalance genetically caused could alter immunosenescence patterns. To test this hypothesis, we collected and cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) carrier's different genotypes of a genetic polymorphism located in the superoxide dismutase manganese-dependent gene (Val16Ala-SOD2). We used an in vitro genetic model based on previous studies, which suggested an association between homozygous genotypes (AA and VV) and alterations in oxidative-inflammatory mediators. PBMCs collected from young healthy volunteers were cultured in the presence of phytohemagglutinin, as well as the following cell culture passages obtained from the 72-hour initial culture. Each follow passage started with the same cell concentration (1 × 105 cells). The general immunosenescence pattern was observed independent of SOD2 genotypes: cellular proliferation until the 15th passage, when cellular arrestment occurred in the G0/G1 phase. From the 10th passage, a higher proliferative state was observed, indicating inflammatory hyperactivation, with an increase in the levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, and TNFα), nitric oxide, superoxide, lipoperoxidation, protein carbonylation, reactive oxygen species, and DNA damage. The S-HP imbalance affected the intensity of some immunosenescence parameters. AA cells, which present basal high HP levels, were associated with higher DNA damage and lipoperoxidation levels, whereas VV, which present basal high S levels, was associated with higher proinflammatory cytokine levels. In summary, the results suggested that a basal S-HP imbalance could affect the intensity of some immunosenescence markers, and this influence could explain the potential association between an imbalance of genotypes (AA and VV) and the risk of developing some chronic diseases.

Functional Relevance of the N-Terminal Domain of Pseudorabies Virus Envelope Glycoprotein H and Its Interaction with Glycoprotein L.

Several envelope glycoproteins are involved in herpesvirus entry into cells, direct cell-to-cell spread, and induction of cell fusion. The membrane fusion protein glycoprotein B (gB) and the presumably gB-activating heterodimer gH/gL are essential for these processes and conserved throughout the Herpesviridae However, after extended cell culture passage of gL-negative mutants of the alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PrV), phenotypic revertants could be isolated which had acquired spontaneous mutations affecting the gL-interacting N-terminal part of the gH ectodomain (gDH and gHB4.1) (B. G. Klupp and T. C. Mettenleiter, J Virol 73:3014-3022, 1999; C. Schröter, M. Vallbracht, J. Altenschmidt, S. Kargoll, W. Fuchs, B. G. Klupp, and T. C. Mettenleiter, J Virol 90:2264-2272, 2016). To investigate the functional relevance of this part of gH in more detail, we introduced an in-frame deletion of 66 codons at the 5' end of the plasmid-cloned gH gene (gH32/98). The N-terminal signal peptide was retained, and the deletion did not affect expression or processing of gH but abrogated its function in in vitro fusion assays. Insertion of the engineered gH gene into the PrV genome resulted in a defective mutant (pPrV-gH32/98K), which was incapable of entry and spread. Interestingly, in vitro activity of mutated gH32/98 was restored when it was coexpressed with hyperfusogenic gBB4.1, obtained from a passaged gL deletion mutant of PrV. Moreover, the entry and spread defects of pPrV-gH32/98K were compensated by the mutations in gBB4.1 in cis, as well as in trans, independent of gL. Thus, PrV gL and the gL-interacting domain of gH are not strictly required for function.IMPORTANCE Membrane fusion is crucial for infectious entry and spread of enveloped viruses. While many enveloped viruses require only one or two proteins for receptor binding and membrane fusion, herpesvirus infection depends on several envelope glycoproteins. Besides subfamily-specific receptor binding proteins, the core fusion machinery consists of the conserved fusion protein gB and the gH/gL complex. The role of the latter is unclear, but it is hypothesized to interact with gB for fusion activation. Using isogenic virus recombinants, we demonstrate here that gL and the gL-binding domain of PrV gH are not strictly required for membrane fusion during virus entry and spread when concomitantly mutations in gB are present which increase its fusogenicity. Thus, our results strongly support the notion of a functional gB-gH interaction during the fusion process.

Development of bioluminescent chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models for primary pancreatic cancer cells: a platform for drug testing

The aim of the present study was to develop chick-embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) bioluminescent tumor models employing low passage cell cultures obtained from primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells. Primary PDAC cells transduced with lentivirus expressing Firefly-luciferase (Fluc) were established and inoculated onto the CAM membrane, with >80% engraftment. Fluc signal reliably correlated with tumor growth. Tumor features were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and genetic analyses, including analysis of mutations and mRNA expression of PDAC pivotal genes, as well as microRNA (miRNA) profiling. These studies showed that CAM tumors had histopathological and genetic characteristic comparable to the original tumors. We subsequently tested the modulation of key miRNAs and the activity of gemcitabine and crizotinib on CAM tumors, showing that combination treatment resulted in 63% inhibition of tumor growth as compared to control (p < 0.01). These results were associated with reduced expression of miR-21 and increased expression of miR-155. Our study provides the first evidence that transduced primary PDAC cells can form tumors on the CAM, retaining several histopathological and (epi)genetic characteristics of original tumors. Moreover, our results support the use of these models for drug testing, providing insights on molecular mechanisms underlying antitumor activity of new drugs/combinations.

Mosquito cells (C6/36) fail to support the complete replication of Penaeus merguiensis hepandensovirus

Mosquito cell lines (C6/36) were reported in the literature to support the propagation of Penaeus monodon hepandensovirus (PmoHDV). We aim to evaluate the susceptibility and viral propagation of P. merguiensis hepandensovirus (PmeHDV) which is ∼22% different to PmoHDV in Aedes albopictus cell line (C6/36). Cellular changes in the infected cell culture were detected. Vacuole formation was seen in both infected and uninfected cell cultures. The average number of disrupted cellular membranes in the infected cells (presumptive dead cells) was significantly higher than that of uninfected cells at passage two (F=9.749, d.f. 1, 22, p<0.05). Using a proliferation assay, light absorption of infected cells peaked at 2weeks post-infection (O.D.=0.27) but was significantly lower than that of the uninfected groups (O.D.=0.37) (F=6.879, d.f. 1, 94, p<0.05) suggesting hindered cell growth. PCR of the serial passages of the infected cell cultures indicated weak positive results for PmeHDV infection and TaqMan quantitative PCR confirmed that the average number of viral copies declined from 3.8×105 to 5.69×102 copies per μL and the mean of cycle times increased from 19.26 to 27.63. These results are interpreted to mean C6/36 allows the initial stage of PmeHDV replication, but the virus was incapable of using C6/36 for patent replication of its’ virions.

Amustaline (S-303) treatment inactivates high levels of Zika virus in red blood cell components.

The potential for Zika virus (ZIKV) transfusion-transmission (TT) has been demonstrated in French Polynesia and Brazil. Pathogen inactivation (PI) of blood products is a proactive strategy to inactivate TT pathogens including arboviruses. Inactivation of West Nile, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses was previously demonstrated by photochemical treatment with amotosalen and ultravioletA (UVA) illumination. In this study, we evaluated ZIKV inactivation in red blood cell (RBC) components by a chemical approach that uses amustaline (S-303) and glutathione (GSH). RBC components were spiked with a high titer of ZIKV. Viral titers (infectivity) and ZIKV RNA loads (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) were measured in spiked RBCs before and after S-303 and GSH treatment and confirmed using repetitive passages in cell culture. A mock-treated arm validated the approach by demonstrating stability of the virus (infectivity and RNA load) during the process. The mean ZIKV infectivity titer and RNA load in RBCs were 5.99±0.2 log 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50 )/mL and 7.75±0.16 log genomic equivalents/mL before inactivation. No infectivity was detected immediately after S-303 and GSH treatment and after five serial passages in cell culture. Complete ZIKV inactivation of more than 5.99 log TCID50 /mL in RBCs was achieved using S-303 and GSH at levels higher than those found in asymptomatic ZIKV-infected blood donors. Therefore, the S-303 and GSH PI system is promising for mitigating the risk of ZIKV TT.