A different intracellular distribution of a single reporter protein is determined at steady state by KKXX or KDEL retrieval signals. (1/424)

To establish the specific contribution to protein topology of KKXX and KDEL retrieval motifs, we have determined by immunogold electron microscopy and cell fractionation the intracellular distribution at steady state of the transmembrane and anchorless versions of human CD8 protein, tagged with KKXX (CD8-E19) and KDEL (CD8-K), respectively, and stably expressed in epithelial rat cells (Martire, G., Mottola, G., Pascale, M. C., Malagolini, N., Turrini, I., Serafini-Cessi, F., Jackson, M. R., and Bonatti, S. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 3541-3547). The CD8-E19 protein is represented by a single form, initially O-glycosylated: only about half of it is located in the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas more than 30% of the total is present in the intermediate compartment and cis-Golgi complex. In the latter compartments, CD8-E19 colocalizes with beta-coat protein (COP) (COPI component) and shows the higher density of labeling. Conversely, about 90% of the total CD8-KDEL protein is localized in clusters on the endoplasmic reticulum, where significant co-localization with Sec-23p (COPII component) is observed, and unglycosylated and initially O-glycosylated forms apparently constitute a single pool. Altogether, these results suggest that KKXX and KDEL retrieval motifs have different topological effects on theirs own at steady state: the first results in a specific enrichment in the intermediate compartment and cis-Golgi complex, and the latter dictates residency in the endoplasmic reticulum.  (+info)

The adenovirus type 5 E1b 55K and E4 Orf3 proteins associate in infected cells and affect ND10 components. (2/424)

Three early proteins expressed by adenovirus type 5, E1b 55K, E4 Orf3 and E4 Orf6, are involved in regulating late viral gene expression. It has previously been shown that 55K associates with Orf6. Here we show that 55K also associates with Orf3 and that this interaction is necessary for 55K to localize to the nuclear matrix fraction of the cell. From our data, we infer that the Orf3 and Orf6 interactions with 55K may be mutually exclusive. The Orf3 protein is also known to associate with and cause the reorganization of cell nucleus structures known as ND10 or PODs. Consistent with the observed increase in the biochemical interaction between 55K and Orf3 in the absence of Orf6, the 55K association with Orf3 in ND10 was also found to increase in the absence of Orf6. The most studied cellular component of ND10 is PML, a complex protein present in a range of isoforms, some of which are modified by conjugation to the small ubiquitin-like protein PIC-1. The pattern of PML isoforms was altered in adenovirus-infected cells, in that a number of additional isoform bands appeared in an Orf3-dependent manner, one of which became predominant later in infection. As for ND10 reorganization, neither Orf6 nor 55K was required for this effect. Therefore it is likely that these changes in PML are related to the changes in ND10 structure that occur during infection.  (+info)

Reduced toxicity, attenuated immunogenicity and efficient mediation of human p53 gene expression in vivo by an adenovirus vector with deleted E1-E3 and inactivated E4 by GAL4-TATA promoter replacement. (3/424)

A recombinant adenovirus with deleted E1 and E3, and E4-inactivated by replacing the E4 promoter with a synthetic promoter composed of a minimal TATA box and five consensus yeast GAL4-binding site elements was developed and used to express the human tumor suppresser gene p53. The toxicity and immunogenicity of this vector and vector-mediated p53 gene expression in vivo were studied in immunocompetent C3H and C57BL/6 mice. Expression of the late viral gene product, hexon protein, was observed in C3H and C57BL/6 mice injected with E4 wild-type adenovirus constructs Adv-cmv-beta-Gal (BG), Adv-cmv-hp53 (WT), and empty E1- vector Adv-E4 (EW) 3 to 28 days after injection, but was undetectable in mice treated with E4 modified empty E1- vector Adv-GAL4 (EG) or Adv-cmv-hp53-GAL4 (G4). Expression of the p53 gene was observed in both WT- and G4-injected C3H and C57BL/6 mouse livers from days 3 to 28. Ten weeks after injection, p53 gene expression was still detected in G4-treated C57BL/6 mice at similar levels, but was not detectable in WT-treated mice. Vector-induced liver toxicity was evaluated by analyzing serum transaminases (SGOT and SGPT) activities. In all cases, SGOT and SGPT activities were markedly decreased in EG-treated C3H and C57BL/6 mice compared with those in EW-treated mice on days 3, 7 and 14 after injection. In C57BL/6 mice, the total anti-adenoviral CTL activities were two- to three-fold higher in animals treated with EW vector than in those treated with EG vector. These results suggest that inactivation of the E4 promoter efficiently diminished the viral replication and the late viral gene expression, reduced host immune response and consequently reduced toxicity and prolonged the duration of transgene expression in vivo.  (+info)

Rapid construction of adenoviral vectors by lambda phage genetics. (4/424)

Continued improvements of adenoviral vectors require the investigation of novel genome configurations. Since adenovirus can be generated directly by transfecting packaging cell lines with viral genomes isolated from plasmid DNA, it is possible to separate genome construction from virus production. In this way failure to generate a virus is not associated with an inability to generate the desired genome. We have developed a novel lambda-based system that allows rapid modification of the viral genome by double homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. The recombination reaction and newly generated genome may reside in a recombination-deficient bacterial host for enhanced plasmid stability. Furthermore, the process is independent of any restriction endonucleases. The strategy relies on four main steps: (i) homologous recombination between an adenovirus cosmid and a donor plasmid (the donor plasmid carries the desired modification[s] and flanking regions of homology to direct its recombination into the viral genome); (ii) in vivo packaging of the recombinant adenoviral cosmids during a productive lambda infection; (iii) transducing a recombination-deficient E. coli lambda lysogen with the generated lysate (the lysogen inhibits the helper phage used to package the recombinant andenoviral cosmid from productively infecting and destroying the host bacteria); (iv) effectively selecting for the desired double-recombinant cosmid. Approximately 10,000 double-recombinant cosmids are recovered per reaction with essentially all of them being the correct double-recombinant molecule. This system was used to generate quickly and efficiently adenoviral genomes deficient in the E1/E3 and E1/E3/E4 regions. The basis of this technology allows any region of the viral genome to be readily modified for investigation of novel configurations.  (+info)

Unique features of fowl adenovirus 9 gene transcription. (5/424)

We examined the transcriptional organization of fowl adenovirus 9 (FAdV-9) and analyzed temporal transcription profiles of its early and late mRNAs. At least six early and six late transcriptional regions were identified for FAdV-9. Extensive splicing was observed in all FAdV-9 early transcripts examined. Sequence analysis of the cDNAs representing the early proteins identified untranslated leader sequences, precise locations of splice donor and acceptor sites, as well as polyadenylation signals and polyadenylation sites. A unique characteristic, compared to other adenoviruses, was the detection by RT-PCR of multiple transcripts specific for each of five late genes (protein III, pVII, pX, 100K, and fiber), suggesting that FAdV-9 late transcripts undergo more extensive splicing than reported for other adenoviruses.  (+info)

Activation of adenovirus early promoters and lytic phase in differentiated strata of organotypic cultures of human keratinocytes. (6/424)

Human oncolytic adenoviruses have been used in clinical trials targeting cancers of epithelial origin. To gain a better understanding of the infectious cycle of adenovirus in normal human squamous tissues, we examined the viral infection process in organotypic cultures of primary human keratinocytes. We show that for the infection to occur, wounding of the epithelium is required. In addition, infection appears to initiate at the basal or parabasal cells that express the high-affinity coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor, CAR, whereas the productive phase takes place in differentiated cells. This is due, at least in part, to the differentiation-dependent activation of the E1A and E2A early promoters and E4 promoters. We also show that adenovirus infection triggers a response mediated by the abnormal accumulation of cyclin E and p21cip1 proteins similar to the one previously observed in human papillomavirus-infected tissues. However, the virus seems to be able to overcome it, at least partially.  (+info)

NF-IL6, a member of the C/EBP family, regulates E1A-responsive promoters in the absence of E1A. (7/424)

A cDNA encoding NF-IL6, an interleukin-6 (IL-6)-regulated human nuclear factor of the C/EBP family, is demonstrated to complement the transactivation function of E1A. The endogenous NF-IL6 level varies according to cell type and correlates positively with an IL-6-regulated cellular E1A-substituting activity that was described recently (J.M. Spergel and S. Chen-Kiang, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:6472-6476, 1991). When expressed by transfection in cells which contain low levels of NF-IL6 and are incapable of complementing the function of E1A proteins, NF-IL6 also transactivates the E1A-responsive E2ae and E1B promoters, to the same magnitude as E1A. Activation by NF-IL6 is concentration dependent and sequence specific: mutational studies of the E2ae promoter suggest that the promoter-proximal NF-IL6 recognition site functions as a dominant negative regulatory site whereas the promoter-distal NF-IL6 recognition site is positively regulated at low NF-IL6 concentrations and negatively regulated when the NF-IL6 level is high. Consistent with these functions, NF-IL6 alone is sufficient to complement an E1A deletion mutant dl312 in viral infection, when expressed at appropriate concentrations. These results identify NF-IL6 as a sequence-specific cellular nuclear factor which regulates E1A-responsive genes in the absence of E1A.  (+info)

Adenovirus E1A represses the cyclic AMP-induced transcription of the gene for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) in hepatoma cells. (8/424)

Adenovirus infection of hepatoma cells inhibited transcription of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) (EC 4.1.1.32) (PEPCK) gene and virtually eliminated transcription of a chimeric gene which contained the PEPCK promoter linked to the structural gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). This effect is due to the viral protein E1A, since adenovirus containing a deletion in the E1A gene did not repress transcription from the PEPCK promoter. Both the 243R and 283R products of the E1A gene were effective. The conserved region 1 (CR-1) domain of E1A was required for this effect. Treatment of hepatoma cells with 8-bromo-cAMP or transfection with plasmids coding for the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A, CAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBP), or Jun, all potent inducers of PEPCK gene transcription, did not relieve the inhibition caused by E1A. This inhibition does not appear to be mediated by major enhancer elements and in the PEPCK gene since transcription from the PEPCK promoter containing block mutations in binding domains for C/EBP and cAMP regulatory element binding protein (CREB) was also inhibited by E1A. Transcription of chimeric genes containing two copies each of the major cAMP response domains (CRE-1 and P-3) linked to a neutral promoter and fused to the CAT structural gene was stimulated by the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A, but this effect was totally inhibited by E1A. The strong repressive effect of E1A on PEPCK gene transcription seems to involve an interruption of an obligatory interaction between factors which bind to the cAMP response element in the PEPCK promoter and the TATA box.  (+info)