Michaela Orlich

Activation of influenza A viruses by trypsin treatment

Abstract A comparative analysis has been carried out on the infectivity of virus of several influenza A strains grown in different host systems. Strains A/swine/Shope/31 (Hsw1N1), A/PR/8/34 (HON1), A/FM/1 (H1N1), A/Singapore/1/57 (H2N2), A/equine/Miami/1/63 (Heq2Neq2), and A/chick/Germany/49 (Hav2Neq1) exhibit host-dependent differences in infectivity. Virions grown in embryonated eggs and cultures of chorioallantoic membrane cells are highly infectious, whereas virions grown in cultures of chick embryo cells have a low infectivity that significantly increases after treatment in vitro with trypsin. In contrast, fowl plague viruses do not show host-dependent variations in infectivity. Virions grown in all host systems tested are highly infectious, and the infectivity of virions grown in chick embryo cells cannot be enhanced by trypsin treatment. The activation of virus particles appears to be based on the cleavage of hemagglutinin glycoprotein HA. This concept is supported by the following observations: (i) In virions of low infectivity only uncleaved glycoprotein HA can be detected. Virions of high infectivity exhibit complete or at least partial cleavage of the hemagglutinin. (ii) The activation of virions by trypsin treatment is always paralleled by cleavage of HA. (iii) Cleavage of HA is the only effect which can be detected after trypsin treatment. The neuraminidase is neither inactivated nor removed from the virion. (iv) Studies on recombinants of virus N and fowl plague virus (Rostock) show that host-dependent variation of infectivity and activation by trypsin, features specific for parent virus N, are found only with recombinant N(H)-FPV/Ro(N) but not with recombinant FPV/Ro(H)-N(N). Efficient plaque formation and serial passages are possible only if highly infectious particles are formed in a given host system. Thus, all strains analyzed undergo, in the absence of trypsin, successive growth cycles in eggs and chorioallantoic membrane cells and form plaques in chorioallantoic membrane cells. In contrast, in chick embryo cells only viruses containing the fowl plague virus hemagglutinin produce plaques and replicate under multiple cycle conditions without the addition of trypsin. The data show that cleavage of HA is not a precondition for virus assembly and hemagglutinating activity, but that it is necessary for infectivity. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that, in addition to its role in adsorption, the hemagglutinin has another function in the infection process and cleavage is required for this function.

The structure of the hemagglutinin, a determinant for the pathogenicity of influenza viruses

Abstract Comparative studies on naturally occurring avian influenza viruses have been carried out in order to investigate the determinant(s) for pathogenicity for chickens. At least one virus isolate from each of the nine different hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes was included. The polypeptides of these viruses were studied by analyzing infected cell extracts on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Both viral glycoproteins, HA and neuraminidase, showed remarkable variation in their electrophoretic mobility even among serologically closely related viruses. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that most avian influenza virus strains had an HA which was not susceptible to proteolytic cleavage in MDCK, turkey (TEC), and chicken embryo cells (CEC). Only viruses belonging to the subtype Hav5 and some strains of the subtype Hav1 possessed a cleaved HA in these cells. Only the virus strains with cleaved HA were produced in infectious form in MDCK, CEC, TEC, as well as in duck embryo cells (DEC) and quail embryo cells (QEC). The other virus strains produced plaques in these cells only in the presence of trypsin. There was a strict correlation between the cleavability of the HA, the potential of the virus to be produced in infectious form in a wide range of host cells, and their pathogenicity for chickens. No evidence was obtained for an involvement of the neuraminidase in determining pathogenicity. For the nonpathogenic viruses it could be shown that they can replicate and produce infectious progeny in some organs of the chicken. The results obtained permit the conclusion that in naturally occurring avian influenza viruses the structure of the hemagglutinin, that is its susceptibility to proteolytic cleavage in a broad spectrum of host cells, is the determining factor for pathogenicity.

Correlation between RNA fragments of fowl plague virus and their corresponding gene functions

Abstract Fowl plague virus (FPV) RNA consists of eight fragments which, except for the two fragments with the highest molecular weight, can be clearly separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of 8 M urea. The base sequence homology between individual fragments of FPV RNA and the complementary RNA (cRNA) of various influenza A prototype strains has been established. Recombinants have been isolated by double infection of chick embryo cells with ts mutants of FPV and influenza A strains, which do not form plaques on this host. By hybridization of the cRNA of these recombinants with the 32P-labeled fragments of FPV RNA six of the eight RNA fragments can be correlated with gene functions of FPV.

Hemagglutinin activation of pathogenic avian influenza viruses of serotype H7 requires the protease recognition motif R-X-K/R-R

Abstract The hemagglutinin of influenza virus A/FPV/Rostock/34 (H7) was altered at its multibasic cleavage site by site-directed mutagenesis and assayed for proteolytic activation after expression in CV-1 cells. The results indicated that the cellular protease responsible for activation recognizes the tetrapeptide motif R-X-K/R-R that must be presented in the correct sequence position. Studies on plaque variants of influenza virus A/fowINictoria/75 (H7N7) showed that alteration of the consensus sequence resulted in a loss of pathogenicity for chickens.

RNA Recombination between Persisting Pestivirus and a Vaccine Strain: Generation of Cytopathogenic Virus and Induction of Lethal Disease

ABSTRACT Molecular analysis of a cytopathogenic (cp) bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) isolate (1741) obtained from a case of mucosal disease (MD) led to the identification of five different viral subgenomic RNAs in addition to a noncytopathogenic (noncp) strain (NCP 1741). For each of the subgenomes, a large internal deletion was found together with an inserted sequence encoding part of ribosomal protein S27a fused to an N-terminally truncated ubiquitin monomer. Surprisingly, the two cellular insertions together with flanking viral sequences encoding parts of NS3 and NS4B are >99% identical to the previously described sequence of BVDV vaccine strain RIT (P. Becher, M. Orlich, and H.-J. Thiel, J. Virol. 72:8697–8704, 1998), while the remainder of the subgenomes is derived from the genome of NCP 1741. Further analyses including molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the recombination partners revealed that both homologous and nonhomologous RNA recombination contributed to the generation of the viral subgenomes. Interestingly, for another cp BVDV isolate (CP 4584) from an independent case of MD, again an insertion of a RIT-derived sequence element was detected. In contrast to CP 1741, for CP 4584 a duplication of the genomic region encoding NS3 and parts of NS4A and NS4B was found. Transfection of bovine cells with RNA transcribed from a chimeric cDNA construct showed that the RIT-derived insertion together with the CP 4584-specific duplication of viral sequences represents the genetic basis of cytopathogenicity of CP 4584. Remarkably, passages of the recovered cp virus in cell culture led to emergence of noncp BVDV and a number of viral subgenomes whose genome organization was similar to that in BVDV 1741.

Mutations at the cleavage site of the hemagglutinin alter the pathogenicity of influenza virus A/chick/penn/83 (H5N2)

Six variants that form plaques in chick embryo cells in the absence of trypsin have been isolated from the apathogenic avian influenza virus A/chick/Pennsylvania/1/83 (H5N2). Unlike the wild-type, the plaque variants contain a hemagglutinin that is cleaved in chick embryo cells and MDCK cells. The variants differ also from the wild-type in their pathogenicity for chickens. Nucleotide sequence and oligosaccharide analysis of the hemagglutinin have revealed that, unlike natural isolates with increased pathogenicity (Y. Kawaoka et al., 1984, Virology 139, 303-316; Y. Kawaoka and R. G. Webster, 1985, Virology 146, 130-137), the variants obtained in vitro have retained an oligosaccharide at asparagine 11 that is believed to interfere with the cleavage site of the wild-type. However, all variants showed mutations in the hemagglutinin resulting in an increased number of basic groups at the cleavage site. These observations demonstrate that masking of the cleavage site by an oligosaccharide is overcome by an enhancement of the basic charge at the cleavage site.

Correlation of Pathogenicity and Gene Constellation of Influenza A Viruses. III. Non-pathogenic Recombinants Derived from Highly Pathogenic Parent Strains

We have demonstrated by recombination of two highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses [A/FPV/Rostock (Hav1N1) x A/turkey/England/63 (Hav1Nav3)] that recombinants can be isolated which are pathogenic as well as non-pathogenic for chickens. They carried the glycoproteins of either parent strains, and all are produced in infectious form in chick embryo cells. Genetic analysis revealed that the non-pathogenic recombinants possess a mixed RNA polymerase complex, consisting of pol 1, pol 2, ptra and NP gene products, while, with one exception, the pathogenic recombinants have the genes coding for the polymerase activity from one or other parent virus. The biological properties of the recombinant viruses did not correlate with their pathogenicity for chickens.

Cleavability of hemagglutinin determines spread of avian influenza viruses in the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryo

SummaryThe spread of infection in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) has been analysed with pathogenic and non-pathogenic avian influenza A viruses. After allantoic inoculation of pathogenic strains, high titers of infectious virus were found in the allantoic fluid, and virus growth could be demonstrated by immunohistology and electron microscopy in the allantoic epithelium, the mesenchyma, and in the chorionic epithelium. By the same route of inoculation, non-pathogenic strains yielded also high titers of infectious virus in the allantoic fluid, but virus replication was restricted to the allantoic epithelium and did not occur in the other cell layers. After chorionic inoculation of pathogenic strains, replication occurred in all layers of the CAM, and infectious virus was released into the allantoic fluid. However, when the chorionic epithelium was infected with a non-pathogenic strain, infection did not spread beyond the site of inoculation. These differences in virus spread are based on differential activation of the hemagglutinin by proteolytic cleavage. The hemagglutinin of pathogenic strains is cleaved in cells of each layer, whereas the hemagglutinin of non-pathogenic strains is cleaved only in the allantoic epithelium. In epithelial cells, virus budding occurred nearly exclusively at the apical side of the cell surface, but this polarization of virus maturation was found with both pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains, indicating that it does not account for the differences in virus spread and, thus, in pathogenicity.

Correlation of pathogenicity and gene constellation of an influenza a virus (fowl plague) I. Exchange of a single gene

Abstract Recombinants of fowl plague virus (FPV) with other influenza A prototype strains of human and animal origin in which only a single gene (RNA segment) is not derived from FPV were tested for their pathogenicity in chickens. Most of these recombinants had a lowered pathogenicity, while some were completely apathogenic. The apathogenic recombinants induced high titers of antibodies against the surface components of FPV in the infected chickens which were protected against a challenge infection with wild type FPV. Loss of pathogenicity depended on the gene which was exchanged as well as on the influenza A strain of which the foreign gene was derived, but no specific gene constellation could be detected for apathogenic recombinants. There is no clear correlation between growth rate and pathogenicity, indicating that other factors such as organ tropism might also play an important role in pathogenicity of influenza viruses.

Mutations in the 5′ Nontranslated Region of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Result in Altered Growth Characteristics

ABSTRACT The 5′ nontranslated region (NTR) of pestiviruses functions as an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that mediates cap-independent translation of the viral polyprotein and probably contains additionalcis-acting RNA signals involved in crucial processes of the viral life cycle. Computer modeling suggests that the 5′-terminal 75 nucleotides preceding the IRES element form two stable hairpins, Ia and Ib. Spontaneous and engineered mutations located in the genomic region comprising Ia and Ib were characterized by using infectious cDNA clones of bovine viral diarrhea virus. Spontaneous 5′ NTR mutations carrying between 9 and 26 A residues within the loop region of Ib had no detectable influence on specific infectivity and virus growth properties. After tissue culture passages, multiple insertions and deletions of A residues occurred rapidly. In contrast, an engineered mutant carrying 5 A residues within the Ib loop was genetically stable during 10 tissue culture passages. This virus was used as starting material to generate a number of additional mutants. The analyses show that (i) deletion of the entire Ib loop region resulted in almost complete loss of infectivity that was rapidly restored during passages in cell culture by insertions of variable numbers of A residues; (ii) mutations within the 5′-terminal 4 nucleotides of the genomic RNA severely impaired virus replication; passaging of the supernatants obtained after transfection resulted in the emergence of efficiently replicating mutants that had regained the conserved 5′-terminal sequence; (iii) provided the conserved sequence motif 5′-GUAU was retained at the 5′ end of the genomic RNA, substitutions and deletions of various parts of hairpin Ia or deletion of all of Ia and part of Ib were found to support replication, but to a lower degree than the parent virus. Restriction of specific infectivity and virus growth of the 5′ NTR mutants correlated with reduced amounts of accumulated viral RNAs.