Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The rev gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encodes a 116 amino acid nuclear regulatory protein (Rev) that increases the cytoplasmic expression of viral mRNAs containing the Rev response element (RRE) and coding for the structural proteins, Gag and Env. To identify the functional domains of Rev, amino acid deletion and chain termination mutations were introduced in the Rev coding region. The ability of these mutants to increase the cytoplasmic expression of a Rev-test plasmid (pSV-AR), containing the RRE cloned into the 3' noncoding region of the CAT gene in plasmid pSV2CAT, was examined in transient expression assays in HeLa cells. Our results indicate that three distinct regions mapping within the N-terminal 98 amino acids of Rev are essential for its activity. The subcellular localization of the various Rev proteins was examined in COS cells by indirect immunofluorescence. Rev was found to localize predominantly in the nucleolus of transfected cells. All mutant Rev proteins, with the exception of a deletion mutant (rev delta 41-44) lacking four Arg residues of a highly basic domain, were found to localize in the nucleolus. Mutant rev delta 41-44 exhibited weak diffuse fluorescence in the nucleus with a tendency to accumulate in the cytoplasm. A 15 amino acid region encompassing this basic domain (38-52) when fused to the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene efficiently directed the fusion gene product to the nucleus and nucleolus, suggesting a role for this domain in the nucleolar localization of Rev.
...
PMID:Functional domains of the HIV-1 rev gene required for trans-regulation and subcellular localization. 210 12

It has been shown recently that BCG can be used as a live recombinant vaccine to stimulate immune responses. Proliferative or cytotoxic T-cell responses against several viral proteins such as HIV Gag, Env or Nef were obtained after parenteral immunization with BCG expressing these proteins. Antibody responses were also obtained after immunization of mice with recombinant BCG strain which expressed lac Z under the control of a promoter sequence isolated from Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. We have used this recombinant vaccine in guinea-pigs to investigate the influence of various routes of immunization on the immunogenicity of a foreign antigen expressed by recombinant BCG. Guinea-pigs were immunized by oral, respiratory or intradermal routes and proliferative responses, delayed-type hypersensitivity and antibody responses specific for beta-galactosidase were followed for 16 weeks. Results demonstrated that humoral and cellular immune responses specific for beta-galactosidase can be produced in all groups of guinea-pigs. However, the respiratory and especially the oral route of administration induced higher local and systemic immune responses than the intradermal route of immunization. Moreover, the oral immunization of mice with this recombinant BCG induced IgA responses which could be detected in both sera and intestinal secretions. Therefore, this study demonstrates for the first time that oral immunization with recombinant BCG can induce strong cellular and humoral immune responses.
...
PMID:Oral immunization with recombinant BCG induces cellular and humoral immune responses against the foreign antigen. 829 80

A problem associated with the use of vaccinia virus recombinants as vaccines is the existence of a large human population with preexisting immunity to the vector. Here we showed that after a booster with attenuated recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (rMVA), higher humoral and cellular immune responses to foreign antigens (human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Env and beta-galactosidase) were found in mice preimmunized with rMVA than in mice primed with the virulent Western Reserve strain and boosted with rMVA. This enhancement correlated with higher levels of expression of foreign antigens after the booster.
...
PMID:Attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara can be used as an immunizing agent under conditions of preexisting immunity to the vector. 1090 21

Vaccinia virus (VV) is one of the largest and most complex of animal viruses, with a virion that contains about 100 different polypeptides. Assembly of the viral proteins occurs in discrete cytoplasmic sites leading to formation of two infectious forms, an abundant (>90%) intracellular mature virus (IMV) with an envelope, and a minor extracellular enveloped virus (EEV) with an extra membrane acquired from the trans-Golgi network. It has been shown that while EEV contains in the outer membrane cellular proteins probably acquired during virus release from cells, however, IMV exclude host proteins during assembly. Since VV recombinants (VVr) expressing genes of interest are candidates as potential vaccines against pathogens and cancer, it becomes important to know if VVr can acquire foreign proteins during morphogenesis. In this investigation we show that purified virions (IMVs) from VVr can incorporate foreign proteins into different sites in the virus particle. By sequential fractionation of virion compartments with detergents, we found foreign proteins in the lipid envelope (cytokine IL-12 and CS antigen of Plasmodium yoelii), as part of a protein matrix-like membrane (HIV-1 gp41 of env), or more closely associated with the core containing the DNA complexes (HIV-1 gp160; a multiepitopic protein with the V3 loop of HIV-1 Env from different isolates, and beta-galactosidase). Similar findings were observed with purified virions derived from the WR strain as well as from the highly attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) strain. These observations should be taken into consideration when VVr are used in clinical trials or in other vaccination approaches.
...
PMID:Recombinant proteins produced by vaccinia virus vectors can be incorporated within the virion (IMV form) into different compartments. 1144 27

The synthetic peptide T-20 (enfuvirtide) represents the first of a new class of antiretroviral compounds to demonstrate in vivo potency by targeting a step in viral entry. T-20 inhibits a conformational change in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmembrane glycoprotein (gp41) that is required for fusion between HIV-1 and target cell membranes. The initial phase I clinical trial of T-20 treatment for HIV-infected patients thus provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the emergence of resistant virus in vivo to this novel class of antiretroviral agents. All four patients who received an intermediate dose of T-20 (30 mg twice daily) had an initial decline in plasma viral load over the first 10 days but a rising trend by day 14, suggestive of selection for resistant virus. Plasma virus derived from patients enrolled in all dosage groups of the phase I T-20 trial was analyzed by population sequencing before and after treatment. While no mutations were found within a highly conserved 3-amino-acid sequence (GIV) known to be critical for fusion at baseline, after 14 days of therapy, virus from one patient in the 30-mg dose group (30-1) developed a mutation in this motif, specifically an aspartic acid (D) substitution for glycine (G) at position 36. Multiple env clones were derived from the plasma virus of all four patients in the 30-mg dosage group. Sequence analysis of 49 clones derived from the plasma of patient 30-1 on day 14 revealed that 25 clones contained the G36D mutation, while 8 contained the V38A mutation. Dual mutations involving G36D and other residues within the HR1 domain were also identified. In 5 of the 49 env clones, other mutations involving residues 32 (Q32R or Q32H) and 39 (Q39R) were found in combination with G36D. Cloned env sequences derived from the plasma virus of subject 30-3 also had single mutations in the GIV sequence (V38M and I37V) detectable following therapy with T-20. The plasma virus from subjects 30-2 and 30-4 did not contain changes within the GIV sequence. To analyze the biological resistance properties of these mutations, we developed a novel single-cycle HIV-1 entry assay using JC53BL cells which express beta-galactosidase and luciferase under control of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat. Full-length env clones were derived from the plasma virus of patients 30-1 and 30-3 and used to generate pseudotyped virus stocks. The mean 50% inhibition concentrations (IC(50)s) for mutants G36D and V38A (patient 30-1) were 2.3 microg/ml and 11.2 microg/ml, respectively, statistically significant increases of 9.1- and 45-fold, respectively, compared with those of wild-type Env. The IC(50) for the V38 M mutation (patient 30-3) was 7.6 microg/ml, an 8-fold increase compared with that of the wild type. The I37V mutation resulted in an IC(50) 3.2-fold greater than that of the wild type. Envs with double mutations (Q32R plus G36D and Q32H plus G36D) exhibited a level of resistance similar to that of G36D alone. These findings provide the first evidence for the rapid emergence of clinical resistance to a novel class of HIV-1 entry inhibitors and may be relevant to future treatment strategies involving these agents.
...
PMID:Emergence of resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in patients receiving fusion inhibitor (T-20) monotherapy. 1201 6

The purpose of our study was to evaluate lentiviral vector-mediated rat retinal transduction using simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) pseudotyped with envelope proteins from vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G), Mokola virus G protein (MK-G), amphotropic murine leukemia virus envelope (4070A-Env), influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA), lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus G protein (LCMV-G), and RD114 retrovirus envelope (RD114-Env). The six pseudotyped lentivirus vectors carried CMV-driven green fluorescent protein (GFP) or beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) reporter genes. Intravitreal and subretinal injections of each pseudotyped recombinant SIV were performed in cohorts of Wistar rats. Our results showed that no transgene expression was detected after intravitreal injection of each pseudotyped SIV vector. Also, no transduction could be detected following subretinal injection of RD114 pseudotyped SIV vectors. However, selective transduction of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells was repeatedly obtained after subretinal delivery of VSV-G, MK-G, 4070A-Env, HA, and LCMV-G pseudotyped SIV. GFP expression was maximum as soon as 4 days postadministration for VSV-G, MK-G, 4070A-Env, and HA pseudotypes, with no evidence of pseudotransduction for VSV-G. Maximum transgene expression was observed 3 weeks postinjection for LCMV-6. Importantly, HA and VSV-G pseudotyped SIV lead to such a high level of transgene expression that GFP-related toxicity occurred. Therefore, when a high level of GFP synthesis is achieved, replacement of enhanced GFP (egfp, Aequorea victoria) by a low-toxicity GFP (Renilla reniformis) cDNA is necessary to allow long-term expression.
...
PMID:Five recombinant simian immunodeficiency virus pseudotypes lead to exclusive transduction of retinal pigmented epithelium in rat. 1237 85

We have evaluated the anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity of a series of natural and synthetic porphyrins to identify compounds that could potentially be used as microbicides to provide a defense against infection by sexually transmitted virus. For assays we used an epithelial HeLa-CD4 cell line with an integrated long terminal repeat-beta-galactosidase gene. For structure-activity analysis, we divided the porphyrins tested into three classes: (i) natural porphyrins, (ii) metallo-tetraphenylporphyrin tetrasulfonate (metallo-TPPS4) derivatives, and (iii) sulfonated tetra-arylporphyrin derivatives. None of the natural porphyrins studied reduced infection by more than 80% at a concentration of 5 micro g/ml in these assays. Some metal chelates of TPPS4 were more active, and a number of sulfonated tetra-aryl derivatives showed significantly higher activity. Some of the most active compounds were the sulfonated tetranaphthyl porphyrin (TNapPS), sulfonated tetra-anthracenyl porphyrin (TAnthPS), and sulfonated 2,6-difluoro-meso-tetraphenylporphine [TPP(2,6-F2)S] and its copper chelate [TPP(2,6-F2)S,Cu], which reduced infection by 99, 96, 94, and 96%, respectively. Our observations indicate that at least some of these compounds are virucidal, i.e., that they render the virus noninfectious. The active compounds were found to inhibit binding of the HIV type 1 gp120 to CD4 and also to completely inhibit the ability of Env proteins expressed from recombinant vectors to induce cell fusion with receptor-bearing target cells. These results support the conclusion that modified porphyrins exhibit substantial activity against HIV and that their target is the HIV Env protein.
...
PMID:Inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by porphyrins. 1243 96

The ability of selected phthalocyanines and metallophthalocyanines to block HIV infection has been evaluated in an epithelial HeLa-CD4 cell line with an integrated LTR-beta-galactosidase gene. Sulfonated phthalocyanine itself (PcS), as well as its copper, nickel, and vanadyl chelates, were the most effective in blocking viral infection. These compounds were also very effective in blocking the fusion activity of the viral Env proteins. All of these compounds are expected to bind axial ligands weakly or not at all. In contrast, sulfonated phthalocyanines bearing metals expected to bind axial ligands more tightly (aluminum, cobalt, chromium, iron, silicon, and zinc) were less effective in blocking HIV infection and also less effective at inhibiting fusion. A number of active compounds were found to block binding of gp120 to CD4. Selected cationic and carboxy phthalocyanines, as well as porphyrazines, were also evaluated. Our results indicate that at least some of the compounds render the virus noninfectious, i.e. that they are virucidal. These compounds have potential as microbicides that might be used to provide protection against sexually transmitted HIV.
...
PMID:Prevention of HIV-1 infection by phthalocyanines. 1289 93

Development of a safe and effective vaccine for induction of mucosal immunity to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope glycoprotein (Env, gp160) represents the best hope for containing the spread of an HIV epidemic worldwide. The highly attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is a laboratory virus well suited as a safe vaccine vector. However, the presence of pre-existing immunity to Vaccinia virus in the adult population represents a hindrance that limits the application of the MVA vector for inducing immunity to HIV antigens. Here, cationic liposomes were covalently attached to the surface of recombinant MVA expressing the HIV-1 strain IIIB Env glycoprotein and beta-galactosidase (MVA(IIIB/beta-gal)) using tresylmonomethoxypolyethylene glycol (TMPEG) grafted into a lipid membrane without compromising viral infectivity in vitro and in vivo. The orally administered MVA(IIIB/beta-gal)-TMPEG/liposome complexes were capable of delivering the transgenes to mucosal tissues in mice with pre-existing poxvirus immunity based on beta-galactosidase gene expression in intestinal tissues measured 18 h after infection. Importantly, the MVA(IIIB/beta-gal)-TMPEG/liposome complexes enhanced Env-specific cellular and humoral immune responses in the mucosal and systemic tissues after repeated oral immunization of BALB/c mice. This approach may prove useful for induction of protective immunity against infectious diseases and cancer in populations with pre-existing immunity to vaccinia from smallpox vaccination.
...
PMID:Oral vaccination with modified vaccinia virus Ankara attached covalently to TMPEG-modified cationic liposomes overcomes pre-existing poxvirus immunity from recombinant vaccinia immunization. 1717 Apr 37

As serious side effects affected recent virus-mediated gene transfer studies, novel vectors with improved safety profiles are urgently needed. In the present study, replication-deficient retroviral vectors based on feline foamy virus (FFV) were constructed and analyzed. The novel FFV vectors are devoid of almost the complete env gene plus the internal promoter - accessory bel gene cassette including the gene for the viral transcriptional transactivator Bel1/Tas. In these Bel1/Tas-independent vectors, expression of the lacZ (beta-galactosidase) marker gene is directed by the heterologous, constitutively active human ubiquitin C promoter (ubi). Env-transcomplemented vectors have un-concentrated titers of more than 10(5) transducing units/ml. The vectors allow efficient transduction of a broad array of diverse target cells, which can be increased by repeated vector exposure. However, the number of lacZ marker gene expressing cells decreased slightly upon serial passages of the transduced cells. Vectors carrying a self-inactivating (SIN) deletion of the TATA box and most parts of the viral promoter were not rescued by wt FFV whereas those with the intact or a partially deleted promoter were readily reactivated. This finding indicates that the viral promoters are in fact non-functional, pointing to a highly advantageous safety profile of these new FFV-ubi-lacZ-SIN vectors.
...
PMID:Construction and characterization of efficient, stable and safe replication-deficient foamy virus vectors. 1720 7


1