How the Key Finds its Door-Identification of HBV Receptor

HBV is the predominant pathogen associated with hepatitis cases in China. Although the HBV replication mechanism has been extensively documented in recent years, the virus entry mechanism remains elusive; in particular, the HBV receptor has yet to be

Identification of the Epitopes of Monoclonal Antibodies against P74 of Helicoverpa armigera Nucleopolyhedrovirus

P74 is a per os infectivity factor of baculovirus.Here,we report the production of three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs),denoted as 20D9,20F9 and 21E1,raised against P74 of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV),and the identification of their recognition epitopes.The full-length P74,without the transmembrane domains at the C-terminus,was first divided into three segments (N,M and C,respectively),based on the proposed cleavage model for the protein,which were then expressed individually.Western blot analyses revealed specific cross-reactions with the N fragment,for both 20D9 and 21E1.Extensive truncation,followed by prokaryotic expression,of the P74 N fragment was then performed in order to screen for linear epitopes of P74.The recognition regions of 20D9 and 21E1 were revealed to be localized at R144-T153 and T199-C219,respectively.In addition,immunofluorescence microscopy indicated that 20D9 and 20F9 could recognize native P74 in HearNPV-infected cells.These findings will facilitate further investigations of the proteolytic processing of HearNPV P74,and of its involvement in virus-host interactions.

The Protamine-like DNA-binding Protein P6.9 Epigenetically Up-regulates Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus Gene Transcription in the Late Infection Phase

Protamines are a group of highly basic proteins first discovered in spermatozoon that allow for denser packaging of DNA than histones and will result in down-regulation of gene transcription[1]. It is well recognized that the Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) encodes P6.9, a protamine-like protein that forms the viral subnucleosome through binding to the viral genome[29]. Previous research demonstrates that P6.9 is essential for viral nucleocapsid assembly, while it has no influence on viral genome replication[31]. In the present study, the role of P6.9 in viral gene transcription regulation is characterized. In contrast to protamines or other protamine-like proteins that usually down-regulate gene transcription, P6.9 appears to up-regulate viral gene transcription at 12-24 hours post infection (hpi), whereas it is non-essential for the basal level of viral gene transcription. Fluorescence microscopy reveals the P6.9's co-localization with DNA is temporally and spatially synchronized with P6.9's impact on viral gene transcription, indicating the P6.9-DNA association contributes to transcription regulation. Chromatin fractionation assay further reveals an unexpected co-existence of P6.9 and host RNA polymerase II in the same transcriptionally active chromatin fraction at 24 hpi, which may probably contribute to viral gene transcription up-regulation in the late infection phase.