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Motta LF, Cerrudo CS, Belaich MN. A Comprehensive Study of MicroRNA in Baculoviruses. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:603. [PMID: 38203774 PMCID: PMC10778818 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Baculoviruses are viral pathogens that infect different species of Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera, with a global distribution. Due to their biological characteristics and the biotechnological applications derived from these entities, the Baculoviridae family is an important subject of study and manipulation in the natural sciences. With the advent of RNA interference mechanisms, the presence of baculoviral genes that do not code for proteins but instead generate transcripts similar to microRNAs (miRNAs) has been described. These miRNAs are functionally associated with the regulation of gene expression, both in viral and host sequences. This article provides a comprehensive review of miRNA biogenesis, function, and characterization in general, with a specific focus on those identified in baculoviruses. Furthermore, it delves into the specific roles of baculoviral miRNAs in regulating viral and host genes and presents structural and thermodynamic stability studies that are useful for detecting shared characteristics with predictive utility. This review aims to expand our understanding of the baculoviral miRNAome, contributing to improvements in the production of baculovirus-based biopesticides, management of resistance phenomena in pests, enhancement of recombinant protein production systems, and development of diverse and improved BacMam vectors to meet biomedical demands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolina Susana Cerrudo
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética y Biología Celular y Molecular—Área Virosis de Insectos, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, Bernal B1876BXD, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
| | - Mariano Nicolás Belaich
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética y Biología Celular y Molecular—Área Virosis de Insectos, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, Bernal B1876BXD, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
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Hu H, Pan K, Shang Y, Guo Y, Xiao H, Deng F, Wang M, Hu Z. Multiloci Manipulation of Baculovirus Genome Reveals the Pivotal Role of Homologous Regions in Viral DNA Replication, Progeny Production, and Enhancing Transcription. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:144-153. [PMID: 34933547 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The engineering of viral genomes facilitates both fundamental and applied research on viruses. However, the multiloci manipulation of DNAs of viruses with large DNA genomes, such as baculoviruses, herpesviruses, and poxviruses, is technically challenging, particularly for highly homologous or repetitive sequences. Homologous regions (hrs) have multiple copies in many large DNA viruses and play pivotal roles in the viral life cycle. Here, we used synthetic biology to investigate the fundamental function of baculoviral hrs by conducting multiloci manipulation of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) DNA that contains eight hrs scattered in the genome. Using transformation-associated recombination in yeast, we generated recombinant AcMNPV genomes in which we deleted all hrs or retained a single hr (hr1, hr2, or hr3). Infectious viruses were rescued after transfecting the synthetic viral genomes into host cells, and their replication features were characterized. The results demonstrated that deletion of all hrs severely compromised viral DNA replication and progeny production, whereas retaining only a single hr was essential for efficient viral DNA replication and progeny production. The synthetic virus with hr2 or hr3 showed a growth curve similar to that of the parental virus. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that hr1, hr2, and hr3 could enhance gene transcription within a surrounding region of 14.6 kb, 13.8 kb, and 29.8 kb, respectively. Overall, this study revealed the advantages of synthetic biology in multiloci engineering and functional studies of large DNA viruses. In addition, our findings on hrs will be helpful for the design and improvement of baculovirus-based expression vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengrui Hu
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kai Pan
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yu Shang
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yijia Guo
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Han Xiao
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fei Deng
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and National Virus Resource Center, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Manli Wang
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Zhihong Hu
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
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3
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Grose C, Putman Z, Esposito D. A review of alternative promoters for optimal recombinant protein expression in baculovirus-infected insect cells. Protein Expr Purif 2021; 186:105924. [PMID: 34087362 PMCID: PMC8266756 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.105924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Generating recombinant proteins in insect cells has been made possible via the use of the Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS). Despite the success of many proteins via this platform, some targets remain a challenge due to issues such as cytopathic effects, the unpredictable nature of co-infection and co-expressions, and baculovirus genome instability. Many promoters have been assayed for the purpose of expressing diverse proteins in insect cells, and yet there remains a lack of implementation of those results when reviewing the landscape of commercially available baculovirus vectors. In advancing the platform to produce a greater variety of proteins and complexes, the development of such constructs cannot be avoided. A better understanding of viral gene regulation and promoter options including viral, synthetic, and insect-derived promoters will be beneficial to researchers looking to utilize BEVS by recruiting these intricate mechanisms of gene regulation for heterologous gene expression. Here we summarize some of the developments that could be utilized to improve the expression of recombinant proteins and multi-protein complexes in insect cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carissa Grose
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA.
| | - Zoe Putman
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Dominic Esposito
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
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Tang CK, Tsai CH, Wu CP, Lin YH, Wei SC, Lu YH, Li CH, Wu YL. MicroRNAs from Snellenius manilae bracovirus regulate innate and cellular immune responses of its host Spodoptera litura. Commun Biol 2021; 4:52. [PMID: 33420334 PMCID: PMC7794284 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01563-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
To avoid inducing immune and physiological responses in insect hosts, parasitoid wasps have developed several mechanisms to inhibit them during parasitism, including the production of venom, specialized wasp cells, and symbioses with polydnaviruses (PDVs). These mechanisms alter the host physiology to give the wasp offspring a greater chance of survival. However, the molecular mechanisms for most of these alterations remain unclear. In the present study, we applied next-generation sequencing analysis and identified several miRNAs that were encoded in the genome of Snellenius manilae bracovirus (SmBV), and expressed in the host larvae, Spodoptera litura, during parasitism. Among these miRNAs, SmBV-miR-199b-5p and SmBV-miR-2989 were found to target domeless and toll-7 in the host, which are involved in the host innate immune responses. Microinjecting the inhibitors of these two miRNAs into parasitized S. litura larvae not only severely decreased the pupation rate of Snellenius manilae, but also restored the phagocytosis and encapsulation activity of the hemocytes. The results demonstrate that these two SmBV-encoded miRNAs play an important role in suppressing the immune responses of parasitized hosts. Overall, our study uncovers the functions of two SmBV-encoded miRNAs in regulating the host innate immune responses upon wasp parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Kang Tang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Tsai
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Carol-P Wu
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsien Lin
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Sung-Chan Wei
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Heng Lu
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsun Li
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Lung Wu
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
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Miele SAB, Cerrudo CS, Parsza CN, Nugnes MV, Mengual Gómez DL, Belaich MN, Ghiringhelli PD. Identification of Multiple Replication Stages and Origins in the Nucleopolyhedrovirus of Anticarsia gemmatalis. Viruses 2019; 11:E648. [PMID: 31311127 PMCID: PMC6669502 DOI: 10.3390/v11070648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the mechanism of replication used by baculoviruses, it is essential to describe all the factors involved, including virus and host proteins and the sequences where DNA synthesis starts. A lot of work on this topic has been done, but there is still confusion in defining what sequence/s act in such functions, and the mechanism of replication is not very well understood. In this work, we performed an AgMNPV replication kinetics into the susceptible UFL-Ag-286 cells to estimate viral genome synthesis rates. We found that the viral DNA exponentially increases in two different phases that are temporally separated by an interval of 5 h, probably suggesting the occurrence of two different mechanisms of replication. Then, we prepared a plasmid library containing virus fragments (0.5-2 kbp), which were transfected and infected with AgMNPV in UFL-Ag-286 cells. We identified 12 virus fragments which acted as origins of replication (ORI). Those fragments are in close proximity to core genes. This association to the core genome would ensure vertical transmission of ORIs. We also predict the presence of common structures on those fragments that probably recruit the replication machinery, a structure also present in previously reported ORIs in baculoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solange A B Miele
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética y Biología Celular y Molecular-Área Virosis de Insectos, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada (IMBA), Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Evolution and Maintenance of Circular Chromosomes, CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Saint-Aubin, France
| | - Carolina S Cerrudo
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética y Biología Celular y Molecular-Área Virosis de Insectos, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada (IMBA), Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Cintia N Parsza
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética y Biología Celular y Molecular-Área Virosis de Insectos, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada (IMBA), Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - María Victoria Nugnes
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética y Biología Celular y Molecular-Área Virosis de Insectos, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada (IMBA), Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Diego L Mengual Gómez
- Laboratorio de Oncología Molecular, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Mariano N Belaich
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética y Biología Celular y Molecular-Área Virosis de Insectos, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada (IMBA), Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina.
| | - P Daniel Ghiringhelli
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética y Biología Celular y Molecular-Área Virosis de Insectos, Instituto de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada (IMBA), Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
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Bossert M, Carstens EB. Sequential deletion of AcMNPV homologous regions leads to reductions in budded virus production and late protein expression. Virus Res 2018; 256:125-133. [PMID: 30121325 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Homologous regions (hrs) have been predicted to act as origins of baculovirus DNA replication. Hrs have also been shown to function as enhancers of virus transcription. Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) carries eight hrs. In order to assess the role of hrs in virus replication in vivo, we applied a two-step RED recombination system for site-specific mutagenesis to sequentially delete each hr from a bacmid copy of AcMNPV. We then characterized the ability of the bacmids carrying different numbers of hrs or no hr to produce polyhedra and budded virus in transfected cells. We also investigated the ability of virus supernatants from transfected cells to produce budded virus and polyhedra when used to infect cells. We also characterized the expression of specific early and late virus proteins in transfected cells. The results demonstrated that removal of five hrs had little or no effect on virus infection but deleting all eight hrs compromised budded virus production and delayed early and late gene expression but did not completely eliminate assembly of infectious virus. We conclude that multiple hrs ensure an effective virus infection cycle with production of high titers of budded virus and polyhedra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maike Bossert
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3Y6, Canada
| | - Eric B Carstens
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3Y6, Canada.
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Analysis of synonymous codon usage bias in helicase gene from Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus. Genes Genomics 2018; 40:767-780. [PMID: 29934813 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-018-0689-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The helicase gene of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is not only involved in viral DNA replication, but also plays a role in viral host range. To identify the codon usage bias of helicase of AcMNPV, the codon usage bias of helicase was especially studies in AcMNPV and 41 reference strains of baculoviruses by calculating the codon adaptation index (CAI), effective number of codon (ENc), relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), and other indices. The helicase of baculovirus is less biased (mean ENc = 50.539 > 40; mean CAI = 0.246). AcMNPV helicase has a strong bias toward the synonymous codons with G and C at the third codon position (GC3s = 53.6%). The plot of GC3s against ENc values revealed that GC compositional constraints are the main factor that determines the codon usage bias of major of helicase. Several indicators supported that the codon usage pattern of helicase is mainly subject to mutation pressure. Analysis of variation in codon usage and amino acid composition indicated AcMNPV helicase shows the significant preference for one or more postulated codons for each amino acid. A cluster analysis based on RSCU values suggested that AcMNPV is evolutionarily closer to members of group I alphabaculovirus. Comparison of the codon usage pattern among E. coli, yeast, mouse, human and AcMNPV showed that yeast is a suitable expression system for AcMNPV helicase. AcMNPV helicase shows weak codon usage bias. This study may help in elucidating the functional mechanism of AcMNPV helicase and the evolution of baculovirus helicases.
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Liu X, Li Y, Hu X, Yi Y, Zhang Z. Gene delivery and gene expression in vertebrate using baculovirus Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus vector. Oncotarget 2017; 8:106017-106025. [PMID: 29285311 PMCID: PMC5739698 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The baculovirus Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) has been investigated as a possible tool for gene therapy, but its inhibition by complement proteins in human serum limits its applicability. Here, we used the baculovirus Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) to construct a gene delivery vector in which a reporter gene is driven by a cytomegalovirus IE promoter. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and luciferase reporter genes were used to test the efficiency of gene delivery. In vitro complement inactivation data showed that the recombinant BmNPV vector was more stable in human serum than the recombinant AcMNPV vector. The recombinant BmNPV vector successfully delivered the reporter genes into different tissues and organs in mice and chicks. These results demonstrate that the BmNPV vector is more stability against complement inactivation in human serum than the AcMNPV vector, and indicate that it may be useful as an effective gene delivery vector for gene therapy in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingjian Liu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yinü Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Hu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongzhu Yi
- The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Zhifang Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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P143 proteins from heterologous nucleopolyhedroviruses induce apoptosis in BM-N cells derived from the silkworm Bombyx mori. Virus Res 2017; 233:70-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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The Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus ac83 Gene Contains a cis-Acting Element That Is Essential for Nucleocapsid Assembly. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.02110-16. [PMID: 28031366 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02110-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Baculoviridae is a family of insect-specific viruses that have a circular double-stranded DNA genome packaged within a rod-shaped capsid. The mechanism of baculovirus nucleocapsid assembly remains unclear. Previous studies have shown that deletion of the ac83 gene of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) blocks viral nucleocapsid assembly. Interestingly, the ac83-encoded protein Ac83 is not a component of the nucleocapsid, implying a particular role for ac83 in nucleocapsid assembly that may be independent of its protein product. To examine this possibility, Ac83 synthesis was disrupted by insertion of a chloramphenicol resistance gene into its coding sequence or by deleting its promoter and translation start codon. Both mutants produced progeny viruses normally, indicating that the Ac83 protein is not required for nucleocapsid assembly. Subsequently, complementation assays showed that the production of progeny viruses required the presence of ac83 in the AcMNPV genome instead of its presence in trans Therefore, we reasoned that ac83 is involved in nucleocapsid assembly via an internal cis-acting element, which we named the nucleocapsid assembly-essential element (NAE). The NAE was identified to lie within nucleotides 1651 to 1850 of ac83 and had 8 conserved A/T-rich regions. Sequences homologous to the NAE were found only in alphabaculoviruses and have a conserved positional relationship with another essential cis-acting element that was recently identified. The identification of the NAE may help to connect the data of viral cis-acting elements and related proteins in the baculovirus nucleocapsid assembly, which is important for elucidating DNA-protein interaction events during this process.IMPORTANCE Virus nucleocapsid assembly usually requires specific cis-acting elements in the viral genome for various processes, such as the selection of the viral genome from the cellular nucleic acids, the cleavage of concatemeric viral genome replication intermediates, and the encapsidation of the viral genome into procapsids. In linear DNA viruses, such elements generally locate at the ends of the viral genome; however, most of these elements remain unidentified in circular DNA viruses (including baculovirus) due to their circular genomic conformation. Here, we identified a nucleocapsid assembly-essential element in the AcMNPV (the archetype of baculovirus) genome. This finding provides an important reference for studies of nucleocapsid assembly-related elements in baculoviruses and other circular DNA viruses. Moreover, as most of the previous studies of baculovirus nucleocapsid assembly have been focused on viral proteins, our study provides a novel entry point to investigate this mechanism via cis-acting elements in the viral genome.
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