Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-08-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:50:11Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 neo_ta_me_arafcf.pdf: 1125295 bytes, checksum: 23377b72364333a1ac1bf48473dfab17 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O vírus da Hepatite C (VHC) é o principal agente etiológico das hepatites não-A e não-B, infectando aproximadamente 170 milhões de pessoas no mundo (3% da população mundial). O vírus da hepatite C (HCV; hepatitis C-virus) é envelopado tem de 50 a 70nm de diâmetro, possui uma única fita positiva de RNA e pertence ao gênero do Hepacivirus e à família Flaviridae. Seu genoma é constituído por cerca de 9.500 nucleotídeos com regiões curtas não codificadoras e hiperconservadas nas extremidades 5’ e 3’UTR, flanqueando uma única ORF. A região estrutural do vírus é constituída por 3 genes: core, E1 e E2. As proteínas do envelope, E1 e E2 do VHC, são altamente glicosiladas e apresentam 30 e 70 kDa, respectivamente. Estudos demonstram que ambas apresentam funções específicas em diferentes etapas do ciclo de replicação do vírus, atuando de forma essencial para entrada, ligação ao receptor e fusão com a membrana da célula hospedeira. A glicoproteína E2 do VHC liga-se com alta afinidade a uma alça do receptor CD81, também denominado de TAPA-1, uma tetraespanina encontrada na superfície de muitas células, incluindo hepatócitos. No entanto, o CD81 isoladamente não é suficiente para mediar a entrada celular do vírus, e vários outros co-fatores podem atuar nessa interação. Os receptores de lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL-r) e receptor scavenger tipo B classe I apresentam grande importância nessa relação com o VHC. Estudos sobre as glicoproteínas E1 e E2 têm mostrado que estas se associam com os LDL-r, sugerindo que o VHC use estes receptores para invadir a célula hospedeira. Além disso, estudos anteriores relatam o fato de que, as lipoproteínas poderiam proporcionar acréscimos da infectividade ao VHC. Desta forma, neste trabalho foram desenvolvidas estratégias de clonagem e expressão heteróloga da proteína E2, e avaliou-se sua imunogenicidade... / Hepatitis C is currently recognized as the primary cause of hepatitis non A - non B associated to the blood transfusion. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is enveloped in about 50 to 70nm in diameter, presenting a positive single strand RNA and belongs to the genus Hepacivirus and the family Flaviridae. Its genome consists of 9,500 nucleotides with short non-coding regions and hiperconservadas ends 5´ and 3'UTR flanking a single ORF. The virus structural region is based on three core genes, E1 and E2. HCV E1 and E2 are highly glycosylated and have 30 and 70 kDa, respectively. Studies show that both have key role in different stages of the cycle of virus replication, acting as essential for entry, receptor binding and fusion with host cell membrane. Glycoprotein E2 of HCV binds with high affinity to a loop of CD81, a tetraspanin, also named TAPA-1, found on the surface of many cells, including hepatocytes. However, the CD81 alone is not sufficient to mediate the cellular entry of the virus, and several other co-factors may be operating in this interaction. Recipients of low density lipoprotein (LDL-r) and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) would present great importance in relation to HCV. The LDL-r plays an important role in infection for virus of the hepatitis C. Studies on the glycoproteins E1 and E2 have shown that these are associated with the LDL-r suggesting that HCV uses the LDL-r to invade the host cell. Besides, previous studies showed that lipoprotein could improve HCV infectivity. Thus, in this work the capacity of recognition of the antibodies present anti-HCV was evaluated in the positive human serum for HCV of recognizing the protein E2 recombinant produced in bacteria of the lineage Rosetta and also the capacity of connection of the protein E2 of HCV in bind LDL-r present in the surface of human cells with characteristics endoteliais (ECV 304), and such capacity was... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Paulo Inácio da Costa / Banca: Márcia Aparecida Silva Graminha / Banca: Fernanda de Freitas Aníbal / Resumo: O vírus da Hepatite C (VHC) é o principal agente etiológico das hepatites não-A e não-B, infectando aproximadamente 170 milhões de pessoas no mundo (3% da população mundial). O vírus da hepatite C (HCV; hepatitis C-virus) é envelopado tem de 50 a 70nm de diâmetro, possui uma única fita positiva de RNA e pertence ao gênero do Hepacivirus e à família Flaviridae. Seu genoma é constituído por cerca de 9.500 nucleotídeos com regiões curtas não codificadoras e hiperconservadas nas extremidades 5' e 3'UTR, flanqueando uma única ORF. A região estrutural do vírus é constituída por 3 genes: core, E1 e E2. As proteínas do envelope, E1 e E2 do VHC, são altamente glicosiladas e apresentam 30 e 70 kDa, respectivamente. Estudos demonstram que ambas apresentam funções específicas em diferentes etapas do ciclo de replicação do vírus, atuando de forma essencial para entrada, ligação ao receptor e fusão com a membrana da célula hospedeira. A glicoproteína E2 do VHC liga-se com alta afinidade a uma alça do receptor CD81, também denominado de TAPA-1, uma tetraespanina encontrada na superfície de muitas células, incluindo hepatócitos. No entanto, o CD81 isoladamente não é suficiente para mediar a entrada celular do vírus, e vários outros co-fatores podem atuar nessa interação. Os receptores de lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL-r) e receptor scavenger tipo B classe I apresentam grande importância nessa relação com o VHC. Estudos sobre as glicoproteínas E1 e E2 têm mostrado que estas se associam com os LDL-r, sugerindo que o VHC use estes receptores para invadir a célula hospedeira. Além disso, estudos anteriores relatam o fato de que, as lipoproteínas poderiam proporcionar acréscimos da infectividade ao VHC. Desta forma, neste trabalho foram desenvolvidas estratégias de clonagem e expressão heteróloga da proteína E2, e avaliou-se sua imunogenicidade... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Hepatitis C is currently recognized as the primary cause of hepatitis " non A - non B " associated to the blood transfusion. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is enveloped in about 50 to 70nm in diameter, presenting a positive single strand RNA and belongs to the genus Hepacivirus and the family Flaviridae. Its genome consists of 9,500 nucleotides with short non-coding regions and hiperconservadas ends 5' and 3'UTR flanking a single ORF. The virus structural region is based on three core genes, E1 and E2. HCV E1 and E2 are highly glycosylated and have 30 and 70 kDa, respectively. Studies show that both have key role in different stages of the cycle of virus replication, acting as essential for entry, receptor binding and fusion with host cell membrane. Glycoprotein E2 of HCV binds with high affinity to a loop of CD81, a tetraspanin, also named TAPA-1, found on the surface of many cells, including hepatocytes. However, the CD81 alone is not sufficient to mediate the cellular entry of the virus, and several other co-factors may be operating in this interaction. Recipients of low density lipoprotein (LDL-r) and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) would present great importance in relation to HCV. The LDL-r plays an important role in infection for virus of the hepatitis C. Studies on the glycoproteins E1 and E2 have shown that these are associated with the LDL-r suggesting that HCV uses the LDL-r to invade the host cell. Besides, previous studies showed that lipoprotein could improve HCV infectivity. Thus, in this work the capacity of recognition of the antibodies present anti-HCV was evaluated in the positive human serum for HCV of recognizing the protein E2 recombinant produced in bacteria of the lineage Rosetta and also the capacity of connection of the protein E2 of HCV in bind LDL-r present in the surface of human cells with characteristics endoteliais (ECV 304), and such capacity was... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

GB virus C (GBV-C) is a nonpathogenic lymphotropic virus that replicates in B and T lymphocytes. Infection with GBV-C is documented worldwide and is common: between 1% and 5% of healthy blood donors are viremic at the time of donation. Antibodies to GBV-C proteins are not usually detected during viremia, and antibodies to the GBV-C envelope glycoprotein E2 develop following the clearance of viremia. Although GBV-C viremia may persist for decades, viremia usually clears within 2 years following infection in the majority of individuals infected by blood transfusion. A chimpanzee variant of GBV-C, designated GBV-Ccpz, is found in captive and noncaptive chimpanzees and its prevalence and natural history are uncharacterized. GBV-C research was initially performed by viral hepatitis research groups because it was predicted to cause hepatitis. The realization that GBV-C did not cause hepatitis resulted in a marked reduction in research activity. Because Hepatitis C virus co-infection worsens the clinical course of HIV-infected patients, researchers hypothesized that the related virus, GBV-C, may impact HIV disease. In 1998, researchers found that HIV-infected individuals who were co-infected with GBV-C survived longer than those without GBV-C. These findings provide the rationale for examining the relationship of GBV-C and HIV and the development of GBV-C as a novel therapeutic for HIV. GBV-C infection of PBMCs inhibits the replication of HIV isolates and one of the mechanisms for this is the induction of the release of soluble ligands for HIV entry receptors (RANTES, macrophage inflammatory proteins (MIP)-1α and MIP-1β and SDF-1) by GBV-C. The GBV-C envelope glycoprotein E2 contributes directly to the inhibition of HIV infection. Incubation of recombinant E2 with PBMCs at 4°C prior to HIV infection results in a decrease in HIV replication, and only HIV gp160 enveloped pseudoparticle transduction, not VSV-G enveloped pseudoparticle transduction, is inhibited by GBV-C E2. This suggests that GBV-C E2 inhibits HIV infection at an entry step when the HIV gp160 envelope protein interacts with cellular receptors and membranes. How GBV-C E2 interacts with cellular surfaces and which cellular proteins are utilized for GBV-C binding and entry are unknown. Here, we characterize GBV-C E2 binding to human PBMCs, murine cells, and multiple transformed cell lines to identify the PBMC subset which E2 binds and to identify candidate cellular receptors involved in GBV-C binding and entry. Understanding how GBV-C E2 interacts with cellular surfaces is critical to determining how it inhibits HIV entry. Anti-GBV-C E2 antibodies are also associated with improved survival in HIV-infected individuals. Recent studies demonstrated that anti-E2 antibodies neutralize HIV infection in vitro and immunoprecipitate HIV virions. In these studies, we describe how anti-E2 antibodies immunoprecipitate retroviral particles regardless of the specific viral envelope protein on the surface, but only neutralize particles bearing the HIV gp160 envelope protein. We also found that the cellular antigen recognized by anti-E2 antibodies is accessible only in permeabilized cells and not on the cell surface. These studies provide insight into the HIV-inhibitory mechanisms of anti-E2 antibodies, which should aid in the development of GBV-C E2 as an immunogen in an HIV vaccine. Finally, no animal models exist for studying GBV-C infection or GBV-C vaccines as HIV therapeutics in vivo. We examined the natural history GBV-Ccpz in a captive chimpanzee population, and found that the prevalence of GBV-Ccpz viremia and anti-E2 antibodies, as well as the length of persistent infection, were similar to those found in healthy human blood donors. The GBV-Ccpz 5#8217;ntr and RdRp sequences from chimpanzee subspecies troglodytes and verus shared a high level of sequence identity and indicate that the chimpanzee variant should be designated GBV-Ccpz rather than the currently used GBV-Ctrog. These findings demonstrate that GBV-Ccpz viremia and E2 antibody status should be tested in animals involved in clinical research trials because affected animals may have altered responses to GBV-C infection or HIV vaccines, and that the chimpanzee would be a good animal model in which to study GBV-C infection.

Le virus de l’hépatite C (VHC) est l’une des causes majeures de cirrhose du foie et de carcinome hépatocellulaire. Au courant de la première partie de ma thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés à caractériser plus en détail le rôle de SR-BI dans l’infection par le VHC. Bien que les mécanismes impliquant SR-BI dans la liaison du virus à l’hépatocyte aient été partiellement caractérisés, le rôle de SR-BI dans les étapes suivant la liaison du VHC reste encore largement méconnu. Afin de mieux caractériser le rôle de l’interaction VHC/SR-BI dans l’infection par le VHC, notre laboratoire à généré une nouvelle classe d’anticorps monoclonaux anti-SR-BI inhibant l’infection virale. Nous avons pu démontrer que SR-BI humain jouait un rôle dans le processus d’entrée du virus à la fois lorsde l’étape de liaison du virus à la cellule hôte mais aussi au cours d’étapes suivant cette liaison. Ainsi il serait intéressant de cibler cette fonction de SR-BI dans le cadre d’une stratégie antivirale pour lutter contre l’infection parle VHC. Dans la seconde partie de ma thèse, nous avions pour but de caractériser les mécanismes moléculaires intervenant dans la réinfection du greffon lors de la transplantation hépatique (TH). Nous avons ainsi identifiés 3 mutations adaptatives dans la glycoprotéine d’enveloppe E2 responsables de l’entrée virale augmentée du variant hautement infectieux. Ces mutations influent sur la dépendance au récepteur CD81 du VHC résultant en une entrée virale accrue. L’identification de ces mécanismes va nous permettre une meilleure compréhension de la pathogénèse de l’infection par le VHC, et est un premier pas pour le développement d’une stratégie préventive antivirale ou vaccinale. / Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the first part of my PhD, we aimed to further characterize the role of scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) in HCV infection. While the SR-BI determinants involved in HCV binding have been partially characterized, the post-binding function of SR-BI remains remained largely unknown. To further explore the role of HCV-SR-BI interaction during HCV infection, we generated a novel class of anti-SR-BI monoclonal antibodies inhibiting HCV infection. We demonstrated that human SR-BI plays a dual role in the HCV entry process during both binding and post-binding steps. Targeting the post-binding function of SR-BI thus represents an interesting antiviral strategy against HCV infection. In the second part of my PhD, we aimed to characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying HCV re-infection of the graft after liver transplantation (LT). We identified threeadaptive mutations in envelope glycoprotein E2 mediating enhanced entry and evasion of a highly infectious escape variant. These mutations markedly modulated CD81 receptor dependency resulting in enhanced viral entry. The identification of these mechanisms advances our understanding of the pathogenesis of HCV infection and paves the way for the development of novel antiviral strategies and vaccines.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the first part of my PhD, we aimed to further characterize the role of scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) in HCV infection. While the SR-BI determinants involved in HCV binding have been partially characterized, the post-binding function of SR-BI remains remained largely unknown. To further explore the role of HCV-SR-BI interaction during HCV infection, we generated a novel class of anti-SR-BI monoclonal antibodies inhibiting HCV infection. We demonstrated that human SR-BI plays a dual role in the HCV entry process during both binding and post-binding steps. Targeting the post-binding function of SR-BI thus represents an interesting antiviral strategy against HCV infection. In the second part of my PhD, we aimed to characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying HCV re-infection of the graft after liver transplantation (LT). We identified threeadaptive mutations in envelope glycoprotein E2 mediating enhanced entry and evasion of a highly infectious escape variant. These mutations markedly modulated CD81 receptor dependency resulting in enhanced viral entry. The identification of these mechanisms advances our understanding of the pathogenesis of HCV infection and paves the way for the development of novel antiviral strategies and vaccines.