Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1953. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-142).

<p>The long-range aim of this thesis was to further the understanding of the mechanisms involved in virus interference. To this end, biochemical and immunological procedures were used to characterize and define the virus-specific proteins of VSV. Biological studies of homotypic and heterotypic ·interference were also carried out. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The potential of human adenovirus (Ad) to serve as a vector for expression of heterologous genes was evaluated. An experimental gene, consisting of sequences coding for the glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) attached to the promoter and polyadenylation signal of the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) thymidine kinase (TK) gene, was inserted into early region 3 of adenovirus, in both orientations. The TK promoter was functional in both orientations. The TK promoter was functional in both orientations and responded to trans-activation by HSV infection. Abundant expression of VSV G however depended on the presence of a second transcript. This transcript was present only in the recombinant carrying the insertion in the orientation parallel to the E3 promoter (AdG12) and was initiated upstream of the insertion, within Ad sequences. The potential of Ad recombinants to serve as vaccine vectors was investigated using the recombinant AdG12. Antibody against VSV G was induced in cows, pigs, and dogs in response to infection with AdG12. Protection of mice, immunized with AdG12, against a lethal challenge with VSV demonstrated the biological effectiveness of this immune response. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

Eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) is a heteropentameric guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that converts inactive eIF2 GDP-bound binary complexes into active eIF2 GTP-bound complexes that can bind initiator t-RNA molecules and ribosomes to begin translation. eIF2B is functionally divided into two subcomplexes: the catalytic core comprised of eIF2B epsilon and eIF2B gamma, and the regulatory core comprised of eIF2B alpha, eIF2B beta and eIF2B delta. While the catalytic subunits are responsible for exerting GEF activity, the regulatory subunits recognize eIF2 and respond to eIF2 alpha phosphorylation. Cellular stress, such as virus infection, inhibits host protein synthesis by activating specific kinases that are capable of phosphorylating the alpha subunit of eIF2, which can then sequester eIF2B to stall guanine nucleotide exchange by a currently unresolved mechanism. Importantly, we demonstrate that loss of eIF2B alpha or expression of a variant of the human eIF2B alpha subunit harboring a single point mutation (T41A) is sufficient to neutralize the consequences of eIF2 alpha phosphorylation, and render primary MEFs significantly more susceptible to vesicular stomatitis virus infection. To extend this analysis, we further exhibit the vital function of eIF2B alpha in protein synthesis through phenotypic studies in yeast. Here, we report that this subunit can sufficiently substitute for its yeast counterpart, GCN3, and reproduce similar growth phenotypes under normal and amino acid deprived conditions. In addition, the human eIF2B alpha-T41A variant was unable derepress GCN4 translation in response to an inhibitor of amino acid biosynthesis in yeast, an activity that requires sensitivity to phosphorylation of the yeast eIF2 alpha homolog, SUI2. Previously, we have demonstrated that vesicular stomatitis virus can infect and replicate to high levels in tumor cells. Moreover, these cells appear to contain defects in eIF2 alpha-mediated translational control, plausibly due to disregulation of eIF2B activity, which overcomes the inhibitory effects of eIF2 alpha phosphorylation. Our data suggest a role for eIF2B, specifically eIF2B alpha, in suppression of translation following virus infection, and imply that this complex may contribute to oncogenic transformation. These results emphasize the importance of eIF2B alpha in mediating eIF2 kinase translation inhibitory activity and may provide insight into the complex nature of viral oncolysis and cellular transformation.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection causes inhibition of host protein synthesis, in part by sequestering initiation factors required for mRNA cap recognition. The viral mRNAs share a common mRNA structure to those of the host cell, with a 5' cap and 3' polyadenylate tail, but continue to be efficiently translated despite host translational shutoff. This observation suggests that a non-canonical translation pathway is utilized for viral protein synthesis. To investigate this pathway, we performed an RNA interference screen to identify genes required for VSV replication. In contrast to bulk cellular translation, viral translation is hypersensitive to knockdown of a protein constituent of the 60S ribosomal subunit, rpL40. Depletion of rpL40 diminishes VSV protein synthesis by >90% and is restored through complementation with an siRNA-resistant mutant of rpL40. To delineate the mechanism by which rpL40 is required for viral protein synthesis, we reconstituted translation of VSV mRNA in yeast extracts in vitro. In the absence of rpL40, we show that the two ribosomal subunits fail to associate on VSV mRNA, and the small subunit does not scan to the initiation codon. Regulation by rpL40 occurs in context of the large subunit, providing direct evidence for translational control by the ribosome itself. This rpL40- dependent mechanism of translation initiation is broadly conserved within eukaryotes, governed solely through an RNA determinant, and is utilized by several viruses within the order Mononegavirales. To determine whether a subset of cellular transcripts also require rpL40 for translation, we identified polysome-associated mRNAs in yeast by deep sequencing. We demonstrate that in vitro and in vivo translation of candidate mRNAs, including factors involved in stress responses, are inhibited in the absence of rpL40. This finding suggests that rpL40 plays a critical role in transcript-specific translation during cellular stress. Collectively, our work identifies an alternative translation pathway that is specifically dependent on rpL40, revealing a previously unappreciated mechanism of protein synthesis regulation by the ribosome.

University, Diss., 2006--Giessen.

Zugl.: Giessen, Univ., Diss., 2006

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-100).

<p> Mouse spleen leukocytes were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and infected with Vesicular Stomatitis Virus. The virus titre from stimulated and unstimulated cells was determined and the number of infected cells in stimulated and unstimulated cultures was examined. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Gene therapy is a promising treatment option for cancer. Ideally, a therapeutic gene is delivered specifically into tumor cells sparing the neighboring normal cells. For this purpose gene delivery vectors are designed that can recognize structures, which are exclusively expressed on tumor cells (i.e. the tumor-associated antigens -TAA-). Retroviral vectors are commonly used for gene therapy by modifying the envelope protein responsible for the recognition of the target cell. The Vesicular Stomatitis Virus G protein (VSV-G) is a well-liked choice for pseudotyping the retroviral vectors since it confers on the viral particle stability to allow concentration to high titers necessary for the clinical applications. However, the main drawback of VSV-G, the ubiquitously expressed receptor and thus the broad target range, hinders the use of this protein for targeted gene therapy. In this thesis, we aimed to modify the VSV-G for targeted gene therapy against Prostate Stem Cell Antigen (PSCA) -expressing tumors. Therefore we followed two approaches. The first approach comprised of the fusion of a single-chain antibody fragment against PSCA to the N-terminus of VSV-G. In the second approach the VSV-G was modified by insertion of a small epitope. We could demonstrate that two positions in the N-terminal region of VSV-G protein permit insertion of a ten amino acid long epitope. These mutant VSV-G proteins were successfully assembled into retroviral particles. We demonstrated that the mutant retroviral particles can be used for targeting to PSCA-positive cells using nanobeads. The nanobeads were chemically coupled to antibodies against the epitope in the VSV-G protein and PSCA on the tumor cell. These bispecific nanobeads allowed the recruitment of mutant retroviral particles to the PSCApositive cells. Our results point out the potential of these mutant retroviral particles in targeted gene delivery. Further studies will be necessary to assess the efficiency of in vivo targeted gene therapy using these mutant retroviral particles.