Search

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is often used as a surrogate model in molecular studies of the closely related hepatitis C virus. In this report we have examined the effect of the inhibition of glycosylation on the survival and maturation of CSFV. Viral glycoproteins (E(rns), E1, E2) form biologically active complexes - homo- and heterodimers, which are indispensable for viral life cycle. Those complexes are highly N-glycosylated. We studied the influence of N-glycosylation on dimer formation using E(rns) and E2 glycoproteins produced in insect cells after infection with recombinant baculoviruses. The glycoproteins were efficiently synthesized in insect cells, had similar molecular masses and formed dimers like their natural counterparts. Surprisingly, the addition of tunicamycin (an antibiotic which blocks early steps of glycosylation) to insect cell culture blocked not only dimer formation but it also led to an almost complete disappearance of E2 even in monomeric form. Tunicamycin did not exert a similar effect on the synthesis and formation of E(rns) dimers; the dimers were still formed, which suggests that E(rns) glycan chains are not necessary for dimer formation. We have also found that very low doses of tunicamycin (much lower than those used for blocking N-glycosylation) drastically reduced CSFV spread in SK6 (swine kidney) cell culture and the virus yield. These facts indicate that N-glycosylation inhibitors structurally similar to tunicamycin may be potential therapeutics for the inhibition of the spread of CSFV and related viruses.

Pea plants (Pisum sativum L.) grown initially in nutrient solutions with adequate nitrogen supply (4 mM NO3-) were transferred to solutions containing salt (50 or 100 mM NaCl), ammonium (4 mM) or a low nitrogen supply (0.4 mM NO3-). No changes of abscisic acid (ABA) content were found in roots of stressed pea plants 9 d after the beginning of the treatments; however, accumulation of ABA in the leaves was observed. Old leaves accumulated ABA to a higher extent than young leaves. Accumulation of ABA in leaves of ammonium-fed plants and plants grown under low nitrogen supply occurred in the absence of both increased ABA xylem loading rate and enhanced aldehyde oxidase (AO, EC 1.2.3.1) activity in roots. Enhanced leaf AO activity was observed in all treatments, with the highest increase in old leaves. Among the three AO isoforms (AO-1, AO-2 and AO-3) detected in extracts of pea leaves, the lowest one AO-3 (highest mobility in the gel) correlated with ABA production and showed the highest increment in response to the treatments. The increase of AO activity detected in leaves after 2 weeks of stress application was less prominent than after 9 d, suggesting a transient enhancement of ABA production following the onset of stress. An increase of ABA xylem loading rate as well as AO root activity 4 d and 9 d after application of the treatments was observed only in salt-treated plants followed by a decrease after 14 d in 100 mM NaCl. Decreased cytokinin (trans-zeatin riboside) delivery rate into the xylem sap was observed in all treatments. The role of abscisic acid and cytokinins as positive and negative growth signals, as well as the involvement of root-generated ABA on ABA accumulation in leaves is discussed.

In the present study we investigated the possibility of proteinases, intracellular and extracellular, being involved in the regulation of ligninolytic activities in cultures of Trametes versicolor during the shift from primary growth (i.e. trophophase) to idiophase triggered by nitrogen or carbon starvation. These studies were performed using specific inhibitors added to the cultures of T. versicolor. Addition of PMSF (irreversible inhibitor of serine proteinases) or chloroquine (the lysosomotropic agent inhibiting intralysosomal degradation of proteins) revealed distinct differences in the activity of ligninolytic enzymes between nutrient-deprived and non-starved cultures. The addition of PMSF during the transfer of mycelia to the nutrient limited media significantly enhanced the activities of laccase (2-7-fold) and of unspecified peroxidases (2-4-fold). The activity of lignin peroxidase decreased with PMSF, both in tropho- and in idiophasic cultures. The enhanced activities of laccase and general peroxidases (horseradish peroxidase-like, HRP-like) were accompanied by markedly altered patterns of both intracellular and extracellular proteolytic activities revealed by electrophoretic analysis with polyacrylamide gels containing the copolymerized substrate (haemoglobin or gelatin, respectively). The experiments with chloroquine added to nutrient-deprived cultures showed that inhibition of vacuolar proteolysis resulted in lowered activities of laccase and peroxidase. Electrophoretic analysis revealed altered patterns of intracellular proteinases upon chloroquine addition to nutrient-starved cultures. Moreover, chloroquine was found to enhance the activity of proteases secreted in carbon-starved cultures. From the results it is concluded that both intracellular (including vacuolar) and extracellular proteases are involved in the regulation of laccase and peroxidase activity in cultures of T. versicolor under nutrient limitation.