The protein X4 of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus is expressed on both virus-infected cells and lung tissue of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and inhibits growth of Balb/c 3T3 cell line / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The genome of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) includes sequences encoding the putative protein X4 (ORF8, ORF7a), consisting of 122 amino acids. The deduced sequence contains a probable cleaved signal peptide sequence and a C-terminal transmembrane helix, indicating that protein X4 is likely to be a type I membrane protein. This study was conducted to demonstrate whether the protein X4 was expressed and its essential function in the process of SARS-CoV infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein X4-expressing plasmids were constructed. Recombinant soluble protein X4 was purified from E. coli using ion exchange chromatography, and the preparation was injected into chicken for rising specific polyclonal antibodies. The expression of protein X4 in SARS-CoV-infected Vero E6 cells and lung tissues from patients with SARS was performed using immunofluorescence assay and immunohistochemistry technique. The preliminary function of protein X4 was evaluated by treatment with and over-expression of protein X4 in cell lines. Western blot was employed to evaluate the expression of protein X4 in SARS-CoV particles.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>We expressed and purified soluble recombinant protein X4 from E.coli, and generated specific antibodies against protein X4. Western blot proved that the protein X4 was not assembled in the SARS-CoV particles. Indirect immunofluorescence assays revealed that the expression of protein X4 was detected at 8 hours after infection in SARS-CoV-infected Vero E6 cells. It was also detected in the lung tissues from patients with SARS. Treatment with and overexpression of protein X4 inhibited the growth of Balb/c 3T3 cells as determined by cell counting and MTT assays.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results provide the evidence of protein X4 expression following SARS-CoV infection, and may facilitate further investigation of the immunopathological mechanism of SARS.</p>

Preparation, identification, and analysis on tissue chips of polyclonal anti-peptide antibody to chemokine-like factor 1 / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare the polyclonal anti-peptide antibody against chemokine-like factor1 (CKLF1) and apply it to the expression and functional studies of CKLF1.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CKLF1 was analyzed with bioinformatics methods. The 16 amino acids sequence peptide was selected from CKLF1 C terminal end. Antibody was raised by immunizing rabbits with the peptide conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A high titer polycolonal antibody was obtained from the rabbit against the peptide. ELISA analysis proved that the titer of rabbit serum against anti-peptide of CKLF1 was up to 10(-4). Western blot analysis revealed that it could react not only with recombinant CKLF1 expressed in a cell-Free Protein Biosynthesis System and Drosophila S2 cells, but also recognize the endogenous CKLFs in the tissue array. Positive staining was detected in the normal bronchial cartilage, gastric mucosa, and gastric smooth muscle tissues. Normal rectum and well-differentiated rectal carcinoma showed strong positive staining, but the poor-differentiated rectal carcinoma samples revealed negative staining.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The anti-peptide antibody can specifically recognize CKLFs and may be a useful reagent for the detection of CKLF1.</p>