Activation of calcium signaling by hepatitis B virus-X protein in liver cells

Hepatitis B virus x gene product (HBx) is known to be a transactivator of transcriptional elements that regulate the expression of a variety of genes associated with the growth, differentiation, survival and the apoptosis of cells. However, the exact mechanism of the activation and inhibition of cellular events by HBx remains uncertain. The present study was designed to measure the effect of HBx, on the signal transduction pathways associated with intracellular Ca(2+)mobilization following HBx transfection in the stable Chang liver cells (CHL-X). Enhanced cell proliferation by HBx in CHL-X was confirmed by MTT assay and by the immunodetection of PCNA. The transactivation of AP-1 by HBx induced in CHL-X was inhibited by cyclosporin A (CsA), a mitochondrial Ca(2+)channel blocker and by BAPTA-AM, a cytosolic Ca(2+)blocker. Activation of the SAPK/JNK signaling pathway by HBx was evidenced by the increased phosphorylations of c-Jun (Ser63) and of JNK (Thr183/Tyr185). Increased phospho-Erk/Erk and phospho-Raf1/Raf in HBx-induced CHL-X indicated that HBx might stimulate the MAPK pathway. PI3K activity and cytosolic free Ca(2+)levels were elevated in HBx-induced CHL-X. These results imply that HBx transactivates both JNK and MAPK signal transduction pathways in association with the mobilization of cytosolic Ca(2+).

Expression and characterization of a mutant recombinant blood coagulation factor VIII (rFVIII (m))

In an earlier study, a site directed mutant rFVIII (rFVIII(m), Arg(336) -> Gln(336)) expressed in baculovirus-insect cell (Sf9) system was found to sustain high level activity during incubation at 37 for 24 h while the cofactor activity of normal plasma was declined steadily. In this study, a mutant B-domain deleted rFVIII(m), Arg(336) -> Gln(336) expressed in baculovirus-insect cell (Sf9) system was characterized for its enzymatic and chemical properties. The expressed rFVIII(m) and plasma FVIII (pFVIII) were purified by immunoaffinity column chromatography and identified by Western blot analysis. The partially purified rFVIII(m) exhibited cofactor specific activity of 2.01 X 10(3)units/mg protein. The molecular weight of rFVIII(m) ranged between 40 to 150 kDa with a major band at 150 kDa. Treatment of both rFVIII(m) and pFVIII with thrombin increased their cofactor activity in a similar pattern. Treatment of both the activated rFVIII(m) and native FVIII with APC decreased their cofactor activities, however, the former exhibited a slower decrease than the latter, although no significant difference was present. rFVIII(m) formed a complex with vWF, resulting in a stabilized form, and the lag period of thrombin-mediated activating was extended by vWF association. These results implicated that rFVIII(m) expressed in baculovirus-insect cell system had a comparable capacity as FVIII cofactor activity and might be a good candidate for the FVIII replacement therapy for hemophilia A patients.