Cloning and characterization of M1 gene of H3N2 subtype swine influenza virus / 生物工程学报

ABSTRACT

Influenza A virus matrix protein (M1) is encoded by a spliced mRNA derived from RNA segment 7 and plays an important role in the virus life cycle. In the present study, we extracted the viral genome RNAs from allantoic fluid of 9-day-old embryonated chicken eggs infected with swine influenza A virus (SIV) H3N2 subtype and amplified the SIV M1 gene by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction using the isloated viral genome RNAs as template. The amplified cDNA was cloned into an expression vector pET-28a (+) (designated pET-28a-M1) and confirmed by DNA sequencing analysis. We then transformed the plasmid pET-28a-M1 into Escherichia coli BL21 strain for heterologous expression. The expression of M1 was induced by 1mM isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. SDS-PAGE analysis of the induced bacterial cells revealed that the recombinant M1 protein was expressed in high yield level. Next, we purified the expressed recombinant M1 using Ni2+ affinity chromatography and immunized Wistar rat with the purified M1 protein for producing polyclonal antibodies specific for M1. Western blotting analysis showed that the produced antibodies were capable of reacting with M1 protein expressed in Escherichia coli as well as that synthesized in SIV-infected cells. We further cloned the amplified M1 cDNA into a eukaryotic expression plasmid p3xFLAG-CMV-7.1 to construct the recombinant plasmid p3xFLAG-CMV-M1 for expressing M1 in eukaryotic cells. Western blotting analysis revealed that the M1 protein was expressed in p3xFLAG-CMV-M1-transfected Vero cells and recognized by the produced anti-M1 antibodies. Using the produced anti-M1 antibodies, we analyzed the kinetics of M1 protein in the virus-infected cells during influenza virus infection and estimated the possibility of M1 as an indicator of influenza virus replication. The recombinant M1 protein, anti-M1 antibodies and recombinant expression plasmids would provide useful tools for studies of biological function of M1 protein and the basis of SIV replication.