Serum surfactant protein D is steroid sensitive and associated with exacerbations of COPD.

Surfactant protein (SP)-D is a lung-derived protein that has been proposed as a biomarker for inflammatory lung disease. Serum SP-D was evaluated as a biomarker for components of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Surrogate Endpoints (ECLIPSE) cohort and its response assessed to the administration of the anti-inflammatory agent prednisolone. The median level of serum SP-D was significantly elevated in 1,888 individuals with COPD compared to 296 current and former smokers without airflow obstruction (121.1 and 114.3 ng x mL(-1), respectively; p = 0.021) and 201 nonsmokers (82.2 ng x ml(-1); p<0.001). There was no correlation with the severity of COPD. Individuals with COPD who had a serum SP-D concentration that was greater than the 95th percentile of nonsmokers (175.4 ng x mL(-1)) showed an increased risk of exacerbations over the following 12 months (adjusted OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.03-1.63). Treatment with 20 mg x day(-1) prednisolone for 4 weeks resulted in a fall in serum SP-D levels (126.0 to 82.1 ng x mL(-1); p<0.001) but no significant change in post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Serum SP-D concentration is raised in smokers and may be useful in identifying individuals who are at increased risk of exacerbations of COPD. It may represent an intermediate measure for the development of novel anti-inflammatory agents.

Evaluation of serum CC-16 as a biomarker for COPD in the ECLIPSE cohort.

BACKGROUND: Circulating levels of Clara cell secretory protein-16 (CC-16) have been linked to Clara cell toxicity. It has therefore been suggested that this protein may be a useful marker of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Serum CC-16 levels were measured in 2083 individuals aged 40-75 years with COPD and a smoking history of >or=10 pack-years, 332 controls with a smoking history of >or=10 pack-years and normal lung function and 237 non-smoking controls. RESULTS: Serum CC-16 had a coefficient of repeatability of 2.90 over 3 months in a pilot study of 267 individuals. The median serum CC-16 level was significantly reduced in a replication group of 1888 current and former smokers with COPD compared with 296 current and former smokers without airflow obstruction (4.9 and 5.6 ng/ml, respectively; p<0.001) and 201 non-smokers (6.4 ng/ml; p<0.001). Serum levels of CC-16 were lower in current than in former smokers with GOLD stage II and III COPD but were not different in individuals with stage IV disease. Former, but not current smokers, with COPD had lower serum CC-16 levels with increasing severity of COPD (GOLD II vs GOLD IV COPD: 5.5 and 5.0 ng/ml, p = 0.006; r = 0.11 with forced expiratory volume in 1 s, p<0.001) and had significantly higher levels if they also had reversible airflow obstruction (p = 0.034). Serum CC-16 was affected by gender and age (r = 0.35; p<0.001) in subjects with COPD but not by body mass index or the presence of either chronic bronchitis or emphysema. CONCLUSIONS: Serum CC-16 levels are reduced in individuals with COPD and there is a weak correlation with disease severity in former smokers.

Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Surrogate End-points (ECLIPSE).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease and not well understood. The forced expiratory volume in one second is used for the diagnosis and staging of COPD, but there is wide acceptance that it is a crude measure and insensitive to change over shorter periods of time. Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Surrogate End-points (ECLIPSE) is a 3-yr longitudinal study with four specific aims: 1) definition of clinically relevant COPD subtypes; 2) identification of parameters that predict disease progression in these subtypes; 3) examination of biomarkers that correlate with COPD subtypes and may predict disease progression; and 4) identification of novel genetic factors and/or biomarkers that both correlate with clinically relevant COPD subtypes and predict disease progression. ECLIPSE plans to recruit 2,180 COPD subjects in Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease categories II-IV and 343 smoking and 223 nonsmoking control subjects. Study procedures are to be performed at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and every 6 months thereafter. Assessments include pulmonary function measurements (spirometry, impulse oscillometry and plethysmography), chest computed tomography, biomarker measurement (in blood, sputum, urine and exhaled breath condensate), health outcomes, body impedance, resting oxygen saturation and 6-min walking distance. Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Surrogate End-points is the largest study attempting to better describe the subtypes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as defining predictive markers of its progression.

Plethysmography and impulse oscillometry assessment of tiotropium and ipratropium bromide; a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study in healthy subjects.

AIMS: Spirometry, plethysmography and impulse oscillometry (IOS) measure different aspects of lung function. These methods have not been compared for their ability to assess long- and short-acting anticholinergic agents. We therefore performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-way cross-over study in 30 healthy subjects. METHODS: Single doses of tiotropium bromide (Tio) 54 and 18 mcg, ipratropium bromide (IB) 40 mcg and placebo were administered. Specific conductance (sGaw), total lung capacity (TLC), inspiratory capacity (IC) and residual volume (RV) were measured using plethysmography, while IOS measured resistance (R5-25) and reactance (RF and X5). Pulmonary function was measured for 26 h post dose. RESULTS: Tio caused significant improvements in sGaw, forced expiratory voume in 1 s (FEV(1)), maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) and R5-R25 at time points up to 26 h, with no clear differences between doses. IB improved the same parameters, but only up to 8 h. The weighted mean change (0-24 h) caused by Tio 54 mcg compared with placebo for FEV(1) was 240 ml (95% confidence interval 180, 300), while for sGaw the ratio of geometric means (Tio compared with placebo) was 1.35 (1.28, 1.41). Neither drug caused consistent statistically significant changes in RF, forced vital capacity, TLC or IC over 26 h. RV was significantly improved from 8 to 24 h by Tio 54 mcg only. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to spirometry, IOS resistance measurements and sGaw can distinguish between the effects of long- and shortacting anticholinergic effects in healthy subjects.

Differences in pathogenicity of herpes simplex virus serotypes 1 and 2 may be observed by histopathology and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging in a murine encephalitis model.

The mouse model for herpes simplex-induced encephalitis (HSE) is an established preclinical tool for evaluating the efficacy of new therapeutic interventions. We evaluated the utility of high-resolution in vivo MRI in observing the progression of experimental HSE during the first week postinfection. Female BALB/c mice were inoculated intracerebrally with HSV-1 or HSV-2 by microinjection. Each animal was evaluated daily by high-resolution (4.7 Tesla) T(2) weighted MRI and clinical disease scoring (neurological and behavioral). Lesions induced by a high dose of HSV-1 (1000 PFU) were detectable by MRI without administration of contrast agent whereas for low dose HSV-1 (100 PFU), administration of contrast agent was necessary to visualize the lesions in the brain. The correlation between the MRI and histologic results was excellent. No HSV-2 induced lesions were observed by MRI. Although both HSV serotypes caused similar clinical disease, significant type differences were found by histologic and MRI examinations. HSV-1 caused necrotizing meningoencephalitis, whereas HSV-2 induced mostly meningitis. The data indicate that in vivo high-resolution MRI may be useful to longitudinally evaluate HSV-1-related pathology in a mouse model of HSE and potentially could be used for monitoring the efficacy of anti-infective therapeutic approaches.

Effect of famciclovir on herpes simplex virus type 1 corneal disease and establishment of latency in rabbits.

Famciclovir (FCV) is efficacious in the treatment of acute herpes zoster and recurrent genital infections but has not been used to treat ocular herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. We evaluated the efficacy of orally administered FCV in treating HSV-1 epithelial keratitis and determined its effects on the establishment of latency and subsequent reactivation. Rabbits were inoculated with HSV-1 strain 17 syn+ and treated twice daily with increasing concentrations of FCV (60 to 500 mg/kg of body weight). This resulted in a significant, dose-dependent improvement in keratitis scores, as well as prolonged survival. Regardless of the dose of drug used, all groups exhibited the high rates of spontaneous and induced reactivation characteristic of 17syn+. The efficacy of 250 mg of FCV per kg was also compared to topical treatment with 1% trifluorothymidine (TFT). Although TFT treatment was more effective at reducing eye disease, FCV-treated rabbits had a better survival rate. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of rabbit trigeminal ganglia (TG) demonstrated that FCV significantly reduced the HSV-1 copy number compared to that after treatment with TFT or the placebo but not in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, oral FCV treatment significantly reduces the severity of corneal lesions, reduces the number of HSV-1 genomes in the TG, improves survival, and therefore may be beneficial in reducing the morbidity of HSV keratitis in the clinic.

Analysis of individual human trigeminal ganglia for latent herpes simplex virus type 1 and varicella-zoster virus nucleic acids using real-time PCR.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) establish latent infections in the peripheral nervous system following primary infection. During latency both virus genomes exhibit limited transcription, with the HSV-1 LATs and at least four VZV transcripts consistently detected in latently infected human ganglia. In this study we used real-time PCR quantitation to determine the viral DNA copy number in individual trigeminal ganglia (TG) from 17 subjects. The number of HSV-1 genomes was not significantly different between the left and right TG from the same individual and varied per subject from 42.9 to 677.9 copies per 100 ng of DNA. The number of VZV genomes was also not significantly different between left and right TG from the same individual and varied per subject from 37.0 to 3,560.5 copies per 100 ng of DNA. HSV-1 LAT transcripts were consistently detected in ganglia containing latent HSV-1 and varied in relative expression by >500-fold. Of the three VZV transcripts analyzed, only transcripts mapping to gene 63 were consistently detected in latently infected ganglia and varied in relative expression by >2,000-fold. Thus, it appears that, similar to LAT transcription in HSV-1 latently infected ganglia, VZV gene 63 transcription is a hallmark of VZV latency.

Role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in rhinovirus-induced cytokine production by bronchial epithelial cells.

The stress-activated protein kinase p38 plays a central role in the regulation of cytokine biosynthesis by various cell types in response to a wide range of stimuli. Because the local inflammatory response and the infiltration of neutrophils is thought to contribute to the symptoms and sequelae of rhinovirus infection, we investigated the role of p38 kinase in cytokine and chemokine elaboration in airway epithelial cells infected with human rhinovirus. Rhinovirus-39 infection of BEAS-2B cells resulted in synthesis of cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, G-CSF, and GM-CSF) and CXC chemokines (IL-8, epithelial neutrophil-activating protein-78, and growth-related oncogene-alpha), evident 24-72 h postinfection. Rhinovirus infection induced a time- and dose-dependent increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of p38 kinase, which peaked 30 min postinfection and remained elevated for 1 h. Treatment of infected cells with SB 239063, a potent pyridinyl imidazole inhibitor of p38 kinase, resulted in up to 100% inhibition of mediator production and partially reduced levels of IL-8 mRNA as determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Treatment with SB 239063 had no effect on virus replication and was not cytotoxic at concentrations

Herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein E domains involved in virus spread and disease.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein E (gE) functions as an immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc binding protein and is involved in virus spread. Previously we studied a gE mutant virus that was impaired for IgG Fc binding but intact for spread and another that was normal for both activities. To further evaluate the role of gE in spread, two additional mutant viruses were constructed by introducing linker insertion mutations either outside the IgG Fc binding domain at gE position 210 or within the IgG Fc binding domain at position 380. Both mutant viruses were impaired for spread in epidermal cells in vitro; however, the 380 mutant virus was significantly more impaired and was as defective as gE null virus. gE mutant viruses were inoculated into the murine flank to measure epidermal disease at the inoculation site, travel of virus to dorsal root ganglia, and spread of virus from ganglia back to skin to produce zosteriform lesions. Disease at the inoculation and zosteriform sites was reduced for both mutant viruses, but more so for the 380 mutant virus. Moreover, the 380 mutant virus was highly impaired in its ability to reach the ganglia, as demonstrated by virus culture and real-time quantitative PCR. The results indicate that the domain surrounding amino acid 380 is important for both spread and IgG Fc binding and suggest that this domain is a potential target for antiviral therapy or vaccines.

Identification and initial characterization of four novel members of the interleukin-1 family.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1), fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), and their homologues are secreted factors that share a common beta-barrel structure and act on target cells by binding to cell surface receptors with immunoglobulin-like folds in their extracellular domain. While numerous members of the FGF family have been discovered, the IL-1 family has remained small and outnumbered by IL-1 receptor homologues. From expressed sequence tag data base searches, we have now identified four additional IL-1 homologues, IL-1H1, IL-1H2, IL-1H3, and IL-1H4. Like most other IL-1/FGFs, these proteins do not contain a hydrophobic leader sequence. IL-1H4 has a propeptide sequence, while IL-1H1, IL-1H2, and IL-1H3 encode only the mature protein. Circular dichroism spectra and thermal stability analysis suggest that IL-1H1 folds similarly to IL-1ra. The novel homologues are not widely expressed in mammals. IL-1H1 is constitutively expressed only in placenta and the squamous epithelium of the esophagus. However, IL-1H1 could be induced in vitro in keratinocytes by interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and in vivo via a contact hypersensitivity reaction or herpes simplex virus infection. This suggests that IL-1H1 may be involved in pathogenesis of immune mediated disease processes. The addition of four novel IL-1 homologues suggests that the IL-1 family is significantly larger than previously thought.

The transcriptional activation domain of VP16 is required for efficient infection and establishment of latency by HSV-1 in the murine peripheral and central nervous systems.

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) transactivator VP16 is a structural component of the virion that activates immediate-early viral gene expression. The HSV-1 mutant in1814, which contains a 12-bp insertion that compromises the transcriptional function of VP16, replicated to a low level if at all in the trigeminal ganglia of mice (I. Steiner, J. G. Spivack, S. L. Deshmane, C. I. Ace, C. M. Preston, and N. W. Fraser (1990). J. Virol. 64, 1630-1638; Valyi-Nagy et al., unpublished data). However, in1814 did establish a latent infection in the ganglia after corneal inoculation from which it could be reactivated. In this study, several HSV-1 strains were constructed with deletions in the VP16 transcriptional activation domain. These viruses were viable in cell culture, although some were significantly reduced in their ability to initiate infection. A deletion mutant completely lacking the activation domain of VP16 (RP5) was unable to replicate to any detectable level or to efficiently establish latent infections in the peripheral and central nervous systems of immunocompetent mice. However, similar to in1814, RP5 formed a slowly progressing persistent infection in immunocompromised nude mice. Thus RP5 is severely neuroattenuated in the murine model of HSV infection. However, the activation domain of VP16 is not essential for replication in the nervous system, since we observed a slow progressive infection persisting in the absence of an immune response.

Toxicity and neuronal infection of a HSV-1 ICP34.5 mutant in nude mice.

HSV-1 mutants in the RL-1 gene encoding the ICP34.5 protein have been demonstrated to have diminished neurovirulence in brain yet replicate as efficiently as parental virus in transformed tissue culture cells. Thus they have been proposed as candidates viruses for human brain tumor therapies. Evaluation of their replicative properties and pathogenesis within the nervous system has been limited. As most patients undergoing therapies for brain tumors are likely to be immunocompromised, it will be important to understand the pathogenesis of these viruses in immunocompromised hosts. To this end, the lateral ventricle of nude mice was injected with high (2.5 x 10(7) PFU), medium (10(5) PFU), or low dose (10(3) PFU) HSV-1 variant-1716, which has a deletion in the RL-1 gene. Ten of 10 mice died within 2-3 days following the high titer infection. Six of 19 animals with medium titer infection died within 9 days, and viral antigens were seen in ependymal cells as well as neurons within the brainstem and thalamus. Although only two of 19 animals became moribund 18 days after medium titer viral infection, many neocortical and hippocampal neurons were positive for HSV-1 antigens. However, plaque-purified viral isolates recovered from brain homogenates of these animals demonstrated no increase in pathogenicity. Nine of 20 animals died following low dose infection; six of these animals, from which tissue was analyzed, all had many HSV antigen-positive neurons in the neocortex and hippocampus. These data imply that if this type of virus is used for human brain tumor therapy immunosuppressed patients may suffer from significant viral pathogenesis outside the tumor.

Use of differential display reverse transcription-PCR to reveal cellular changes during stimuli that result in herpes simplex virus type 1 reactivation from latency: upregulation of immediate-early cellular response genes TIS7, interferon, and interferon regulatory factor-1.

The detailed mechanism which governs the choice between herpes simplex virus (HSV) latency and reactivation remains to be elucidated. It is probable that altered expression of cellular factors in sensory neurons leads to induction of HSV gene expression resulting in reactivation. As an approach to identify novel cellular genes which are activated or repressed by stimuli that reactivate HSV from latency and hence may play a role in viral reactivation, RNA from explanted trigeminal ganglia (TG) was analyzed by differential display reverse transcription-PCR (DDRT-PCR). Nearly 50 cDNAs whose mRNA level was modified by the stress of explantation were isolated and sequenced. We present a listing of a spectrum of altered RNAs, including both known and unknown sequences. Five of those differentially displayed transcripts were identified as interferon-related murine TIS7 mRNA. These results were confirmed in both infected and uninfected ganglia by quantitative RNase protection assay and immunostaining. Alpha and beta interferons and interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) were also induced by explantation. In addition, we have identified sequences that correspond to IRF-1 consensus binding sites in both HSV type 1 origins of replication. Our findings suggest that physiological pathways that include these cellular factors may be involved in modulating HSV reactivation.

Herpes simplex virus 1716, an ICP 34.5 null mutant, is unable to replicate in CV-1 cells due to a translational block that can be overcome by coinfection with SV40.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) mutants lacking the gene encoding infected cell protein (ICP) 34.5 exhibit an attenuated phenotype in models of pathogenesis and have been used for experimental cancer therapy. Recently it was shown that the HSV ICP 34.5 protein functions to prevent the host cell-induced double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR)-dependent translational block that normally occurs during virus infection. We now report that an HSV ICP 34.5 mutant called HSV-1716 is unable to replicate in the simian kidney cell-derived line CV-1, due to a translational block. Moreover, we find that this block can be overcome by simian virus 40 (SV40). This has been shown directly by infecting CV-1 cells with SV40 and HSV-1716 simultaneously, and indirectly via HSV-1716 infection of COS-1 cells (CV-1 cells transformed by an origin-defective mutant of SV40 that codes for wild-type T antigen). The translational block is restored when infections are done in the presence of the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid. These results support, but do not directly prove, contentions that HSV ICP 34.5 interacts with the PKR pathway to restore translation in non-permissive cells, and that SV40 large T antigen has a similar functional role, but acts downstream of the site of ICP 34.5 interaction (eIF2alpha) in the pathway. Study of this CV-1/COS-1 system should allow further clarification of the virus-host interactions that underlie the restricted replication of HSV-1 ICP 34.5 gene null mutants.

Gene expression during reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 from latency in the peripheral nervous system is different from that during lytic infection of tissue cultures.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) replicates in peripheral tissues and forms latent infections in neurons of the peripheral nervous system. It can be reactivated from latency by various stimuli to cause recurrent disease. During lytic infection in tissue culture cells, there is a well-described temporal pattern of (i) immediate-early, (ii) early, and (iii) late gene expression. However, latency is characterized by little if any expression of genes of the lytic cycle of infection. During reactivation, the pattern of gene expression is presumed to be similar to that during the lytic cycle in tissue culture, though recent work of W. P. Halford et al. (J. Virol. 70:5051-5060, 1996) and P. F. Nichol et al. (J. Virol. 70:5476-5486, 1996) suggests that it is modified in neuronal cell cultures. We have used the mouse trigeminal ganglion explant model and reverse transcription-PCR to determine the pattern of viral and cellular gene expression during reactivation. Surprisingly, the pattern of viral gene expression during lytic infection of cell cultures is not seen during reactivation. During reactivation, early viral transcripts were detected before immediate-early transcripts. The possibility that a cellular factor upregulates early genes during the initial reactivation stimulus is discussed.

Interaction of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein gC with mammalian cell surface molecules.

The entry of herpes simplex virus (HSV) into mammalian cells is a multistep process beginning with an attachment step involving glycoproteins gC and gB. A second step requires the interaction of glycoprotein gD with a cell surface molecule. We explored the interaction between gC and the cell surface by using purified proteins in the absence of detergent. Truncated forms of gC and gD, gC1(457t), gC2(426t), and gD1(306t), lacking the transmembrane and carboxyl regions were expressed in the baculovirus system. We studied the ability of these proteins to bind to mammalian cells, to bind to immobilized heparin, to block HSV type 1 (HSV-1) attachment to cells, and to inhibit plaque formation by HSV-1. Each of these gC proteins bound to conformation-dependent monoclonal antibodies and to human complement component C3b, indicating that they maintained the same conformation of gC proteins expressed in mammalian cells. Biotinylated gC1(457t) and gC2(426t) each bind to several cell lines. Binding was inhibited by an excess of unlabeled gC but not by gD, indicating specificity. The attachment of gC to cells involves primarily heparan sulfate proteoglycans, since heparitinase treatment of cells reduced gC binding by 50% but had no effect on gD binding. Moreover, binding of gC to two heparan sulfate-deficient L-cell lines, gro2C and sog9, both of which are mostly resistant to HSV infection, was markedly reduced. Purified gD1 (306t), however, bound equally well to the two mutant cell lines. In contrast, saturating amounts of gC1(457t) interfered with HSV-1 attachment to cells but failed to block plaque formation, suggesting a role for gC in attachment but not penetration. A mutant form of gC lacking residues 33 to 123, gC1(delta 33-123t), expressed in the baculovirus system, bound significantly less well to cells than did gC1(457t) and competed poorly with biotinylated gC1(457t) for binding. These results suggest that residues 33 to 123 are important for gC attachment to cells. In contrast, both the mutant and wild-type forms of gC bound to immobilized heparin, indicating that binding of these proteins to the cell surface involves more than a simple interaction with heparin. To determine that the contribution of the N-terminal region of gC is important for HSV attachment, we compared several properties of a mutant HSV-1 which contains gC lacking amino acids 33 to 123 to those of its parental virus, which contains full-length gC. The mutant bound less well to cells than the parental virus but exhibited normal growth properties.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

N-linked oligosaccharides on herpes simplex virus glycoprotein gD are not essential for establishment of viral latency or reactivation in the mouse eye model.

Glycoprotein D (gD) is an essential component of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) envelope. It is essential for viral penetration and for cell to cell spread of virus in vitro, and is also important for neuroinvasiveness. We investigated the contribution of N-linked oligosaccharides (N-CHO) on gD to viral pathogenesis. We used F-gD(QAA), a mutant virus derived from strain F of HSV-1. This virus contains three mutations in the gD gene which eliminate all signals for addition of N-CHO. These mutations affect the antigenic structure of gD and also lead to a small plaque phenotype. Otherwise the virus appears normal in in vitro assays. We used the mouse eye model of HSV latency to examine whether the mutations alter the phenotype of the virus in vivo. At 4 days postinfection similar amounts of F-gD(QAA) and F-gD(WT), its wild-type parent, were found in either eyes or trigeminal ganglia (TG) of infected mice. Moreover, both mutant and wild-type viruses exhibited the same ability to establish, maintain, and be reactivated from latency. We conclude that N-CHO on gD are not essential for HSV-1 pathogenesis in this model.

Characterization of domains of herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein E involved in Fc binding activity for immunoglobulin G aggregates.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins gE and gI form receptors for the Fc domain of immunoglobulin G (IgG) which are expressed on the surface of infected cells and on the virion envelope and which protect the virus from immune attack. Glycoprotein gE-1 is a low-affinity Fc receptor (FcR) that binds IgG aggregates, while gE-1 and gI-1 form a complex which serves as a higher-affinity FcR capable of binding IgG monomers. In this study, we describe two approaches used to map an Fc binding domain on gE-1 for IgG aggregates. First, we constructed nine plasmids encoding gE-1/gD-1 fusions proteins, each containing a large gE-1 peptide inserted into the ectodomain of gD-1. Fusion proteins were tested for FcR activity with IgG-sensitized erythrocytes in a rosetting assay. Three of the fusion proteins containing overlapping gE-1 peptides demonstrated FcR activity; the smallest peptide that retained Fc binding activity includes gE-1 amino acids 183 to 402. These results indicate that an Fc binding domain is located between gE-1 amino acids 183 and 402. To more precisely map the Fc binding domain, we tested a panel of 21 gE-1 linker insertion mutants. Ten mutants with insertions between gE-1 amino acids 235 and 380 failed to bind IgG-sensitized erythrocytes, while each of the remaining mutants demonstrated wild-type Fc binding activity. Taken together, these results indicate that the region of gE-1 between amino acids 235 and 380 forms an FcR domain. A computer-assisted analysis of the amino acid sequence of gE-1 demonstrates an immunoglobulin-like domain contained within this region (residues 322 to 359) which shares homology with mammalian FcRs.

Herpes simplex virus glycoprotein C is a receptor for complement component iC3b.

Herpes simplex virus type 1-infected cells bind C3b and iC3b, but not C3d, at the cell surface. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)-infected cells bind none of these C3 fragments. A transfection assay was used to demonstrate that binding of iC3b was to gC1. Although iC3b did not bind to HSV-2-infected cells, it did bind to mammalian cells transfected with the gC2 gene. Using linker insertion mutants, three domains on gC2 that are important for binding iC3b were mapped; these regions were similar to previously defined regions involved in binding C3b. These results suggest that some of the functions served by gC may be similar to those of CR3, the mammalian receptor for iC3b.