Immunogenicity of hepatitis B surface antigen derived from the baculovirus expression vector system: a mouse potency study.

A standard mouse potency test was performed to evaluate the immunogenicity of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) produced in the baculovirus/insect cell expression system. Groups of NIH Swiss mice were immunized with serial four-fold amounts of either baculovirus-derived HBsAg adsorbed to aluminum sulfate or a commercially available yeast-derived recombinant HBsAg vaccine preparation. Results from these experiments showed that the effective dose of baculovirus- and yeast-derived HBsAg vaccine preparations necessary to seroconvert 50% of the animals were similar. The duration of the antibody response to HBsAg was studied in mice immunized with the highest doses of the two recombinant vaccine preparations 3 and 6 months after injection. No decrease in the anti-HBs response was observed 6 months after injection. No decrease in the anti-HBs response was observed 6 months after immunization with either of the two vaccine preparations. These results indicate that the baculovirus-derived recombinant HBsAg could serve as an alternative vaccine candidate for hepatitis B virus.

Multistep regulatory system for activation of a cyclic AMP-independent eukaryotic initiation factor 2 kinase.

Three functionally related components that block peptide initiation have been identified in lysates of rabbit reticulocytes. The components function consecutively in a cascade type sequence of reactions to cause phosphorylation of eukaryotic peptide initiation factor 2 (eIF-2). The eIF-2 kinase activated as part of this sequence has been tentatively identified as the same protein kinase that is activated by heme deficiency as part of the hemin-controlled repressor (HCR) system. The first component in the sequence is heat stable and can be reversibly activated by heat or pressure. It activates a second, heat-labile, component that in turn directly or indirectly activates the hemin-controlled eIF-2 kinase. This heat-labile component appears to function through proteolysis. This reaction sequence is not detectably affected by heme or cyclic AMP and thus appears to provide an alternative mechanism, independent of heme, for activation of the cyclic AMP-independent eIF-2 kinase of the HCR system.

GTP hydrolysis during methionyl-tRNAf binding to 40 S ribosomal subunits and the site of edeine inhibition.

Three lines of evidence are presented indicating that GTP hydrolysis associated with eukaryotic peptide initiation occurs in the absence of 60 S subunits when methionyl-tRNAf is bound to 40 S ribosomal subunits. An enzyme fraction required for binding of methionyl-tRNAf to 40 S subunits and peptide initiation, tentatively equated with eIF-(4 + 5), has GTPase activity and appears to be responsible for hydrolysis of GTP in the methionyl-tRNAf.eIF-2.GTP complex. Direct analysis of the methionyl-tRNAf.40 S complex formed with with eIF-2 and [8-3H] guanine, [gamma-32P]GTP reveals bound guanine but not gamma-phosphate. Edeine, a peptide antibiotic containing spermidine and beta-tyrosine residues at its COOH terminus and NH2 terminus, respectively, blocks peptide initiation and interferes with binding of methionyl-tRNAf to 40 S ribosomal subunits. Inhibition of binding is observed when the eIF-2-mediated binding reaction is carried out with GTP but not with guanosine 5'-(beta,gamma-methylene)triphosphate or guanosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imido)triphosphate. Edeine was labeled by iodination and shown to bind with high affinity to 40 S but not to 60 S ribosomal subunits. It is suggested that edeine blocks a specific site on the 40 S ribosomal subunit to which a segment of the methionyl-tRNAf molecule is bound during the course of the initiation reaction sequence.

Partial reaction of peptide initiation inhibited by phosphorylation of either initiation factor eIF-2 or 40S ribosomal proteins.

Preparations of the hemin-controlled repressor (HCR) from rabbit reticulocytes contain 3':5'-cyclic-AMP-independent protein kinase activity for the smallest subunit of the peptide initiation factor eIF-2 and for proteins of reticulocyte 40S ribosomal subunits. Binding of the ternary complex formed between Met-tRNAf, GTP, and eIF-2 to 40S ribosomal subunits is shown to be inhibited by phosphorylation of either the ribosomal subunits or eIF-2. The protein kinase activity responsible for phosphorylation of eIF-2 has been separated from the activity for phosphorylation of 40S ribosomal subunits and shown to independently block the same partial reaction of peptide initiation. It appears that different enzymes are involved, each capable of regulating peptide initiation at the same step but by a different mechanism.