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Virus Vectors (virus + vector)
Selected AbstractsImmune responses to gene therapy vectors in the context of corneal transplantationACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2009T RITTER Purpose The genetic engineering of grafts or cells prior to transplantation is an attractive approach to protect the graft from allogeneic rejection. Virus vector-based gene therapy is a promising method for successful ex-vivo gene transfer however, the induction of an immune response against gene-modified tissues raises concern. Methods Different virus families (Adenovirus, Retrovirus, Adeno-associated virus, Herpesvirus) have been studied as gene therapy vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic molecules. Moreover, different serotypes or envelope proteins have been used to modulate transduction efficiencies of target cells or to evade pre-existing immunity. Results Here we review gene therapeutic applications using viral vectors in the context of cornea transplantation. Both local and systemic expression of immunomodulatory molecules have led to the prevention of corneal graft rejection. However, different results have been obtained with regard to the induction of immune responses after local or systemic expression of the gene therapy vector. Not surprisingly over-expression of anti-inflammatory molecules not only modulated allograft rejection but also influenced the immune response against the viral vector and virally transduced cells. Conclusion Recent clinical trials indicate that the application of viral vectors in ophthalmology is promising however, the generation of immune responses against the viral vector or virally transduced cells are still a serious obstacle for a broader application of gene therapy. Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG Pl 150/14-1 and Ri 764/10-1) and Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI 06/RFP/BIC056 and SFI 07/IN.1/B925) [source] THE PEST STATUS OF BEMISIA TABACI IN CHINA AND NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL STRATEGIES,INSECT SCIENCE, Issue 3 2001REN Shun-xiang AbstractBemisia tabaci (Gennadius) has been considered as a serious pest in all of tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world. B. tabaci first recorded as early as in 1940s in China and has been reported as a pest of various crops in 22 provinces or cities. But only recently it has become a severe problem for vegetable and ornamental crops in Guangdong and Beijing. In China B. tabaci is known to transmit at least 5 plant viruses, including tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), tomato leaf curl virus (TomLCV), squash leaf curl virus (SqLCV-C). So far, approximately 18 parasitoids, 17 predators and 1 pathogenic fungus were recorded in China. This paper presents an overview of B. tabaci as a pest and virus vector in China, with special attention given to non-chemical control strategies. [source] West Nile virus may have hitched a ride across the Western United States on Culex tarsalis mosquitoesMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 8 2010TONY L. GOLDBERG West Nile virus spread rapidly from east to west across North America, despite the north-south migratory flyways of its avian hosts. In this issue, Venkatesan & Rasgon (2010) present new data on the population genetics of Culex tarsalis, the dominant West Nile virus vector in the Western United States, suggesting that patterns of mosquito gene flow may better reflect the virus's expansion from the Midwest to the Pacific than patterns of bird movement. These findings suggest a more significant role for vector dispersal in arboviral range expansion than has previously been appreciated, and they highlight the value of molecular genetic studies of insect vector populations for understanding epidemiology and disease ecology. [source] Conferring cadmium resistance to mature tobacco plants through metal-adsorbing particles of tomato mosaic virus vectorPLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006Yoshinori Shingu Summary Tomato mosaic virus vectors were designed that produced, by a translational readthrough, a fusion protein consisting of coat protein and metal-binding peptide, as a result of which particles were expected to present the metal-binding peptides on their surface. When inoculated in plants, they were expected to replicate and form a metal-adsorbing artificial sink in the cytoplasm, so as to reduce metal toxicity. Vectors were constructed harbouring sequences encoding various lengths of polyhistidine as a metal-binding peptide. One of the vectors, TLRT6His, which contains a 6 × histidine sequence, moved systemically in tobacco plants, and its particles were shown to retain cadmium ions by an in vitro assay. When a toxic amount of cadmium was applied, the toxic effect was much reduced in TLRT6His-inoculated tobacco plants, probably as a result of cadmium adsorption by TLRT6His particles in the cytosol. This shows the possible use of an artificial sink for metal tolerance and the advantage of employing a plant viral vector for phytoremediation. [source] Effectiveness of resistance genes to the large raspberry aphid, Amphorophora idaei Börner, in different raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) genotypes and under different environmental conditionsANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2000A T JONES Summary The introduction into commerce of raspberry cultivars with major gene resistance to the large raspberry aphid, Amphorophora idaei, an important pest and virus vector on red raspberry in Europe, has been very effective both in decreasing pest numbers and greatly restricting infection with the viruses it transmits. However, biotypes of the aphid able to overcome these genes have developed in the field in recent years. Additionally, in field and laboratory tests, the response to aphid biotypes and recognised aphid strains of certain raspberry cultivars, such as Glen Prosen and Delight, differ markedly despite the fact that they are reputed to contain the same A. idaei -resistance gene, A1. In attempts to understand the reasons for this difference in response, analysis was made of the segregation of progeny seedlings from crosses between A. idaei -resistant and -susceptible cultivars to two recognised strains of the aphid. These studies showed that, as expected, cv. Autumn Bliss contained the A. idaei -resistance gene, A10, and cvs Delight and Glen Prosen each contained the A. idaei -resistance gene, A1. When progeny seedlings were assayed in a heated glasshouse as young plants and in an unheated Tygan house as 1 m tall plants, the segregation ratios for resistance and susceptibility to A. idaei were largely unchanged. However, when the resistance of individual progeny plants was assessed, c. 37% of the putative gene A1 -containing progeny and 9,23% of the putative gene A10 -containing progeny, behaved differently in these two environments. Experiments involving an A. idaei -resistant and -susceptible parent cultivar showed that shading plants increased their susceptibility to A. idaei colonisation. Whilst this shading effect has implications for experimentally detecting A. idaei -resistant progeny in segregating raspberry seedlings, it does not explain the difference in field resistance to A. idaei of cvs Delight and Glen Prosen. Such differences in the field seem best explained by the presence in these cultivars of ,minor' genes for A. idaei resistance and/or susceptibility that influences the effectiveness of gene A1. [source] Epidemiology of Plum pox virus strain M in GreeceEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 2 2006C. Varveri Plum pox virus has been endemic in Greece since 1967 causing important losses in apricot and to a lesser extent in peach crops. A survey undertaken in 1992 in public and private mother-tree plantations to estimate its incidence revealed that the virus was absent in isolated areas far from commercial stone-fruit crops. Virus titers decrease significantly during the hot months in the infected trees but re-increase in October,November permitting reliable detection. It is virulent M-type isolates which are effectively transmitted by aphids that are mostly recovered. Aphis gossypii and Hyalopterus pruni were the most abundant virus vectors captured during the small scale monitoring undertaken in apricot orchards in 1999 and 2000. Virus spread was monitored in two apricot orchards from 1996 to 2000 and analysed. Initial infections followed a completely random spatial pattern, while loose clusters appeared in succeeding years, to finally reach a uniform distribution representing high infection levels. The nearby ecological conditions greatly affected the rate of disease development. [source] Promoters and serotypes: targeting of adeno-associated virus vectors for gene transfer in the rat central nervous system in vitro and in vivoEXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Z. Shevtsova The brain parenchyma consists of several different cell types, such as neurones, astrocytes, microglia, oligodendroglia and epithelial cells, which are morphologically and functionally intermingled in highly complex three-dimensional structures. These different cell types are also present in cultures of brain cells prepared to serve as model systems of CNS physiology. Gene transfer, either in a therapeutic attempt or in basic research, is a fascinating and promising tool to manipulate both the complex physiology of the brain and that of isolated neuronal cells. Viral vectors based on the parvovirus, adeno-associated virus (AAV), have emerged as powerful transgene delivery vehicles. Here we describe highly efficient targeting of AAV vectors to either neurones or astrocytes in cultured primary brain cell cultures. We also show that transcriptional targeting can be achieved by the use of small promoters, significantly boosting the transgene capacity of the recombinant viral genome. However, we also demonstrate that successful targeting of a vector in vitro does not necessarily imply that the same targeting works in the adult brain. Cross-packaging the AAV-2 genome in capsids of other serotypes adds additional benefits to this vector system. In the brain, the serotype-5 capsid allows for drastically increased spread of the recombinant vector as compared to the serotype-2 capsid. Finally, we emphasize the optimal targeting approach, in which the natural tropism of a vector for a specific cell type is employed. Taken together, these data demonstrate the flexibility which AAV-based vector systems offer in physiological research. [source] Phenotypic analysis of the sensitivity of HIV-1 to inhibitors of the reverse transcriptase, protease, and integrase using a self-inactivating virus vector systemJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 3 2001Gergely Jármy Abstract Conventional phenotypic analysis of resistance of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to antiviral therapy is time-consuming and requires culture of infectious virus. Although phenotypic analyses may be desirable, rapid generation of test results and decentralized availability of the test system will be important to achieve utility in the clinical practice. This study describes the design of an alternative phenotypic resistance test using replication incompetent viral vectors. Chimeric HIV vectors containing a marker gene were generated. The env and most of the regulatory and accessory genes of HIV were removed. In addition, the 3,U3 region was deleted to obtain a self-inactivating construct. Cotransfection of the plasmid with a plasmid that provided the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein resulted in the production of replication-incompetent virus vectors. Infection of susceptible cells with the vectors led to marker gene expression. Vector production in the presence of protease (PR) inhibitors, or infection in the presence of reverse transcriptase (RT) or integrase (IN) inhibitors reduced marker gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. Marker gene activity was preserved at higher drug levels if vectors contained RT and PR genes from resistant virus isolates. Sensitivity to nucleoside and non-nucleoside RT inhibitors, protease and integrase inhibitors could be determined in 10 working days. The phenotypic drug resistance test using replication-incompetent HIV vectors significantly speeds up drug resistance measurements and allows testing at reduced biosafety levels. This will make clinical use of phenotypic assessment of antiviral resistance more feasible. J. Med. Virol. 64:223,231, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] An investigation on the Culicoides species composition at seven sites in southern SwitzerlandMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2009S. CASATI Abstract In the past decade, there have been regular outbreaks of bluetongue (BT) in many parts of Europe. Owing to the presence of BT disease and its vectors in countries adjacent to Switzerland, an initial entomological survey was conducted in 2003, which established the presence of several midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Subsequently, a sentinel herd monitoring system was established with the primary entomological aim being the determination and further study of Culicoides population compositions. Insects were collected in 2005 and 2006 at seven sentinel herd sites in the south of Switzerland (canton of Ticino) near the border of Italy, using Onderstepoort-type light traps. This region is botanically and zoologically similar to the Mediterranean and is one of the warmest and most humid areas of the country, hence it is considered a potential access path for BT disease into Switzerland. Collections were made at four cattle farms, two equestrian centres and one goat farm. Sites were sampled four times per month from June to October. Traps were operated from dusk until dawn and samples were collected monthly for analysis through microscopy as well as a Culicoides imicola -specific PCR. Results confirmed the absence of C. imicola (Kieffer) and demonstrated that the potential BT virus vectors are highly abundant, notably: Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen), Culicoides scoticus (Downes & Kettle) and Culicoides dewulfi (Goetghebuer) subgenus Avaritia and Culicoides pulicaris (Linnaeus) subgenus Culicoides. These findings expand the current knowledge of Culicoides population composition in the southern part of the Switzerland. Culicoides cataneii (Clastrier), Culicoides flavipulicaris (Dzhafarov), Culicoides indistinctus (Khalaf), Culicoides nubeculosus (Meigen) and species of the Grisescens complex were reported for the first time in Switzerland. [source] Modelling the distributions of Culicoides bluetongue virus vectors in Sicily in relation to satellite-derived climate variablesMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2004B. V. Purse Abstract., Surveillance data from 268 sites in Sicily are used to develop climatic models for prediction of the distribution of the main European bluetongue virus (BTV) vector Culicoides imicola Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and of potential novel vectors, Culicoides pulicaris Linnaeus, Culicoides obsoletus group Meigen and Culicoides newsteadi Austen. The models containing the ,best' climatic predictors of distribution for each species, were selected from combinations of 40 temporally Fourier-processed remotely sensed variables and altitude at a 1 km spatial resolution using discriminant analysis. Kappa values of around 0.6 for all species models indicated substantial levels of agreement between model predictions and observed data. Whilst the distributions of C. obsoletus group and C. newsteadi were predicted by temperature variables, those of C. pulicaris and C. imicola were determined mainly by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a variable correlated with soil moisture and vegetation biomass and productivity. These models were used to predict species presence in unsampled pixels across Italy and for C. imicola across Europe and North Africa. The predicted continuous presence of C. pulicaris along the appenine mountains, from north to south Italy, suggests BTV transmission may be possible in a large proportion of this region and that seasonal transhumance (seasonal movement of livestock between upland and lowland pastures) even in C. imicola -free areas should not generally be considered safe. The predicted distribution of C. imicola distribution shows substantial agreement with observed surveillance data from Greece and Iberia (including the Balearics) and parts of mainland Italy (Lazio, Tuscany and areas of the Ionian coast) but is generally much more restricted than the observed distribution (in Sardinia, Corsica and Morocco). The low number of presence sites for C. imicola in Sicily meant that only a restricted range of potential C. imicola habitats were included in the training set and that predictions could only be made within this range. Future modelling exercises will use abundance data collected according to a standardized protocol across the Mediterranean and, for Sicily in particular, should include non-climatic environmental variables that may influence breeding site suitability such as soil type. [source] Conferring cadmium resistance to mature tobacco plants through metal-adsorbing particles of tomato mosaic virus vectorPLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006Yoshinori Shingu Summary Tomato mosaic virus vectors were designed that produced, by a translational readthrough, a fusion protein consisting of coat protein and metal-binding peptide, as a result of which particles were expected to present the metal-binding peptides on their surface. When inoculated in plants, they were expected to replicate and form a metal-adsorbing artificial sink in the cytoplasm, so as to reduce metal toxicity. Vectors were constructed harbouring sequences encoding various lengths of polyhistidine as a metal-binding peptide. One of the vectors, TLRT6His, which contains a 6 × histidine sequence, moved systemically in tobacco plants, and its particles were shown to retain cadmium ions by an in vitro assay. When a toxic amount of cadmium was applied, the toxic effect was much reduced in TLRT6His-inoculated tobacco plants, probably as a result of cadmium adsorption by TLRT6His particles in the cytosol. This shows the possible use of an artificial sink for metal tolerance and the advantage of employing a plant viral vector for phytoremediation. [source] Feline immunodeficiency virus vectors.THE JOURNAL OF GENE MEDICINE, Issue 5 2002Gene transfer to mouse retina following intravitreal injection Abstract Background Transduction of the murine retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) with adenovirus vectors requires technically difficult and invasive subretinal injections. This study tested the hypothesis that recombinant vectors based on feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) could access the retina following intravitreal injection. Methods FIV vectors expressing E. coli ,-galactosidase (FIV,gal) were injected alone, or in combination with adenovirus vectors expressing eGFP, into the vitreous of normal mice and eyes evaluated for transgene expression. In further studies, the utility of FIV-mediated gene transfer to correct lysosomal storage defects in the anterior and posterior chambers of eyes was tested using recombinant FIV vectors expressing ,-glucuronidase. FIV,gluc vectors were injected into ,-glucuronidase-deficient mice, an animal model of mucopolysacharridoses type VII. Results The results of this study show that similar to adenovirus, both corneal endothelium and cells of the iris could be transduced following intravitreal injection of FIV,gal. However, in contrast to adenovirus, intravitreal injection of FIV,gal also resulted in transduction of the RPE. Immunohistochemistry following an intravitreal injection of an AdeGFP (adenovirus expressing green fluorescent protein) and FIV,gal mixture confirmed that both viruses mediated transduction of corneal endothelium and cells of the iris, while only FIV,gal transduced cells in the retina. Using the ,-glucuronidase-deficient mouse, the therapeutic efficacy of intravitreal injection of FIV,gluc (FIV expressing ,-glucuronidase) was tested. Intravitreal injection of FIV,gluc to the eyes of ,-glucuronidase-deficient mice resulted in rapid reduction (within 2,weeks) of the lysosomal storage defect within the RPE, corneal endothelium, and the non-pigmented epithelium of the ciliary process. Transgene expression and correction of the lysosomal storage defect remained for at least 12,weeks, the latest time point tested. Conclusion These studies demonstrate that intravitreal injection of FIV-based vectors can mediate efficient and lasting transduction of cells in the cornea, iris, and retina. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||