Publications by authors named "Weiru Huang"

To simultaneously express and improve expression levels of multiple viral proteins of a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), polycistronic baculovirus surface display vectors were constructed and characterized. We engineered polycistronic baculovirus surface display vectors, namely, pBacDual Display EGFP(BacDD)-2GP2-2GP4 and pBacDD-4GP5N34A/N51A (mtGP5), which simultaneously express and display the ectodomain of His-tagged GP2-gp64TM-CTD, His-tagged GP4-gp64TM-CTD, and His-tagged mtGP5-gp64TM-CTD fusion proteins of PRRSV on cell membrane of Sf-9 cells. Specific pathogen-free (SPF) pigs were administered intramuscularly in 2 doses at 21 and 35 days of age with genetic recombinant baculoviruses-infected cells.

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The specifics of cell receptor-modulated avian reovirus (ARV) entry remain unknown. By using a viral overlay protein-binding assay (VOPBA) and an in-gel digestion coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we determined that cell-surface annexin A2 (AnxA2) and adhesion G protein-coupled receptor Latrophilin-2 (ADGRL2) modulate ARV entry. Direct interaction between the ARV σC protein and AnxA2 and ADGRL2 in Vero and DF-1 cells was demonstrated by proximity ligation assays.

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Our previous reports proved that the structural protein σA of avian reovirus (ARV) is an energy activator which can regulate cellular metabolism that is essential for virus replication. This study has further demonstrated that the ARV protein σA is able to upregulate the HIF-1α/myc/glut1 pathway in three cancer cell lines (A549, B16-F10, and HeLa) to alter the metabolic pathway of host cells. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting results have revealed that σA protein could enhance both mRNA and the protein levels of HIF-1α, c-myc, and glut1 in these cancer cell lines.

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Radiotherapy is a localized treatment commonly used in various types of cancer. However, major limitation of radiotherapy is the development of resistance of tumor cells to radiosensitivity. Cordycepin, a predominant functional component of the , is considered to use in treating tumor cells.

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We have demonstrated previously that the σA protein of avian reovirus (ARV) functions as an activator of cellular energy, which upregulates glycolysis and the TCA cycle for virus replication. To date, there is no report with respect to σA-modulated regulation of cellular fatty acid metabolism. This study reveals that the σA protein of ARV inhibits fatty acids synthesis and enhance fatty acid oxidation by upregulating PSMB6, which suppresses Akt, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1), acetyl-coA carboxylase α (ACC1), and acetyl-coA carboxylase β (ACC2).

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The mechanism by which avian reovirus (ARV)-modulated suppression of mTORC1 triggers autophagy remains largely unknown. In this work, we determined that p17 functions as a negative regulator of mTORC1. This study suggest novel mechanisms whereby p17-modulated inhibition of mTORC1 occurs via upregulation of p53, inactivation of Akt, and enhancement of binding of the endogenous mTORC1 inhibitors (PRAS40, FKBP38, and FKPP12) to mTORC1 to disrupt its assembly and accumulation on lysosomes.

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In this work we have determined that heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is essential for avian reovirus (ARV) replication by chaperoning the ARV p17 protein. p17 modulates the formation of the Hsp90/Cdc37 complex by phosphorylation of Cdc37, and this chaperone machinery protects p17 from ubiquitin-proteasome degradation. Inhibition of the Hsp90/Cdc37 complex by inhibitors (17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin 17-AGG, and celastrol) or short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) significantly reduced expression levels of viral proteins and virus yield, suggesting that the Hsp90/Cdc37 chaperone complex functions in virus replication.

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Avian reoviruses (ARVs) are important pathogens that cause considerable economic losses in poultry farming. To date, host factors that control stabilization of ARV proteins remain largely unknown. In this work we determined that the eukaryotic chaperonin T-complex protein-1 (TCP-1) ring complex (TRiC) is essential for avian reovirus (ARV) replication by stabilizing outer-capsid protein σC, inner core protein σA, and the non-structural protein σNS of ARV.

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Objective: To investigate the expression of transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily genes, especially in hepatitis B virus- (HBV-) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Three cancer samples of HBV-related HCC at phase IV and matched paracancerous liver tissues were included in the study. Total RNA was extracted, and differential expression of RNA was screened by high-throughput transcriptome sequencing.

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Recent study in our laboratory has demonstrated that BEFV-induced autophagy activation of the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB and Src/JNK pathways and suppression of the PI3K-AKt-mTORC1 pathway is beneficial for virus replication. In the current study, we found that both aspirin and 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-riboside (AICAR) siginificantly attenuated virus replication by inhibiting BEFV-induced autophagy suppressing the BEFV-activated PI3K/Akt/NF-κB and Src/JNK pathways as well as inducing reversion of the BEFV-suppressed PI3K-Akt-mTORC1 pathway. AICAR reversed the BEFV-activated PI3K/Akt/NF-κB and Src/JNK pathways at the early to late stages of infection and induced reversion of the BEFV-suppressed PI3K-AKt-mTORC1 pathway at the late stage of infection.

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To increase expression levels of the PCV2 Cap(d41) protein, novel baculovirus surface display vectors with multiple expression cassettes were constructed to create recombinant baculoviruses BacSC-Cap(d41), BacDD-2Cap(d41), BacDD-3Cap(d41), and BacDD-4Cap(d41). Our results reveal that the recombinant baculovirus BacDD-4Cap(d41) was able to express the highest levels of Cap(d41) protein. Optimum conditions for expressing the PCV2 Cap(d41) protein were determined, and our results show that 10 of Sf-9 infected with the recombinant baculovirus BacDD-4Cap(d41) at an MOI of 5 for 3 days showed the highest level of protein expression.

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In the present study, we have generated several H5N2 HA recombinant baculoviruses for production of a HA subunit vaccine against the lethal H5N2 avian influenza virus (AIV). The effective display of functional HA on the cell membrane and baculoviral envelope was examined. Our results reveal that chickens immunized with the chimeric AIV HA protein fused with the baculovirus gp64 cytoplasmic domain (CTD) induced higher HI titer.

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Avian reovirus (ARV) p17 protein continuously shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm via transcription-dependent and chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1)-independent mechanisms. Nevertheless, whether cellular proteins modulate nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of p17 remains unknown. This is the first report that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A1 serves as a carrier protein to modulate nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of p17.

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This study demonstrates that the Muscovy duck reovirus (MDRV) p10.8 protein is one of many viral non-structural proteins that induces both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The p10.

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In the present study, the mechanisms underlying Muscovy duck reovirus (MDRV) p10.8 protein-induced ER stress and apoptosis in DF-1 cells and Muscovy duckling hepatic tissues were explored. On the fifth day post-infection, an increase in the mRNA levels of binding immunoglobulin protein (Bip) and X-box binding protein (XBP1), activation of XBP1/s, and an increase in percentage of apoptotic cells were observed in Muscovy duckling livers.

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Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an energy source for many types of viruses for facilitating virus replication. This is the first report to demonstrate that the structural protein σA of avian reovirus (ARV) functions as an activator of cellular energy. Three cellular factors, isocitrate dehydrogenase 3 subunit beta (IDH3B), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), and vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (vATPase) co-immunoprecipitated with ARV σA and were identified by 2D-LC/MS/MS.

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The avian reovirus p17 protein is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein. Although we have demonstrated that p17 causes cell growth retardation via activation of p53, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. This is the first report that avian reovirus p17 possesses broad inhibitory effects on cell cycle CDKs, cyclins, CDK-cyclin complexes, and CDK-activating kinase activity in various mammalian, avian, and cancer cell lines.

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Although we have shown that avian reovirus (ARV) p17-mediated inhibition of Akt leads to induction of autophagy, the precise mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study has identified a specific mechanism by which ARV coordinately regulates the degradation of ribosomal proteins by p17-mediated activation of E3 ligase MDM2 that targets ribosomal proteins and by σA-mediated upregulation of proteasome PSMB6. In addition to downregulating ribosomal proteins, p17 reduces mTORC2 assembly and disrupts mTORC2-robosome association, both of which inactivate mTORC2 leading to inhibition of Akt phosphorylation at S473.

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The p17 protein of avian reovirus (ARV) causes cell cycle retardation in a variety of cell lines; however, the underlying mechanism(s) by which p17 regulates the cell cycle remains largely unknown. We demonstrate for the first time that p17 interacts with CDK1 and vimentin as revealed by reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that direct interaction of p17 and CDK1/vimentin was mapped within the amino terminus (aa 1-60) of p17 and central region (aa 27-118) of CDK1/vimentin.

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Avian reovirus (ARV) protein p17 has been shown to regulate cell cycle and autophagy by activation of p53/PTEN pathway; nevertheless, it is still unclear how p53 and PTEN are activated by p17. Here, we report for the first time that p17 functions as a nucleoporin Tpr suppressor that leads to p53 nuclear accumulation and consequently activates p53, p21, and PTEN. The nuclear localization signal (119IAAKRGRQLD128) of p17 has been identified for Tpr binding.

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Although we have previously demonstrated that cell entry of bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) follows a clathrin-mediated and dynamin 2-dependent endocytosis pathway, the cellular mechanism mediating virus entry remains unknown. Here, we report that BEFV triggers simultaneously Src-JNK-AP1 and PI3K-Akt-NF-κB signalling pathways in the stage of virus binding to induce clathrin and dynamin 2 expressions, while vesicular stomatitis virus only activates Src-JNK signalling to enhance its entry. Activation of these pathways by ultraviolet-inactivated BEFV suggests a role for virus binding but not viral internalization and gene expression.

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