• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.483-492
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• 2000

The Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain F glycoprotein H (gH) gene in the pHLB-4 plasmid was recombinated into a baculovirus expression vector (lacZ-HcNPV) to construct a recombinant virus GH-HcNPV expressing gH. The sequences of gH and its expression were analyzed. The gH gene was located in the 6.41 kb BglII fragment. The open reading frame (ORF) of the gH gene was 2,517 bp and codes 838 amino acid residues. Insect cells infected with this recombinant virus synthesized a high level of the matured and gX-gH fusion protein with approximately 112 kDa. The fusion gH protein was localized on the membrane of the insect cells as seen by using immunofluorescence assay and accumulated in the cultured media by the SDS-PAGE and immunoprecipitation assays. The amino acid sequence presents additional characteristics compatible with the structure of a viral glycoprotein: signal peptide, putative glycosylation sites and a long C-terminal transmembrane sequence. Antibodies raised in mice to this recombinant protein recognized viral gH and neutralized the infectivity of HSV-1 in vitro. These results demonstrate that it is possible to produce a mature protein by gene transfer in eukaryotic cells, and indicate the utility of the HcNPV-insect cell system for producing and characterizing eukaryotic proteins. Furthermore, the neutralizing antibodies would appear to protect mice against HSV; accordingly, this particular recombinant protein may be useful in the development of a subunit vaccine.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 1999

The human muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes Hml, Hm2 and Hm3 have been expressed in insect cells (Spodoptera frugiperda, Sf9) using the baculovirus expression system. Expression of relevant DNA, transcript and receptor proteins was identified by PCR, Northern blotting and [$^{3}H$]QNB binding, respectively. As assessed by [$^{3}H$]QNB binding sites, yields of muscarinic receptors in membrane preparations in this study were as about 5-20 times high as those in mammalian cells reported in previous studies. The [$^{3}H$]QNB competition binding studies with well-known subtype-selective mAChR antagonists showed that the receptors expressed in Sf9 cells retain the pharmacological characteristics expected for the ml , m2 and m3 muscarinic receptors. The ml-selective antagonist, pirenzepine, displayed a considerably higher affinity for Hml by 110-fold and 35-fold than for Hm2 and Hm3, respectively, The m2-selective methoctramine displayed a significantly higher affinity for Hm2 than for Hml and Hm3 (10- and 26-fold, respectively). p-F-HHSiD exhibited high affinity for Hm3 that is not significantly different from those for Hml, but 66-fold higher than its affinity for Hm2. The functional coupling of the recombinant receptors to second messenger systems was also examined. While both Hml and Hm3 stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis upon activation by carba-chol, Hm2 produced no response. On the other hand, activation of mAChRs induced the inhibition of forsko-lin-stimulated cyclic AMP formation in Hm2-expressing cells, whereas the significant dose-dependent increase in or poor response on cyclic AMP formation were produced in Hml or Hm3-expressing cells, respectively. These results indicate the differential coupling of recombinant Hml, Hm2 and Hm3 receptors expressed in SF9 cells to intracellular signalling system.