为验证已报道的能复制人类诺如病毒(human norovirus,HuNoV)GⅡ.3 U201感染性克隆的复制能力,进一步在HuNoV临床病毒株中寻找更优序列,构建能高效复制的感染性克隆,本研究合成含有T7启动子和EF1α启动子的HuNoV GⅡ.3 U201全长序列,构建质粒pU201和pEF1αU201及对应的病毒RNA聚合酶失活的突变质粒。在COS 7细胞和Huh 7细胞中分别共转染T7聚合酶与pU201以及单独转染pEF1αU201,利用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应检测转染后不同时间点细胞内病毒RNA水平。结果显示,与对照组相比,pU201和pEF1αU201的病毒RNA水平升高约2倍和3倍。为便于检测HuNoV复制,在pU201和pEF1αU201质粒中分别插入NanoLuc™荧光素酶报告基因,并命名为pU201Nluc和pEF1αU201Nluc。将质粒分别转染COS 7细胞和Huh 7细胞,检测转染后不同时间点Nluc荧光素酶活性。结果显示,pEF1αU201Nluc的Nluc荧光素酶活性相较于对照组增高近2倍,而pU201Nluc无明显升高,提示EF1α启动子起始病毒复制优于T7启动子。为寻找优于HuNoV GⅡ.3 U201的HuNoV序列,合成HuNoV GⅡ.4临床病毒株全长序列,将其插入EF1α启动子载体中并转染细胞,于不同时间点检测上清及细胞中病毒RNA水平。结果显示,上清及细胞中病毒RNA水平与对照组相比无显著差异。以上结果提示,已报道可复制的HuNoV GⅡ.3 U201反向遗传体系复制效率有限,且HuNoV反向遗传体系复制能力可能与不同序列的病毒相关。
The lack of a cultivation system for human noroviruses (HuNoV) is a major barrier to understand virus biology and the development of effective antiviral strategies. The study aims to verify the reported replication of the reverse genetics system of HuNoV G Ⅱ. 3 U201, and further to seek a better sequence from the HuNoV clinical strains to construct a highly efficient infectious clone. First the sequences of HuNoV GⅡ.3 U201 genome with T7 promoter and EF1α promoter were synthesized, and inserted into the vector, named pU201 and pEF1αU201, respectively. Meanwhile, negative control plasmids with viral RNA polymerase activity inactivated were constructed. To verify whether these clones could replicate, T7 polymerase was cotransfected with pU201 and pEF1αU201 was transfected alone in COS 7 cells and Huh 7 cells, respectively, and HuNoV RNA level was determined by realtime quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTqPCR) in different time post transfection. The results showed that the HuNoV RNA levels of pU201 and pEF1αU201 were nearly two times and three times higher than those of the negative control group respectively. To facilitate the detection of HuNoV replication, fulllength infectious clones with NanoLuc™ luciferase (Nluc) reporter gene were constructed by inserting Nluc sequence in front of viral genome, named pU201Nluc and pEF1αU201Nluc. COS 7 cells and Huh 7 cells were transfected and Nluc activity was determined in different time post transfection. The results showed that the Nluc activity of pEF1αU201Nluc was nearly 2 times higher than those of the negative control group and the inhibitortreated group, but there was no significant increase in pU201Nluc. These results suggested that EF1α promoter was superior to T7 promoter in initiating HuNoV GⅡ.3 U201 replication. Finally, to seek a better HuNoV sequence, a fulllength infectious clone was constructed with a clinical isolate of HuNoV GⅡ.4 genome from a Taiwan patient and EF1α promoter, named PCTc. COS 7 cells and Huh 7 cells were transfected and HuNoV RNA level was determined in supernatant and cells by RTqPCR. And the viral RNA level between PCTc and control groups had no significant difference. The results suggested that fulllength infectious clones and subgenomic clone of HuNoV GⅡ.3 U201 could only achieve limited and unsustainable replication in cells, and replication capacity may also be associated with different sequences of virus strains.