The hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 1 (HAVcr-1) cDNA was isolated from a cDNA expression library of African green monkey kidney (AGMK) cells by using protective monoclonal antibody (MAb) 190/4, which blocks the binding of hepatitis A virus (HAV) to AGMK cells. The HAVcr-1 cDNA codes for havcr-1, a 451-amino-acid class I integral-membrane mucin-like glycoprotein of unknown natural function. To determine the existence of a human homolog(s) of HAVcr-1 (huHAVcr-1), we used HAVcr-1-specific primers to amplify cDNAs from human liver and kidney mRNA by reverse transcription-PCR. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the amplified liver and kidney huHAVcr-1 cDNAs were identical and that they coded for a 359-amino-acid glycoprotein, termed huhavcr-1, which was approximately 79% identical to havcr-1. The six Cys residues of the extracellular domain of havcr-1 and its first N-glycosylation site were conserved in huhavcr-1. However, the number of hexameric repeats of the mucin-like region was reduced from 27 in havcr-1 to 13 in huhavcr-1. In addition, 12 C-terminal amino acids in the cytoplasmic domain of huhavcr-1 were deleted. Northern blot analysis of poly(A) RNA showed that huhavcr-1 is expressed in every organ analyzed, including the liver, small intestine, colon, and spleen, and that it is expressed at higher levels in the kidney and testis. Although dog cells transfected with the huHAVcr-1 cDNA did not express the protective 190/4 epitope, they bound hepatitis A virus (HAV) and gained limited susceptibility to HAV infection. Treatment with MAb 190/4 did not protect AGMK cell transfectants expressing huhavcr-1 against HAV, suggesting that HAV infected these cells via the huhavcr-1 receptor and not the endogenously expressed havcr-1, which was blocked by MAb 190/4. Our data demonstrate that huhavcr-1 is a binding receptor for HAV and suggest that it is also a functional receptor for HAV.

Genomes of RNA viruses encounter a continual threat from host cellular ribonucleases. Therefore, viruses have evolved mechanisms to protect the integrity of their genomes. To study the mechanism of 39-end repair in dengue virus-2 in mammalian cells, a series of 39-end deletions in the genome were evaluated for virus replication by detection of viral antigen NS1 and by sequence analysis. Limited deletions did not cause any delay in the detection of NS1 within 5 d. However, deletions of 7-10 nucleotides caused a delay of 9 d in the detection of NS1. Sequence analysis of RNAs from recovered viruses showed that at early times, virus progenies evolved through RNA molecules of heterogeneous lengths and nucleotide sequences at the 39 end, suggesting a possible role for terminal nucleotidyl transferase activity of the viral polymerase (NS5). However, this diversity gradually diminished and consensus sequences emerged. Template activities of 39-end mutants in the synthesis of negativestrand RNA in vitro by purified NS5 correlate well with the abilities of mutant RNAs to repair and produce virus progenies. Using the Mfold program for RNA structure prediction, we show that if the 39 stem-loop (39 SL) structure was abrogated by mutations, viruses eventually restored the 39 SL structure. Taken together, these results favor a two-step repair process: nontemplate-based nucleotide addition followed by evolutionary selection of 39-end sequences based on the best-fit RNA structure that can support viral replication.

Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 190/4 blocks binding of hepatitis A virus (HAV) to the HAV cellular receptor 1 (havcr-1) and protects African green monkey kidney (AGMK) clone GL37 cells (GL37 cells) against HAV infection. BS-C-1 and CV-1 cells, two widely used AGMK cell lines, did not react with MAb 190/4 but expressed havcr-1, as judged by Western blot analysis. The cDNA coding for havcr-1 was amplified from BS-C-1 and CV-1 total cellular RNA by reverse transcription-PCR. Alignment of the amino acid sequences inferred from the cDNA nucleotide sequences showed that BS-C-1 and CV-1 havcr-1 differed from GL37 havcr-1 by having two substitutions in the Cys-rich region, N48H and K108Q, and 10 to 11 additional substitutions plus the insertion of 18 to 22 amino acids in the mucin-like region. Studies with chimeras of GL37 havcr-1 and BS-C-1 havcr-1 showed that the K108Q substitution was responsible for the lack of reaction of MAb 190/4 with BS-C-1 and CV-1 cells. Binding studies indicated that HAV bound to dog cell transfectants expressing the BS-C-1 havcr-1 as well as the GL37/BS-C-1 havcr-1 chimeras. These results indicate that antigenic variants of havcr-1 are expressed in AGMK cells and that binding of HAV to these havcr-1 variants tolerates changes in protective epitope 190/4.

Hyperimmune monovalent antitoxins to botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A and B have been produced by immunizing horses with newly developed formalin toxoids. After primary immunization horses were found to have developed acceptable prophylactic antibody titers (1–5 IU/mL). Three horses received additional toxoid booster injections to induce hyperimmune antibody titers with antitoxin-A and antitoxin-B titers reaching peaks of approximately 2000 IU/mL and 150–625 IU/mL, respectively. Titers were quantified throughout the process by antigen-capture ELISA and by in-vivo neutralization. ELISA titers and neutralization titers correlated (R2 ~0.62–0.92), however, unique correlations between in-vitro and in-vivo titers were observed for each animal. Monovalent antitoxin pools were made by combining plasma that had been collected twice via plasmapheresis several months after primary immunization. Neutralizing units were established for each pool relative to the current US and WHO reference standards. Titers were determined at the L+/10 and L+/40 toxin dose for Toxin types A and B, respectively, and both U.S. and international units assigned to each monovalent antitoxin. Avidity of the new Anti-A pool was equivalent to the WHO Anti-A reference at the L+, L+/10 and L+/30 dose. Each monovalent plasma pool failed to cross-neutralize other botulinum neurotoxin serotypes indicating a high degree of specificity of each antitoxin for the toxin serotype used during immunization.