title: Dengue virus type 2 NS3 protease and NS2B-NS3 protease precursor induce apoptosis.
abstract: Apoptosis was detected in Vero cell cultures expressing transfected dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) genes. Approximately 17.5 and 51.5 % of cells expressing NS3 serine protease and NS2B-NS3(185) serine protease precursor protein [NS2B-NS3(185)(pro)] genes, respectively, were apoptotic. The percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly higher in cell cultures expressing NS2B-NS3(185)(pro). NS2B-NS3(185)(pro) was detected as NS2B-NS3(185)(pro)-EGFP fusion protein in cytoplasmic vesicular structures in the apoptotic cells. Site-directed mutagenesis which replaced His(51) with Ala within the protease catalytic triad significantly reduced the ability of the expressed NS3 and NS2B-NS3(185)(pro) to induce apoptosis. Results from the present study showed that DENV-2-encoded NS3 serine protease induces apoptosis, which is enhanced in cells expressing its precursor, NS2B-NS3(185)(pro). These findings suggest the importance of NS2B as a cofactor to NS3 protease-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Norazizah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shafee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sazaly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: AbuBakar
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D020365:RNA Helicases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D014709:Vero Cells; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D020365:RNA Helicases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C080102:NS2B protein, flavivirus; C060028:NS3 protein, flavivirus; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases