Construction and characterization of a stable subgenomic dengue virus type 2 replicon system for antiviral compound and siRNA testing.
Self-replicating, non-infectious flavivirus subgenomic replicons have been broadly used in the studies of trans-complementation, adaptive mutation, viral assembly and packaging in Kunjin, yellow fever and West Nile viruses. We describe here the construction of subgenomic EGFP- or Renilla luciferase-reporter based dengue replicons of the type 2 New Guinea C (NGC) strain and the establishment of stable BHK21 cell lines harboring the replicons. In replicon cells, viral proteins and RNAs are stably expressed at levels similar to cells transfected with the full length NGC infectious RNA. Furthermore, the replicon can be packaged by separately transfected C (core)-prM (pre-membrane)-E (envelope) polyprotein construct. The replicon cells were subjected to treatment with several antiviral compounds and inhibition of the replicon was observed in treatment with known nucleoside analog inhibitors of NS5 such as 2'-C-methyladenosine (EC(50)=2.42 +/- 0.59 microM), or ribavirin (EC(50)=6.77 +/- 1.33 microM), mycophenolic acid (EC(50)=1.31 +/- 0.27 microM) and siRNA against NS3. The BHK-replicon cells have been stably maintained for about 10 passages without significant loss in reporter intensity and are sufficiently robust for both research and drug discovery.
Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, 10, Biopolis Road, #05-01, Chromos, Singapore.
Chuan Young
CY
Ng
Feng
F
Gu
Wai Yee
WY
Phong
Yen-Liang
YL
Chen
Siew Pheng
SP
Lim
Andrew
A
Davidson
Subhash G
SG
Vasudevan
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D049410:Luciferases, Renilla / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012093:Replicon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D049410:Luciferases, Renilla