H.-G. Schweiger

This article is concerned with the use of viral models for the study of the mechanism of protein biosynthesis and its regulation. The scope is restricted mainly to general aspects of animal viral systems and how these systems may be used to approach the question of cellular regulation. Most information on the regulation of metabolic processes in eukaryotic cells comes from the study of bacteria and from the successful application of this knowledge to higher systems. However, differences in regulation of the translation of genetic information from the messenger RNA into protein may be expected between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Due to the short half-life of prokaryotic mRNAs, transcription has been considered as the main mechanism controlling gene expression. Nevertheless, during recent years firm evidence has been accumulated for additional regu­ latory factors operating during translation. This topic was recently reviewed by HASELKORN and ROTHMAN-DENES (1973) and by KOZAK and NATHANS (1972).

"When we give a definition it is for the purpose of using it". HENRI POINCARE in Science and Method A. Objectives The first version of this paper was written to introduce new students and fellows of my laboratory to the mysteries of herpesviruses. Consonant with this design sections dealing with well documented data were trimmed to the bone whereas many obscure phenomena, controversial data and seemingly trivial observations were discussed generously and at length. There is some doubt as to whether it was meant to be published, but it was not a review. The objective of reviews is frequently to bring order. But alas, even the most fluent summation of credible data frequently makes dull reading and too much plausible order, like very little entropy in chemical reactions, is not the most suitable environment on which to nurture the urge to discover. This version is more charitable but not less inbalanced. The bibliography reflects the intent of the paper and was updated last in December of 1968. It should be obvious without saying that no single account such as this can do justice or injustice, as the case may be, to the several hundred papers published on herpesviruses each year or to the many thousand papers published on herpesviruses since the first of the members of the family was experimentally transmitted to a heterologous host more than half a century ago (GRUTER, 1924). B. Definition 1.

The study of streptococcal infections and their sequelae has in the last two decades yielded several important findings on the biological properties of cellular and extracellular products of group A streptococci. These findings have contributed to a better knowledge of the pathological reactions occurring in the macroorganism during host-parasite interactions. Nevertheless, the pathogenesis of streptococcal infections is not fully understood. So far there has been no success in eliciting experimentally, either through the action of the substances isolated from the cell, or from broth culture filtrate of group A streptococci, symptoms that are fully identical with any type of acute streptococcal infection. It also has not been possible to explain the mUltiplicity of clinical and histological changes caused by streptococci as being due solely to anyone of these substances or a combination thereof. The same applies to the sequelae of streptococcal infections, rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis. We do not know how the group A strepto­ coccus elicits these diseases and we have only a partial understanding of the pathological processes, initiated by this streptococcus, and resulting in cardiac or renal lesions. It is clear that an organism infected by streptococci is exposed to the action of a complex of substances. A more detailed recognition of the biological activity of the single components and their combination under defined experimental conditions may be capable, it is hoped, to explain the pathologic processes triggered in the course. of the development of group A streptococcal infection.

Phenomena as diverse as tuberculin sensitivity, delayed sensitivity to soluble proteins other than tuberculin, contact allergy, homograft rejection, experimental autoallergies, and the response to many microorganisms, have been classified as members of the class of immune reactions known as delayed or cellular hypersensitivity. Similarities in time course, histology, and absence of detectable circulating immunoglobulins characterize these cell-mediated immune reactions in vivo. The state of delayed or cellular hypersensitivity can be transferred from one animal to another by means of sensitized living lymphoid cells (CHASE, 1945; LANDSTEINER and CHASE, 1942; MITCHISON, 1954). The responsible cell has been described by GOWANS (1965) as a small lymphocyte. Passive transfer has also been achieved in the human with extracts of sensitized cells (LAWRENCE, 1959). The in vivo characteristic of delayed hypersensitivity from which the class derives its name is the delayed skin reaction. When an antigen is injected intradermally into a previously immunized animal, the typical delayed reaction begins to appear after 4 hours, reaches a peak at 24 hours, and fades after 48 hours. It is grossly characterized by induration, erythyma, and occasionally necrosis. The histology of the delayed reaction has been studied by numerous investigators (COHEN et al. , 1967; GELL and HINDE, 1951; KOSUNEN, 1966; KOSUNEN et al. , 1963; MCCLUSKEY et al. , 1963; WAKSMAN, 1960; WAKSMAN, 1962). Initially dilatation of the capillaries with exudation of fluid and cells occurs.

In lymphoiden Zellen Tb-sensibilisierter Meerschweinchen sind sessile Antikorper vorhanden, die in der Lage sind nach Kontakt mit Tuberkulin Komplement zu binden. Dieser Nachweis ist sowohl fluorescenzserologisch als auch - unter Verwendung von Extrakten aus solchen Zellen - mit der Hamagglutination und der Coombs-Technik oder mit dem Konglutinations- verfahren moglich. Sie konnen ferner mit dem Hamaggregationsverfahren nachgewiesen werden. Die sessilen Antikorper besitzen mindestens zwei, nach ihrer immunologischen Spezifitat und dem Mechanismus ihrer cytolytischen Funktion distinkte immunologische Spezifitaten. Die eine ist gegen den Haupt- bestandteil von Alttuberkulin (Tuberkulopolysaccharide) und die andere gegen den von gereinigtem Tuberkulin (Tuberkuloproteine) gerichtet. Beide Anti- korper konnen auf weisse Zellen nicht sensibilisierter Tiere ubertragen werden. Sie sind mercaptoathanolempfindlich und konnen deswegen den Antikorpern vom 19 S-Typ zugerechnet werden. Sie sind nicht identisch mit den cytophilen Antikorpern; auch scheint keine direkte kausale Beziehung zur Tuberkulin- Hautreaktion zu bestehen. Ihre mogliche Bedeutung wird diskutiert. Lymphoide Zellen von Tb-sensibilisierten Meerschweinchen enthalten ausserdem noch einen Faktor, der in vitro Agglutinationsreaktion und in vivo PCA-Reaktionen hemmt. Literatur BAlL, 0.: Ubertragung der Tuberkulinempfindliehkeit. Z. Immun.-Forseh. 1. Orig. 4,470 (1910). BLAZKOVEC, A. A., E. SORKIN, and J. L. TURK: A study of the passive eellular transfer of loeal eutaneous hypersensitivity. Int. Areh. Allergy 27, 289 (1965). BLOOM, B. R., and B. BENNETT: Meehanism of areaction in vitra associated with delayed type hypersensitivity. Scienee 153, 80 (1966). - - Delayed hypersensitivity in vitra: the meehanism of inhibition by antigen of eell migration. Fed. Prae. 25, 355 (1966).

Ever since arbovirus infections became known and their relative importance assessed, experiments were designed to elucidate the mode of transmission and the most important natural hosts responsible for perpetuating the infection in nature. Human infections and the disease in wild rodents, birds, and domestic animals were studied in relation to viremia and distribution of the infectious agent in the organism. With increasing epidemiological studies it became apparent that the neural manifestations of the disease are very uncommon, confined only to a small percentage of individuals of the most susceptible species. Various factors have been proposed to explain why in certain instances the virus becomes establish­ ed in the central nervous system and causes a serious or lethal disease. For example, differences in the virulence of the virus strains, varying susceptibility of individuals of one species, or intercurrent circumstances facilitating access of the virus to the central nervous system were alleged. Also, various possible routes of entry of the virus into the brain and spinal cord have been considered.

Binding of various ligands (hormones, neurotransmitters, immunological stimuli) to membrane receptors induces the following changes: 1. Receptor redistribution (clustering, "capping") 2. Conformational changes that can be detected by fluorescent probes 3. Alteration in membrane fluidity (spin label and fluorescence polarization probes) 4. Changes in fluxes of ions and metabolites 5. Increased phospholipid turnover (especially of phosphatidyl inositol) 6. Activation of membrane-bound enzymes (adenyl cyclase, ATPase, transmethylases). Some of the early changes resulting from or associated with the binding (adsorption) of virions to the host cell membrane are of the same type. Adsorption of animal viruses to cells is the ftrst step in a chain of events resulting in the production of progeny virus on the one hand and in damage to cells and tissues on the other. In the classical studies of viral infection, cells are adsorbed with virus, usually for 60 min, and the changes induced by the virus in the host cell are recorded thereafter. In the past decade, more and more studies have been aimed at the events occurring in these ftrst 60 min of the so-called adsorption period. These studies deal with the nature of adsorption, e. g. , the ligand-receptor type of interaction between the virus and the cell membrane. Many receptors for viruses were identifted and so were the viral proteins which take part in adsorption.

The expression of many bacterial genes adapts itself in an almost in­ stantaneous and reversible way to specific environmental changes. More specifically, the concentration of a number of metabolites, a function of the amounts of enzymes involved in their synthesis or degradation, in turn retroacts on the rate of synthesis of these enzymes. The genetic bases for this regulation were established by JACOB and MONOD (1961). These authors also showed how the known elements of these regulatory mechanisms could be connected into a wide variety of circuits endowed with any desired degree of stability, in order to account for essentially irreversible processes like differentiation (MONOD and JACOB, 1961). The general principles used by JACOB and MONOD in their study of negative regulation were extended to positive regulation by ENGLESBERG et al. (1965). An independent approach permitted the discovery of positive controls in temperate bacteriophages (see below, III). Each control operation is mediated by a pair of complementary genetic elements (hereafter called "control cell"): a control gene which produces a l control (or regulator) protein and a control site which is the target for the regulator protein. Negative control means that the control protein (repressor) prevents gene expression. One deals with positive control when the control protein (activator) is necessary for this expression. It has become apparent that, as initially postulated by JACOB and MONOD, control of gene expression operates, at least to a large extent, at the transcriptional level.

Influenza continues to be one of the major epidemic diseases of man and is, in fact, his only remaining pandemic disease (BEVERIDGE, 1969). This is largely because influenza virus undergoes extreme antigenic variation, the mechanism of which is still poorly understood. Two kinds of antigenic variation occur in influenza viruses, antigenic drift and major antigenic shifts; both involve chan­ ges in the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase antigens on the surface of the virus. Antigenic drift, which involves gradual changes in the surface antigens of influenza virus, is thought to result from the selection by an immune popula­ tion of mutant virus particles with altered antigenic determinants. These mutants therefore possess a growth advantage in the presence of antibody (FRAN­ CIS and MAASSAB, 1965; ARCHETTI and HORSFALL, 1950; HAMRE et aI., 1958). It has been shown that antigenic mutants isolated in vitro by selection with antibody have changes in amino acid sequence in the polypeptides of the hem­ agglutinin subunits (LAVER and WEBSTER, 1968) and it is likely that antigenic drift in the neuraminidase occurs by the same mechanism.