The deficiency in nuclear localization signal of Neodiprion lecontei nucleopolyhedrovirus DNA polymerase prevents rescue of viral DNA replication and virus production in dnapol-null Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus

2019 ◽  
Vol 266 ◽  
pp. 52-57
Author(s):  
Guoqing Chen ◽  
Yang Fang ◽  
Qing Yan ◽  
Pei Li ◽  
Lijuan Wu ◽  
...  
2017 ◽  
Vol 238 ◽  
pp. 133-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Chen ◽  
Zhanqi Dong ◽  
Nan Hu ◽  
Zhigang Hu ◽  
Feifan Dong ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (17) ◽  
pp. 10915-10922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhilin Chen ◽  
Eric B. Carstens

ABSTRACT Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) late expression factor 3 (LEF-3) is an essential protein for DNA replication in transient assays. P143, a large DNA-binding protein with DNA-unwinding activity, is also essential for viral DNA replication in vivo. Both LEF-3 and P143 are found in the nucleus of AcMNPV-infected cells, but only LEF-3 localizes to the nucleus when expressed in transfected cells on its own from a plasmid expression vector. P143 requires LEF-3 as a transporter to enter the nucleus. To investigate the possibility that LEF-3 carries a nuclear localization signal domain, we constructed a series of LEF-3 deletion mutants and examined the intracellular localization of the products in plasmid-transfected cells. We discovered that the N-terminal 56 amino acid residues of LEF-3 were sufficient for nuclear localization and that this domain, when fused with either the green fluorescent protein reporter gene or P143, was able to direct these proteins to the nucleus. Transient DNA replication assays demonstrated that fusing the LEF-3 nuclear localization signal domain to P143 did not alter the function of P143 in supporting DNA replication but was not sufficient to substitute for whole LEF-3. These data show that although one role for LEF-3 during virus infection is to transport P143 to the nucleus, LEF-3 performs other essential replication functions once inside the nucleus.


2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (12) ◽  
pp. 6153-6162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Yu ◽  
Eric B. Carstens

ABSTRACT Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) lef-3 is one of nine genes required for viral DNA replication in transient assays. LEF-3 is predicted to contain several domains related to its functions, including nuclear localization, single-strand DNA binding, oligomerization, interaction with P143 helicase, and interaction with a viral alkaline nuclease. To investigate the essential nature of LEF-3 and the roles it may play during baculovirus DNA replication, a lef-3 null bacmid (bKO-lef3) was constructed in Escherichia coli and characterized in Sf21 cells. The results showed that AcMNPV lef-3 is essential for DNA replication, budded virus production, and late gene expression in vivo. Cells transfected with the lef-3 knockout bacmid produced low levels of early proteins (P143, DNA polymerase, and early GP64) and no late proteins (P47, VP39, or late GP64). To investigate the functional role of domains within the LEF-3 open reading frame in the presence of the whole viral genome, plasmids expressing various LEF-3 truncations were transfected into Sf21 cells together with bKO-lef3 DNA. The results showed that expression of AcMNPV LEF-3 amino acids 1 to 125 was sufficient to stimulate viral DNA replication and to support late gene expression. Expression of Choristoneura fumiferana MNPV lef-3 did not rescue any LEF-3 functions. The construction of a LEF-3 amino acid 1 to 125 rescue bacmid revealed that this region of LEF-3, when expressed in the presence of the rest of the viral genome, stimulated viral DNA replication and late and very late protein expression, as well as budded virus production.


2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B. Carstens ◽  
Yuntao Wu

The presence of homologous repeat (hr) regions in multiple locations within baculovirus genomes has led to the hypothesis that they represent origins of DNA replication. This hypothesis has been supported by transient replication assays where plasmids carrying hrs replicated in the presence of virus DNA replication. This study investigated whether any specific hr region was essential for viral DNA replication in vivo, by generating a series of recombinant Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus where the lacZ gene replaced hr1, hr1a, hr2, hr3, hr4a or hr4b. In addition, a double-hr knockout virus was constructed where both hr2 and hr3 were deleted. The successful construction of these knockout viruses indicated that no specific region was essential for virus production. These recombinant viruses were characterized by titrations of budded virus, expression of a variety of virus-specific proteins and the synthesis of viral DNA at various times after infection. The results demonstrated that each hr was dispensable for all of these properties and that no single region was absolutely essential for virus replication in cell culture. The functional significance of multiple origin regions is still unclear.


2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 5503-5514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangyun Lin ◽  
Gary W. Blissard

ABSTRACT The Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) lef-6 gene was previously shown to be necessary for optimal transcription from an AcMNPV late promoter in transient late expression assays. In the present study, we examined the expression and cellular localization of lef-6 during the AcMNPV infection cycle and generated a lef-6-null virus for studies of the role of lef-6 in the infection cycle. Transcription of lef-6 was detected from 4 to 48 h postinfection, and the LEF-6 protein was identified in dense regions of infected cell nuclei, a finding consistent with its potential role as a late transcription factor. To examine lef-6 in the context of the AcMNPV infection cycle, we deleted the lef-6 gene from an AcMNPV genome propagated as an infectious BACmid in Escherichia coli. Unexpectedly, the resulting AcMNPV lef-6-null BACmid (vAclef6KO) was able to propagate in cell culture, although virus yields were substantially reduced. Thus, the lef-6 gene is not essential for viral replication in Sf9 cells. Two “repair” AcMNPV BACmids (vAclef6KO-REP-P and vAclef6KO-REP-ie1P) were generated by transposition of the lef-6 gene into the polyhedrin locus of the vAclef6KO BACmid. Virus yields from the two repair viruses were similar to those from wild-type AcMNPV or a control (BACmid-derived) virus. The lef-6-null BACmid (vAclef6KO) was further examined to determine whether the deletion of lef-6 affected DNA replication or late gene transcription in the context of an infection. The lef-6 deletion did not appear to affect viral DNA replication. Using Northern blot analysis, we found that although early transcription was apparently unaffected, both late and very late transcription were delayed in cells infected with the lef-6-null BACmid. This phenotype was rescued in viruses containing the lef-6 gene reinserted into the polyhedrin locus. Thus, the lef-6 gene was not essential for either viral DNA replication or late gene transcription, but the absence of lef-6 resulted in a substantial delay in the onset of late transcription. Therefore, lef-6 appears to accelerate the infection cycle of AcMNPV.


2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 2770-2779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangyun Lin ◽  
Gary W. Blissard

ABSTRACT The Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) lef-11 gene was previously identified by transient late expression assays as a gene important for viral late gene expression. The lef-11 gene was not previously identified as necessary for DNA replication in transient origin-dependent plasmid DNA replication assays. To examine the role of lef-11 in the context of the infection cycle, we generated a deletion of the lef-11 gene by recombination in an AcMNPV genome propagated as a BACmid in Escherichia coli. The resulting AcMNPV lef-11-null BACmid (vAclef11KO) was unable to propagate in cell culture, although a “repair” AcMNPV BACmid (vAclef11KO-REP), which was generated by transposition of the lef-11 gene into the polyhedrin locus of the vAclef11KO BACmid, was able to replicate in a manner similar to wild-type or control AcMNPV viruses. Thus, the lef-11 gene is essential for viral replication in Sf9 cells. The vAclef11KO BACmid was examined to determine if the defect in viral replication resulted from a defect in DNA replication or from a defect in late transcription. The lef-11-null BACmid and control BACmids were transfected into Sf9 cells, and viral DNA replication was monitored. The viral DNA genome of the lef-11-null BACmid (vAclef11KO) was not amplified, whereas replication and amplification of the genomes of the repair BACmid (vAclef11KO-REP), wild-type AcMNPV, and a nonpropagating gp64-null control BACmid (vAcGUSgp64KO) were readily detected. Northern blot analysis of transcripts from selected early, late, and very late genes showed that late and very late transcription was absent in cells transfected with the lef-11-null BACmid. Thus, in contrast to prior studies using transient replication and late expression assays, studies of a lef-11-null BACmid indicate that LEF-11 is required for viral DNA replication during the infection cycle.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document