scholarly journals The Splicing History of an mRNA Affects Its Level of Translation and Sensitivity to Cleavage by the Virion Host Shutoff Endonuclease during Herpes Simplex Virus Infections

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (23) ◽  
pp. 10844-10856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jouliana Sadek ◽  
G. Sullivan Read
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Mrna Splicing ◽  
Exon Junction ◽  
Virion Host Shutoff ◽  
History Of ◽  
Host Shutoff ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACTDuring lytic herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections, the virion host shutoff (Vhs) (UL41) endoribonuclease degrades many cellular and viral mRNAs. In uninfected cells, spliced mRNAs emerge into the cytoplasm bound by exon junction complexes (EJCs) and are translated several times more efficiently than unspliced mRNAs that have the same sequence but lack EJCs. Notably, most cellular mRNAs are spliced, whereas most HSV mRNAs are not. To examine the effect of splicing on gene expression during HSV infection, cells were transfected with plasmids harboring an unspliced renilla luciferase (RLuc) reporter mRNA or RLuc constructs with introns near the 5′ or 3′ end of the gene. After splicing of intron-containing transcripts, all three RLuc mRNAs had the same primary sequence. Upon infection in the presence of actinomycin D, spliced mRNAs were much less sensitive to degradation by copies of Vhs from infecting virions than were unspliced mRNAs. During productive infections (in the absence of drugs), RLuc was expressed at substantially higher levels from spliced than from unspliced mRNAs. Interestingly, the stimulatory effect of splicing on RLuc expression was significantly greater in infected than in uninfected cells. The translational stimulatory effect of an intron during HSV-1 infections could be replicated by artificially tethering various EJC components to an unspliced RLuc transcript. Thus, the splicing history of an mRNA, and the consequent presence or absence of EJCs, affects its level of translation and sensitivity to Vhs cleavage during lytic HSV infections.IMPORTANCEMost mammalian mRNAs are spliced. In contrast, of the more than 80 mRNAs harbored by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), only 5 are spliced. In addition, synthesis of the immediate early protein ICP27 causes partial inhibition of pre-mRNA splicing, with the resultant accumulation of both spliced and unspliced versions of some mRNAs in the cytoplasm. A common perception is that HSV-1 infection necessarily inhibits the expression of spliced mRNAs. In contrast, this study demonstrates two instances in which pre-mRNA splicing actually enhances the synthesis of proteins from mRNAs during HSV-1 infections. Specifically, splicing stabilized an mRNA against degradation by copies of the Vhs endoribonuclease from infecting virions and greatly enhanced the amount of protein synthesized from spliced mRNAs at late times after infection. The data suggest that splicing, and the resultant presence of exon junction complexes on an mRNA, may play an important role in gene expression during HSV-1 infections.

scholarly journals Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the Virion Host Shutoff Gene (UL41) of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV): Analysis of Functional Differences between HSV Type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 Alleles

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 9117-9129 ◽  
Author(s):  
David N. Everly ◽  
G. Sullivan Read
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Viral Mrnas ◽  
Virion Host Shutoff ◽  
Host Shutoff ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACT During lytic herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections, the HSV virion host shutoff protein (UL41) accelerates the turnover of host and viral mRNAs. Although the UL41 polypeptides from HSV type 1 (HSV-1) strain KOS and HSV-2 strain 333 are 87% identical, HSV-2 strains generally shut off the host more rapidly and completely than HSV-1 strains. In a previous study, we identified three regions of the HSV-2 UL41 polypeptide (amino acids 1 to 135, 208 to 243, and 365 to 492) that enhance the activity of KOS when substituted for the corresponding portions of the KOS protein (D. N. Everly, Jr., and G. S. Read, J. Virol. 71:7157–7166, 1997). These results have been extended through the analysis of more than 50 site-directed mutants of UL41 in which selected HSV-2 amino acids were introduced into an HSV-1 background and HSV-1 amino acids were introduced into the HSV-2 allele. The HSV-2 amino acids R22 and E25 were found to contribute dramatically to the greater activity of the HSV-2 allele, as did the HSV-2 amino acids A396 and S423. The substitution of six HSV-2 amino acids between residues 210 and 242 enhanced the HSV-1 activity to a lesser extent. In most cases, individual substitutions or the substitution of combinations of fewer than all six amino acids reduced the UL41 activity to less than that of KOS. The results pinpoint several type-specific amino acids that are largely responsible for the greater activity of the UL41 polypeptide of HSV-2. In addition, several spontaneous mutations that abolish detectable UL41 activity were identified.

scholarly journals Disruption of Virion Host Shutoff Activity Improves the Immunogenicity and Protective Capacity of a Replication-Incompetent Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Vaccine Strain

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (23) ◽  
pp. 11137-11144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Geiss ◽  
Tracy J. Smith ◽  
David A. Leib ◽  
Lynda A. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus Type ◽  
Protective Capacity ◽  
Virion Host Shutoff ◽  
Host Shutoff ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACT The virion host shutoff (vhs) protein encoded by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) destabilizes both viral and host mRNAs. An HSV-1 strain with a mutation in vhs is attenuated in virulence and induces immune responses in mice that are protective against corneal infection with virulent HSV-1, but it has the capacity to establish latency. Similarly, a replication-incompetent HSV-1 strain with a mutation in ICP8 elicits an immune response protective against corneal challenge, but it may be limited in viral antigen production. We hypothesized therefore that inactivation of vhs in an ICP8− virus would yield a replication-incompetent mutant with enhanced immunogenicity and protective capacity. In this study, a vhs−/ICP8− HSV-1 mutant was engineered. BALB/c mice were immunized with incremental doses of the vhs−/ICP8− double mutant or vhs−or ICP8− single mutants, or the mice were mock immunized, and protective immunity against corneal challenge with virulent HSV-1 was assessed. Mice immunized with the vhs−/ICP8− mutant showed prechallenge serum immunoglobulin G titers comparable to those immunized with replication-competent vhs− virus and exceed those of mice immunized with the ICP8− single mutant. Following corneal challenge, the degrees of protection against ocular disease, weight loss, encephalitis, and establishment of latency were similar for vhs−/ICP8− and vhs−virus-vaccinated mice. Moreover, the double deleted vhs−/ICP8− virus protected mice better in all respects than the single deleted ICP8− mutant virus. The data indicate that inactivation of vhs in a replication-incompetent virus significantly enhances its protective efficacy while retaining its safety for potential human vaccination. Possible mechanisms of enhanced immunogenicity are discussed.

scholarly journals Evidence for Translational Regulation by the Herpes Simplex Virus Virion Host Shutoff Protein

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (12) ◽  
pp. 6041-6049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly A. Saffran ◽  
G. Sullivan Read ◽  
James R. Smiley
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Vero Cells ◽  
Viral Mrnas ◽  
Virion Host Shutoff ◽  
Virion Host Shutoff Protein ◽  
Host Shutoff ◽  
Simplex Virus

ABSTRACT The herpes simplex virus (HSV) virion host shutoff protein (vhs) encoded by gene UL41 is an mRNA-specific RNase that triggers accelerated degradation of host and viral mRNAs in infected cells. We report here that vhs is also able to modulate reporter gene expression without greatly altering the levels of the target mRNA in transient-transfection assays conducted in HeLa cells. We monitored the effects of vhs on a panel of bicistronic reporter constructs bearing a variety of internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) located between two test cistrons. As expected, vhs inhibited the expression of the 5′ cistrons of all of these constructs; however, the response of the 3′ cistron varied with the IRES: expression driven from the wild-type EMCV IRES was strongly suppressed, while expression controlled by a mutant EMCV IRES and the cellular ApaF1, BiP, and DAP5 IRES elements was strongly activated. In addition, several HSV type 1 (HSV-1) 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) sequences also served as positive vhs response elements in this assay. IRES activation was also observed in 293 and HepG2 cells, but no such response was observed in Vero cells. Mutational analysis has yet to uncouple the ability of vhs to activate 3′ cistron expression from its shutoff activity. Remarkably, repression of 5′ cistron expression could be observed under conditions where the levels of the reporter RNA were not correspondingly reduced. These data provide strong evidence that vhs can modulate gene expression at the level of translation and that it is able to activate cap-independent translation through specific cis-acting elements.

scholarly journals Herpes Simplex Virus Virion Host Shutoff (vhs) Activity Alters Periocular Disease in Mice

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 3598-3604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy J. Smith ◽  
Cathleen E. Ackland-Berglund ◽  
David A. Leib
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Host Protein ◽  
Trigeminal Ganglia ◽  
Virion Host Shutoff ◽  
Host Shutoff ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACT During lytic infection, the virion host shutoff (vhs) protein of herpes simplex virus (HSV) mediates the rapid degradation of RNA and shutoff of host protein synthesis. In mice, HSV type 1 (HSV-1) mutants lacking vhs activity are profoundly attenuated. HSV-2 has significantly higher vhs activity than HSV-1, eliciting a faster and more complete shutoff. To examine further the role ofvhs activity in pathogenesis, we generated an intertypic recombinant virus (KOSV2) in which the vhs open reading frame of HSV-1 strain KOS was replaced with that of HSV-2 strain 333. KOSV2 and a marker-rescued virus, KOSV2R, were characterized in cell culture and tested in an in vivo mouse eye model of latency and pathogenesis. The RNA degradation kinetics of KOSV2 was identical to that of HSV-2 333, and both showed vhs activity significantly higher than that of KOS. This demonstrated that the fastvhs-mediated degradation phenotype of 333 had been conferred upon KOS. The growth of KOSV2 was comparable to that of KOS, 333, and KOSV2R in cell culture, murine corneas, and trigeminal ganglia and had a reactivation frequency similar to those of KOS and KOSV2R from explanted latently infected trigeminal ganglia. There was, however, significantly reduced blepharitis and viral replication within the periocular skin of KOSV2-infected mice compared to mice infected with either KOS or KOSV2R. Taken together, these data demonstrate that heightened vhs activity, in the context of HSV-1 infection, leads to increased viral clearance from the skin of mice and that the replication of virus in the skin is a determining factor for blepharitis. These data also suggest a role for vhs in modulating host responses to HSV infection.

scholarly journals Herpes Simplex Virus ICP27 Is Required for Virus-Induced Stabilization of the ARE-Containing IEX-1 mRNA Encoded by the Human IER3 Gene

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (19) ◽  
pp. 9720-9729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Corcoran ◽  
Wei-Li Hsu ◽  
James R. Smiley
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Immediate Early ◽  
Productive Infection ◽  
Mrna Stabilization ◽  
Early Protein ◽  
Host Shutoff ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus (HSV) stifles cellular gene expression during productive infection of permissive cells, thereby diminishing host responses to infection. Host shutoff is achieved largely through the complementary actions of two viral proteins, ICP27 and virion host shutoff (vhs), that inhibit cellular mRNA biogenesis and trigger global mRNA decay, respectively. Although most cellular mRNAs are thus depleted, some instead increase in abundance after infection; perhaps surprisingly, some of these contain AU-rich instability elements (AREs) in their 3′-untranslated regions. ARE-containing mRNAs normally undergo rapid decay; however, their stability can increase in response to signals such as cytokines and virus infection that activate the p38/MK2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. We and others have shown that HSV infection stabilizes the ARE mRNA encoding the stress-inducible IEX-1 mRNA, and a previous report from another laboratory has suggested vhs is responsible for this effect. However, we now report that ICP27 is essential for IEX-1 mRNA stabilization whereas vhs plays little if any role. A recent report has documented that ICP27 activates the p38 MAPK pathway, and we detected a strong correlation between this activity and stabilization of IEX-1 mRNA by using a panel of HSV type 1 (HSV-1) isolates bearing an array of previously characterized ICP27 mutations. Furthermore, IEX-1 mRNA stabilization was abrogated by the p38 inhibitor SB203580. Taken together, these data indicate that the HSV-1 immediate-early protein ICP27 alters turnover of the ARE-containing message IEX-1 by activating p38. As many ARE mRNAs encode proinflammatory cytokines or other immediate-early response proteins, some of which may limit viral replication, it will be of great interest to determine if ICP27 mediates stabilization of many or all ARE-containing mRNAs.

scholarly journals Replication of ICP0-Null Mutant Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Is Restricted by both PML and Sp100

2007 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 2661-2672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger D. Everett ◽  
Carlos Parada ◽  
Philippe Gripon ◽  
Hüseyin Sirma ◽  
Anne Orr
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus Type ◽  
Human Fibroblasts ◽  
Null Mutant ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) mutants that fail to express the viral immediate-early protein ICP0 have a pronounced defect in viral gene expression and plaque formation in limited-passage human fibroblasts. ICP0 is a RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase that induces the degradation of several cellular proteins. PML, the organizer of cellular nuclear substructures known as PML nuclear bodies or ND10, is one of the most notable proteins that is targeted by ICP0. Depletion of PML from human fibroblasts increases ICP0-null mutant HSV-1 gene expression, but not to wild-type levels. In this study, we report that depletion of Sp100, another major ND10 protein, results in a similar increase in ICP0-null mutant gene expression and that simultaneous depletion of both proteins complements the mutant virus to a greater degree. Although chromatin assembly and modification undoubtedly play major roles in the regulation of HSV-1 infection, we found that inhibition of histone deacetylase activity with trichostatin A was unable to complement the defect of ICP0-null mutant HSV-1 in either normal or PML-depleted human fibroblasts. These data lend further weight to the hypothesis that ND10 play an important role in the regulation of HSV-1 gene expression.

Construction and optimization of herpes simplex virus vectors for central nervous system gene delivery based on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinwei Huang ◽  
Xiuqing Li ◽  
Lijuan Yang ◽  
Pengfei Wang ◽  
Jingyuan Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Transgene Expression ◽  
Mouse Hippocampus ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

Aims: We aim to define parameters affecting the safety and long-term transgene expression of attenuated HSV-1 vectors and optimize the expression cassettes to achieve robust and sustained expression in CNS. Background: Engineered, attenuated Herpes simplex virus (HSV) vectors are promising vehicles for gene delivery to the peripheral and central nervous systems. The virus latent promoter (LAP) is commonly used to drive exogenous gene expression; however, parameters affecting the safety and long-term transgene expression of attenuated HSV-1 vectors have not been fully understood. Objective: This study aimed to construct attenuated HSV-1 vectors using the CRISPR-Cas9 system and examine the influence of transgene cassette construction and insertion site on transgene expression and vector safety. Method: In this study, we used a CRISPR-Cas9 system to accurately and efficiently edit attenuated HSV-1 strain 1716, and constructed two series of recombinant virus LMR and LMRx with different sets of gene cassettes insertion in Exon1(LAP2) and 2.0 kb intron downstream of LAP, respectively. The transgene expression and viral gene transcriptional kinetics were compared in in-vitro cell lines. The reporter gene expression and safety profiles of each vector were further evaluated in the mouse hippocampus gene transduction model. Result: The in-vitro cell line analysis indicated that the insertion of a gene expression cassette would disrupt virus gene transcription. Mouse hippocampus transducing analysis suggested that complete expression cassette insertion at 2.0 kb intron could achieve robust and longtime gene expression than the other constructs. Recombinants with gene expression cassettes lacked Poly (A), which induced significant neuronal inflammation due to persistent viral antigen expression and microglia activation. Conclusion: Our results indicated that the integrity of LAT transcripts was not necessary for the establishment of long-term latent expression. Exogenous strong promoters (like cBh promoter) could remain active during latency when placed in Exon1 or 2.0 Kb Intron of LAT locus, although their transcriptional activity declined with time. Consistent with previous research, the foreign gene expression would last much longer when the gene cassette was located downstream of Exon1, which suggested a role of LAP2 in maintaining promoter activity during latency. Besides, over-transcription of the downstream part of LAT may induce continuous activation of the attenuated vectors, suggesting an important role of LAT in maintaining viral reactivation potential.

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