scholarly journals Knockout of the Host Resistance GenePkrFully Restores Replication of Murine Cytomegalovirus m142 and m143 MutantsIn Vivo

2015 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 1144-1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleonore Ostermann ◽  
Gabriele Warnecke ◽  
Zoe Waibler ◽  
Wolfram Brune

Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) proteins m142 and m143 are essential for viral replication. They bind double-stranded RNA and prevent protein kinase R-induced protein synthesis shutoff. Whether the two viral proteins have additional functions such as their homologs in human cytomegalovirus do remained unknown. We show that MCMV m142 and m143 knockout mutants attain organ titers equivalent to those attained by wild-type MCMV inPkrknockout mice, suggesting that these viral proteins do not encode additional PKR-independent functions relevant for pathogenesisin vivo.

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (20) ◽  
pp. 10181-10190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralitsa S. Valchanova ◽  
Marcus Picard-Maureau ◽  
Matthias Budt ◽  
Wolfram Brune

ABSTRACT Cytomegaloviruses carry the US22 family of genes, which have common sequence motifs but diverse functions. Only two of the 12 US22 family genes of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) are essential for virus replication, but their functions have remained unknown. In the present study, we deleted the essential US22 family genes, m142 and m143, from the MCMV genome and propagated the mutant viruses on complementing cells. The m142 and the m143 deletion mutants were both unable to replicate in noncomplementing cells at low and high multiplicities of infection. In cells infected with the deletion mutants, viral immediate-early and early proteins were expressed, but viral DNA replication and synthesis of the late-gene product glycoprotein B were inhibited, even though mRNAs of late genes were present. Global protein synthesis was impaired in these cells, which correlated with phosphorylation of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase R (PKR) and its target protein, the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α, suggesting that m142 and m143 are necessary to block the PKR-mediated shutdown of protein synthesis. Replication of the m142 and m143 knockout mutants was partially restored by expression of the human cytomegalovirus TRS1 gene, a known double-stranded-RNA-binding protein that inhibits PKR activation. These results indicate that m142 and m143 are both required for inhibition of the PKR-mediated host antiviral response.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 4546-4553
Author(s):  
K V Ramaiah ◽  
M V Davies ◽  
J J Chen ◽  
R J Kaufman

The inhibition of protein synthesis that occurs upon phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) at serine 51 correlates with reduced guanine nucleotide exchange activity of eIF-2B in vivo and inhibition of eIF-2B activity in vitro, although it is not known if phosphorylation is the cause of the reduced eIF-2B activity in vivo. To characterize the importance of eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation in the regulation of eIF-2B activity, we studied the overexpression of mutant eIF-2 alpha subunits in which serine 48 or 51 was replaced by an alanine (48A or 51A mutant). Previous studies demonstrated that the 51A mutant was resistant to phosphorylation, whereas the 48A mutant was a substrate for phosphorylation. Additionally, expression of either mutant partially protected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells from the inhibition of protein synthesis in response to heat shock treatment (P. Murtha-Riel, M. V. Davies, J. B. Scherer, S. Y. Choi, J. W. B. Hershey, and R. J. Kaufman, J. Biol. Chem. 268:12946-12951, 1993). In this study, we show that eIF-2B activity was inhibited in parental CHO cell extracts upon addition of purified reticulocyte heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI), an eIF-2 alpha kinase that phosphorylates Ser-51. Preincubation with purified HRI also reduced the eIF-2B activity in extracts from cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha. In contrast, the eIF-2B activity was not readily inhibited in extracts from cells overexpressing either the eIF-2 alpha 48A or 51A mutant. In addition, eIF-2B activity was decreased in extracts prepared from heat-shocked cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha, whereas the decrease in eIF-2B activity was less in heat-shocked cells overexpressing either mutant 48A or mutant 51A. While the phosphorylation at serine 51 in eIF-2 alpha impairs the eIF-2B activity, we propose that serine 48 acts to maintain a high affinity between phosphorylated eIF-2 alpha and eIF-2B, thereby inactivating eIF-2B activity. These findings support the hypothesis that phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits protein synthesis directly through reducing eIF-2B activity and emphasize the importance of both serine 48 and serine 51 in the interaction with eIF-2B and regulation of eIF-2B activity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomokazu Tamura ◽  
Manabu Igarashi ◽  
Bazarragchaa Enkhbold ◽  
Tatsuya Suzuki ◽  
Masatoshi Okamatsu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Recombinant viruses possessing reporter proteins have been generated for virus research. In the case of the family Flaviviridae, we recently generated recombinant viruses, including the hepatitis C virus of the genus Hepacivirus, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) of the genus Flavivirus, and bovine viral diarrhea virus of the genus Pestivirus; all three viruses possess an 11-amino-acid subunit derived from NanoLuc luciferase (HiBiT). Here, we further developed the recombinant viruses and investigated their utility in vivo. Recombinant viruses harboring HiBiT in the E, NS1, or NS3 protein constructed based on the predicted secondary structure, solvent-accessible surface area, and root mean square fluctuation of the proteins exhibited comparable replication to that of the wild-type virus in vitro. The recombinant JEV carrying HiBiT in the NS1 protein exhibited propagation in mice comparable to that of the parental virus, and propagation of the recombinant was monitored by the luciferase activity. In addition, the recombinants of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) possessing HiBiT in the Erns or E2 protein also showed propagation comparable to that of the wild-type virus. The recombinant CSFV carrying HiBiT in Erns exhibited similar replication to the parental CSFV in pigs, and detection of viral propagation of this recombinant by luciferase activity was higher than that by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Taken together, these results demonstrated that the reporter Flaviviridae viruses generated herein are powerful tools for elucidating the viral life cycle and pathogeneses and provide a robust platform for the development of novel antivirals. IMPORTANCE In vivo applications of reporter viruses are necessary to understand viral pathogenesis and provide a robust platform for antiviral development. In developing such applications, determination of an ideal locus to accommodate foreign genes is important, because insertion of foreign genes into irrelevant loci can disrupt the protein functions required for viral replication. Here, we investigated the criteria to determine ideal insertion sites of foreign genes from the protein structure of viral proteins. The recombinant viruses generated by our criteria exhibited propagation comparable to that of parental viruses in vivo. Our proteomic approach based on the flexibility profile of viral proteins may provide a useful tool for constructing reporter viruses, including Flaviviridae viruses.


2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 906-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Schreiner ◽  
Martina R. Mohrs ◽  
Rosemarie Blau-Wasser ◽  
Alfred von Krempelhuber ◽  
Michael Steinert ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Comitin is an F-actin binding and membrane-associated protein from Dictyostelium discoideum, which is present on Golgi and vesicle membranes and changes its localization in response to agents affecting the cytoskeleton. To investigate its in vivo functions we have generated knockout mutants by gene replacement. Based on comitin's in vitro functions we examined properties related to vesicular transport and microfilament function. Whereas cell growth, pinocytosis, secretion, chemotaxis, motility, and development were unaltered, comitin-lacking cells were impaired in the early steps of phagocytosis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae particles and of Escherichia coli, whereas uptake of latex beads was unaffected. Furthermore, the lack of comitin positively affected survival of pathogenic bacteria. Mutant cells also showed an altered response to hyperosmotic shock in comparison to the wild type. The redistribution of comitin during hyperosmotic shock in wild-type cells and its presence on early phagosomes suggest a direct involvement of comitin in these processes.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (16) ◽  
pp. 7411-7421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Zhan ◽  
Manfred Lee ◽  
Jianqiao Xiao ◽  
Fenyong Liu

ABSTRACT A transposon derived from Escherichia coliTn3 was introduced into the genome of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) to generate a pool of viral mutants, including two recombinant viruses that contained the transposon sequence within open reading frames m09 and M83. Our studies provide the first direct evidence to suggest that m09 is not essential for viral replication in mouse NIH 3T3 cells. Studies in cultured cells and in both BALB/c-Byj and CB17 severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice indicated that the transposon insertion is stable during viral propagation both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the virus that contained the insertion mutation in m09 exhibited a titer similar to that of the wild-type virus in the salivary glands, lungs, livers, spleens, and kidneys of both the BALB/c and SCID mice and was as virulent as the wild-type virus in killing the SCID mice when these animals were intraperitoneally infected with these viruses. These results suggest that m09 is dispensable for viral growth in these organs and that the presence of the transposon sequence in the viral genome does not significantly affect viral replication in vivo. In contrast, the virus that contained the insertion mutation in M83 exhibited a titer of at least 60-fold lower than that of the wild-type virus in the organs of the SCID mice and was attenuated in killing the SCID mice. These results demonstrate the utility of using the Tn3-based system as a mutagenesis approach for studying the function of MCMV genes in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient animals.


2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 480-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Feng ◽  
Christopher L. Sansam ◽  
Minati Singh ◽  
Ronald B. Emeson

ABSTRACT ADAR2 is a double-stranded-RNA-specific adenosine deaminase involved in the editing of mammalian RNAs by the site-selective conversion of adenosine to inosine. Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that ADAR2 can modify its own pre-mRNA to create a proximal 3′ splice site containing a noncanonical adenosine-inosine dinucleotide. Alternative splicing to this proximal acceptor adds 47 nucleotides to the mature ADAR2 transcript, thereby resulting in the loss of functional ADAR2 protein expression due to premature translation termination in an alternate reading frame. To examine whether the editing of ADAR2 transcripts represents a negative autoregulatory strategy to modulate ADAR2 protein expression, we have generated genetically modified mice in which the ability of ADAR2 to edit its own pre-mRNA has been selectively ablated by deletion of a critical sequence (editing site complementary sequence [ECS]) required for adenosine-to-inosine conversion. Here we demonstrate that ADAR2 autoediting and subsequent alternative splicing are abolished in homozygous ΔECS mice and that ADAR2 protein expression is increased in numerous tissues compared to wild-type animals. The observed increases in ADAR2 protein expression correlate with the extent of ADAR2 autoediting observed with wild-type tissues and correspond to increases in the editing of ADAR2 substrates, indicating that ADAR2 autoediting is a key regulator of ADAR2 protein expression and activity in vivo.


2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (15) ◽  
pp. 7590-7601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda D. Cardin ◽  
Gregory C. Schaefer ◽  
Janelle R. Allen ◽  
Nicholas J. Davis-Poynter ◽  
Helen E. Farrell

ABSTRACT M33, encoded by murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), is a member of the UL33 homolog G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family and is conserved across all the betaherpesviruses. Infection of mice with recombinant viruses lacking M33 or containing specific signaling domain mutations in M33 results in significantly diminished MCMV infection of the salivary glands. To determine the role of M33 in viral dissemination and/or infection in other tissues, viral infection with wild-type K181 virus and an M33 mutant virus, ΔM33BT2, was characterized using two different routes of inoculation. Following both intraperitoneal (i.p.) and intranasal (i.n.) inoculation, M33 was attenuated for infection of the spleen and pancreas as early as 7 days after infection. Following i.p. inoculation, ΔM33BT2 exhibited a severe defect in latency as measured by a diminished capacity to reactivate from spleens and lungs in reactivation assays (P < 0.001). Subsequent PCR analysis revealed markedly reduced ΔM33BT2 viral DNA levels in the latently infected spleens, lungs, and bone marrow. Following i.n. inoculation, latent ΔM33BT2 viral DNA was significantly reduced in the spleen and, in agreement with results from i.p. inoculation, did not reactivate from the spleen (P < 0.001). Furthermore, in vivo complementation of ΔM33BT2 virus replication and/or dissemination to the salivary glands and pancreas was achieved by coinfection with wild-type virus. Overall, our data suggest a critical tissue-specific role for M33 during infection in the salivary glands, spleen, and pancreas but not the lungs. Our data suggest that M33 contributes to the efficient establishment or maintenance of long-term latent MCMV infection.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 1697-1707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Abenes ◽  
Manfred Lee ◽  
Erik Haghjoo ◽  
Tuong Tong ◽  
Xiaoyan Zhan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Using a Tn3-based transposon mutagenesis approach, we have generated a pool of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) mutants. In this study, one of the mutants, RvM27, which contained the transposon sequence at open reading frame M27, was characterized both in tissue culture and in immunocompetent BALB/c mice and immunodeficient SCID mice. Our results suggest that the M27 carboxyl-terminal sequence is dispensable for viral replication in vitro. Compared to the wild-type strain and a rescued virus that restored the M27 region, RvM27 was attenuated in growth in both BALB/c and SCID mice that were intraperitoneally infected with the viruses. Specifically, the titers of RvM27 in the salivary glands, lungs, spleens, livers, and kidneys of the infected SCID mice at 21 days postinfection were 50- to 500-fold lower than those of the wild-type virus and the rescued virus. Moreover, the virulence of the mutant virus appeared to be attenuated, because no deaths occurred among SCID mice infected with RvM27 for up to 37 days postinfection, while all the animals infected with the wild-type and rescued viruses died within 27 days postinfection. Our observations provide the first direct evidence to suggest that a disruption of M27 expression results in reduced viral growth and attenuated viral virulence in vivo in infected animals. Moreover, these results suggest that M27 is a viral determinant required for optimal MCMV growth and virulence in vivo and provide insight into the functions of the M27 homologues found in other animal and human CMVs as well as in other betaherpesviruses.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (18) ◽  
pp. 8781-8784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Zürcher ◽  
Rosa María Marión ◽  
Juan Ortín

ABSTRACT The role of PKR activity in influenza virus-induced cell shut-off was studied by infection of PKR+ or PKR− cell cultures and metabolic labeling in vivo. No differences in the synthesis of viral proteins or the decay of cellular protein synthesis were observed. To investigate the relevance of the inhibition of cellular pre-mRNA polyadenylation and nucleocytoplasmic transport in virus-induced shut-off, we carried out similar experiments with mutant viruses lacking C-terminal sequences of NS1 protein. No differences in the shut-off induced by mutant versus wild-type viruses were observed, indicating that these nuclear events are not relevant for shut-off. The analysis of cytoplasmic mRNA stability indicated that the accumulation of viral mRNA during the infection correlated with the progressive decay of cellular mRNA, in both the wild type and an NS1 deletion mutant.


2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (12) ◽  
pp. 3524-3526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bokkee Min ◽  
Makoto Kitabatake ◽  
Carla Polycarpo ◽  
Joanne Pelaschier ◽  
Gregory Raczniak ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Two types of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase exist: the discriminating enzyme (D-AspRS) forms only Asp-tRNAAsp, while the nondiscriminating one (ND-AspRS) also synthesizes Asp-tRNAAsn, a required intermediate in protein synthesis in many organisms (but not in Escherichia coli). On the basis of the E. coli trpA34 missense mutant transformed with heterologous ND-aspS genes, we developed a system with which to measure the in vivo formation of Asp-tRNAAsn and its acceptance by elongation factor EF-Tu. While large amounts of Asp-tRNAAsn are detrimental to E. coli, smaller amounts support protein synthesis and allow the formation of up to 38% of the wild-type level of missense-suppressed tryptophan synthetase.


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