scholarly journals Effects of an In-Frame Deletion of the6kGene Locus from the Genome of Ross River Virus

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (8) ◽  
pp. 4150-4159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Taylor ◽  
Julian V. Melton ◽  
Lara J. Herrero ◽  
Bastian Thaa ◽  
Liis Karo-Astover ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Chikungunya Virus ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Ross River Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virion Release ◽  
Viral Vaccine ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Viral Titers

ABSTRACTThe alphaviral6kgene region encodes the two structural proteins 6K protein and, due to a ribosomal frameshift event, the transframe protein (TF). Here, we characterized the role of the6kproteins in the arthritogenic alphavirus Ross River virus (RRV) in infected cells and in mice, using a novel6kin-frame deletion mutant. Comprehensive microscopic analysis revealed that the6kproteins were predominantly localized at the endoplasmic reticulum of RRV-infected cells. RRV virions that lack the6kproteins 6K and TF [RRV-(Δ6K)] were more vulnerable to changes in pH, and the corresponding virus had increased sensitivity to a higher temperature. While the6kdeletion did not reduce RRV particle production in BHK-21 cells, it affected virion release from the host cell. Subsequentin vivostudies demonstrated that RRV-(Δ6K) caused a milder disease than wild-type virus, with viral titers being reduced in infected mice. Immunization of mice with RRV-(Δ6K) resulted in a reduced viral load and accelerated viral elimination upon secondary infection with wild-type RRV or another alphavirus, chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Our results show that the6kproteins may contribute to alphaviral disease manifestations and suggest that manipulation of the6kgene may be a potential strategy to facilitate viral vaccine development.IMPORTANCEArthritogenic alphaviruses, such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Ross River virus (RRV), cause epidemics of debilitating rheumatic disease in areas where they are endemic and can emerge in new regions worldwide. RRV is of considerable medical significance in Australia, where it is the leading cause of arboviral disease. The mechanisms by which alphaviruses persist and cause disease in the host are ill defined. This paper describes the phenotypic properties of an RRV6kdeletion mutant. The absence of the6kgene reduced virion release from infected cells and also reduced the severity of disease and viral titers in infected mice. Immunization with the mutant virus protected mice against viremia not only upon exposure to RRV but also upon challenge with CHIKV. These findings could lead to the development of safer and more immunogenic alphavirus vectors for vaccine delivery.

scholarly journals Characterization of a Vaccinia Virus Mutant with a Deletion of the D10R Gene Encoding a Putative Negative Regulator of Gene Expression

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 553-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Parrish ◽  
Bernard Moss
Keyword(s):  
Vaccinia Virus ◽  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Early Proteins ◽  
Late Transcription ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Virus Mutant

ABSTRACT The D9 and D10 proteins of vaccinia virus are 25% identical to each other, contain a mutT motif characteristic of nudix hydrolases, and are conserved in all sequenced poxviruses. Previous studies indicated that overexpression of D10 and, to a lesser extent, D9 decreased the levels of capped mRNAs and their translation products. Here, we further characterized the D10 protein and showed that only trace amounts are associated with purified virions and that it is expressed exclusively at late times after vaccinia virus infection. A viable deletion mutant (vΔD10) produced smaller plaques and lower virus yields than either wild-type virus or a D9R deletion mutant (vΔD9). Purified vΔD10 virions appeared normal by microscopic examination and biochemical analysis but produced 6- to 10-fold-fewer plaques at the same concentration as wild-type or vΔD9 virions. When 4 PFU per cell of wild-type or vΔD9 virions or equal numbers of vΔD10 virions were used for inoculation, nearly all cells were infected in each case, but viral early and late transcription was initiated more slowly in vΔD10-infected cells than in the others. However, viral early transcripts accumulated to higher levels in vΔD10-infected cells than in cells infected with the wild type or vΔD9. In addition, viral early and late mRNAs and cellular actin mRNA persisted longer in vΔD10-infected cells than in others. Furthermore, analysis of pulse-labeled proteins indicated prolonged synthesis of cellular and viral early proteins. These results are consistent with a role for D10 in regulating RNA levels in poxvirus-infected cells.

scholarly journals Varicella-Zoster Virus Glycoprotein M Homolog Is Glycosylated, Is Expressed on the Viral Envelope, and Functions in Virus Cell-to-Cell Spread

2007 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 795-804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiaki Yamagishi ◽  
Tomohiko Sadaoka ◽  
Hironori Yoshii ◽  
Pranee Somboonthum ◽  
Takayoshi Imazawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Varicella Zoster Virus ◽  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Artificial Chromosome ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virus Growth ◽  
Varicella Zoster ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Cell Spread

ABSTRACT Although envelope glycoprotein M (gM) is highly conserved among herpesviruses, the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) gM homolog has never been investigated. Here we characterized the VZV gM homolog and analyzed its function in VZV-infected cells. The VZV gM homolog was expressed on virions as a glycoprotein modified with a complex N-linked oligosaccharide and localized mainly to the Golgi apparatus and the trans-Golgi network in infected cells. To analyze its function, a gM deletion mutant was generated using the bacterial artificial chromosome system in Escherichia coli, and the virus was reconstituted in MRC-5 cells. VZV is highly cell associated, and infection proceeds mostly by cell-to-cell spread. Compared with wild-type VZV, the gM deletion mutant showed a 90% reduction in plaque size and 50% of the cell-to-cell spread in MRC-5 cells. The analysis of infected cells by electron microscopy revealed numerous aberrant vacuoles containing electron-dense materials in cells infected with the deletion mutant virus but not in those infected with wild-type virus. However, enveloped immature particles termed L particles were found at the same level on the surfaces of cells infected with either type of virus, indicating that envelopment without a capsid might not be impaired. These results showed that VZV gM is important for efficient cell-to-cell virus spread in cell culture, although it is not essential for virus growth.

scholarly journals Structural Studies of Chikungunya Virus-Like Particles Complexed with Human Antibodies: Neutralization and Cell-to-Cell Transmission

2015 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 1169-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Porta ◽  
Vidya Mangala Prasad ◽  
Cheng-I Wang ◽  
Wataru Akahata ◽  
Lisa F. P. Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chikungunya Virus ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virus Like Particles ◽  
Fab Fragments ◽  
Cell Transmission ◽  
Viral Surface

ABSTRACTChikungunya virus is a positive-stranded RNA alphavirus. Structures of chikungunya virus-like particles in complex with strongly neutralizing antibody Fab fragments (8B10 and 5F10) were determined using cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography. By fitting the crystallographically determined structures of these Fab fragments into the cryo-electron density maps, we show that Fab fragments of antibody 8B10 extend radially from the viral surface and block receptor binding on the E2 glycoprotein. In contrast, Fab fragments of antibody 5F10 bind the tip of the E2 B domain and lie tangentially on the viral surface. Fab 5F10 fixes the B domain rigidly to the surface of the virus, blocking exposure of the fusion loop on glycoprotein E1 and therefore preventing the virus from becoming fusogenic. Although Fab 5F10 can neutralize the wild-type virus, it can also bind to a mutant virus without inhibiting fusion or attachment. Although the mutant virus is no longer able to propagate by extracellular budding, it can, however, enter the next cell by traveling through junctional complexes without being intercepted by a neutralizing antibody to the wild-type virus, thus clarifying how cell-to-cell transmission can occur.IMPORTANCEAlphaviral infections are transmitted mainly by mosquitoes. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), which belongs to theAlphavirusgenus, has a wide distribution in the Old World that has expanded in recent years into the Americas. There are currently no vaccines or drugs against alphaviral infections. Therefore, a better understanding of CHIKV and its associated neutralizing antibodies will aid in the development of effective treatments.

scholarly journals An Amino Acid Substitution in the Coding Region of the E2 Glycoprotein Adapts Ross River Virus To Utilize Heparan Sulfate as an Attachment Moiety

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (14) ◽  
pp. 6303-6309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marintha L. Heil ◽  
Alison Albee ◽  
James H. Strauss ◽  
Richard J. Kuhn
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Heparan Sulfate ◽  
Amino Acid Substitution ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Ross River Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Coding Region ◽  
Sulfate Production ◽  
E2 Glycoprotein

ABSTRACT Passage of Ross River virus strain NB5092 in avian cells has been previously shown to select for virus variants that have enhanced replication in these cells. Sequencing of these variants identified two independent sites that might be responsible for the phenotype. We now demonstrate, using a molecular cDNA clone of the wild-type T48 strain, that an amino acid substitution at residue 218 in the E2 glycoprotein can account for the phenotype. Substitutions that replaced the wild-type asparagine with basic residues had enhanced replication in avian cells while acidic or neutral residues had little or no observable effect. Ross River virus mutants that had increased replication in avian cells also grew better in BHK cells than the wild-type virus, whereas the remaining mutants were unaffected in growth. Replication in both BHK and avian cells of Ross River virus mutants N218K and N218R was inhibited by the presence of heparin or by the pretreatment of the cells with heparinase. Binding of the mutants, but not of the wild type, to a heparin-Sepharose column produced binding comparable to that of Sindbis virus, which has previously been shown to bind heparin. Replication of these mutants was also adversely affected when they were grown in a CHO cell line that was deficient in heparan sulfate production. These results demonstrate that amino acid 218 of the E2 glycoprotein can be modified to create an heparan sulfate binding site and this modification expands the host range of Ross River virus in cultured cells to cells of avian origin.

scholarly journals PPEY Motif within the Rabies Virus (RV) Matrix Protein Is Essential for Efficient Virion Release and RV Pathogenicity

2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (19) ◽  
pp. 9730-9738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Wirblich ◽  
Gene S. Tan ◽  
Amy Papaneri ◽  
Peter J. Godlewski ◽  
Jan Marc Orenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Replication ◽  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Matrix Protein ◽  
Virus Production ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Conserved Sequence ◽  
Virion Release ◽  
The Matrix

ABSTRACT Late (L) domains containing the highly conserved sequence PPXY were first described for retroviruses, and later research confirmed their conservation and importance for efficient budding of several negative-stranded RNA viruses. Rabies virus (RV), a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, contains the sequence PPEY (amino acids 35 to 38) within the N terminus of the matrix (M) protein, but the functions of this potential L-domain in the viral life cycle, viral pathogenicity, and immunogenicity have not been established. Here we constructed a series of recombinant RVs containing mutations within the PPEY motif and analyzed their effects on viral replication and RV pathogenicity. Our results indicate that the first proline at position 35 is the most important for viral replication, whereas P36 and Y38 have a lesser but still noticeable impact. The reduction in viral replication was most likely due to inhibition of virion release, because initially no major impact on RV RNA synthesis was observed. In addition, results from electron microscopy demonstrated that the M4A mutant virus (PPEY→SAEA) displayed a more cell-associated phenotype than that of wild-type RV. Furthermore, all mutations within the PPEY motif resulted in reduced spread of the recombinant RVs as indicated by a reduction in focus size. Importantly, recombinant PPEY L-domain mutants were highly attenuated in mice yet still elicited potent antibody responses against RV G protein that were as high as those observed after infection with wild-type virus. Our data indicate that the RV PPEY motif has L-domain activity essential for efficient virus production and pathogenicity but is not essential for immunogenicity and thus can be targeted to increase the safety of rabies vaccine vectors.

scholarly journals Interwoven Roles of Cyclin D3 and cdk4 Recruited by ICP0 and ICP4 in the Expression of Herpes Simplex Virus Genes

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (19) ◽  
pp. 9709-9717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Kalamvoki ◽  
Bernard Roizman
Keyword(s):  
Cyclin D3 ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Nuclear Retention ◽  
Enhanced Expression ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Cytoplasmic Accumulation ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Cdk4 Inhibitor

ABSTRACT Elsewhere this laboratory reported that (i) ICP0 interacts with cyclin D3 but not D1 or D2. The 3 cyclins independently partially rescue ΔICP0 mutants. (ii) Interaction with cyclin D3 is required for the switch from nuclear to cytoplasmic accumulation of ICP0. (iii) In infected cells cdk4 is activated whereas cdk2 is not. Inhibition of cdk4 results in nuclear retention of ICP0. Overexpression of cyclin D3 reverses the effect of the inhibitor. Here we report the following. (i) cdk4 interacts with ICP0, ICP4, and possibly with ICP8. This interaction is required to recruit cdk4 initially to ND10 and later to the viral replication compartments. (ii) cdk4 inhibitor I reduced or delayed the transcription and ultimately translation of mRNAs of ICP4, ICP27, or ICP8 and to a lesser extent that of the ICP0 gene in wild-type virus-infected cells. (iii) Overexpression of cyclin D3 resulted in a more rapid transcription of these genes. In the presence of inhibitor, the rates of accumulation of the products of these genes resemble those of wild-type virus in the absence of inhibitor. (iv) Overexpression of cyclin D3 also results in mobilization of cdk6 in nuclei of infected cells. We conclude that ICP0 encodes a function that enhances the recruitment of cyclin D3 to ND10 structures to activate cdk4 and that ICP0 along with other viral proteins recruits cdk4 to ND10 structures and ultimately to replication compartments for enhanced expression of viral genes and viral DNA synthesis.

scholarly journals Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Induces Cytoplasmic Accumulation of TIA-1/TIAR and both Synthesis and Cytoplasmic Accumulation of Tristetraprolin, Two Cellular Proteins That Bind and Destabilize AU-Rich RNAs

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (16) ◽  
pp. 8582-8592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Esclatine ◽  
Brunella Taddeo ◽  
Bernard Roizman
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Cytoplasmic Accumulation ◽  
Simplex Virus

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus 1 causes a shutoff of cellular protein synthesis through the degradation of RNA that is mediated by the virion host shutoff (Vhs) protein encoded by the UL41 gene. We reported elsewhere that the Vhs-dependent degradation of RNA is selective, and we identified RNAs containing AU-rich elements (AREs) that were upregulated after infection but degraded by deadenylation and progressive 3′-to-5′ degradation. We also identified upregulated RNAs that were not subject to Vhs-dependent degradation (A. Esclatine, B. Taddeo, L. Evans, and B. Roizman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:3603-3608, 2004). Among the latter was the RNA encoding tristetraprolin, a protein that binds AREs and is known to be associated with the degradation of RNAs containing AREs. Prompted by this observation, we examined the status of the ARE binding proteins tristetraprolin and TIA-1/TIAR in infected cells. We report that tristetraprolin was made and accumulated in the cytoplasm of wild-type virus-infected human foreskin fibroblasts as early as 2 h and in HEp-2 cells as early as 6 h after infection. The amounts of tristetraprolin that accumulated in the cytoplasm of cells infected with a mutant virus lacking UL41 were significantly lower than those in wild-type virus-infected cells. The localization of tristetraprolin was not modified in cells infected with a mutant lacking the gene encoding infected cell protein 4 (ICP4). TIA-1 and TIAR are two other proteins that are associated with the regulation of ARE-containing RNAs and that normally reside in nuclei. In infected cells, they started to accumulate in the cytoplasm after 6 h of infection. In cells infected with the mutant virus lacking UL41, TIA-1/TIAR accumulated in the cytoplasm in granular structures reminiscent of stress granules in a significant percentage of the cells. In addition, an antibody to tristetraprolin coprecipitated the Vhs protein from lysates of cells late in infection. The results indicate that the Vhs-dependent degradation of ARE-containing RNAs correlates with the transactivation, cytoplasmic accumulation, and persistence of tristetraprolin in infected cells.

scholarly journals NKG2D-mediated Natural Killer Cell Protection Against Cytomegalovirus Is Impaired by Viral gp40 Modulation of Retinoic Acid Early Inducible 1 Gene Molecules

2003 ◽  
Vol 197 (10) ◽  
pp. 1245-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Lodoen ◽  
Kouetsu Ogasawara ◽  
Jessica A. Hamerman ◽  
Hisashi Arase ◽  
Jeffrey P. Houchins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinoic Acid ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Killer Cell ◽  
Cell Surface Expression ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Infected Cells

Natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in the innate immune response against cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. Although CMV encodes several gene products committed to evasion of adaptive immunity, viral modulation of NK cell activity is only beginning to be appreciated. A previous study demonstrated that the mouse CMV m152-encoded gp40 glycoprotein diminished expression of ligands for the activating NK cell receptor NKG2D on the surface of virus-infected cells. Here we have defined the precise ligands that are affected and have directly implicated NKG2D in immune responses to CMV infection in vitro and in vivo. Murine CMV (MCMV) infection potently induced transcription of all five known retinoic acid early inducible 1 (RAE-1) genes (RAE-1α, RAE-1β, RAE-1δ, RAE-1ε, and RAE-1γ), but not H-60. gp40 specifically down-regulated the cell surface expression of all RAE-1 proteins, but not H-60, and diminished NK cell interferon γ production against CMV-infected cells. Consistent with previous findings, a m152 deletion mutant virus (Δm152) was less virulent in vivo than the wild-type Smith strain of MCMV. Treatment of BALB/c mice with a neutralizing anti-NKG2D antibody before infection increased titers of Δm152 virus in the spleen and liver to levels seen with wild-type virus. These experiments demonstrate that gp40 impairs NK cell recognition of virus-infected cells through disrupting the RAE-1–NKG2D interaction.

scholarly journals Ly49P recognition of cytomegalovirus-infected cells expressing H2-Dk and CMV-encoded m04 correlates with the NK cell antiviral response

2009 ◽  
Vol 206 (3) ◽  
pp. 515-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Kielczewska ◽  
Michal Pyzik ◽  
Tianhe Sun ◽  
Astrid Krmpotic ◽  
Melissa B. Lodoen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Major Histocompatability Complex ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mcmv Infection ◽  
Host Protection ◽  
Infected Cells

Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial in resistance to certain viral infections, but the mechanisms used to recognize infected cells remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the activating Ly49P receptor recognizes cells infected with mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) by a process that requires the presence of H2-Dk and the MCMV m04 protein. Using H2 chimeras between H2-Db and -Dk, we demonstrate that the H2-Dk peptide-binding platform is required for Ly49P recognition. We identified m04 as a viral component necessary for recognition using a panel of MCMV-deletion mutant viruses and complementation of m04-deletion mutant (Δm04) virus infection. MA/My mice, which express Ly49P and H2-Dk, are resistant to MCMV; however, infection with Δm04 MCMV abrogates resistance. Depletion of NK cells in MA/My mice abrogates their resistance to wild-type MCMV infection, but does not significantly affect viral titers in mice infected with Δm04 virus, implicating NK cells in host protection through m04-dependent recognition. These findings reveal a novel mechanism of major histocompatability complex class I–restricted recognition of virally infected cells by an activating NK cell receptor.

scholarly journals Role of Herpes Simplex Virus ICP27 in the Degradation of mRNA by Virion Host Shutoff RNase

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (19) ◽  
pp. 10182-10190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brunella Taddeo ◽  
Weiran Zhang ◽  
Bernard Roizman
Keyword(s):  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Structural Proteins ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Tegument Protein ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virion Host Shutoff ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Host Shutoff ◽  
Simplex Virus

ABSTRACT The virion host shutoff (VHS) RNase tegument protein released into cells by infecting virus has two effects. Preexisting stable mRNAs (e.g., GAPDH [glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase]) are rapidly degraded. Stress response RNAs containing AU-rich elements (AREs) in the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) are deadenylated and cleaved, but the cleavage products persist for hours, in contrast to the short half-lives of ARE-containing mRNAs in uninfected cells. At late times, the VHS RNase is neutralized by the viral structural proteins VP16 and VP22. A recent study (J. A. Corcoran, W. L. Hsu, and J. R. Smiley, J. Virol. 80:9720-9729, 2006) reported that, at relatively late times after infection, ARE RNAs are rapidly degraded in cells infected with ΔICP27 mutant virus and concluded that ICP27 “stabilizes” ARE mRNAs. We report the following. (i) The rates of degradation of ARE mRNA at early times (3 h) after infection with the wild type or the ΔICP27 mutant virus are virtually identical, and hence ICP27 plays no role in this process. (ii) In noncomplementing cells, VHS RNase or VP22 is not synthesized. Therefore, the only VHS that is active is brought into cells by the ΔICP27 mutant. (ii) The VHS RNase brought into the cells by the ΔICP27 virus is reduced in potency relative to that of wild-type virus. Hence the rapid degradation of ARE mRNAs noted in ΔICP27 mutant-infected cells at late times is similar to that taking place in mock-infected or in ΔVHS RNase mutant-virus-infected cells and does not by itself support the hypothesis that ICP27 stabilizes ARE mRNAs. (iii) Concurrently, we present the first evidence that VHS RNase interacts with ICP27 most likely when bound to cap- and poly(A)-binding proteins, respectively.

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