scholarly journals Vaccinia Virus Envelope H3L Protein Binds to Cell Surface Heparan Sulfate and Is Important for Intracellular Mature Virion Morphogenesis and Virus Infection In Vitro and In Vivo

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 3353-3365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Long Lin ◽  
Che-Sheng Chung ◽  
Hans G. Heine ◽  
Wen Chang

ABSTRACT An immunodominant antigen, p35, is expressed on the envelope of intracellular mature virions (IMV) of vaccinia virus. p35 is encoded by the viral late gene H3L, but its role in the virus life cycle is not known. This report demonstrates that soluble H3L protein binds to heparan sulfate on the cell surface and competes with the binding of vaccinia virus, indicating a role for H3L protein in IMV adsorption to mammalian cells. A mutant virus defective in expression of H3L (H3L−) was constructed; the mutant virus has a small plaque phenotype and 10-fold lower IMV and extracellular enveloped virion titers than the wild-type virus. Virion morphogenesis is severely blocked and intermediate viral structures such as viral factories and crescents accumulate in cells infected with the H3L− mutant virus. IMV from the H3L− mutant virus are somewhat altered and less infectious than wild-type virions. However, cells infected by the mutant virus form multinucleated syncytia after low pH treatment, suggesting that H3L protein is not required for cell fusion. Mice inoculated intranasally with wild-type virus show high mortality and severe weight loss, whereas mice infected with H3L− mutant virus survive and recover faster, indicating that inactivation of the H3L gene attenuates virus virulence in vivo. In summary, these data indicate that H3L protein mediates vaccinia virus adsorption to cell surface heparan sulfate and is important for vaccinia virus infection in vitro and in vivo. In addition, H3L protein plays a role in virion assembly.

2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (17) ◽  
pp. 8500-8508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Li ◽  
Kazufumi Ikuta ◽  
John W. Sixbey ◽  
Scott A. Tibbetts

ABSTRACT Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (γHV68 or MHV68) is genetically related to the human gammaherpesviruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), providing a useful system for in vivo studies of the virus-host relationship. To begin to address fundamental questions about the mechanisms of the establishment of gammaherpesvirus latency, we previously generated a replication-defective γHV68 lacking the expression of the single-stranded DNA binding protein encoded by orf6. In work presented here, we demonstrate that this mutant virus established a long-term infection in vivo that was molecularly identical to wild-type virus latency. Thus, despite the absence of an acute phase of lytic replication, the mutant virus established a chronic infection in which the viral genome (i) was maintained as an episome and (ii) expressed latency-associated, but not lytic replication-associated, genes. Macrophages purified from mice infected with the replication-defective virus harbored viral genome at a frequency that was nearly identical to that of wild-type γHV68; however, the frequency of B cells harboring viral genome was greatly reduced in the absence of lytic replication. Thus, this replication-defective gammaherpesvirus efficiently established in vivo infection in macrophages that was molecularly indistinguishable from wild-type virus latency. These data point to a critical role for lytic replication or reactivation in the establishment or maintenance of latent infection in B cells.


2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (22) ◽  
pp. 12266-12275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehud Katz ◽  
Brian M. Ward ◽  
Andrea S. Weisberg ◽  
Bernard Moss

ABSTRACT The spread of vaccinia virus in cell cultures is mediated by virions that adhere to the tips of specialized actin-containing microvilli and also by virions that are released into the medium. The use of a small plaque-forming A36R gene deletion mutant to select spontaneous second-site mutants exhibiting enhanced virus release was described previously. Two types of mutations were found: C-terminal truncations of the A33R envelope protein and a single amino acid substitution of the B5R envelope protein. In the present study, we transferred each type of mutation into a wild-type virus background in order to study their effects in vitro and in vivo. The two new mutants conserved the enhanced virus release properties of the original isolates; the A33R mutant produced considerably more extracellular virus than the B5R mutant. The extracellular virus particles contained the truncated A33R protein in one case and the mutated B5R protein in the other. Remarkably, both mutants failed to form actin tails and specialized microvilli, despite the presence of an intact A36R gene. The synthesis of the A36R protein as well as its physical association with the mutated or wild-type A33R protein was demonstrated. Moreover, the A36R protein was tyrosine phosphorylated, a step mediated by a membrane-associated Src kinase that regulates the nucleation of actin polymerization. The presence of large numbers of adherent virions on the cell surface argued against rapid dissociation as having a key role in preventing actin tail formation. Thus, the A33R and B5R proteins may be more directly involved in the formation or stabilization of actin tails than had been previously thought. When mice were inoculated intranasally, the A33R mutant was highly attenuated and the B5R mutant was mildly attenuated compared to wild-type virus. Enhanced virus release, therefore, did not compensate for the loss of actin tails and specialized microvilli.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 4566-4572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhensheng Zhang ◽  
Ulrike Protzer ◽  
Zongyi Hu ◽  
James Jacob ◽  
T. Jake Liang

ABSTRACT The X protein (HBX) of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is not essential for the HBV life cycle in vitro but is important for productive infection in vivo. Our previous study suggests that interaction of HBX with the proteasome complex may underlie the pleiotropic functions of HBX. With the woodchuck model, we demonstrated that the X-deficient mutants of woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) are not completely replication defective, possibly behaving like attenuated viruses. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of the proteasome inhibitors on the replication of wild-type and X-negative HBV and WHV. Recombinant adenoviruses or baculoviruses expressing replicating HBV or WHV genomes have been developed as a robust and convenient system to study viral replication in tissue culture. In cells infected with either the recombinant adenovirus-HBV or baculovirus-WHV, the replication level of the X-negative construct was about 10% of that of the wild-type virus. In the presence of proteasome inhibitors, the replication of the wild-type virus was not affected, while the replication of the X-negative virus of either HBV or WHV was enhanced and restored to the wild-type level. Our data suggest that HBX affects hepadnavirus replication through a proteasome-dependent pathway.


2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 810-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Luque ◽  
Olga A. Bridges ◽  
John N. Mason ◽  
Kelli L. Boyd ◽  
Allen Portner ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT While the molecular basis of fusion (F) protein refolding during membrane fusion has been studied extensively in vitro, little is known about the biological significance of membrane fusion activity in parainfluenza virus replication and pathogenesis in vivo. Two recombinant Sendai viruses, F-L179V and F-K180Q, were generated that contain F protein mutations in the heptad repeat A region of the ectodomain, a region of the protein known to regulate F protein activation. In vitro, the F-L179V virus caused increased syncytium formation (cell-cell membrane fusion) yet had a rate of replication and levels of F protein expression and cleavage similar to wild-type virus. The F-K180Q virus had a reduced replication rate along with reduced levels of F protein expression, cleavage, and fusogenicity. In DBA/2 mice, the hyperfusogenic F-L179V virus induced greater morbidity and mortality than wild-type virus, while the attenuated F-K180Q virus was much less pathogenic. During the first week of infection, virus replication and inflammation in the lungs were similar for wild-type and F-L179V viruses. After approximately 1 week of infection, the clearance of F-L179V virus was delayed, and more extensive interstitial inflammation and necrosis were observed in the lungs, affecting entire lobes of the lungs and having significantly greater numbers of syncytial cell masses in alveolar spaces on day 10. On the other hand, the slower-growing F-K180Q virus caused much less extensive inflammation than wild-type virus, presumably due to its reduced replication rate, and did not cause observable syncytium formation in the lungs. Overall, the results show that residues in the heptad repeat A region of the F protein modulate the virulence of Sendai virus in mice by influencing both the spread and clearance of the virus and the extent and severity of inflammation. An understanding of how the F protein contributes to infection and inflammation in vivo may assist in the development of antiviral therapies against respiratory paramyxoviruses.


2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 6050-6054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Hatta ◽  
Yoshihiro Kawaoka

ABSTRACT The NB protein of influenza B virus is thought to function as an ion channel and therefore would be expected to have an essential function in viral replication. Because direct evidence for its absolute requirement in the viral life cycle is lacking, we generated NB knockout viruses by reverse genetics and tested their growth properties both in vitro and in vivo. Mutants not expressing NB replicated as efficiently as the wild-type virus in cell culture, whereas in mice they showed restricted growth compared with findings for the wild-type virus. Thus, the NB protein is not essential for influenza B virus replication in cell culture but promotes efficient growth in mice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Nozomi Kuse ◽  
Tomohiro Akahoshi ◽  
Takayuki Chikata ◽  
Hiroyuki Gatanaga ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The accumulation of HIV-1 escape mutations affects HIV-1 control by HIV-1-specific T cells. Some of these mutations can elicit escape mutant-specific T cells, but it still remains unclear whether they can suppress the replication of HIV-1 mutants. It is known that HLA-B*52:01-restricted RI8 (Gag 275 to 282; RMYSPTSI) is a protective T cell epitope in HIV-1 subtype B-infected Japanese individuals, though 3 Gag280A/S/V mutations are found in 26% of them. Gag280S and Gag280A were HLA-B*52:01-associated mutations, whereas Gag280V was not, implying a different mechanism for the accumulation of Gag280 mutations. In this study, we investigated the coevolution of HIV-1 with RI8-specific T cells and suppression of HIV-1 replication by its escape mutant-specific T cells both in vitro and in vivo. HLA-B*52:01+ individuals infected with Gag280A/S mutant viruses failed to elicit these mutant epitope-specific T cells, whereas those with the Gag280V mutant one effectively elicited RI8-6V mutant-specific T cells. These RI8-6V-specific T cells suppressed the replication of Gag280V virus and selected wild-type virus, suggesting a mechanism affording no accumulation of the Gag280V mutation in the HLA-B*52:01+ individuals. The responders to wild-type (RI8-6T) and RI8-6V mutant peptides had significantly higher CD4 counts than nonresponders, indicating that the existence of not only RI8-6T-specific T cells but also RI8-6V-specific ones was associated with a good clinical outcome. The present study clarified the role of escape mutant-specific T cells in HIV-1 evolution and in the control of HIV-1. IMPORTANCE Escape mutant-specific CD8+ T cells were elicited in some individuals infected with escape mutants, but it is still unknown whether these CD8+ T cells can suppress HIV-1 replication. We clarified that Gag280V mutation were selected by HLA-B*52:01-restricted CD8+ T cells specific for the GagRI8 protective epitope, whereas the Gag280V virus could frequently elicit GagRI8-6V mutant-specific CD8+ T cells. GagRI8-6V mutant-specific T cells had a strong ability to suppress the replication of the Gag280V mutant virus both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, these T cells contributed to the selection of wild-type virus in HLA-B*52:01+ Japanese individuals. We for the first time demonstrated that escape mutant-specific CD8+ T cells can suppress HIV-1 replication and play an important role in the coevolution with HIV-1. Thus, the present study highlighted an important role of escape mutant-specific T cells in the control of HIV-1 and coevolution with HIV-1.


1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (7) ◽  
pp. 5351-5359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thandavarayan Nagashunmugam ◽  
John Lubinski ◽  
Liyang Wang ◽  
Lester T. Goldstein ◽  
Benjamin S. Weeks ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoproteins gE and gI form an immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc receptor (FcγR) that binds the Fc domain of human anti-HSV IgG and inhibits Fc-mediated immune functions in vitro. gE or gI deletion mutant viruses are avirulent, probably because gE and gI are also involved in cell-to-cell spread. In an effort to modify FcγR activity without affecting other gE functions, we constructed a mutant virus, NS-gE339, that has four amino acids inserted into gE within the domain homologous to mammalian IgG FcγRs. NS-gE339 expresses gE and gI, is FcγR−, and does not participate in antibody bipolar bridging since it does not block activities mediated by the Fc domain of anti-HSV IgG. In vivo studies were performed with mice because the HSV-1 FcγR does not bind murine IgG; therefore, the absence of an FcγR should not affect virulence in mice. NS-gE339 causes disease at the skin inoculation site comparably to wild-type and rescued viruses, indicating that the FcγR− mutant virus is pathogenic in animals. Mice were passively immunized with human anti-HSV IgG and then infected with mutant or wild-type virus. We postulated that the HSV-1 FcγR should protect wild-type virus from antibody attack. Human anti-HSV IgG greatly reduced viral titers and disease severity in NS-gE339-infected animals while having little effect on wild-type or rescued virus. We conclude that the HSV-1 FcγR enables the virus to evade antibody attack in vivo, which likely explains why antibodies are relatively ineffective against HSV infection.


2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 3685-3692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Low ◽  
Shoibal Datta ◽  
Yurii Kuznetsov ◽  
Sohail Jahid ◽  
Nayantara Kothari ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT All gammaretroviruses, including murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs), feline leukemia viruses, and gibbon-ape leukemia virus, encode an alternate, glycosylated form of Gag polyprotein (glyco-Gag or gPr80 gag ) in addition to the polyprotein precursor of the viral capsid proteins (Pr65 gag ). gPr80 gag is translated from an upstream in-frame CUG initiation codon, in contrast to the AUG codon used for Pr65 gag . The role of glyco-Gag in MuLV replication has been unclear, since gPr80 gag -negative Moloney MuLV (M-MuLV) mutants are replication competent in vitro and pathogenic in vivo. However, reversion to the wild type is frequently observed in vivo. In these experiments, in vivo inoculation of a gPr80 gag mutant, Ab-X-M-MuLV, showed substantially lower (2 log) initial infectivity in newborn NIH Swiss mice than that of wild-type virus, and revertants to the wild type could be detected by PCR cloning and DNA sequencing as early as 15 days postinfection. Atomic force microscopy of Ab-X-M-MuLV-infected producer cells or of the PA317 amphotropic MuLV-based vector packaging line (also gPr80 gag negative) revealed the presence of tube-like viral structures on the cell surface. In contrast, wild-type virus-infected cells showed the typical spherical, 145-nm particles observed previously. Expression of gPr80 gag in PA317 cells converted the tube-like structures to typical spherical particles. PA317 cells expressing gPr80 gag produced 5- to 10-fold more infectious vector or viral particles as well. Metabolic labeling studies indicated that this reflected enhanced virus particle release rather than increased viral protein synthesis. These results indicate that gPr80 gag is important for M-MuLV replication in vivo and in vitro and that the protein may be involved in a late step in viral budding or release.


2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (22) ◽  
pp. 11383-11395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronghua Zhang ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
Xianqiang Ping ◽  
Wenjing Yu ◽  
Zhikang Qian ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAn accessory gene between the S and E gene loci is contained in all coronaviruses (CoVs), and its function has been studied in some coronaviruses. This gene locus in human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) encodes the ns12.9 accessory protein; however, its function during viral infection remains unknown. Here, we engineered a recombinant mutant virus lacking the ns12.9 protein (HCoV-OC43-Δns12.9) to characterize the contributions of ns12.9 in HCoV-OC43 replication. The ns12.9 accessory protein is a transmembrane protein and forms ion channels in bothXenopusoocytes and yeast through homo-oligomerization, suggesting that ns12.9 is a newly recognized viroporin. HCoV-OC43-Δns12.9 presented at least 10-fold reduction of viral titerin vitroandin vivo. Intriguingly, exogenous ns12.9 and heterologous viroporins with ion channel activity could compensate for the production of HCoV-OC43-Δns12.9, indicating that the ion channel activity of ns12.9 plays a significant role in the production of infectious virions. Systematic dissection of single-cycle replication revealed that ns12.9 protein had no measurable effect on virus entry, subgenomic mRNA (sgmRNA) synthesis, and protein expression. Further characterization revealed that HCoV-OC43-Δns12.9 was less efficient in virion morphogenesis than recombinant wild-type virus (HCoV-OC43-WT). Moreover, reduced viral replication, inflammatory response, and virulence in HCoV-OC43-Δns12.9-infected mice were observed compared to the levels for HCoV-OC43-WT-infected mice. Taken together, our results demonstrated that the ns12.9 accessory protein functions as a viroporin and is involved in virion morphogenesis and the pathogenesis of HCoV-OC43 infection.IMPORTANCEHCoV-OC43 was isolated in the 1960s and is a major agent of the common cold. The functions of HCoV-OC43 structural proteins have been well studied, but few studies have focused on its accessory proteins. In the present study, we demonstrated that the ns12.9 protein is a newly recognized viroporin, and the ns12.9 gene knockout virus (HCoV-OC43-Δns12.9) presents a growth defectin vitroandin vivo. We identified the important functions of the ns12.9 viroporin in virion morphogenesis during HCoV-OC43 infection. Furthermore, mice infected with HCoV-OC43-Δns12.9 exhibited reduced inflammation and virulence accompanied by a lower titer in the brain than that of wild-type-infected mice, suggesting the ns12.9 viroporin influences virus pathogenesis. Therefore, our findings revealed that the ns12.9 viroporin facilitates virion morphogenesis to enhance viral production, and these results provided a deeper understanding of HCoV-OC43 pathogenesis.


2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (17) ◽  
pp. 9024-9033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Zhang ◽  
Jenny Rowe ◽  
Weijia Wang ◽  
Marvin Sommer ◽  
Ann Arvin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT To efficiently generate varicella-zoster virus (VZV) mutants, we inserted a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vector in the pOka genome. We showed that the recombinant VZV (VZVBAC) strain was produced efficiently from the BAC DNA and behaved indistinguishably from wild-type virus. Moreover, VZV's cell-associated nature makes characterizing VZV mutant growth kinetics difficult, especially when attempts are made to monitor viral replication in vivo. To overcome this problem, we then created a VZV strain carrying the luciferase gene (VZVLuc). This virus grew like the wild-type virus, and the resulting luciferase activity could be quantified both in vitro and in vivo. Using PCR-based mutagenesis, open reading frames (ORF) 0 to 4 were individually deleted from VZVLuc genomes. The deletion mutant viruses appeared after transfection into MeWo cells, except for ORF4, which was essential. Growth curve analysis using MeWo cells and SCID-hu mice indicated that ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3 were dispensable for VZV replication both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, the ORF0 deletion virus showed severely retarded growth both in vitro and in vivo. The growth defects of the ORF0 and ORF4 mutants could be fully rescued by introducing wild-type copies of these genes back into their native genome loci. This work has validated and justified the use of the novel luciferase VZV BAC system to efficiently generate recombinant VZV variants and ease subsequent viral growth kinetic analysis both in vitro and in vivo.


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