scholarly journals Bunyamwera Bunyavirus Nonstructural Protein NSs Counteracts the Induction of Alpha/Beta Interferon

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (16) ◽  
pp. 7949-7955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedemann Weber ◽  
Anne Bridgen ◽  
John K. Fazakerley ◽  
Hein Streitenfeld ◽  
Nina Kessler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Reverse Genetics ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Wild Type Counterpart ◽  
Alpha Beta ◽  
Bunyamwera Virus

ABSTRACT Production of alpha/beta interferons (IFN-α/β) in response to viral infection is one of the main defense mechanisms of the innate immune system. Many viruses therefore encode factors that subvert the IFN system to enhance their virulence. Bunyamwera virus (BUN) is the prototype of the Bunyaviridae family. By using reverse genetics, we previously produced a recombinant virus lacking the nonstructural protein NSs (BUNdelNSs) and showed that NSs is a nonessential gene product that contributes to viral pathogenesis. Here we demonstrate that BUNdelNSs is a strong inducer of IFN-α/β, whereas in cells infected with the wild-type counterpart expressing NSs (wild-type BUN), neither IFN nor IFN mRNA could be detected. IFN induction by BUNdelNSs correlated with activation of NF-κB and was dependent on virally produced double-stranded RNA and on the IFN transcription factor IRF-3. Furthermore, both in cultured cells and in mice lacking a functional IFN-α/β system, BUNdelNSs replicated to wild-type BUN levels, whereas in IFN-competent systems, wild-type BUN grew more efficiently. These results suggest that BUN NSs is an IFN induction antagonist that blocks the transcriptional activation of IFN-α/β in order to increase the virulence of Bunyamwera virus.

scholarly journals Novel Gene Product of Thogoto Virus Segment 6 Codes for an Interferon Antagonist

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 2747-2752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Hagmaier ◽  
Stephanie Jennings ◽  
Johanna Buse ◽  
Friedemann Weber ◽  
Georg Kochs
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Matrix Protein ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Interferon Inducer ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Unspliced Transcript ◽  
A Genome ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Alpha Beta ◽  
Type Strains

ABSTRACT Thogoto virus (THOV) is a tick-transmitted orthomyxovirus with a genome of six negative-stranded RNA segments. The sixth segment encodes two different transcripts: a spliced transcript that is translated into the matrix protein (M) and an unspliced transcript. Here, we report that the unspliced transcript encodes an elongated form of M named ML. A THOV isolate deficient in ML expression was an efficient interferon inducer, whereas ML-expressing wild-type strains were poor interferon inducers. These results were confirmed with recombinant THOVs rescued from cDNAs. Expression of ML efficiently suppressed activation of the beta interferon promoter by double-stranded RNA. These results indicate that ML is an accessory protein that functions as a potent interferon antagonist by blocking transcriptional activation of alpha/beta interferons.

scholarly journals A Single Amino Acid Substitution in the West Nile Virus Nonstructural Protein NS2A Disables Its Ability To Inhibit Alpha/Beta Interferon Induction and Attenuates Virus Virulence in Mice

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 2396-2404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Jun Liu ◽  
Xiang Ju Wang ◽  
David C. Clark ◽  
Mario Lobigs ◽  
Roy A. Hall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Substitution ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Single Amino Acid Substitution ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Alpha Beta ◽  
A30p Mutation

ABSTRACT Alpha/beta interferons (IFN-α/β) are key mediators of the innate immune response against viral infection. The ability of viruses to circumvent IFN-α/β responses plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of infection. In a previous study using subgenomic replicons of the Kunjin subtype of West Nile virus (WNVKUN), we demonstrated that the nonstructural protein NS2A is a major inhibitor of IFN-β promoter-driven transcription and that a single amino acid substitution in NS2A (Ala30 to Pro [A30P]) dramatically reduced its inhibitory effect (W. J. Liu, H. B. Chen, X. J. Wang, H. Huang, and A. A. Khromykh, J. Virol. 78:12225-12235). Here we show that incorporation of the A30P mutation into the WNVKUN genome results in a mutant virus which elicits more rapid induction and higher levels of synthesis of IFN-α/β in infected human A549 cells than that detected following wild-type WNVKUN infection. Consequently, replication of the WNVKUNNS2A/A30P mutant virus in these cells known to be high producers of IFN-α/β was abortive. In contrast, both the mutant and the wild-type WNVKUN produced similar-size plaques and replicated with similar efficiency in BHK cells which are known to be deficient in IFN-α/β production. The mutant virus was highly attenuated in neuroinvasiveness and also attenuated in neurovirulence in 3-week-old mice. Surprisingly, the mutant virus was also partially attenuated in IFN-α/βγ receptor knockout mice, suggesting that the A30P mutation may also play a role in more efficient activation of other antiviral pathways in addition to the IFN response. Immunization of wild-type mice with the mutant virus resulted in induction of an antibody response of similar magnitude to that observed in mice immunized with wild-type WNVKUN and gave complete protection against challenge with a lethal dose of the highly virulent New York 99 strain of WNV. The results confirm and extend our previous original findings on the role of the flavivirus NS2A protein in inhibition of a host antiviral response and demonstrate that the targeted disabling of a viral mechanism for evading the IFN response can be applied to the development of live attenuated flavivirus vaccine candidates.

scholarly journals Recombinant Lassa Virus Expressing Green Fluorescent Protein as a Tool for High-Throughput Drug Screens and Neutralizing Antibody Assays

Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yíngyún Caì ◽  
Masaharu Iwasaki ◽  
Brett Beitzel ◽  
Shuīqìng Yú ◽  
Elena Postnikova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Reverse Genetics ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Lassa virus (LASV), a mammarenavirus, infects an estimated 100,000–300,000 individuals yearly in western Africa and frequently causes lethal disease. Currently, no LASV-specific antivirals or vaccines are commercially available for prevention or treatment of Lassa fever, the disease caused by LASV. The development of medical countermeasure screening platforms is a crucial step to yield licensable products. Using reverse genetics, we generated a recombinant wild-type LASV (rLASV-WT) and a modified version thereof encoding a cleavable green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter for rapid and quantitative detection of infection (rLASV-GFP). Both rLASV-WT and wild-type LASV exhibited similar growth kinetics in cultured cells, whereas growth of rLASV-GFP was slightly impaired. GFP reporter expression by rLASV-GFP remained stable over several serial passages in Vero cells. Using two well-characterized broad-spectrum antivirals known to inhibit LASV infection, favipiravir and ribavirin, we demonstrate that rLASV-GFP is a suitable screening tool for the identification of LASV infection inhibitors. Building on these findings, we established a rLASV-GFP-based high-throughput drug discovery screen and an rLASV-GFP-based antibody neutralization assay. Both platforms, now available as a standard tool at the IRF-Frederick (an international resource), will accelerate anti-LASV medical countermeasure discovery and reduce costs of antiviral screens in maximum containment laboratories.

scholarly journals Murine Coronavirus Ubiquitin-Like Domain Is Important for Papain-Like Protease Stability and Viral Pathogenesis

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (9) ◽  
pp. 4907-4917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Mielech ◽  
Xufang Deng ◽  
Yafang Chen ◽  
Eveline Kindler ◽  
Dorthea L. Wheeler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Replication ◽  
Protease Activity ◽  
Reverse Genetics ◽  
Hepatitis Virus ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Viral Pathogenesis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Viral Protease ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Protease Stability

ABSTRACTUbiquitin-like domains (Ubls) now are recognized as common elements adjacent to viral and cellular proteases; however, their function is unclear. Structural studies of the papain-like protease (PLP) domains of coronaviruses (CoVs) revealed an adjacent Ubl domain in severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV, and the murine CoV, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). Here, we tested the effect of altering the Ubl adjacent to PLP2 of MHV on enzyme activity, viral replication, and pathogenesis. Using deletion and substitution approaches, we identified sites within the Ubl domain, residues 785 to 787 of nonstructural protein 3, which negatively affect protease activity, and valine residues 785 and 787, which negatively affect deubiquitinating activity. Using reverse genetics, we engineered Ubl mutant viruses and found that AM2 (V787S) and AM3 (V785S) viruses replicate efficiently at 37°C but generate smaller plaques than wild-type (WT) virus, and AM2 is defective for replication at higher temperatures. To evaluate the effect of the mutation on protease activity, we purified WT and Ubl mutant PLP2 and found that the proteases exhibit similar specific activities at 25°C. However, the thermal stability of the Ubl mutant PLP2 was significantly reduced at 30°C, thereby reducing the total enzymatic activity. To determine if the destabilizing mutation affects viral pathogenesis, we infected C57BL/6 mice with WT or AM2 virus and found that the mutant virus is highly attenuated, yet it replicates sufficiently to elicit protective immunity. These studies revealed that modulating the Ubl domain adjacent to the PLP reduces protease stability and viral pathogenesis, revealing a novel approach to coronavirus attenuation.IMPORTANCEIntroducing mutations into a protein or virus can have either direct or indirect effects on function. We asked if changes in the Ubl domain, a conserved domain adjacent to the coronavirus papain-like protease, altered the viral protease activity or affected viral replication or pathogenesis. Our studies using purified wild-type and Ubl mutant proteases revealed that mutations in the viral Ubl domain destabilize and inactivate the adjacent viral protease. Furthermore, we show that a CoV encoding the mutant Ubl domain is unable to replicate at high temperature or cause lethal disease in mice. Our results identify the coronavirus Ubl domain as a novel modulator of viral protease stability and reveal manipulating the Ubl domain as a new approach for attenuating coronavirus replication and pathogenesis.

scholarly journals Alpha/Beta Interferon Promotes Transcription and Inhibits Replication of Borna Disease Virus in Persistently Infected Cells

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (17) ◽  
pp. 8216-8223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Staeheli ◽  
Maria Sentandreu ◽  
Axel Pagenstecher ◽  
Jürgen Hausmann
Keyword(s):  
Disease Virus ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Endogenous Virus ◽  
Viral Mrnas ◽  
Borna Disease Virus ◽  
Persistently Infected ◽  
Alpha Beta ◽  
Borna Disease

ABSTRACT Borna disease virus (BDV) is a noncytolytic RNA virus that can replicate in the central nervous system (CNS) of mice. This study shows that BDV multiplication was efficiently blocked in transgenic mice that express mouse alpha-1 interferon (IFN-α1) in astrocytes. To investigate whether endogenous virus-induced IFN might similarly restrict BDV, we usedIFNAR 0/0 mice, which lack a functional alpha/beta IFN (IFN-α/β) receptor. As would be expected if virus-induced IFN were important to control BDV infection, we found that cultured embryo cells of IFNAR 0/0 mice supported viral multiplication, whereas cells from wild-type mice did not. Unexpectedly, however, BDV spread through the CNSs ofIFNAR 0/0 and wild-type mice with similar kinetics, suggesting that activation of endogenous IFN-α/β genes in BDV-infected brains was too weak or occurred too late to be effective. Surprisingly, Northern blot analysis showed that the levels of the most abundant viral mRNAs in the brains of persistently infectedIFNAR 0/0 mice were about 20-fold lower than those in wild-type mice. In contrast, genomic viral RNA was produced in about a 10-fold excess in the brains ofIFNAR 0/0 mice. Human IFN-α2 similarly enhanced transcription and simultaneously repressed replication of the BDV genome in persistently infected Vero cells. Thus, in persistently infected neurons and cultured cells, IFN-α/β appears to freeze the BDV polymerase in the transcriptional mode, resulting in enhanced viral mRNA synthesis and suppressing viral genome replication.

scholarly journals The nsp3 Macrodomain Promotes Virulence in Mice with Coronavirus-Induced Encephalitis

2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 1523-1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony R. Fehr ◽  
Jeremiah Athmer ◽  
Rudragouda Channappanavar ◽  
Judith M. Phillips ◽  
David K. Meyerholz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Reverse Genetics ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Viral Pathogenesis ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Structural Domain ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type

ABSTRACTAll coronaviruses encode a macrodomain containing ADP-ribose-1″-phosphatase (ADRP) activity within the N terminus of nonstructural protein 3 (nsp3). Previous work showed that mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59) with a mutated catalytic site (N1348A) replicated similarly to wild-type virus but was unable to cause acute hepatitis in mice. To determine whether this attenuated phenotype is applicable to multiple disease models, we mutated the catalytic residue in the JHM strain of MHV (JHMV), which causes acute and chronic encephalomyelitis, using a newly developed bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based MHV reverse genetics system. Infection of mice with the macrodomain catalytic point mutant virus (N1347A) resulted in reductions in lethality, weight loss, viral titers, proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine expression, and immune cell infiltration in the brain compared to mice infected with wild-type virus. Specifically, macrophages were most affected, with approximately 2.5-fold fewer macrophages at day 5 postinfection in N1347A-infected brains. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon (IFN) signaling were not required for effective host control of mutant virus as all N1347A virus-infected mice survived the infection. However, the adaptive immune system was required for protection since N1347A virus was able to cause lethal encephalitis in RAG1−/−(recombination activation gene 1 knockout) mice although disease onset was modestly delayed. Overall, these results indicate that the BAC-based MHV reverse genetics system will be useful for studies of JHMV and expand upon previous studies, showing that the macrodomain is critical for the ability of coronaviruses to evade the immune system and promote viral pathogenesis.IMPORTANCECoronaviruses are an important cause of human and veterinary diseases worldwide. Viral processes that are conserved across a family are likely to be good targets for the development of antiviral therapeutics and vaccines. The macrodomain is a ubiquitous structural domain and is also conserved among all coronaviruses. The coronavirus macrodomain has ADP-ribose-1″-phosphatase activity; however, its function during infection remains unclear as does the reason that coronaviruses have maintained this enzymatic activity throughout evolution. For MHV, this domain has now been shown to promote multiple types of disease, including hepatitis and encephalitis. These data indicate that this domain is vital for the virus to replicate and cause disease. Understanding the mechanism used by this enzyme to promote viral pathogenesis will open up novel avenues for therapies and may give further insight into the role of macrodomain proteins in the host cell since these proteins are found in all living organisms.

scholarly journals Evasion of Host Defenses by Measles Virus: Wild-Type Measles Virus Infection Interferes with Induction of Alpha/Beta Interferon Production

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (16) ◽  
pp. 7478-7484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Naniche ◽  
Annie Yeh ◽  
Danelle Eto ◽  
Marianne Manchester ◽  
Robert M. Friedman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Measles Virus ◽  
Mononuclear Cells ◽  
Human Peripheral Blood ◽  
Antiviral Immunity ◽  
Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Alpha Beta

ABSTRACT Measles is a highly contagious disease currently responsible for over one million childhood deaths, particularly in the developing world. Since alpha/beta interferons (IFNs) are pivotal players both in nonspecific antiviral immunity and in specific cellular responses, their induction or suppression by measles virus (MV) could influence the outcome of a viral infection. In this study we compare the IFN induction and sensitivity of laboratory-passaged attenuated MV strains Edmonston and Moraten with those of recent wild-type viruses isolated and passaged solely on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or on the B958 marmoset B-cell line. We report that two PBMC-grown wild-type measles isolates and two B958-grown strains of MV induce 10- to 80-fold-lower production of IFN by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) compared to Edmonston and Moraten strains of measles. Preinfection of PBL with these non-IFN-inducing MV isolates prevents Edmonston-induced but not double-stranded-RNA-induced IFN production. This suggests that the wild-type viruses can actively inhibit Edmonston-induced IFN synthesis and that this is not occurring by double-stranded RNA. Furthermore, the wild-type MV is more sensitive than Edmonston MV to the effect of IFN. MV is thus able to suppress the synthesis of the earliest mediator of antiviral immunity, IFN-α/β. This could have important implications in the virulence and spread of MV.

scholarly journals Bunyamwera Virus Nonstructural Protein NSs Counteracts Interferon Regulatory Factor 3-Mediated Induction of Early Cell Death

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (14) ◽  
pp. 7999-8008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Kohl ◽  
Reginald F. Clayton ◽  
Friedemann Weber ◽  
Anne Bridgen ◽  
Richard E. Randall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Interferon Regulatory Factor ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Regulatory Factor ◽  
Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Bunyamwera Virus

ABSTRACT The genome of Bunyamwera virus (BUN; family Bunyaviridae, genus Orthobunyavirus) consists of three segments of negative-sense RNA. The smallest segment, S, encodes two proteins, the nonstructural protein NSs, which is nonessential for viral replication and transcription, and the nucleocapsid protein N. Although a precise role in the replication cycle has yet to be attributed to NSs, it has been shown that NSs inhibits the induction of alpha/beta interferon, suggesting that it plays a part in counteracting the host antiviral defense. A defense mechanism to limit viral spread is programmed cell death by apoptosis. Here we show that a recombinant BUN that does not express NSs (BUNdelNSs) induces apoptotic cell death more rapidly than wild-type virus. Screening for apoptosis pathways revealed that the proapoptotic transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) was activated by both wild-type BUN and BUNdelNSs infection, but only wild-type BUN was able to suppress signaling downstream of IRF-3. Studies with a BUN minireplicon system showed that active replication induced an IRF-3-dependent promoter, which was suppressed by the NSs protein. In a cell line (P2.1) defective in double-stranded RNA signaling due to low levels of IRF-3, induction of apoptosis was similar for wild-type BUN and BUNdelNSs. These data suggest that the BUN NSs protein can delay cell death in the early stages of BUN infection by inhibiting IRF-3-mediated apoptosis.

scholarly journals Endogenous p53 protein generated from wild-type alternatively spliced p53 RNA in mouse epidermal cells

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1698-1708
Author(s):  
M F Kulesz-Martin ◽  
B Lisafeld ◽  
H Huang ◽  
N D Kisiel ◽  
L Lee
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
P53 Protein ◽  
Epidermal Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mouse Tissues ◽  
Alternatively Spliced ◽  
In Cells

We previously demonstrated that a wild-type alternatively spliced p53 (p53as) RNA exists in mouse cultured cells and normal mouse tissues at approximately 25 to 33% of the level of the major p53 RNA form. The alternative RNA transcript is 96 nucleotides longer than the major transcript as a result of alternative splicing of intron 10 sequences. The protein expected to be generated from the p53as transcript is 9 amino acids shorter than the major p53 protein and has 17 different amino acids at the carboxyl terminus. We report here that p53as protein exists in nontransformed and malignant epidermal cells and is localized to the nucleus. In addition, p53as protein is preferentially expressed during the G2 phase of the cell cycle and in cells with greater than G2 DNA content compared with the major p53 protein, which is preferentially expressed in G1. The p53as immunoreactivity is elevated and shifted to the G1 phase of the cell cycle following actinomycin D treatment of nontransformed cells but not malignant cells. In view of the dimerization and tetramerization of p53 protein which may be necessary for its DNA binding and transcriptional activation activities, the presence of p53as protein in cells has important implications for understanding the physiological function(s) of the p53 gene.

scholarly journals Ebola Virus VP35 Protein Binds Double-Stranded RNA and Inhibits Alpha/Beta Interferon Production Induced by RIG-I Signaling

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 5168-5178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Washington B. Cárdenas ◽  
Yueh-Ming Loo ◽  
Michael Gale ◽  
Amy L. Hartman ◽  
Christopher R. Kimberlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Antagonist Activity ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Beta Interferon ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Dsrna Binding ◽  
Alpha Beta

ABSTRACT The Ebola virus (EBOV) VP35 protein blocks the virus-induced phosphorylation and activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3), a transcription factor critical for the induction of alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) expression. However, the mechanism(s) by which this blockage occurs remains incompletely defined. We now provide evidence that VP35 possesses double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-binding activity. Specifically, VP35 bound to poly(rI) · poly(rC)-coated Sepharose beads but not control beads. In contrast, two VP35 point mutants, R312A and K309A, were found to be greatly impaired in their dsRNA-binding activity. Competition assays showed that VP35 interacted specifically with poly(rI) · poly(rC), poly(rA) · poly(rU), or in vitro-transcribed dsRNAs derived from EBOV sequences, and not with single-stranded RNAs (ssRNAs) or double-stranded DNA. We then screened wild-type and mutant VP35s for their ability to target different components of the signaling pathways that activate IRF-3. These experiments indicate that VP35 blocks activation of IRF-3 induced by overexpression of RIG-I, a cellular helicase recently implicated in the activation of IRF-3 by either virus or dsRNA. Interestingly, the VP35 mutants impaired for dsRNA binding have a decreased but measurable IFN antagonist activity in these assays. Additionally, wild-type and dsRNA-binding-mutant VP35s were found to have equivalent abilities to inhibit activation of the IFN-β promoter induced by overexpression of IPS-1, a recently identified signaling molecule downstream of RIG-I, or by overexpression of the IRF-3 kinases IKKε and TBK-1. These data support the hypothesis that dsRNA binding may contribute to VP35 IFN antagonist function. However, additional mechanisms of inhibition, at a point proximal to the IRF-3 kinases, most likely also exist.

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