Human Cytomegalovirus TRS1 Protein Is Required for Efficient Assembly of DNA-Containing Capsids

ABSTRACT The human cytomegalovirus tegument protein, pTRS1, appears to function at several discrete stages of the virus replication cycle. We previously demonstrated that pTRS1 acts during the late phase of infection to facilitate the production of infectious virions. We now have more precisely identified the late pTRS1 function by further study of a mutant virus lacking the TRS1 region, ADsubTRS1. We observed a significant reduction in the production of capsids, especially DNA-containing C-capsids, in mutant virus-infected cells. ADsubTRS1 exhibited normal cleavage of DNA concatemers, so the defect in C-capsid production must occur after DNA cleavage and before DNA is stably inserted into a capsid. Further, the normal virus-induced morphological reorganization of the nucleus did not occur after infection with the pTRS1-deficient mutant.

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Human Cytomegalovirus pUS24 Is a Virion Protein That Functions Very Early in the Replication Cycle

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.00399-06 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 80 (17) ◽

pp. 8371-8378 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Xuyan Feng ◽

Jörg Schröer ◽

Dong Yu ◽

Thomas Shenk

Keyword(s):

Human Cytomegalovirus ◽

Mutant Virus ◽

Replication Cycle ◽

Immediate Early ◽

Wild Type Virus ◽

Type Virus ◽

Wild Type ◽

Virion Protein ◽

Viral Dna ◽

Infected Cells

ABSTRACT We have characterized the function of the human cytomegalovirus US24 gene, a US22 gene family member. Two US24-deficient mutants (BADinUS24 and BADsubUS24) exhibited a 20- to 30-fold growth defect, compared to their wild-type parent (BADwt), after infection at a relatively low (0.01 PFU/cell) or high (1 PFU/cell) input multiplicity. Representative virus-encoded proteins and viral DNA accumulated with normal kinetics to wild-type levels after infection with mutant virus when cells received equal numbers of mutant and wild-type infectious units. Further, the proteins were properly localized and no ultrastructural differences were found by electron microscopy in mutant-virus-infected cells compared to wild-type-virus-infected cells. However, virions produced by US24-deficient mutants had a 10-fold-higher genome-to-PFU ratio than wild-type virus. When infections were performed using equal numbers of input virus particles, the expression of immediate-early, early, and late viral proteins was substantially delayed and decreased in the absence of US24 protein. This delay is not due to inefficient virus entry, since two tegument proteins and viral DNA moved to the nucleus equally well in mutant- and wild-type-virus-infected cells. In summary, US24 is a virion protein and virions produced by US24-deficient viruses exhibit a block to the human cytomegalovirus replication cycle after viral DNA reaches the nucleus and before immediate-early mRNAs are transcribed.

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A Combined Genetic-Proteomic Approach Identifies Residues within Dengue Virus NS4B Critical for Interaction with NS3 and Viral Replication

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.00867-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 89 (14) ◽

pp. 7170-7186 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Laurent Chatel-Chaix ◽

Wolfgang Fischl ◽

Pietro Scaturro ◽

Mirko Cortese ◽

Stephanie Kallis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Dengue Virus ◽

Virus Replication ◽

Strong Evidence ◽

Drug Target ◽

Nonstructural Protein ◽

Rna Replication ◽

Replication Cycle ◽

Infected Cells ◽

Ns3 Protease

ABSTRACTDengue virus (DENV) infection causes the most prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease worldwide. Approved vaccines are not available, and targets suitable for the development of antiviral drugs are lacking. One possible drug target is nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B), because it is absolutely required for virus replication; however, its exact role in the DENV replication cycle is largely unknown. With the aim of mapping NS4B determinants critical for DENV replication, we performed a reverse genetic screening of 33 NS4B mutants in the context of an infectious DENV genome. While the majority of these mutations were lethal, for several of them, we were able to select for second-site pseudoreversions, most often residing in NS4B and restoring replication competence. To identify all viral NS4B interaction partners, we engineered a fully viable DENV genome encoding an affinity-tagged NS4B. Mass spectrometry-based analysis of the NS4B complex isolated from infected cells identified the NS3 protease/helicase as a major interaction partner of NS4B. By combining the genetic complementation map of NS4B with a replication-independent expression system, we identified the NS4B cytosolic loop—more precisely, amino acid residue Q134—as a critical determinant for NS4B-NS3 interaction. An alanine substitution at this site completely abrogated the interaction and DENV RNA replication, and both were restored by pseudoreversions A69S and A137V. This strict correlation between the degree of NS4B-NS3 interaction and DENV replication provides strong evidence that this viral protein complex plays a pivotal role during the DENV replication cycle, hence representing a promising target for novel antiviral strategies.IMPORTANCEWith no approved therapy or vaccine against dengue virus infection, the viral nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B) represents a possible drug target, because it is indispensable for virus replication. However, little is known about its precise structure and function. Here, we established the first comprehensive genetic interaction map of NS4B, identifying amino acid residues that are essential for virus replication, as well as second-site mutations compensating for their defects. Additionally, we determined the NS4B viral interactome in infected cells and identified the NS3 protease/helicase as a major interaction partner of NS4B. We mapped residues in the cytosolic loop of NS4B as critical determinants for interaction with NS3, as well as RNA replication. The strong correlation between NS3-NS4B interaction and RNA replication provides strong evidence that this complex plays a pivotal role in the viral replication cycle, hence representing a promising antiviral drug target.

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Human cytomegalovirus exploits TACC3 to control microtubule dynamics and late stages of infection

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.00821-21 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Colleen Furey ◽

Helen Astar ◽

Derek Walsh

Keyword(s):

Virus Replication ◽

Human Cytomegalovirus ◽

Coiled Coil ◽

Microtubule Dynamics ◽

Replication Cycle ◽

Microtubule Organizing Center ◽

Viral Particles ◽

Organizing Center ◽

Assembly Compartment ◽

Late Stages

While it is well established that microtubules (MTs) facilitate various stages of virus replication, how viruses actively control MT dynamics and functions remains less-well understood. Recent work has begun to reveal how several viruses exploit End-Binding (EB) proteins and their associated microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs), in particular to enable loading of viral particles onto MTs for retrograde transport during early stages of infection. But distinct from other viruses studied to date, at mid-to-late stages of its unusually protracted replication cycle human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) increases the expression of all three EB family members. This occurs coincident with the formation of a unique structure termed the Assembly Compartment (AC), which serves as a Golgi-derived MT organizing center. Together, the AC and distinct EB proteins enable HCMV to increase the formation of dynamic and acetylated microtubule subsets to regulate distinct aspects of the viral replication cycle. Here, we reveal that HCMV also exploits EB-independent +TIP pathways by specifically increasing the expression of Transforming Acidic Coiled Coil protein 3 (TACC3) to recruit the MT polymerase, chTOG from initial sites of MT nucleation in the AC out into the cytosol, thereby increasing dynamic MT growth. Preventing TACC3 increases or depleting chTOG impaired MT polymerization, resulting in defects in early versus late endosome organization in and around the AC as well as defects in viral trafficking and spread. Our findings provide the first example of a virus that actively exploits EB-independent +TIP pathways to regulate MT dynamics and control late stages of virus replication. Importance Diverse viruses rely on host cell microtubule networks in order to transport viral particles within the dense cytoplasmic environment and to control the broader architecture of the cell to facilitate their replication. Yet precisely how viruses regulate the dynamic behavior and function of microtubule filaments remains poorly defined. We recently showed that the Assembly Compartment (AC) formed by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) acts as a Golgi-derived microtubule organizing center. Here, we show that at mid-to-late stages of infection, HCMV increases the expression of Transforming Acidic Coiled Coil protein 3 (TACC3) in order to control the localization of the microtubule polymerase, chTOG. This in turn enables HCMV to generate dynamic microtubule subsets that organize endocytic vesicles in and around the AC and facilitate the transport of new viral particles released into the cytosol. Our findings reveal the first instance of viral targeting of TACC3 to control microtubule dynamics and virus spread.

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Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Activity Is Required for Efficient Expression and Posttranslational Modification of Human Cytomegalovirus Proteins and for Production of Extracellular Particles

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.02656-05 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 80 (12) ◽

pp. 5886-5896 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Veronica Sanchez ◽

Deborah H. Spector

Keyword(s):

Steady State ◽

Human Cytomegalovirus ◽

Virus Titer ◽

State Level ◽

Early Gene ◽

Tegument Protein ◽

Cyclin Dependent Kinase ◽

Viral Dna ◽

Infected Cells ◽

Steady State Levels

ABSTRACT We have previously shown that the addition of the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor Roscovitine at the beginning of infection of cells with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) significantly disrupts immediate-early gene expression and the progression of the infection. In the present study, we have examined the effects of cdk inhibition on late viral events by delaying addition of Roscovitine until 24 h postinfection. Although viral DNA replication was inhibited two- to threefold by treatment of infected cells with Roscovitine, the drop did not correspond to the 1- to 2-log-unit decrease in virus titer. Quantification of viral DNA in the supernatant from cells revealed that there was a significant reduction in the production or release of extracellular particles. We observed a lag in the expression of several viral proteins but there was a significant decrease in the steady-state levels of IE2-86. Likewise, the steady-state level of the essential tegument protein UL32 (pp150) was reduced. The levels of pp150 and IE2-86 mRNA were not greatly affected by treatment with Roscovitine and thus did not correlate with the reduced levels of protein. In contrast, the expression of the tegument protein ppUL69 was higher in drug-treated samples, and the protein accumulated in a hyperphosphorylated form. ppUL69 localized to intranuclear aggregates that did not overlap with viral replication centers in cells treated with Roscovitine. Taken together, these data indicate that cdk activity is required at multiple steps during HCMV infection, including the expression, modification, and localization of virus-encoded proteins.

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Antiviral effect of short hyperthermic treatment at specific stages of vesicular stomatitis virus replication cycle

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/0022-1317-74-8-1685 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 74 (8) ◽

pp. 1685-1690 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

A. De Marco ◽

M. G. Santoro

Keyword(s):

Vesicular Stomatitis Virus ◽

Virus Replication ◽

Antiviral Effect ◽

Replication Cycle ◽

Hyperthermic Treatment ◽

Vesicular Stomatitis ◽

Virus Replication Cycle

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Hepatitis C virus replication cycle

Journal of Hepatology ◽

10.1016/j.jhep.2010.04.015 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 53 (3) ◽

pp. 583-585 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

Ralf Bartenschlager ◽

Francois-Loic Cosset ◽

Volker Lohmann

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Virus Replication ◽

Replication Cycle ◽

Virus Replication Cycle

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

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.00975-10 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 84 (19) ◽

pp. 10182-10190 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

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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