Identification of a lytic-cycle Epstein-Barr virus gene product that can regulate PKR activation

RNA recognition by PKR during DNA virus infection

Protein kinase R (PKR) is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) binding protein that plays a crucial role in innate immunity during viral infection and can restrict both DNA and RNA viruses. The potency of its antiviral function is further reflected by the large number of viral-encoded PKR antagonists. However, much about the regulation of dsRNA accumulation and PKR activation during viral infection remains unknown. Since DNA viruses do not have an RNA genome or RNA replication intermediates like RNA viruses do, PKR-mediated dsRNA detection in the context of DNA virus infection is particularly intriguing. Here, we review the current state of knowledge regarding the regulation of PKR activation and its antagonism during infection with DNA viruses.

The Role of RNA Sensors in Regulating Innate Immunity to Gammaherpesviral Infections

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are double-stranded DNA oncogenic gammaherpesviruses. These two viruses are associated with multiple human malignancies, including both B and T cell lymphomas, as well as epithelial- and endothelial-derived cancers. KSHV and EBV establish a life-long latent infection in the human host with intermittent periods of lytic replication. Infection with these viruses induce the expression of both viral and host RNA transcripts and activates several RNA sensors including RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), Toll-like receptors (TLRs), protein kinase R (PKR) and adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR1). Activation of these RNA sensors induces the innate immune response to antagonize the virus. To counteract this, KSHV and EBV utilize both viral and cellular proteins to block the innate immune pathways and facilitate their own infection. In this review, we summarize how gammaherpesviral infections activate RNA sensors and induce their downstream signaling cascade, as well as how these viruses evade the antiviral signaling pathways to successfully establish latent infection and undergo lytic reactivation.

Immunohistochemical detection of double-stranded RNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is produced during most viral infections, and immunohistochemical detection of dsRNA has been proposed as a potential screening marker for viral replication. The anti-dsRNA monoclonal antibody clone 9D5 is more sensitive than the established clone J2 but has not been validated in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue. This study aimed to test and compare the performance of the anti-dsRNA monoclonal antibodies, 9D5 and J2, in FFPE tissue using an automated staining platform. Archived clinical tissue samples with viral infections (n = 34) and uninfected controls (n = 30) were examined. Immunohistochemical staining for dsRNA (9D5 and J2) and virus-specific epitopes was performed. 9D5 provided a similar staining pattern but a higher signal-to-noise ratio than J2. The following proportions of virus-infected tissue samples were dsRNA-positive: SARS-CoV-2 (5/5), HPV (6/6), MCV (5/5), CMV (5/6), HSV (4/6), and EBV (0/6). Also, 18 of 30 uninfected samples were dsRNA positive, and an association between fixation time and intensity was observed. However, signals in all samples were markedly reduced by pretreatment with dsRNA-specific RNAse-III, indicating a specific reaction. In conclusion, dsRNA can be demonstrated in most viral infections with immunohistochemistry in FFPE tissue but with low clinical specificity. The antibody clone 9D5 performs better than clone J2.

Mechanism of herpesvirus protein kinase UL13 in immune escape and viral replication

Upon infection, the herpes viruses create a cellular environment suitable for survival, but innate immunity plays a vital role in cellular resistance to viral infection. The UL13 protein of herpesviruses is conserved among all herpesviruses and is a serine/threonine protein kinase, which plays a vital role in escaping innate immunity and promoting viral replication. On the one hand, it can target various immune signaling pathways in vivo, such as the cGAS-STING pathway and the NF-κB pathway. On the other hand, it phosphorylates regulatory many cellular and viral proteins for promoting the lytic cycle. This paper reviews the research progress of the conserved herpesvirus protein kinase UL13 in immune escape and viral replication to provide a basis for elucidating the pathogenic mechanism of herpesviruses, as well as providing insights into the potential means of immune escape and viral replication of other herpesviruses that have not yet resolved the function of it.

Inhibition of PKR by Viruses

Cells respond to viral infections through sensors that detect non-self-molecules, and through effectors, which can have direct antiviral activities or adapt cell physiology to limit viral infection and propagation. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 2, better known as PKR, acts as both a sensor and an effector in the response to viral infections. After sensing double-stranded RNA molecules in infected cells, PKR self-activates and majorly exerts its antiviral function by blocking the translation machinery and inducing apoptosis. The antiviral potency of PKR is emphasized by the number of strategies developed by viruses to antagonize the PKR pathway. In this review, we present an update on the diversity of such strategies, which range from preventing double-stranded RNA recognition upstream from PKR activation, to activating eIF2B downstream from PKR targets.

The herpesvirus accessory protein γ134.5 facilitates viral replication by disabling mitochondrial translocation of RIG-I

RIG-I and MDA5 are cytoplasmic RNA sensors that mediate cell intrinsic immunity against viral pathogens. While it has been well-established that RIG-I and MDA5 recognize RNA viruses, their interactive network with DNA viruses, including herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), remains less clear. Using a combination of RNA-deep sequencing and genetic studies, we show that the γ134.5 gene product, a virus-encoded virulence factor, enables HSV growth by neutralization of RIG-I dependent restriction. When expressed in mammalian cells, HSV-1 γ134.5 targets RIG-I, which cripples cytosolic RNA sensing and subsequently suppresses antiviral gene expression. Rather than inhibition of RIG-I K63-linked ubiquitination, the γ134.5 protein precludes the assembly of RIG-I and cellular chaperone 14-3-3ε into an active complex for mitochondrial translocation. The γ134.5-mediated inhibition of RIG-I-14-3-3ε binding abrogates the access of RIG-I to mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS) and activation of interferon regulatory factor 3. As such, unlike wild type virus HSV-1, a recombinant HSV-1 in which γ134.5 is deleted elicits efficient cytokine induction and replicates poorly, while genetic ablation of RIG-I expression, but not of MDA5 expression, rescues viral growth. Collectively, these findings suggest that viral suppression of cytosolic RNA sensing is a key determinant in the evolutionary arms race of a large DNA virus and its host.

Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Lytic KSHV Infection in Human Endothelial Cells Reveals Targets of Viral Immune Modulation

Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic human virus and the leading cause of mortality in HIV infection. KSHV reactivation from latent- to lytic-stage infection initiates a cascade of viral gene expression. Here we show how these changes remodel the host cell proteome to enable viral replication. By undertaking a systematic and unbiased analysis of changes to the endothelial cell proteome following KSHV reactivation, we quantify >7,000 cellular proteins and 71 viral proteins and provide a temporal profile of protein changes during the course of lytic KSHV infection. Lytic KSHV induces >2-fold downregulation of 291 cellular proteins, including PKR, the key cellular sensor of double-stranded RNA. Despite the multiple episomes per cell, CRISPR-Cas9 efficiently targets KSHV genomes. A complementary KSHV genome-wide CRISPR genetic screen identifies K5 as the viral gene responsible for the downregulation of two KSHV targets, Nectin-2 and CD155, ligands of the NK cell DNAM-1 receptor.

The integrated stress response in pulmonary disease

The respiratory tract and its resident immune cells face daily exposure to stress, both from without and from within. Inhaled pathogens, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and toxins from pollution trigger a cellular defence system that reduces protein synthesis to minimise viral replication or the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Simultaneously, a gene expression programme enhances antioxidant and protein folding machineries in the lung. Four kinases (PERK, PKR, GCN2 and HRI) sense a diverse range of stresses to trigger this “integrated stress response”. Here we review recent advances identifying the integrated stress response as a critical pathway in the pathogenesis of pulmonary diseases, including pneumonias, thoracic malignancy, pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. Understanding the integrated stress response provides novel targets for the development of therapies.

Emerging translation strategies during virus-host interaction

Translation control is crucial during virus-host interaction. On one hand, viruses completely rely on the protein synthesis machinery of host cells to propagate and have evolved various mechanisms to redirect the host's ribosomes toward their viral mRNAs. On the other hand, the host rewires its translation program in an attempt to contain and suppress the virus early on during infection; the antiviral program includes specific control on protein synthesis to translate several antiviral mRNAs involved in quenching the infection. As the infection progresses, host translation is in turn inhibited in order to limit viral propagation. We have learnt of very diverse strategies that both parties utilize to gain or retain control over the protein synthesis machinery. Yet novel strategies continue to be discovered, attesting for the importance of mRNA translation in virus-host interaction. This review focuses on recently described translation strategies employed by both hosts and viruses. These discoveries provide additional pieces in the understanding of the complex virus-host translation landscape. This article is categorized under: Translation > Translation Mechanisms Translation > Translation Regulation.

Vaccinia Virus as a Master of Host Shutoff Induction: Targeting Processes of the Central Dogma and Beyond

The synthesis of host cell proteins is adversely inhibited in many virus infections, whereas viral proteins are efficiently synthesized. This phenomenon leads to the accumulation of viral proteins concurrently with a profound decline in global host protein synthesis, a phenomenon often termed “host shutoff”. To induce host shutoff, a virus may target various steps of gene expression, as well as pre- and post-gene expression processes. During infection, vaccinia virus (VACV), the prototype poxvirus, targets all major processes of the central dogma of genetics, as well as pre-transcription and post-translation steps to hinder host cell protein production. In this article, we review the strategies used by VACV to induce host shutoff in the context of strategies employed by other viruses. We elaborate on how VACV induces host shutoff by targeting host cell DNA synthesis, RNA production and processing, mRNA translation, and protein degradation. We emphasize the topics on VACV’s approaches toward modulating mRNA processing, stability, and translation during infection. Finally, we propose avenues for future investigations, which will facilitate our understanding of poxvirus biology, as well as fundamental cellular gene expression and regulation mechanisms.

Current Approaches for Combination Therapy of Cancer: The Role of Immunogenic Cell Death

Cell death resistance is a key feature of tumor cells. One of the main anticancer therapies is increasing the susceptibility of cells to death. Cancer cells have developed a capability of tumor immune escape. Hence, restoring the immunogenicity of cancer cells can be suggested as an effective approach against cancer. Accumulating evidence proposes that several anticancer agents provoke the release of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that are determinants of immunogenicity and stimulate immunogenic cell death (ICD). It has been suggested that ICD inducers are two different types according to their various activities. Here, we review the well-characterized DAMPs and focus on the different types of ICD inducers and recent combination therapies that can augment the immunogenicity of cancer cells.

Strategies for immune evasion by human tumor viruses

Immune evasion is a hallmark of viral persistence. For the seven human tumor viruses to establish lifelong infection in their hosts, they must successfully control the host response to them. Viral inhibition of immune responses occurs at many levels. While some viruses directly target the pattern recognition receptors (PRR) of the innate immune system, they may also antagonize downstream effectors of PRR signaling cascades or activation of transcription, which would otherwise induce a type I interferon (IFN) and/or pro-inflammatory cytokine response. Secretion of IFN activates the type I interferon receptor (IFNAR) signaling pathway, which is also prone to viral inhibition. To evade the adaptive host response, viruses also target various mechanisms including antigen processing and presentation.

Battling for Ribosomes: Translational Control at the Forefront of the Antiviral Response

In the early stages of infection, gaining control of the cellular protein synthesis machinery including its ribosomes is the ultimate combat objective for a virus. To successfully replicate, viruses unequivocally need to usurp and redeploy this machinery for translation of their own mRNA. In response, the host triggers global shutdown of translation while paradoxically allowing swift synthesis of antiviral proteins as a strategy to limit collateral damage. This fundamental conflict at the level of translational control defines the outcome of infection. As part of this special issue on molecular mechanisms of early virus-host cell interactions, we review the current state of knowledge regarding translational control during viral infection with specific emphasis on protein kinase RNA-activated and mammalian target of rapamycin-mediated mechanisms. We also describe recent technological advances that will allow unprecedented insight into how viruses and host cells battle for ribosomes.

The Immunomodulatory Capacity of an Epstein-Barr Virus Abortive Lytic Cycle: Potential Contribution to Viral Tumorigenesis

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is characterized by a bipartite life cycle in which latent and lytic stages are alternated. Latency is compatible with long-lasting persistency within the infected host, while lytic expression, preferentially found in oropharyngeal epithelial tissue, is thought to favor host-to-host viral dissemination. The clinical importance of EBV relates to its association with cancer, which we think is mainly a consequence of the latency/persistency mechanisms. However, studies in murine models of tumorigenesis/lymphomagenesis indicate that the lytic cycle also contributes to cancer formation. Indeed, EBV lytic expression is often observed in established cell lines and tumor biopsies. Within the lytic cycle EBV expresses a handful of immunomodulatory (BCRF1, BARF1, BNLF2A, BGLF5 & BILF1) and anti-apoptotic (BHRF1 & BALF1) proteins. In this review, we discuss the evidence supporting an abortive lytic cycle in which these lytic genes are expressed, and how the immunomodulatory mechanisms of EBV and related herpesviruses Kaposi Sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) result in paracrine signals that feed tumor cells. An abortive lytic cycle would reconcile the need of lytic expression for viral tumorigenesis without relaying in a complete cycle that would induce cell lysis to release the newly formed infective viral particles.

KSHV inhibits stress granule formation by viral ORF57 blocking PKR activation

TIA-1 positive stress granules (SG) represent the storage sites of stalled mRNAs and are often associated with the cellular antiviral response. In this report, we provide evidence that Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) overcomes the host antiviral response by inhibition of SG formation via a viral lytic protein ORF57. By immunofluorescence analysis, we found that B lymphocytes with KSHV lytic infection are refractory to SG induction. KSHV ORF57, an essential post-transcriptional regulator of viral gene expression and the production of new viral progeny, inhibits SG formation induced experimentally by arsenite and poly I:C, but not by heat stress. KSHV ORF37 (vSOX) bearing intrinsic endoribonuclease activity also inhibits arsenite-induced SG formation, but KSHV RTA, vIRF-2, ORF45, ORF59 and LANA exert no such function. ORF57 binds both PKR-activating protein (PACT) and protein kinase R (PKR) through their RNA-binding motifs and prevents PACT-PKR interaction in the PKR pathway which inhibits KSHV production. Consistently, knocking down PKR expression significantly promotes KSHV virion production. ORF57 interacts with PKR to inhibit PKR binding dsRNA and its autophosphorylation, leading to inhibition of eIF2α phosphorylation and SG formation. Homologous protein HSV-1 ICP27, but not EBV EB2, resembles KSHV ORF57 in the ability to block the PKR/eIF2α/SG pathway. In addition, KSHV ORF57 inhibits poly I:C-induced TLR3 phosphorylation. Altogether, our data provide the first evidence that KSHV ORF57 plays a role in modulating PKR/eIF2α/SG axis and enhances virus production during virus lytic infection.

Human Herpesvirus 6A Exhibits Restrictive Propagation with Limited Activation of the Protein Kinase R-eIF2α Stress Pathway

The eIF2α protein plays a critical role in the regulation of translation. The production of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) during viral replication can activate protein kinase R (PKR), which phosphorylates eIF2α, leading to inhibition of the initial step of translation. Many viruses have evolved gene products targeting the PKR-eIF2a pathway, indicating its importance in antiviral defense. In the present study, we focused on alternations of PKR-eIF2a pathway during human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) infection while monitoring viral gene expression and infectious viral yields. We have found increased phosphorylated PKR as well as phosphorylated eIF2α coincident with accumulation of the late gp82-105 viral protein. The level of total PKR was relatively constant, but it decreased by 144 h postinfection. The phosphorylation of eIF2a led to a moderate increase in activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) accumulation, indicating moderate inhibition of protein translation during HHV-6A infection. The overexpression of PKR led to decreased viral propagation coincident with increased accumulation of phosphorylated PKR and phosphorylated eIF2a. Moreover, addition of a dominant negative PKR mutant resulted in a moderate increase in viral replication. HHV-6A exhibits relatively low efficiency of propagation of progeny virus secreted into the culture medium. This study suggests that the replicative strategy of HHV-6A involves a mild infection over a lengthy life cycle in culture, while preventing severe activation of the PKR-eIF2α pathway.

IMPORTANCE Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) and HHV-6B are common, widely prevalent viruses, causing from mild to severe disease. Our study focused on the PKR-eIF2α stress pathway, which limits viral replication. The HHV-6 genome carries multiple genes transcribed from the two strands, predicting accumulation of dsRNAs which can activate PKR and inhibition of protein synthesis. We report that HHV-6A induced the accumulation of phosphorylated PKR and phosphorylated eIF2α and a moderate increase of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), which is known to transcribe stress genes. Overexpression of PKR led to increased eIF2α phosphorylation and decreased viral replication, whereas overexpression of a dominant negative PKR mutant resulted in a moderate increase in viral replication. These results suggest that the HHV-6A replication strategy involves restricted activation of the PKR-eIF2α pathway, partial translation inhibition, and lower yields of infectious virus. In essence, HHV-6A limits its own replication due to the inability to bypass the eIF2α phosphorylation.

Modulation of the Translational Landscape During Herpesvirus Infection

Herpesviral mRNAs are produced and translated by cellular machinery, rendering them susceptible to the network of regulatory events that impact translation. In response, these viruses have evolved to infiltrate and hijack translational control pathways as well as to integrate specialized host translation strategies into their own repertoire. They are robust systems to dissect mechanisms of mammalian translational regulation and continue to offer insight into cis-acting mRNA features that impact assembly and activity of the translation apparatus. Here, I discuss recent advances revealing the extent to which the three herpesvirus subfamilies regulate both host and viral translation, thereby dramatically impacting the landscape of protein synthesis in infected cells.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 virion-derived US11 inhibits type 1 interferon-induced protein kinase R phosphorylation

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) VRTK(-) strain that was previously isolated in our laboratory as an acyclovir-resistant thymidine kinase (TK)-deficient mutant, is more sensitive to type 1 interferon than is the parent strain VR3. The properties of this mutant were investigated to clarify the mechanism for its hyper-sensitivity to interferon (IFN). It was found that: (i) IFN-pretreated cells, but not those treated with IFN after adsorption, are hyper-sensitive to IFN; (ii) the mutant cannot inhibit protein kinase R phosphorylation efficiently during the early stage of replication (2 hrs post-infection); (iii) expression of US11 in infected cells and its incorporation into the virion is reduced in the mutant compared to the wild type, despite the fact that a similar degree of DNA synthesis occurs during replication of both strains and; (iv) over-expression of wild-type viral TK has no effect on the phenotype of the VRTK(-) strain, indicating that the phenotype is induced by a mutation(s) that does not involve the TK gene. These results suggested that the presence of US11 in the virion, but not that expressed after infection, plays an important role in the escape function of HSV-1 from the antiviral activity of type 1 IFN.

Human bocavirus VP2 upregulates IFN-β pathway by inhibiting ring finger protein 125-mediated ubiquitination of retinoic acid-inducible gene-I

Precise regulation of innate immunity is crucial for maintaining optimal immune responses against infections. Whereas positive regulation of IFN signaling elicits rapid type I IFNs, negative regulation is equally important in preventing the production of superfluous IFNs that can be hazardous to the host. The positive regulators of IFN pathway are known to be the main targets of viruses to antagonize the innate immune system. Whether viruses target the negative regulators of IFN pathway remains to be fully investigated. In this study, we report that the structural protein VP2 of human Bocavirus modulates IFN pathway by targeting the ring finger protein 125 (RNF125), a negative regulator of type I IFN signaling, which conjugates Lys(48)-linked ubiquitination to retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) and subsequently leads to the proteasome-dependent degradation of RIG-I. VP2 not only upregulated Sendai virus (SeV)-induced IFNB promoter activity, but also enhanced SeV-induced IFN-β production at both mRNA and protein levels. In agreement, the level of Ser(396)-phosphorylated IFN regulatory factor 3 stimulated by SeV was enhanced in the presence of VP2. Furthermore, VP2 was demonstrated to physically interact with RNF125, resulting in the reduction of RNF125-mediated ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation of RIG-I. Additional study indicated that endogenous RIG-I degradation was decreased in VP2-expressing cells. Our study delineates a unique phenomenon for aberrant activation of IFN regulatory factor 3 pathway and may represent a new mechanism underlying viral manipulation of the host immune system.

Antagonism of the protein kinase R pathway by the guinea pig cytomegalovirus US22-family gene gp145

Viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) activates protein kinase R (PKR), which phosphorylates eIF2α and inhibits translation. In response, viruses have evolved various strategies to evade the antiviral impact of PKR. We investigated whether guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV), a useful model of congenital CMV infection, encodes a gene that interferes with the PKR pathway. Using a proteomic screen, we identified several GPCMV dsRNA-binding proteins, among which only gp145 rescued replication of a vaccinia virus mutant that lacks E3L. gp145 also reversed the inhibitory effects of PKR on expression of a cotransfected reporter gene. Mapping studies demonstrated that the gp145 dsRNA-binding domain has homology to the PKR antagonists of other CMVs. However, dsRNA-binding by gp145 is not sufficient for it to block PKR. gp145 differs from the PKR antagonists of murine CMV in that it functions alone and from those encoded by human CMV in functioning in cells from both primates and rodents.

The many roles of the highly interactive HSV protein ICP27, a key regulator of infection

Human herpes viruses cause an array of illnesses ranging from cancers for Epstein?Barr virus and Kaposi?s sarcoma-associated herpes virus, to painful skin lesions, and more rarely, keratitis and encephalitis for HSV. All herpes viruses encode a multifunctional protein, typified by HSV ICP27, which plays essential roles in viral infection. ICP27 functions in all stages of mRNA biogenesis from transcription, RNA processing and export through to translation. ICP27 has also been implicated in nuclear protein quality control, cell cycle control, activation of stress signaling pathways and prevention of apoptosis. ICP27 interacts with many proteins and it binds RNA. This article focuses on how ICP27 performs its many roles and highlights similarities with its homologs, which could be targets for antiviral intervention.

Viral strategies for the evasion of immunogenic cell death

Viral strategies for the evasion of immunogenic cell death (Symposium). J Intern Med 2010; 267: 526-542. Driven by co-evolutionary forces, viruses have refined a wide arsenal of strategies to interfere with the host defences. On one hand, viruses can block/retard programmed cell death in infected cells, thereby suppressing one of the most ancient mechanisms against viral dissemination. On the other hand, multiple viral factors can efficiently trigger the death of infected cells and uninfected cells from the immune system, which favours viral spreading and prevents/limits an active antiviral response, respectively. Moreover, several viruses are able to inhibit the molecular machinery that drives the translocation of calreticulin to the surface of dying cells. Thereby, viruses block the exposure of an engulfment signal that is required for the efficient uptake of dying cells by dendritic cells and for the induction of the immune response. In this review, we discuss a variety of mechanisms by which viruses interfere with the cell death machinery and, in particular, by which they subvert immunogenic cell death.

dsRNA and the innate antiviral immune response

Innate immunity is the first line of defense against viral infections. It is based on a mechanism of sensing pathogen-associated molecular patterns through host germline-encoded pattern recognition receptors. dsRNA is arguably the most important viral pathogen-associated molecular pattern due to its expression by almost all viruses at some point during their replicative cycle. Viral dsRNA has been studied for over 55 years, first as a toxin, then as a type I interferon inducer, a viral mimetic and an immunomodulator for therapeutic purposes. This article will focus on dsRNA, its structure, generation (both endogenous and viral), host sensing mechanisms and induction of type I interferons. The possible therapeutic applications of these findings will also be discussed. The goal of this article is to give an overview of these mechanisms, highlighting novel findings, while providing a historical perspective.

Rapamycin-resistant mTORC1 kinase activity is required for herpesvirus replication

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been shown to activate the mTORC1 signaling pathway. However, the phosphorylation of mTORC1 targets is differentially sensitive to the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin, and the drug inhibits HCMV replication to a modest extent. Using Torin1, a newly developed inhibitor that targets the catalytic site of mTOR kinase, we show that HCMV replication requires both rapamycin-sensitive and rapamycin-resistant mTOR activity. The treatment of infected cells with Torin1 inhibits the phosphorylation of rapamycin-sensitive and rapamycin-resistant mTOR targets and markedly blocks the production of virus progeny. The blockade of mTOR signaling with Torin1, but not rapamycin, disrupts the assembly of the eIF4F complex and increases the association of the translational repressor 4EBP1 to the 7-methylguanosine cap-binding complex. Torin1 does not affect HCMV entry and only modestly reduces the accumulation of the immediate-early and early viral proteins that were tested despite the disruption of the eIF4F complex. In contrast, Torin1 significantly decreases the accumulation of viral DNA and the pUL99 viral late protein. Similar mTOR signaling events were observed during murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection, and we utilized murine fibroblasts containing several different mutations to dissect the mechanism by which Torin1 inhibits MCMV replication. This approach demonstrated that mTORC2 and the Akt1 and Akt2 kinases are not required for the Torin1-mediated inhibition of cytomegalovirus replication. The inhibition of MCMV replication by Torin1 was rescued in cells lacking 4EBP1, demonstrating that the inactivation of 4EBP1 by mTORC1 is critical for cytomegalovirus replication. Finally, we show that Torin1 inhibits the replication of representative members of the alpha-, beta-, and gammaherpesvirus families, demonstrating the potential of mTOR kinase inhibitors as broad-spectrum antiviral agents.

Viral strategies to subvert the mammalian translation machinery

Viruses do not carry their own protein biosynthesis machinery and the translation of viral proteins therefore requires that the virus usurps the machinery of the host cell. To allow optimal translation of viral proteins at the expense of cellular proteins, virus families have evolved a variety of methods to repress the host translation machinery, while allowing effective viral protein synthesis. Many viruses use noncanonical mechanisms that permit translation of their own RNAs under these conditions. Viruses have also developed mechanisms to evade host innate immune responses that would repress translation under conditions of viral infection, in particular PKR activation in response to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Importantly, the study of viral translation mechanisms has enormously enhanced our understanding of many aspects of the cellular protein biosynthesis pathway and its components. A number of unusual mechanisms of translation initiation that were first discovered in viruses have since been observed in cellular mRNAs, and it has become apparent that a diverse range of translation mechanisms operates in eukaryotes, allowing subtle regulation of this essential process.

Tipping the balance: antagonism of PKR kinase and ADAR1 deaminase functions by virus gene products

The protein kinase regulated by RNA (PKR) and the adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR1) are interferon-inducible enzymes that play important roles in biologic processes including the antiviral actions of interferons, signal transduction, and apoptosis. PKR catalyzes the RNA-dependent phosphorylation of protein synthesis initiation factor eIF-2 alpha, thereby leading to altered translational patterns in interferon-treated and virus-infected cells. PKR also modulates signal transduction responses, including the induction of interferon. ADAR1 catalyzes the deamination of adenosine (A) to generate inosine (I) in RNAs with double-stranded character. Because I is recognized as G instead of A, A-to-I editing by ADAR1 can lead to genetic recoding and altered RNA structures. The importance of PKR and ADAR1 in innate antiviral immunity is illustrated by a number of viruses that encode either RNA or protein viral gene products that antagonize PKR and ADAR1 enzymatic activity, localization, or stability.

Autophagy as an emerging dimension to adaptive and innate immunity

Autophagy is an evolutionary conserved cellular process during which cytoplasmic material is engulfed in double membrane vacuoles that then fuse with lysosomes, ultimately degrading their cargo. Emerging evidence, however, now suggests that autophagy can form part of our innate and adaptive immune defense programs. Recent studies have identified pattern recognition molecules as mediators of this process and shown that intracellular pathogens can interact with and even manipulate autophagy. Recent translational evidence has also implicated autophagy in the pathogenesis of several immune-mediated diseases, including Crohn disease. In this review, we present autophagy in the context of its role as an immune system component and effector and speculate on imminent and future research directions in this field.

Modulation of innate immune signalling pathways by viral proteins

In recent years an explosion of information on the various strategies viruses employ to penetrate and hijack the host cell has led to an increased understanding of both viruses themselves and the host immune response. Despite their simplicity viruses have evolved a number of strategies to not only evade the host immune response but also modulate immune signalling to favour their replication and survival within the cell. The innate immune response provides the host with an early reaction against viruses. This response relies heavily upon the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by a number of host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), leading to activation of innate signalling pathways and altered gene expression. In this chapter we outline the signalling pathways that respond to viral infection and the various methods that viruses utilize to evade detection and modulate the innate immune response to favour their survival.

Regulation of translation initiation by herpesviruses

Viruses are dependent upon the host cell protein synthesis machinery, thus they have developed a range of strategies to manipulate host translation to favour viral protein synthesis. Consequently, the study of viral translation has been a powerful tool for illuminating many aspects of cellular translational control. Although much work to date has focused on translational regulation by RNA viruses, DNA viruses have also evolved complex mechanisms to regulate protein synthesis. Here we summarize work on a large family of DNA viruses, the Herpesviridae, which have evolved mechanisms to sustain efficient cap-dependent translation and to regulate the translation of specific viral mRNAs.

Interferons and viruses: an interplay between induction, signalling, antiviral responses and virus countermeasures

The interferon (IFN) system is an extremely powerful antiviral response that is capable of controlling most, if not all, virus infections in the absence of adaptive immunity. However, viruses can still replicate and cause disease in vivo, because they have some strategy for at least partially circumventing the IFN response. We reviewed this topic in 2000 [Goodbourn, S., Didcock, L. & Randall, R. E. (2000). J Gen Virol 81, 2341-2364] but, since then, a great deal has been discovered about the molecular mechanisms of the IFN response and how different viruses circumvent it. This information is of fundamental interest, but may also have practical application in the design and manufacture of attenuated virus vaccines and the development of novel antiviral drugs. In the first part of this review, we describe how viruses activate the IFN system, how IFNs induce transcription of their target genes and the mechanism of action of IFN-induced proteins with antiviral action. In the second part, we describe how viruses circumvent the IFN response. Here, we reflect upon possible consequences for both the virus and host of the different strategies that viruses have evolved and discuss whether certain viruses have exploited the IFN response to modulate their life cycle (e.g. to establish and maintain persistent/latent infections), whether perturbation of the IFN response by persistent infections can lead to chronic disease, and the importance of the IFN system as a species barrier to virus infections. Lastly, we briefly describe applied aspects that arise from an increase in our knowledge in this area, including vaccine design and manufacture, the development of novel antiviral drugs and the use of IFN-sensitive oncolytic viruses in the treatment of cancer.

Autophagy and antiviral immunity

Autophagy is an ancient pathway designed to maintain cellular homeostasis by degrading long-lived proteins and organelles in the cytosol. Recent studies demonstrate that autophagy is utilized by the cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems to combat viral infections. Autophagy plays a key role in recognizing signatures of viral infection, and represents a critical effector mechanism to restrict viral replication. On the other hand, autophagosomes have been exploited by certain viruses as a niche for viral replication. Furthermore, autophagy can be used to deliver endogenous viral antigens to the MHC class II loading compartment, allowing activation of CD4 T cells. In this review, we describe recent advances in the field of autophagy as it relates to innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses.

The dsRNA protein kinase PKR: virus and cell control

The IFN-induced double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) is one of the four mammalian serine-threonine kinases (the three others being HRI, GCN2 and PERK) that phosphorylate the eIF2 alpha translation initiation factor, in response to stress signals, mainly as a result of viral infections. eIF2 alpha phosphorylation results in arrest of translation of both cellular and viral mRNAs, an efficient way to inhibit virus replication. The particularity of PKR is to activate by binding to dsRNA through two N terminal dsRNA binding motifs (dsRBM). PKR activation during a viral infection represents a threat for several viruses, which have therefore evolved to express PKR inhibitors, such as the Vaccinia E3L and K3L proteins. The function of PKR can also be regulated by cellular proteins, either positively (RAX/PACT; Mda7) or negatively (p58IPK, TRBP, nucleophosmin, Hsp90/70). PKR can provoke apoptosis, in part through its ability to control protein translation, but the situation appears to be more complex, as NF-kappaB, ATF-3 and p53 have also been implicated. PKR-induced apoptosis involves mainly the FADD/caspase 8 pathway, while the mitochondrial APAF/caspase 9 pathway is also engaged. As a consequence of the effects of PKR on translation, transcription and apoptosis, PKR can function to control cell growth and cell differentiation, and its activity can be controlled by the action of several oncogenes.

Impact of protein kinase PKR in cell biology: from antiviral to antiproliferative action

The double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR is a critical mediator of the antiproliferative and antiviral effects exerted by interferons. Not only is PKR an effector molecule on the cellular response to double-stranded RNA, but it also integrates signals in response to Toll-like receptor activation, growth factors, and diverse cellular stresses. In this review, we provide a detailed picture on how signaling downstream of PKR unfolds and what are the ultimate consequences for the cell fate. PKR activation affects both transcription and translation. PKR phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 results in a blockade on translation initiation. However, PKR cannot avoid the translation of some cellular and viral mRNAs bearing special features in their 5' untranslated regions. In addition, PKR affects diverse transcriptional factors such as interferon regulatory factor 1, STATs, p53, activating transcription factor 3, and NF-kappaB. In particular, how PKR triggers a cascade of events involving IKK phosphorylation of IkappaB and NF-kappaB nuclear translocation has been intensively studied. At the cellular and organism levels PKR exerts antiproliferative effects, and it is a key antiviral agent. A point of convergence in both effects is that PKR activation results in apoptosis induction. The extent and strength of the antiviral action of PKR are clearly understood by the findings that unrelated viral proteins of animal viruses have evolved to inhibit PKR action by using diverse strategies. The case for the pathological consequences of the antiproliferative action of PKR is less understood, but therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting PKR are beginning to offer promising results.

Inhibition of cellular 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase by the herpes simplex virus type 1 Us11 protein

Among the many host genes induced by virus infection and interferon, the eIF2alpha protein kinase PKR and the 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) are both activated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) produced in virus-infected cells. Furthermore, each is a critical component that independently acts to inhibit virus replication and thereby contributes to the establishment of an antiviral state. As part of their tactics to foil host defense mechanisms, some viruses prevent the induction of interferon-responsive genes at the level of transcription. Other viruses, such as herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), can additionally replicate in interferon-treated cells and must also evade the actions of host defense proteins such as PKR and OAS that have been previously synthesized and merely await detection of an activating signal. Whereas HSV-1 gene products gamma(1)34.5 and Us11 are required for viral replication in interferon-treated cells and both act in a temporally coordinated manner during infection to counteract PKR, HSV-1 functions that target OAS have not been described. Here, we demonstrate that HSV-1 infection inhibits 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthesis in interferon-stimulated primary human cells. The OAS-inhibiting activity is generated late in the virus' productive life cycle and requires the Us11 gene product. Moreover, we establish that the Us11 protein is sufficient to block OAS activation in extracts from uninfected, interferon-treated cells. Inhibition of OAS specifically requires the Us11 dsRNA-binding domain, suggesting a mechanism that, in part, relies on sequestering available dsRNA produced during infection. Thus, in addition to PKR and its protein activator, PACT, the HSV-1 Us11 gene product is able to counteract the activity of OAS, a third cellular protein critical for host defense.

Double-stranded RNA binding by a heterodimeric complex of murine cytomegalovirus m142 and m143 proteins

In response to viral infection, cells activate a variety of antiviral responses, including several that are triggered by double-stranded (ds) RNA. Among these are the protein kinase R and oligoadenylate synthetase/RNase L pathways, both of which result in the shutoff of protein synthesis. Many viruses, including human cytomegalovirus, encode dsRNA-binding proteins that prevent the activation of these pathways and thereby enable continued protein synthesis and viral replication. We have extended these analyses to another member of the beta subfamily of herpesviruses, murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), and now report that products of the m142 and m143 genes together bind dsRNA. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that these two proteins interact in infected cells, consistent with their previously reported colocalization. Jointly, but not individually, the proteins rescue replication of a vaccinia virus mutant with a deletion of the dsRNA-binding protein gene E3L (VVDeltaE3L). Like the human cytomegalovirus dsRNA-binding protein genes TRS1 and IRS1, m142 and m143 are members of the US22 gene family. We also found that two other members of the MCMV US22 family, M23 and M24, encode dsRNA-binding proteins, but they do not rescue VVDeltaE3L replication. These results reveal that MCMV, like many other viruses, encodes dsRNA-binding proteins, at least two of which can inhibit dsRNA-activated antiviral pathways. However, unlike other well-studied examples, the MCMV proteins appear to act in a heterodimeric complex.

Assembly of an active translation initiation factor complex by a viral protein

Recruitment of the 40S ribosome to the 5' end of a eukaryotic mRNA requires assembly of translation initiation factors eIF4E, the cap-binding protein, together with eIF4A and eIF4G into a complex termed eIF4F. While the translational repressor 4E-BP1 regulates binding of eIF4E to eIF4G, the forces required to construct an eIF4F complex remain unidentified. Here, we establish that the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) ICP6 polypeptide associates with eIF4G to promote eIF4F complex assembly. Strikingly, release of eIF4E from the 4E-BP1 repressor is insufficient to drive complex formation, suggesting that ICP6 is an eIF4F-assembly chaperone. This is the first example of a translation initiation factor-associated protein that promotes active complex assembly and defines a new, controllable step in the initiation of translation. Homology of the N-terminal, eIF4G-binding segment of ICP6 with cellular chaperones suggest that factors capable of interacting with eIF4G and promoting eIF4F complex assembly may play important roles in a variety of processes where translation complexes need to be remodeled or assembled on populations of newly synthesized or derepressed mRNAs, including development, differentiation, and the response to a broad spectrum of environmental cues.

Inhibition of PKR by RNA and DNA viruses

Interferons were the first of the anti-viral innate immune modulators to be characterized, initially characterized solely as anti-viral proteins [reviewed in Le Page, C., Genin, P., Baines, M.G., Hiscott, J., 2000. Inteferon activation and innate immunity. Rev. Immunogenet. 2, 374-386]. As we have progressed in our understanding of the interferons they have taken a more central role in our understanding of innate immunity and its interplay with the adaptive immune response. One of the key players in function of interferon is the interferon-inducible enzyme, protein kinase (PKR, activatable by RNA). The key role played by PKR in the innate response to virus infection is emphasized by the large number of viruses, DNA viruses as well as RNA viruses, whose hosts range from insects to humans, that code for PKR inhibitors. In this review we will first describe activation of PKR and then describe the myriad of ways that viruses inhibit function of PKR.

Protection from interferon-induced apoptosis by Epstein-Barr virus small RNAs is not mediated by inhibition of PKR

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) EBER transcripts are small, highly structured RNAs able to bind to and inhibit activation of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR in cell-free systems, and within latently infected B-cell lines they inhibit alpha interferon-induced apoptosis that is believed to be mediated through PKR. Here, we address the consequences of EBER expression for PKR activation in vivo in response to alpha interferon. In agreement with published findings, either EBV infection or the EBERs alone protected Burkitt lymphoma cells from alpha-interferon-induced apoptosis. However, utilizing multiple phosphorylation state-specific antibodies to monitor PKR activation within cells in response to interferon, we demonstrate that the EBERs are unable to inhibit phosphorylation of either cytoplasmic or nuclear PKR. Concordantly, a direct substrate of PKR, the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2alpha), was equally phosphorylated in EBV-positive and EBV-negative cells following interferon treatment. Therefore, EBER inhibition of alpha-interferon-induced apoptosis, and potentially other PKR-mediated events, is unlikely to be mediated through direct inhibition of PKR, as previously thought.

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events that regulate viral mRNA translation

As they are completely dependent upon the protein synthesis machinery resident in the cells of their host to translate their mRNAs, it is imperative that viruses are able to effectively manipulate the elaborate cellular regulatory network that controls translation. Indeed, this exquisite dependence on host functions has made viral models attractive systems to explore translational regulatory mechanisms operative in eukaryotic cells. Central among these are an intricate array of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events that have far reaching consequences on the activity of cellular translation factors. Not only do these modulate the activity of a given factor, but they can also determine if the translation of host proteins persists in infected cells, the efficiency with which viral mRNAs are translated and the outcome of a systemic host anti-viral response. In this review, we discuss how various viruses manipulate the phosphorylation state of key cellular translation factors, illustrating the critical nature these interactions play in virus replication, pathogenesis and innate host defense.

Binding of herpes simplex virus-1 US11 to specific RNA sequences

Herpes simplex virus-1 US11 is a RNA-binding protein with a novel RNA-binding domain. US11 has been reported to exhibit sequence- and conformation-specific RNA-binding, but the sequences and conformations important for binding are not known. US11 has also been described as a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-binding protein. To investigate the US11-RNA interaction, we performed in vitro selection of RNA aptamers that bind US11 from a RNA library consisting of >10(14) 80 base sequences which differ in a 30 base randomized region. US11 bound specifically to selected aptamers with an affinity of 70 nM. Analysis of 23 selected sequences revealed a strong consensus sequence. The US11 RNA-binding domain and < or =46 bases of selected RNA containing the consensus sequence were each sufficient for binding. US11 binding protected the consensus motif from hydroxyl radical cleavage. RNase digestions of a selected aptamer revealed regions of both single-stranded RNA and dsRNA. We observed that US11 bound two different dsRNAs in a sequence non-specific manner, but with lower affinity than it bound selected aptamers. The results define a relatively short specific sequence that binds US11 with high affinity and indicate that dsRNA alone does not confer high-affinity binding.

The Epstein-Barr virus BILF1 gene encodes a G protein-coupled receptor that inhibits phosphorylation of RNA-dependent protein kinase

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with many lymphoproliferative diseases, such as infectious mononucleosis and Burkitt's lymphoma. Consequently, EBV is one of the most extensively studied herpesviruses. Surprisingly, a putative G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) gene of EBV, BILF1, has hitherto escaped attention, yet BILF1-like genes are conserved among all known lymphocryptovirus species, suggesting that they play a pivotal role in viral infection. To determine the function of EBV BILF1, the activity of this gene and its products was studied. BILF1-specific mRNA was detected in various EBV-positive cell types and found to be expressed predominantly during the immediate early and early phases of infection in vitro. Interestingly, in COS-7 cells transfected with BILF1 expression constructs, a decrease in forskolin-induced CRE-mediated transcription was measured, as well as an increase in NF-kappaB-mediated transcription. In contrast, CRE-mediated transcription was increased in EBV-positive Burkitt's lymphoma cells as well as EBV-positive lymphoblastoid B cells transfected with BILF1, whereas NF-kappaB-mediated transcription levels remained unaffected in these cells. All observed activities were sensitive to treatment with pertussis toxin, indicating that the BILF1-encoded protein mediates these activities by coupling to G proteins of the G(i/o) class. Finally, reduced levels of phosphorylated RNA-dependent antiviral protein kinase were observed in COS-7 and Burkitt's lymphoma cells transfected with BILF1. Neither of the observed effects required a ligand to interact with the BILF1 gene product, suggesting that BILF1 encodes a constitutively active GPCR capable of modulating various intracellular signaling pathways.

Viral appropriation of apoptotic and NF-kappaB signaling pathways

Viruses utilize a variety of strategies to evade the host immune response and replicate in the cells they infect. The comparatively large genomes of the Orthopoxviruses and gammaherpesviruses encode several immunomodulatory proteins that are homologous to component of the innate immune system of host cells, which are reviewed here. However, the viral mechanisms used to survive host responses are quite distinct between these two virus families. Poxviruses undergo continuous lytic replication in the host cytoplasm while expressing many genes that inhibit innate immune responses. In contrast, herpesviruses persist in a latent state during much of their lifecycle while expressing only a limited number of relatively non-immunogenic viral proteins, thereby avoiding the adaptive immune response. Poxviruses suppress, whereas latent gammaherpesviruses activate, signaling by NF-kappaB, yet both viruses target similar host signaling pathways to suppress the apoptotic response. Here, modulation of apoptotic and NF-kappaB signal transduction pathways are examined as examples of common pathways appropriated in contrasting ways by herpesviruses and poxviruses.

Full resistance of herpes simplex virus type 1-infected primary human cells to alpha interferon requires both the Us11 and gamma(1)34.5 gene products

The gamma(1)34.5 gene product is important for the resistance of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) to interferon. However, since the inhibition of protein synthesis observed in cells infected with a gamma(1)34.5 mutant virus results from the combined loss of the gamma(1)34.5 gene product and the failure to translate the late Us11 mRNA, we sought to characterize the relative interferon sensitivity of mutants unable to produce either the Us11 or the gamma(1)34.5 polypeptide. We now demonstrate that primary human cells infected with a Us11 mutant virus are hypersensitive to alpha interferon, arresting translation upon entry into the late phase of the viral life cycle. Furthermore, immediate-early expression of Us11 by a gamma(1)34.5 deletion mutant is sufficient to render translation resistant to alpha interferon. Finally, we establish that the Us11 gene product is required for wild-type levels of replication in alpha interferon-treated cells and, along with the gamma(1)34.5 gene, is an HSV-1-encoded interferon resistance determinant.

Neutralizing innate host defenses to control viral translation in HSV-1 infected cells

Lytic replication of many viruses activates an innate host response designed to prevent the completion of the viral lifecycle, thus impeding the spread of the infection. One branch of the host's complex reaction functions to incapacitate the cellular translational machinery on which the synthesis of viral polypeptides completely depends. This is achieved through the activation of specific protein kinases that phosphorylate eIF2 on its alpha subunit and inactivate this critical translation initiation factor. However, as continued synthesis of viral proteins is required to assemble the viral progeny necessary to transmit the infection to neighboring cells, viruses have developed a variety of strategies to counter this cellular response. Genetic and biochemical studies with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) have revealed that the virus produces at least two discrete products at different times during its replicative program that act to prevent the accumulation of phosphorylated eIF2alpha. The gamma(1)34.5 gene product is expressed first, encoding a regulatory subunit that binds the cellular protein phosphatase 1alpha and regenerates pools of active eIF2 by removing the inhibitory phosphate from the alpha subunit. The second function, encoded by the product of the Us11 gene, specifies a double-stranded RNA-binding protein that prevents activation of PKR, a cellular eIF2alpha kinase. Together, both proteins cooperate to overcome the antiviral response of the host and properly regulate translation in HSV-1-infected cells.

Evasion of cellular antiviral responses by human cytomegalovirus TRS1 and IRS1

During infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), cellular protein synthesis continues even as viral proteins are being synthesized in abundance. Thus, HCMV may have a mechanism for counteracting host cell antiviral pathways that act by shutting off translation. Consistent with this view, HCMV infection of human fibroblasts rescues the replication of a vaccinia virus mutant lacking the double-stranded RNA-binding protein gene E3L (VVdeltaE3L). HCMV also prevents the phosphorylation of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF-2alpha, the activation of RNase L, and the shutoff of viral and cellular protein synthesis that otherwise result from VVdeltaE3L infection. To identify the HCMV gene(s) responsible for these effects, we prepared a library of VVdeltaE3L recombinants containing HCMV genomic fragments. By infecting nonpermissive cells with this library and screening for VV gene expression and replication, we isolated a virus containing a 2.8-kb HCMV fragment that rescues replication of VVdeltaE3L. The fragment comprises the 3' end of the J1S open reading frame through the entire TRS1 gene. Analyses of additional VVdeltaE3L recombinants revealed that the protein encoded by TRS1, pTRS1, as well as the closely related IRS1 gene, rescues VVdeltaE3L replication and prevent the shutoff of protein synthesis, the phosphorylation of eIF-2alpha, and activation of RNase L. These results demonstrate that TRS1 and IRS1 are able to counteract critical host cell antiviral response pathways.

Regulation of eIF2alpha phosphorylation by different functions that act during discrete phases in the herpes simplex virus type 1 life cycle

Multiple herpes simplex virus type 1 functions control translation by regulating phosphorylation of the initiation factor eIF2 on its alpha subunit. Both of the two known regulators, the gamma(1)34.5 and Us11 gene products, are produced late in the viral life cycle, although the gamma(1)34.5 gene is expressed prior to the gamma(2) Us11 gene, as gamma(2) genes require viral DNA replication for their expression while gamma(1) genes do not. The gamma(1)34.5 protein, through a GADD34-related domain, binds a cellular phosphatase (PP1alpha), maintaining pools of active, unphosphorylated eIF2. Infection of a variety of cultured cells with a gamma(1)34.5 mutant virus results in the accumulation of phosphorylated eIF2alpha and the inhibition of translation prior to the completion of the viral lytic program. Ectopic, immediate-early Us11 expression prevents eIF2alpha phosphorylation and the inhibition of translation observed in cells infected with a gamma(1)34.5 mutant by inhibiting activation of the cellular kinase PKR and the subsequent phosphorylation of eIF2alpha; however, a requirement for the Us11 protein, produced in its natural context as a gamma(2) polypeptide, remains to be demonstrated. To determine if Us11 regulates late translation, we generated two Us11 null viruses. In cells infected with a Us11 mutant, elevated levels of activated PKR and phosphorylated eIF2alpha were detected, viral translation rates were reduced 6- to 7-fold, and viral replication was reduced 13-fold compared to replication in cells infected with either wild-type virus or a virus in which the Us11 mutation was repaired. This establishes that the Us11 protein is critical for proper late translation rates. Moreover, it demonstrates that the shutoff of protein synthesis observed in cells infected with a gamma(1)34.5 mutant virus, previously ascribed solely to the gamma(1)34.5 mutation, actually results from the combined loss of gamma(1)34.5 and Us11 functions, as the gamma(2) Us11 mRNA is not translated in cells infected with a gamma(1)34.5 mutant.

Association of the herpes simplex virus type 1 Us11 gene product with the cellular kinesin light-chain-related protein PAT1 results in the redistribution of both polypeptides

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) Us11 gene encodes a multifunctional double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-binding protein that is expressed late in infection and packaged into the tegument layer of the virus particle. As a tegument component, Us11 associates with nascent capsids after its synthesis late in the infectious cycle and is delivered into newly infected cells at times prior to the expression of viral genes. Us11 is also an abundant late protein that regulates translation through its association with host components and contains overlapping nucleolar retention and nuclear export signals, allowing its accumulation in both nucleoli and the cytosol. Thus, at various times during the viral life cycle and in different intracellular compartments, Us11 has the potential to execute discrete tasks. The analysis of these functions, however, is complicated by the fact that Us11 is not essential for viral replication in cultured cells. To discover new host targets for the Us11 protein, we searched for cellular proteins that interact with Us11 and have identified PAT1 as a Us11-binding protein according to multiple, independent experimental criteria. PAT1 binds microtubules, participates in amyloid precursor protein trafficking, and has homology to the kinesin light chain (KLC) in its carboxyl terminus. The carboxyl-terminal dsRNA-binding domain of Us11, which also contains the nucleolar retention and nuclear export signals, binds PAT1, whereas 149 residues derived from the KLC homology region of PAT1 are important for binding to Us11. Both PAT1 and Us11 colocalize within a perinuclear area in transiently transfected and HSV-1-infected cells. The 149 amino acids derived from the KLC homology region are required for colocalization of the two polypeptides. Furthermore, although PAT1 normally accumulates in the nuclear compartment, Us11 expression results in the exclusion of PAT1 from the nucleus and its accumulation in the perinuclear space. Similarly, Us11 does not accumulate in the nucleoli of infected cells that overexpress PAT1. These results establish that Us11 and PAT1 can associate, resulting in an altered subcellular distribution of both polypeptides. The association between PAT1, a cellular trafficking protein with homology to KLC, and Us11, along with a recent report demonstrating an interaction between Us11 and the ubiquitous kinesin heavy chain (R. J. Diefenbach et al., J. Virol. 76:3282-3291, 2002), suggests that these associations may be important for the intracellular movement of viral components.

Translation initiation and viral tricks

A variety of viral strategies are utilized for dominance of the host-cell protein synthetic machinery, optimization of viral mRNA translation and evasion of host-cell antiviral responses that act at the translational level. Many viruses exploit regulated steps in the initiation of cellular protein synthesis to their own advantage. They have developed some rather unconventional means for mRNA translation, which were probably adapted from specialized cellular mRNA translation systems. Regardless of the type of translational tricks exploited, viruses typically ensure efficient viral translation, often at the expense of host-cell protein synthesis.