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Tillmanns J, Kicuntod J, Lösing J, Marschall M. 'Getting Better'-Is It a Feasible Strategy of Broad Pan-Antiherpesviral Drug Targeting by Using the Nuclear Egress-Directed Mechanism? Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2823. [PMID: 38474070 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The herpesviral nuclear egress represents an essential step of viral replication efficiency in host cells, as it defines the nucleocytoplasmic release of viral capsids. Due to the size limitation of the nuclear pores, viral nuclear capsids are unable to traverse the nuclear envelope without a destabilization of this natural host-specific barrier. To this end, herpesviruses evolved the regulatory nuclear egress complex (NEC), composed of a heterodimer unit of two conserved viral NEC proteins (core NEC) and a large-size extension of this complex including various viral and cellular NEC-associated proteins (multicomponent NEC). Notably, the NEC harbors the pronounced ability to oligomerize (core NEC hexamers and lattices), to multimerize into higher-order complexes, and, ultimately, to closely interact with the migrating nuclear capsids. Moreover, most, if not all, of these NEC proteins comprise regulatory modifications by phosphorylation, so that the responsible kinases, and additional enzymatic activities, are part of the multicomponent NEC. This sophisticated basis of NEC-specific structural and functional interactions offers a variety of different modes of antiviral interference by pharmacological or nonconventional inhibitors. Since the multifaceted combination of NEC activities represents a highly conserved key regulatory stage of herpesviral replication, it may provide a unique opportunity towards a broad, pan-antiherpesviral mechanism of drug targeting. This review presents an update on chances, challenges, and current achievements in the development of NEC-directed antiherpesviral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Tillmanns
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jintawee Kicuntod
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Josephine Lösing
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Manfred Marschall
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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Yu D, Wagner S, Schütz M, Jeon Y, Seo M, Kim J, Brückner N, Kicuntod J, Tillmanns J, Wangen C, Hahn F, Kaufer BB, Neipel F, Eickhoff J, Klebl B, Nam K, Marschall M. An Antiherpesviral Host-Directed Strategy Based on CDK7 Covalently Binding Drugs: Target-Selective, Picomolar-Dose, Cross-Virus Reactivity. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:158. [PMID: 38399219 PMCID: PMC10892818 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The repertoire of currently available antiviral drugs spans therapeutic applications against a number of important human pathogens distributed worldwide. These include cases of the pandemic severe acute respiratory coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19), human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 or AIDS), and the pregnancy- and posttransplant-relevant human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). In almost all cases, approved therapies are based on direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), but their benefit, particularly in long-term applications, is often limited by the induction of viral drug resistance or side effects. These issues might be addressed by the additional use of host-directed antivirals (HDAs). As a strong input from long-term experiences with cancer therapies, host protein kinases may serve as HDA targets of mechanistically new antiviral drugs. The study demonstrates such a novel antiviral strategy by targeting the major virus-supportive host kinase CDK7. Importantly, this strategy focuses on highly selective, 3D structure-derived CDK7 inhibitors carrying a warhead moiety that mediates covalent target binding. In summary, the main experimental findings of this study are as follows: (1) the in vitro verification of CDK7 inhibition and selectivity that confirms the warhead covalent-binding principle (by CDK-specific kinase assays), (2) the highly pronounced antiviral efficacies of the hit compounds (in cultured cell-based infection models) with half-maximal effective concentrations that reach down to picomolar levels, (3) a particularly strong potency of compounds against strains and reporter-expressing recombinants of HCMV (using infection assays in primary human fibroblasts), (4) additional activity against further herpesviruses such as animal CMVs and VZV, (5) unique mechanistic properties that include an immediate block of HCMV replication directed early (determined by Western blot detection of viral marker proteins), (6) a substantial drug synergism in combination with MBV (measured by a Loewe additivity fixed-dose assay), and (7) a strong sensitivity of clinically relevant HCMV mutants carrying MBV or ganciclovir resistance markers. Combined, the data highlight the huge developmental potential of this host-directed antiviral targeting concept utilizing covalently binding CDK7 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- DongHoon Yu
- Qurient Co., Ltd., C-Dong, 242 Pangyo-ro, C801 Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si 13487, Republic of Korea
| | - Sabrina Wagner
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Schütz
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Yeejin Jeon
- Qurient Co., Ltd., C-Dong, 242 Pangyo-ro, C801 Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si 13487, Republic of Korea
| | - Mooyoung Seo
- Qurient Co., Ltd., C-Dong, 242 Pangyo-ro, C801 Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si 13487, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeseung Kim
- Qurient Co., Ltd., C-Dong, 242 Pangyo-ro, C801 Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si 13487, Republic of Korea
| | - Nadine Brückner
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jintawee Kicuntod
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julia Tillmanns
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christina Wangen
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Friedrich Hahn
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Benedikt B. Kaufer
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7–13, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Neipel
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Eickhoff
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Straße 15, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Bert Klebl
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Straße 15, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
- The Norwegian College of Fishery Science UiT, Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kiyean Nam
- Qurient Co., Ltd., C-Dong, 242 Pangyo-ro, C801 Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si 13487, Republic of Korea
| | - Manfred Marschall
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virolosgy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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Wangen C, Raithel A, Tillmanns J, Gege C, Herrmann A, Vitt D, Kohlhof H, Marschall M, Hahn F. Validation of nuclear receptor RORγ isoform 1 as a novel host-directed antiviral target based on the modulation of cholesterol levels. Antiviral Res 2024; 221:105769. [PMID: 38056603 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the clinically approved repertoire of antiviral drugs predominantly comprises direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). However, the use of DAAs is frequently limited by adverse effects, restriction to individual virus species, or the induction of viral drug resistance. These issues will likely be resolved by the introduction of host-directed antivirals (HDAs) targeting cellular proteins crucial for viral replication. However, experiences with the development of antiviral HDAs and clinical applications are still in their infancy. With the present study, we explored the human nuclear receptor and transcription factor RORγ isoform 1 (RORγ1), a member of the retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor (ROR) family, as a putative target of antiviral HDAs. To this end, cell culture models were used to investigate major viral human pathogens, i.e. the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), varicella zoster virus (VZV) and human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). Our results demonstrated (i) an antiviral activity of the clinically relevant RORγ modulators cedirogant and others, (ii) that isoform RORγ1 acts as the responsible determinant and drug target in the analyzed cell culture-based models, (iii) a selectivity of the antiviral effect for RORγ1 over related receptors RORα and RORβ, (iv) a late-phase inhibition exerted by cedirogant in HCMV replication and (v) a mechanistic link to the cellular cholesterol biosynthesis. Combined, the data highlight this novel RORγ-specific antiviral targeting concept and the developmental potential of RORγ-directed small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Wangen
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Andrea Raithel
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Julia Tillmanns
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
| | | | - Alexandra Herrmann
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany; Immunic AG, Gräfelfing, Germany.
| | | | | | - Manfred Marschall
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Friedrich Hahn
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
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Wild M, Karner D, Eickhoff J, Wagner S, Kicuntod J, Chang W, Barry P, Jonjić S, Lenac Roviš T, Marschall M. Combined Treatment with Host-Directed and Anticytomegaloviral Kinase Inhibitors: Mechanisms, Synergisms and Drug Resistance Barriers. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2680. [PMID: 38140021 PMCID: PMC10748244 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15122680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of currently approved antiviral drugs, infections with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) still cause clinically challenging, sometimes life-threatening situations. There is an urgent need for enhanced anti-HCMV drugs that offer improved efficacy, reduced dosages and options for long-term treatment without risk of the development of viral drug resistance. Recently, we reported the pronounced anti-HCMV efficacy of pharmacological inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), in particular, the potential of utilizing drug synergies upon combination treatment with inhibitors of host CDKs and the viral CDK-like kinase pUL97 (vCDK/pUL97). Here, we expand this finding by further assessing the in vitro synergistic antiviral interaction between vCDK and CDK inhibitors towards HCMV as well as non-human cytomegaloviruses. An extension of this synergy approach was achieved in vivo by using the recombinant MCMV-UL97/mouse model, confirming the high potential of combination treatment with the clinically approved vCDK inhibitor maribavir (MBV) and the developmental CDK7 inhibitor LDC4297. Moreover, mechanistic aspects of this synergistic drug combination were illustrated on the levels of intracellular viral protein transport and viral genome replication. The analysis of viral drug resistance did not reveal resistance formation in the case of MBV + LDC4297 combination treatment. Spanning various investigational levels, these new results strongly support our concept, employing the great potential of anti-HCMV synergistic drug treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Wild
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.W.); (S.W.); (J.K.)
| | - Dubravka Karner
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Brace Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (D.K.); (S.J.); (T.L.R.)
| | - Jan Eickhoff
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Str. 15, 44227 Dortmund, Germany;
| | - Sabrina Wagner
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.W.); (S.W.); (J.K.)
| | - Jintawee Kicuntod
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.W.); (S.W.); (J.K.)
| | - William Chang
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, 3146 Tupper Hall, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (W.C.); (P.B.)
| | - Peter Barry
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, 3146 Tupper Hall, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (W.C.); (P.B.)
| | - Stipan Jonjić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Brace Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (D.K.); (S.J.); (T.L.R.)
| | - Tihana Lenac Roviš
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Brace Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (D.K.); (S.J.); (T.L.R.)
| | - Manfred Marschall
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.W.); (S.W.); (J.K.)
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Chen H, Lye MF, Gorgulla C, Ficarro SB, Cuny GD, Scott DA, Wu F, Rothlauf PW, Wang X, Fernandez R, Pesola JM, Draga S, Marto JA, Hogle JM, Arthanari H, Coen DM. A small molecule exerts selective antiviral activity by targeting the human cytomegalovirus nuclear egress complex. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011781. [PMID: 37976321 PMCID: PMC10691697 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important pathogen for which new antiviral drugs are needed. HCMV, like other herpesviruses, encodes a nuclear egress complex (NEC) composed of two subunits, UL50 and UL53, whose interaction is crucial for viral replication. To explore whether small molecules can exert selective antiviral activity by inhibiting NEC subunit interactions, we established a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay of these interactions and used it to screen >200,000 compound-containing wells. Two compounds, designated GK1 and GK2, which selectively inhibited this interaction in the HTRF assay with GK1 also active in a co-immunoprecipitation assay, exhibited more potent anti-HCMV activity than cytotoxicity or activity against another herpesvirus. At doses that substantially reduced HCMV plaque formation, GK1 and GK2 had little or no effect on the expression of viral proteins and reduced the co-localization of UL53 with UL50 at the nuclear rim in a subset of cells. GK1 and GK2 contain an acrylamide moiety predicted to covalently interact with cysteines, and an analog without this potential lacked activity. Mass spectrometric analysis showed binding of GK2 to multiple cysteines on UL50 and UL53. Nevertheless, substitution of cysteine 214 of UL53 with serine (C214S) ablated detectable inhibitory activity of GK1 and GK2 in vitro, and the C214S substitution engineered into HCMV conferred resistance to GK1, the more potent of the two inhibitors. Thus, GK1 exerts selective antiviral activity by targeting the NEC. Docking studies suggest that the acrylamide tethers one end of GK1 or GK2 to C214 within a pocket of UL53, permitting the other end of the molecule to sterically hinder UL50 to prevent NEC formation. Our results prove the concept that targeting the NEC with small molecules can selectively block HCMV replication. Such compounds could serve as a foundation for development of anti-HCMV drugs and as chemical tools for studying HCMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Chen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ming F. Lye
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christoph Gorgulla
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis Tennessee United States of America
| | - Scott B. Ficarro
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Blais Proteomics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Emergent Drug Targets, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Gregory D. Cuny
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - David A. Scott
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Medicinal Chemistry Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Paul W. Rothlauf
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xiaoou Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rosio Fernandez
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jean M. Pesola
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sorin Draga
- Virtual Discovery, Inc. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts United States of America
- Non-Governmental Research Organization Biologic, Bucharest Romania
| | - Jarrod A. Marto
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Blais Proteomics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Emergent Drug Targets, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James M. Hogle
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Haribabu Arthanari
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Donald M. Coen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Schütz M, Wangen C, Sommerer M, Kögler M, Eickhoff J, Degenhart C, Klebl B, Naing Z, Egilmezer E, Hamilton ST, Rawlinson WD, Sticht H, Marschall M. Cytomegalovirus cyclin-dependent kinase ortholog vCDK/pUL97 undergoes regulatory interaction with human cyclin H and CDK7 to codetermine viral replication efficiency. Virus Res 2023; 335:199200. [PMID: 37591314 PMCID: PMC10445456 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is shaped by a tightly regulated interplay between viral and cellular proteins. Distinct kinase activities, such as the viral cyclin-dependent kinase ortholog (vCDK) pUL97 and cellular CDK7 are both crucial for efficient viral replication. Previously, we reported that both kinases, vCDK/pUL97 and CDK7, interact with cyclin H, thereby achieving an enhanced level of kinase activity and overall functionality in viral replication. Here we provide a variety of novel results, as generated on a methodologically extended basis, and present a concept for the codetermination of viral replication efficiency through these kinase activities: (i) cyclin H expression, in various human cell types, is substantially upregulated by strains of HCMV including the clinically relevant HCMV Merlin; (ii) vCDK/pUL97 interacts with human cyclin H in both HCMV-infected and plasmid-transfected cell systems; (iii) a doxycycline-inducible shRNA-dependent knock-down (KD) of cyclin H significantly reduces pUL97 activity (qSox in vitro kinase assay); (iv) accordingly, pUL97 in vitro kinase activity is seen significantly increased upon addition of recombinant cyclin H; (v) as a point of specific importance, human CDK7 activity shows an increase by vCDK/pUL97-mediated trans-stimulation (whereas pUL97 is not stimulated by CDK7); (vi) phosphosite-specific antibodies indicate an upregulated CDK7 phosphorylation upon HCMV infection, as mediated through a pUL97-specific modulatory effect (i.e. shown by pUL97 inhibitor treatment or pUL97-deficient viral mutant); (vii) finally, an efficient KD of cyclin H in primary fibroblasts generally results in an impaired HCMV replication efficiency as measured on protein and genomic levels. These results show evidence for the codetermination of viral replication by vCDK/pUL97, cyclin H and CDK7, thus supporting the specific importance of cyclin H as a central regulatory factor, and suggesting novel targeting options for antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Schütz
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, Erlangen 91054, Germany.
| | - Christina Wangen
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Mona Sommerer
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Melanie Kögler
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | | | | | - Bert Klebl
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Zin Naing
- Serology and Virology Division, NSW Health Pathology Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, and Schools of Women's and Children's Health, Medicine and Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, High Street, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ece Egilmezer
- Serology and Virology Division, NSW Health Pathology Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, and Schools of Women's and Children's Health, Medicine and Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, High Street, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stuart T Hamilton
- Serology and Virology Division, NSW Health Pathology Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, and Schools of Women's and Children's Health, Medicine and Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, High Street, Sydney, Australia
| | - William D Rawlinson
- Serology and Virology Division, NSW Health Pathology Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, and Schools of Women's and Children's Health, Medicine and Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, High Street, Sydney, Australia
| | - Heinrich Sticht
- Division of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biochemistry, FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Manfred Marschall
- Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schlossgarten 4, Erlangen 91054, Germany.
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