The Epstein-Barr Virus Immunoevasins BCRF1 and BPLF1 Are Expressed by a Mechanism Independent of the Canonical Late Pre-initiation Complex

Subversion of host immune surveillance is a crucial step in viral pathogenesis. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encodes two immune evasion gene products, BCRF1 (viral IL-10) and BPLF1 (deubiquitinase/deneddylase); both proteins suppress antiviral immune responses during primary infection. The BCRF1 and BPLF1 genes are expressed during the late phase of the lytic cycle, an essential but poorly understood phase of viral gene expression. Several late gene regulators recently identified in beta and gamma herpesviruses form a viral pre-initiation complex for transcription. Whether each of these late gene regulators is necessary for transcription of all late genes is not known. Here, studying viral gene expression in the absence and presence of siRNAs to individual components of the viral pre-initiation complex, we identified two distinct groups of late genes. One group includes late genes encoding the two immunoevasins, BCRF1 and BPLF1, and is transcribed independently of the viral pre-initiation complex. The second group primarily encodes viral structural proteins and is dependent on the viral pre-initiation complex. The protein kinase BGLF4 is the only known late gene regulator necessary for expression of both groups of late genes. ChIP-seq analysis showed that the transcription activator Rta associates with the promoters of eight late genes including genes encoding the viral immunoevasins. Our results demonstrate that late genes encoding immunomodulatory proteins are transcribed by a mechanism distinct from late genes encoding viral structural proteins. Understanding the mechanisms that specifically regulate expression of the late immunomodulatory proteins could aid the development of antiviral drugs that impair immune evasion by the oncogenic EB virus.

Late proteins are expressed during the productive cycle of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) after the onset of viral DNA replication. Many late proteins serve structural functions; they form the capsid shell around the viral genome or mediate attachment and fusion of the virus to the host cell. EBV also encodes two late proteins that suppress the immune system during primary infection. The current model suggests that transcription of all late genes is regulated by a common mechanism involving seven late gene regulators. Here, we demonstrate that late genes encoding two viral immune suppressants are transcribed by a mechanism different from that regulating late genes encoding structural proteins. Abolishing expression of the late immunomodulators without disrupting expression of the antigenic viral structural proteins could serve as an approach to block EBV de novo infection and its associated malignancies.

HITS-CLIP analysis uncovers a link between the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus ORF57 protein and host pre-mRNA metabolism

The Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and some forms of multicentric Castleman's disease. The KSHV ORF57 protein is a conserved posttranscriptional regulator of gene expression that is essential for virus replication. ORF57 is multifunctional, but most of its activities are directly linked to its ability to bind RNA. We globally identified virus and host RNAs bound by ORF57 during lytic reactivation in PEL cells using high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by cross-linking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP). As expected, ORF57-bound RNA fragments mapped throughout the KSHV genome, including the known ORF57 ligand PAN RNA. In agreement with previously published ChIP results, we observed that ORF57 bound RNAs near the oriLyt regions of the genome. Examination of the host RNA fragments revealed that a subset of the ORF57-bound RNAs was derived from transcript 5' ends. The position of these 5'-bound fragments correlated closely with the 5'-most exon-intron junction of the pre-mRNA. We selected four candidates (BTG1, EGR1, ZFP36, and TNFSF9) and analyzed their pre-mRNA and mRNA levels during lytic phase. Analysis of both steady-state and newly made RNAs revealed that these candidate ORF57-bound pre-mRNAs persisted for longer periods of time throughout infection than control RNAs, consistent with a role for ORF57 in pre-mRNA metabolism. In addition, exogenous expression of ORF57 was sufficient to increase the pre-mRNA levels and, in one case, the mRNA levels of the putative ORF57 targets. These results demonstrate that ORF57 interacts with specific host pre-mRNAs during lytic reactivation and alters their processing, likely by stabilizing pre-mRNAs. These data suggest that ORF57 is involved in modulating host gene expression in addition to KSHV gene expression during lytic reactivation.

Microscopic analysis of severe structural rearrangements of the plant endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi caused by overexpression of Poa semilatent virus movement protein

Cell-to-cell transport of plant viruses is mediated by virus-encoded movement proteins and occurs through plasmodesmata interconnecting neighboring cells in plant tissues. Three movement proteins coded by the "triple gene block" (TGB) and named TGBp1, TGBp2 and TGBp3 have distinct functions in viral transport. TGBp1 binds viral genomic RNAs to form ribonucleoprotein complexes representing the transport form of viral genome, while TGBp2 and TGBp3 are necessary for intracellular delivery of such complexes to plasmodesmata. Recently, it was revealed that overexpression of Potato virus X TGBp3 triggers the unfolded protein response mitigating the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress leading to cell death if this protein reaches high levels in the ER. Here we report microscopic studies of the influence of the Poa semilatent hordeivirus TGBp3 overexpressed in Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal cells by particle bombardment on cell endomembranes and demonstrate that the protein C-terminal transmembrane segment contains a determinant responsible for vesiculation and coalescence of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi presumably accompanying the ER stress that can be induced upon high-level TGBp3 expression.

Characterization of monoclonal antibody against replication-associated protein of porcine circovirus

The replication-associated (Rep) protein of porcine circovirus (PCV) was suggested to play an essential role in the replication and translation of viral DNA. In this study, one monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for Rep protein of porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1), two mAbs against Rep protein of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), and five mAbs to both Rep protein of PCV1 and PCV2 were generated using, respectively, Rep protein of PCV1 and PCV2 expressed in Escherichia coli as an immunogen. Western blot analysis showed that native Rep protein of PCV2 virions appeared in two forms with different molecular weight in PCV2-infected cells. Laser confocal analyses further exhibited that Rep protein distributed mainly in the cellular nucleoplasm at the early stage of PCV2 infection, and moved to the nuclear periphery and the cytoplasm at the last stage of PCV2 infection. The results from this study confirmed that Rep protein of PCV2 distributed in both nucleus and cytoplasm, and provided an mAb tool to further analyze replications of PCV1 and PCV2 in vitro and in vivo.

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of the Ebola VP35 interferon inhibitory domain

Ebola VP35 is a multifunctional protein that is important for host immune suppression and pathogenesis. VP35 contains an N-terminal oligomerization domain and a C-terminal interferon inhibitory domain (IID). Mutations within the VP35 IID result in loss of host immune suppression. Here, efforts to crystallize recombinantly overexpressed VP35 IID that was purified from Escherichia coli are described. Native and selenomethionine-labeled crystals belonging to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) were obtained by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method and diffraction data were collected at the ALS synchrotron.

HBx or HCV core gene expression in HepG2 human liver cells results in a survival benefit against oxidative stress with possible implications for HCC development

Hepatitis virus replication in the liver is often accompanied by inflammation resulting in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) and these may induce cell death. We investigated whether the expression of HBx or HCV core protein in HepG2 cells has an influence on the sensitivity of these cells for oxidative radicals. Our previous study, using the inducible HBV model of HepAD38, revealed that oxidative-stress-related genes are upregulated by virus replication. In the present study, we examined the intracellular pro-oxidant status with dichlorofluorescein (DCF) in HepG2 cell lines transfected with HBx, HbsAg and HCV core. Baseline intracellular oxidative levels were not different in the cell lines expressing viral proteins as compared to control. However, when these cells were exposed to H(2)O(2), the viral protein expressing cells, especially those expressing HBx, showed a reduced level of ROS. This suggests that HBx and HCV core transfected cells can convert H(2)O(2) to less reactive compounds at a higher rate than the control cells. When HBx or HCV core expressing cells were exposed to peroxynitrite (a highly reactive product formed under physiological conditions through interaction of superoxide (O(2)(-)) with NO) these cells were less sensitive to induction of cell death. In addition, these cell lines were less prone to cell death when exposed to H(2)O(2) directly. In conclusion, HBx and HCV core expression in HepG2 cells leads to a survival benefit under oxidative stress which in vivo can be induced during inflammation.

Overproduction in Escherichia coli and purification of Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1

Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) is a multi-functional protein of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Due to its low abundance in EBV-transformed cells, overproduction in a foreign host is preferred to obtain purified EBNA-1 protein. The EBNA-1 gene possesses a large number of Escherichia coli rare codons (23%). By using E. coli BL21(DE3)Rosetta2 cells that augment the low-abundance tRNA genes, the expression level of EBNA-1 in E. coli was greatly enhanced. EBNA-1 was then purified by applying the whole cell extract soluble fraction to a Ni-NTA Superflow column and eluting with an imidazole gradient. The improved overexpression in E. coli followed by a one-step Ni-NTA purification resulted in a sufficient amount of pure EBNA-1 protein to test DNA binding activity, and prepare and test EBNA-1-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).

Codon-optimized reading frames facilitate high-level expression of the HIV-1 minor proteins

We have constructed reading frames for the HIV-1 YU-2 minor proteins Vpr, Vpu, Vif and Nef that are codon-optimized for high-level expression in mammalian cells. We show that, in the absence of the Rev/Rev-response element system, these codon-optimized reading frames result in greatly increased levels of expression of the corresponding proteins in cell culture systems when compared with the native reading frame. Northern blot analysis shows that the increase in expression found with the codon-optimized reading frames is largely owing to increased steady-state mRNA levels.

Vpx proteins of SIVmac239 and HIV-2ROD interact with the cytoskeletal protein alpha-actinin 1

vpx genes of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) and immunodeficiency viruses from macaques (SIVmac), sooty mangabeys (SIVsm) and red-capped mangabeys (SIVrcm) encode a 112 aa protein that is packed into virion particles via interaction with the p6 domain of p55(gag). Vpx localizes to the nucleus when expressed in the absence of other viral proteins. Moreover, Vpx is necessary for efficient nuclear import of the pre-integration complex (PIC) and critical for virus replication in quiescent cells, such as terminally differentiated macrophages and memory T cells. Vpx does not contain sequence elements that are homologous to previously characterized nuclear localization signals (NLSs). Therefore, it is likely that Vpx-dependent import of the PIC is mediated by interaction of Vpx with cellular proteins that do not belong to the classical import pathways. By using a yeast two-hybrid screen, alpha-actinin 1, a cytoskeletal protein, was identified to interact with SIVmac239 Vpx. Interestingly, deletion of the proline-rich C-terminal domain (aa 101-112) of Vpx, which is important for nuclear localization, resulted in loss of interaction with alpha-actinin 1. These findings suggest that the interaction with alpha-actinin 1 may play an important role in the transport of Vpx to the nucleus and in Vpx-mediated nuclear import of the PIC.

Potential new anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 compounds depress virus replication in cultured human macrophages

We report that the amiloride analogues 5-(N,N-hexamethylene)amiloride and 5-(N,N-dimethyl)amiloride inhibit, at micromolar concentrations, the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in cultured human blood monocyte-derived macrophages. These compounds also inhibit the in vitro activities of the HIV-1 Vpu protein and might represent lead compounds for a new class of anti-HIV-1 drugs.

Properties of a chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency virus expressing an hybrid HIV-1 Nef/SIVmac Nef protein

The nef genes of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses code for a membrane associated protein critical for AIDS development. SIVmac Nef presents C-terminal a 27 amino acid extension absent of HIV-1 Nef. To estimate the influence of this C-terminal domain on virus properties, we constructed viruses derived from SIVmac239 by replacing SIV nef with HIV-1 Lai nef gene (SHIV NefLai4) or with a sequence encoding a Nef fusion protein: HIV-1 Lai Nef/SIV Nef-Cterm (SHIV-Cterm). The recombinant viruses replicated efficiently in vitro in CEMx174 cells and in activated macaque PBMCs. The addition of SIV Nef C-terminal domain to HIV-1 Nef in SHIVNefLai4 did not change the in vitro properties of the chimeric virus, both viruses being more infectious than a nef deleted virus. Although the half-life of Nef fusion protein was augmented, SHIV-Cterm remained slightly less infectious than SIVmac239.

Helper plasmids for production of HIV-1-derived vectors

Vectors derived from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) appear an attractive option for many gene therapy applications. This is due to their ability to transduce noncycling cell populations and to integrate their genome into the host cell chromosome, resulting in the stable genetic modification of the transduced cell. These properties have permitted the direct in vivo transduction of several tissues, including the central nervous system, retina, and liver. However, the pathogenic nature of HIV-1 has raised considerable concerns about the safety of such vector systems. To help address these concerns, we have expressed each of the primary transcriptional units encoding trans functions relevant for vector production in individual plasmid constructs. The gag-pol gene sequence was codon-optimized for expression in mammalian cells resulting in high level Rev/Rev-response element (RRE)-independent expression. Codon optimization of gag-pol also reduces sequence homology with vectors containing gag gene sequences, which results in reduced transfer of biologically active gag-pol sequences to transduced cells. Furthermore, the vif reading frame overlapping the 3' end of the pol coding sequence is destroyed by codon optimization. We have also shown that the Gag and Gag-Pol polyproteins can be efficiently expressed from separate transcriptional units. This has enabled the removal of a cis-acting viral element, the gag-pol translational frameshift sequence, from the vector/packaging system and prevents detectable transfer of biologically active sequences equivalent to the gag-pol gene to transduced cells.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpu protein enhances membrane permeability

Infection of T lymphocytes by the human immunodeficiency virus causes drastic alterations in the intracellular cation content of the infected cells. The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genome encodes several accessory proteins, including Vpu, an integral membrane protein that forms ion channels in planar lipid bilayers. The effect of Vpu on the permeability of the plasma membrane to several molecules has been analyzed. Expression of vpu in Escherichia coli cells increases membrane permeability to a number of molecules such as 2-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside, uridine, the impermeable translation inhibitor hygromycin B, and lysozyme. In addition, transient expression of Vpu in eukaryotic COS cells enhances entry of charged molecules such as hygromycin B and neurobiotin into these cells. The effect of Vpu on cell membrane permeability resembles that reported for other membrane-active proteins from different animal viruses, including influenza M2, Semliki Forest virus 6K, and poliovirus 2B and 3A proteins.

Excess production of phage lambda delayed early proteins under conditions supporting high Escherichia coli growth rates

Bacteriophage lambda is unable to lysogenize Escherichia coli hosts harbouring the rpoA341 mutation due to a drastic reduction in transcription from CII-activated lysogenic promoters (pE, pI and paQ). In addition, the level of early transcripts involved in the lytic pathway of lambda development is also decreased in this genetic background due to impaired N-dependent antitermination. Here, it is demonstrated that despite the reduced level of early lytic pL- and pR-derived transcripts, lytic growth of bacteriophage lambda is not affected in rich media. The level of the late lytic, pR-derived transcripts also remains unaffected by the rpoA341 mutation under these conditions. However, it was found that whilst there is no significant difference in the phage burst size in rpoA+ and rpoA341 hosts growing in rich media, phage lambda is not able to produce progeny in the rpoA341 mutant growing in minimal medium, in contrast to otherwise isogenic rpoA+ bacteria. Provision of an excess of the phage replication proteins O and P in trans or overproduction of the antitermination protein N restore the ability of phage lambda to produce progeny in the rpoA341 mutant under the latter conditions. These results suggest that in rich media phage lambda produces some early proteins in excess of that needed for its effective propagation and indicate that replication proteins may be limiting factors for phage lytic growth in poor media.

Investigations of the Japanese bovine tumour virus (BLV)--its ability to express structural and regulatory BLV proteins

The mechanism of BLV-induced tumorigenesis has not been clear up to now. Changes of viral protein expression in infected cells may be involved in the molecular events leading to BLV-induced leukaemogenesis. In this study Western blot investigations of cells transfected with plasmid DNA containing the complete Japanese BLV tumour clone provirus demonstrate that this provirus is unable to express gag and env proteins. Following this an attempt was made to express the genes from this provirus in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells using the phagemid pBK-RSV (Stratagene), but not as fusion proteins. The protein patterns expressed from the 5' and the 3' region of the BLV genome were compared with those of FLK/BLV cells. The results indicate that there is a defect in this provirus located in the genome region between the gag and env gene.

Augmentation of virus secretion by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpu protein is cell type independent and occurs in cultured human primary macrophages and lymphocytes

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1-specific Vpu protein is a small integral membrane phosphoprotein that induces degradation of the virus receptor CD4 in the endoplasmic reticulum and, independently, increases the release of progeny virions from infected cells. To address the importance of Vpu for virus replication in primary human cells such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM), we used three different sets of monocyte-tropic molecular clones of human immunodeficiency virus type 1: a primary isolate, AD8+, and two chimeric variants of the T-cell-tropic isolate NL4-3 carrying the env determinants of either AD8+ or SF162 monocyte-tropic primary isolates. Isogenic variants of these chimeric viruses were constructed to express either wild-type Vpu or various mutants of Vpu. The effects of these mutations in the vpu gene on virus particle secretion from infected MDM or PBMC were assessed by determination of the release of virion-associated reverse transcriptase into culture supernatants, Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of pelleted virions, and steady-state or pulse-chase metabolic labeling. Wild-type Vpu increased virus release four- to sixfold in MDM and two- to threefold in PBMC, while nonphosphorylated Vpu and a C-terminal truncation mutant of Vpu were partially active on virus release in primary cells. These results demonstrate that Vpu regulates virus release in primary lymphocyte and macrophage cultures in a similar manner and to a similar extent to those previously observed in HeLa cells or CD4+ T-cell lines. Thus, our findings provide evidence that Vpu functions in a variety of human cells, both primary cells and continuous cell lines, and mutations in Vpu affect its biological activity independent of the cell type and virus isolate used.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr arrests the cell cycle in G2 by inhibiting the activation of p34cdc2-cyclin B

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vpr inhibits the replication of tumor cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Here it is demonstrated that expression of vpr, either in the context of a provirus or from an independent genetic element, induces a discrete cell cycle arrest, with cells containing 4N DNA. Low cyclin B-associated kinase activity, as well as the status of p34cdc2 and cdc25C phosphorylation, indicates that the cascade of reactions which drives the cell into mitosis has not been initiated. The phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid releases the block, suggesting that Vpr perturbs upstream regulatorsof the G2-M transition. These studies demonstrate that HIV-1 vpr has profound effects on the cellular factors which control entry into mitosis and indicate vpr's potential contribution to the cellular pathology associated with HIV-1 infection.

The activation of a specific DNA binding protein by neutron irradiation

PURPOSE

To determine whether the quality of ionizing radiation is critical for activation of a radiation-specific DNA binding protein.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We have previously shown that after exposing Epstein Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells to ionizing radiation, a specific DNA binding factor appears in the nucleus apparently as a result of translocation from the cytoplasm. This protein binds to a number of different genomic sequences and a consensus motif has been identified. Because the protein was not activated by UV light, it was of interest whether high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation was capable of activation.

RESULTS

We describe here the activation of a specific DNA binding protein by high LET neutron radiation. The protein binds a region adjacent to and overlapping with the distal repeat within a 179 base-pair fragment of the well-characterized Simian Virus (SV40) bidirectional promoter/enhancer element. The appearance of the DNA binding activity was dose dependent and reached a maximum level by 90 min postirradiation. A reduction in DNA binding activity was evident at later times after irradiation.

CONCLUSIONS

The specific nature of this response and the rapidity of activation may indicate a pivotal role for this protein in repair or in some other aspect of the cellular response to radiation damage.

Degradation of CD4 induced by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpu protein: a predicted alpha-helix structure in the proximal cytoplasmic region of CD4 contributes to Vpu sensitivity

The HIV-1-encoded Vpu protein induces a rapid and specific degradation of CD4 molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In this study, Vpu-induced degradation of CD4 in the ER was investigated by quantitative immunoprecipitation of CD4 following cotransfection of COS-7 cells with CD4 and Vpu expressors in the presence of brefeldin A, a drug that blocks protein transport from the ER to the Golgi complex. In order to precisely define the sequence(s) or structural element(s) in the CD4 cytoplasmic domain necessary for Vpu-induced degradation, a panel of deletion and substitution mutants in the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 was generated and analyzed. In agreement with previous reports, our deletion analysis indicates that a region encompassing amino acids 411 to 419 (KRLLSEKKT) in the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 was required to confer Vpu sensitivity. However, six specific substitution mutations within this region did not confer CD4 resistance to Vpu, suggesting that neither the amino acid sequence nor the charge of the amino acids in this region was critical to Vpu-induced CD4 degradation. A dileucine motif that is important for internalization of CD4 and Nef-induced CD4 down-regulation was also not required for Vpu-induced CD4 degradation. Interestingly, two substitution mutants (CD4EMKL and CD4MK407,11PP) located in a more proximal cytoplasmic region of CD4 abolished Vpu-induced CD4 degradation. Computer-assisted analysis of the substitution and deletion mutants conferring CD4 resistance to Vpu-induced degradation indicated that these mutations disrupted a putative alpha-helix formed in the proximal cytoplasmic region of CD4. Taken together, these studies strongly suggest that a structural element in the proximal cytoplasmic region of CD4 contributes to Vpu sensitivity.

Localization of viral protein X in simian immunodeficiency virus macaque strain and analysis of its packaging requirements

Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) encode the accessory viral protein X (Vpx) known to be incorporated into virions in amounts comparable to those of the Gag proteins. The localization of Vpx within SIVmac-infected HUT-78 cells and SIVmac virions was studied by immunoelectron microscopy. Vpx appeared to be associated with extracellular virions as well as budding viral particles at the surface of infected cells. Immunolabelling of purified viral cores suggested that Vpx was a component of the amorphous material surrounding the core structure. Furthermore, a detergent insoluble fraction containing SIV core proteins was devoid of Vpx. To investigate the protein requirement for packaging of Vpx, BHK-21 cells were co-infected with vaccinia virus recombinants encoding Vpx and other SIV proteins able to assemble into virus-like particles. Analysis by immunoprecipitation of the extracellular particulate material as well as immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that co-expression of Vpx with the Pr56gag polyprotein was sufficient for the formation of pseudo-virions containing Vpx. Virus-like particles that appeared upon expression of p16gag did not contain Vpx. The results suggest that Vpx is packaged into viral particles through its binding to the Gag polyprotein. The precise positioning of Vpx within the space separating the viral envelope from the core structure is postulated to result from the reorganization of viral proteins that occurs upon Gag polyprotein cleavage and budding.

Analysis of the rnc locus of Coxiella burnetii

A 3.2 kb EcoRI genomic DNA fragment of Coxiella burnetii was isolated by virtue of its ability to suppress mucoidy in Escherichia coli. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the presence of the genes homologous to rnc, era and recO of E. coli. Suppression of capsule synthesis, measured by beta-galactosidase expression in lon- cps-lac fusion strains of E. coli, is caused by gene-dosage effects of the plasmid-borne rnc genes of either C. burnetii or E. coli. The rnc gene of C. burnetii complemented rnc- E. coli hosts for lambda plaque morphology and stimulation of lambda N gene expression. We also demonstrated heterologous complementation of an E. coli strain defective for the expression of Era, an essential protein in E. coli, using the plasmid-borne C. burnetii era. Under the control of the bacteriophage lambda PL promoter, this 3.2 kb EcoRI DNA fragment directed the synthesis in E. coli of three proteins with approximate molecular masses of 35, 27 and 25 kDa. Antibodies against purified E. coli Era protein cross-reacted with the 35 kDa protein of C. burnetii on Western blots.

Localization of the Vpx packaging signal within the C terminus of the human immunodeficiency virus type 2 Gag precursor protein

Viral protein X (Vpx) is a human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) and simian immunodeficiency virus accessory protein that is packaged into virions in molar amounts equivalent to Gag proteins. To delineate the processes of virus assembly that mediate Vpx packaging, we used a recombinant vaccinia virus-T7 RNA polymerase system to facilitate Gag protein expression, particle assembly, and extracellular release. HIV genes were placed under control of the bacteriophage T7 promoter and transfected into HeLa cells expressing T7 RNA polymerase. Western immunoblot analysis detected p55gag and its cleavage products p39 and p27 in purified particles derived by expression of gag and gag-pol, respectively. In trans expression of vpx with either HIV-2 gag or gag-pol gave rise to virus-like particles that contained Vpx in amounts similar to that detected in HIV-2 virus produced from productively infected T cells. Using C-terminal deletion and truncation mutants of HIV-2 Gag, we mapped the p15 coding sequence for determinants of Vpx packaging. This analysis revealed a region (residues 439 to 497) downstream of the nucleocapsid protein (NC) required for incorporation of Vpx into virions. HIV-1/HIV-2 gag chimeras were constructed to further characterize the requirements for incorporation of Vpx into virions. Chimeric HIV-1/HIV-2 Gag particles consisting of HIV-1 p17 and p24 fused in frame at the C terminus with HIV-2 p15 effectively incorporate Vpx, while chimeric HIV-2/HIV-1 Gag particles consisting of HIV-2 p17 and p27 fused in frame at the C terminus with HIV-1 p15 do not. Expression of a 68-amino-acid sequence of HIV-2 containing residues 439 to 497 fused to the coding regions of HIV-1 p17 and p24 also produced virus-like particles capable of packaging Vpx in amounts similar to that of full-length HIV-2 Gag. Sucrose gradient analysis confirmed particle association of Vpx and Gag proteins. These results demonstrate that the HIV-2 Gag precursor (p55) regulates incorporation of Vpx into virions and indicates that the packaging signal is located within residues 439 to 497.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 encoded Vpu protein is phosphorylated by casein kinase-2 (CK-2) at positions Ser52 and Ser56 within a predicted alpha-helix-turn-alpha-helix-motif

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encoded Vpu is a small integral membrane phosphoprotein that functions in the enhancement of viral particle release and has more recently been shown to cause degradation of CD4 at the endoplasmic reticulum. We have demonstrated earlier that Vpu is phosphorylated by the ubiquitous casein kinase-2 (CK-2) in HIV-1 infected cells. The phosphoacceptor sites targeted by CK-2 in Vpu, however, have not been demonstrated and it was unclear whether Vpu was phosphorylated at one or more of its four serine residues. In this study we characterized the CK-2 phosphoacceptor sites in Vpu using recombinant CK-2 for in vitro phosphorylation of recombinant Vpu protein as well as synthetic peptides of Vpu. Phosphorylation of both Ser52 and Ser56 was demonstrated by in vitro phosphorylation using three 54-residue peptides comprising the entire hydrophilic part of Vpu and containing single serine to asparagine transitions in either position 52 or 56. The Km values of CK-2 to these peptides were established, revealing a preferential phosphorylation of Ser56. The Km values are: Ser56 = 31 microM; Ser 52 = 156 microM; wild type = 27 microM. In addition, we studied phosphorylation of Vpu by endogenous CK-2 following in vitro translation in rabbit reticulocyte lysate of wild-type Vpu or a mutant, Vpum2/6, carrying serine to asparagine changes at amino acid positions 52 and 56. The in vivo phosphorylation of Vpu was studied in transiently transfected human embryonic kidney (293) cells. In this system, the mutant Vpum2/6 was not phosphorylated, indicating that the seryl residues of Vpu at amino acid positions 52 and 56, but not those at positions 23 and 61, are phosphorylated by CK-2. The two CK-2 phosphorylation sites are conserved in all known Vpu sequences and represent the consensus Ser52GlyAsn(Glu/Asp)Ser(Glu/Asp)Gly(Glu/Asp)59. Prediction of the secondary structure revealed a conserved alpha-helix-turn-alpha-helix motif for the hydrophilic C-terminal part of Vpu. A structural model for Vpu is proposed in which the membrane anchor precedes a region comprising two amphipathic alpha-helices of opposed polarity, joined by a strongly acidic turn that protrudes into the cytoplasm and contains the CK-2 phosphorylation sites. Possible functional and structural homologies of Vpu to the membrane channel-forming M2 protein of influenza A viruses are discussed.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpu protein induces degradation of chimeric envelope glycoproteins bearing the cytoplasmic and anchor domains of CD4: role of the cytoplasmic domain in Vpu-induced degradation in the endoplasmic reticulum

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpu protein is a transmembrane phosphoprotein which induces rapid degradation of CD4 in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). To identify sequences in CD4 for Vpu-induced degradation, we generated four chimeric envelope glycoproteins having the ectodomain of HIV-1 gp160, the anchor domain of CD4, and 38, 25, 24, and 18 amino acids (aa) of the CD4 cytoplasmic domain. Using the vaccinia virus-T7 RNA polymerase expression system, we analyzed the expression of chimeric proteins in the presence and absence of Vpu. In singly transfected cells, the chimeric envelope glycoproteins having 38, 24, and 18 aa of the CD4 cytoplasmic domain were endoproteolytically cleaved and biologically active in the fusion of HeLa CD4+ cells. However, one of the chimeras having 25 aa of the CD4 cytoplasmic tail was retained in the ER using the transmembrane ER retention signal and was defective in membrane fusion. Furthermore, biochemical analyses of the coexpressing cells revealed that the Vpu protein induced degradation of the envelope glycoproteins having 38, 25, and 24 aa of the CD4 cytoplasmic tail and degradation occurred in the ER. Consequently, the fusion-competent glycoproteins did not induce the formation of syncytia in HeLa CD4+ cells expressing Vpu. However, the HIV-1 gp160 and chimeric envelope glycoprotein having the membrane-proximal 18 aa of the CD4 cytoplasmic tail were stable and fusion competent in cells expressing Vpu. In addition, we examined the stability of CD4 molecules in the presence of Vpu. Coexpression analyses revealed that the Vpu protein induced degradation of CD4 whereas mutant CD4 having the membrane-proximal 18 aa of the cytoplasmic domain was relatively stable in the presence of Vpu. Taken together, these studies have elucidated that the Vpu protein requires sequences or sequence determinants in the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 to induce degradation of the glycoproteins in the cell.

Clustered arginine residues of bacteriophage lambda N protein are essential to antitermination of transcription, but their locale cannot compensate for boxB loop defects

The N protein coded by bacteriophage lambda plays an essential role in the completion of lambda transcription by recognizing the boxB sequence in nascent transcripts and then aggregating with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and four other E. coli proteins into an unstoppable transcription complex. In order to explore the functionality of N protein and the specific recognition between N and boxB, 14 amino acid positions near the amino-terminal end of N lambda were mutated extensively. The mutant proteins were scored for N function in vivo by a two-plasmid construct that visualizes readthrough transcription as lacZ expression in colonies of E. coli. Mutation was achieved by single TAG replacements, translated through suppression into 13 different amino acids, or by scrambling at assorted three-codon sets. Of the 14 amino acid positions tested (Tables 5 and 6), six remained functional with a wide variety of substitutions, while substitution was sometimes deleterious at one Ala and two Gln positions. At each of the five Arg positions, however, maintenance of Arg occupancy proved important for N function. Despite effective screening for increased N function at boxBs with defective loops, no N mutant, simple or complex, was found to change the order of preference of wild-type N lambda for boxBs with defective loops. Thus, although multiple amino-terminal Arg positions are found to be important for N function, mutations in the region spanning the five Arg residues were not found to compensate for defects in boxB loop.

Functions and proteins of herpes simplex virus type-1 that are involved in raising the mutation frequency of infected cells

When cells are infected by herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) the mutation frequency is increased. To find which functions of the virus are responsible for this, a variety of viral strains and one fragment of viral DNA were tested in a mutagenesis assay. Mutagenesis was dependent on the binding of the virus to the cell surface and disassembly of the virus particle, but expression of virus genes was not necessary. Since this implied that mutagenesis was a result of the exposure of the interior of the cell to an internal structural component of the virus, the role of two likely components was examined. The host-shutoff function of the virus was not required for mutagenesis. However, a fragment of DNA from within the minimum transforming region of HSV-1 that encodes a possible virion protein was mutagenic when expressed from a eukaryotic expression vector. The encoded product of this DNA fragment is therefore a candidate for a transforming protein of HSV-1, and is the only protein currently suggested to be responsible for that function.

The effect of vpu on HIV-1-induced syncytia formation

To investigate the role of vpu in the cytopathicity of human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1), the MT4 CD4+ T-cell line was infected with viruses that were isogenic except for their ability to produce the vpu protein. The experiments described here demonstrate that expression of vpu reduces HIV-1 cytopathic effects by decreasing the rate of syncytia formation. By reducing the concentration of gp 120 at the cell surface, vpu limits cell killing by syncytia formation.

Expression of nef, vpu, CA and CD4 during the infection of lymphoid and monocytic cell lines with HIV-1

The expression of the capsid antigen (CA) and the two regulatory proteins nef and vpu as well as the CD4 cell surface receptor was followed in HIV-infected lymphoid and promonocytic cells. In the lytic phase of infection all three viral proteins were expressed; production of these proteins coincided with the increase of CA antigen and infectious virus in culture supernatants and with prominent cytopathic effects. After selection of persistently infected cells, the number of lymphoid cells expressing detectable levels of nef decreased to zero; the number of cells positive for CA ranged between 40 to 70%. In chronically infected promonocytic cells nef and vpu expression was reduced to undetectable levels, whereas most of the cells accumulated CA intracellularly. Infectious cell free virus and CA in the supernatant of promonocytic cells had low titers. CD4 surface expression declined in all cell lines investigated before cell free virus was detectable.

Transfer and expression of the lacZ gene in rat brain neurons mediated by herpes simplex virus mutants

Three mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were used to deliver and express the Escherichia coli lacZ gene in cells of the rat central nervous system. Because the lacZ gene was inserted in place of the genes encoding one of the immediate-early viral proteins ICP0 or ICP4 or the early viral protein thymidine kinase, these mutants were compromised or defective in their ability to replicate. All mutant vectors exhibited reduced pathogenesis in animals as compared to the wild type HSV-1 strain KOS. In all cases lacZ was under the control of immediate-early or early viral promoters that are active in the early phase of infection. Expression of beta-galactosidase was observed in cortical neurons following stereotactic inoculation of mutant viruses into adult rat brains; distinct patterns of expression were observed with each mutant vector. Injection of the ICP0 mutant in the frontal cortex and caudate nucleus resulted in beta-galactosidase expression in a substantial number of cells around the inoculation site and at some distance from it for 14 days, with maximum expression after 3 days. The ICP0 vector appeared to have reached the ipsilateral and contralateral cingulate cortex by retrograde transport. Following inoculations of the ICP4 and thymidine kinase vectors into the same brain regions, only a few cells in areas immediately adjacent to the injection track expressed beta-galactosidase and they did so for only a few days. These herpes virus-derived vectors provide a means for the in situ delivery and expression of specific genes in neurons in the central nervous system with little adverse effect on animals.

The regions important for the activator and repressor functions of herpes simplex virus type 1 alpha protein ICP27 map to the C-terminal half of the molecule

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) alpha or immediate-early proteins ICP4 (IE175), ICP0 (IE110), and ICP27 (IE63) are trans-acting proteins which affect HSV-1 gene expression. We previously showed that ICP27 in combination with ICP4 and ICP0 could act as a repressor or an activator in transfection assays, depending on the target gene (R. E. Sekulovich, K. Leary, and R. M. Sandri-Goldin, J. Virol. 62:4510-4522, 1988). To investigate the regions of the ICP27 protein which specify these functions, we constructed a series of in-frame insertion and deletion mutants in the ICP27 gene. These mutants were analyzed in transient expression assays for the ability to repress or to activate two different target genes. The target plasmids used consisted of the promoter regions from the HSV-1 beta or early gene which encodes thymidine kinase and from the beta-gamma or leaky late gene. VP5, which encodes the major capsid protein, each fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Our previous studies showed that induction of pTK-CAT expression by ICP4 and ICP0 was repressed by ICP27, whereas the stimulation of pVP5-CAT expression seen with ICP4 and ICP0 was significantly increased when ICP27 was also added. In this study, a series of transfection assays was performed with each of the ICP27 mutant plasmids in combination with plasmids containing the ICP4 and ICP0 genes with each target. The results of these experiments showed that mutants containing insertions or deletions in the region from amino acids 262 to 406 in the carboxy-terminal half of the protein were unable to stimulate expression of pVP5-CAT but were able to repress induction of pTK-CAT activity by ICP4 and ICP0. Mutants in the carboxy-terminal 78 amino acids lost both activities; that is, these mutants did not show repression of pTK-CAT activity or stimulation of pVP5-CAT activity, whereas mutants in the hydrophilic amino-terminal half of ICP27 were able to perform both functions. These results show that the carboxy-terminal half of ICP27 is important for the activation and repression functions. Furthermore, the carboxy-terminal 62 amino acids are required for the repressor activity, because mutants with this region intact were able to repress. Analysis of the DNA sequence showed that there are a number of cysteine and histidine residues encoded by this region which have some similarity to zinc finger metal-binding regions found in other eucaryotic regulatory proteins. These results suggest that the structural integrity of this region is important for the function of ICP27.