Virus inhibition of RIP3-dependent necrosis

Cathepsins are involved in virus-induced cell death in ICP4 and Us3 deletion mutant herpes simplex virus type 1-infected monocytic cells

We have studied cell death and its mechanisms in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-infected monocytic cells. The HSV-1 ICP4 and Us3 deletion mutant, d120 caused both apoptosis and necroptosis in d120-infected monocytic cells. At a late time point of infection the number of apoptotic cells was increased significantly in d120-infected cells when compared with uninfected or parental HSV-1 (KOS)-infected cells. Necroptosis inhibitor treatment increased the number of viable cells among the d120-infected cells, indicating that cell death in d120-infected cells was, in part, because of necroptosis. Moreover, lysosomal membrane permeabilization and cathepsin B and H activities were increased significantly in d120-infected cells. Inhibition of cathepsin B and S activities with specific cathepsin inhibitors led to increased cell viability, and inhibition of cathepsin L activity resulted in a decreased number of apoptotic cells. This indicates that cathepsins B, L and S may act as cell-death mediators in d120-infected monocytic cells. In addition, caspase 3 activity was increased significantly in d120-infected cells. However, the caspase 3 inhibitor treatment did not decrease the number of apoptotic cells. In contrast, inhibition of cathepsin L activity by cathepsin L-specific inhibitor clearly decreased caspase 3 activity and the number of apoptotic cells in d120-infected cells. This might suggest that, in d120-infected monocytic cells, cathepsin L activates caspase 3 and thus mediates d120-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these findings suggest that d120-induced cell death is both apoptotic and necroptotic.

Molecular mechanisms of necroptosis: an ordered cellular explosion

For a long time, apoptosis was considered the sole form of programmed cell death during development, homeostasis and disease, whereas necrosis was regarded as an unregulated and uncontrollable process. Evidence now reveals that necrosis can also occur in a regulated manner. The initiation of programmed necrosis, 'necroptosis', by death receptors (such as tumour necrosis factor receptor 1) requires the kinase activity of receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1; also known as RIPK1) and RIP3 (also known as RIPK3), and its execution involves the active disintegration of mitochondrial, lysosomal and plasma membranes. Necroptosis participates in the pathogenesis of diseases, including ischaemic injury, neurodegeneration and viral infection, thereby representing an attractive target for the avoidance of unwarranted cell death.

The molecular regulation of programmed necrotic cell injury

Proper regulation of cell death is essential for metazoan development and functions. Unlike apoptosis, necrosis is a more inflammatory form of cell death that might contribute to antiviral immunity. Indeed, necrotic cell injury is distinguished from apoptosis by extensive organelle and cell swelling and plasma membrane rupture. Recent evidence indicates that an elaborate biochemical network emanating from receptors in the TNF superfamily can induce apoptosis as well as necrotic cell death. The induction of necrosis by TNF-like cytokines requires biochemical components that are distinct from those involved in apoptosis. Specifically, serine/threonine protein kinases in the receptor interacting protein (RIP) family are required for "programmed" necrotic cell injury. In this review, we discuss the molecular crosstalk between apoptosis and programmed necrosis, with a special emphasis on how caspases, protein ubiquitylation and phosphorylation regulate the induction of necrotic cell injury.

The human cytomegalovirus UL36 gene controls caspase-dependent and -independent cell death programs activated by infection of monocytes differentiating to macrophages

The cellular protease caspase-8 activates extrinsic apoptosis and also functions to promote monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation. Differentiation-induced alterations to antiviral caspase-8-dependent cell death pathways are unclear. Here, we show THP-1 monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation alters the specific cell death pathways activated in response to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. Employing viruses with mutations in UL36, the gene that encodes the viral inhibitor of caspase-8 activation (vICA), our data indicate that both caspase-dependent and -independent death pathways are activated in response to infection. Activation of caspase-dependent and -independent cell death responses restricted growth of vICA-deficient viruses, and vICA/pUL36 inhibited either response. Thus, these studies also reveal that the UL36 gene controls a caspase-independent cell death pathway. The impact of caspases on control of antiviral responses differed at early and late stages of macrophage differentiation. Early in differentiation, vICA-deficient virus-induced cell death was dependent on caspases and inhibited by the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD(OMe)-fluoromethyl ketone. In contrast, virus-induced death at late times of differentiation was caspase independent. Additional unlabeled and fluorescent inhibitors indicated that caspase-8 promoted death from within infected cells at early but not late stages of differentiation. These data highlight the multifunctional role of vICA/pUL36 as HCMV encounters various antiviral responses during macrophage differentiation.