Structural basis of membrane budding by the nuclear egress complex of herpesviruses

Functional Identification and Characterization of the Nuclear Egress Complex of a Gammaherpesvirus

The herpesvirus nuclear egress complex (NEC) is composed of two viral proteins. They play key roles in mediating the translocation of capsids from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by facilitating the budding of capsids into the perinuclear space (PNS). The NEC of alphaherpesvirus can induce the formation of virion-like vesicles from the nuclear membrane in the absence of other viral proteins. However, whether the NEC of gammaherpesvirus harbors the ability to do so in mammalian cells remains to be determined. In this study, we first constructed open reading frame 67 (ORF67)-null and ORF69-null mutants of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) and demonstrated that both ORF67 and ORF69 play critical roles in nuclear egress and hence viral lytic replication. Biochemical and bioimaging analyses showed that ORF67 and ORF69 interacted with each other and were sufficient to induce the formation of virion-like vesicles from the nuclear membrane in mammalian cells. Thus, we designated ORF67 and ORF69 components of MHV-68 NEC. Furthermore, we identified amino acids critical for mediating the interaction between ORF67 and ORF69 through homology modeling and verified their function in nuclear egress, providing insights into the molecular basis of NEC formation in gammaherpesviruses.IMPORTANCE Increasing amounts of knowledge indicate that the nuclear egress complex (NEC) is critical for the nuclear egress of herpesvirus capsids, which can be viewed as a vesicle-mediated transport pathway through the nuclear membrane. In this study, we identified open reading frame 67 (ORF67) and ORF69 as components of the NEC in murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) and demonstrated that they efficiently induce virion-like vesicles from the nuclear membrane in mammalian cells. This is the first time that the NEC of a gammaherpesvirus has been found to demonstrate such an essential characteristic. In addition, we identified amino acids critical for mediating the interaction between ORF67 and ORF69 as well as nuclear egress. Notably, these amino acids are conserved in Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), providing a structural basis to design antigammaherpesvirus drugs.

Protein Amphipathic Helix Insertion: A Mechanism to Induce Membrane Fission

One of the fundamental features of biomembranes is the ability to fuse or to separate. These processes called respectively membrane fusion and fission are central in the homeostasis of events such as those related to intracellular membrane traffic. Proteins that contain amphipathic helices (AHs) were suggested to mediate membrane fission via shallow insertion of these helices into the lipid bilayer. Here we analyze the AH-containing proteins that have been identified as essential for membrane fission and categorize them in few subfamilies, including small GTPases, Atg proteins, and proteins containing either the ENTH/ANTH- or the BAR-domain. AH-containing fission-inducing proteins may require cofactors such as additional proteins (e.g., lipid-modifying enzymes), or lipids (e.g., phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2], phosphatidic acid [PA], or cardiolipin). Both PA and cardiolipin possess a cone shape and a negative charge (-2) that favor the recruitment of the AHs of fission-inducing proteins. Instead, PtdIns(4,5)P2 is characterized by an high negative charge able to recruit basic residues of the AHs of fission-inducing proteins. Here we propose that the AHs of fission-inducing proteins contain sequence motifs that bind lipid cofactors; accordingly (K/R/H)(K/R/H)xx(K/R/H) is a PtdIns(4,5)P2-binding motif, (K/R)x6(F/Y) is a cardiolipin-binding motif, whereas KxK is a PA-binding motif. Following our analysis, we show that the AHs of many fission-inducing proteins possess five properties: (a) at least three basic residues on the hydrophilic side, (b) ability to oligomerize, (c) optimal (shallow) depth of insertion into the membrane, (d) positive cooperativity in membrane curvature generation, and (e) specific interaction with one of the lipids mentioned above. These lipid cofactors favor correct conformation, oligomeric state and optimal insertion depth. The most abundant lipid in a given organelle possessing high negative charge (more negative than -1) is usually the lipid cofactor in the fission event. Interestingly, naturally occurring mutations have been reported in AH-containing fission-inducing proteins and related to diseases such as centronuclear myopathy (amphiphysin 2), Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (GDAP1), Parkinson's disease (α-synuclein). These findings add to the interest of the membrane fission process whose complete understanding will be instrumental for the elucidation of the pathogenesis of diseases involving mutations in the protein AHs.

Identification of the Capsid Binding Site in the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Nuclear Egress Complex and Its Role in Viral Primary Envelopment and Replication

During nuclear egress of nascent progeny herpesvirus nucleocapsids, the nucleocapsids acquire a primary envelope by budding through the inner nuclear membrane of infected cells into the perinuclear space between the inner and outer nuclear membranes. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) U_L34 and U_L31 proteins form a nuclear egress complex (NEC) and play critical roles in this budding process, designated primary envelopment. To clarify the role of NEC binding to progeny nucleocapsids in HSV-1 primary envelopment, we established an assay system for HSV-1 NEC binding to nucleocapsids and capsid proteins in vitro Using this assay system, we showed that HSV-1 NEC bound to nucleocapsids and to capsid protein U_L25 but not to the other capsid proteins tested (i.e., VP5, VP23, and U_L17) and that HSV-1 NEC binding of nucleocapsids was mediated by the interaction of NEC with U_L25. U_L31 residues arginine-281 (R281) and aspartic acid-282 (D282) were required for efficient NEC binding to nucleocapsids and U_L25. We also showed that alanine substitution of U_L31 R281 and D282 reduced HSV-1 replication, caused aberrant accumulation of capsids in the nucleus, and induced an accumulation of empty vesicles that were similar in size and morphology to primary envelopes in the perinuclear space. These results suggested that NEC binding via U_L31 R281 and D282 to nucleocapsids, and probably to U_L25 in the nucleocapsids, has an important role in HSV-1 replication by promoting the incorporation of nucleocapsids into vesicles during primary envelopment.IMPORTANCE Binding of HSV-1 NEC to nucleocapsids has been thought to promote nucleocapsid budding at the inner nuclear membrane and subsequent incorporation of nucleocapsids into vesicles during nuclear egress of nucleocapsids. However, data to directly support this hypothesis have not been reported thus far. In this study, we have present data showing that two amino acids in the membrane-distal face of the HSV-1 NEC, which contains the putative capsid binding site based on the solved NEC structure, were in fact required for efficient NEC binding to nucleocapsids and for efficient incorporation of nucleocapsids into vesicles during primary envelopment. This is the first report showing direct linkage between NEC binding to nucleocapsids and an increase in nucleocapsid incorporation into vesicles during herpesvirus primary envelopment.

Conserved Central Intraviral Protein Interactome of the Herpesviridae Family

Protein interactions are major driving forces behind the functional phenotypes of biological processes. As such, evolutionary footprints are reflected in system-level collections of protein-protein interactions (PPIs), i.e., protein interactomes. We conducted a comparative analysis of intraviral protein interactomes for representative species of each of the three subfamilies of herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus 1, human cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus), which are highly prevalent etiologic agents of important human diseases. The intraviral interactomes were reconstructed by combining experimentally supported and computationally predicted protein-protein interactions. Using cross-species network comparison, we then identified family-wise conserved interactions and protein complexes, which we defined as a herpesviral "central" intraviral protein interactome. A large number of widely accepted conserved herpesviral protein complexes are present in this central intraviral interactome, encouragingly supporting the biological coherence of our results. Importantly, these protein complexes represent most, if not all, of the essential steps required during a productive life cycle. Hence the central intraviral protein interactome could plausibly represent a minimal infectious interactome of the herpesvirus family across a variety of hosts. Our data, which have been integrated into our herpesvirus interactomics database, HVint2.0, could assist in creating comprehensive system-level computational models of this viral lineage.IMPORTANCE Herpesviruses are an important socioeconomic burden for both humans and livestock. Throughout their long evolutionary history, individual herpesvirus species have developed remarkable host specificity, while collectively the Herpesviridae family has evolved to infect a large variety of eukaryotic hosts. The development of approaches to fight herpesvirus infections has been hampered by the complexity of herpesviruses' genomes, proteomes, and structural features. The data and insights generated by our study add to the understanding of the functional organization of herpesvirus-encoded proteins, specifically of family-wise conserved features defining essential components required for a productive infectious cycle across different hosts, which can contribute toward the conceptualization of antiherpetic infection strategies with an effect on a broader range of target species. All of the generated data have been made freely available through our HVint2.0 database, a dedicated resource of curated herpesvirus interactomics purposely created to promote and assist future studies in the field.

Roles of the Interhexamer Contact Site for Hexagonal Lattice Formation of the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Nuclear Egress Complex in Viral Primary Envelopment and Replication

During the nuclear export of nascent nucleocapsids of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), the nucleocapsids acquire a primary envelope by budding through the inner nuclear membrane into the perinuclear space between the inner and outer nuclear membranes. This unique budding process, termed primary envelopment, is initiated by the nuclear egress complex (NEC), composed of the HSV-1 UL31 and UL34 proteins. Earlier biochemical approaches have shown that the NEC has an intrinsic ability to vesiculate membranes through the formation of a hexagonal lattice structure. The significance of intrahexamer interactions of the NEC in the primary envelopment of HSV-1-infected cells has been reported. In contrast, the contribution of lattice formation of the NEC hexamer to primary envelopment in HSV-1-infected cells remains to be elucidated. Therefore, we constructed and characterized a recombinant HSV-1 strain carrying an amino acid substitution in a UL31 residue that is an interhexamer contact site for the lattice formation of the NEC hexamer. This mutation was reported to destabilize the interhexamer interactions of the HSV-1 NEC. Here, we demonstrate that the mutation causes the aberrant accumulation of nucleocapsids in the nucleus and reduces viral replication in Vero and HeLa cells. Thus, the ability of HSV-1 to form the hexagonal lattice structure of the NEC was linked to an increase in primary envelopment and viral replication. Our results suggest that the lattice formation of the NEC hexamer has an important role in HSV-1 replication by regulating primary envelopment.IMPORTANCE The scaffolding proteins of several envelope viruses required for virion assembly form high-order lattice structures. However, information on the significance of their lattice formation in infected cells is limited. Herpesviruses acquire envelopes twice during their viral replication. The first envelop acquisition (primary envelopment) is one of the steps in the vesicle-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport of nascent nucleocapsids, which is unique in biology. HSV-1 NEC, thought to be conserved in all members of the Herpesviridae family, is critical for primary envelopment and was shown to form a hexagonal lattice structure. Here, we investigated the significance of the interhexamer contact site for hexagonal lattice formation of the NEC in HSV-1-infected cells and present evidence suggesting that the lattice formation of the NEC hexamer has an important role in HSV-1 replication by regulating primary envelopment. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms of the envelopment of herpesviruses and other envelope viruses.

Seeking Closure: How Do Herpesviruses Recruit the Cellular ESCRT Apparatus?

The Herpesviridae are structurally complex DNA viruses whose capsids undergo primary envelopment at the inner nuclear membrane and secondary envelopment at organelles in the cytoplasm. In both locations, there is evidence that envelope formation and scission involve the participation of multiple viral proteins and also the cellular ESCRT apparatus. It nevertheless appears that the best-understood viral strategies for ESCRT recruitment, those adopted by the retroviruses and many other families of enveloped RNA viruses, are not utilized by the Herpesviridae, at least during envelopment in the cytoplasm. Thus, although a large number of herpesvirus proteins have been assigned roles in envelopment, there is a dearth of candidates for the acquisition of the ESCRT complex and the control of envelope scission. This review summarizes our current understanding of ESCRT association by enveloped viruses, examines what is known of herpesvirus ESCRT utilization in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and identifies candidate cellular and viral proteins that could link enveloping herpesviruses to cellular ESCRT components.

Nuclear envelope impairment is facilitated by the herpes simplex virus 1 Us3 kinase

Background: Capsids of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) are assembled in the nucleus, translocated either to the perinuclear space by budding at the inner nuclear membrane acquiring tegument and envelope, or released to the cytosol in a "naked" state via impaired nuclear pores that finally results in impairment of the nuclear envelope. The Us3 gene encodes a protein acting as a kinase, which is responsible for phosphorylation of numerous viral and cellular substrates. The Us3 kinase plays a crucial role in nucleus to cytoplasm capsid translocation. We thus investigate the nuclear surface in order to evaluate the significance of Us3 in maintenance of the nuclear envelope during HSV-1 infection. Methods: To address alterations of the nuclear envelope and capsid nucleus to cytoplasm translocation related to the function of the Us3 kinase we investigated cells infected with wild type HSV-1 or the Us3 deletion mutant R7041(∆Us3) by transmission electron microscopy, focused ion-beam electron scanning microscopy, cryo-field emission scanning electron microscopy, confocal super resolution light microscopy, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results: Confocal super resolution microscopy and cryo-field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed decrement in pore numbers in infected cells. Number and degree of pore impairment was significantly reduced after infection with R7041(∆Us3) compared to infection with wild type HSV-1. The nuclear surface was significantly enlarged in cells infected with any of the viruses. Morphometric analysis revealed that additional nuclear membranes were produced forming multiple folds and caveolae, in which virions accumulated as documented by three-dimensional reconstruction after ion-beam scanning electron microscopy. Finally, significantly more R7041(∆Us3) capsids were retained in the nucleus than wild-type capsids whereas the number of R7041(∆Us3) capsids in the cytosol was significantly lower. Conclusions: The data indicate that Us3 kinase is involved in facilitation of nuclear pore impairment and, concomitantly, in capsid release through impaired nuclear envelope.

Structural Aspects of Betaherpesvirus-Encoded Proteins

Betaherpesvirus possesses a large genome DNA with a lot of open reading frames, indicating abundance in the variety of viral protein factors. Because the complicated pathogenicity of herpesvirus reflects the combined functions of these factors, analyses of individual proteins are the fundamental steps to comprehensively understand about the viral life cycle and the pathogenicity. In this chapter, structural aspects of the betaherpesvirus-encoded proteins are introduced. Betaherpesvirus-encoded proteins of which structural information is available were summarized and subcategorized into capsid proteins, tegument proteins, nuclear egress complex proteins, envelope glycoproteins, enzymes, and immune-modulating factors. Structure of capsid proteins are analyzed in capsid by electron cryomicroscopy at quasi-atomic resolution. Structural information of teguments is limited, but a recent crystallographic analysis of an essential tegument protein of human herpesvirus 6B is introduced. As for the envelope glycoproteins, crystallographic analysis of glycoprotein gB has been done, revealing the fine-tuned structure and the distribution of its antigenic domains. gH/gL structure of betaherpesvirus is not available yet, but the overall shape and the spatial arrangement of the accessory proteins are analyzed by electron microscopy. Nuclear egress complex was analyzed from the structural perspective in 2015, with the structural analysis of cytomegalovirus UL50/UL53. The category "enzymes" includes the viral protease, DNA polymerase and terminase for which crystallographic analyses have been done. The immune-modulating factors are viral ligands or receptors for immune regulating factors of host immune cells, and their communications with host immune molecules are demonstrated in the aspect of molecular structure.

Cellular Protein Kinase D Modulators Play a Role during Multiple Steps of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Egress

The assembly of new herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) particles takes place in the nucleus. These particles then travel across the two nuclear membranes and acquire a final envelope from a cellular compartment. The contribution of the cell to the release of the virus is, however, little known. We previously demonstrated, using a synchronized infection, that the host protein kinase D and diacylglycerol, a lipid that recruits the kinase to the trans-Golgi network (TGN), promote the release of the virus from that compartment. Given the role this cellular protein plays in the herpes simplex virus 1 life cycle and the many molecules that modulate its activity, we aimed to determine to what extent this virus utilizes the protein kinase D pathway during a nonsynchronized infection. Several molecular protein kinase D (PKD) regulators were targeted by RNA interference and viral production monitored. Surprisingly, many of these modulators negatively impacted the extracellular release of the virus. Overexpression studies, the use of pharmacological reagents, and assays to monitor intracellular lipids implicated in the biology of PKD suggested that these effects were oddly independent of total intracellular diacylglycerol levels. Instead, mapping of the viral intermediates by electron microscopy suggested that some of these modulators could regulate distinct steps along the viral egress pathway, notably nuclear egress. Altogether, this suggests a more complex contribution of PKD to HSV-1 egress than originally anticipated and new research avenues to explore.IMPORTANCE Viruses are obligatory parasites that highjack numerous cellular functions. This is certainly true when it comes to transporting viral particles within the cell. Herpesviruses share the unique property of traveling through the two nuclear membranes by subsequent budding and fusion and acquiring their final envelope from a cellular organelle. Albeit disputed, the overall evidence from many laboratories points to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) as the source of that membrane. Moreover, past findings revealed that the host protein kinase D (PKD) plays an important role at that stage, which is significant given the known implication of that protein in vesicular transport. The present findings suggest that the PKD machinery not only affects the late stages of herpes simplex virus I egress but also modulates earlier steps, such as nuclear egress. This opens up new means to control these viruses.

Conformational Dynamics of Herpesviral NEC Proteins in Different Oligomerization States

All herpesviruses use a heterodimeric nuclear egress complex (NEC) to transport capsids out of host cell nuclei. Despite their overall similar structure, NECs may differ significantly in sequence between different viruses. Up to now, structural information is limited to isolated NEC heterodimers and to large hexagonal lattices made up of hexagonal ring-like structures ("Hexagons"). The present study aimed to expand the existing structural knowledge with information on the dynamics of NECs from different viruses and in different oligomerization states. For this task, comparative molecular dynamics simulations were performed of the free NEC heterodimers from three different viruses (HCMV (human cytomegalovirus), HSV-1 (herpes simplex virus 1), and PRV (pseudorabies virus)). In addition, higher oligomerization states comprising two or six NEC heterodimers were characterized for HCMV and HSV-1. The study revealed that the isolated NEC heterodimers from α- (HSV-1, PRV) and β-herpesviruses (HCMV) differ significantly in their dynamics, which can be attributed to a poorly conserved interface region between the NEC subdomains. These differences become smaller for higher oligomerization states, and both HCMV and HSV-1 individual Hexagons exhibit a common region of enhanced dynamics, which might be of functional relevance for the formation of curved vesicle structures or the recognition of hexameric capsid proteins.

ESCRT-III mediates budding across the inner nuclear membrane and regulates its integrity

Vesicle-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport is a nuclear pore-independent mechanism for the nuclear export of macromolecular complexes, but the molecular basis for this transport remains largely unknown. Here we show that endosomal sorting complex required for transport-III (ESCRT-III) is recruited to the inner nuclear membrane (INM) during the nuclear export of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Scission during HSV-1 budding through the INM is prevented by depletion of ESCRT-III proteins. Interestingly, in uninfected human cells, the depletion of ESCRT-III proteins induces aberrant INM proliferation. Our results show that HSV-1 expropriates the ESCRT-III machinery in infected cells for scission of the INM to produce vesicles containing progeny virus nucleocapsids. In uninfected cells, ESCRT-III regulates INM integrity by downregulating excess INM.

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport-III (ESCRT-III) has been implicated in the packaging of HIV and HSV-1 viruses in the cytoplasm. Here the authors show that ESCRT-III proteins are required for the transport of HSV-1 nucleocapsids from nucleoplasm to cytosol through the nuclear envelope and confirm that the same mechanism is also used for the nucleocytoplasmic transport of RNP in Drosophila cells.

Function of the Nonconserved N-Terminal Domain of Pseudorabies Virus pUL31 in Nuclear Egress

Nuclear egress of herpesvirus capsids is mediated by the conserved nuclear egress complex (NEC), composed of the membrane-anchored pUL34 and its nucleoplasmic interaction partner, pUL31. The recently solved crystal structures of the NECs from different herpesviruses show a high structural similarity, with the pUL34 homologs building a platform recruiting pUL31 to the inner nuclear membrane. Both proteins possess a central globular fold, while the conserved N-terminal portion of pUL31 forms an extension reaching around the core of pUL34. However, the extreme N terminus of the pUL31 homologs, which is highly variable in length and amino acid composition, had to be removed for crystallization. Several pUL31 homologs contain a classical nuclear localization signal (NLS) within this part mediating efficient nuclear import. In addition, membrane-binding activity, blocking premature interaction with pUL34, nucleocapsid trafficking, and regulation of NEC assembly and disassembly via phosphorylation were assigned to the extreme pUL31 N terminus. To test the functional importance in the alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PrV) pUL31, N-terminal truncations and site-specific mutations were generated, and the resulting proteins were tested for intracellular localization, interaction with pUL34, and functional complementation of PrV-ΔUL31. Our data show that neither the bipartite NLS nor the predicted phosphorylation sites are essential for pUL31 function during nuclear egress. Moreover, nearly the complete variable N-terminal part was dispensable for function as long as a stretch of basic amino acids was retained. Phosphorylation of this domain controls efficient nucleocapsid release from the perinuclear space.IMPORTANCE Nuclear egress of herpesvirus capsids is a unique vesicle-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport. Crystal structures of the heterodimeric NECs from different herpesviruses provided important details of this viral nuclear membrane deformation and scission machinery but excluded the highly variable N terminus of the pUL31 component. We present here a detailed mutagenesis study of this important portion of pUL31 and show that basic amino acid residues within this domain play an essential role for proper targeting, complex formation, and function during nuclear egress, while phosphorylation modulates efficient release from the perinuclear space. Thus, our data complement previous structure-function assignments of the nucleocapsid-interacting component of the NEC.

Electron microscopic characterization of nuclear egress in the sea urchin gastrula

Nuclear egress, also referred to as nuclear envelope (NE) budding, is a process of transport in which vesicles containing molecular complexes or viral particles leave the nucleus through budding from the inner nuclear membrane (INM) to enter the perinuclear space. Following this event, the perinuclear vesicles (PNVs) fuse with the outer nuclear membrane (ONM), where they release their contents into the cytoplasm. Nuclear egress is thought to participate in many functions such as viral replication, cellular differentiation, and synaptic development. The molecular basis for nuclear egress is now beginning to be elucidated. Here, we observe in the sea urchin gastrula, using serial section transmission electron microscopy, strikingly abundant PNVs containing as yet unidentified granules that resemble the ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) previously observed in similar types of PNVs. Some PNVs were observed in the process of fusion with the ONM where they appeared to release their contents into the cytoplasm. These vesicles were abundantly observed in all three presumptive germ layers. These findings indicate that nuclear egress is likely to be an important mechanism for nucleocytoplasmic transfer during sea urchin development. The sea urchin may be a useful model to characterize further and gain a better understanding of the process of nuclear egress.

Human Cytomegalovirus Nuclear Capsids Associate with the Core Nuclear Egress Complex and the Viral Protein Kinase pUL97

The nuclear phase of herpesvirus replication is regulated through the formation of regulatory multi-component protein complexes. Viral genomic replication is followed by nuclear capsid assembly, DNA encapsidation and nuclear egress. The latter has been studied intensely pointing to the formation of a viral core nuclear egress complex (NEC) that recruits a multimeric assembly of viral and cellular factors for the reorganization of the nuclear envelope. To date, the mechanism of the association of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) capsids with the NEC, which in turn initiates the specific steps of nuclear capsid budding, remains undefined. Here, we provide electron microscopy-based data demonstrating the association of both nuclear capsids and NEC proteins at nuclear lamina budding sites. Specifically, immunogold labelling of the core NEC constituent pUL53 and NEC-associated viral kinase pUL97 suggested an intranuclear NEC-capsid interaction. Staining patterns with phospho-specific lamin A/C antibodies are compatible with earlier postulates of targeted capsid egress at lamina-depleted areas. Important data were provided by co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro kinase analyses using lysates from HCMV-infected cells, nuclear fractions, or infectious virions. Data strongly suggest that nuclear capsids interact with pUL53 and pUL97. Combined, the findings support a refined concept of HCMV nuclear trafficking and NEC-capsid interaction.

Betaherpesvirus Virion Assembly and Egress

Virions are the vehicle for cell-to-cell and host-to-host transmission of viruses. Virions need to be assembled reliably and efficiently, be released from infected cells, survive in the extracellular environment during transmission, recognize and then trigger entry of appropriate target cells, and disassemble in an orderly manner during initiation of a new infection. The betaherpesvirus subfamily includes four human herpesviruses (human cytomegalovirus and human herpesviruses 6A, 6B, and 7), as well as viruses that are the basis of important animal models of infection and immunity. Similar to other herpesviruses, betaherpesvirus virions consist of four main parts (in order from the inside): the genome, capsid, tegument, and envelope. Betaherpesvirus genomes are dsDNA and range in length from ~145 to 240 kb. Virion capsids (or nucleocapsids) are geometrically well-defined vessels that contain one copy of the dsDNA viral genome. The tegument is a collection of several thousand protein and RNA molecules packed into the space between the envelope and the capsid for delivery and immediate activity upon cellular entry at the initiation of an infection. Betaherpesvirus envelopes consist of lipid bilayers studded with virus-encoded glycoproteins; they protect the virion during transmission and mediate virion entry during initiation of new infections. Here, we summarize the mechanisms of betaherpesvirus virion assembly, including how infection modifies, reprograms, hijacks, and otherwise manipulates cellular processes and pathways to produce virion components, assemble the parts into infectious virions, and then transport the nascent virions to the extracellular environment for transmission.

Venture from the Interior-Herpesvirus pUL31 Escorts Capsids from Nucleoplasmic Replication Compartments to Sites of Primary Envelopment at the Inner Nuclear Membrane

Herpesviral capsid assembly is initiated in the nucleoplasm of the infected cell. Size constraints require that newly formed viral nucleocapsids leave the nucleus by an evolutionarily conserved vescular transport mechanism called nuclear egress. Mature capsids released from the nucleoplasm are engaged in a membrane-mediated budding process, composed of primary envelopment at the inner nuclear membrane and de-envelopment at the outer nuclear membrane. Once in the cytoplasm, the capsids receive their secondary envelope for maturation into infectious virions. Two viral proteins conserved throughout the herpesvirus family, the integral membrane protein pUL34 and the phosphoprotein pUL31, form the nuclear egress complex required for capsid transport from the infected nucleus to the cytoplasm. Formation of the nuclear egress complex results in budding of membrane vesicles revealing its function as minimal virus-encoded membrane budding and scission machinery. The recent structural analysis unraveled details of the heterodimeric nuclear egress complex and the hexagonal coat it forms at the inside of budding vesicles to drive primary envelopment. With this review, I would like to present the capsid-escort-model where pUL31 associates with capsids in nucleoplasmic replication compartments for escort to sites of primary envelopment thereby coupling capsid maturation and nuclear egress.

Lysine 242 within Helix 10 of the Pseudorabies Virus Nuclear Egress Complex pUL31 Component Is Critical for Primary Envelopment of Nucleocapsids

Newly assembled herpesvirus nucleocapsids are translocated from the nucleus to the cytosol by a vesicle-mediated process engaging the nuclear membranes. This transport is governed by the conserved nuclear egress complex (NEC), consisting of the alphaherpesviral pUL34 and pUL31 homologs. The NEC is not only required for efficient nuclear egress but also sufficient for vesicle formation from the inner nuclear membrane (INM), as well as from synthetic lipid bilayers. The recently solved crystal structures for the NECs from different herpesviruses revealed molecular details of this membrane deformation and scission machinery uncovering the interfaces involved in complex and coat formation. However, the interaction domain with the nucleocapsid remained undefined. Since the NEC assembles a curved hexagonal coat on the nucleoplasmic side of the INM consisting of tightly interwoven pUL31/pUL34 heterodimers arranged in hexamers, only the membrane-distal end of the NEC formed by pUL31 residues appears to be accessible for interaction with the nucleocapsid cargo. To identify the amino acids involved in capsid incorporation, we mutated the corresponding regions in the alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PrV). Site-specifically mutated pUL31 homologs were tested for localization, interaction with pUL34, and complementation of PrV-ΔUL31. We identified a conserved lysine residue at amino acid position 242 in PrV pUL31 located in the alpha-helical domain H10 exposed on the membrane-distal end of the NEC as a key residue for nucleocapsid incorporation into the nascent primary particle.IMPORTANCE Vesicular transport through the nuclear envelope is a focus of research but is still not well understood. Herpesviruses pioneered this mechanism for translocation of the newly assembled nucleocapsid from the nucleus into the cytosol via vesicles derived from the inner nuclear membrane which fuse in a well-tuned process with the outer nuclear membrane to release their content. The structure of the viral nuclear membrane budding and scission machinery has been solved recently, providing in-depth molecular details. However, how cargo is incorporated remained unclear. We identified a conserved lysine residue in the membrane-distal portion of the nuclear egress complex required for capsid uptake into inner nuclear membrane-derived vesicles.

Endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transitions upon herpes virus infection

Background: Herpesvirus capsids are assembled in the nucleus before they are translocated to the perinuclear space by budding, acquiring tegument and envelope, or releasing to the cytoplasm in a "naked" state via impaired nuclear envelope. One model proposes that envelopment, "de-envelopment" and "re-envelopment" are essential steps for production of infectious virus. Glycoproteins gB/gH were reported to be essential for de-envelopment, by fusion of the "primary" envelope with the outer nuclear membrane. Yet, a high proportion of enveloped virions generated from genomes with deleted gB/gH were found in the cytoplasm and extracellular space, suggesting the existence of an alternative exit route. Methods: We investigated the relatedness between the nuclear envelope and membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, in cells infected with either herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) or a Us3 deletion mutant thereof, or with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, employing freezing technique protocols that lead to improved spatial and temporal resolution. Results: Scanning electron microscopy showed the Golgi complex as a compact entity in a juxtanuclear position covered by a membrane on the cis face. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that Golgi membranes merge with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum forming an entity with the perinuclear space. All compartments contained enveloped virions. After treatment with brefeldin A, HSV-1 virions aggregated in the perinuclear space and endoplasmic reticulum, while infectious progeny virus was still produced. Conclusions: The data strongly suggest that virions are intraluminally transported from the perinuclear space via Golgi complex-endoplasmic reticulum transitions into Golgi cisternae for packaging into transport vacuoles. Furthermore, virions derived by budding at nuclear membranes are infective as has been shown for HSV-1 Us3 deletion mutants, which almost entirely accumulate in the perinuclear space. Therefore, de-envelopment followed by re-envelopment is not essential for production of infective progeny virus.

Endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transitions upon herpes virus infection

Background: Herpesvirus capsids are assembled in the nucleus, translocated to the perinuclear space by budding, acquiring tegument and envelope, or released to the cytoplasm via impaired nuclear envelope. One model proposes that envelopment, "de-envelopment" and "re-envelopment" is essential for production of infectious virus. Glycoproteins gB/gH were reported to be essential for de-envelopment, by fusion of the "primary" envelope with the outer nuclear membrane. Yet, a high proportion of enveloped virions generated from genomes with deleted gB/gH were found in the cytoplasm and extracellular space, suggesting the existence of alternative exit routes. Methods: We investigated the relatedness between the nuclear envelope and membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, in cells infected with either herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) or a Us3 deletion mutant thereof, or with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, employing freezing technique protocols. Results:  The Golgi complex is a compact entity in a juxtanuclear position covered by a membrane on the cis face. Golgi membranes merge with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum forming an entity with the perinuclear space. All compartments contained enveloped virions. After treatment with brefeldin A, HSV-1 virions aggregated in the perinuclear space and endoplasmic reticulum, while infectious progeny virus was still produced. Conclusions: The data suggest that virions derived by budding at nuclear membranes are intraluminally transported from the perinuclear space via Golgi -endoplasmic reticulum transitions into Golgi cisternae for packaging. Virions derived by budding at nuclear membranes are infective like Us3 deletion mutants, which  accumulate in the perinuclear space. Therefore, i) de-envelopment followed by re-envelopment is not essential for production of infective progeny virus, ii) the process taking place at the outer nuclear membrane is budding not fusion, and iii) naked capsids gain access to the cytoplasmic matrix via impaired nuclear envelope as reported earlier.

The human cytomegalovirus nuclear egress complex unites multiple functions: Recruitment of effectors, nuclear envelope rearrangement, and docking to nuclear capsids

BACKGROUND

Nuclear replication represents a common hallmark of herpesviruses achieved by a number of sequentially unrolled regulatory processes. A rate-limiting step is provided by nucleo-cytoplasmic capsid export, for which a defined multiregulatory protein complex, namely, the nuclear egress complex (NEC), is assembled comprising both viral and cellular components. The NEC regulates at least 3 aspects of herpesviral nuclear replication: (1) multimeric recruitment of NEC-associated effector proteins, (2) reorganization of the nuclear lamina and membranes, and (3) the docking to nuclear capsids. Here, we review published data and own experimental work that characterizes the NEC of HCMV and other herpesviruses.

METHODS

A systematic review of information on nuclear egress of HCMV compared to selected alpha-, beta-, and gamma-herpesviruses: proteomics-based approaches, high-resolution imaging techniques, and functional investigations.

RESULTS

A large number of reports on herpesviral NECs have been published during the last two decades, focusing on protein-protein interactions, nuclear localization, regulatory phosphorylation, and functional validation. The emerging picture provides an illustrated example of well-balanced and sophisticated protein networking in virus-host interaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence refined the view about herpesviral NECs. Datasets published for HCMV, murine CMV, herpes simplex virus, and Epstein-Barr virus illustrate the marked functional consistency in the way herpesviruses achieve nuclear egress. However, this compares with only limited sequence conservation of core NEC proteins and a structural conservation restricted to individual domains. The translational use of this information might help to define a novel antiviral strategy on the basis of NEC-directed small molecules.

The Primary Enveloped Virion of Herpes Simplex Virus 1: Its Role in Nuclear Egress

Many viruses migrate between different cellular compartments for successive stages of assembly. The HSV-1 capsid assembles in the nucleus and then transfers into the cytoplasm. First, the capsid buds through the inner nuclear membrane, becoming coated with nuclear egress complex (NEC) protein. This yields a primary enveloped virion (PEV) whose envelope fuses with the outer nuclear membrane, releasing the capsid into the cytoplasm. We investigated the associated molecular mechanisms by isolating PEVs from US3-null-infected cells and imaging them by cryo-electron microscopy and tomography. (pUS3 is a viral protein kinase in whose absence PEVs accumulate in the perinuclear space.) Unlike mature extracellular virions, PEVs have very few glycoprotein spikes. PEVs are ~20% smaller than mature virions, and the little space available between the capsid and the NEC layer suggests that most tegument proteins are acquired later in the egress pathway. Previous studies have proposed that NEC is organized as hexamers in honeycomb arrays in PEVs, but we find arrays of heptameric rings in extracts from US3-null-infected cells. In a PEV, NEC contacts the capsid predominantly via the pUL17/pUL25 complexes which are located close to the capsid vertices. Finally, the NEC layer dissociates from the capsid as it leaves the nucleus, possibly in response to pUS3-mediated phosphorylation. Overall, nuclear egress emerges as a process driven by a program of multiple weak interactions.IMPORTANCE On its maturation pathway, the newly formed HSV-1 nucleocapsid must traverse the nuclear envelope, while respecting the integrity of that barrier. Nucleocapsids (125 nm in diameter) are too large to pass through the nuclear pore complexes that conduct most nucleocytoplasmic traffic. It is now widely accepted that the process involves envelopment/de-envelopment of a key intermediate-the primary enveloped virion. In wild-type infections, PEVs are short-lived, which has impeded study. Using a mutant that accumulates PEVs in the perinuclear space, we were able to isolate PEVs in sufficient quantity for structural analysis by cryo-electron microscopy and tomography. The findings not only elucidate the maturation pathway of an important human pathogen but also have implications for cellular processes that involve the trafficking of large macromolecular complexes.

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL34 Protein Regulates the Global Architecture of the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Infected Cells

Upon herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection, the CD98 heavy chain (CD98hc) is redistributed around the nuclear membrane (NM), where it promotes viral de-envelopment during the nuclear egress of nucleocapsids. In this study, we attempted to identify the factor(s) involved in CD98hc accumulation and demonstrated the following: (i) the null mutation of HSV-1 UL34 caused specific dispersion throughout the cytoplasm of CD98hc and the HSV-1 de-envelopment regulators, glycoproteins B and H (gB and gH); (ii) as observed with CD98hc, gB, and gH, wild-type HSV-1 infection caused redistribution of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) markers calnexin and ERp57 around the NM, whereas the UL34-null mutation caused cytoplasmic dispersion of these markers; (iii) the ER markers colocalized efficiently with CD98hc, gB, and gH in the presence and absence of UL34 in HSV-1-infected cells; (iv) at the ultrastructural level, wild-type HSV-1 infection caused ER compression around the NM, whereas the UL34-null mutation caused cytoplasmic dispersion of the ER; and (v) the UL34-null mutation significantly decreased the colocalization efficiency of lamin protein markers of the NM with CD98hc and gB. Collectively, these results indicate that HSV-1 infection causes redistribution of the ER around the NM, with resulting accumulation of ER-associated CD98hc, gB, and gH around the NM and that UL34 is required for ER redistribution, as well as for efficient recruitment to the NM of the ER-associated de-envelopment factors. Our study suggests that HSV-1 induces remodeling of the global ER architecture for recruitment of regulators mediating viral nuclear egress to the NM.IMPORTANCE The ER is an important cellular organelle that exists as a complex network extending throughout the cytoplasm. Although viruses often remodel the ER to facilitate viral replication, information on the effects of herpesvirus infections on ER morphological integrity is limited. Here, we showed that HSV-1 infection led to compression of the global ER architecture around the NM, resulting in accumulation of ER-associated regulators associated with nuclear egress of HSV-1 nucleocapsids. We also identified HSV-1 UL34 as a viral factor that mediated ER remodeling. Furthermore, we demonstrated that UL34 was required for efficient targeting of these regulators to the NM. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a herpesvirus remodels ER global architecture. Our study also provides insight into the mechanism by which the regulators for HSV-1 nuclear egress are recruited to the NM, where this viral event occurs.

The Herpesvirus Nuclear Egress Complex Component, UL31, Can Be Recruited to Sites of DNA Damage Through Poly-ADP Ribose Binding

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) UL31 gene encodes a conserved member of the herpesvirus nuclear egress complex that not only functions in the egress of DNA containing capsids from the nucleus, but is also required for optimal replication of viral DNA and its packaging into capsids. Here we report that the UL31 protein from HSV-2 can be recruited to sites of DNA damage by sequences found in its N-terminus. The N-terminus of UL31 contains sequences resembling a poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) binding motif suggesting that PAR interactions might mediate UL31 recruitment to damaged DNA. Whereas PAR polymerase inhibition prevented UL31 recruitment to damaged DNA, inhibition of signaling through the ataxia telangiectasia mutated DNA damage response pathway had no effect. These findings were further supported by experiments demonstrating direct and specific interaction between HSV-2 UL31 and PAR using purified components. This study reveals a previously unrecognized function for UL31 and may suggest that the recognition of PAR by UL31 is coupled to the nuclear egress of herpesvirus capsids, influences viral DNA replication and packaging, or possibly modulates the DNA damage response mounted by virally infected cells.

Mechanisms and functions of nuclear envelope remodelling

As a compartment border, the nuclear envelope (NE) needs to serve as both a protective membrane shell for the genome and a versatile communication interface between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Despite its important structural role in sheltering the genome, the NE is a dynamic and highly adaptable boundary that changes composition during differentiation, deforms in response to mechanical challenges, can be repaired upon rupture and even rapidly disassembles and reforms during open mitosis. NE remodelling is fundamentally involved in cell growth, division and differentiation, and if perturbed can lead to devastating diseases such as muscular dystrophies or premature ageing.

Getting to and through the inner nuclear membrane during herpesvirus nuclear egress

Herpesviruses, like most DNA viruses, replicate and package their genomes into capsids in the host cell nucleus. Capsids then transit to the cytoplasm in a fascinating process called nuclear egress, which includes several unusual steps: Movement of capsids from the nuclear interior to the periphery, disruption of the nuclear lamina, capsid budding through the inner nuclear membrane, and fusion of enveloped particles with the outer nuclear membrane. Here, we review recent advances and emerging questions relating to herpesvirus nuclear egress, emphasizing controversies regarding mechanisms for capsid trafficking to the nuclear periphery, and implications of recent structures of the two-subunit, viral nuclear egress complex for the process, particularly at the step of budding through the inner nuclear membrane.

Herpesvirus Nuclear Egress

Herpesviruses assemble and package their genomes into capsids in the nucleus, but complete final assembly of the mature virion in the cell cytoplasm. This requires passage of the genome-containing capsid across the double-membrane nuclear envelope. Herpesviruses have evolved a mechanism that relies on a pair of conserved viral gene products to shuttle the capsids from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by way of envelopment and de-envelopment at the inner and outer nuclear membranes, respectively. This complex process requires orchestration of the activities of viral and cellular factors to alter the architecture of the nuclear membrane, select capsids at the appropriate stage for egress, and accomplish efficient membrane budding and fusion events. The last few years have seen major advances in our understanding of the membrane budding mechanism and helped clarify the roles of viral and cellular proteins in the other, more mysterious steps. Here, we summarize and place into context this recent research and, hopefully, clarify both the major advances and major gaps in our understanding.

Extragenic Suppression of a Mutation in Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL34 That Affects Lamina Disruption and Nuclear Egress

Nuclear egress of herpesviruses is accompanied by changes in the architecture of the nuclear membrane and nuclear lamina that are thought to facilitate capsid access to the inner nuclear membrane (INM) and curvature of patches of the INM around the capsid during budding. Here we report the properties of a point mutant of pUL34 (Q163A) that fails to induce gross changes in nuclear architecture or redistribution of lamin A/C. The UL34(Q163A) mutant shows a roughly 100-fold defect in single-step growth, and it forms small plaques. This mutant has a defect in nuclear egress, and furthermore, it fails to disrupt nuclear shape or cause observable displacement of lamin A/C despite retaining the ability to recruit the pUS3 and PKC protein kinases and to mediate phosphorylation of emerin. Extragenic suppressors of the UL34(Q163A) phenotype were isolated, and all of them carry a single mutation of arginine 229 to leucine in UL31. Surprisingly, although this UL31 mutation largely restores virus replication, it does not correct the lamina disruption defect, suggesting that, in Vero cells, changes in nuclear shape and gross displacements of lamin A/C may facilitate but are unnecessary for nuclear egress.

IMPORTANCE

Herpesvirus nuclear egress is an essential and conserved process that requires close association of the viral capsid with the inner nuclear membrane and budding of the capsid into that membrane. Access to the nuclear membrane and tight curvature of that membrane are thought to require disruption of the nuclear lamina that underlies the inner nuclear membrane, and consistent with this idea, herpesvirus infection induces biochemical and architectural changes at the nuclear membrane. The significance of the nuclear membrane architectural changes is poorly characterized. The results presented here address that deficiency in our understanding and show that a combination of mutations in two of the viral nuclear egress factors results in a failure to accomplish at least two components of lamina disruption while still allowing relatively efficient viral replication, suggesting that changes in nuclear shape and displacement of lamins are not necessary for herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) nuclear egress.

Vesicular Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Transport-Herpesviruses as Pioneers in Cell Biology

Herpesviruses use a vesicle-mediated transfer of intranuclearly assembled nucleocapsids through the nuclear envelope (NE) for final maturation in the cytoplasm. The molecular basis for this novel vesicular nucleo-cytoplasmic transport is beginning to be elucidated in detail. The heterodimeric viral nuclear egress complex (NEC), conserved within the classical herpesviruses, mediates vesicle formation from the inner nuclear membrane (INM) by polymerization into a hexagonal lattice followed by fusion of the vesicle membrane with the outer nuclear membrane (ONM). Mechanisms of capsid inclusion as well as vesicle-membrane fusion, however, are largely unclear. Interestingly, a similar transport mechanism through the NE has been demonstrated in nuclear export of large ribonucleoprotein complexes during Drosophila neuromuscular junction formation, indicating a widespread presence of a novel concept of cellular nucleo-cytoplasmic transport.

Have NEC Coat, Will Travel: Structural Basis of Membrane Budding During Nuclear Egress in Herpesviruses

Herpesviruses are unusual among enveloped viruses because they bud twice yet acquire a single envelope. Furthermore, unlike other DNA viruses that replicate in the nucleus, herpesviruses do not exit it by passing through the nuclear pores or by rupturing the nuclear envelope. Instead, herpesviruses have a complex mechanism of nuclear escape whereby nascent capsids bud at the inner nuclear membrane to form perinuclear virions that subsequently fuse with the outer nuclear membrane, releasing capsids into the cytosol. This makes them some of the very few known viruses that bud into the nuclear envelope. The envelope acquired during nuclear budding does not end up in the mature viral particle but instead allows the capsid to translocate from the nucleus into the cytosol. The viral nuclear egress complex (NEC) is a critical player in the nuclear egress, yet its function and mechanism have remained enigmatic. Recent studies have demonstrated that the NEC buds membranes without the help of other proteins by forming a honeycomb coat, which established the NEC as the first virally encoded budding machine that operates at the nuclear, as opposed to cytoplasmic, membrane. This review discusses our current understanding of the NEC budding mechanism, with the emphasis on studies that illuminated the structure of the NEC coat and its role in capsid budding during herpesvirus nuclear escape.

A Role for Nuclear F-Actin Induction in Human Cytomegalovirus Nuclear Egress

Herpesviruses, which include important pathogens, remodel the host cell nucleus to facilitate infection. This remodeling includes the formation of structures called replication compartments (RCs) in which herpesviruses replicate their DNA. During infection with the betaherpesvirus, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), viral DNA synthesis occurs at the periphery of RCs within the nuclear interior, after which assembled capsids must reach the inner nuclear membrane (INM) for translocation to the cytoplasm (nuclear egress). The processes that facilitate movement of HCMV capsids to the INM during nuclear egress are unknown. Although an actin-based mechanism of alphaherpesvirus capsid trafficking to the INM has been proposed, it is controversial. Here, using a fluorescently-tagged, nucleus-localized actin-binding peptide, we show that HCMV, but not herpes simplex virus 1, strongly induced nuclear actin filaments (F-actin) in human fibroblasts. Based on studies using UV inactivation and inhibitors, this induction depended on viral gene expression. Interestingly, by 24 h postinfection, nuclear F-actin formed thicker structures that appeared by super-resolution microscopy to be bundles of filaments. Later in infection, nuclear F-actin primarily localized along the RC periphery and between the RC periphery and the nuclear rim. Importantly, a drug that depolymerized nuclear F-actin caused defects in production of infectious virus, capsid accumulation in the cytoplasm, and capsid localization near the nuclear rim, without decreasing capsid accumulation in the nucleus. Thus, our results suggest that for at least one herpesvirus, nuclear F-actin promotes capsid movement to the nuclear periphery and nuclear egress. We discuss our results in terms of competing models for these processes.

The mechanisms underlying herpesvirus nuclear egress have not been fully determined. In particular, how newly assembled capsids move to the inner nuclear membrane for envelopment is uncertain and controversial. In this study, we show that HCMV, an important human pathogen, induces actin filaments in the nuclei of infected cells and that an inhibitor of nuclear F-actin impairs nuclear egress and capsid localization toward the nuclear periphery. Herpesviruses are widespread pathogens that cause or contribute to an array of human diseases. A better understanding of how herpesvirus capsids traffic in the nucleus may uncover novel targets for antiviral intervention and elucidate aspects of the nuclear cytoskeleton, about which little is known.

Nuclear Exodus: Herpesviruses Lead the Way

Most DNA viruses replicate in the nucleus and exit it either by passing through the nuclear pores or by rupturing the nuclear envelope. Unusually, herpesviruses have evolved a complex mechanism of nuclear escape whereby nascent capsids bud at the inner nuclear membrane to form perinuclear virions that subsequently fuse with the outer nuclear membrane, releasing capsids into the cytosol. Although this general scheme is accepted in the field, the players and their roles are still debated. Recent studies illuminated critical mechanistic features of this enigmatic process and uncovered surprising parallels with a novel cellular nuclear export process. This review summarizes our current understanding of nuclear egress in herpesviruses, examines the experimental evidence and models, and outlines outstanding questions with the goal of stimulating new research in this area.

Expression, Purification and Crystallization of the Herpesvirus Nuclear Egress Complex (NEC)

The protocol describes the production and crystallization of the soluble form of the nuclear egress complex (NEC) from Herpes simplex virus 1 and Pseudorabies virus. The NEC is a heterodimer that consists of conserved proteins UL31 and UL34. NEC oligomerization deforms the inner nuclear membrane around the capsid in infected cells, thereby mediating capsid budding into the perinuclear space during nuclear egress. We have successfully developed a protocol for large-scale preparation of highly pure NEC from two different viruses in a prokaryotic expression system, which enabled us to crystallize these viral protein complexes and determine their structures. This procedure may be adapted to purify and crystallize other soluble protein complexes.

This bud's for you: mechanisms of cellular nucleocytoplasmic trafficking via nuclear envelope budding

The nuclear envelope (NE) physically separates the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. While this barrier provides advantages, it also presents a challenge for the nuclear export of large ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. Decades-old dogma holds that all such border-crossing is via the nuclear pore complex (NPC). However, the diameter of the NPC central channel limits the passage of large cargos. Here, we review evidence that such large RNPs employ an endogenous NE-budding pathway, previously thought to be exclusive to the nuclear egress of Herpes viruses. We discuss this and other models proposed, the likelihood that this pathway is conserved, and the consequences of disrupting NE-budding for synapse development, localized translation of synaptic mRNAs, and laminopathies inducing accelerated aging.

Structural Basis of Vesicle Formation at the Inner Nuclear Membrane

Vesicular nucleo-cytoplasmic transport is becoming recognized as a general cellular mechanism for translocation of large cargoes across the nuclear envelope. Cargo is recruited, enveloped at the inner nuclear membrane (INM), and delivered by membrane fusion at the outer nuclear membrane. To understand the structural underpinning for this trafficking, we investigated nuclear egress of progeny herpesvirus capsids where capsid envelopment is mediated by two viral proteins, forming the nuclear egress complex (NEC). Using a multi-modal imaging approach, we visualized the NEC in situ forming coated vesicles of defined size. Cellular electron cryo-tomography revealed a protein layer showing two distinct hexagonal lattices at its membrane-proximal and membrane-distant faces, respectively. NEC coat architecture was determined by combining this information with integrative modeling using small-angle X-ray scattering data. The molecular arrangement of the NEC establishes the basic mechanism for budding and scission of tailored vesicles at the INM.

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Multimodal imaging reveals mechanism of vesicle formation at inner nuclear membrane

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Nucleo-cytoplasmic cargo vesicle coat in situ comprises two distinct lattices

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Lattices are formed by hexameric building blocks made of the nuclear egress complex

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Induction of membrane curvature based solely on heterodimeric interactions

Nuclear Egress of Herpesviruses: The Prototypic Vesicular Nucleocytoplasmic Transport

Herpesvirus particles mature in two different cellular compartments. While capsid assembly and packaging of the genomic linear double-stranded DNA occur in the nucleus, virion formation takes place in the cytoplasm by the addition of numerous tegument proteins as well as acquisition of the viral envelope by budding into cellular vesicles derived from the trans-Golgi network containing virally encoded glycoproteins. To gain access to the final maturation compartment, herpesvirus nucleocapsids have to cross a formidable barrier, the nuclear envelope (NE). Since the ca. 120 nm diameter capsids are unable to traverse via nuclear pores, herpesviruses employ a vesicular transport through both leaflets of the NE. This process involves proteins which support local dissolution of the nuclear lamina to allow access of capsids to the inner nuclear membrane (INM), drive vesicle formation from the INM and mediate inclusion of the capsid as well as scission of the capsid-containing vesicle (also designated as "primary virion"). Fusion of the vesicle membrane (i.e., the "primary envelope") with the outer nuclear membrane subsequently results in release of the nucleocapsid into the cytoplasm for continuing virion morphogenesis. While this process has long been thought to be unique for herpesviruses, a similar pathway for nuclear egress of macromolecular complexes has recently been observed in Drosophila. Thus, herpesviruses may have coopted a hitherto unrecognized cellular mechanism of vesicle-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport. This could have far reaching consequences for our understanding of cellular functions as again unraveled by the study of viruses.

Structural basis of membrane budding by the nuclear egress complex of herpesviruses

During nuclear egress, herpesvirus capsids bud at the inner nuclear membrane forming perinuclear viral particles that subsequently fuse with the outer nuclear membrane, releasing capsids into the cytoplasm. This unusual budding process is mediated by the nuclear egress complex (NEC) composed of two conserved viral proteins, UL31 and UL34. Earlier, we discovered that the herpesvirus nuclear egress complex (NEC) could bud synthetic membranes in vitro without the help of other proteins by forming a coat-like hexagonal scaffold inside the budding membrane. To understand the structural basis of NEC-mediated membrane budding, we determined the crystal structures of the NEC from two herpesviruses. The hexagonal lattice observed in the NEC crystals recapitulates the honeycomb coats within the budded vesicles. Perturbation of the oligomeric interfaces through mutagenesis blocks budding in vitro confirming that NEC oligomerization into a honeycomb lattice drives budding. The structure represents the first atomic-level view of an oligomeric array formed by a membrane-deforming protein, making possible the dissection of its unique budding mechanism and the design of inhibitors to block it.

Unexpected features and mechanism of heterodimer formation of a herpesvirus nuclear egress complex

Herpesvirus nucleocapsids escape from the nucleus in a process orchestrated by a highly conserved, viral nuclear egress complex. In human cytomegalovirus, the complex consists of two proteins, UL50 and UL53. We solved structures of versions of UL53 and the complex by X-ray crystallography. The UL53 structures, determined at 1.93 and 3.0 Å resolution, contained unexpected features including a Bergerat fold resembling that found in certain nucleotide-binding proteins, and a Cys3His zinc finger. Substitutions of zinc-coordinating residues decreased UL50-UL53 co-localization in transfected cells, and, when incorporated into the HCMV genome, ablated viral replication. The structure of the complex, determined at 2.47 Å resolution, revealed a mechanism of heterodimerization in which UL50 clamps onto helices of UL53 like a vise. Substitutions of particular residues on the interaction interface disrupted UL50-UL53 co-localization in transfected cells and abolished virus production. The structures and the identification of contacts can be harnessed toward the rational design of novel and highly specific antiviral drugs and will aid in the detailed understanding of nuclear egress.