Transcriptional induction of cellular gene expression during lytic infection with herpes simplex virus

Activation of cellular interferon-responsive genes after infection of human cells with herpes simplex virus type 1

Previous studies have shown that infection of human fibroblasts with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) results in activation of cellular interferon-responsive gene expression. We demonstrate here that infection of human fibroblasts with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in the absence of de novo protein synthesis also induces the expression of interferon-responsive genes. Five genes tested (encoding ISG54, IFI56, ISG15, 9-27 and MxA) were activated by infection with HSV-1, although the degree of response varied between the individual genes. HSV-1 was a less efficient inducer than HCMV. The effect was a consequence of binding of the virus particle to the cell surface or of the presence of virion components within the infected cell. Induction was mediated by a pathway other than the mechanism through which interferon-alpha mediates its effects on cellular gene expression.

Differential stress protein mRNA expression during early ischaemic preconditioning in the rabbit heart and its relationship to adenosine receptor function

The aim of this study was: (1) to elucidate in more detail the relationship between stress protein expression and brief periods of ischaemia and reperfusion, such as occur during early (classical) ischaemic preconditioning (PC) in the rabbit myocardium; (2) to determine whether stress protein expression is affected by adenosine receptor modulation, since adenosine is a mediator of the preconditioning response. We have studied the expression of the 60 kDa (hsp60); 70 kDa (hsp70-inducible and constitutive isoforms) and 27 kDa (hsp27) stress proteins and the mitochondrial ATP-synthase beta-subunit using Northern blotting. Hsp60, hsp70 and hsp27 expression were also determined at the protein level by Western blotting. Total RNA and proteins were prepared from frozen samples of ischaemic left ventricle and non-ischaemic right ventricle rabbit myocardium after the following treatments (1) sham-operated; (2) 15 min stabilization + 5 min coronary occlusion + 10 min reperfusion (PC); (3) PC + 30 min coronary occlusion (I); (4) PC + 30 min coronary occlusion + 2 h reperfusion (I/R) (5) the adenosine receptor antagonist 8-(p-sulpho-phenyl) theophyline (SPT) given 5 min prior to PC; (6) the adenosine receptor agonist 2-chlorocyclopentyl-N6-adenosine (CCPA) given in place of PC. A transient, approximately two-fold elevation in hsp60 mRNA occurred following 5 min coronary occlusion + 10 min reperfusion (PC) which was stable during a subsequent 30 min ischaemia (I), but returned to baseline during the second (2 h) reperfusion (I/R). An inducible hsp70 mRNA species appeared within 10 min of the second (30 min) coronary occlusion (I) which continued to increase to high levels during the second (2 h) reperfusion (I/R). Hsp27 mRNA expression was not altered following PC or subsequent ischaemia and reperfusion (I/R). ATP synthase beta-subunit mRNA did not change during PC or I but decreased during the subsequent 2 h reperfusion (I/R). Western blot analysis showed no change in left ventricle ischaemic zone hsp60, hsp70i/hsc70 or hsp27 protein during PC compared to an approximately two-fold elevation of hsp70i 24 h following whole body heat stress or 24 h following 4 x 5 min coronary occlusion (as reported by Marber et al., 1993). However, hsp70i, hsp60 and hsp27 showed significant decreases in immunodetectable protein following subsequent ischaemia and reperfusion (I/R). SPT inhibited the increase in hsp60 mRNA following PC (P < or = 0.05), but had no effect on hsp70, hsp27 or ATP-synthase mRNA levels. Therefore, differential expression of mRNAs for hsp60 and hsp70 occurred following ischaemia and reperfusion, with hsp70 mRNA expression involving a significant reperfusion-dependent component. CCPA had no effect on expression of mRNAs for hsp60, hsp70, hsp27 or ATP-synthase. We conclude that the early phase of adenosine receptor-dependent preconditioning in the rabbit heart is not mediated via stress protein expression. However, brief ischaemia and reperfusion resulted in differential changes in individual stress protein gene expression which may be due to different physiological and/or biochemical components of ischaemia and reperfusion in the heart. In addition, partial dependence of hsp60 expression on adenosine receptor modulation was observed.

Nerve growth factor induces the Oct-2 transcription factor in sensory neurons with the kinetics of an immediate-early gene

The Oct-2 transcription factor has a predominantly inhibitory effect on gene expression in neuronal cell lines. This factor and its corresponding mRNA have previously been shown to be elevated in adult rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons chronically exposed to nerve growth factor (NGF). Here we show that the Oct-2 mRNA is rapidly induced in DRG cells exposed to NGF and that such induction still occurs to a lesser extent in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. These findings characterize Oct-2 as a novel member of the immediate-early class of NGF-induced transcription factors whose previously defined members have a predominantly stimulatory effect on the expression of other genes. Induction of the Oct-2 mRNA was also observed in DRG neurons treated with acidic fibroblast growth factor or epidermal growth factor but not with a range of other growth factors and neurotrophins. The role of the Oct-2 transcription factor in mediating the response of DRG neurons to NGF is discussed.

Nerve growth factor induces expression of immediate-early genes NGFI-A (Egr-1) and NGFI-B (nur 77) in adult rat dorsal root ganglion neurons

We have used primary cultures of adult rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG), enriched in sensory neurons, to investigate the induction of immediate-early genes by NGF and a variety of other growth factors. Using the polymerase chain reaction we have quantitatively amplified specific mRNA transcripts induced by NGF, in the presence and absence of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. NGFIA (Egr-1) and NGFIB (nur 77) mRNAs were elevated in level within 60 min of NGF treatment and independently of de novo protein synthesis. This was consistent with the behaviour of immediate-early genes. These kinetics were seen at a range of NGF concentrations. NGFIA and NGFIB mRNAs were also found to be induced in DRG cultures by a variety of other growth factors. Different patterns of induction of NGFIA and NGFIB mRNA observed in DRG cultures suggested that transcript-specific pathways of signal transduction were operating within neurons, dependent upon the particular growth factor stimulus. Comparison of data reported from growth factor treatment of other cell types with data from DRG cultures also revealed patterns of NGFIA and NGFIB mRNA induction specific to DRG neurons.

Inhibition of herpes simplex virus infection by ectopic expression of neuronal splice variants of the Oct-2 transcription factor

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is capable of lytic replication in most cells, such replication in epithelial cells resulting in the mucocutaneous lesions observed following in vivo infection. In addition however, the virus also establishes asymptomatic latent infections in sensory neurons which serve as a reservoir for further cycles of peripheral lytic infections. These latent infections are dependent upon the inhibition of viral immediate-early (IE) gene expression via the octamer-related TAATGARAT motif in the IE promoters resulting in the failure of the viral lytic cycle. Here we show that the ectopic expression of neuronal isoforms of the octamer/TAATGARAT-binding transcription factor Oct-2 in permissive BHK cells represses IE gene expression following HSV infection and inhibits the viral lytic cycle whereas the B lymphocyte isoform of Oct-2 does not have this effect. These results suggest that the neuronal isoforms of Oct-2 play a critical role in rendering neuronal cells non-permissive for the viral lytic cycle thereby allowing the establishment of latent infection. Moreover, this is the first time that the ectopic expression of a cellular transcription factor has been shown to inhibit infection with any virus, raising the possibility of therapeutically inhibiting lytic viral infections by inducing such ectopic expression.

Enhanced transcription of the gene encoding the SmN autoantigen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus does not result in enhanced levels of the SmN protein

The SmN, protein is closely related to the constitutively expressed SmB and SmB' autoantigens and can also act as a target for human autoimmune sera. In contrast to the single gene encoding SmB and SmB' which is expressed in all tissues, the distinct gene encoding SmN is expressed at high levels only in brain and heart tissue. We show that the SmN gene is transcribed at significantly elevated levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from SLE patients compared to normal controls. In contrast no significant elevation in transcription of the genes encoding SmB/B' or the U1-associated 70kD RNP autoantigen is observed in these patients. The elevation in SmN gene transcription in patient PBMCs does not result however, in enhanced levels of the SmN protein in the PBMCs of these patients. The significance of transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes in regulating the expression in SLE patients of SmN and other autoantigens is discussed.

Elevated levels of the 70 kD heat shock protein in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are not dependent on enhanced transcription of the hsp70 gene

The level of the heat inducible hsp70 protein (hsp72) has been shown to be elevated in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a subset of SLE patients. We show that this increased level of hsp70 is not dependent on enhanced transcription of the hsp70 gene or elevated levels of the hsp70 mRNA, neither of which are observed in SLE patients with enhanced protein levels. This indicates that posttranscriptional processes involving either improved translatability of the hsp70 mRNA or increased protein stability are responsible for the observed increase in protein levels in these patients.

Elevation of heat shock protein synthesis and hsp gene transcription during monocyte to macrophage differentiation of U937 cells

During the phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced differentiation of U937 cells to a macrophage-like phenotype, the levels of the heat shock proteins hsp90, hsp72 and hsp65 increased dramatically to a peak level following 24 h of treatment, and then declined. In contrast, no significant increase was observed in the level of the constitutive hsp73 protein in this process. The observed increases in hsp levels were preceded by an increase in the transcription of each of the genes encoding these hsps, including both of the two genes which encode hsp90. The mechanism of this effect and the possible role of the hsps in the function of differentiated macrophages and in the differentiation process are discussed.

The herpes simplex virus immediate-early protein ICP27 stimulates the transcription of cellular Alu repeated sequences by increasing the activity of transcription factor TFIIIC

Infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) results in an increase in the transcription of the endogenous Alu repeated sequence by RNA polymerase III. This effect is also observed in uninfected cells stably transformed with a plasmid expressing the HSV immediate-early protein ICP27 or in cells transfected with the gene encoding this protein. Both uninfected cells expressing ICP27 and cells infected with virus producing functional ICP27 display increased activity of the cellular transcription factor TFIIIC when compared with untreated cells. This increase is not observed, however, in cells infected with a mutant strain of virus which does not produce ICP27. Hence ICP27 induces elevated Alu transcription by activating transcription factor TFIIIC, which is the limiting factor for such transcription. This is the first report of increased activity of a cellular transcription factor during HSV infection, when most cellular gene activity is inhibited.

Transcription of the genes encoding the small heat shock protein ubiquitin is unchanged in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

The heat shock proteins hsp90 and hsp70 have been shown to be over-expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SLE patients. We show, however, that transcription of the three genes encoding the small hsp ubiquitin is not enhanced in these patients. The over expression of hsp90 and hsp70 in SLE is likely therefore to reflect cellular events resulting in the specific induction of these hsps rather than a generalized induction of all hsp synthesis due to the stress of the disease or the presence of fever.

Activation of the cellular transcription factor AP-1 in herpes simplex virus infected cells is dependent on the viral immediate-early protein ICPO

Lytic infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) results in the repression of most host cell protein synthesis but produces an increased activity of the cellular AP-1 transcription factor. This increase is paralleled by an increase in the transcription rate of the proto-oncogene encoding the AP-1 component, c-Jun resulting in an increase in c-Jun protein in infected cells. The increased AP-1 activity in infected cells is dependent upon the HSV immediate-early protein ICPO. Thus a mutant lacking the gene encoding this protein fails to increase AP-1 activity whilst an ICPO expression plasmid can specifically increase the activity of an AP-1 dependent promoter in co-transfection experiments. The implications of these effects in the interaction of HSV with cultured cells are discussed.

Differential suppression of host cell protein synthesis and mRNA levels in herpes simplex virus-infected endothelial cells

Earlier studies from this laboratory have shown that infection of vascular cells with herpes simplex virus 1 or 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2) results in the differential suppression of extracellular matrix proteins including fibronectin (FN), type IV collagen, thrombospondin (TSP) and Factor VIII von Willebrand protein. The present study was designed to determine whether a correlation exists between suppression of synthesis of specific proteins and their mRNA levels. We have measured the steady-state levels of mRNAs for several extracellular matrix proteins (type IV collagen, FN and TSP) and two intracellular proteins (actin and tubulin) in human endothelial cells (EC) following HSV-1 infection. The results show that during the first 5 h post-infection, when there is a rapid decrease in the synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins, the steady-state levels of the corresponding mRNAs remain relatively high, but progressively decline to levels of less than 20% by 13 h post-infection. These findings suggest that in the early hours post-infection there is an alteration in the translatability of the hybridizable message followed by degradation in the later hours.

Cell lines derived from dorsal root ganglion neurons are nonpermissive for HSV and express only the latency-associated transcript following infection

The effect of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in a series of immortalized dorsal root ganglion cell lines has been investigated. Following infection of one of these lines, the viral immediate-early genes are not transcribed and the lytic cycle is aborted at an early stage. In contrast these cells do support transcription of the gene encoding the latency-associated transcripts which are the only viral RNAs present in latently infected ganglia in vivo. These cell lines are therefore a suitable model system for studies of the processes regulating the interaction of HSV with neuronal cell types and the establishment of latent infections in vivo.

The herpes simplex virus protein Vmw65 can trans-activate both viral and cellular promoters in neuronal cells

Transcription of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) immediate-early (IE) genes in lytic infection is dependent upon the formation of a complex between the cellular transcription factor Oct-1 and the HSV virion protein Vmw65. This complex then binds to the TAATGARAT sequence in the IE promoters and trans-activates the IE genes. Following infection of neuronal cells such as the C1300 neuroblastoma cell line, however, the viral (IE) genes are not transcribed and the lytic cycle is aborted at an early stage. We show here that the cellular factors necessary to form a trans-activating complex with Vmw65 are present in C1300 cells and that trans-activation of both viral and cellular promoters by Vmw65 can be observed in these cells. In contrast with permissive cells, however, trans-activation is only observed in C1300 cells at a high concentration of the target viral promoter and not at a low concentration of the target promoter, regardless of the amount of Vmw65 transfected. The significance of these effects for the regulation of latent infection and cellular gene expression in neuronal cells is discussed.

Herpes simplex virus activates expression of a cellular gene by specific binding to the cell surface

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 mutant ts1204 attaches to the cell surface at 38.5 degrees but fails to penetrate the plasma membrane. A striking feature of human fetal lung cells infected with ts1204 at 38.5 degrees was the presence of enhanced amounts of a 56,000 molecular weight host protein, p56. Studies with protein and RNA synthesis inhibitors suggested that binding of the mutant virus to cells activated expression of the cellular gene encoding p56 and not an intermediary protein. Evidence presented in this paper supports the idea that p56 is induced by a specific interaction between ts1204 virions and the cell surface.

Octamer motif mediates transcriptional repression of HSV immediate-early genes and octamer-containing cellular promoters in neuronal cells

C1300 mouse neuroblastoma cells are nonpermissive for infection with herpes simplex virus owing to a failure of viral immediate-early gene transcription following infection. The weak activity of the immediate-early gene promoters in these cells is mediated by the binding of a repressor factor to the octamer-related TAATGARAT motifs in these promoters. This repressor activity is specific to cells of neuronal origin (being absent in a range of permissive nonneuronal cells) and is also able to repress the activity of cellular octamer-containing promoters introduced into C1300 cells. The role of this repressor in the regulation of octamer-containing cellular genes in neuronal cells and in the control of latent infections with herpes simplex virus is discussed.

HSV infection induces increased transcription of Alu repeated sequences by RNA polymerase III

The Alu family of repeated sequences is transcribed by both RNA polymerase II and RNA polymerase III. In cells infected with HSV, transcription by polymerase III increases while transcription by polymerase II decreases. By using virus strains carrying mutations in the genes encoding individual regulatory proteins, we have shown that this effect is dependent upon the immediate-early protein ICP27 and occurs by a process distinct from those which regulate viral gene expression. This is the first example of increased transcription of endogenous cellular sequences by RNA polymerase III during infection with a DNA virus.

The different competitive abilities of viral TAATGARAT elements and cellular octamer motifs, mediate the induction of viral immediate-early genes and the repression of the histone H2B gene in herpes simplex virus infected cells

An HSV virion component, Vmw65, interacts with cellular transcription factors to transactivate TAATGARAT-containing viral genes and some cellular genes containing the related octamer element. We show that the octamer-containing histone H2B promoter can be trans-activated by transfection of Vmw65 but not by viral infection. The induction of H2B transcription by Vmw65 can be abolished by co-transfection of excess amounts of either a TAATGARAT element or a Vmw65 responsive octamer element. This effect cannot be overcome by addition of increasing amounts of Vmw65. The H2B promoter and TAATGARAT-containing viral promoters therefore compete for limiting cellular factors required for induction by Vmw65 resulting in repression of the H2B gene during lytic infection. The competitive effect of TAATGARAT elements on the H2B gene is not observed in the absence of Vmw65, but can be produced in the presence of a truncated form of Vmw65 lacking the acidic tail required for transcriptional activation. Hence a domain of Vmw65 distinct from that involved in transcriptional induction interacts with cellular octamer binding proteins favouring binding to the TAATGARAT motif.

Regulated transcription of herpes simplex virus immediate-early genes in neuroblastoma cells

C1300 neuroblastoma cells are nonpermissive for infection with herpes simplex virus but can be rendered permissive by pretreatment with sodium butyrate. This increased permissivity which is specific for HSV is caused by increased transcription of the viral immediate-early genes following infection of butyrate-treated cells and can be observed for at least 24 hr following withdrawal of butyrate. The use of C1300 cells as a model system for studying the regulation of immediate-early gene expression in neuronal cells in vitro and its possible relevance to the study of the processes regulating latent infection in vivo is discussed.

Human topoisomerase 1 messenger RNA is not destabilized by the herpes simplex virus type 2 virion-associated shut-off function

A cDNA for human topoisomerase I (Topo 1) was used to identify a 4.1 kb polyadenylated Topo 1 mRNA in methotrexate-resistant human KB cells that are permissive for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection. Using these cells, no effect of the HSV-2-associated early shut-off function on levels of Topo-1 mRNA was observed up to 6 hours postinfection, whereas the actin mRNA level was 22% cellular transcripts are susceptible. The level of several host-cell polyadenylated RNAs detected as cDNA clones (class 3 transcripts) were unchanged 8 hours after HSV-2 infection, and other cellular transcripts (class 2) actually accumulated at postinfection.

Promoter sequence and cell type can dramatically affect the efficiency of transcriptional activation induced by herpes simplex virus type 1 and its immediate-early gene products Vmw175 and Vmw110

The activation of transcription of the early and late classes of viral genes during infection by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) requires the prior expression of immediate-early (IE) gene products. The IE gene products can also activate certain cellular and heterologous viral promoters. This paper presents a thorough analysis of transactivation of the HSV-1 glycoprotein gD and simian virus 40 early promoters, and two other promoters that are hybrids of both, under a variety of experimental conditions. Two methods of transactivation (superinfection with virus and co-transfection with isolated IE genes) have been used with all four target promoters in a variety of cell types. The conclusions are: (1) promoter sequence affects the efficiency of promoter activation by infectious HSV-1 virus, but this activation is not restricted to HSV promoters; (2) cell type affects the efficiency of promoter activation by HSV-1, and this can lead to a failure to activate a promoter in one cell type but not in others in which activation is generally more efficient; (3) a promoter can be activated to different extents in co-transfection experiments using plasmids carrying isolated IE genes that express Vmw110 or Vmw175 or when both are used together; (4) the pattern of activation of a promoter by the IE gene products in cotransfection experiments varies in different cell types; (5) changes in promoter sequence can alter the pattern of activation by the different IE polypeptides, and this pattern can again differ in different cell types; (6) other apparently minor experimental variables, as might exist between the standard methods used in different laboratories, can also affect the patterns of activation observed. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanism of action of the HSV-1 IE gene products and the limitations of the co-transfection assay.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 immediate-early protein ICP4 specifically induces increased transcription of the human ubiquitin B gene without affecting the ubiquitin A and C genes

Lytic infection with herpes simplex virus causes increased ubiquitin gene transcription. This effect is reproduced in cells expressing the viral immediate early protein ICP4 in the absence of other viral proteins but is not seen at the nonpermissive temperature in cells expressing the temperature-sensitive ICP4 protein of HSV-1 tsK. Studies with probes specific to the three human ubiquitin genes indicate that only the Ubi B gene is sensitive to ICP4-mediated induction whereas the Ubi A and C genes are unaffected. The significance of these effects for the mechanism by which ICP4 transcriptionally activates viral and a few cellular genes is discussed.

Induction and repression of cellular gene transcription during herpes simplex virus infection are mediated by different viral immediate-early gene products

Nuclear run-off and pulse-labelling techniques have been used to study the changes in transcription rates of a number of cellular genes during infection with Herpes simplex virus. The majority of these genes show a decrease in transcription rate to about 60% of that observed prior to infection. In contrast, a small number of genes are transcriptionally activated during infection. These effects, which occur at a point in infection after the synthesis of viral proteins but prior to the onset of viral DNA synthesis, are mediated by different immediate-early proteins of the virus. Thus we show that, whilst transcriptional activation requires a functional ICP4 protein, repression is dependent upon the presence of another immediate early protein--ICP22.

Transcriptional induction of the ubiquitin gene during herpes simplex virus infection is dependent upon the viral immediate-early protein ICP4

Lytic infection with herpes simplex virus results in transcriptional induction of a cellular gene encoding ubiquitin, causing increased accumulation of ubiquitin RNA and protein in the infected cell. This induction, which is dependent upon viral protein synthesis, does not occur in the HSV-1 mutant tsK which is defective in the gene encoding the viral protein ICP4. Transfected cells expressing the viral ICP4 protein exhibit higher levels of ubiquitin gene transcription than untransfected controls indicating that transcriptional induction can be mediated by the ICP4 protein alone.