Isolation and characterization of the nonglycosylated membrane protein and a nucleocapsid complex from the paramyxovirus SV5

Alteration of Sendai virus morphogenesis and nucleocapsid incorporation due to mutation of cysteine residues of the matrix protein

The matrix (M) protein of Sendai virus (SeV) has five cysteine residues, at positions 83, 106, 158, 251, and 295. To determine the roles of the cysteine residues in viral assembly, we generated mutant M cDNA possessing a substitution to serine at one of the cysteine residues or at all of the cysteine residues. Some mutant M proteins were unstable when expressed in cultured cells, suggesting that cysteine residues affect protein stability, probably by disrupting the proper conformation. In an attempt to generate virus from cDNA, SeV M-C(83)S, SeV M-C(106)S, and SeV M-C(295)S were successfully recovered from cDNA, while recombinant SeVs possessing other mutations were not. SeV M-C(83)S and SeV M-C(106)S had smaller virus particles than did the wild-type SeV, whereas SeV M-C(295)S had larger and heterogeneously sized particles. Furthermore, SeV M-C(106)S had a significant amount of empty particles lacking nucleocapsids. These results indicate that a single-point mutation at a cysteine residue of the M protein affects virus morphology and nucleocapsid incorporation, showing direct involvement of the M protein in SeV assembly. Cysteine-dependent conformation of the M protein was not due to disulfide bond formation, since the cysteines were shown to be free throughout the viral life cycle.

Replication of measles virus in Vero cells at elevated temperatures

In one-step growth experiment of measles virus (MV) in Vero cells at 39 C, the appearance of MV infectivity was delayed for 24 hr and the maximum titer was reduced by approximately 1,000-fold, when compared with those at 35 C. MV infectivity was thermolabile at the high temperature. Penetration was rather enhanced at 39 C. By Northern blot hybridization, viral RNAs including 50S genome-sized RNA and mRNAs were first detectable 24 hr post-infection (PI) at 35 C and 36 hr PI at 39 C, respectively. Rapid degradation of viral mRNAs was not observed in the infected cells at 39 C. The synthesis of N, F, and M proteins was relatively reduced at the high temperature and appearance of the other viral protein was delayed, in agreement with the time course of viral RNA synthesis. All these data suggest that less efficient synthesis of viral RNA, restriction of synthesis of N, F, and M proteins at translational level and thermolability of infectivity are all involved in the suppressed MV production in Vero cells at 39 C.

Association of soluble matrix protein of Newcastle disease virus with liposomes is independent of ionic conditions

An immunoaffinity method was designed for purification of a soluble form of the matrix (M) protein of Newcastle disease virus. The resulting M protein sedimented in a sucrose gradient as a small complex. This purified M protein associated with liposomes containing a net neutral, negative, or positive charge. The liposomes were composed of phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and a third lipid which provided the charge. The M protein-liposome associations were not prevented by high salt conditions. These observations are consistent with a nonelectrostatic association between the M protein and liposomes. Monoclonal antibodies to three separate epitopes of the M protein were all able to bind M protein complexed with liposomes, suggesting that the three M protein epitopes are not directly involved in the interaction between the M protein and liposomes. The M protein was also able to associate with liposomes lacking cholesterol implying that cholesterol does not play a substantial role in the M protein-liposome interaction.

Host-dependent temperature-sensitive growth of HVJ (Sendai virus) wild-type in rat glioma C 6 cells

At non-permissive temperature viral specific RNA synthesis was not restricted in rat glioma (C 6) cells infected with HVJ (Sendai virus) wild-type. However, as has previously been shown (J Gen Virol [1984] 65: 639-643), the synthesis of M protein was reduced at non-permissive temperature, in contrast to the L, P, HN, Fo and NP proteins which were synthesized in comparable amounts at permissive and non-permissive temperatures. In this report we show additionally that viral nucleocapsids (NC), which consist of L, P and NP proteins, were formed within the infected cells at both temperatures. Hemagglutinin and neuraminidase activities were also detected in samples incubated at non-permissive temperature. By membrane immunofluorescence and cell-surface immunoprecipitation it was shown that migration of HN and Fo proteins to the cell surface occurred normally at non-permissive temperature. Additionally, the L, P and NP proteins, which were associated with the plasma membrane isolated from the infected cells maintained at permissive temperature, were absent from the membrane of cells incubated at non-permissive temperature. These results suggest that NC and glycoproteins synthesized at non-permissive temperature could not assemble effectively at the plasma membrane because of a lack of M protein. Thus, the host-dependent ts lesion of HVJ in C 6 cells was considered to be mainly in M protein synthesis.

Fuzzy material surrounding measles virus nucleocapsids identified as matrix protein. Brief report

Measles virus grown in Vero cell cultures was examined at the ultrastructural level after immunoperoxidase staining with antiserum against the matrix protein. The antiserum clearly preferentially labeled the fuzzy material surrounding cytoplasmic nucleocapsids, but not the nucleocapsids themselves.

Matrix genes of measles virus and canine distemper virus: cloning, nucleotide sequences, and deduced amino acid sequences

The nucleotide sequences encoding the matrix (M) proteins of measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) were determined from cDNA clones containing these genes in their entirety. In both cases, single open reading frames specifying basic proteins of 335 amino acid residues were predicted from the nucleotide sequences. Both viral messages were composed of approximately 1,450 nucleotides and contained 400 nucleotides of presumptive noncoding sequences at their respective 3' ends. MV and CDV M-protein-coding regions were 67% homologous at the nucleotide level and 76% homologous at the amino acid level. Only chance homology was observed in the 400-nucleotide trailer sequences. Comparisons of the M protein sequences of MV and CDV with the sequence reported for Sendai virus (B. M. Blumberg, K. Rose, M. G. Simona, L. Roux, C. Giorgi, and D. Kolakofsky, J. Virol. 52:656-663; Y. Hidaka, T. Kanda, K. Iwasaki, A. Nomoto, T. Shioda, and H. Shibuta, Nucleic Acids Res. 12:7965-7973) indicated the greatest homology among these M proteins in the carboxyterminal third of the molecule. Secondary-structure analyses of this shared region indicated a structurally conserved, hydrophobic sequence which possibly interacted with the lipid bilayer.

Localization of P, NP, and M proteins on Sendai virus nucleocapsid using immunogold labeling

The distribution of NP, P, and M proteins on Sendai virus nucleocapsids purified from cells and virions were studied by immunogold staining using monoclonal antibodies. NP molecules were found uniformly along the entire length of both cytosol and virion derived nucleocapsids. This observation is in accord with the earlier proposals that NP molecules maintained the structural integrity of the nucleocapsid. The distribution of P in nucleocapsids derived from the cytosol differed from the distribution in those originating from virions. In nucleocapsids derived from the cytosol, P molecules occurred in 4 to 10 discreet clusters at varying locations along the length of the nucleocapsid. In contrast, on nucleocapsids derived from virions, P molecules were uniformly distributed over the entire length of the nucleocapsid. These observations suggest that the distribution of P depends on the functional state of the nucleocapsid. The occurrence of P clusters at different locations on intracellular nucleocapsids indicates that P is a mobile molecule; this suggestion is consistent with P's role in viral RNA synthesis. The distribution of the matrix (M) protein also depended on where the nucleocapsids were derived from. Large quantities of M protein were found along the entire length of nucleocapsids derived from the cytosol, while in virion nucleocapsids, many fewer molecules of M were observed. The large amounts of M on the nucleocapsids originating from the cytosol supports the hypothesis that M protein mediates the recognition between the nucleocapsid and the envelope glycoproteins.

Dissociation of newly synthesized Sendai viral proteins from the cytoplasmic surface of isolated plasma membranes of infected cells

The interaction of Sendai viral proteins with the membranes of infected cells during budding of progeny virions was studied. BHK cells infected with Sendai virus were labeled with [35S]methionine, and the plasma membranes were purified on polycationic polyacrylamide beads. The isolated membranes were incubated with various agents which perturb protein structure to dissociate viral proteins from the membranes. Incubation of membranes with thiocyanate and guanidine removed both the M and nucleocapsid proteins. Urea (6 M) removed the nucleocapsid proteins but removed M protein only in the presence of 0.1 or 1.0 M KCl. In contrast, high salt concentrations alone eluted only the M protein, leaving the nucleocapsid proteins completely membrane bound. About 65% of the M protein was eluted in the presence of 4 M KCl. The remaining membrane-associated M protein was resistant to further extraction by 4 M KCl. Thus, M protein forms two types of interaction with the membrane, one of them being a more extensive association with the membrane than the other.

Analysis and gene assignment of mRNAs of a paramyxovirus, simian virus 5

Polypeptides synthesized by the paramyxovirus SV5 in infected CV-1 cells were readily identified when the host cell was treated with actinomycin D. The unglycosylated forms of HN and Fo synthesized in infected cells in the presence of tunicamycin and HN and Fo synthesized in vitro were identified by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies. Separation of SV5-specific poly(A)-containing RNAs on methyl-mercury agarose gels and in vitro translation of fractions, indicated that the viral polypeptides were translated from individual mRNAs except P (Mr approximately 44K) and the nonstructural polypeptide V (Mr approximately 24K) for which the mRNAs could not be separated. cDNA copies of SV5-specific mRNAs were synthesized and cloned in plasmid pBR322. Clones to NP, P + V, M, F, and HN were identified by hybrid-arrest and hybrid-selection translation of SV5 mRNAs. Tryptic peptide mapping of polypeptides P and V indicated that the peptides of V were a subset of those of P. Hybridization of cDNA probes to infected cell mRNAs separated on agarose gels permitted identification of the NP, P + V, M, F, and HN mRNAs and presumptive polycistronic mRNAs. The sizes and sequence homologies of these polycistronic mRNAs were used to derive a likely gene order on the SV5 50 S genome RNA.

Nucleotide sequence of a Sendai virus genome region covering the entire M gene and the 3' proximal 1013 nucleotides of the F gene

We determined the sequence of the 2,138 nucleotides in the Sendai virus genome just following the 3' proximal 3,686 nucleotides which we had previously reported (Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 7317-7330, 1983). This covers the entire third gene of 1,173 nucleotides and the 3' proximal 1,013 nucleotides of the fourth gene. Like the NP and P+C genes, both the third and fourth genes start from consensus sequence R1 (3'-UCCCAC(or UA)UUUC) at the 3' end and the third gene terminates with consensus sequence R2 (3'-AUUCUUUUU) at the 5' end. The third gene was identified as M, and the deduced 348 amino acids indicated that the M protein is rich in basic residues and has hydrophobic domains near the C-terminal. The fourth gene, although sequencing is not complete yet, was identified as F, since a large open reading frame found in the gene contains the characteristic sequence of 20 amino acids located at the N-terminal of the F1 protein. Analyses of the amino acid sequence suggested that the structure of the F gene product is NH2-signal peptide-F2-F1-COOH.

Analysis of the Sendai virus M gene and protein

The nucleotide sequence of the Sendai virus M (matrix or membrane) gene region was determined from cloned genomic DNA, and the limits of the M mRNA were determined by S1 nuclease mapping. The M mRNA is 1,173 nucleotides long and contains a single long open reading frame coding for a protein of 348 amino acids. The amino acid sequences of the N- and C-terminal peptides of the M protein were obtained by mass spectrometric analysis and correspond to those predicted from the open reading frame, with the N terminus modified in vivo by cleavage of the initiating methionine and acetylation of the following amino acid. The amphiphilic nature of the M protein structure is discussed.

Mutation in the matrix protein of Newcastle disease virus can result in decreased fusion glycoprotein incorporation into particles and decreased infectivity

Virus particles produced in eggs by the group D ts mutants of Newcastle disease virus at permissive temperature display low infectious and hemolytic activities (M.E. Peeples and M. A. Bratt , J. Virol. 42:440-446, 1982). These lower activities correlate with a decreased incorporation of F1+2 (fusion glycoprotein) into virus particles, compared with that for wild type. The incorporation of F1+2 into virus particles of the group D mutants is also lower than that for wild type when grown in chicken embryo cells in culture at either permissive or nonpermissive temperature. The infectivity of virions from these mutants correlates with the amounts of F1+2 in the virus particles, below a certain concentration, indicating that the quantity of F1+2 in virus particles is a determining factor in the infectivity of those particles. In addition, one of these mutants, D1, produces an M (matrix protein) which migrates at a faster rate in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Three of four revertants of D1 have coreverted to wild-type M electrophoretic mobility, associating M with the ts lesion and the other observed phenotypes. In each of these revertants, as well as in three revertants each from D2 and D3, there has been coreversion from the low specific infectious and hemolytic activities to greater, and often wild-type, activities. There is also a coreversion for F1+2 incorporation into virions. All of the revertants incorporate F1+2 into virions more efficiently than their mutant parents. The coreversions associate those phenotypes with the ts lesion and, in the case of D1, with the M lesion as well.

Inhibition of measles virus budding by phenothiazines

HeLa cells infected with measles virus show an accumulation of virus-specific strands at the plasma membrane after addition of the anticalmodulin drugs trifluoperazine (TFP) and chlorpromazine (CPZ), whereas spherical virus particles are almost completely absent. At low drug concentrations (10-15 microM TFP; 30-40 microM CPZ) the inhibitory effect is dependent on the presence of extracellular calcium. The strands complete the budding process after removal of the drugs. Restoration of virus budding is not sensitive to cycloheximide and immunoprecipitation experiments give evidence that the viral protein synthesis is not qualitatively altered in the presence of TFP. The data indicate that both drugs arrest the budding process at an intermediate stage at the plasma membrane. The inability of the strands to comigrate with cytochalasin B-induced actin patches suggests that the inhibition of budding is probably the result of an impaired interaction of viral structures with the cytoskeleton.

In vitro assembly of the nonglycosylated membrane protein (M) of Sendai virus

The nonglycosylated membrane protein (M) of Sendai virus was purified from virions and conditions were found under which the protein assembled in vitro into three types of ordered structures: narrow tubes, wide tubes, and sheets. These structures were examined by high resolution electron microscopy by using negative staining and metal shadowing techniques. The tubes and sheets are formed from strands 7.2 nm wide that are composed of annular subunits. The wide tubes appear to be formed by the rolling of a sheet into a cylinder in which the 7.2-nm strands are inclined with a pitch of 26-33 degrees and have a left-handed orientation. In addition to the strong reflections corresponding to the 7.2-nm spacings generated by the strands, optical diffraction patterns also showed weak reflections that could be indexed on a lattice corresponding to real-space lattice constants of 7.6 nm and 5.3 nm, with an included angle of 71 degrees. The dimensions and arrangements of these structures formed in vitro are strikingly similar to those of ordered arrays of particles found by others to be associated with the inner surface of the plasma membrane of infected cells. The results support the concept that ordered arrays of M protein, similar to those assembled in vitro, are involved in the assembly of the virus particle by budding from the cell membrane and that they provide specific recognition sites for the viral nucleocapsid at the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane.

Conformation of the helical nucleocapsids of paramyxoviruses and vesicular stomatitis virus: reversible coiling and uncoiling induced by changes in salt concentration

The conformations of the helical nucleocapsids of the paramyxoviruses Sendai virus and simian virus 5, and of a rhabdovirus, vesicular stomatitis virus, have been found to vary extensively with changes in salt concentration. In 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer at pH 7.2, the nucleocapsids are loosely coiled or almost completely extended; with increasing concentrations of NaCl they become more tightly coiled and less flexible. Under isotonic conditions (150 mM) the Sendai virus nucleocapsid is moderately tightly coiled but still curved and apparently flexible, whereas at 400 mM or higher it is very tightly coiled, with the appearance of a rigid rod. These salt-dependent changes in conformation were also found with nucleocapsids composed of proteolytically cleaved protein subunits. Because of the effect of salt concentration, and the fact that it may change during the preparation of negatively stained samples of electron microscopy, it was necessary to fix that nucleocapsids before negative staining to preserve their original conformation. The striking changes in nucleocapsid conformation in response to the ionic milieu indicate the plasticity of its helical structure and suggest that changes in the microenvironment of the nucleocapsid could influence its conformation during viral RNA transcription and replication or during virus assembly by budding, processes in which changes in the coiling of the nucleocapsid or its flexibility could be important.

Cross-linking of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) proteins

The proxomity and spatial relationships of the structural proteins of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) were studied by chemical cross-linking with a series of imidoesters. When the virions were reacted by the cross-linker with a distance 6.1A or longer between the functional groups and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, remarkable changes were observed in the migration patterns of the viral proteins. The most striking one was the extensive decrease in the intensity of the M protein band, and although not so strikingly, glycoprotein and nucleocapsid protein bands were reduced significantly. Instead, several protein complexes appeared at and near the top of the gels. The protein complexes formed by a reversible cross-linker, dimethyl-3,3'-dithiobispropionimidate (DTBP), were analyzed by two dimensional electrophoresis; the complexes on the first-dimension cylindrical gels were cleaved by reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol and electrophoresed laterally on the second-dimension slab gels. The results indicated that homodimers of glycoprotein, nucleocapsid protein and M protein were generated under the condition of the most gentle cross-linking employed. At the same time, however, trimer and higher homopolymers of M protein were already detectable. Under the more extensive conditions, the bulk of M protein was cross-linked to form a large protein complex with very high molecular weight. Further, small but significant amounts of glycoprotein and nucleocapsid protein were always detected in this complex. These results suggest that M protein may be present in the virion in close enough proximity to interact with each other and may further have some interactions with glycoprotein and nucleocapsid protein. On the basis of these findings possible roles of M protein in virus assembly were discussed.

An electron microscopic study of MDBK cells persistently infected with Newcastle disease virus

Ultrastructural examination of a line of MDBK cells persistently infected with Newcastle disease virus (MDBKpi cells) revealed the presence of cytoplasmic aggregates of both smooth and granular nucleocapsids. Only granular nucleocapsids aligned under modified areas of plasma membrane and were incorporated into virus particles. On the grounds of morphogenesis, there was no apparent explanation for the persistent, not-cytocidal nature of the infection. Both nuclear and cytoplasmic aggregates of smooth nucleocapsids were present in MDBKpi cells which had been held without subculture for between 40 and 130 days (aged MDBKpi cells). Modified areas of plasma membrane with associated alignment of nucleocapsids were not present in aged MDBKpi cells, and neither budding nor released virus particles were observed, indicating a block in virus maturation. It is suggested that the granular material coating granular nucleocapsids allows them to interact with modified areas of plasma membrane, thereby inducing virus budding. A deficiency of this material, as apparently occurs in aged MDBKpi cells, would therefore cause a block in virus maturation. The nature of this granular material is discussed, and we suggest that it consists of M protein.