Deletion of AcMNPV ac146 eliminates the production of budded virus

Multifaceted interactions between host ESCRT-III and budded virus-related proteins involved in entry and egress of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is a conserved protein machine mediating membrane remodeling and scission. In the context of viral infection, different components of the ESCRT-III complex, which serve as the core machinery to catalyze membrane fission, are involved in diverse viruses' entry, replication, and/or budding. However, the interplay between ESCRT-III and viral factors in the virus life cycle, especially for that of large enveloped DNA viruses, is largely unknown. Recently, the ESCRT-III components Vps2B, Vps20, Vps24, Snf7, Vps46, and Vps60 were determined for entry and/or egress of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). Here, we identified the final three ESCRT-III components Chm7, Ist1, and Vps2A of Spodoptera frugiperda. Overexpression of the dominant-negative forms of these proteins or RNAi downregulation of their transcripts significantly reduced infectious budded viruses (BVs) production of AcMNPV. Quantitative PCR together with confocal and transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that these proteins were required for internalization and trafficking of BV during entry and egress of nucleocapsids. In infected Sf9 cells, nine ESCRT-III components were distributed on the nuclear envelope and plasma membrane, and except for Chm7, the other components were also localized to the intranuclear ring zone. Y2H and BiFC analysis revealed that 42 out of 64 BV-related proteins including 35 BV structural proteins and 7 non-BV structural proteins interacted with single or multiple ESCRT-III components. By further mapping the interactome of 64 BV-related proteins, we established the interaction networks of ESCRT-III and the viral protein complexes involved in BV entry and egress.IMPORTANCEFrom archaea to eukaryotes, the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)-III complex is hijacked by many enveloped and nonenveloped DNA or RNA viruses for efficient replication. However, the mechanism of ESCRT-III recruitment, especially for that of large enveloped DNA viruses, remains elusive. Recently, we found the ESCRT-III components Vps2B, Vps20, Vps24, Snf7, Vps46, and Vps60 are necessary for the entry and/or egress of budded viruses (BVs) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus. Here, we demonstrated that the other three ESCRT-III components Chm7, Ist1, and Vps2A play similar roles in BV infection. By determining the subcellular localization of ESCRT-III components in infected cells and mapping the interaction of nine ESCRT-III components and 64 BV-related proteins, we built the interaction networks of ESCRT-III and the viral protein complexes involved in BV entry and egress. These studies provide a fundamental basis for understanding the mechanism of the ESCRT-mediated membrane remodeling for replication of baculoviruses.

Identification of the Key Functional Domains of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus IE1 Protein

The immediate early protein 1 (IE1) acts as a transcriptional activator and is essential for viral gene transcription and viral DNA replication. However, the key regulatory domains of IE1 remain poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the sequence characteristics of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) IE1 and identified the key functional domains of BmNPV IE1 by stepwise truncation. Our results showed that BmNPV IE1 was highly similar to Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) IE1, but was less conserved with IE1 of other baculoviruses, the C-terminus of IE1 was more conserved than the N-terminus, and BmNPV IE1 was also necessary for BmNPV proliferation. Moreover, we found that IE1_158–208 was a major nuclear localization element, and IE1_1–157 and IE1_539–559 were minor nuclear localization elements, but the combination of these two minor elements was equally sufficient to fully mediate the nuclear entry of IE1. Meanwhile, IE1_1–258, IE1_560–584, and the association of amino acids 258 and 259 were indispensable for the transactivation activity of BmNPV IE1. These results systematically resolve the functional domains of BmNPV IE1, which contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of baculovirus infection and provide a possibility to synthesize a small molecule IE1-truncated mutant as an agonist or antagonist.

Systematic Analysis of 42 Autographa Californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus Genes Identifies An Additional Six Genes Involved in the Production of Infectious Budded Virus

Baculoviruses have been widely used as a vector for expressing foreign genes. Among numerous baculoviruses, Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is the most frequently used and it encodes 155 open reading frames (ORFs). Here, we systematically investigated the impact of 42 genes of AcMNPV on the production of infectious budded viruses (BVs) by constructing gene-knockout bacmids and subsequently conducting transfection and infection assays. The results showed that among the 39 functionally unverified genes and 3 recently reported genes, 36 are dispensable for infectious BV production, as the one-step growth curves of the gene-knockout viruses were not significantly different from those of the parental virus. Three genes (ac62, ac82 and ac106/107) are essential for infectious BV production, as deletions thereof resulted in complete loss of infectivity while the repaired viruses showed no significant difference in comparison to the parental virus. In addition, three genes (ac13, ac51 and ac120) are important but not essential for infectious BV production, as gene-knockout viruses produced significantly lower BV levels than that of the parental virus or repaired viruses. We then grouped the 155 AcMNPV genes into three categories (Dispensable, Essential, or Important for infectious BV production). Based on our results and previous publications, we constructed a schematic diagram of a potential mini-genome of AcMNPV, which contains only essential and important genes. The results shed light on our understanding of functional genomics of baculoviruses and provide fundamental information for future engineering of baculovirus expression system.

Common themes in three independently derived endogenous nudivirus elements in parasitoid wasps

Endogenous Viral Elements (EVEs) are remnants of viral genomes that are permanently integrated into the genome of another organism. Parasitoid wasps have independently acquired nudivirus-derived EVEs in three lineages. Each parasitoid produces virions or virus-like particles (VLPs) that are injected into hosts during parasitism to function in subversion of host defenses. Comparing the inventory of nudivirus-like genes in different lineages of parasitoids can provide insights into the importance of each encoded function in virus or VLP production and parasitism success. Comparisons revealed the following conserved features: first, retention of genes encoding a viral RNA polymerase and infectivity factors; second, loss of the ancestral DNA polymerase gene; and third, signatures of viral ancestry in patterns of gene retention.

Distinct Roles of Cellular ESCRT-I and ESCRT-III Proteins in Efficient Entry and Egress of Budded Virions of Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery is necessary for budding of many enveloped viruses. Recently, it was demonstrated that Vps4, the key regulator for recycling of the ESCRT-III complex, is required for efficient infection by the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). However, ESCRT assembly, regulation, and function are complex, and little is known regarding the details of participation of specific ESCRT complexes in AcMNPV infection. In this study, the core components of ESCRT-I (Tsg101 and Vps28) and ESCRT-III (Vps2B, Vps20, Vps24, Snf7, Vps46, and Vps60) were cloned from Spodoptera frugiperda Using a viral complementation system and RNA interference (RNAi) assays, we found that ESCRT-I and ESCRT-III complexes are required for efficient entry of AcMNPV into insect cells. In cells knocking down or overexpressing dominant negative (DN) forms of the components of ESCRT-I and ESCRT-III complexes, entering virions were partially trapped within the cytosol. To examine only egress, cells were transfected with the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting an individual ESCRT-I or ESCRT-III gene and viral bacmid DNA or viral bacmid DNA that expressed DN forms of ESCRT-I and ESCRT-III components. We found that ESCRT-III components (but not ESCRT-I components) are required for efficient nuclear egress of progeny nucleocapsids. In addition, we found that several baculovirus core or conserved proteins (Ac11, Ac76, Ac78, GP41, Ac93, Ac103, Ac142, and Ac146) interact with Vps4 and components of ESCRT-III. We propose that these viral proteins may form an "egress complex" that is involved in recruiting ESCRT-III components to a virus egress domain on the nuclear membrane.IMPORTANCE The ESCRT system is hijacked by many enveloped viruses to mediate budding and release. Recently, it was found that Vps4, the key regulator of the cellular ESCRT machinery, is necessary for efficient entry and egress of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). However, little is known about the roles of specific ESCRT complexes in AcMNPV infection. In this study, we demonstrated that ESCRT-I and ESCRT-III complexes are required for efficient entry of AcMNPV into insect cells. The components of ESCRT-III (but not ESCRT-I) are also necessary for efficient nuclear egress of progeny nucleocapsids. Several baculovirus core or conserved proteins were found to interact with Vps4 and components of ESCRT-III, and these interactions may suggest the formation of an "egress complex" involved in the nuclear release or transport of viral nucleocapsids.

Roles of Cellular NSF Protein in Entry and Nuclear Egress of Budded Virions of Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus

In eukaryotic cells, the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins comprise the minimal machinery that triggers fusion of transport vesicles with their target membranes. Comparative studies revealed that genes encoding the components of the SNARE system are highly conserved in yeast, insect, and human genomes. Upon infection of insect cells by the virus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), the transcript levels of most SNARE genes initially were upregulated. We found that overexpression of dominant-negative (DN) forms of NSF or knockdown of the expression of NSF, the key regulator of the SNARE system, significantly affected infectious AcMNPV production. In cells expressing DN NSF, entering virions were trapped in the cytoplasm or transported to the nucleus with low efficiency. The presence of DN NSF also moderately reduced trafficking of the viral envelope glycoprotein GP64 to the plasma membrane but dramatically inhibited production of infectious budded virions (BV). Transmission electron microscopy analysis of infections in cells expressing DN NSF revealed that progeny nucleocapsids were retained in a perinuclear space surrounded by inner and outer nuclear membranes. Several baculovirus conserved (core) proteins (Ac76, Ac78, GP41, Ac93, and Ac103) that are important for infectious budded virion production were found to associate with NSF, and NSF was detected within the assembled BV. Together, these data indicate that the cellular SNARE system is involved in AcMNPV infection and that NSF is required for efficient entry and nuclear egress of budded virions of AcMNPV.IMPORTANCE Little is known regarding the complex interplay between cellular factors and baculoviruses during viral entry and egress. Here, we examined the cellular SNARE system, which mediates the fusion of vesicles in healthy cells, and its relation to baculovirus infection. Using a DN approach and RNA interference knockdown, we demonstrated that a general disruption of the SNARE machinery significantly inhibited the production of infectious BV of AcMNPV. The presence of a DN NSF protein resulted in low-efficiency entry of BV and the retention of progeny nucleocapsids in the perinuclear space during egress. Combined with these effects, we also found that several conserved (core) baculovirus proteins closely associate with NSF, and these results suggest their involvement in the egress of BV. Our findings are the first to demonstrate that the SNARE system is required for efficient entry of BV and nuclear egress of progeny nucleocapsids of baculoviruses.

Protein composition analysis of polyhedra matrix of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) showed powerful capacity of polyhedra to encapsulate foreign proteins

Polyhedra can encapsulate other proteins and have potential applications as protein stabilizers. The extremely stable polyhedra matrix may provide a platform for future engineered micro-crystal devices. However, the protein composition of the polyhedra matrix remains largely unknown. In this study, the occlusion-derived virus (ODV)-removed BmNPV polyhedra matrix fraction was subjected to SDS-PAGE and then an LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis using a Thermo Scientific Q Exactive mass spectrometer. In total, 28 host and 91 viral proteins were identified. The host components were grouped into one of six categories, i.e., chaperones, ubiquitin and related proteins, host helicases, cytoskeleton-related proteins, RNA-binding proteins and others, according to their predicted Pfam domain(s). Most viral proteins may not be essential for polyhedra assembly, as evidenced by studies in the literature showing that polyhedra formation occurs in the nucleus upon the disruption of individual genes. The structural role of these proteins in baculovirus replication will be of significant interest in future studies. The immobilization of enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) into the polyhedra by fusing with the C-terminus of BM134 that is encoded by open reading frame (ORF) 134 suggested that the polyhedra had a powerful capacity to trap foreign proteins, and BM134 was a potential carrier for incorporating proteins of interest into the polyhedra.

Intracellular Trafficking of Baculovirus Particles: A Quantitative Study of the HearNPV/HzAM1 Cell and AcMNPV/Sf9 Cell Systems

To replace the in vivo production of baculovirus-based biopesticides with a more convenient in vitro produced product, the limitations imposed by in vitro production have to be solved. One of the main problems is the low titer of HearNPV budded virions (BV) in vitro as the use of low BV titer stocks can result in non-homogenous infections resulting in multiple virus replication cycles during scale up that leads to low Occlusion Body yields. Here we investigate the baculovirus traffic in subcellular fractions of host cells throughout infection with an emphasis on AcMNPV/Sf9 and HearNPV/HzAM1 systems distinguished as "good" and "bad" BV producers, respectively. qPCR quantification of viral DNA in the nucleus, cytoplasm and extracellular fractions demonstrated that although the HearNPV/HzAM1 system produces twice the amount of vDNA as the AcMNPV/Sf9 system, its percentage of BV to total progeny vDNA was lower. vDNA egress from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is sufficient in both systems, however, a higher percentage of vDNA in the HearNPV/HzAM1 system remain in the cytoplasm and do not bud out of the cells compared to the AcMNPV/Sf9 system. In both systems more than 75% of the vDNA produced in the nuclear fraction go unused, without budding or being encapsulated in OBs showing the capacity for improvements that could result from the engineering of the virus/cell line systems to achieve better productivities for both BV and OB yields.

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus ORF11 is essential for budded-virus production and occlusion-derived-virus envelopment

ORF11 (ac11) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a highly conserved gene with unknown function. To determine the role of ac11 in the baculovirus life cycle, an ac11 knockout mutant of AcMNPV, Ac11KO, was constructed. Northern blot and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) analyses revealed that ac11 is an early gene in the life cycle. Microscopy, titration assays, and Western blot analysis revealed that budded viruses (BVs) were not produced in Ac11KO-transfected Sf9 cells. However, quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis demonstrated that the deletion of ac11 did not affect viral DNA replication. Furthermore, electron microscopy revealed that there was no nucleocapsid in the cytoplasm or plasma membrane of Ac11KO-transfected cells, which demonstrates that the defect in BV production in Ac11KO-transfected cells is due to the inefficient egress of nucleocapsids from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. In addition, electron microscopy observations showed that the nucleocapsids in the nucleus were not enveloped to form occlusion-derived viruses (ODVs) and that their subsequent embedding into occlusion bodies (OBs) was also blocked in Ac11KO-transfected cells, demonstrating that ac11 is required for ODV envelopment. These results therefore demonstrate that ac11 is an early gene that is essential for BV production and ODV envelopment.

IMPORTANCE

Baculoviruses have been extensively used not only as specific, environmentally benign insecticides but also as helper-independent protein expression vectors. Although the function of baculovirus genes in viral replication has been studied by using gene knockout technology, the functions of more than one-third of viral genes, which include some highly conserved genes, are still unknown. In this study, ac11 was proven to play a crucial role in BV production and ODV envelopment. These results will lead to a better understanding of baculovirus infection cycles.

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus orf132 encodes a nucleocapsid-associated protein required for budded-virus and multiply enveloped occlusion-derived virus production

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus orf132 (named ac132) has homologs in all genome-sequenced group I nucleopolyhedroviruses. Its role in the viral replication cycle is unknown. In this study, ac132 was shown to express a protein of around 28 kDa, which was determined to be associated with the nucleocapsids of both occlusion-derived virus and budded virus. Confocal microscopy showed that AC132 protein appeared in central region of the nucleus as early as 12 h postinfection with the virus. It formed a ring zone at the periphery of the nucleus by 24 h postinfection. To investigate its role in virus replication, ac132 was deleted from the viral genome by using a bacmid system. In the Sf9 cell culture transfected by the ac132 knockout bacmid, infection was restricted to single cells, and the titer of infectious budded virus was reduced to an undetectable level. However, viral DNA replication and the expression of late genes vp39 and odv-e25 and a reporter gene under the control of the very late gene p10 promoter were unaffected. Electron microscopy showed that nucleocapsids, virions, and occlusion bodies were synthesized in the cells transfected by an ac132 knockout bacmid, but the formation of the virogenic stroma and occlusion bodies was delayed, the numbers of enveloped nucleocapsids were reduced, and the occlusion bodies contained mainly singly enveloped nucleocapsids. AC132 was found to interact with envelope protein ODV-E18 and the viral DNA-binding protein P6.9. The data from this study suggest that ac132 possibly plays an important role in the assembly and envelopment of nucleocapsids.

IMPORTANCE

To our knowledge, this is the first report on a functional analysis of ac132. The data presented here demonstrate that ac132 is required for production of the budded virus and multiply enveloped occlusion-derived virus of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus. This article reveals unique phenotypic changes induced by ac132 deletion on the virus and multiple new findings on ac132.