Apoptosis in motion. An apical, P35-insensitive caspase mediates programmed cell death in insect cells

Bridging the microscopic divide: a comprehensive overview of micro-crystallization and in vivo crystallography

A series of events underscoring the significant advancements in micro-crystallization and in vivo crystallography were held during the 26th IUCr Congress in Melbourne, positioning microcrystallography as a pivotal field within structural biology. Through collaborative discussions and the sharing of innovative methodologies, these sessions outlined frontier approaches in macromolecular crystallography. This review provides an overview of this rapidly moving field in light of the rich dialogues and forward-thinking proposals explored during the congress workshop and microsymposium. These advances in microcrystallography shed light on the potential to reshape current research paradigms and enhance our comprehension of biological mechanisms at the molecular scale.

Knockout of Sf-Caspase-1 generates apoptosis-resistant Sf9 cell lines: Implications for baculovirus expression

The Sf9 cell line, originally isolated from the insect Spodoptera frugiperda, is commonly used alongside the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) to produce recombinant proteins and other biologics. As more BEVS-derived vaccines and therapeutics are approved by regulators and manufactured at scale, there is increasing interest in improving the Sf9 cell line to improve bioprocess robustness and increase product yields. CRISPR-Cas9 is a powerful genome-editing tool with great potential to improve cell line characteristics. Nevertheless, reports of genome-editing in Sf9 cells are scarce, and targets for engineering are elusive. To evaluate the effectiveness of CRISPR-Cas9 to improve BEVS yields, we generated Sf9 cell lines with functional knockouts in the Sf-Caspase-1 gene, which encodes an effector caspase involved in the execution of apoptosis. Deletion of Sf-Caspase-1 abolished the hallmarks of apoptotic cell death including plasma membrane blebbing and effector caspase activity. Following infection of Sf-Caspase-1 knockout Sf9 cultures with a recombinant baculovirus expressing β-galactosidase, we did not observe any differences in cell death kinetics or increases in productivity. Similar results were obtained when Sf-Caspase-1 expression was suppressed via RNA interference. We anticipate that the CRISPR-Cas9 workflow reported here will spur future efforts to rationally engineer Sf9 cells for improved baculovirus expression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome analysis of Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells reveals putative apoptosis-related genes and a preliminary apoptosis mechanism induced by azadirachtin

As an important botanical pesticide, azadirachtin demonstrates broad insecticidal activity against many agricultural pests. The results of a previous study indicated the toxicity and apoptosis induction of azadirachtin in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells. However, the lack of genomic data has hindered a deeper investigation of apoptosis in Sf9 cells at a molecular level. In the present study, the complete transcriptome data for Sf9 cell line was accomplished using Illumina sequencing technology, and 97 putative apoptosis-related genes were identified through BLAST and KEGG orthologue annotations. Fragments of potential candidate apoptosis-related genes were cloned, and the mRNA expression patterns of ten identified genes regulated by azadirachtin were examined using qRT-PCR. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that six putative apoptosis-related proteins were upregulated after being treated with azadirachtin while the protein Bcl-2 were downregulated. These data suggested that both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic signal pathways comprising the identified potential apoptosis-related genes were potentially active in S. frugiperda. In addition, the preliminary results revealed that caspase-dependent or caspase-independent apoptotic pathways could function in azadirachtin-induced apoptosis in Sf9 cells.

SfDredd, a Novel Initiator Caspase Possessing Activity on Effector Caspase Substrates in Spodoptera frugiperda

Sf9, a cell line derived from Spodoptera frugiperda, is an ideal model organism for studying insect apoptosis. The first notable study that attempted to identify the apoptotic pathway in Sf9 was performed in 1997 and included the discovery of Sf-caspase-1, an effector caspase of Sf9. However, it was not until 2013 that the first initiator caspase in Sf9, SfDronc, was discovered, and the apoptotic pathway in Sf9 became clearer. In this study, we report another caspase of Sf9, SfDredd. SfDredd is highly similar to insect initiator caspase Dredd homologs. Experimentally, recombinant SfDredd underwent autocleavage and exhibited different efficiencies in cleavage of synthetic caspase substrates. This was attributed to its caspase activity for the predicted active site mutation blocked the above autocleavage and synthetic caspase substrates cleavage activity. SfDredd was capable of not only cleaving Sf-caspase-1 in vitro but also cleaving Sf-caspase-1 and inducing apoptosis when it was co-expressed with Sf-caspase-1 in Sf9 cells. The protein level of SfDredd was increased when Sf9 cells were treated by Actinomycin D, whereas silencing of SfDredd reduced apoptosis and Sf-caspase-1 cleavage induced by Actinomycin D treatment. These results clearly indicate that SfDredd functioned as an apoptotic initiator caspase. Apoptosis induced in Sf9 cells by overexpression of SfDredd alone was not as obvious as that induced by SfDronc alone, and the cleavage sites of Sf-caspase-1 for SfDredd and SfDronc are different. In addition, despite sharing a sequence homology with initiator caspases and possessing weak activity on initiator caspase substrates, SfDredd showed strong activity on effector caspase substrates, making it the only insect caspase reported so far functioning similar to human caspase-2 in this aspect. We believe that the discovery of SfDredd, and its different properties from SfDronc, will improve the understanding of apoptosis pathway in Sf9 cells.

Transcriptome Analysis and Discovery of Genes Relevant to Development in Bradysia odoriphaga at Three Developmental Stages

Bradysia odoriphaga (Diptera: Sciaridae) is the most important pest of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) in Asia; however, the molecular genetics are poorly understood. To explore the molecular biological mechanism of development, Illumina sequencing and de novo assembly were performed in the third-instar, fourth-instar, and pupal B. odoriphaga. The study resulted in 16.2 Gb of clean data and 47,578 unigenes (≥125 bp) contained in 7,632,430 contigs, 46.21% of which were annotated from non-redundant protein (NR), Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG), Eukaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. It was found that 19.67% of unigenes matched the homologous species mainly, including Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, Ceratitis capitata, and Anopheles gambiae. According to differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis, 143, 490, and 309 DEGs were annotated as involved in the developmental process in the GO database respectively, in the comparisons of third-instar and fourth-instar larvae, third-instar larvae and pupae, and fourth-instar larvae and pupae. Twenty-five genes were closely related to these processes, including developmental process, reproduction process, and reproductive organs development and programmed cell death (PCD). The information of unigenes assembled in B. odoriphaga through transcriptome and DEG analyses could provide a detailed genetic basis and regulated information for elaborating the developmental mechanism from the larval, pre-pupal to pupal stages of B. odoriphaga.

Trichoplusia ni Kinesin-1 Associates with Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus Nucleocapsid Proteins and Is Required for Production of Budded Virus

The mechanism by which nucleocapsids of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) egress from the nucleus to the plasma membrane, leading to the formation of budded virus (BV), is not known. AC141 is a nucleocapsid-associated protein required for BV egress and has previously been shown to be associated with β-tubulin. In addition, AC141 and VP39 were previously shown by fluorescence resonance energy transfer by fluorescence lifetime imaging to interact directly with the Drosophila melanogaster kinesin-1 light chain (KLC) tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain. These results suggested that microtubule transport systems may be involved in baculovirus nucleocapsid egress and BV formation. In this study, we investigated the role of lepidopteran microtubule transport using coimmunoprecipitation, colocalization, yeast two-hybrid, and small interfering RNA (siRNA) analyses. We show that nucleocapsid AC141 associates with the lepidopteran Trichoplusia ni KLC and kinesin-1 heavy chain (KHC) by coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization. Kinesin-1, AC141, and microtubules colocalized predominantly at the plasma membrane. In addition, the nucleocapsid proteins VP39, FP25, and BV/ODV-C42 were also coimmunoprecipitated with T. ni KLC. Direct analysis of the role of T. ni kinesin-1 by downregulation of KLC by siRNA resulted in a significant decrease in BV production. Nucleocapsids labeled with VP39 fused with three copies of the mCherry fluorescent protein also colocalized with microtubules. Yeast two-hybrid analysis showed no evidence of a direct interaction between kinesin-1 and AC141 or VP39, suggesting that either other nucleocapsid proteins or adaptor proteins may be required. These results further support the conclusion that microtubule transport is required for AcMNPV BV formation.

IMPORTANCE

In two key processes of the replication cycle of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), nucleocapsids are transported through the cell. These include (i) entry of budded virus (BV) into the host cell and (ii) egress and budding of nucleocapsids newly produced from the plasma membrane. Prior studies have shown that the entry of nucleocapsids involves the polymerization of actin to propel nucleocapsids to nuclear pores and entry into the nucleus. For the spread of infection, progeny viruses must rapidly exit the infected cells, but the mechanism by which AcMNPV nucleocapsids traverse the cytoplasm is unknown. In this study, we examined whether nucleocapsids interact with lepidopteran kinesin-1 motor molecules and are potentially carried as cargo on microtubules to the plasma membrane in AcMNPV-infected cells. This study indicates that microtubule transport is utilized for the production of budded virus.

Transcriptome responses of the host Trichoplusia ni to infection by the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus

Productive infection of Trichoplusia ni cells by the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) leads to expression of ~156 viral genes and results in dramatic cell remodeling. How the cell transcriptome responds to viral infection was unknown due to the lack of a reference genome and transcriptome for T. ni. We used an ~60-Gb RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data set from infected and uninfected T. ni cells to generate and annotate a de novo transcriptome assembly of approximately 70,322 T. ni unigenes (assembled transcripts), representing the 48-h infection cycle. Using differential gene expression analysis, we found that the majority of host transcripts were downregulated after 6 h postinfection (p.i.) and throughout the remainder of the infection. In contrast, 5.7% (4,028) of the T. ni unigenes were upregulated during the early period (0 to 6 h p.i.), followed by a decrease through the remainder of the infection cycle. Also, a small subset of genes related to metabolism and stress response showed a significant elevation of transcript levels at 18 and 24 h p.i. but a decrease thereafter. We also examined the responses of genes belonging to a number of specific pathways of interest, including stress responses, apoptosis, immunity, and protein trafficking. We identified specific pathway members that were upregulated during the early phase of the infection. Combined with the parallel analysis of AcMNPV expression, these results provide both a broad and a detailed view of how baculovirus infection impacts the host cell transcriptome to evade cellular defensive responses, to modify cellular biosynthetic pathways, and to remodel cell structure.

IMPORTANCE

Baculoviruses are insect-specific DNA viruses that are highly pathogenic to their insect hosts. In addition to their use for biological control of certain insects, baculoviruses also serve as viral vectors for numerous biotechnological applications, such as mammalian cell transduction and protein expression for vaccine production. While there is considerable information regarding viral gene expression in infected cells, little is known regarding responses of the host cell to baculovirus infection. In these studies, we assembled a cell transcriptome from the host Trichoplusia ni and used that transcriptome to analyze changes in host cell gene expression throughout the infection cycle. The study was performed in parallel with a prior study of changes in viral gene expression. Combined, these studies provide an unprecedented new level of detail and an overview of events in the infection cycle, and they will stimulate new experimental approaches to understand, modify, and utilize baculoviruses for a variety of applications.

SfDronc, an initiator caspase involved in apoptosis in the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda

Initiator caspases are the first caspases that are activated following an apoptotic stimulus, and are responsible for cleaving and activating downstream effector caspases, which directly cause apoptosis. We have cloned a cDNA encoding an ortholog of the initiator caspase Dronc in the lepidopteran insect Spodoptera frugiperda. The SfDronc cDNA encodes a predicted protein of 447 amino acids with a molecular weight of 51 kDa. Overexpression of SfDronc induced apoptosis in Sf9 cells, while partial silencing of SfDronc expression in Sf9 cells reduced apoptosis induced by baculovirus infection or by treatment with UV or actinomycin D. Recombinant SfDronc exhibited several expected biochemical characteristics of an apoptotic initiator caspase: 1) SfDronc efficiently cleaved synthetic initiator caspase substrates, but had very little activity against effector caspase substrates; 2) mutation of a predicted cleavage site at position D340 blocked autoprocessing of recombinant SfDronc and reduced enzyme activity by approximately 10-fold; 3) SfDronc cleaved the effector caspase Sf-caspase-1 at the expected cleavage site, resulting in Sf-caspase-1 activation; and 4) SfDronc was strongly inhibited by the baculovirus caspase inhibitor SpliP49, but not by the related protein AcP35. These results indicate that SfDronc is an initiator caspase involved in caspase-dependent apoptosis in S. frugiperda, and as such is likely to be responsible for the initiator caspase activity in S. frugiperda cells known as Sf-caspase-X.

Enhanced recombinant protein production and differential expression of molecular chaperones in sf-caspase-1-repressed stable cells after baculovirus infection

Background

There are few studies that have examined the potential of RNA inference (RNAi) to increase protein production in the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS). Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) (Sf)-caspase-1-repressed stable cells exhibit resistance to apoptosis and enhancement of recombinant protein production. However, the mechanism of recombinant protein augmentation in baculovirus-infected Caspase-repressed insect cells has not been elucidated.

Results

In the current study, we utilized RNAi-mediated Sf-caspase-1-repressed stable cells to clarify how the resistance to apoptosis can enhance both intracellular (firefly luciferase) and extracellular (secreted alkaline phosphatase [SEAP]) recombinant protein production in BEVS. Since the expression of molecular chaperones is strongly associated with the maximal production of exogenous proteins in BEVS, the differential expression of molecular chaperones in baculovirus-infected stable cells was also analyzed in this study.

Conclusion

The data indicated that the retention of expression of molecular chaperones in baculovirus-infected Sf-caspase-1-repressed stable cells give the higher recombinant protein accumulation.

Effects of camptothecin and hydroxycamptothecin on insect cell lines Sf21 and IOZCAS-Spex-II

BACKGROUND

In recent years, concerns over the potential impact of synthetic pesticides on the environment have made the discovery and development of environmentally friendly pesticides a more pressing issue. Camptothecin (CPT) and its derivatives have attracted much attention owing to their unique mechanisms of action against insects. In this paper, two insect cell lines, Sf21 and IOZCAS-Spex-II, were used to conduct a preliminary investigation of the potential of CPT and hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) as inducers of apoptosis in insect cell lines, and to illustrate the mechanism of action of CPT on insects at the cellular level.

RESULTS

The results showed that both CPT and HCPT demonstrate potent cytotoxic effects to the tested insect cell lines in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The DNA fragmentation, activation of caspases and cytochrome c release were observed in both IOZCAS-Spex-II and Sf21 treated with CPT and HCPT. There is no significant difference in cytotoxicity and caspase-3 activation (P < 0.05, except when treated for 2 h) between CPT and HCPT, although the caspase-3 activation was slightly stronger when treated with HCPT in both Sf21 and IOZCAS-Spex-II.

CONCLUSION

The results confirm the existence of the mitochondrial-dependent pathway of apoptosis induced by CPT and HCPT in Sf21 and IOZCAS-Spex-II cell lines. Further investigations are required to reveal the mitochondrial mechanisms and regulation of caspase activation during apoptosis. These studies will provide basic knowledge needed to understand the mechanisms of action of CPT and to develop CPT and its derivatives as insecticides.

Cloning and characterization of a dronc homologue in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

We cloned and characterized a novel Bombyx mori homologue (bm-dronc) of Drosophila melanogaster dronc (dm-dronc), which could encode a polypeptide of 438 amino acid residues. Bm-Dronc shares relatively low amino acid sequence identities of 25% and 26% with Dm-Dronc and Aedes aegypti Dronc (Aa-Dronc), respectively. Bm-Dronc has the sequence QACRG surrounding the catalytic site (C), which is consistent with the QAC(R/Q/G)(G/E) consensus sequence in most caspases but distinct from the sequences PFCRG and SICRG of Dm-Dronc and Aa-Dronc, respectively. Bm-Dronc possesses a long N-terminal prodomain containing a caspase recruitment domain (CARD), a p20 domain and a p10 domain, exhibiting cleavage activities on synthetic substrates Ac-VDVAD-AMC, Ac-IETD-AMC and Ac-LEHD-AMC, which are preferred by human initiator caspases-2, -8 and -9, respectively. Bm-Dronc transiently expressed in insect cells and Escherichia coli cells underwent spontaneous cleavage and caused apoptosis and stimulation of caspase-3-like protease activity in various lepidopteran cell lines, but not in the dipteran cell line D. melanogaster S2. The apoptosis and the stimulation of caspase-3-like protease activity induced by Bm-Dronc overexpression were abrogated upon transfection with either a double-stranded RNA against bm-dronc or a plasmid expressing functional anti-apoptotic protein Hycu-IAP3 encoded by the baculovirus Hyphantria cunea multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (MNPV). Apoptosis induction in BM-N cells by infection with a p35-defective Autographa californica MNPV or exposure to actinomycin D and UV promoted the cleavage of Bm-Dronc. These results indicate that Bm-Dronc serves as the initiator caspase responsible for the induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis.

A comprehensive characterization of the caspase gene family in insects from the order Lepidoptera

Background

The cell suicide pathway of apoptosis is a necessary event in the life of multicellular organisms. It is involved in many biological processes ranging from development to the immune response. Evolutionarily conserved proteases, called caspases, play a central role in regulating apoptosis. Reception of death stimuli triggers the activation of initiator caspases, which in turn activate the effector caspases. In Lepidoptera, apoptosis is crucial in processes such as metamorphosis or defending against baculovirus infection. The discovery of p35, a baculovirus protein inhibiting caspase activity, has led to the characterization of the first lepidopteran caspase, Sf-Caspase-1. Studies on Sf-Caspase-1 mode of activation suggested that apoptosis in Lepidoptera requires a cascade of caspase activation, as demonstrated in many other species.

Results

In order to get insights into this gene family in Lepidoptera, we performed an extensive survey of lepidopteran-derived EST datasets. We identified 66 sequences distributed among 27 species encoding putative caspases. Phylogenetic analyses showed that Lepidoptera possess at least 5 caspases, for which we propose a unified nomenclature. According to homology to their Drosophila counterparts and their primary structure, we determined that Lep-Caspase-1, -2 and -3 are putative effector caspases, whereas Lep-Caspase-5 and -6 are putative initiators. The likely function of Lep-Caspase-4 remains unclear. Lep-Caspase-2 is absent from the silkworm genome and appears to be noctuid-specific, and to have arisen from a tandem duplication of the Caspase-1 gene. In the tobacco hawkmoth, 3 distinct transcripts encoding putative Caspase-4 were identified, suggesting at least 2 duplication events in this species.

Conclusions

The basic repertoire of five major types of caspases shared among Lepidoptera seems to be smaller than for most other groups studied to date, but gene duplication still plays a role in lineage-specific increases in diversity, just as in Diptera and mammals.

Active depletion of host cell inhibitor-of-apoptosis proteins triggers apoptosis upon baculovirus DNA replication

Apoptosis is an important antivirus defense by virtue of its impact on virus multiplication and pathogenesis. To define molecular mechanisms by which viruses are detected and the apoptotic response is initiated, we examined the antiviral role of host inhibitor-of-apoptosis (IAP) proteins in insect cells. We report here that the principal IAPs, DIAP1 and SfIAP, of the model insects Drosophila melanogaster and Spodoptera frugiperda, respectively, are rapidly depleted and thereby inactivated upon infection with the apoptosis-inducing baculovirus Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). Virus-induced loss of these host IAPs triggered caspase activation and apoptotic death. Elevation of IAP levels by ectopic expression repressed caspase activation. Loss of host IAP in both species was triggered by AcMNPV DNA replication. By using selected inhibitors, we found that virus-induced IAP depletion was mediated in part by the proteasome but not by caspase cleavage. Consistent with this conclusion, mutagenic disruption of the SfIAP RING motif, which acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase, stabilized SfIAP during infection. Importantly, SfIAP was also stabilized upon the removal of its 99-residue N-terminal leader, which serves as a critical determinant of IAP turnover. These data indicated that a host pathway initiated by virus DNA replication and acting through instability motifs embedded within IAP triggers IAP depletion and thereby causes apoptosis. Taken together, the results of our study suggest that host modulation of cellular IAP levels is a conserved mechanism by which insects mount an apoptotic antiviral response. Thus, host IAPs may function as critical sentinels of virus invasion in insects.

Inhibition of microRNA-14 contributes to actinomycin-D-induced apoptosis in the Sf9 insect cell line

Actinomycin-D (Act-D) and other inhibitors of RNA synthesis induce extensive and rapid apoptosis in the lepidopteran insect cells. Interestingly, a similar effect is not observed in the case of protein synthesis shutdown, implying that certain RNA species may be critically required for cell survival. In order to assess whether depletion of certain anti-apoptotic microRNAs may result in insect cell apoptosis induced by these transcriptional inhibitors, we inhibited two antiapoptotic microRNAs, viz. bantam and miR-14 (microRNA-14), with known functions in insect systems, by transfecting lepidopteran Sf9 cell line (derived from Spodoptera frugiperda) with sequence-specific inhibitory anti-miRs. Our results indicate that miR-14 is indeed required for constitutive cell survival as its inhibition caused considerable apoptosis. Importantly, exogenous supplementation with the mimics of miR-14 precursor molecules could partially inhibit the Act-D-induced Sf9 cell death. Further, our results indicate that miR-14 may function downstream of mitochondrial cytochrome c release in preventing Act-D-induced apoptosis, implying possible inhibitory interactions with caspases as reported previously in other organisms. While the microRNA species are known to regulate cell death in Drosophila, which belongs the insect order Diptera, the present study demonstrates a definitive antiapoptotic role of miR-14 in lepidopteran apoptosis as well. Our study also indicates that additional microRNA species may be regulating lepidopteran cell survival and death, thus warranting further in-depth investigations into these important mechanisms of cell death. Since lepidopteran cells are an excellent model for general stress resistance, this study presents important information about their stress response mechanisms.

Induction of cytopathic effects and apoptosis in Spodoptera frugiperda cells by the HIV-1 Env glycoprotein signal peptide

The loss of CD4(+) T-cells in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals has been attributed not only to dysregulation of immune cell function but also direct and indirect killing mechanisms of both infected and bystander cells. This process proceeds through both necrotic and programmed cell death pathways. Several human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gene products have been linked to the induction of cell death and apoptosis associated with virus infection. These include the Nef, Tat, Vpr, and Vpu proteins as well as the viral envelope glycoprotein. Our results now indicate that the signal peptide of HIV-1 is also involved in the induction of cytopathic effects leading to cell death. We have shown here that expression of HIV-1 gp120 or vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein with the HIV-1 Env signal peptide resulted in a rapid induction of cytopathicity and cell death in S. frugiperda cells, whereas removal or replacement of the signal peptide ameliorated those effects. Further, our results show that cell death is induced, at least in part, through apoptotic pathways as characterized by evidence of nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation, as well as by the activation of host-cell caspase activity. Our results indicate that the signal peptide of HIV-1 Env itself thus has a direct role in cellular cytotoxicity and the triggering of cell death pathways.

Host insect inhibitor-of-apoptosis SfIAP functionally replaces baculovirus IAP but is differentially regulated by Its N-terminal leader

The inhibitor-of-apoptosis (IAP) proteins encoded by baculoviruses bear a striking resemblance to the cellular IAP homologs of their invertebrate hosts. By virtue of the acquired selective advantage of blocking virus-induced apoptosis, baculoviruses may have captured cellular IAP genes that subsequently evolved for virus-specific objectives. To compare viral and host IAPs, we defined antiapoptotic properties of SfIAP, the principal cellular IAP of the lepidopteran host Spodoptera frugiperda. We report here that SfIAP prevented virus-induced apoptosis as well as viral Op-IAP3 (which is encoded by the Orgyia pseudotsugata nucleopolyhedrovirus) when overexpressed from the baculovirus genome. Like Op-IAP3, SfIAP blocked apoptosis at a step prior to caspase activation. Both of the baculovirus IAP repeats (BIRs) were required for SfIAP function. Moreover, deletion of the C-terminal RING motif generated a loss-of-function SfIAP that interacted and dominantly interfered with wild-type SfIAP. Like Op-IAP3, wild-type SfIAP formed intracellular homodimers, suggesting that oligomerization is a functional requirement for both cellular and viral IAPs. SfIAP possesses a ∼100-residue N-terminal leader domain, which is absent among all viral IAPs. Remarkably, deletion of the leader yielded a fully functional SfIAP with dramatically increased protein stability. Thus, the SfIAP leader contains an instability motif that may confer regulatory options for cellular IAPs that baculovirus IAPs have evolved to bypass for maximal stability and antiapoptotic potency. Our findings that SfIAP and viral IAPs have common motifs, share multiple biochemical properties including oligomerization, and act at the same step to block apoptosis support the hypothesis that baculoviral IAPs were derived by acquisition of host insect IAPs.

Baculovirus DNA replication-specific expression factors trigger apoptosis and shutoff of host protein synthesis during infection

Apoptosis is an important antivirus defense. To define the poorly understood pathways by which invertebrates respond to viruses by inducing apoptosis, we have identified replication events that trigger apoptosis in baculovirus-infected cells. We used RNA silencing to ablate factors required for multiplication of Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). Transfection with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) complementary to the AcMNPV late expression factors (lefs) that are designated as replicative lefs (lef-1, lef-2, lef-3, lef-11, p143, dnapol, and ie-1/ie-0) blocked virus DNA synthesis and late gene expression in permissive Spodoptera frugiperda cells. dsRNAs specific to designated nonreplicative lefs (lef-8, lef-9, p47, and pp31) blocked late gene expression without affecting virus DNA replication. Thus, both classes of lefs functioned during infection as defined. Silencing the replicative lefs prevented AcMNPV-induced apoptosis of Spodoptera cells, whereas silencing the nonreplicative lefs did not. Thus, the activity of replicative lefs or virus DNA replication is sufficient to trigger apoptosis. Confirming this conclusion, AcMNPV-induced apoptosis was suppressed by silencing the replicative lefs in cells from a divergent species, Drosophila melanogaster. Silencing replicative but not nonreplicative lefs also abrogated AcMNPV-induced shutdown of host protein synthesis, suggesting that virus DNA replication triggers inhibition of host biosynthetic processes and that apoptosis and translational arrest are linked. Our findings suggest that baculovirus DNA replication triggers a host cell response similar to the DNA damage response in vertebrates, which causes translational arrest and apoptosis. Pathways for detecting virus invasion and triggering apoptosis may therefore be conserved between insects and mammals.

Caspase inhibitor P35 is required for the production of robust baculovirus virions in Trichoplusia ni TN-368 cells

Apoptosis can protect lepidopteran insects against baculovirus infection by limiting viral replication. Baculoviruses counter this response by expressing anti-apoptotic proteins such as the caspase inhibitor P35, which is expressed by several baculoviruses including Autographa californica mutiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). Mutants of AcMNPV that lack the p35 gene induce apoptosis in Spodoptera frugiperda cells, and replication of these mutants is severely curtailed in S. frugiperda cell lines and larvae. However, cells from another lepidopteran species, Trichoplusia ni, do not undergo apoptosis when infected with AcMNPV mutants lacking p35, and p35 mutant and wild-type viruses replicate to equivalent levels in the T. ni cell line TN-368 and have equivalent infectivity in T. ni larvae by either oral or intrahaemocoelic injection. This has led to the conclusion that p35 is not required for AcMNPV replication in T. ni. However, in this study it was found that stocks of p35 mutant virus produced in TN-368 cells had defects in virion stability and infectivity. TN-368 cells infected with p35 mutant AcMNPV exhibited caspase activity, despite a lack of apoptosis, and propagation of the mutant virus in the presence of a chemical caspase inhibitor restored the normal infection phenotype to the progeny virus. These results suggest that caspases can directly or indirectly damage baculovirus virions, and reveal a novel aspect of the role of apoptosis in antiviral defence.

Investigating apoptosis: characterization and analysis of Trichoplusia ni-caspase-1 through overexpression and RNAi mediated silencing

In both mammals and invertebrates, caspases play a critical role in apoptosis. Although Lepidopteron caspases have been widely studied in Spodoptera frugiperda cells, this is not the case for Trichoplusia ni cells, despite their widespread use for the production of recombinant protein and differences in baculovirus infectivity between the two species. We have cloned, expressed, purified and characterized Tn-caspase-1 in several situations: in its overexpression, in silencing via RNA interference (RNAi), during baculovirus infection, and in interactions with baculovirus protein p35. Overexpression can transiently increase caspase activity in T. ni (High Five) cells, while silencing results in a greater than 6-fold decrease. The reduction in caspase activity resulted in a reduction in the level of apoptosis, demonstrating the ability to affect apoptosis by modulating Tn-caspase-1. During baculovirus infection, caspase activity remains low until approximately 5 days post infection, at which point it increases dramatically, though not in those cells treated with dsRNA. Our results demonstrate that Tn-caspase-1 is presumably the principal effector caspase present in High Five cells, and that it is inhibited by baculovirus protein p35. Finally, our results indicate differences between RNAi and p35 as effector molecules for modulating caspase activity and apoptosis during cell growth and baculovirus infection.

Induction of apoptosis in SF21 cell line by conditioned medium of the entomopathogenic fungus, Nomuraea rileyi, through Sf-caspase-1 signaling pathway

The apoptosis in SF-21 cell line can be induced by the conditioned medium (CM) of the entomopathogenic fungus, Nomuraea rileyi, based on changes in morphology and formation of apoptotic bodies in cultured cells, and with the onset of DNA fragmentation as shown by TUNEL staining and agarose electrophoresis. Moreover, the induction of apoptosis in SF-21 cells was inhibited by adding the inhibitor of effector caspase, viz. z-DEVD-fmk, to the CM, indicating that Sf-caspase-1 is involved in this apoptosis. Similarly, the inhibitor of initiator caspase, viz., z-VAD-fmk, inhibited apoptosis. Therefore, both initiator and effector caspases are possibly involved in the apoptosis of SF-21 cells. In addition, we detected Sf-caspase-1 activity in the process of apoptosis in SF-21 cells, suggesting that the effector caspase in SF-21 is similar to that found in mammalian cells. Our results also indicated that the apoptosis found in this line is accomplished through a Sf-caspase-1 signaling pathway.

Reactive-site cleavage residues confer target specificity to baculovirus P49, a dimeric member of the P35 family of caspase inhibitors

Baculovirus proteins P49 and P35 are potent suppressors of apoptosis in diverse organisms. Although related, P49 and P35 inhibit initiator and effector caspases, respectively, during infection of permissive insect cells. The molecular basis of this novel caspase specificity is unknown. To advance strategies for selective inhibition of the cell death caspases, we investigated biochemical differences between these baculovirus substrate inhibitors. We report here that P49 and P35 use similar mechanisms for stoichiometric inhibition that require caspase cleavage of their reactive site loops (RSL) and chemical contributions of a conserved N-terminal cysteine to stabilize the resulting inhibitory complex. Our data indicated that P49 functions as a homodimer that simultaneously binds two caspases. In contrast, P35 is a monomeric, monovalent inhibitor. P49 and P35 also differ in their RSL caspase recognition sequences. We tested the role of the P(4)-P(1) recognition motif for caspase specificity by monitoring virus-induced proteolytic processing of Sf-caspase-1, the principal effector caspase of the host insect Spodoptera frugiperda. When P49's TVTD recognition motif was replaced with P35's DQMD motif, P49 was impaired for inhibition of the initiator caspase that cleaves and activates pro-Sf-caspase-1 and instead formed a stable inhibitory complex with active Sf-caspase-1. In contrast, the effector caspase specificity of P35 was unaltered when P35's DQMD motif was replaced with TVTD. We concluded that the TVTD recognition motif is required but not sufficient for initiator caspase inhibition by P49. Our findings demonstrate a critical role for the P(4)-P(1) recognition site in caspase specificity by P49 and P35 and indicate that additional determinants are involved in target selection.

Cooperation of ie1 and p35 genes in the activation of baculovirus AcMNPV and HzNV-1 promoters

HzNV-1 is a non-occluded virus belongs to the family of the baculovirus. One of the first detectable transcripts expressed by HzNV-1 virus infection is a 6.2 kb gene, hhi1, located in the HindIII-I fragment of the viral genome. Here we show that infection of baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) could activate the expression of the hhi1 promoter. By using constructs containing progressive deletions of the upstream regulatory regions of the hhi1 gene, we demonstrated that the most highly activated area was located between nucleotides -62 to +277 of the hhi1 promoter. We subsequently searched the entire 130 kb AcMNPV genome and identified two baculovirus genes, ie1 and p35, that their cooperation is required for the activation of the hhi1 promoter. Further, by taking advantages of a baculovirus DNA chip and low background baculovirus gene expressions in the mammalian cells, we went on to identify a specific set of baculoviral genes, including orf21 and orf25, that could be specifically activated by the combination of ie1 and p35 genes. We conclude that a unique cooperative mechanism of ie1 and p35 exists in the genome of AcMNPV, which can activate the expression of a specific set of AcMNPV and HzNV-1 promoters.

Modulation of iridovirus-induced apoptosis by endocytosis, early expression, JNK, and apical caspase

Chilo iridescent virus (CIV) is the type species for the family Iridoviridae, which are large, isometric, cytoplasmic dsDNA viruses. We examined the mechanism of apoptosis induction by CIV. High CIV doses (CIV_XS; 400 μg/ml), UV-irradiated virus (CIV_UV; 10 μg/ml) and CVPE (CIV protein extract; 10 μg/ml) induced apoptosis in 60% of treated Choristoneura fumiferana (IPRI-CF-124T) cells. Normal doses of infectious CIV (10 μg/ml) induced apoptosis in only 10% of C. fumiferana (CF) cells. Apoptosis was inhibited by Z-IETD-FMK, an apical caspase inhibitor, indicating that CIV-induced apoptosis requires caspase activity. The putative caspase in CF cells was designated Cf-caspase-i. CIV_UV or CVPE enhanced Cf-caspase-i activity by 80% at 24 h relative to mock-treated cells. Since the MAP kinase pathway induces or inhibits apoptosis depending on the context, we used JNK inhibitor SP600125 and demonstrated drastic suppression of CVPE-induced apoptosis. Thus, the JNK signaling pathway is significant for apoptosis in this system. Virus interaction with the cell surface was not sufficient for apoptosis since CIV_UV particles bound to polysterene beads failed to induce apoptosis. Endocytosis inhibitors (bafilomycin or ammonium chloride) negated apoptosis induction by CIV_UV, CIV_XS or CVPE indicating that entry through this mode is required. Given the weak apoptotic response to infectious CIV, we postulated that viral gene expression inhibited apoptosis. CIV infection of cells pretreated with cycloheximide induced apoptosis in 69% of the cells compared to 10% in normal infections. Furthermore, blocking viral DNA replication with aphidicolin or phosphonoacetic acid suppressed apoptosis and Cf-caspase-i activity, indicating that early viral expression is necessary for inhibition of apoptosis, and de novo synthesis of viral proteins is not required for induction. We show for the first time that, in a member of the family Iridoviridae, apoptosis: (i) requires entry and endocytosis of virions or virion proteins, (ii) is inhibited under conditions permitting early viral expression, and (iii) requires the JNK signaling pathway. This is the first report of JNK signal requirement during apoptosis induction by an insect virus.

Baculovirus caspase inhibitors P49 and P35 block virus-induced apoptosis downstream of effector caspase DrICE activation in Drosophila melanogaster cells

Baculoviruses induce widespread apoptosis in invertebrates. To better understand the pathways by which these DNA viruses trigger apoptosis, we have used a combination of RNA silencing and overexpression of viral and host apoptotic regulators to identify cell death components in the model system of Drosophila melanogaster. Here we report that the principal effector caspase DrICE is required for baculovirus-induced apoptosis of Drosophila DL-1 cells as demonstrated by RNA silencing. proDrICE was proteolytically cleaved and activated during infection. Activation was blocked by overexpression of the cellular inhibitor-of-apoptosis proteins DIAP1 and SfIAP but not by the baculovirus caspase inhibitor P49 or P35. Rather, the substrate inhibitors P49 and P35 prevented virus-induced apoptosis by arresting active DrICE through formation of stable inhibitory complexes. Consistent with a two-step activation mechanism, proDrICE was cleaved at the large/small subunit junction TETD(230)-G by a DIAP1-inhibitable, P49/P35-resistant protease and then at the prodomain junction DHTD(28)-A by a P49/P35-sensitive protease. Confirming that P49 targeted DrICE and not the initiator caspase DRONC, depletion of DrICE by RNA silencing suppressed virus-induced cleavage of P49. Collectively, our findings indicate that whereas DIAP1 functions upstream to block DrICE activation, P49 and P35 act downstream by inhibiting active DrICE. Given that P49 has the potential to inhibit both upstream initiator caspases and downstream effector caspases, we conclude that P49 is a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor that likely provides a selective advantage to baculoviruses in different cellular backgrounds.

Activation pathways and signal-mediated upregulation of the insect Spodoptera frugiperda caspase-1

Sf-caspase-1 is the most studied effector caspase of Lepidoptera. Its activation is believed to follow a two-step mechanism: The first step requires cleavage by an initiator caspase at D195 (between the large and small subunits) releasing the C-terminal small subunit. This is blocked by the baculovirus caspase inhibitor P49. The second step removes the N-terminal prodomain by cleavage at D28 to generate the large subunit that is blocked by the baculovirus caspase inhibitor P35. In this study, we identified an alternative mechanism of Sf-caspase-1 activation. This additional two-step mechanism involves first cleavage of pro-Sf-caspase-1 at D28 to remove the N-terminal prodomain and subsequently cleavage at D195 to generate the large and small subunits. Both mechanisms are triggered by apoptotic stimuli following a distinct pattern. We also showed that expression of Sf-caspase-1 was upregulated upon reception of apoptotic stimuli. Different from all published data, this upregulation occurred as a post-transcriptional event. Moreover, we proved that the stronger the stimuli, the higher the upregulation. And we demonstrated that P49 and P35 inhibited the cleavage at D28 and D195 respectively, independently of wether the first cleavage was at D195 or at D28.

Spodoptera littoralis caspase-1, a Lepidopteran effector caspase inducible by apoptotic signaling

The baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) can successfully infect Spodoptera frugiperda SF9 cells, but in contrast, in Spodoptera littoralis SL2 cells it induces apoptosis aborting the infection. To understand better the mechanism of induction and execution of apoptosis in SL2 cells, we identified and characterized the first Spodoptera littoralis caspase, Sl-caspase-1. Sl-caspase-1 is an effector caspase that cleaves DEVD but not IETD and LEHD substrates, and the caspase-3 inhibitor DQMD-CHO inhibited this activity. It was involved in two apoptotic pathways induced by UV irradiation and virus infection. Moreover processing of Sl-caspase-1 was a determinant factor for baculovirus induction of apoptosis in SL2 cells. Since very little is known on the regulation of expression of Lepidopteran caspases, we studied Sl-caspase-1 expression after exposure to apoptosis stimuli. We found that triggering apoptosis in SL2 cells increased the steady-state level of Sl-caspase-1 without changing the level of sl-caspase-1 mRNA, suggesting that Sl-caspase-1 was post-transcriptionally up regulated. This regulation might occur as an early event in transduction of the apoptotic signal.

Functional analysis of the inhibitor of apoptosis (iap) gene carried by the entomopoxvirus of Amsacta moorei

The entomopoxvirus from Amsacta moorei (AmEPV) contains none of the commonly recognized vertebrate poxvirus apoptotic suppressor genes. However, AmEPV carries a single inhibitor of apoptosis (iap) gene (AMViap) not present in vertebrate poxviruses. The AMViap gene was active when coexpressed with the Drosophila proapoptotic gene hid in Ld652 cells and can rescue cells from apoptosis as shown by increased number of surviving cells and reduced levels of caspase-3-like activity. We also showed that expression of the AMViap gene rescued polyhedron production in Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV)Deltap35-infected Sf9 cells during an otherwise abortive infection induced by apoptosis. Surprisingly, deletion of the AMViap gene from the AmEPV genome led to only a modest (10-fold) loss of virion production in infected Ld652 cells, indicating that the AMViap gene is nonessential for virus replication under these conditions. However, infection of Ld652 cells by AmEPV lacking a functional iap gene led to a more rapid induction of cytotoxicity and increased levels of caspase-3-like activity. Similar results were observed and were more pronounced in infected Sf9 and S2 cells. The purified AMVIAP protein also inhibits the enzymatic activities of human caspase-9 and caspase-3 in vitro. Our results indicate that while the AMViap gene was active in controlling apoptosis through the intrinsic pathway, the virus likely encodes additional proteins that also regulate apoptosis.

Inactivation of Drosophila Apaf-1 related killer suppresses formation of polyglutamine aggregates and blocks polyglutamine pathogenesis

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by expansion of a polyglutamine tract near the N-terminal of huntingtin. Mutant huntingtin forms aggregates in striatum and cortex, where extensive cell death occurs. We used a Drosophila polyglutamine peptide model to assess the role of specific cell death regulators in polyglutamine-induced cell death. Here, we report that polyglutamine-induced cell death was dramatically suppressed in flies lacking Dark, the fly homolog of human Apaf-1, a key regulator of apoptosis. Dark appeared to play a role in the accumulation of polyglutamine-containing aggregates. Suppression of cell death, caspase activation and aggregate formation were also observed when mutant huntingtin exon 1 was expressed in homozygous dark mutant animals. Expanded polyglutamine induced a marked increase in expression of Dark, and Dark was observed to colocalize with ubiquitinated protein aggregates. Apaf-1 also was found to colocalize with huntingtin-containing aggregates in a murine model and HD brain, suggesting a common role for Dark/Apaf-1 in polyglutamine pathogenesis in invertebrates, mice and man. These findings suggest that limiting Apaf-1 activity may alleviate both pathological protein aggregation and neuronal cell death in HD.

Apoptosis and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Despite numerous studies examining the possible induction of apoptosis in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-infected cells, it remains unclear if PRRSV infection results in direct apoptotic induction. There is clear evidence that apoptotic cells are present in tissues from PRRSV-infected pigs. However, many of these studies have failed to show that the apoptotic cells are infected with PRRSV. This has led some investigators to propose that "bystander" cells, not infected cells, become apoptotic during PRRSV infection by a yet undetermined mechanism. Studies examining the induction of the apoptotic gene expression response to PRRSV infection are needed to determine if PRRSV replication triggers an apoptotic response. We have utilized microarray and semi-quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (sqRT-PCR) to evaluate apoptotic gene expression in PRRSV-infected MARC-145 cells. Twenty-six apoptosis-related genes were examined during the first 24 h of infection and found to be unaltered, indicating that apoptotic induction was not occurring in PRRSV-infected cells. Additionally, using detection of free nucleosomal complexes, we examined cells for both apoptotic and necrotic death resulting from PRRSV infection at varying multiplicities of infection. This study indicates that PRRSV-infected MARC-145 cells undergo necrosis at a much higher level than apoptosis, and increases with virus levels used to infect the cells.

Neutralization of Smac/Diablo by Inhibitors of Apoptosis (IAPs)

Numerous members of the IAP family can suppress apoptotic cell death in physiological settings. Whereas certain IAPs directly inhibit caspases, the chief proteolytic effectors of apoptosis, the protective effects of other IAPs do not correlate well with their caspase inhibitory activities, suggesting the involvement of alternative cytoprotective abilities. To examine this issue, we have characterized the protective effects of an ancestral, baculoviral IAP (Op-IAP) in mammalian cells. We show that although Op-IAP potently inhibited Bax-mediated apoptosis in human cells, Op-IAP failed to directly inhibit mammalian caspases. However, Op-IAP efficiently bound the IAP antagonist Smac/Diablo, thereby preventing Smac/Diablo-mediated inhibition of cellular IAPs. Whereas reduction of Smac/Diablo protein levels in the absence of Op-IAP prevented Bax-mediated apoptosis, overexpression of Smac/Diablo neutralized Op-IAP-mediated protection, and an Op-IAP variant unable to bind Smac/Diablo failed to prevent apoptosis. Finally, Op-IAP catalyzed the ubiquitination of Smac/Diablo, an activity that contributed to Op-IAP-mediated inhibition of apoptosis. These data show that cytoprotective IAPs can inhibit apoptosis through the neutralization of IAP antagonists, rather than by directly inhibiting caspases.

The role of baculovirus apoptotic suppressors in AcMNPV-mediated translation arrest in Ld652Y cells

Infecting the insect cell line IPLB-Ld652Y with the baculovirus Autographa californica multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) results in global translation arrest, which correlates with the presence of the AcMNPV apoptotic suppressor, p35. In this study, we investigated the role of apoptotic suppression on AcMNPV-induced translation arrest. Infecting cells with AcMNPV bearing nonfunctional mutant p35 did not result in global translation arrest. In contrast, global translation arrest was observed in cells infected with AcMNPV in which p35 was replaced with Opiap, Cpiap, or p49, baculovirus apoptotic suppressors that block apoptosis by different mechanisms than p35. These results indicated that suppressing apoptosis triggered translation arrest in AcMNPV-infected Ld652Y cells. Experiments using the DNA synthesis inhibitor aphidicolin and temperature shift experiments, using the AcMNPV replication mutants ts8 and ts8deltap35, indicated that translation arrest initiated during the early phase of infection, but events during the late phase were required for global translation arrest. Peptide caspase inhibitors could not substitute for baculovirus apoptotic suppressors to induce translation arrest in Ld652Y cells infected with a p35-null virus. However, if the p35-null-AcMNPV also carried hrf-1, a novel baculovirus host range gene, progeny virus was produced and treatment with peptide caspase inhibitors enhanced translation of a late viral gene transcript. Together, these results indicate that translation arrest in AcMNPV-infected Ld652Y cells is due to the anti-apoptotic function of p35, but suggests that rather than simply preventing caspase activation, its activity enhances signaling to a separate translation arrest pathway, possibly by stimulating the late stages of the baculovirus infection cycle.

Stress-Induced Apoptosis in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) Cells: Baculovirus p35 Mitigates eIF2α Phosphorylation

Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) ovarian cells, natural hosts for baculovirus, are good model systems to study apoptosis and also heterologous gene expression. We report that uninfected Sf9 cells readily undergo apoptosis and show increased phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2alpha) in the presence of agents such as UVB light, etoposide, high concentrations of cycloheximide, and EGTA. In contrast, tunicamycin, A23187, and low concentrations of cycloheximide promoted eIF2alpha phosphorylation in Sf9 cells but without apoptosis. These findings therefore suggest that increased eIF2alpha phosphorylation does not always necessarily lead to apoptosis, but it is a characteristic hallmark of stressed cells and also of cells undergoing apoptosis. Cell death induced by the above agents was abrogated by infection of Sf9 cells with wild-type (wt) AcNPV. In contrast, Sf9 cells when infected with vAcdelta35, a virus carrying deletion of the antiapoptotic p35 gene, showed increased apoptosis and enhanced eIF2alpha phosphorylation. Further, a recombinant wt virus vAcS51D expressing human S51D, a phosphomimetic form of eIF2alpha, induced apoptosis in UVB pretreated Sf9 cells. However, infection with vAcS51A expressing a nonphosphorylatable form (S51A) of human eIF2alpha partially reduced apoptosis. Consistent with these findings, it has been observed here that caspase activation has led to increased eIF2alpha phosphorylation, while caspase inhibition by z-VAD-fmk reduced eIF2alpha phosphorylation selectively in cells exposed to proapoptotic agents. These findings therefore suggest that the stress signaling pathway determines apoptosis, and caspase activation is a prerequisite for increased eIF2alpha phosphorylation in Sf9 cells undergoing apoptosis. The findings also reinforce the conclusion for the first time that the "pancaspase inhibitor" baculovirus p35 mitigates eIF2alpha phosphorylation.

Insect defenses against virus infection: the role of apoptosis

Insects, with their lack of an adaptive immune response, provide a unique animal model to examine the effects of apoptosis on viral infection. Several members of the baculovirus family of insect viruses have been shown to induce apoptosis during infection of cultured insect cells, and depending on the virus-host combination this apoptotic response can severely limit viral replication. In response to this evolutionary pressure, all baculoviruses studied to date carry antiapoptotic genes, including members of the p35 and IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) gene families. Recent work has characterized the apoptotic response during infection of the host insect, and the results directly demonstrate the power of apoptosis as an antiviral response.

Apoptosis-an introduction

Apoptosis has become a major research area in the biomedical sciences. As there are more than 13,000 papers published annually on the topic, it is impossible to keep track on all developments in the area. The individual aspects of molecular control of apoptosis are well reviewed, but more general, introductory recent reviews into the field are lacking. This review aims to give a brief overview of the field, providing an introduction into the literature for students and newcomers; as it is written for the un-initiated, wherever possible, review articles will be cited rather than original papers.

Expression of HCV E1 protein in baculovirus-infected cells: effects on cell viability and apoptosis induction

The molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are not yet understood. Recently, we reported that the expression of the envelope protein E1 is toxic for Escherichia coli cells. The toxicity is related to the ability of C-terminal transmembrane (TM) domain of E1 to modify membrane permeability. In this study we expressed the E1 protein, complete (a.a. 192-383) or deleted (a.a. 192-340) of the TM region, fused to the C-terminus of glutathione-S-transferase by two recombinant baculoviruses. Infection of Sf9 insect cells by E1 baculovirus induced a rapid decrease in cell viability in the first 18-24 h postinfection. Premature cytopathic changes and low level of E1 protein expression were also reported. The analysis of DNA isolated from cells revealed a typical internucleosomal ladder pattern characteristic of apoptosis. The DNA degradation was first detected at 18 h postinfection by ethidium bromide gel electrophoresis and was confirmed by TUNEL assay. The results indicated that the C-terminal domain of E1 is essential for apoptosis induction as neither cell death nor DNA degradation were observed following infection with the recombinant baculovirus expressing the C-terminal-deleted E1. These findings support the hypothesis that the TM domain of E1 may play a role in viral pathogenesis.

Induction of apoptosis in an insect cell line, IPLB-Ld652Y, infected with nucleopolyhedroviruses

Ld652Y cells derived from the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, were infected with seven different nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) including those from Autographa californica, Bombyx mori (BmNPV), Hyphantria cunea (HycuNPV), Spodoptera exigua (SeMNPV), L. dispar, Orgyia pseudotsugata (OpMNPV) and Spodoptera litura (SpltMNPV). The results showed that Ld652Y cells infected with BmNPV, HycuNPV, SeMNPV, OpMNPV and SpltMNPV underwent apoptosis, displaying apoptotic bodies, characteristic DNA fragmentation and increased caspase-3-like protease activity; HycuNPV induced the most severe apoptosis. In HycuNPV-infected Ld652Y cells, a considerable amount of viral DNA was synthesized although there was no detectable yield of budded virions and polyhedrin. Northern blot and immunoblot analyses revealed that HycuNPV inhibitor of apoptosis 3 (IAP3), which has been shown to function in Sf9 cells, was expressed in HycuNPV-infected Ld652Y cells at a level higher than or comparable with that in HycuNPV-infected SpIm cells, which produced a high titre of progeny virions without any apoptotic response. These results imply that the relative ease of apoptosis induction in NPV-infected Ld652Y cells is largely dependent on inherent cellular properties rather than functions of the respective NPVs, and indicate that the defect in progeny virion production is not merely due to the virus-induced apoptosis in HycuNPV-infected Ld652Y cells.

The p35 relative, p49, inhibits mammalian and Drosophila caspases including DRONC and protects against apoptosis

This study characterized the ability of a new member of the p35 family, p49, to inhibit a number of mammalian and insect caspases. p49 blocked apoptosis triggered by treatment with Fas ligand (FasL), Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) or ultraviolet (UV) radiation but provided negligible protection against apoptosis induced by the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin. The caspase cleavage site in p49 was determined, and mutation of the P1 residue of this site abolished the ability of p49 to inhibit caspases, implying that p49 inhibits caspases through an analogous suicide-substrate mechanism to p35. Unlike p35, p49 inhibited the upstream insect caspase DRONC.

Baculovirus apoptotic suppressor P49 is a substrate inhibitor of initiator caspases resistant to P35 in vivo

Caspases play a critical role in the execution of metazoan apoptosis and are thus attractive therapeutic targets for apoptosis-associated diseases. Here we report that baculovirus P49, a homolog of pancaspase inhibitor P35, prevents apoptosis in invertebrates by inhibiting an initiator caspase that is P35 insensitive. Consequently P49 blocked proteolytic activation of effector caspases at a unique step upstream from that affected by P35 but downstream from inhibitor of apoptosis Op-IAP. Like P35, P49 was cleaved by and stably associated with its caspase target. Ectopically expressed P49 blocked apoptosis in cultured cells from a phylogenetically distinct organism, Drosophila melanogaster. Furthermore, P49 inhibited human caspase-9, demonstrating its capacity to affect a vertebrate initiator caspase. Thus, P49 is a substrate inhibitor with a novel in vivo specificity for a P35-insensitive initiator caspase that functions at an evolutionarily conserved step in the caspase cascade. These data indicate that activated initiator caspases provide another effective target for apoptotic intervention by substrate inhibitors.

A pathway of signals regulating effector and initiator caspases in the developing Drosophila eye

Regulated cell death and survival play important roles in neural development. Extracellular signals are presumed to regulate seven apparent caspases to determine the final structure of the nervous system. In the eye, the EGF receptor, Notch, and intact primary pigment and cone cells have been implicated in survival or death signals. An antibody raised against a peptide from human caspase 3 was used to investigate how extracellular signals controlled spatial patterning of cell death. The antibody crossreacted specifically with dying Drosophila cells and labelled the activated effector caspase Drice. It was found that the initiator caspase Dronc and the proapoptotic gene head involution defective were important for activation in vivo. Dronc may play roles in dying cells in addition to activating downstream effector caspases. Epistasis experiments ordered EGF receptor, Notch, and primary pigment and cone cells into a single pathway that affected caspase activity in pupal retina through hid and Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins. None of these extracellular signals appeared to act by initiating caspase activation independently of hid. Taken together, these findings indicate that in eye development spatial regulation of cell death and survival is integrated through a single intracellular pathway.

Drosophila immune deficiency (IMD) is a death domain protein that activates antibacterial defense and can promote apoptosis

We report the molecular characterization of the immune deficiency (imd) gene, which controls antibacterial defense in Drosophila. imd encodes a protein with a death domain similar to that of mammalian RIP (receptor interacting protein), a protein that plays a role in both NF-kappaB activation and apoptosis. We show that imd functions upstream of the DmIKK signalosome and the caspase DREDD in the control of antibacterial peptide genes. Strikingly, overexpression of imd leads to constitutive transcription of these genes and to apoptosis, and both effects are blocked by coexpression of the caspase inhibitor P35. We also show that imd is involved in the apoptotic response to UV irradiation. These data raise the possibility that antibacterial response and apoptosis share common control elements in Drosophila.