Identification of adenovirus 12-encoded E1A tumor antigens synthesized in infected and transformed mammalian cells and in Escherichia coli

Imaging the adenovirus infection cycle

Incoming adenoviruses seize control of cytosolic transport mechanisms to relocate their genome from the cell periphery to specialized sites in the nucleoplasm. The nucleus is the site for viral gene expression, genome replication, and the production of progeny for the next round of infection. By taking control of the cell, adenoviruses also suppress cell-autonomous immunity responses. To succeed in their production cycle, adenoviruses rely on well-coordinated steps, facilitated by interactions between viral proteins and cellular factors. Interactions between virus and host can impose remarkable morphological changes in the infected cell. Imaging adenoviruses has tremendously influenced how we delineate individual steps in the viral life cycle, because it allowed the development of specific optical markers to label these morphological changes in space and time. As technology advances, innovative imaging techniques and novel tools for specimen labeling keep uncovering previously unseen facets of adenovirus biology emphasizing why imaging adenoviruses is as attractive today as it was in the past. This review will summarize past achievements and present developments in adenovirus imaging centered on fluorescence microscopy approaches.

Absence of an essential regulatory influence of the adenovirus E1B 19-kilodalton protein on viral growth and early gene expression in human diploid WI38, HeLa, and A549 cells

Mutations in the gene encoding the adenovirus (Ad) early region 1B 19-kDa protein (the 19K gene) result in multiple phenotypic effects upon infection of permissive human cells. It has been reported, for example, that Ad type 2 (Ad2) and Ad5 with mutations in the 19K gene (19K-defective mutants) have a marked growth advantage compared with wild-type virus in human diploid WI38 cells (E. White, B. Faha, and B. Stillman, Mol. Cell. Biol. 6:3763-3773, 1986), and it was proposed that this host range phenotype stems from the large increase in viral early gene expression reported to occur in the mutant-infected cells. These observations gave rise to the hypothesis that the 19-kDa protein (the 19K protein) normally functions as a negative regulator of Ad early gene expression and growth. We have tested this hypothesis and find that Ad5 and Ad12 wild-type viruses grow as efficiently as their respective 19K-defective mutants, in1 and dl337 and pm700 and in700, in WI38 and other human cell types. Neither the accumulation of E1A cytoplasmic mRNAs nor the synthesis of E1A and other viral early proteins in these cells is altered as a result of these mutations in the 19K gene, and we conclude that the 19K protein does not play an essential role in regulating viral early gene expression or viral growth in human cells.

Expression, purification, and functional characterization of adenovirus 5 and 12 E1A proteins produced in insect cells

The 12 S and 13 S E1A cDNAs from both the Adenovirus (Ad) nononcogenic type 5 and the oncogenic type 12 were overexpressed in an insect cell/baculovirus system. Upon infection of Spodoptera frugiperda cells, the production of E1A proteins reached a level of about 15 micrograms/10(6) cells. The E1A proteins are highly soluble and apparently are processed authentically. They are readily recognized by various antibodies and display phosphorylation patterns similar to those of E1A proteins synthesized in mammalian cells. Single-step immunoaffinity chromatography was used to purify the Ad5 E1A proteins to near homogeneity under nondenaturing conditions. The Ad5 and Ad12 E1A proteins are able to form complexes with the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product (Rb) and other cellular proteins. Interestingly, the presence of a cellular extract seems to be a prerequisite for association between highly purified E1A and Rb polypeptides.

Differential requirement for adenovirus type 12 E1A gene products in oncogenic transformation

During the early period of infection, adenovirus type 12 E1A gene is expressed as overlapping, spliced mRNAs of 12 and 13S, which encode in-frame proteins of 235 and 266 amino acid residues (235R and 266R), respectively. To define the functions of these related products in the infection of human cells and transformation of rodent cells, we created single T-to-C transitions at the second base of each mRNA intron which specifically prevent splicing of the respective mRNAs. Mutant pm712 expresses only the 13S mRNA and 266R protein, while pm713 expresses only the 12S mRNA and 235R protein. By using these mutants, we showed that only the larger product is required for growth in human cells, including growth-arrested W138 cells, that the capacity to activate other viral genes (in human cells, at least) lies primarily with that protein, and that the 266R product is not required for autoregulation of its own transcription. In the presence of the 266R protein the 235R product was not required for complete and efficient transformation of a variety of rodent cells or for direct induction of tumors in rats, whereas in its absence the smaller product was insufficient for transformation or tumor induction. Finally, we showed that transformants resulting from infection of rodent cells with pm712 possess a fully-transformed phenotype and are tumorigenic. Previous studies with group C adenoviruses led to the conclusion that both E1A products are required for complete transformation; we conclude that with oncogenic serotype 12, only the 266R product is required for this process.

Extracts of hamster cells abortively infected with human adenovirus type 12 are competent to support initiation of viral DNA replication

Baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells do not allow replication of human adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) DNA during abortive infection by this virus. However, we have determined that crude extracts of BHK-21 cells abortively infected with Ad12 support in vitro the initiation reaction of Ad12 DNA replication. Synthesis of the Ad12 pTP-dCMP initiation complex by BHK extracts is two- to five-fold less than when crude infected human (KB) cell extracts are used in the reaction. Combining infected KB cytoplasmic and uninfected BHK nuclear extracts in the reaction indicates that the decreased efficiency is probably due to a lesser ability of hamster nuclear extracts to support the initiation reaction, rather than to decreased synthesis of Ad12 pTP and DNA polymerase during abortive infection, or to the presence of an inhibitor in BHK cells.

Adenovirus transcriptional complexes contain EIa encoded tumour antigens physically bound to cellular proteins

Adenovirus type 12 transcriptional complexes were isolated from cells during the early phase of infection. Sedimentation analysis identified a fast sedimenting complex type I and a slow sedimenting complex type II. Both complexes made virus specific RNA complementary to all the early genes and both contained viral DNA, which in type II but not in type I had nucleosome like configuration. Analysis of the proteins of the complexes with antiserum against Ad 12 EIa-beta-galactosidase fusion protein expressed in E. coli demonstrated the following: (a) type I complex contained EIa 45 K protein, which co-precipitated with cellular proteins of mol. wt. 42, 58, and 60 K, (b) type II complex contained EIa 47 K protein, which co-precipitated with major cellular proteins of 35, 40-46 K and minor proteins of 58, 60, 68, 76, 86, and 120-150 K. Association of EIa specific and cellular proteins to transcriptional complexes was sensitive to both 1 M NaCl and DNAse I indicating the DNA binding nature of these proteins. Treatment of transcriptional complexes with 1 M NaCl or DNase I released EIa proteins, which still remained strongly bound to cellular proteins. These findings suggested that EIa proteins bind to viral DNA and that this binding is probably mediated by cellular proteins.

Heterogeneity of adenovirus type 5 E1A proteins: multiple serine phosphorylations induce slow-migrating electrophoretic variants but do not affect E1A-induced transcriptional activation or transformation

The 289-amino-acid product encoded by the adenovirus E1A 13S mRNA has several pleiotropic activities, including transcriptional activation, transcriptional repression, and when acting in concert with certain oncogene products, cell transformation. In all cell types in which E1A has been introduced (except bacteria), E1A protein is extensively posttranslationally modified to yield several isoelectric and molecular weight variants. The most striking variant is one that has a retarded mobility, by about Mr = 2,000, in sodium dodecyl sulfate gels. We have investigated the nature of this modification and have assessed its importance for E1A activity. Phosphorylation is responsible for the altered mobility of E1A, since acid phosphatase treatment eliminates the higher apparent molecular weight products. By using several E1A deletion mutants, we show that at least two seryl residues, residing between residues 86 and 120 and 224 and 289, are the sites of phosphorylation and that each phosphorylation can independently induce the mobility shift. However, E1A mutants lacking these seryl residues transcriptionally activate the adenovirus E3 and E2A promoters and transform baby rat kidney cells to near wild-type levels.

Adenovirus type 12 E1A protein expressed in Escherichia coli is functional upon transfer by microinjection or protoplast fusion into mammalian cells

We efficiently expressed, in Escherichia coli, and purified the protein product encoded by the human adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) 13S mRNA. The functional properties of the E1A protein were analyzed by introducing the protein by microinjection or protoplast fusion into living mammalian cells. We showed that the E. coli-expressed E1A protein induces gene expression of the adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) E1A deletion mutant Ad5dl312. The purified E1A protein rapidly and quantitatively localized to the cell nucleus after microinjection into the cytoplasm. In addition, we raised high-titered monospecific antibodies to the purified Ad12 E1A protein. Using deleted forms of an adenovirus type 2 and Ad5 hybrid (Ad2/5) E1A protein, we showed that all of the epitopes conserved between Ad2/5 E1A and Ad12 E1A protein that are recognized by the Ad12 E1A-specific antiserum map to within the first exon-encoded amino-terminal half of the protein.

Posttranslational modification at the N terminus of the human adenovirus type 12 E1A 235R tumor antigen

The adenovirus E1A transforming region, which encodes immortalization, partial cell transformation, and gene activation functions, expresses two early mRNAs, 13S and 12S. Multiple-T antigen species with different electrophoretic mobilities are formed from each mRNA, presumably by unknown posttranslational modifications. The adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) 13S and 12S mRNAs encode E1A T antigens of 266 and 235 amino acid residues (266R and 235R), respectively. To study possible posttranslational processing at the N and C termini and to distinguish between the Ad12 266R and 235R T antigens, we prepared antibodies targeted to synthetic peptides encoded at the common C (peptide 204) and N (peptide 202) termini of the 266R and 235R T antigens and at the unique internal domain of the 266R T antigen (peptide 206). The specificity of each anti-peptide antibody was confirmed by immunoprecipitation of the 266R and 235R T antigens produced in Escherichia coli. Immunoprecipitation analysis of the E1A T antigens synthesized in Ad12-infected KB cells revealed the following. Antibody to the common C terminus recognized three T antigens with apparent Mrs of 43,000, 42,000, and 39,000 (43K, 42K, and 39K). All three forms were phosphorylated and were present in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The 43K and 42K T antigens were rapidly synthesized during a 10-min pulse with [35S]methionine in Ad12-infected cells. The 43K T antigen had a half-life of 20 min, the 42K T antigen had a longer half-life of about 40 min, and the 39K T antigen became the predominant E1A T antigen. Antibodies to the unique region immunoprecipitated the 43K T antigen but not the 42K and 39K T antigens. Antibody to the N terminus immunoprecipitated the 43K and 42K T antigens but not the 39K T antigen, suggesting that the 39K T antigen possessed a modified N terminus. Partial N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis showed that the 43K and 42K T antigens contain methionine at residues 1 and 5, as predicted from the DNA sequence, whereas no methionine was released from the 39K T antigen during the first six cycles of Edman degradation. We propose that the short-lived 43K T antigen is the primary product of the 13S mRNA, the 266R T antigen; the somewhat more stable 42K T antigen is the primary product of the 12S mRNA, the 235R T antigen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Biosynthesis of adenovirus type 2 i-leader protein

The i-leader is a 440-base-pair sequence located between 21.8 and 23.0 map units on the adenovirus type 2 genome and is spliced between the second and third segments of the major tripartite leader in certain viral mRNA molecules. The i-leader contains an open translational reading frame for a hypothetical protein of Mr about 16,600, and a 16,000-Mr polypeptide (16K protein) has been translated in vitro on mRNA selected with DNA containing the i-leader (A. Virtanen, P. Aleström, H. Persson, M. G. Katze, and U. Pettersson, Nucleic Acids Res. 10:2539-2548, 1982). To determine whether the i-leader protein is synthesized during productive infection and to provide an immunological reagent to study the properties and functions of the i-leader protein, we prepared antipeptide antibodies directed to a 16-amino acid synthetic peptide which is encoded near the N terminus of the hypothetical i-leader protein and contains a high acidic amino acid and proline content. Antipeptide antibodies immunoprecipitated from extracts of adenovirus type 2-infected cells a major 16K protein that comigrated with a 16K protein translated in vitro. Partial N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis by Edman degradation of radiolabeled 16K antigen showed that methionine is present at residue 1 and leucine is present at residues 8 and 10, as predicted from the DNA sequence, establishing that the 16K protein precipitated by this antibody is indeed the i-leader protein. Thus, the i-leader protein is a prominent species that is synthesized during productive infection. The i-leader protein is often seen as a doublet on polyacrylamide gels, suggesting that either two related forms of i-leader protein are synthesized in infected cells or that a posttranslational modification occurs. Time course studies using immunoprecipitation analysis with antipeptide antibodies revealed that the E1A 289R T antigen and the E1B-19K (175R) T antigen are synthesized beginning at 2 to 3 and 4 to 5 h postinfection, respectively, whereas the i-leader protein is synthesized starting at about 8 h postinfection and continues unabated until at least 25 h postinfection. The i-leader protein is very stable, as determined by pulse-chase labeling experiments, and accumulates continuously from 8 to 25 h postinfection, as shown by immunoblot analysis. The synthesis of i-leader protein does not depend upon viral DNA replication. Thus, the i-leader protein is a viral gene product of unknown function and high stability that is made in large quantities at intermediate times of productive infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Phosphorylation in vitro of Escherichia coli-produced 235R and 266R tumor antigens encoded by human adenovirus type 12 early transformation region 1A

The tumor (T) antigens encoded by the human adenovirus early transforming region 1A (E1A) are gene regulatory proteins whose functions can immortalize cells. We have recently described the synthesis in Escherichia coli and the purification of the complete T antigens encoded by the adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) E1A 12S mRNA (235-residue [235R] T antigen) and 13S mRNA (266R T antigen). In this study, we show that the Ad12 E1A T antigens are extensively phosphorylated in Ad12-infected mammalian cells but are not phosphorylated in E. coli. Inasmuch as posttranslational phosphorylation at specific amino acid sites may be important for biological activity, we have studied the phosphorylation of the E. coli-produced T antigens in vitro by using a kinase activity isolated from cultured human KB cells. The kinase was purified about 300-fold and appears to be a cyclic AMP-independent, Ca2+-independent protein kinase requiring only ATP and Mg2+ for activity. To determine which amino acids are phosphorylated and whether phosphorylation in vitro occurs at the same amino acid sites that are phosphorylated in vivo, the Ad12 E1A T-antigen species synthesized by infected cells were metabolically labeled with 32Pi and compared with the E. coli-produced E1A T antigens labeled in vitro with [gamma-32P]ATP by using the partially purified kinase. Partial V8 proteolysis analysis gave similar patterns for in vivo- and in vitro-phosphorylated T antigen. Two-dimensional maps of tryptic phosphopeptides and of chymotryptic phosphopeptides suggested that mainly the same amino acid sites are phosphorylated in vitro and in vivo and that phosphorylation occurred at multiple sites distributed throughout the T-antigen molecule. Serine was the only amino acid that was phosphorylated both in vivo and in vitro, and, surprisingly, most serines appeared to be phosphorylated. The feasibility of faithfully phosphorylating T antigens in vitro suggests that the E. coli-produced Ad12 E1A 235R and 266R T antigens may prove useful for molecular studies on T-antigen function.

Monoclonal antibodies specific for adenovirus early region 1A proteins: extensive heterogeneity in early region 1A products

Hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies specific for the adenovirus early region 1A (E1A) proteins were prepared from BALB/c mice immunized with a bacterial trpE-E1A fusion protein. This protein is encoded by a hybrid gene that joins a portion of the Escherichia coli trpE gene and a cDNA copy of the E1A 13S mRNA (Spindler et al., J. Virol. 49:132-141, 1984). Eighty-three hybridomas that secrete antibodies which recognize the immunogen were isolated and single cell cloned. Twenty-nine of these antibodies are specific for the E1A portion of the fusion protein. Only 12 of the monoclonal antibodies can efficiently immunoprecipitate E1A polypeptides from detergent lysates of infected cells. E1A polypeptides were analyzed on one-dimensional, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels and two-dimensional, isoelectric focusing polyacrylamide gels. The E1A proteins that are specifically immunoprecipitated by the monoclonal antibodies are heterogeneous in size and charge and can be resolved into approximately 60 polypeptide species. This heterogeneity is due not only to synthesis from multiple E1A mRNAs, but also at least in part to post-translational modification. Several of the monoclonal antibodies divide the E1A polypeptides into immunological subclasses based on the ability of the antibodies to bind to the antigen. In particular, two of the monoclonal antibodies bind to the polypeptides synthesized from the 13S E1A mRNA, but not to other E1A proteins.

A transcriptional activator protein encoded by the x-lor region of the human T-cell leukemia virus

Human T-cell leukemia viruses type I and II (HTLV-I and -II) exhibit several features characteristic of this retroviral family: the presence of an x-lor gene encoding a nuclear protein, transformation properties suggesting the involvement of a virus-associated trans-acting factor, and transcriptional trans-activation of the long terminal repeat (LTR) in infected cells. In the study described here the HTL x-lor products, in the absence of other viral proteins, were able to activate gene expression in trans directed by HTLV LTR. The regulation of the expression of particular genes in trans by HTLV x-lor products suggests that they play a role in viral replication and possibly in transformation of T lymphocytes.

Subcellular localization of the product of the long open reading frame of human T-cell leukemia virus type I

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is a retrovirus associated with adult T-cell leukemia and lymphoma. In addition to containing the gag, pol, and env genes of the chronic leukemia viruses, the genome of HTLV-I contains a long open reading frame (LOR) located between the 3' end of the envelope gene and the 3' long terminal repeat sequence (LTR). It has been suggested that a protein of 42 kilodaltons that is encoded by the LOR region may participate in both trans-acting transcriptional regulation of the viral LTR as well as in the transforming properties of HTLV-I. It is reported here that a significant fraction of the 42-kilodalton HTLV LOR product is located in the nucleus of HTLV-I-infected transformed lymphocytes, a finding that is consistent with its proposed functions.