Evidence for a direct role for both the 175,000- and 110,000-molecular-weight immediate-early proteins of herpes simplex virus in the transactivation of delayed-early promoters

Inhibition of HSV-1 proliferation by decoy phosphodiester oligonucleotides containing ICP4 recognition sequences

Transcriptional control in eukaryotes results from the interplay between DNA sequences in promoters, enhancers, or silencers and transcription factors. Selective control of gene expression can thus be achieved by inhibiting specific transcription factor/DNA interactions. Transcriptional activity of DNA binding transcription factors can be inhibited by competition with double-stranded oligonucleotides (decoys) that contain their specific recognition sequences. The immediate early protein ICP4 of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein that is essential for viral replication. We synthesized double-stranded hairpin phosphodiester oligonucleotides carrying ICP4 sites and demonstrated their ability to specifically titrate ICP4. Upon addition to Vero cells, ICP4 hairpin decoys significantly reduced HSV-1 titers (IC50 = 0.3 microM), whereas a control hairpin oligonucleotide had no activity. Antiviral activity of ICP4 hairpin decoys was correlated to their relative binding affinities. These results show that phosphodiester oligonucleotides can compete for binding of specific transcription factors within cells, thus providing a potential therapeutic tool to control disease-causing genes.

A haploid HSV-1 genome platform for vector development: testing of the tetracycline-responsive switch shows interference by infected cell protein 0

BACKGROUND

Although herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has outstanding properties for gene delivery vectors and its genome is available in bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) for mutagenesis studies, one impediment is the presence of approximately 15.4 kb of DNA sequences that are duplicated in the HSV-1 genome, complicating vector construction and stability.

METHODS

As a useful platform for building HSV-1 vectors, we have constructed a fully haploid HSV-1 genome BAC by deletion of one of these repeats, confirming that viral propagation in culture is not impaired. We used this ΔIR mutant to subsequently investigate whether the insertion of tetracycline-responsive tetO elements into the ICP34.5-ICP0 gene region can be used to control HSV-1 lytic replication.

RESULTS

The results of the present study show that ΔIR mutants deleted for ICP34.5 are viable for replication but not when the ICP0 promoter is also disrupted, thus indicating that regulation of infected cell protein 0 (ICP0) levels in the absence of ICP34.5 could be a viable means for controlling growth of HSV-1 vectors. Surprisingly, however, the tetO elements inserted into the ICP0 promoter did not confer ligand responsiveness to growth or ICP0 expression. Further analysis by transfection experiments revealed that ICP0 itself interferes with the tetracycline switch and reduces the the inducibility of this system.

CONCLUSIONS

Our new haploid HSV-1 BAC is a useful platform for building multiply deleted HSV-1 vectors. Deletion of the gene for ICP34.5 in this backbone renders viral growth dependent on ICP0, although ICP0 expression could not be regulated by tet-responsive transcriptional regulators.

The herpes viral transcription factor ICP4 forms a novel DNA recognition complex

The transcription factor ICP4 from herpes simplex virus has a central role in regulating the gene expression cascade which controls viral infection. Here we present the crystal structure of the functionally essential ICP4 DNA binding domain in complex with a segment from its own promoter, revealing a novel homo-dimeric fold. We also studied the complex in solution by small angle X-Ray scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance and surface-plasmon resonance which indicated that, in addition to the globular domain, a flanking intrinsically disordered region also recognizes DNA. Together the data provides a rationale for the bi-partite nature of the ICP4 DNA recognition consensus sequence as the globular and disordered regions bind synergistically to adjacent DNA motifs. Therefore in common with its eukaryotic host, the viral transcription factor ICP4 utilizes disordered regions to enhance the affinity and tune the specificity of DNA interactions in tandem with a globular domain.

Herpesvirus Late Gene Expression: A Viral-Specific Pre-initiation Complex Is Key

During their productive cycle, herpesviruses exhibit a strictly regulated temporal cascade of gene expression that can be divided into three general stages: immediate-early (IE), early (E), and late (L). This expression program is the result of a complex interplay between viral and cellular factors at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, as well as structural differences within the promoter architecture for each of the three gene classes. Since the cellular enzyme RNA polymerase II (RNAP-II) is responsible for the transcription of herpesvirus genes, most viral promoters contain DNA motifs that are common with those of cellular genes, although promoter complexity decreases from immediate-early to late genes. Immediate-early and early promoters contain numerous cellular and viral cis-regulating sequences upstream of a TATA box, whereas late promoters differ significantly in that they lack cis-acting sequences upstream of the transcription start site (TSS). Moreover, in the case of the β- and γ-herpesviruses, a TATT box motif is frequently found in the position where the consensus TATA box of eukaryotic promoters usually localizes. The mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of the late viral gene promoters appear to be different between α-herpesviruses and the two other herpesvirus subfamilies (β and γ). In this review, we will compare the mechanisms of late gene transcriptional regulation between HSV-1, for which the viral IE transcription factors – especially ICP4 – play an essential role, and the two other subfamilies of herpesviruses, with a particular emphasis on EBV, which has recently been found to code for its own specific TATT-binding protein.

A Herpesviral Lytic Protein Regulates the Structure of Latent Viral Chromatin

Latent infections by viruses usually involve minimizing viral protein expression so that the host immune system cannot recognize the infected cell through the viral peptides presented on its cell surface. Herpes simplex virus (HSV), for example, is thought to express noncoding RNAs such as latency-associated transcripts (LATs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) as the only abundant viral gene products during latent infection. Here we describe analysis of HSV-1 mutant viruses, providing strong genetic evidence that HSV-infected cell protein 0 (ICP0) is expressed during establishment and/or maintenance of latent infection in murine sensory neurons in vivo Studies of an ICP0 nonsense mutant virus showed that ICP0 promotes heterochromatin and latent and lytic transcription, arguing that ICP0 is expressed and functional. We propose that ICP0 promotes transcription of LATs during establishment or maintenance of HSV latent infection, much as it promotes lytic gene transcription. This report introduces the new concept that a lytic viral protein can be expressed during latent infection and can serve dual roles to regulate viral chromatin to optimize latent infection in addition to its role in epigenetic regulation during lytic infection. An additional implication of the results is that ICP0 might serve as a target for an antiviral therapeutic acting on lytic and latent infections.

IMPORTANCE

Latent infection by viruses usually involves minimizing viral protein synthesis so that the host immune system cannot recognize the infected cells and eliminate them. Herpes simplex virus has been thought to express only noncoding RNAs as abundant gene products during latency. In this study, we found genetic evidence that an HSV lytic protein is functional during latent infection, and this protein may provide a new target for antivirals that target both lytic and latent infections.

Herpesviral ICP0 Protein Promotes Two Waves of Heterochromatin Removal on an Early Viral Promoter during Lytic Infection

Herpesviruses must contend with host cell epigenetic silencing responses acting on their genomes upon entry into the host cell nucleus. In this study, we confirmed that unchromatinized herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) genomes enter primary human foreskin fibroblasts and are rapidly subjected to assembly of nucleosomes and association with repressive heterochromatin modifications such as histone 3 (H3) lysine 9-trimethylation (H3K9me3) and lysine 27-trimethylation (H3K27me3) during the first 1 to 2 h postinfection. Kinetic analysis of the modulation of nucleosomes and heterochromatin modifications over the course of lytic infection demonstrates a progressive removal that coincided with initiation of viral gene expression. We obtained evidence for three phases of heterochromatin removal from an early gene promoter: an initial removal of histones and heterochromatin not dependent on ICP0, a second ICP0-dependent round of removal of H3K9me3 that is independent of viral DNA synthesis, and a third phase of H3K27me3 removal that is dependent on ICP0 and viral DNA synthesis. The presence of ICP0 in transfected cells is also sufficient to promote removal of histones and H3K9me3 modifications of cotransfected genes. Overall, these results show that ICP0 promotes histone removal, a reduction of H3K9me3 modifications, and a later indirect reduction of H3K27me3 modifications following viral early gene expression and DNA synthesis. Therefore, HSV ICP0 promotes the reversal of host epigenetic silencing mechanisms by several mechanisms.

The human pathogen herpes simplex virus (HSV) has evolved multiple strategies to counteract host-mediated epigenetic silencing during productive infection. However, the mechanisms by which viral and cellular effectors contribute to these processes are not well defined. The results from this study demonstrate that HSV counteracts host epigenetic repression in a dynamic stepwise process to remove histone 3 (H3) and subsequently target specific heterochromatin modifications in two distinct waves. This provides the first evidence of a stepwise reversal of host epigenetic silencing by viral proteins. This work also suggests that targets capable of disrupting the kinetics of epigenetic regulation could serve as potential antiviral therapeutic agents.

Cellular Transcriptional Coactivator RanBP10 and Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ICP0 Interact and Synergistically Promote Viral Gene Expression and Replication

To investigate the molecular mechanism(s) by which herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) regulatory protein ICP0 promotes viral gene expression and replication, we screened cells overexpressing ICP0 for ICP0-binding host cell proteins. Tandem affinity purification of transiently expressed ICP0 coupled with mass spectrometry-based proteomics technology and subsequent analyses showed that ICP0 interacted with cell protein RanBP10, a known transcriptional coactivator, in HSV-1-infected cells. Knockdown of RanBP10 in infected HEp-2 cells resulted in a phenotype similar to that observed with the ICP0-null mutation, including reduction in viral replication and in the accumulation of viral immediate early (ICP27), early (ICP8), and late (VP16) mRNAs and proteins. In addition, RanBP10 knockdown or the ICP0-null mutation increased the level of histone H3 association with the promoters of these viral genes, which is known to repress transcription. These effects observed in wild-type HSV-1-infected HEp-2 RanBP10 knockdown cells or those observed in ICP0-null mutant virus-infected control HEp-2 cells were remarkably increased in ICP0-null mutant virus-infected HEp-2 RanBP10 knockdown cells. Our results suggested that ICP0 and RanBP10 redundantly and synergistically promoted viral gene expression by regulating chromatin remodeling of the HSV-1 genome for efficient viral replication.

IMPORTANCE

Upon entry of herpesviruses into a cell, viral gene expression is restricted by heterochromatinization of the viral genome. Therefore, HSV-1 has evolved multiple mechanisms to counteract this epigenetic silencing for efficient viral gene expression and replication. HSV-1 ICP0 is one of the viral proteins involved in counteracting epigenetic silencing. Here, we identified RanBP10 as a novel cellular ICP0-binding protein and showed that RanBP10 and ICP0 appeared to act synergistically to promote viral gene expression and replication by modulating viral chromatin remodeling. Our results provide insight into the mechanisms by which HSV-1 regulates viral chromatin remodeling for efficient viral gene expression and replication.

The intrinsic disorder alphabet. III. Dual personality of serine

Proteins are natural polypeptides consisting of 20 major amino acid residues, content and order of which in a given amino acid sequence defines the ability of a related protein to fold into unique functional state or to stay intrinsically disordered. Amino acid sequences code for both foldable (ordered) proteins/domains and for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and IDP regions (IDPRs), but these sequence codes are dramatically different. This difference starts with a very general property of the corresponding amino acid sequences, namely, their compositions. IDPs/IDPRs are enriched in specific disorder-promoting residues, whereas amino acid sequences of ordered proteins/domains typically contain more order-promoting residues. Therefore, the relative abundances of various amino acids in ordered and disordered proteins can be used to scale amino acids according to their disorder promoting potentials. This review continues a series of publications on the roles of different amino acids in defining the phenomenon of protein intrinsic disorder and represents serine, which is the third most disorder-promoting residue. Similar to previous publications, this review represents some physico-chemical properties of serine and the roles of this residue in structures and functions of ordered proteins, describes major posttranslational modifications tailored to serine, and finally gives an overview of roles of serine in structure and functions of intrinsically disordered proteins.

The retrovirus/superantigen hypothesis of multiple sclerosis

The pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is as yet unknown. Commonly, MS is assumed to be due to an autoimmune inflammation of the central nervous system (CNS). Neurodegeneration is regarded to be a secondary reaction. This concept is increasingly being challenged. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) that could be locally activated in the CNS have been proposed as an alternative concept. HERV-encoded envelope proteins (env) can act as strong immune stimulators (superantigens). Thus, slow disease progression following neurodegeneration might be induced by re-activation of HERV expression directly, while relapses in parallel to inflammation might be secondary to the expression of HERV-encoded superantigens. It has been shown previously that T-cell superantigens are capable to induce a cellular inflammatory reaction in the CNS of experimental animals similar to that in MS. Furthermore, B-cell superantigens have been shown to activate blood leucocytes in vitro to produce immunoglobulin in an oligoclonal manner. It remains to be established, whether the outlined hypothesis accords with all known features of MS. Furthermore, anti-HERV agents may be taken into consideration to enrich and improve MS therapy.

Zinc ionophores pyrithione inhibits herpes simplex virus replication through interfering with proteasome function and NF-κB activation

Pyrithione (PT), known as a zinc ionophore, is effective against several pathogens from the Streptococcus and Staphylococcus genera. The antiviral activity of PT was also reported against a number of RNA viruses. In this paper, we showed that PT could effectively inhibit herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). PT inhibited HSV late gene (Glycoprotein D, gD) expression and the production of viral progeny, and this action was dependent on Zn(2+). Further studies showed that PT suppressed the expression of HSV immediate early (IE) gene, the infected cell polypeptide 4 (ICP4), but had less effect on another regulatory IE protein, ICP0. It was found that PT treatment could interfere with cellular ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), leading to the inhibition of HSV-2-induced IκB-α degradation to inhibit NF-κB activation and enhanced promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) stability in nucleus. However, PT did not show direct inhibition of 26S proteasome activity. Instead, it induced Zn(2+) influx, which facilitated the dysregulation of UPS and the accumulation of intracellular ubiquitin-conjugates. UPS inhibition by PT caused disruption of IκB-α degradation and NF-κB activation thus leading to marked reduction of viral titer.

Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate inhibits herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 replication, and its activity may be mediated through dysregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system

Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) is widely used as an antioxidant or an NF-κB inhibitor. It has been reported to inhibit the replication of human rhinoviruses, poliovirus, coxsackievirus, and influenza virus. In this paper, we report that PDTC could inhibit the replication of herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). PDTC suppressed the expression of HSV-1 and HSV-2 viral immediate early (IE) and late (membrane protein gD) genes and the production of viral progeny. This antiviral property was mediated by the dithiocarbamate moiety of PDTC and required the presence of Zn(2+). Although PDTC could potently block reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, it was found that this property did not contribute to its anti-HSV activity. PDTC showed no activity in disrupting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway activation induced by viral infection that was vital for the virus's propagation. We found that PDTC modulated cellular ubiquitination and, furthermore, influenced HSV-2-induced IκB-α degradation to inhibit NF-κB activation and enhanced PML stability in the nucleus, resulting in the inhibition of viral gene expression. These results suggested that the antiviral activity of PDTC might be mediated by its dysregulation of the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS).

Dynamic equilibrium of Marek's disease genomes during in vitro serial passage

Attenuation of Gallid herpesvirus-2 (GaHV-2), the causative agent of Marek's disease, can occur through serial passage of a virulent field isolate in avian embryo fibroblasts. In order to gain a better understanding of the genes involved in attenuation and associate observed changes in phenotype with specific genetic variations, the genomic DNA sequence of a single GaHV-2 virulent strain (648A) was determined at defined passage intervals. Biological characterization of these "interval-isolates" in chickens previously indicated that the ability to induce transient paralysis was lost by passages 40 and the ability to induce persistent neurological disease was lost after passage 80, coincident with the loss of neoplastic lesion formation. Deep sequencing of the interval-isolates allowed for a detailed cataloguing of the mutations that exist within a single passage population and the frequency with which a given mutation occurs across passages. Gross genetic alterations were identified in both novel and well-characterized genes and cis-acting regions involved in replication and cleavage/packaging. Deletions in genes encoding the virulence factors vLipase, vIL8, and RLORF4, as well as a deletion in the promoter of ICP4, appeared between passages 61 and 101. Three mutations in the virus-encoded telomerase which predominated in late passages were also identified. Overall, the frequency of mutations fluctuated greatly during serial passage and few genetic changes were absolute. This indicates that serial passage of GaHV-2 results in the generation of a collection of genomes with limited sequence heterogeneity.

The N terminus and C terminus of herpes simplex virus 1 ICP4 cooperate to activate viral gene expression

Infected cell polypeptide 4 (ICP4) activates transcription from most viral promoters. Two transactivation domains, one N-terminal and one C terminal, are largely responsible for the activation functions of ICP4. A mutant ICP4 molecule lacking the C-terminal activation domain (n208) efficiently activates many early genes, whereas late genes are poorly activated, and virus growth is severely impaired. The regions within the N terminus of ICP4 (amino acids 1 to 210) that contribute to activation were investigated by analysis of deletion mutants in the presence or absence of the C-terminal activation domain. The mutants were assessed for their abilities to support viral replication and to regulate gene expression. Several deletions in regions conserved in other alphaherpesviruses resulted in impaired activation and viral growth, without affecting DNA binding. The single small deletion that had the greatest effect on activation in the absence of the C terminus corresponded to a highly conserved stretch of amino acids between 81 and 96, rendering the molecule nonfunctional. However, when the C terminus was present, the same deletion had a minimal effect on activity. The amino terminus of ICP4 was predicted to be relatively disordered compared to the DNA-binding domain and the C-terminal 500 amino acids. Moreover, the amino terminus appears to be in a relatively extended conformation as determined by the hydrodynamic properties of several mutants. The data support a model where the amino terminus is an extended and possibly flexible region of the protein, allowing it to efficiently interact with multiple transcription factors at a distance from where it is bound to DNA, thereby enabling ICP4 to function as a general activator of polymerase II transcription. The C terminus of ICP4 can compensate for some of the mutations in the N terminus, suggesting that it either specifies redundant interactions or enables the amino terminus to function more efficiently.

Mammalian alphaherpesvirus miRNAs

Mammalian alphaherpesviruses are major causes of human and veterinary disease. During productive infection, these viruses exhibit complex and robust patterns of gene expression. These viruses also form latent infections in neurons of sensory ganglia in which productive cycle gene expression is highly repressed. Both modes of infection provide advantageous opportunities for regulation by microRNAs. Thus far, published data regarding microRNAs are available for six mammalian alphaherpesviruses. No microRNAs have yet been detected from varicella zoster virus. The five other viruses-herpes simplex viruses-1 and -2, herpes B virus, bovine herpesvirus-1, and pseudorabies virus-representing both genera of mammalian alphaherpesviruses have been shown to express microRNAs. In this article, we discuss these microRNAs in terms of where they are encoded in the viral genome relative to other viral transcripts; whether they are expressed during productive or latent infection; their potential targets; what little is known about their actual targets and functions during viral infection; and what little is known about the interactions of these viruses with the host microRNA machinery. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: "MicroRNAs in viral gene regulation".

Herpes simplex virus 1 ICP4 forms complexes with TFIID and mediator in virus-infected cells

The infected cell polypeptide 4 (ICP4) of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a regulator of viral transcription that is required for productive infection. Since viral genes are transcribed by cellular RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II), ICP4 must interact with components of the pol II machinery to regulate viral gene expression. It has been shown previously that ICP4 interacts with TATA box-binding protein (TBP), TFIIB, and the TBP-associated factor 1 (TAF1) in vitro. In this study, ICP4-containing complexes were isolated from infected cells by tandem affinity purification (TAP). Forty-six proteins that copurified with ICP4 were identified by mass spectrometry. Additional copurifying proteins were identified by Western blot analysis. These included 11 components of TFIID and 4 components of the Mediator complex. The significance of the ICP4-Mediator interaction was further investigated using immunofluorescence and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Mediator was found to colocalize with ICP4 starting at early and continuing into late times of infection. In addition, Mediator was recruited to viral promoters in an ICP4-dependent manner. Taken together, the data suggest that ICP4 interacts with components of TFIID and Mediator in the context of viral infection, and this may explain the broad transactivation properties of ICP4.

Activities of ICP0 involved in the reversal of silencing of quiescent herpes simplex virus 1

ICP0 is a transcriptional activating protein required for the efficient replication and reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Multiple regions of ICP0 contribute its activity, the most prominent of which appears to be the RING finger, which confers E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. A region in the C terminus of ICP0 has also been implicated in several activities, including the disruption of a cellular repressor complex, REST/CoREST/HDAC1/2/LSD1. We used quiescent infection of MRC-5 cells with a virus that does not express immediate-early proteins, followed by superinfection with various viral mutants to quantify the ability of ICP0 variants to reactivate gene expression and alter chromatin structure. Superinfection with wild-type virus resulted in a 400-fold increase in expression from the previously quiescent d109 genome, the removal of heterochromatin and histones from the viral genome, and an increase in histone marks associated with activated transcription. RING finger mutants were unable to reactivate transcription or remove heterochromatin from d109, while mutants that are unable to bind CoREST activate gene expression from quiescent d109, albeit to a lesser degree than the wild-type virus. One such mutant, R8507, resulted in the partial removal of heterochromatin. Infection with R8507 did not result in the hyperacetylation of H3 and H4. The results demonstrate that (i) consistent with previous findings, the RING finger domain of ICP0 is required for the activation of quiescent genomes, (ii) the RF domain is also crucial for the ultimate removal of repressive chromatin, (iii) activities or interactions specified by the carboxy-terminal region of ICP0 significantly contribute to activation, and (iv) while the effects of the R8507 on chromatin are consistent with a role for REST/CoREST/HDAC1/2/LSD1 in the repression of quiescent genomes, the mutation may also affect other activities involved in derepression.

Tegument protein control of latent herpesvirus establishment and animation

Herpesviruses are successful pathogens that infect most vertebrates as well as at least one invertebrate species. Six of the eight human herpesviruses are widely distributed in the population. Herpesviral infections persist for the life of the infected host due in large part to the ability of these viruses to enter a non-productive, latent state in which viral gene expression is limited and immune detection and clearance is avoided. Periodically, the virus will reactivate and enter the lytic cycle, producing progeny virus that can spread within or to new hosts. Latency has been classically divided into establishment, maintenance, and reactivation phases. Here we focus on demonstrated and postulated molecular mechanisms leading to the establishment of latency for representative members of each human herpesvirus family. Maintenance and reactivation are also briefly discussed. In particular, the roles that tegument proteins may play during latency are highlighted. Finally, we introduce the term animation to describe the initiation of lytic phase gene expression from a latent herpesvirus genome, and discuss why this step should be separated, both molecularly and theoretically, from reactivation.

Reversal of heterochromatic silencing of quiescent herpes simplex virus type 1 by ICP0

Persisting latent herpes simplex virus genomes are to some degree found in a heterochromatic state, and this contributes to reduced gene expression resulting in quiescence. We used a relatively long-term quiescent infection model in human fibroblasts, followed by provision of ICP0 in trans, to determine the effects of ICP0 on the viral chromatin state as gene expression is reactivated. Expression of ICP0, even at low levels, results in a reduction of higher-order chromatin structure and heterochromatin on quiescent viral genomes, and this effect precedes an increase in transcription. Concurrent with transcriptional activation, high levels of ICP0 expression result in the reduction of the heterochromatin mark trimethylated H3K9, removal of histones H3 and H4 from the quiescent genome, and hyperacetylation of the remaining histones. In contrast, low levels of ICP0 did not appreciably change the levels of histones on the viral genome. These results indicate that ICP0 activity ultimately affects chromatin structure of quiescent genomes at multiple levels, including higher-order chromatin structure, histone modifications, and histone association. Additionally, the level of ICP0 expression affected its ability to change chromatin structure but not to reactivate gene expression. While these observations suggest that some of the effects on chromatin structure are possibly not direct, they also suggest that ICP0 exerts its effects through multiple mechanisms.

Role of herpes simplex virus ICP0 in the transactivation of genes introduced by infection or transfection: a reappraisal

ICP0, a promiscuous transactivator that enhances the expression of genes introduced by infection or transfection, functions in both nucleus and cytoplasm. The nuclear functions include degradation and dispersal of ND10 bodies and suppression of silencing of viral DNA. Subsequently, ICP0 shifts to the cytoplasm. Transfection of DNA prior to infection has no effect on the localization of ICP0 in cells that are efficient expressers of transgenes (e.g., Vero and HEK293) but results in delayed cytoplasmic localization of ICP0 in cells (e.g., HEp-2 and HEL) that are poor transgene expressers. Here, we examined by real-time PCR (qPCR) the accumulation of a transgene and of viral gI mRNAs in Vero or HEp-2 cells that were transfected and then infected with wild-type or DeltaICP0 mutant viruses. The accumulation of transgene mRNA was unaffected by a DeltaICP0 mutant, gradually increased in HEp-2 cells, but increased and then decreased in Vero cells infected with wild-type virus. In both cell lines, accumulation of gI mRNA increased with time and was less affected by the transfected DNA in Vero cells than in HEp-2 cells. The relative kinetics of mRNA accumulation reflected continued synthesis and degradation of the transgene and gI mRNAs. We conclude that the role of ICP0 is to render the DNA templates introduced by transfection or infection accessible by transcriptional factors, that the two cell lines differ with respect to the transcription-ready status of entering foreign DNA in the nucleus, and that ICP0 is not per se the recruiter of transcriptional factors to the accessible DNA templates.

Accumulation of attenuating mutations in varying proportions within a high passage very virulent plus strain of Gallid herpesvirus type 2

Marek's disease (MD) is controlled through mass vaccination. Although these vaccines reduce or delay tumor formation they fail to induce sterilizing immunity and prevent virus shedding. Relatively little is known about the genetic changes that lead to attenuation. It has been established that serial passage of virulent strains in avian cell lines results in the generation of attenuated progeny at some undefined passage level. A detailed cataloging of the mutations needed for attenuation will be important for advancing our understanding of MD biology and should facilitate the development of better vaccines. Using deep sequencing, the complete nucleotide sequence of the very virulent plus (vv+) strain 648A representing the 101 st passage was determined. Pathotyping studies have indicated that 648Ap101 is indeed attenuated. Comparative sequence analysis with the 648A strain at passage 11 has identified numerous gross genetic changes and subtle single nucleotide polymorphisms scattered throughout the genome. Relative to the strain (648Ap11), deletions were identified in MD-specific genes located in the repeat long (R(L)), unique long (U(L)) and repeat short (R(S)) regions. A deletion in the R(L) region, present in 33% of the p101 sequences, mapped to the genes encoding viral interleukin 8 (vIL8), RLORF4 and RLORF5. An R(S) deletion was mapped to the Meq oncoprotein binding site within the ICP4 promoter and was present in 97.8% of the p101 sequences. A short deletion in the U(L) region mapped to the 3' terminus of the gene encoding vLipase and was present in 54% of the p101 sequences. The cis-acting sites involved in DNA replication and packaging also contained deletions in varying proportions (64% and 100%, respectively). Three mutations, present in 100% of p101 sequences, were identified in the overlapping genes encoding the Arg-rich protein (MDV002/079) and the virus-encoding telomerase (vTR). Varying proportions of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified within 11 open reading frames (ORFs) and 3 noncoding regions. This comparative sequencing study has provided a wealth of information regarding genetic changes which have occurred during the attenuation process and has indicated that serial passage results in the generation of mixed populations.

Regulation of the ORF61 promoter and ORF61 functions in varicella-zoster virus replication and pathogenesis

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame 61 (ORF61) encodes a protein that transactivates viral and cellular promoters in transient-transfection assays and is the ortholog of herpes simplex virus ICP0. In this report, we mapped the ORF61 promoter and investigated its regulation by viral and cellular proteins in transient-expression experiments and by mutagenesis of the VZV genome (parent Oka strain). The 5' boundary of the minimal ORF61 promoter required for IE62 transactivation was mapped to position -95 relative to the mRNA start site, and three noncanonical GT-rich Sp1-binding sites were documented to occur within the region comprising positions -95 to -45. Contributions of the three Sp1-binding-site motifs, designated Sp1a, Sp1b, and Sp1c, to ORF61 expression and viral replication were varied despite their similar sequences. Two sites, Sp1a and Sp1c, functioned synergistically. When both sites were mutated in the pOka genome to produce pOka-61proDeltaSp1ac, the mutant virus expressed significantly less ORF61 protein. Using this mutant to investigate ORF61 functions resulted in reductions in the expression levels of IE proteins, viral kinases ORF47 and ORF66, and the major glycoprotein gE, with the most impact on gE. Virion morphogenesis appeared to be intact despite minimal ORF61 expression. Pretreating melanoma cells with sodium butyrate enhanced titers of pOka-61proDeltaSp1ac but not pOka, suggesting that ORF61 has a role in histone deacetylase inhibition. Growth of pOka-61proDeltaSp1ac was impaired in SCIDhu skin xenografts, indicating that the regulation of the ORF61 promoter by Sp1 family proteins is important for ORF61 expression in vivo and that ORF61 contributes to VZV virulence at skin sites of replication.

Role of chromatin during herpesvirus infections

DNA viruses have long served as model systems to elucidate various aspects of eukaryotic gene regulation, due to their ease of manipulation and relatively low complexity of their genomes. In some cases, these viruses have revealed mechanisms that are subsequently recognized to apply also to cellular genes. In other cases, viruses adopt mechanisms that prove to be exceptions to the more general rules. The double-stranded DNA viruses that replicate in the eukaryotic nucleus typically utilize the host cell RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) for viral gene expression. As a consequence, these viruses must reckon with the impact of chromatin on active transcription and replication. Unlike the small DNA tumor viruses, such as polyomaviruses and papillomaviruses, the relatively large genomes of herpesviruses are not assembled into nucleosomes in the virion and stay predominantly free of histones during lytic infection. In contrast, during latency, the herpesvirus genomes associate with histones and become nucleosomal, suggesting that regulation of chromatin per se may play a role in the switch between the two stages of infection, a long-standing puzzle in the biology of herpesviruses. In this review we will focus on how chromatin formation on the herpes simplex type-1 (HSV-1) genome is regulated, citing evidence supporting the hypothesis that the switch between the lytic and latent stages of HSV-1 infection might be determined by the chromatin state of the HSV-1.

Nuclear retention of ICP0 in cells exposed to HDAC inhibitor or transfected with DNA before infection with herpes simplex virus 1

The alpha (immediate early) protein ICP0 of herpes simplex virus 1 enhances the expression of genes introduced by infection or transfection. Early in infection it performs two key functions: It blocks the silencing of the viral DNA by cellular proteins and it blocks the IFN stimulated host response to infection. Between 5 and 9 h after infection, ICP0 is translocated to the cytoplasm but remains dynamically associated with proteasomes. In this report we show that in permissive cells that are poor expressors of transfected genes (HEp-2, U2OS, etc.), ICP0 is retained in the nucleus if the cells had been transfected with DNA and then infected. The retention is DNA dose- and size-dependent but not DNA type-dependent. Retention of ICP0 is also a consequence of infection with wild-type virus concomitant with exposure of cells to sodium butyrate. ICP0 is not retained in transfected/infected cells that efficiently express transfected genes (HEK293, rabbit skin cells). The retention of ICP0 in the nucleus is concordant with failure to degrade PML and disperse ND10 structures, and delays in the transition to post alpha genes expression, translocation of components of the CoREST/REST/HDAC1 complex and histone relocation in the infected cell. The data suggest that (i) retention of ICP0 is linked to its function to remodel acetylated DNA but not DNA in heterochromatin. This function is independent of response elements embedded in the DNA and (ii) transfection-resistant cells do take up DNA but process it differently than cells that readily express transfected genes.

Induction of cellular stress overcomes the requirement of herpes simplex virus type 1 for immediate-early protein ICP0 and reactivates expression from quiescent viral genomes

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) mutants impaired in the activities of the structural protein VP16 and the immediate-early (IE) proteins ICP0 and ICP4 establish a quiescent infection in human fibroblasts, with most cells retaining an inactive, repressed viral genome for sustained periods in culture. To date, the quiescent state has been considered stable, since it has been reversed only by provision of herpesviral proteins, such as ICP0, not by alteration of the cell physiological state. We report that the interaction of HSV-1 with human fibroblasts can be altered significantly by transient treatment of cultures with sodium arsenite, an inducer of heat shock and oxidative stress, or gramicidin D, a toxin that selectively permeabilizes cell membranes, prior to infection. These regimens stimulated gene expression from IE-deficient HSV-1 mutants in a promoter sequence-independent manner and also overcame the replication defect of ICP0-null mutants. Reactivation of gene expression from quiescent HSV-1 genomes and the resumption of virus replication were observed following addition of arsenite or gramicidin D to cultures. Both agents induced reorganization of nuclear domain 10 structures, the sites of quiescent genomes, but appeared to do so through different mechanisms. The results demonstrate that the physiological state of the cell is important in determining the outcome of infection with IE-deficient HSV-1 and show novel methods for reactivating quiescent HSV-1 in fibroblasts with a high efficiency.

Glutamine deprivation causes enhanced plating efficiency of a herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP0-null mutant

Isoleucine deprivation of cellular monolayers prior to infection has been reported to result in partial complementation of a herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ICP0 null (ICP0(-)) mutant. We now report that glutamine deprivation alone is able to enhance the plating efficiency of an ICP0(-) virus and that isoleucine deprivation has little or no effect. Because a low glutamine level is associated with stress and because stress is known to induce reactivation, low levels of glutamine may be relevant to the reactivation of HSV-1 from latency. Additionally, we demonstrate that arginine and methionine deprivation result in partial complementation of the ICP0(-) virus.

Stabilized binding of TBP to the TATA box of herpes simplex virus type 1 early (tk) and late (gC) promoters by TFIIA and ICP4

We have recently shown that ICP4 has a differential requirement for the general transcription factor TFIIA in vitro (S. Zabierowski and N. DeLuca, J. Virol. 78:6162-6170, 2004). TFIIA was dispensable for ICP4 activation of a late promoter (gC) but was required for the efficient activation of an early promoter (tk). An intact INR element was required for proficient ICP4 activation of the late promoter in the absence of TFIIA. Because TFIIA is known to stabilize the binding of both TATA binding protein (TBP) and TFIID to the TATA box of core promoters and ICP4 has been shown to interact with TFIID, we tested the ability of ICP4 to stabilize the binding of either TBP or TFIID to the TATA box of representative early, late, and INR-mutated late promoters (tk, gC, and gC8, respectively). Utilizing DNase I footprinting analysis, we found that ICP4 was able to facilitate TFIIA stabilized binding of TBP to the TATA box of the early tk promoter. Using mutant ICP4 proteins, the ability to stabilize the binding of TBP to both the wild-type and the INR-mutated gC promoters was located in the amino-terminal region of ICP4. When TFIID was substituted for TBP, ICP4 could stabilize the binding of TFIID to the TATA box of the wild-type gC promoter. ICP4, however, could not effectively stabilize TFIID binding to the TATA box of the INR-mutated late promoter. The additional activities of TFIIA were required to stabilize the binding of TFIID to the INR-mutated late promoter. Collectively, these data suggest that TFIIA may be dispensable for ICP4 activation of the wild-type late promoter because ICP4 can substitute for TFIIA's ability to stabilize the binding of TFIID to the TATA box. In the absence of a functional INR, ICP4 can no longer stabilize TFIID binding to the TATA box of the late promoter and requires the additional activities of TFIIA. The stabilized binding of TFIID by TFIIA may in turn allow ICP4 to more efficiently activate transcription from non-INR containing promoters.

Chromatin control of herpes simplex virus lytic and latent infection

Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) can undergo a lytic infection in epithelial cells and a latent infection in sensory neurons. During latency the virus persists until reactivation, which leads to recurrent productive infection and transmission to a new host. How does HSV undergo such different types of infection in different cell types? Recent research indicates that regulation of the assembly of chromatin on HSV DNA underlies the lytic versus latent decision of HSV. We propose a model for the decision to undergo a lytic or a latent infection in which HSV encodes gene products that modulate chromatin structure towards either euchromatin or heterochromatin, and we discuss the implications of this model for the development of therapeutics for HSV infections.

DNA-dependent oligomerization of herpes simplex virus type 1 regulatory protein ICP4

The human herpes simplex virus type 1 regulatory protein ICP4 binds DNA as a dimer and forms a single protein-DNA complex (A complex) with short DNA probes. ICP4 oligomerized in a DNA-dependent manner, forming two or more protein-DNA complexes with longer DNA fragments containing a single DNA binding site. When resolved electrophoretically, one or more low-mobility DNA-protein complexes follow the fast-moving A complex. The major protein-DNA complex (B complex) formed by ICP4 with long DNA probes migrates just behind the A complex in the electric field, implying the oligomerization of ICP4 on the DNA. Binding experiments with circularly permutated DNA probes containing one ICP4 binding site revealed that about 70 bp of nonspecific DNA downstream of the cognate ICP4 binding site was required for efficient B complex formation. In addition, the C-terminal domain of ICP4 was found to be required for DNA-dependent oligomerization and B complex formation. Gel mobility shift analysis of protein-DNA complexes, combined with supershift analysis using different monoclonal antibodies, indicated that the B complex contained two ICP4 dimers. DNase I footprinting of ICP4-DNA complexes showed that one ICP4 dimer contacts the specific binding site and another ICP4 dimer contacts nonspecific DNA in the B complex. DNA-dependent oligomerization increased the affinity of ICP4 for relatively weak binding sites on large DNA molecules. The results of this study suggest how ICP4 may use multiple weak binding sites to aid in transcription activation.

Recruitment of activated IRF-3 and CBP/p300 to herpes simplex virus ICP0 nuclear foci: Potential role in blocking IFN-beta induction

The host innate response to viral infection includes the production of interferons, which is dependent on the coordinated activity of multiple transcription factors. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) has been shown to block efficient interferon expression by multiple mechanisms. We and others have demonstrated that HSV-1 can inhibit the transcription of genes promoted by interferon regulatory factor-3 (IRF-3), including interferon beta (IFN-beta), and that the immediate-early ICP0 protein is sufficient for this function. However, the exact mechanism by which ICP0 blocks IRF-3 activity has yet to be determined. Unlike some other viral proteins that inhibit IRF-3 activity, ICP0 does not appear to affect phosphorylation and dimerization of IRF-3. Here, we show that a portion of activated IRF-3 co-localizes with nuclear foci containing ICP0 at early times after virus infection. Co-localization to ICP0-containing foci is also seen with the IRF-3-binding partners and transcriptional co-activators, CBP and p300. In addition, using immunoprecipitation of infected cell lysates, we can immunoprecipitate a complex containing ICP0, IRF-3, and CBP. Thus we hypothesize that ICP0 recruits activated IRF-3 and CBP/p300 to nuclear structures, away from the host chromatin. This leads to the inactivation and accelerated degradation of IRF-3, resulting in reduced transcription of IFN-beta and an inhibition of the host response. Therefore, ICP0 provides an example of how viruses can block IFN-beta induction by sequestration of important transcription factors essential for the host response.

Evidence that the herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP0 protein does not initiate reactivation from latency in vivo

The stress-induced host cell factors initiating the expression of the herpes simplex virus lytic cycle from the latent viral genome are not known. Previous studies have focused on the effect of specific viral proteins on reactivation, i.e., the production of detectable infectious virus. However, identification of the viral protein(s) through which host cell factors transduce entry into the lytic cycle and analysis of the promoter(s) of this (these) first protein(s) will provide clues to the identity of the stress-induced host cell factors important for reactivation. In this report, we present the first strategy developed for this type of analysis and use this strategy to test the established hypothesis that the herpes simplex virus ICP0 protein initiates reactivation from the latent state. To this end, ICP0 null and promoter mutants were analyzed for the abilities (i) to exit latency and produce lytic-phase viral proteins (initiate reactivation) and (ii) to produce infectious viral progeny (reactivate) in explant and in vivo. Infection conditions were manipulated so that approximately equal numbers of latent infections were established by the parental strains, the mutants, and their genomically restored counterparts, eliminating disparate latent pool sizes as a complicating factor. Following hyperthermic stress (HS), which induces reactivation in vivo, equivalent numbers of neurons exited latency (as evidenced by the expression of lytic-phase viral proteins) in ganglia latently infected with either the ICP0 null mutant dl1403 or the parental strain. In contrast, infectious virus was detected in the ganglia of mice latently infected with the parental strain but not with ICP0 null mutant dl1403 or FXE. These data demonstrate that the role of ICP0 in the process of reactivation is not as a component of the switch from latency to lytic-phase gene expression; rather, ICP0 is required after entry into the lytic cycle has occurred. Similar analyses were carried out with the DeltaTfi mutant, which contains a 350-bp deletion in the ICP0 promoter, and the genomically restored isolate, DeltaTfiR. The numbers of latently infected neurons exiting latency were not different for DeltaTfi and DeltaTfiR. However, DeltaTfi did not reactivate in vivo, whereas DeltaTfiR reactivated in approximately 38% of the mice. In addition, ICP0 was detected in DeltaTfiR-infected neurons exiting latency but was not detected in those neurons exiting latency infected with DeltaTfi. We conclude that while ICP0 is important and perhaps essential for infectious virus production during reactivation in vivo, this protein is not required and appears to play no major role in the initiation of reactivation in vivo.

ICP0 and the US3 protein kinase of herpes simplex virus 1 independently block histone deacetylation to enable gene expression

SK-N-SH cells exposed to low ratios of ICP0-null (DeltaICP0) mutants of herpes simplex virus per cell express the viral alpha proteins, but the progression to beta and gamma gene expression does not ensue. In these restrictive cells, post-alpha gene expression can be induced after exposure of the infected cells to sodium butyrate, an indication that VP16 brought into cells by the virus and the alpha gene products made after infection cannot block the silencing of viral post-alpha genes by histone deacetylases (HDACs). This observation is consistent with evidence reported earlier that ICP0 dissociates HDAC1/2 from the CoREST/REST complex. In permissive U2OS cells, replication is independent of the ratio of DeltaICP0 mutant per cell. To determine whether other viral genes are involved in blocking HDACs, we used a surrogate system consisting of baculoviruses carrying viral or cellular genes driven by CMV immediate-early promoter. Expression of these genes requires blocking of histone deacetylation. We report that (i) cotransduced U(S)3 or U(S)3.5 protein kinase substitutes for sodium butyrate in enabling the expression of a reporter gene in restrictive cells and enhancing it in permissive cells; (ii) HDAC1 is phosphorylated concomitant with the expression of reporter genes; and (iii) the amounts and appearance of HDAC1 are altered in transduced cells expressing U(S)3 protein kinase in the absence of other viral proteins. We conclude that the U(S)3 protein kinase blocks histone deacetylation by a mechanism distinct from that of ICP0 and that debilitated histone deacetylation contributes to the permissiveness of U2OS cells for DeltaICP0 mutants.

Cellular stress rather than stage of the cell cycle enhances the replication and plating efficiencies of herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP0- viruses

This lab reported previously that the plating efficiency of a herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP0-null mutant was enhanced upon release from an isoleucine block which synchronizes cells to G1 phase (W. Cai and P. A. Schaffer, J. Virol. 65:4078-4090, 1991). Peak plating efficiency occurred as cells cycled out of G1 and into S phase, suggesting that the enhanced plating efficiency was due to cellular activities present in late G1/early S phase. We have found, however, that the enhanced plating efficiency did not occur when cells were synchronized by alternative methods. We now report that the plating efficiency of ICP0- viruses is not enhanced at a particular stage of the cell cycle but rather is enhanced by specific cellular stresses. Both the plating and replication efficiencies of ICP0- viruses were enhanced as much as 25-fold to levels similar to that of wild-type virus when monolayers were heat shocked prior to infection. In addition to heat shock, UV-C irradiation but not cold shock of monolayers prior to infection resulted in enhanced plating efficiency. We further report that the effect of cellular stress is transient and that cell density rather than age of the monolayers is the primary determinant of ICP0- virus plating efficiency. As both cell stress and ICP0 are required for efficient reactivation from latency, the identification of cellular activities that complement ICP0- viruses may lead to the identification of cellular activities that are important for reactivation from neuronal latency.

ICP0 is not required for efficient stress-induced reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 from cultured quiescently infected neuronal cells

Viral genes sufficient and required for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) reactivation were identified using neuronally differentiated PC12 cells (ND-PC12 cells) in which quiescent infections with wild-type and recombinant strains were established. In this model, the expression of ICP0, VP16, and ICP4 from adenovirus vectors was sufficient to reactivate strains 17+ and KOS. The transactivators induced similar levels of reactivation with KOS; however, 17+ responded more efficiently to ICP0. To identify viral transactivators required for reactivation, we examined quiescently infected PC12 cell cultures (QIF-PC12 cell cultures) established with HSV-1 deletion mutants R7910 (deltaICP0), KD6 (deltaICP4), and in1814, a virus containing an insertion mutation in VP16. Although growth of these mutant viruses was impaired in ND-PC12 cells, R7910 and in1814 reactivated at levels equivalent to or better than their respective parental controls following stress (i.e., heat or forskolin) treatment. After treatment with trichostatin A, in1814 and 17+ reactivated efficiently, whereas the F strain and R7910 reactivated inefficiently. In contrast, KD6 failed to reactivate. In experiments with the recombinant KM100, which contains the in1814 mutation in VP16 and the n212 mutation in ICP0, spontaneous and stress-induced reactivation was observed. However, two strains, V422 and KM110, which lack the acidic activation domain of VP16, did not reactivate above low spontaneous levels after stress. These results demonstrate that in QIF-PC12 cells ICP0 is not required for efficient reactivation of HSV-1, the acidic activation domain of VP16 is essential for stress-induced HSV-1 reactivation, and HSV-1 reactivation is modulated uniquely by different treatment constraints and phenotypes.

The cellular localization pattern of Varicella-Zoster virus ORF29p is influenced by proteasome-mediated degradation

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame 29 (ORF29) encodes a single-stranded DNA binding protein. During lytic infection, ORF29p is localized primarily to infected-cell nuclei, whereas during latency it appears in the cytoplasm of infected neurons. Following reactivation, ORF29p accumulates in the nucleus. In this report, we analyze the cellular localization patterns of ORF29p during VZV infection and during autonomous expression. Our results demonstrate that ORF29p is excluded from the nucleus in a cell-type-specific manner and that its cellular localization pattern may be altered by subsequent expression of VZV ORF61p or herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP0. In these cases, ORF61p and ICP0 induce nuclear accumulation of ORF29p in cell lines where it normally remains cytoplasmic. One cellular system utilized by ICP0 to influence protein abundance is the proteasome degradation pathway. Inhibition of the 26S proteasome, but not heat shock treatment, resulted in accumulation of ORF29p in the nucleus, similar to the effect of ICP0 expression. Immunofluorescence microscopy and pulse-chase experiments reveal that stabilization of ORF29p correlates with its nuclear accumulation and is dependent on a functional nuclear localization signal. ORF29p nuclear translocation in cultured enteric neurons and cells derived from an astrocytoma is reversible, as the protein's distribution and stability revert to the previous states when the proteasomal activity is restored. Thus, stabilization of ORF29p leads to its nuclear accumulation. Although proteasome inhibition induces ORF29p nuclear accumulation, this is not sufficient to reactivate latent VZV or target the immediate-early protein ORF62p to the nucleus in cultured guinea pig enteric neurons.

UL54-null pseudorabies virus is attenuated in mice but productively infects cells in culture

The pseudorabies virus (PRV) UL54 homologs are important multifunctional proteins with roles in shutoff of host protein synthesis, transactivation of virus and cellular genes, and regulation of splicing and translation. Here we describe the first genetic characterization of UL54. We constructed UL54 null mutations in a PRV bacterial artificial chromosome using sugar suicide and lambdaRed allele exchange systems. Surprisingly, UL54 is dispensable for growth in tissue culture but exhibits a small-plaque phenotype that can be complemented in trans by both the herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP27 and varicella-zoster virus open reading frame 4 proteins. Deletion of UL54 in the virus vJSdelta54 had no effect on the ability of the virus to shut off host cell protein synthesis but did affect virus gene expression. The glycoprotein gC accumulated to lower levels in cells infected with vJSdelta54 compared to those infected with wild-type virus, while gK levels were undetectable. Other late gene products, gB, gE, and Us9, accumulated to higher levels than those seen in cells infected with wild-type virus in a multiplicity-dependent manner. DNA replication is also reduced in cells infected with vJSdelta54. UL54 appears to regulate UL53 and UL52 at the transcriptional level as their respective RNAs are decreased in cells infected with vJSdelta54. Interestingly, vJSdelta54 is highly attenuated in a mouse model of PRV infection. Animals infected with vJSdelta54 survive twice as long as animals infected with wild-type virus, and this results in delayed accumulation of virus-specific antigens in skin, dorsal root ganglia, and spinal cord tissues.

Ability of the human cytomegalovirus IE1 protein to modulate sumoylation of PML correlates with its functional activities in transcriptional regulation and infectivity in cultured fibroblast cells

In one of the earliest events in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-infected cells, the major immediate-early (IE) protein IE1 initially targets to and then disrupts the nuclear structures known as PML oncogenic domains (PODs) or nuclear domain 10. Recent studies have suggested that modification of PML by SUMO is essential to form PODs and that IE1 both binds to PML and may disrupt PODs by preventing or removing SUMO adducts on PML. In this study, we showed that in contrast to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) IE110 (ICP0), the loss of sumoylated forms of PML by cotransfected IE1 was resistant to the proteasome inhibitor MG132 and that IE1 did not reduce the level of unmodified PML. Reduced sumoylation of PML was also observed in U373 cells after infection with wild-type HCMV and proved to require IE1 protein expression. Mutational analysis revealed that the central hydrophobic domain of IE1, including Leu174, is required for both PML binding and loss of PML sumoylation and confirmed that all IE1 mutants tested that were deficient in these functions also failed both to target to PODs and to disrupt PODs. These same mutants were also inactive in several reporter gene transactivation assays and in inhibition of PML-mediated repression. Importantly, a viral DNA genome containing an IE1 gene with a deletion [IE1(Delta290-320)] that was defective in these activities was not infectious when transfected into permissive fibroblast cells, but the mutant IE1(K450R), which is defective in IE1 sumoylation, remained infectious. Our mutational analysis strengthens the idea that interference by IE1 with both the sumoylation of PML and its repressor activity requires a physical interaction with PML that also leads to disruption of PODs. These activities of IE1 also correlate with several unusual transcriptional transactivation functions of IE1 and may be requirements for efficient initiation of the lytic cycle in vivo.

The dominant-negative herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) recombinant CJ83193 can serve as an effective vaccine against wild-type HSV-1 infection in mice

By selectively regulating the expression of the trans-dominant-negative mutant polypeptide UL9-C535C, of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) origin binding protein UL9 with the tetracycline repressor (tetR)-mediated gene switch, we recently generated a novel replication-defective and anti-HSV-specific HSV-1 recombinant, CJ83193. The UL9-C535C peptides expressed by CJ83193 can function as a potent intracellular therapy against its own replication, as well as the replication of wild-type HSV-1 and HSV-2 in coinfected cells. In this report, we demonstrate that CJ83193 cannot initiate acute productive infection in corneas of infected mice nor can it reactivate from trigeminal ganglia of mice latently infected by CJ83193 in a mouse ocular model. Given that CJ83193 is capable of expressing the viral alpha, beta, and gamma1 genes but little or no gamma2 genes, we tested the vaccine potential of CJ83193 against HSV-1 infection in a mouse ocular model. Our studies showed that immunization with CJ83193 significantly reduced the yields of challenge HSV in the eyes and trigeminal ganglia on days 3, 5, and 7 postchallenge. Like in mice immunized with the wild-type HSV-1 strain KOS, immunization of mice with CJ83193 prevents the development of keratitis and encephalitis induced by corneal challenge with wild-type HSV-1 strain mP. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) assays demonstrate that CJ83193 can elicit durable cell-mediated immunity at the same level as that of wild-type HSV-1 and is more effective than that induced by d27, an HSV-1 ICP27 deletion mutant. Moreover, mice immunized with CJ83193 developed strong, durable HSV-1-neutralizing antibodies at levels at least twofold higher than those induced by d27. The results presented in this report have shed new light on the development of effective HSV viral vaccines that encode a unique safety mechanism capable of inhibiting the mutant's own replication and that of wild-type virus.

Differential cellular requirements for activation of herpes simplex virus type 1 early (tk) and late (gC) promoters by ICP4

The herpes simplex virus type 1 immediate-early protein, ICP4, activates the transcription of viral early and late genes and is essential for viral growth. It has been shown to bind DNA and interact with components of the general transcription machinery to activate or repress viral transcription, depending upon promoter context. Since early and late gene promoters have different architectures and cellular metabolism may be very different at early and late times after infection, the cellular requirements for ICP4-mediated activation of early and late genes may differ. This hypothesis was tested using tk and gC as representative early and late promoters, respectively. Nuclear extracts and phosphocellulose column fractions derived from nuclear extracts were able to reconstitute basal and ICP4-activated transcription of both promoters in vitro. When examining the contribution of the general transcription factors on the ability of ICP4 to activate transcription, the fraction containing the general transcription factor TFIIA was not essential for ICP4 activation of the gC promoter, but it was required for efficient activation of the tk promoter. The addition of recombinant TFIIA restored the ability of ICP4 to efficiently activate the tk promoter, but it had no net effect on activation of the gC promoter. The dispensability of TFIIA for ICP4 activation of the gC promoter required an intact INR element. In addition, microarray and Northern blot analysis indicated that TFIIA abundance may be reduced at late times of infection. This decrease in TFIIA expression during infection and its dispensability for activation of late but not early genes suggest one of possibly many mechanisms for the transition from viral early to late gene expression.

Herpes simplex virus 1 gene expression is accelerated by inhibitors of histone deacetylases in rabbit skin cells infected with a mutant carrying a cDNA copy of the infected-cell protein no. 0

An earlier report showed that the expression of viral genes by a herpes simplex virus 1 mutant [HSV-1(vCPc0)] in which the wild-type, spliced gene encoding infected-cell protein no. 0 (ICP0) was replaced by a cDNA copy is dependent on both the cell type and multiplicity of infection. At low multiplicities of infection, viral gene expression in rabbit skin cells was delayed by many hours, although ultimately virus yield was comparable to that of the wild-type virus. This defect was rescued by replacement of the cDNA copy with the wild-type gene. To test the hypothesis that the delay reflected a dysfunction of ICP0 in altering the structure of host protein-viral DNA complexes, we examined the state of histone deacetylases (HDACs) (HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC3). We report the following. (i) HDAC1 and HDAC2, but not HDAC3, were modified in infected cells. The modification was mediated by the viral protein kinase U(S)3 and occurred between 3 and 6 h after infection with wild-type virus but was delayed in rabbit skin cells infected with HSV-1(vCPc0) mutant, concordant with a delay in the expression of viral genes. (ii) Pretreatment of rabbit skin cells with inhibitors of HDAC activity (e.g., sodium butyrate, Helminthosporium carbonum toxin, or trichostatin A) accelerated the expression of HSV-1(vCPc0) but not that of wild-type virus. We conclude the following. (i) In the interval in which HSV-1(vCPc0) DNA is silent, its DNA is in chromatin-like structures amenable to modification by inhibitors of histone deacetylases. (ii) Expression of wild-type virus genes in these cells precluded the formation of DNA-protein structures that would be affected by either the HDACs or their inhibitors. (iii) Since the defect in HSV-1(vCPc0) maps to ICP0, the results suggest that this protein initiates the process of divestiture of viral DNA from tight chromatin structures but could be replaced by other viral proteins in cells infected with a large number of virions.

Herpes simplex virus 1 mutant in which the ICP0 HUL-1 E3 ubiquitin ligase site is disrupted stabilizes cdc34 but degrades D-type cyclins and exhibits diminished neurotoxicity

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infected cell protein 0 (ICP0) is a multifunctional protein that functions as a promiscuous transactivator and promotes the degradation of multiple cellular proteins. In vitro studies indicated that it encodes two physically separated functional E3 ubiquitin ligase domains. One, designated herpesvirus ubiquitin ligase 1 (HUL-1), maps to a region encoded by exon 3 and is contained between residues 543 and 680. Deletion of amino acids 621 to 625 abolishes this activity. The second, designated HUL-2, maps to the RING finger domain present in ICP0 encoded by exon 2. Earlier studies have shown that ICP0 stabilizes cyclins D1 and D3, and several lines of investigation led to the hypothesis that this function of ICP0 is the consequence of degradation of the E2 enzyme cdc34, known to be involved in the proteasome-dependent degradation of D-type cyclins. Consistent with this hypothesis, we have previously shown that cdc34 physically interacts with ICP0 at or near aspartate 199 and at amino acids 621 to 625 and that the former site is required for effective ubiquitylation and degradation of cdc34. Furthermore, the ICP0 HUL-1 domain promotes the polyubiquitination of cdc34 in vitro. If the mechanism by which D-type cyclins are salvaged in wild-type-infected cells is dependent on polyubiquitination and consequent destruction of cdc34, than the mutant virus R6701, which was constructed for these studies and lacks ICP0 residues 621 to 625, should destabilize the D cyclins and preclude the degradation of cdc34. We report that ICP0 residues 621 to 625 are essential for degradation of cdc34 in infected cells and for the ICP0-mediated stabilization of D-type cyclins, that a mutation that specifically disrupted the ring finger domain of the HUL-2 site had no effect on the degradation of cdc34 in infected cells, and that deletion of ICP0 residues 621 to 625 decreased the replicative capacity of the virus in growth-arrested but not in dividing cells and resulted in diminished pathogenicity on intracerebral inoculation of mice. We conclude that the ICP0 HUL-1 domain acts in infected cells to degrade cdc34 and that this function requires the interaction of cdc34 with sequences in exons 2 and 3 but does not involve the HUL-2 RING finger E3 domain.

Herpes simplex virus type-1 infection upregulates cellular promoters and telomerase activity in both tumor and nontumor human cells

Targeted gene expression through viral vectors has been a promising approach for gene therapy. However, the effects of viral gene products expressed from virus vectors on the expression of the host gene are not well known. In the present study, we examined the activities of cellular promoters, including the promoter for genes of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), tyrosinase and probasin, in both tumor and normal cells after infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) vectors. Our results showed that infection with replication-defective HSV-1 vectors significantly upregulated the activity of all three cellular promoters in a nonsequence specific fashion in all cell types tested. Furthermore, viral infection upregulated activities of the hTERT promoter and endogenous telomerase in nontumoral cells. Additional experiments suggested that the viral immediate-early gene product, infected cell protein 0, might be responsible for the deregulation of cellular promoter activity and activation of telomerase. Our study alerts to the potential risk of oncogenesis through deregulation of host gene expression, such as the telomerase by viral vectors in normal cells.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP0 promoter is activated by viral reactivation stimuli in trigeminal ganglia neurons of transgenic mice

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes a latent infection in sensory ganglia neurons in humans and in the mouse model. The ability of the virus to latently infect neurons and reactivate is central to the ability of HSV-1 to remain in the human population and spread to new hosts. It is possible that neuronal transcriptional proteins control latency and reactivation by modulating activation of the HSV-1 immediate-early (IE) gene ICP0. We have previously shown that factors in trigeminal ganglia neurons can differentially activate the IE ICP0 promoter and the IE ICP4 promoter in developing trigeminal ganglia neurons of transgenic mice. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and hyperthermic stress have been shown to result in HSV-1 reactivation from sensory neurons in the mouse model. Reporter transgenic mice were exposed to UV irradiation or hyperthermia to test whether stimuli that are known to reactivate HSV-1 could activate viral IE promoters in the absence of viral proteins. Measurement of beta-galactosidase activity in trigeminal ganglia from these transgenic mice indicated that the ICP0 promoter activity was significantly increased by both UV irradiation and hyperthermia. The IE genes ICP4 and ICP27 and the late gene gC reporter transgenes failed to be activated in parallel experiments. These results suggest that the ICP0 promoter is a target for activation by host transcription factors in sensory neurons that have undergone damage. It further suggests the possibility that activation of ICP0 gene expression by neuronal transcription factors may be important in reactivation of HSV-1 in neurons.

An early regulatory function required in a cell type-dependent manner is expressed by the genomic but not the cDNA copy of the herpes simplex virus 1 gene encoding infected cell protein 0

The alpha 0 genes of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) contain three exons. Earlier studies have shown that the substitution of genomic sequences with a cDNA copy does not alter the capacity of the virus to replicate or establish latent infection. Other studies have demonstrated that HSV-1 may express alternatively spliced forms of alpha 0 transcripts. The studies reported here centered on a mutant HSV-1(vCPc0) strain in which the genomic copies of the alpha 0 gene were replaced with cDNA copies. From our research, we report the following observations. (i) In contrast to events transpiring in cells infected with wild-type virus, the expression of HSV-1(vCPc0) genes was delayed or restricted to alpha genes for many hours in rabbit skin cells and to a lesser extent in HEp-2 cells but not in Vero cells. This delay in the expression of HSV-1(vCPc0) beta or gamma genes was also multiplicity of infection dependent. (ii) Exposure to MG132, a proteasomal inhibitor, before infection with wild-type virus had no significant effect on the accumulation of viral proteins in Vero cells and caused an only slight delay in viral gene expression in rabbit skin cells in a multiplicity of infection-dependent fashion. The drug had no effect when it was added to the medium 3 h after infection. (iii) Rabbit skin or HEp-2 cells exposed to MG132 3 h after infection with the HSV-1(vCPc0) mutant accumulated only alpha proteins. This restriction was cell type dependent but not multiplicity of infection dependent. (iv) Both the delay in the expression of beta and gamma genes and the effect of MG132 added to the medium 3 h after infection were rescued by restoration of the intron 1 sequences in the HSV-1(vCPc0) mutant. However, cells transduced by baculoviruses expressing intron 1 RNA did not complement the HSV-1(vCPc0) mutant, suggesting that the function of intron 1 is in cis rather than in trans. We came to the following conclusions as a result. (i) Post-alpha gene expression requires the involvement of the proteasomal pathway in a cell type-dependent manner. Consistent with this requirement, the proapoptotic functions of MG132 are blocked in cells infected before exposure to the drug but not after exposure. (ii) A function encoded by the alpha 0 gene that is absent from the cDNA copy is required for viral gene expression in a cell type- and multiplicity of infection-dependent fashion. The absence of this master function delays but does not ultimately block viral gene expression in the cell lines tested here.

Neurons differentially activate the herpes simplex virus type 1 immediate-early gene ICP0 and ICP27 promoters in transgenic mice

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early (IE) proteins are required for the expression of viral early and late proteins. It has been hypothesized that host neuronal proteins regulate expression of HSV-1 IE genes that in turn control viral latency and reactivation. We investigated the ability of neuronal proteins in vivo to activate HSV-1 IE gene promoters (ICP0 and ICP27) and a late gene promoter (gC). Transgenic mice containing IE (ICP0 and ICP27) and late (gC) gene promoters of HSV-1 fused to the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase coding sequence were generated. Expression of the ICP0 and ICP27 reporter transgenes was present in anatomically distinct subsets of neurons in the absence of viral proteins. The anatomic locations of beta-galactosidase-positive neurons in the brains of ICP0 and ICP27 reporter transgenic mice were similar and included cerebral cortex, lateral septal nucleus, cingulum, hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, and vestibular nucleus. Trigeminal ganglion neurons were positive for beta-galactosidase in adult ICP0 and ICP27 reporter transgenic mice. The ICP0 reporter transgene was differentially regulated in trigeminal ganglion neurons depending upon age. beta-galactosidase-labeled cells in trigeminal ganglia and cerebral cortex of ICP0 and ICP27 reporter transgenic mice were confirmed as neurons by double labeling with antineurofilament antibody. Nearly all nonneuronal cells in ICP0 and ICP27 reporter transgenic mice and all neuronal and nonneuronal cells in gC reporter transgenic mice were negative for beta-galactosidase labeling in the absence of HSV-1. We conclude that factors in neurons are able to differentially regulate the HSV-1 IE gene promoters (ICP0 and ICP27) in transgenic mice in the absence of viral proteins. These findings are important for understanding the regulation of the latent and reactivated stages of HSV-1 infection in neurons.

The initiator element in a herpes simplex virus type 1 late-gene promoter enhances activation by ICP4, resulting in abundant late-gene expression

The start site regions of late genes of herpes simplex virus type 1 are similar to the eukaryotic initiator sequence (Inr), have been shown to affect the levels of expression, and may also play a role in transcription activation by the viral activator ICP4. A series of linker-scanning mutations spanning the start site of transcription and several downstream mutations in the true late gC promoter were analyzed in reconstituted in vitro transcription reactions with and without ICP4, as well as in the context of the viral genome during infection. The nucleotide contacts previously found to be important for Inr function were also found to be important for optimal induction by ICP4. While the Inr had a substantial effect on the accumulation of gC RNA during infection, no other sequence downstream of the TATA box to +124 had a significant effect on levels of expression during infection. Therefore, these studies suggest that TATA box and the Inr are the only cis-acting elements required to achieve optimal expression of gC, and that the high levels of late-gene transcription may be largely due to the induction by ICP4, functioning through the Inr element.

Herpes simplex virus IE63 (ICP27) protein interacts with spliceosome-associated protein 145 and inhibits splicing prior to the first catalytic step

The multifunctional herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) protein IE63 (ICP27) interacts with the essential pre-mRNA splicing factor, spliceosome-associated protein 145 (SAP145), and in infected cells IE63 and SAP145 colocalize. This interaction was reduced or abrogated completely using extracts from cells infected with IE63 viral mutants, with mutations in IE63 KH and Sm homology domains, which do not exhibit host shutoff or inhibit splicing. In the presence of IE63, splicing in vitro was inhibited prior to the first catalytic step and the B/C complex formed during splicing was shifted up in mobility and reduced in intensity. With the use of splicing extracts, IE63 and SAP145 both comigrated with the B/C complex, suggesting that they interact within this complex to inhibit B/C complex formation or conversion. The inhibition of splicing may facilitate the export of viral or cellular transcripts, possibly via other protein partners of IE63. These data provide important new insights into how IE63 influences pre-mRNA processing during HSV-1 infection.

Efficient activation of viral genomes by levels of herpes simplex virus ICP0 insufficient to affect cellular gene expression or cell survival

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) ICP0 can effectively activate gene expression from otherwise silent promoters contained on persisting viral genomes. However, the expression of high levels of ICP0, as from ICP4(-) HSV type 1 (HSV-1) vectors, results in marked toxicity. We have analyzed the results of ICP0 expressed from an E1(-) E4(-) adenovirus vector (AdS.11E4ICP0) in which ICP0 expression is controlled from the endogenous adenoviral E4 promoter. In this system, the expression level of ICP0 was reduced more than 1,000-fold relative to the level of expression from HSV-1 vectors. This low level of ICP0 did not affect cellular division or greatly perturb cellular metabolism as assessed by gene expression array analysis comparing the effects of HSV and adenovirus vector strains. However, this amount of ICP0 was sufficient to quantitatively destroy ND10 structures as measured by promyelocytic leukemia immunofluorescence. The levels of adenovirus-expressed ICP0 were sufficient to activate quiescent viral genomes in trans and promote persistent transgene expression in cis. Moreover, infection of complementing cells with AdS.11E4ICP0 promoted viral growth and resulted in a 20-fold increase in the plaquing efficiency of d109, a virus defective for all five immediate-early genes. Thus, the low level expression of ICP0 from the E1(-) E4(-) adenovirus vector may increase the utility of adenovirus vectors and also provides a means to efficiently quantify and possibly propagate HSV vectors defective in ICP0. Importantly, the results demonstrate that the activation function of ICP0 may not result from changes in cellular gene expression, but possibly as a direct consequence of an enzymatic function inherent to the protein that may involve its action at ND10 resulting in the preferential activation of viral genomes.

Role of cyclin D3 in the biology of herpes simplex virus 1 ICPO

Earlier reports from this laboratory have shown that the promiscuous transactivator infected-cell protein 0 (ICP0) binds and stabilizes cyclin D3, that the binding site maps to aspartic acid 199 (D199), and that replacement of D199 with alanine abolishes binding and reduces the capacity of the mutant virus to replicate in quiescent cells or to cause mortality in mice infected by a peripheral site. The objective of this report was to investigate the role of cyclin D3 in the biology of ICP0. We report the following results. (i) Wild-type ICP0 activates cyclin D-dependent kinase 4 (cdk4) and stabilizes cyclin D1 although ICP0 does not interact with this cyclin. (ii) The D199A mutant virus (R7914) does not activate cdk4 or stabilize cyclin D1, and neither the wild-type nor the mutant virus activates cdk2. (iii) Early in infection of human embryonic lung (HEL) fibroblasts both wild-type and D199A mutant ICP0s colocalize with PML, and in these cells the ND10 nuclear structures are dispersed. Whereas wild-type ICP0 is transported to the cytoplasm between 3 and 9 h. after infection, ICPO containing the D199A substitution remains quantitatively in the nucleus. (iv) To examine the interaction of ICP0 with cyclin D3, we used a previously described mutant carrying a wild-type ICP0 but expressing cyclin D3 (R7801) and in addition constructed a virus (R7916) that was identical except that it carried the D199A-substituted ICP0. Early in infection with R7801, ICP0 colocalized with cyclin D3 in structures similar to those containing PML. At 3 h after infection, ICP0 was translocated to the cytoplasm whereas cyclin D3 remained in the nucleus. The translocation of ICP0 to the cytoplasm was accelerated in cells expressing cyclin D3 compared with that of ICP0 expressed by wild-type virus. In contrast, ICP0 carrying the D199A substitution remained in the nucleus and did not colocalize with cyclin D3. These studies suggest the following conclusions. (i) ICP0 brings to the vicinity of ND10 cyclin D3 and, in consequence, an activated cdk4. The metabolic events occurring at or near that structure and involving cyclin D3 cause the translocation of ICP0 to the cytoplasm. (ii) In the absence of the cyclin D3 binding site in ICP0, cyclin D3 is not brought to ND10, cyclin D is not stabilized, and the function responsible for the translocation of ICP0 is not expressed, and in quiescent HEL fibroblasts the yields of virus are reduced.