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

"Non-Essential" Proteins of HSV-1 with Essential Roles In Vivo: A Comprehensive Review

Viruses encode for structural proteins that participate in virion formation and include capsid and envelope proteins. In addition, viruses encode for an array of non-structural accessory proteins important for replication, spread, and immune evasion in the host and are often linked to virus pathogenesis. Most virus accessory proteins are non-essential for growth in cell culture because of the simplicity of the infection barriers or because they have roles only during a state of the infection that does not exist in cell cultures (i.e., tissue-specific functions), or finally because host factors in cell culture can complement their absence. For these reasons, the study of most nonessential viral factors is more complex and requires development of suitable cell culture systems and in vivo models. Approximately half of the proteins encoded by the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) genome have been classified as non-essential. These proteins have essential roles in vivo in counteracting antiviral responses, facilitating the spread of the virus from the sites of initial infection to the peripheral nervous system, where it establishes lifelong reservoirs, virus pathogenesis, and other regulatory roles during infection. Understanding the functions of the non-essential proteins of herpesviruses is important to understand mechanisms of viral pathogenesis but also to harness properties of these viruses for therapeutic purposes. Here, we have provided a comprehensive summary of the functions of HSV-1 non-essential proteins.

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Inhibits Type I IFN Signaling Mediated by the Novel E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase Activity of Viral Protein ICP22

Type I IFNs play an important role in innate immunity against viral infections by inducing the expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), which encode effectors with various antiviral functions. We and others previously reported that HSV type 2 (HSV-2) inhibits the synthesis of type I IFNs, but how HSV-2 suppresses IFN-mediated signaling is less understood. In the current study, after the demonstration of HSV-2 replication resistance to IFN-β treatment in human epithelial cells, we reveal that HSV-2 and the viral protein ICP22 significantly decrease the expression of ISG54 at both mRNA and protein levels. Likewise, us1 del HSV-2 (ICP22-deficient HSV-2) replication is more sensitive to IFN-β treatment, indicating that ICP22 is a vital viral protein responsible for the inhibition of type I IFN-mediated signaling. In addition, overexpression of HSV-2 ICP22 inhibits the expression of STAT1, STAT2, and IFN regulatory factor 9 (IRF9), resulting in the blockade of ISG factor 3 (ISGF3) nuclear translocation, and mechanistically, this is due to ICP22-induced ubiquitination of STAT1, STAT2, and IRF9. HSV-2 ICP22 appears to interact with STAT1, STAT2, IRF9, and several other ubiquitinated proteins. Following further biochemical study, we show that HSV-2 ICP22 functions as an E3 ubiquitin protein ligase to induce the formation of polyubiquitin chains. Taken together, we demonstrate that HSV-2 interferes with type I IFN-mediated signaling by degrading the proteins of ISGF3, and we identify HSV-2 ICP22 as a novel E3 ubiquitin protein ligase to induce the degradation of ISGF3. Findings in this study highlight a new mechanism by which HSV-2 circumvents the host antiviral responses through a viral E3 ubiquitin protein ligase.

Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Latency-Associated Transcript (LAT) Region Mutations Do Not Identify a Role for LAT-Associated MicroRNAs in Viral Reactivation in Guinea Pig Genital Models

Despite the long-standing observation that herpes simplex virus (HSV) latency-associated transcript (LAT) promoter deletion viruses show impaired recurrence phenotypes in relevant animal models, the mechanism by which these sequences exert this phenotypic effect is unknown. We constructed and evaluated four mutant HSV-2 isolates with targeted mutations in the LAT promoter and LAT-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) affecting (i) the LAT TATA box; (ii) the LAT ICP4-binding site; (iii) miRNA I (miR-I) and miR-II (miR-I/II), which both target ICP34.5; and (iv) miR-III, which targets ICP0. While the LAT TATA box mutant caused milder acute infections than wild-type (WT) virus, there was no difference in the recurrence phenotype between these viruses. LAT and miRNA expression during latency was not impaired by this mutation, suggesting that other promoter elements may be more important for latent HSV-2 LAT expression. Mutation of the LAT ICP4-binding site also did not cause an in vivo phenotypic difference between mutant and WT viruses. Acute infection and reactivation from latency of the miR-I/II mutant were similar to those of its rescuant, although the acute infection was slightly reduced in severity relative to that caused by the wild-type virus. The miR-III mutant also exhibited WT phenotypes in acute and recurrent phases of infection. While they do not rule out an effect of these elements in human latency or reactivation, these findings do not identify a specific role for LAT or LAT-associated miRNAs in the HSV-2 LAT promoter deletion phenotype in guinea pigs. Thus, other sequences in this region may play a more important role in the long-studied LAT-associated phenotype in animals.IMPORTANCE While it has been known for several decades that specific HSV-1 and HSV-2 sequences near the LAT promoter are required for efficient viral reactivation in animal models, the mechanism is still not known. We constructed four mutant viruses with the goal of identifying critical sequence elements and of specifically testing the hypothesis that microRNAs that are expressed during latency play a role. Determination that specific LAT promoter sequences and miRNA sequences do not influence viral reactivation of HSV-2 helps to narrow down the search for the mechanism by which the virus controls its latency and recurrence phenotype.

The ERK-1 function is required for HSV-1-mediated G1/S progression in HEP-2 cells and contributes to virus growth

The herpes simplex virus 1 is able to readdress different cellular pathways including cell cycle to facilitate its replication and spread. During infection, the progression of the cell cycle from G1 to S phase makes the cellular replication machinery accessible to viral DNA replication. In this work we established that HSV-1, in asynchronized HEp-2 cells, strictly controls cell cycle progression increasing S-phase population from 9 hours post infection until the end of HSV-1 replication. The G1/S phases progression depends on two important proteins, cyclin E and CDK2. We demonstrate that their phosphorylated status and then their activity during the infection is strongly correlated to viral replication events. In addition, HSV-1 is able to recruit and distribute ERK1/2 proteins in a spatio-temporal fashion, highlighting its downstream regulatory effects on cellular processes. According with this data, using chemical inhibitor U0126 and ERK dominant negative cells we found that the lack of ERK1 activity affects cyclin E protein accumulation, viral gene transcription and percentage of the cells in S phase, during the viral replication. These data suggested a complex interaction between ERK, cell cycle progression and HSV-1 replication.

Combining HDAC inhibitors with oncolytic virotherapy for cancer therapy

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes play a critical role in the epigenetic regulation of cellular functions and signaling pathways in many cancers. HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) have been validated for single use or in combination with other drugs in oncologic therapeutics. An even more novel combination therapy with HDACi is to use them with an oncolytic virus. HDACi may lead to an amplification of tumor-specific lytic effects by facilitating increased cycles of viral replication, but there may also be direct anticancer effects of the drug by itself. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer effects of the combination of oncolytic viruses with HDACi.

Novel roles of cytoplasmic ICP0: proteasome-independent functions of the RING finger are required to block interferon-stimulated gene production but not to promote viral replication

The immediate-early protein ICP0 from herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) plays pleiotropic roles in promoting viral lytic replication and reactivation from latency. Most of the known actions of ICP0 occur in the nucleus and are thought to involve the E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of its RING finger domain, which targets proteins for degradation via the proteasome. Although ICP0 translocates to the cytoplasm as the infection progresses, little is known about its activities in this location. Here, we show that cytoplasmic ICP0 has two distinct functions. In primary cell cultures and in an intravaginal mouse model, cytoplasmic ICP0 promotes viral replication in the absence of an intact RING finger domain. Additionally, ICP0 blocks the activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), a key transcription factor of the innate antiviral response, in a mechanism that requires the RING finger domain but not the proteasome. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of a proteasome-independent function of the RING finger domain of ICP0. Collectively, these results underscore the importance of cytoplasm-localized ICP0 and the diverse nature of its activities. Importance: Despite ICP0 being a well-studied viral protein, the significance of its cytoplasmic localization has been largely overlooked. This is, in part, because common experimental manipulations result in the restriction of ICP0 to the nucleus. By overcoming this constraint, we both further characterize the ability of cytoplasmic ICP0 to inhibit antiviral signaling and show that ICP0 at this site has unexpected activities in promoting viral replication. This demonstrates the importance of considering location when analyzing protein function and adds a new perspective to our understanding of this multifaceted protein.

Use of biotinylated plasmid DNA as a surrogate for HSV DNA to identify proteins that repress or activate viral gene expression

ICP0, a key herpes simplex virus regulatory protein, functions first in the nucleus and then in the cytoplasm. The duration of its nuclear sojourn in cells transfected with DNA and then infected is related to the quantity of transfected DNA. Furthermore, ICP0 transactivates both viral genes and genes encoded by the transfected DNA. The data support the hypothesis that ICP0 is retained in the nucleus until it completes the replacement of repressive chromatin with effector proteins that enable transcription of both DNA templates.To identify the effector proteins, we transfected cells with biotinylated DNA encoding a nonviral gene and then infected the cells with wild-type virus. Proteins bound to transfected biotinylated plasmid recovered from mock-treated and infected cells were identified using mass spectrometry followed by appropriate database search. The transfected DNA from mock-infected cells yielded proteins associated with repression, whereas DNA recovered from infected cells included proteins known to enable transcription and proteins that have not been previously associated with that role. To test the hypothesis that the proteins hitherto not known to associate with viral gene expression are nevertheless essential, we tested the role of the DEAD-box helicase Ddx17. We report that Ddx17 plays a critical role in the expression of early and late viral genes. Thus, biotinylated DNA recovered from transfected infected cells can function as a surrogate for viral DNA and is a rich source of proteins that play a role in viral gene expression but which have not been previously identified in that role.

Herpes simplex virus 1 infection activates poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and triggers the degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase

Herpes simplex virus 1 infection triggers multiple changes in the metabolism of host cells, including a dramatic decrease in the levels of NAD(+). In addition to its role as a cofactor in reduction-oxidation reactions, NAD(+) is required for certain posttranslational modifications. Members of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family of enzymes are major consumers of NAD(+), which they utilize to form poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) chains on protein substrates in response to DNA damage. PAR chains can subsequently be removed by the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG). We report here that the HSV-1 infection-induced drop in NAD(+) levels required viral DNA replication, was associated with an increase in protein poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation), and was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of PARP-1/PARP-2 (PARP-1/2). Neither virus yield nor the cellular metabolic reprogramming observed during HSV-1 infection was altered by the rescue or further depletion of NAD(+) levels. Expression of the viral protein ICP0, which possesses E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, was both necessary and sufficient for the degradation of the 111-kDa PARG isoform. This work demonstrates that HSV-1 infection results in changes to NAD(+) metabolism by PARP-1/2 and PARG, and as PAR chain accumulation can induce caspase-independent apoptosis, we speculate that the decrease in PARG levels enhances the auto-PARylation-mediated inhibition of PARP, thereby avoiding premature death of the infected cell.

The potential link between PML NBs and ICP0 in regulating lytic and latent infection of HSV-1

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a common human pathogen causing cold sores and even more serious diseases. It can establish a latent stage in sensory ganglia after primary epithelial infections, and reactivate in response to stress or sunlight. Previous studies have demonstrated that viral immediate-early protein ICP0 plays a key role in regulating the balance between lytic and latent infection. Recently, It has been determined that promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies (NBs), small nuclear sub-structures, contribute to the repression of HSV-1 infection in the absence of functional ICP0. In this review, we discuss the fundamentals of the interaction between ICP0 and PML NBs, suggesting a potential link between PML NBs and ICP0 in regulating lytic and latent infection of HSV-1.

HSV-1 ICP0: paving the way for viral replication

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has two distinct phases of its viral life cycle: lytic and latent. One viral immediate-early protein that is responsible for determining the balance between productive lytic replication and reactivation from latency is infected cell protein 0 (ICP0). ICP0 is a 775-amino acid really interesting new gene (RING)-finger-containing protein that possesses E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, which is required for ICP0 to activate HSV-1 gene expression, disrupt nuclear domain (ND) 10 structures, mediate the degradation of cellular proteins, and evade the host cell's intrinsic and innate antiviral defenses. This article examines our current understanding of ICP0's transactivating, E3 ubiquitin ligase, and antihost defense activities and their inter-relationships to one another. Lastly, we will discuss how these properties of ICP0 may be utilized as possible targets for HSV-1 antiviral therapies.

Origin and evolution of ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes from Guillardia theta nucleomorph to hominoid

The origin of eukaryotic ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) can be traced back to the Guillardia theta nucleomorph about 2500 million years ago (Mya). E2s are largely vertically inherited over eukaryotic evolution [Lespinet, O., Wolf, Y.I., Koonin, E.V., Aravind, L., 2002. The role of lineage-specific gene family expansion in the evolution of eukaryotes. Genome Res. 1048-1059], while mammal E2s experienced evolution of multigene families by gene duplications which have been accompanied by the increase in the species complexity. Because of alternatively splicing, primate-specific expansions of E2s happened once again at a transcriptional level. Both of them resulted in increasing genomic complexity and diversity of primate E2 proteomic function. The evolutionary processes of human E2 gene structure during expansions were accompanied by exon duplication and exonization of intronic sequences. Exonizations of Transposable Elements (TEs) in UBE2D3, UBE2L3 and UBE2V1 genes from primates indicate that exaptation of TEs also plays important roles in the structural innovation of primate-specific E2s and may create alternative splicing isoforms at a transcriptional level. Estimates for the ratio of dN/dS suggest that a strong purifying selection had acted upon protein-coding sequences of their orthologous UBE2D2, UBE2A, UBE2N, UBE2I and Rbx1 genes from animals, plants and fungi. The similar rates of synonymous substitutions are in accordance with the neutral mutation-random drift hypothesis of molecular evolution. Systematic detection of the origin and evolution of E2s, analyzing the evolution of E2 multigene families by gene duplications and the evolutionary processes of E2s during expansions, and testing its evolutionary force using E2s from distant phylogenetic lineages may advance our distinguishing of ancestral E2s from created E2s, and reveal previously unknown relationships between E2s and metazoan complexity. Analysis of these conserved proteins provides strong support for a close relationship between social amoeba and eukaryote, choanoflagellate and metazoan, and for the central roles of social amoeba and choanoflagellate in the origin and evolution of eukaryote and metazoan. Retracing the different stages of primate E2 exonization by monitoring genomic events over 63 Myr of primate evolution will advance our understanding of how TEs dynamically modified primate transcriptome and proteome in the past, and continue to do so.

Mutational pressure is a cause of inter- and intragenomic differences in GC-content of simplex and varicello viruses

Total GC-content (G+C), GC-content in codon positions and 0-fold, 2-fold and 4-fold degenerated sites in all coding districts from 10 completely sequenced genomes of simplex and varicello viruses have been calculated by the original "Coding Genome Scanner" algorithm. The low coefficient of correlation (R<0.5) between 3GC and G+C in all coding districts from unique regions (UL and US) of alphaherpesvirus genome is a new criterion of the strong mutational pressure that is the process of increasing the rates of nonsynonymous mutations because of the extreme saturation (GC-pressure) or desaturation (AT-pressure) of third (liberal) codon positions with G and C. Unique regions of HSV1, HSV2, CeHV1, CeHV2, CeHV16 and BoHV5 are under the influence of strong GC-pressure caused mostly by AT to GC transversions. Unique regions of EqHV1 are under the influence of weak GC-pressure. In unique regions of CeHV9 AT-pressure is strong; in EqHV4 and VZV unique regions AT-pressure is weak. Mutational AT-pressure in CeHV9 and VZV is caused mostly by transitions, while in EqHV4 it is caused mostly by transversions. The level of 3GC in coding districts situated in long terminal inverted repeats (LTR) of all these viruses is much higher than in coding districts from UL and US. Higher GC-content does not seem to depend on the gene itself, but it does depend on its location. V67 gene of EqHV1 is situated in LTR (3GC=0.853), while V67 gene of EqHV4 is situated in US (3GC=0.397). Higher rates of AT to GC transversions in coding districts situated in LTR should be due to the "anatomy" of long terminal inverted repeats. The process of AT to GC transversions is thought to take place only in doublestranded DNA. Indeed, in the potential secondary structure formed by singlestranded genomic DNA of alphaherpesviruses only joined inverted repeats should be doublestranded.

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.

Components of nuclear domain 10 bodies regulate varicella-zoster virus replication

PML, Sp100, and Daxx are proteins that normally reside within nuclear domains 10 (ND10s). They associate with DNA virus genomes and repress the very early stages of the DNA virus replication cycle. Virus-encoded proteins counteract this innate antiviral response. ICP0, a herpes simplex virus (HSV) immediate-early protein, is necessary and sufficient to dissociate ND10s and target their two major components, PML and Sp100, for proteasomal degradation. In this report, we show that ORF61p, the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ortholog of ICP0, does not degrade PML and alters Sp100 levels only slightly. Furthermore, we demonstrate that other virus proteins cannot substitute for this lack of function during infection. By using short interfering RNAs, we depleted PML, Sp100, and Daxx and studied their roles in plaquing efficiency, virus protein accumulation, infectious-center titer, and virus spread. The results of these studies show that components of ND10s can accelerate VZV replication but do not ultimately control cell-associated virus titers. We conclude that while both ICP0 and ORF61p activate virus gene expression, they modulate host innate repression mechanisms in two different ways. As a result, HSV and VZV commandeer their host cells by distinct mechanisms to ensure their replication and spread.

Characterization of mre11 loss following HSV-1 infection

Herpes simplex virus induces the activation of the cellular DNA double strand break response pathway dependent upon initiation of viral DNA replication. The MRN complex, consisting of Mre11, Rad50 and Nbs1, is an essential component of the DNA double strand break response and other reports have documented its presence at sites of viral DNA replication, interaction with ICP8 and its contribution to efficient viral DNA replication. During our characterization of the DSB response following infection of normal human fibroblasts and telomerase-immortalized keratinocytes, we observed the loss of Mre11 protein at late times following infection. The loss was not dependent upon ICP0, the proteasome or lysosomal protease activity. Like activation of the DSB response pathway, Mre11 loss was prevented under conditions which inhibited viral DNA replication. Analysis of a series of mutant viruses with defects in cleavage and packaging (UL6, UL15, UL17, UL25, UL28, UL32) of viral DNA or in the maturational protease (UL26) failed to identify a viral gene product necessary for Mre11 loss. Inactivation of ATM, a key effector kinase in the DNA double strand break response, had no effect on Mre11 loss and only a moderate effect on HSV yield. Finally, treatment of uninfected cells with the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin, to induce generation of free DNA ends, also resulted in Mre11 loss. These results suggest that Mre11 loss following infection is caused by the generation of free DNA ends during or following viral DNA replication.

Degradation of cyclins D in pseudorabies virus (PRV) infected proliferating cells

The pseudorabies virus code for an ICP0 protein which is half the size of the HSV1 ICP0 protein. In this work, we made the assumption that some function might have been lost in the ICP0 from PRV. One function attributed to the ICP0 from HSV1 was the stabilization of cyclins D. We then looked at the stability of these cyclins during the lytic infection with the PRV. Our results show that cyclins D are not stabilized during infection with the PRV. These results are in accord with recent data from the literature.

Reciprocal activities between herpes simplex virus type 1 regulatory protein ICP0, a ubiquitin E3 ligase, and ubiquitin-specific protease USP7

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) regulatory protein ICP0 stimulates lytic infection and the reactivation of quiescent viral genomes. These roles of ICP0 require its RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase domain, which induces the degradation of several cellular proteins, including components of promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies and centromeres. ICP0 also interacts very strongly with the cellular ubiquitin-specific protease USP7 (also known as HAUSP). We have shown previously that ICP0 induces its own ubiquitination and degradation in a RING finger-dependent manner, and that its interaction with USP7 regulates this process. In the course of these studies we found and report here that ICP0 also targets USP7 for ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation. The reciprocal activities of the two proteins reveal an intriguing situation that poses the question of the balance of the two processes during productive HSV-1 infection. Based on a thorough analysis of the properties of an HSV-1 mutant virus that expresses forms of ICP0 that are unable to bind to USP7, we conclude that USP7-mediated stabilization of ICP0 is dominant over ICP0-induced degradation of USP7 during productive HSV-1 infection. We propose that the biological significance of the ICP0-USP7 interaction may be most pronounced in natural infection situations, in which limited amounts of ICP0 are expressed.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP0 protein mediates activation of adeno-associated virus type 2 rep gene expression from a latent integrated form

Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV-2) is a human parvovirus that requires the presence of a helper virus, such as the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) to accomplish a complete productive cycle. In the absence of helper virus, AAV-2 can establish a latent infection that is characterized by the absence of expression of viral genes. So far, four HSV-1 early genes, UL5/8/52 (helicase primase complex) and UL29 (single-stranded DNA-binding protein), were defined as sufficient for AAV replication when cells were transfected with a plasmid carrying the wild-type AAV-2 genome. However, none of these viral products was shown to behave as a transcriptional factor able to activate AAV gene expression. Our study provides the first evidence that the immediate-early HSV-1 protein ICP0 can promote rep gene expression in cells latently infected with wild-type AAV-2. This ICP0-mediated effect occurs at the transcriptional level and involves the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Furthermore, using deletion mutants, we demonstrate that the localization of ICP0 to ND10 and their disruption is not required for the activation of the rep promoter, whereas binding of ICP0 to the ubiquitin-specific protease HAUSP makes a significant contribution to this effect.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 regulatory protein ICP0 does not protect cyclins D1 and D3 from degradation during infection

Previous reports have suggested that herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early regulatory protein ICP0 stabilizes cyclins D1 and D3 during infection by inducing the degradation of cdc34, the E2-conjugating enzyme that is responsible for regulating the stability of these cyclins. Since ICP0 has complex effects on the progress of viral infection that vary greatly with cell type and viral dose, it can be difficult to distinguish between direct effects caused by ICP0 itself and indirect effects caused by the rate of the progression of infection in the absence of ICP0 at the chosen multiplicity of infection. This report describes the fates of cdc34 and cyclins D1 and D3 during HSV-1 infection under conditions that ensured that viral infection and gene expression were proceeding at equivalent rates in the presence and absence of ICP0. It was confirmed that both D-type cyclins were unstable during HSV-1 infection of a variety of cell types, but no effect on cdc34 was observed, even when high levels of ICP0 were expressed. Furthermore, there was no evidence that ICP0 protected either cyclin D1 or cyclin D3 from degradation. Reconstruction of the conditions of the experiments in the previous studies, using the stated cell type and multiplicities of infection, indicated that the original results could be explained by differences in the rate of progression of infection rather than by the presence or absence of ICP0. The data presented in this report are incompatible with the hypothesis that ICP0 induces the degradation of cdc34 and thereby stabilizes cyclins D1 and D3 during HSV-1 infection.

A RING finger ubiquitin ligase is protected from autocatalyzed ubiquitination and degradation by binding to ubiquitin-specific protease USP7

Herpes simplex virus type 1 immediate-early regulatory protein ICP0 stimulates lytic infection and reactivation from latency, processes that require the ubiquitin E3 ligase activity mediated by the RING finger domain in the N-terminal portion of the protein. ICP0 stimulates the production of polyubiquitin chains by the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes UbcH5a and UbcH6 in vitro, and in infected and transfected cells it induces the proteasome-dependent degradation of a number of cellular proteins including PML, the major constituent protein of PML nuclear bodies. However, ICP0 binds strongly to the cellular ubiquitin-specific protease USP7, a member of a family of proteins that cleave polyubiquitin chains and/or ubiquitin precursors. The region of ICP0 that is required for its interaction with USP7 has been mapped, and mutations in this domain reduce the functionality of ICP0. These findings pose the question: why does ICP0 include domains that are associated with the potentially antagonistic functions of ubiquitin conjugation and deconjugation? Here we report that although neither protein affected the intrinsic activities of the other in vitro, USP7 protected ICP0 from autoubiquitination in vitro, and their interaction can greatly increase the stability of ICP0 in vivo. These results demonstrate that RING finger-mediated autoubiquitination of ICP0 is biologically relevant and can be regulated by interaction with USP7. This principle may extend to a number of cellular RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase proteins that have analogous interactions with ubiquitin-specific cleavage enzymes.