Phosphorylation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) major transcriptional regulatory protein IE62 by the VZV open reading frame 66 protein kinase

Duck plague virus Us3 regulates the expression of pUL48

Duck plague (DP) is one of the contagious diseases caused by Duck plague virus (DPV), which is a serious threat to the development of duck farming. Us3 is a PKA-like protein kinase in alphaherpesvirus, which can regulate the biological functions of many viral proteins, but whether Us3 regulates pUL48 protein has not been reported. In this paper, Western Blot, qRT-PCR, dual luciferase reporter system and Co-IP were used to investigate the relationship between pUL48 and Us3. The results showed that: 1) pUL48 interacted with Us3 at 138-256aa through its DBD region. 2) Us3 enhanced the protein expression of pUL48 in a dose-dependent manner. 3) Us3 promoted the mRNA level of pUL48 by activating its promoter activity. 4) Us3 inhibited the transcriptional activation function of pUL48. The results can provide scientific data for perfecting and supplementing the function of alpha herpesvirus Us3 and pUL48.

Whole exome sequencing of patients with varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus induced acute retinal necrosis reveals rare disease-associated genetic variants

Purpose

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are neurotropic human alphaherpesviruses endemic worldwide. Upon primary infection, both viruses establish lifelong latency in neurons and reactivate intermittently to cause a variety of mild to severe diseases. Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a rare, sight-threatening eye disease induced by ocular VZV or HSV infection. The virus and host factors involved in ARN pathogenesis remain incompletely described. We hypothesize an underlying genetic defect in at least part of ARN cases.

Methods

We collected blood from 17 patients with HSV-or VZV-induced ARN, isolated DNA and performed Whole Exome Sequencing by Illumina followed by analysis in Varseq with criteria of CADD score > 15 and frequency in GnomAD < 0.1% combined with biological filters. Gene modifications relative to healthy control genomes were filtered according to high quality and read-depth, low frequency, high deleteriousness predictions and biological relevance.

Results

We identified a total of 50 potentially disease-causing genetic variants, including missense, frameshift and splice site variants and on in-frame deletion in 16 of the 17 patients. The vast majority of these genes are involved in innate immunity, followed by adaptive immunity, autophagy, and apoptosis; in several instances variants within a given gene or pathway was identified in several patients.

Discussion

We propose that the identified variants may contribute to insufficient viral control and increased necrosis ocular disease presentation in the patients and serve as a knowledge base and starting point for the development of improved diagnostic, prophylactic, and therapeutic applications.

The roles of autophagy and mitophagy in corneal pathology: current knowledge and future perspectives

The cornea is the clear dome that covers the front portion of the globe. The primary functions of the cornea are to promote the refraction of light and to protect the eye from invading pathogens, both of which are essential for the preservation of vision. Homeostasis of each cellular layer of the cornea requires the orchestration of multiple processes, including the ability to respond to stress. One mechanism whereby cells respond to stress is autophagy, or the process of "self-eating." Autophagy functions to clear damaged proteins and organelles. During nutrient deprivation, amino acids released from protein breakdown via autophagy are used as a fuel source. Mitophagy, a selective form of autophagy, functions to clear damaged mitochondria. Thus, autophagy and mitophagy are important intracellular degradative processes that sustain tissue homeostasis. Importantly, the inhibition or excessive activation of these processes result in deleterious effects on the cell. In the eye, impairment or inhibition of these mechanisms have been associated with corneal disease, degenerations, and dystrophies. This review summarizes the current body of knowledge on autophagy and mitophagy at all layers in the cornea in both non-infectious and infectious corneal disease, dystrophies, and degenerations. It further highlights the critical gaps in our understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction, with implications for novel therapeutics in clinical practice.

Antiviral Targeting of Varicella Zoster Virus Replication and Neuronal Reactivation Using CRISPR/Cas9 Cleavage of the Duplicated Open Reading Frames 62/71

Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) causes Herpes Zoster (HZ), a common debilitating and complicated disease affecting up to a third of unvaccinated populations. Novel antiviral treatments for VZV reactivation and HZ are still in need. Here, we evaluated the potential of targeting the replicating and reactivating VZV genome using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat-Cas9 nucleases (CRISPR/Cas9) delivered by adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors. After AAV serotype and guide RNA (gRNA) optimization, we report that a single treatment with AAV2-expressing Staphylococcus aureus CRISPR/Cas9 (saCas9) with gRNA to the duplicated and essential VZV genes ORF62/71 (AAV2-62gRsaCas9) greatly reduced VZV progeny yield and cell-to-cell spread in representative epithelial cells and in lytically infected human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neurons. In contrast, AAV2-62gRsaCas9 did not reduce the replication of a recombinant virus mutated in the ORF62 targeted sequence, establishing that antiviral effects were a consequence of VZV-genome targeting. Delivery to latently infected and reactivation-induced neuron cultures also greatly reduced infectious-virus production. These results demonstrate the potential of AAV-delivered genome editors to limit VZV productive replication in epithelial cells, infected human neurons, and upon reactivation. The approach could be developed into a strategy for the treatment of VZV disease and virus spread in HZ.

Varicella-zoster virus early infection but not complete replication is required for the induction of chronic hypersensitivity in rat models of postherpetic neuralgia

Herpes zoster, the result of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) reactivation, is frequently complicated by difficult-to-treat chronic pain states termed postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). While there are no animal models of VZV-induced pain following viral reactivation, subcutaneous VZV inoculation of the rat causes long-term nocifensive behaviors indicative of mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity. Previous studies using UV-inactivated VZV in the rat model suggest viral gene expression is required for the development of pain behaviors. However, it remains unclear if complete infection processes are needed for VZV to induce hypersensitivity in this host. To further assess how gene expression and replication contribute, we developed and characterized three replication-conditional VZV using a protein degron system to achieve drug-dependent stability of essential viral proteins. Each virus was then assessed for induction of hypersensitivity in rats under replication permissive and nonpermissive conditions. VZV with a degron fused to ORF9p, a late structural protein that is required for virion assembly, induced nocifensive behaviors under both replication permissive and nonpermissive conditions, indicating that complete VZV replication is dispensable for the induction of hypersensitivity. This conclusion was confirmed by showing that a genetic deletion recombinant VZV lacking DNA packaging protein ORF54p still induced prolonged hypersensitivities in the rat. In contrast, VZV with a degron fused to the essential IE4 or IE63 proteins, which are involved in early gene regulation of expression, induced nocifensive behaviors only under replication permissive conditions, indicating importance of early gene expression events for induction of hypersensitivity. These data establish that while early viral gene expression is required for the development of nocifensive behaviors in the rat, complete replication is dispensable. We postulate this model reflects events leading to clinical PHN, in which a population of ganglionic neurons become abortively infected with VZV during reactivation and survive, but host signaling becomes altered in order to transmit ongoing pain.

The Role of Autophagy in Varicella Zoster Virus Infection

Autophagy is an evolutionary conserved cellular process serving to degrade cytosolic organelles or foreign material to maintain cellular homeostasis. Autophagy has also emerged as an important process involved in complex interactions with viral pathogens during infection. It has become apparent that autophagy may have either proviral or antiviral roles, depending on the cellular context and the specific virus. While evidence supports an antiviral role of autophagy during certain herpesvirus infections, numerous examples illustrate how herpesviruses may also evade autophagy pathways or even utilize this process to their own advantage. Here, we review the literature on varicella zoster virus (VZV) and autophagy and describe the mechanisms by which VZV may stimulate autophagy pathways and utilize these to promote cell survival or to support viral egress from cells. We also discuss recent evidence supporting an overall antiviral role of autophagy, particularly in relation to viral infection in neurons. Collectively, these studies suggest complex and sometimes opposing effects of autophagy in the context of VZV infection. Much remains to be understood concerning these virus–host interactions and the impact of autophagy on infections caused by VZV.

Unity and diversity among viral kinases

Viral kinases are known to undergo autophosphorylation and also phosphorylate viral and host substrates. Viral kinases have been implicated in various diseases and are also known to acquire host kinases for mimicking cellular functions and exhibit virulence. Although substantial analyses have been reported in the literature on diversity of viral kinases, there is a gap in the understanding of sequence and structural similarity among kinases from different classes of viruses. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of protein kinases encoded in viral genomes. Homology search methods have been used to identify kinases from 104,282 viral genomic datasets. Serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases are identified only in 390 viral genomes. Out of seven viral classes that are based on nature of genetic material, only viruses having double-stranded DNA and single-stranded RNA retroviruses are found to encode kinases. The 716 identified protein kinases are classified into 63 subfamilies based on their sequence similarity within each cluster, and sequence signatures have been identified for each subfamily. 11 clusters are well represented with at least 10 members in each of these clusters. Kinases from dsDNA viruses, Phycodnaviridae which infect green algae and Herpesvirales that infect vertebrates including human, form a major group. From our analysis, it has been observed that the protein kinases in viruses belonging to same taxonomic lineages form discrete clusters and the kinases encoded in alphaherpesvirus form host-specific clusters. A comprehensive sequence and structure-based analysis enabled us to identify the conserved residues or motifs in kinase catalytic domain regions across all viral kinases. Conserved sequence regions that are specific to a particular viral kinase cluster and the kinases that show close similarity to eukaryotic kinases were identified by using sequence and three-dimensional structural regions of eukaryotic kinases as reference. The regions specific to each viral kinase cluster can be used as signatures in the future in classifying uncharacterized viral kinases. We note that kinases from giant viruses Marseilleviridae have close similarity to viral oncogenes in the functional regions and in putative substrate binding regions indicating their possible role in cancer.

Analysis of IE62 mutations found in Varicella-Zoster virus vaccine strains for transactivation activity

Live attenuated vaccine strains have been developed for Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV). Compared to clinically isolated strains, the vaccine strains contain several non-synonymous mutations in open reading frames (ORFs) 0, 6, 31, 39, 55, 62, and 64. In particular, ORF62, encoding an immediate-early (IE) 62 protein that acts as a transactivator for viral gene expression, contains six non-synonymous mutations, but whether these mutations affect transactivation activity of IE62 is not understood. In this study, we investigated the role of non-synonymous vaccine-type mutations (M99T, S628G, R958G, V1197A, I1260V, and L1275S) of IE62 in Suduvax, a vaccine strain isolated in Korea, for transactivation activity. In reporter assays, Suduvax IE62 showed 2- to 4-fold lower transactivation activity toward ORF4, ORF28, ORF29, and ORF68 promoters than wild-type IE62. Introduction of individual M99T, S628G, R958G, or V1197A/I1260V/L1275S mutations into wild-type IE62 did not affect transactivation activity. However, the combination of M99T within the N-terminal Sp transcription factor binding region and V1197A/I1260V/L1275S within the C-terminal serine-enriched acidic domain (SEAD) significantly reduced the transactivation activity of IE62. The M99T/V1197A/I1260V/L1275S mutant IE62 did not show considerable alterations in intracellular distribution and Sp3 binding compared to wild-type IE62, suggesting that other alteration(s) may be responsible for the reduced transactivation activity. Collectively, our results suggest that acquisition of mutations in both Met 99 and the SEAD of IE62 is responsible for the reduced transactivation activity found in IE62 of the VZV vaccine strains and contributes to attenuation of the virus.

Vaccination Targeting Native Receptors to Enhance the Function and Proliferation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-Modified T Cells

Purpose: The multiple mechanisms used by solid tumors to suppress tumor-specific immune responses are a major barrier to the success of adoptively transferred tumor-specific T cells. As viruses induce potent innate and adaptive immune responses, we hypothesized that the immunogenicity of viruses could be harnessed for the treatment of solid tumors if virus-specific T cells (VST) were modified with tumor-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). We tested this hypothesis using VZV-specific T cells (VZVST) expressing a CAR for GD2, a disialoganglioside expressed on neuroblastoma and certain other tumors, so that the live-attenuated VZV vaccine could be used for in vivo stimulation.Experimental Design: We generated GMP-compliant, GD2.CAR-modified VZVSTs from healthy donors and cancer patients by stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with overlapping peptide libraries spanning selected VZV antigens, then tested their ability to recognize and kill GD2- and VZV antigen-expressing target cells.Results: Our choice of VZV antigens was validated by the observation that T cells specific for these antigens expanded in vivo after VZV vaccination. VZVSTs secreted cytokines in response to VZV antigens, killed VZV-infected target cells and limited infectious virus spread in autologous fibroblasts. However, while GD2.CAR-modified VZVSTs killed neuroblastoma cell lines on their first encounter, they failed to control tumor cells in subsequent cocultures. Despite this CAR-specific dysfunction, CAR-VZVSTs retained functional specificity for VZV antigens via their TCRs and GD2.CAR function was partially rescued by stimulation through the TCR or exposure to dendritic cell supernatants.Conclusions: Vaccination via the TCR may provide a means to reactivate CAR-T cells rendered dysfunctional by the tumor microenvironment (NCT01953900). Clin Cancer Res; 23(14); 3499-509. ©2017 AACR.

Characterization of a thienylcarboxamide derivative that inhibits the transactivation functions of cytomegalovirus IE2 and varicella zoster virus IE62

Previously we established reporter cell lines for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) and identified several antiviral compounds against these viruses using the reporter cells. In this study, we found that one of the identified anti-HCMV compounds, a thienylcarboxamide derivative (coded as 133G4), was effective against not only HCMV but also VZV. The following findings indicate that 133G4 inhibits the activation of early gene promoters by HCMV IE2 and VZV IE62: i) 133G4 decreased the expression of HCMV early and late genes but not that of HCMV IE1/IE2 in HCMV-infected cells, ii) 133G4 inhibited the activation of several HCMV early gene promoters of transiently-transfected plasmids in HCMV-infected cells, and iii) in transient transfection assays, 133G4 decreased the activation of HCMV (or VZV) early gene promoters by HCMV IE2 (or VZV IE62) in the absence of other viral protein expression. The inhibition of early gene activation was observed in the human and African green monkey cell lines but not in the rodent cell lines, and the compound was not effective against murine CMV. In addition, VZV IE62 activated HCMV early promoters, and 133G4 still inhibited such promoter activation. Therefore, we hypothesized that 133G4 targets a cellular factor used commonly in activation of human herpesvirus promoters and examined whether 133G4 affects the functions of cellular proteins USF1, TBP, Med25 and EAP, the involvement of which in VZV IE62-dependent viral gene activation has been well characterized. Our experimental results using one-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays demonstrated that 133G4 did not inhibit the recruitment of USF1 or TBP to their binding sites, nor inhibited the direct interactions of VZV IE62 with Med25 and EAP. Thus, 133G4 is a unique anti-VZV and -HCMV compound, which warrants further studies to find out its inhibitory mechanism.

Mutational analysis of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) immediate early protein (IE62) subdomains and their importance in viral replication

VZV IE62 is an essential, immediate-early, tegument protein and consists of five domains. We generated recombinant viruses carrying mutations in the first three IE62 domains and tested their influence on VZV replication kinetics. The mutations in domain I did not affect replication kinetics while domain II mutations, disrupting the DNA binding and dimerization domain (DBD), were lethal for VZV replication. Mutations in domain III of the nuclear localization signal (NLS) and the two phosphorylation sites S686A/S722A resulted in slower growth in early and late infection respectively and were associated with IE62 accumulation in the cytoplasm and nucleus respectively. This study mapped the functional domains of IE62 in context of viral infection, indicating that DNA binding and dimerization domain is essential for VZV replication. In addition, the correct localization of IE62, whether nuclear or cytoplasmic, at different points in the viral life cycle, is important for normal progression of VZV replication.

Functional Characterization of the Serine-Rich Tract of Varicella-Zoster Virus IE62

The immediate early 62 protein (IE62) of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a major viral trans-activator, initiates the virus life cycle and is a key component of pathogenesis. The IE62 possesses several domains essential for trans-activation, including an acidic trans-activation domain (TAD), a serine-rich tract (SRT), and binding domains for USF, TFIIB, and TATA box binding protein (TBP). Transient-transfection assays showed that the VZV IE62 lacking the SRT trans-activated the early VZV ORF61 promoter at only 16% of the level of the full-length IE62. When the SRT of IE62 was replaced with the SRT of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) IEP, its trans-activation activity was completely restored. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) ICP4 that lacks a TAD very weakly (1.5-fold) trans-activated the ORF61 promoter. An IE62 TAD-ICP4 chimeric protein exhibited trans-activation ability (10.2-fold), indicating that the IE62 TAD functions with the SRT of HSV-1 ICP4 to trans-activate viral promoters. When the serine and acidic residues of the SRT were replaced with Ala, Leu, and Gly, trans-activation activities of the modified IE62 proteins IE62-SRTΔSe and IE62-SRTΔAc were reduced to 46% and 29% of wild-type activity, respectively. Bimolecular complementation assays showed that the TAD of IE62, EHV-1 IEP, and HSV-1 VP16 interacted with Mediator 25 in human melanoma MeWo cells. The SRT of IE62 interacted with the nucleolar-ribosomal protein EAP, which resulted in the formation of globular structures within the nucleus. These results suggest that the SRT plays an important role in VZV viral gene expression and replication.

IMPORTANCE

The immediate early 62 protein (IE62) of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a major viral trans-activator and is essential for viral growth. Our data show that the serine-rich tract (SRT) of VZV IE62, which is well conserved within the alphaherpesviruses, is needed for trans-activation mediated by the acidic trans-activation domain (TAD). The TADs of IE62, EHV-1 IEP, and HSV-1 VP16 interacted with cellular Mediator 25 in bimolecular complementation assays. The interaction of the IE62 SRT with nucleolar-ribosomal protein EAP resulted in the formation of globular structures within the nucleus. Understanding the mechanisms by which the TAD and SRT of IE62 contribute to the function of this essential regulatory protein is important in understanding the gene program of this human pathogen.

Characterization of a Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) Chimera in Which the Us3 Protein Kinase Gene Is Replaced with the HSV-2 Us3 Gene

Us3 protein kinases encoded by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) play important roles in viral replication and pathogenicity. To investigate type-specific differences between HSV-1 Us3 and HSV-2 Us3 in cells infected by viruses with all the same viral gene products except for their Us3 kinases, we constructed and characterized a recombinant HSV-1 in which its Us3 gene was replaced with the HSV-2 Us3 gene. Replacement of HSV-1 Us3 with HSV-2 Us3 had no apparent effect on viral growth in cell cultures or on the range of proteins phosphorylated by Us3. HSV-2 Us3 efficiently compensated for HSV-1 Us3 functions, including blocking apoptosis, controlling infected cell morphology, and downregulating cell surface expression of viral envelope glycoprotein B. In contrast, replacement of HSV-1 Us3 by HSV-2 Us3 changed the phosphorylation status of UL31 and UL34, which are critical viral regulators of nuclear egress. It also caused aberrant localization of these viral proteins and aberrant accumulation of primary enveloped virions in membranous vesicle structures adjacent to the nuclear membrane, and it reduced viral cell-cell spread in cell cultures and pathogenesis in mice. These results clearly demonstrated biological differences between HSV-1 Us3 and HSV-2 Us3, especially in regulation of viral nuclear egress and phosphorylation of viral regulators critical for this process. Our study also suggested that the regulatory role(s) of HSV-1 Us3, which was not carried out by HSV-2 Us3, was important for HSV-1 cell-cell spread and pathogenesis in vivo.

IMPORTANCE

A previous study comparing the phenotypes of HSV-1 and HSV-2 suggested that the HSV-2 Us3 kinase lacked some of the functions of HSV-1 Us3 kinase. The difference between HSV-1 and HSV-2 Us3 kinases appeared to be due to the fact that some Us3 phosphorylation sites in HSV-1 proteins are not conserved in the corresponding HSV-2 proteins. Therefore, we generated recombinant HSV-1 strains YK781 (Us3-chimera) with HSV-2 Us3 and its repaired virus YK783 (Us3-repair) with HSV-1 Us3, to compare the activities of HSV-1 Us3 and HSV-2 Us3 in cells infected by viruses with the same HSV-1 gene products except for their Us3 kinases. We report here that some processes in viral nuclear egress and pathogenesis in vivo that have been attributed to HSV-1 Us3 could not be carried out by HSV-2 Us3. Therefore, our study clarified the biological differences between HSV-1 Us3 and HSV-2 Us3, which may be relevant to viral pathogenesis in vivo.

Insights into the function of tegument proteins from the varicella zoster virus

Chickenpox (varicella) is caused by primary infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV), which can establish long-term latency in the host ganglion. Once reactivated, the virus can cause shingles (zoster) in the host. VZV has a typical herpesvirus virion structure consisting of an inner DNA core, a capsid, a tegument, and an outer envelope. The tegument is an amorphous layer enclosed between the nucleocapsid and the envelope, which contains a variety of proteins. However, the types and functions of VZV tegument proteins have not yet been completely determined. In this review, we describe the current knowledge on the multiple roles played by VZV tegument proteins during viral infection. Moreover, we discuss the VZV tegument protein-protein interactions and their impact on viral tissue tropism in SCID-hu mice. This will help us develop a better understanding of how the tegument proteins aid viral DNA replication, evasion of host immune response, and pathogenesis.

Functional characterization of ocular-derived human alphaherpesvirus cross-reactive CD4 T cells

Intraocular varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and HSV type 1 (HSV-1) infections cause sight-threatening uveitis. The disease is characterized by an intraocular inflammatory response involving herpesvirus-specific T cells. T cell reactivity to the noncausative human alphaherpesvirus (αHHV) is commonly detected in the affected eyes of herpetic uveitis patients, suggesting the role of cross-reactive T cells in the disease. This study aimed to identify and functionally characterize intraocular human alphaherpesvirus cross-reactive T cells. VZV protein immediate early 62 (IE62), which shares extensive homology with HSV ICP4, is a previously identified T cell target in VZV uveitis. Two VZV-specific CD4 T cell clones (TCC), recovered from the eye of a VZV uveitis patient, recognized the same IE62918-927 peptide using different TCR and HLA-DR alleles. The IE62918-927 peptide bound with high affinity to multiple HLA-DR alleles and was recognized by blood-derived T cells of 5 of 17 HSV-1/VZV-seropositive healthy adults but not in cord blood donors (n = 5). Despite complete conservation of the IE62 epitope in the orthologous protein ICP4 of HSV-1 and HSV-2, the TCC recognized VZV and HSV-1- but not HSV-2-infected B cells. This was not attributed to proximal epitope-flanking amino acid polymorphisms in HSV-2 ICP4. Notably, VZV/HSV-1 cross-reactive CD4 T cells controlled VZV but not HSV-1 infection of human primary retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. In conclusion, we report on the first VZV/HSV-1 cross-reactive CD4 T cell epitope, which is HLA-DR promiscuous and immunoprevalent in coinfected individuals. Moreover, ocular-derived peptide-specific CD4 TCC controlled VZV but not HSV-1 infection of RPE cells, suggesting that HSV-1 actively inhibits CD4 T cell activation by infected human RPE cells.

Molecular mechanisms of varicella zoster virus pathogenesis

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is the causative agent of varicella (chickenpox) and zoster (shingles). Investigating VZV pathogenesis is challenging as VZV is a human-specific virus and infection does not occur, or is highly restricted, in other species. However, the use of human tissue xenografts in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) enables the analysis of VZV infection in differentiated human cells in their typical tissue microenvironment. Xenografts of human skin, dorsal root ganglia or foetal thymus that contains T cells can be infected with mutant viruses or in the presence of inhibitors of viral or cellular functions to assess the molecular mechanisms of VZV-host interactions. In this Review, we discuss how these models have improved our understanding of VZV pathogenesis.

Autophagy and the effects of its inhibition on varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein biosynthesis and infectivity

Autophagy and the effects of its inhibition or induction were investigated during the entire infectious cycle of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a human herpesvirus. As a baseline, we first enumerated the number of autophagosomes per cell after VZV infection compared with the number after induction of autophagy following serum starvation or treatment with tunicamycin or trehalose. Punctum induction by VZV was similar in degree to punctum induction by trehalose in uninfected cells. Treatment of infected cells with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) markedly reduced the viral titer, as determined by assays measuring both cell-free virus and infectious foci (P < 0.0001). We next examined a virion-enriched band purified by density gradient sedimentation and observed that treatment with 3-MA decreased the amount of VZV gE, while treatment with trehalose increased the amount of gE in the same band. Because VZV gE is the most abundant glycoprotein, we selected gE as a representative viral glycoprotein. To further investigate the role of autophagy in VZV glycoprotein biosynthesis as well as confirm the results obtained with 3-MA inhibition, we transfected cells with ATG5 small interfering RNA to block autophagosome formation. VZV-induced syncytium formation was markedly reduced by ATG5 knockdown (P < 0.0001). Further, we found that both expression and glycan processing of VZV gE were decreased after ATG5 knockdown, while expression of the nonglycosylated IE62 tegument protein was unchanged. Taken together, our cumulative results not only documented abundant autophagy within VZV-infected cells throughout the infectious cycle but also demonstrated that VZV-induced autophagy facilitated VZV glycoprotein biosynthesis and processing.

Herpes simplex virus 1 serine/threonine kinase US3 hyperphosphorylates IRF3 and inhibits beta interferon production

Viral infection initiates a series of signaling cascades that lead to the transcription of interferons (IFNs), finally inducing interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) to eliminate viruses. Viruses have evolved a variety of strategies to modulate host IFN-mediated immune responses. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) US3, a Ser/Thr kinase conserved in alphaherpesviruses, was previously reported to counteract host innate immunity; however, the molecular mechanism is elusive. In this study, we report that US3 blocks IFN-β production by hyperphosphorylating IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Ectopic expression of US3 protein significantly inhibited Sendai virus (SeV)-mediated activation of IFN-β and IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE) promoters and the transcription of IFN-β, ISG54, and ISG56. US3 was also shown to block SeV-induced dimerization and nuclear translocation of IRF3. The kinase activity was indispensable for its inhibitory function, as kinase-dead (KD) US3 mutants K220M and D305A could not inhibit IFN-β production. Furthermore, US3 interacted with and hyperphosphorylated IRF3 at Ser175 to prevent IRF3 activation. Finally, the US3 KD mutant viruses were constructed and denoted K220M or D305A HSV-1, respectively. Cells and mice infected with both mutant viruses produced remarkably larger amounts of IFN-β than those infected with wild-type HSV-1. For the first time, these findings provide convincing evidence that US3 hyperphosphorylates IRF3, blocks the production of IFN-β, and subverts host innate immunity.

Age and immune status of rhesus macaques impact simian varicella virus gene expression in sensory ganglia

Simian varicella virus (SVV) infection of rhesus macaques (RMs) recapitulates the hallmarks of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection of humans, including the establishment of latency within the sensory ganglia. Various factors, including age and immune fitness, influence the outcome of primary VZV infection, as well as reactivation resulting in herpes zoster (HZ). To increase our understanding of the role of lymphocyte subsets in the establishment of viral latency, we analyzed the latent SVV transcriptome in juvenile RMs depleted of CD4 T, CD8 T, or CD20 B lymphocytes during acute infection. We have previously shown that SVV latency in sensory ganglia of nondepleted juvenile RMs is associated with a limited transcriptional profile. In contrast, CD4 depletion during primary infection resulted in the failure to establish a characteristic latent viral transcription profile in sensory ganglia, where we detected 68 out of 69 SVV-encoded open reading frames (ORFs). CD-depleted RMs displayed a latent transcriptional profile that included additional viral transcripts within the core region of the genome not detected in control RMs. The latent transcriptome of CD20-depleted RMs was comparable to the latent transcription in the sensory ganglia of control RMs. Lastly, we investigated the impact of age on the establishment of SVV latency. SVV gene expression was more active in ganglia from two aged RMs than in ganglia from juvenile RMs, with 25 of 69 SVV transcripts detected. Therefore, immune fitness at the time of infection modulates the establishment and/or maintenance of SVV latency.

Varicella zoster virus-induced pain and post-herpetic neuralgia in the human host and in rodent animal models

Pain and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) are common and highly distressing complications of herpes zoster that remain a significant public health concern and in need of improved therapies. Zoster results from reactivation of the herpesvirus varicella zoster virus (VZV) from a neuronal latent state established at the primary infection (varicella). PHN occurs in some one fifth to one third of zoster cases with severity, incidence, and duration of pain increasing with rising patient age. While VZV reactivation and the ensuing ganglionic damage trigger the pain response, the mechanisms underlying protracted PHN are not understood, and the lack of an animal model of herpes zoster (reactivation) makes this issue more challenging. A recent preclinical rodent model has developed that opens up the potential to allow the exploration of the underlying mechanisms and treatments for VZV-induced pain. Rats inoculated with live cell-associated human VZV into the hind paw reliably demonstrate thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia for extended periods and then spontaneously recover. Dorsal root ganglia express a limited VZV gene subset, including the IE62 regulatory protein, and upregulate expression of markers suggesting a neuropathic pain state. The model has been used to investigate treatment modalities and aspects of pain signaling and is under investigation by the authors to delineate VZV genetics involved in the induction of pain. This article compares human zoster-associated pain and PHN to the pain indicators in the rat and poses important questions that, if answered, could be the basis for new treatments.

Phosphorylation events during viral infections provide potential therapeutic targets

For many medically relevant viruses, there is now considerable evidence that both viral and cellular kinases play important roles in viral infection. Ultimately, these kinases, and the cellular signaling pathways that they exploit, may serve as therapeutic targets for treating patients. Currently, small molecule inhibitors of kinases are under investigation as therapy for herpes viral infections. Additionally, a number of cellular or host-directed tyrosine kinase inhibitors that have been previously FDA approved for cancer treatment are under study in animal models and clinical trials, as they have shown promise for the treatment of various viral infections as well. This review will highlight the wide range of viral proteins phosphorylated by viral and cellular kinases, and the potential for variability of kinase recognition sites within viral substrates to impact phosphorylation and kinase prediction. Research studying kinase-targeting prophylactic and therapeutic treatments for a number of viral infections will also be discussed.

Simian varicella virus gene expression during acute and latent infection of rhesus macaques

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a neurotropic α-herpesvirus that causes chickenpox during primary infection and establishes latency in sensory ganglia. Reactivation of VZV results in herpes zoster and other neurological complications. Our understanding of the VZV transcriptome during acute and latent infection in immune competent individuals remains incomplete. Infection of rhesus macaques with the homologous simian varicella virus (SVV) recapitulates the hallmarks of VZV infection. We therefore characterized the SVV transcriptome by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR during acute infection in bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL) cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and during latency in sensory ganglia obtained from the same rhesus macaques. During acute infection, all known SVV open reading frames (ORFs) were detected, and the most abundantly expressed ORFs are involved in virus replication and assembly such as the transcriptional activator ORF 63 and the structural proteins ORF 41 and ORF 49. In contrast, latent SVV gene expression is highly restricted. ORF 61, a viral transactivator and latency-associated transcript, is the most prevalent transcript detected in sensory ganglia. We also detected ORFs A, B, 4, 10, 63, 64, 65, 66, and 68 though significantly less frequently than ORF 61. This comprehensive analysis has revealed genes that potentially play a role in the establishment and/or maintenance of SVV latency.

Molecular studies of the Oka varicella vaccine

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is one of eight members of the Herpesviridae family for which humans are the primary host; it causes two distinct diseases, varicella (chickenpox) and zoster (shingles). Varicella results from primary infection, during which the virus establishes latency in sensory neurons, a characteristic of all members of the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily. Zoster is caused by reactivation of latent virus, which typically occurs when cellular immunity is impaired. VZV is the first human herpesvirus for which a vaccine has been licensed. The vaccine preparation, v-Oka, is a live-attenuated virus stock produced by the classic method of tissue culture passage in animal and human cell lines. Over 90 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in countries worldwide, including the USA, where varicella morbidity and mortality has declined dramatically. Over the last decade, several laboratories have been committed to investigating the mechanism by which the Oka vaccine is attenuated. Mutations have accumulated across the genome of the vaccine during the attenuation process; however, studies of the contribution of these changes to vaccine attenuation have been hampered by the lack of a suitable animal model of VZV disease and by the heterogeneity that exists among the viral population within the vaccine preparation. Notwithstanding, a wealth of data has been generated using various laboratory methodologies. Studies of the vaccine virus in human xenografts implanted in severe combined immunodeficiency-hu mice, have enabled analyses of the replication dynamics of the vaccine in dorsal root ganglia, T lymphocytes and skin. In vitro assays have been used to investigate the effect of vaccine mutations on viral gene expression and sequence analysis of vaccine rash viruses has permitted investigations into spread of the vaccine virus in a human host. We present here a review of what has been learned thus far about the molecular and phenotypic characteristics of the Oka vaccine.

Autophagosome formation during varicella-zoster virus infection following endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response

Autophagy is a recently recognized component of the life cycle of varicella-zoster virus (VZV). We have documented abundant autophagosome formation in skin vesicles (final site of virion assembly) from randomly selected cases of varicella and zoster. The fact that autophagy was an early event in the VZV replication cycle was documented by finding infected vesicle cells with the VZV IE62 protein confined to the nucleus. Next, we pursued studies in VZV-infected cultured cells to define whether autophagy was preceded by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR). First, we demonstrated that autophagosome formation in infected cells closely resembled that seen after treatment of cells with tunicamycin, a potent initiator of ER stress. Second, we demonstrated a marked expansion of ER size in both VZV-infected cells and cells transfected with the predominant VZV glycoprotein complex gE/gI. An enlarged ER is critical evidence of ER stress, which in turn is relieved by the UPR. To this end, we documented the UPR by detecting the alternatively spliced form of the XBP1 protein as well as CHOP (C/EBP homologous protein), both transcriptional activators of other UPR genes in an ER stress-dependent manner. Because VZV does not encode inhibitors of autophagy, the above results suggested that autophagy was a common event in VZV-infected cells and that it was provoked at least in part by ER stress secondary to overly abundant VZV glycoprotein biosynthesis, which led to UPR activation in an attempt to maintain cellular homeostasis.

Regulation of nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of viral proteins: an integral role in pathogenesis?

Signal-dependent targeting of proteins into and out of the nucleus is mediated by members of the importin (IMP) family of transport receptors, which recognise targeting signals within a cargo protein and mediate passage through the nuclear envelope-embedded nuclear pore complexes. Regulation of this process is paramount to processes such as cell division and differentiation, but is also critically important for viral replication and pathogenesis; phosphorylation appears to play a major role in regulating viral protein nucleocytoplasmic trafficking, along with other posttranslational modifications. This review focuses on viral proteins that utilise the host cell IMP machinery in order to traffic into/out of the nucleus, and in particular those where trafficking is critical to viral replication and/or pathogenesis, such as simian virus SV40 large tumour antigen (T-ag), human papilloma virus E1 protein, human cytomegalovirus processivity factor ppUL44, and various gene products from RNA viruses such as Rabies. Understanding of the mechanisms regulating viral protein nucleocytoplasmic trafficking is paramount to the future development of urgently needed specific and effective anti-viral therapeutics. This article was originally intended for the special issue "Regulation of Signaling and Cellular Fate through Modulation of Nuclear Protein Import". The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience caused.

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.

The varicella-zoster virus ORF47 kinase interferes with host innate immune response by inhibiting the activation of IRF3

The innate immune response constitutes the first line of host defence that limits viral spread and plays an important role in the activation of adaptive immune response. Viral components are recognized by specific host pathogen recognition receptors triggering the activation of IRF3. IRF3, along with NF-κB, is a key regulator of IFN-β expression. Until now, the role of IRF3 in the activation of the innate immune response during Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) infection has been poorly studied. In this work, we demonstrated for the first time that VZV rapidly induces an atypical phosphorylation of IRF3 that is inhibitory since it prevents subsequent IRF3 homodimerization and induction of target genes. Using a mutant virus unable to express the viral kinase ORF47p, we demonstrated that (i) IRF3 slower-migrating form disappears; (ii) IRF3 is phosphorylated on serine 396 again and recovers the ability to form homodimers; (iii) amounts of IRF3 target genes such as IFN-β and ISG15 mRNA are greater than in cells infected with the wild-type virus; and (iv) IRF3 physically interacts with ORF47p. These data led us to hypothesize that the viral kinase ORF47p is involved in the atypical phosphorylation of IRF3 during VZV infection, which prevents its homodimerization and subsequent induction of target genes such as IFN-β and ISG15.

Roles of cellular transcription factors in VZV replication

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is the causative agent of chickenpox and shingles. During productive infection the complete VZV proteome consisting of some 68 unique gene products is expressed through interaction of a small number of viral transcriptional activators with the general transcription apparatus of the host cell. Recent work has shown that the major viral transactivator, commonly designated the IE62 protein, interacts with the human Mediator of transcription. This interaction requires direct contact between the MED25 subunit of Mediator and the acidic N-terminal transactivation domain of IE62. A second cellular factor, host cell factor-1, has been shown to be the common element in two mechanisms of activation of the promoter driving expression of the gene encoding IE62. Finally, the ubiquitous cellular transcription factors Sp1, Sp3, and YY1 have been shown to interact with sequences near the VZV origin of DNA replication and in the case of Sp1/Sp3 to influence replication efficiency.

Viral serine/threonine protein kinases

Phosphorylation represents one the most abundant and important posttranslational modifications of proteins, including viral proteins. Virus-encoded serine/threonine protein kinases appear to be a feature that is unique to large DNA viruses. Although the importance of these kinases for virus replication in cell culture is variable, they invariably play important roles in virus virulence. The current review provides an overview of the different viral serine/threonine protein kinases of several large DNA viruses and discusses their function, importance, and potential as antiviral drug targets.

Regulation of the expression of the varicella-zoster virus open reading frame 66 gene

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame (ORF) 66 encodes a serine/threonine kinase that phosphorylates the major viral transactivator protein, immediate-early (IE) 62, preventing its nuclear importation. Cytoplasmic sequestration of IE62 may alter viral gene transcription and could serve as a mechanism for maintaining VZV latency. We examined the regulation of expression of the ORF66 gene by mapping the promoter region, which was localized to within 150 bases of the start codon. The ORF66 promoter was activated by two viral regulatory proteins, IE62 and IE63. We evaluated the binding of viral regulatory proteins and cellular transcription factors based on recognized cellular transcription factor binding sites identified within the ORF66 promoter. These included Sp1 and TBP binding sites, several of which were essential for optimal promoter activity. Site-directed mutations in Sp1 and TBP binding sites led to varying degrees of impairment of ORF66 gene expression in the context of VZV infection. We also examined the effect of Sp1 and TBP mutations on IE62, Sp1, and TBP binding. These studies reveal that host cell-derived and viral factors contribute to and cooperate in the expression of this important viral kinase gene.

The alphaherpesvirus US3/ORF66 protein kinases direct phosphorylation of the nuclear matrix protein matrin 3

The protein kinase found in the short region of alphaherpesviruses, termed US3 in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and pseudorabies virus (PRV) and ORF66 in varicella-zoster virus (VZV), affects several viral and host cell processes, and its specific targets remain an area of active investigation. Reports suggesting that HSV-1 US3 substrates overlap with those of cellular protein kinase A (PKA) prompted the use of an antibody specific for phosphorylated PKA substrates to identify US3/ORF66 targets. HSV-1, VZV, and PRV induced very different substrate profiles that were US3/ORF66 kinase dependent. The predominant VZV-phosphorylated 125-kDa species was identified as matrin 3, one of the major nuclear matrix proteins. Matrin 3 was also phosphorylated by HSV-1 and PRV in a US3 kinase-dependent manner and by VZV ORF66 kinase at a novel residue (KRRRT150EE). Since VZV-directed T150 phosphorylation was not blocked by PKA inhibitors and was not induced by PKA activation, and since PKA predominantly targeted matrin 3 S188, it was concluded that phosphorylation by VZV was PKA independent. However, purified VZV ORF66 kinase did not phosphorylate matrin 3 in vitro, suggesting that additional cellular factors were required. In VZV-infected cells in the absence of the ORF66 kinase, matrin 3 displayed intranuclear changes, while matrin 3 showed a pronounced cytoplasmic distribution in late-stage cells infected with US3-negative HSV-1 or PRV. This work identifies phosphorylation of the nuclear matrix protein matrin 3 as a new conserved target of this kinase group.

Keep it in the subfamily: the conserved alphaherpesvirus US3 protein kinase

The US3 protein kinase is conserved over the alphaherpesvirus subfamily. Increasing evidence shows that, although the kinase is generally not required for virus replication in cell culture, it plays a pivotal and in some cases an essential role in virus virulence in vivo. The US3 protein is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase that is involved in viral gene expression, virion morphogenesis, remodelling the actin cytoskeleton and the evasion of several antiviral host responses. In the current review, both the well conserved and virus-specific functions of alphaherpesvirus US3 protein kinase orthologues will be discussed.

Hyperphosphorylation of histone deacetylase 2 by alphaherpesvirus US3 kinases

A serine/threonine (S/T) kinase encoded by the US3 gene of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is conserved in varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and pseudorabies virus (PRV). Expression of US3 kinase in cells transformed with US3 expression plasmids or infected with each virus results in hyperphosphorylation of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2). Mapping studies revealed that each US3 kinase phosphorylates HDAC2 at the same unique conserved Ser residue in its C terminus. HDAC2 was also hyperphosphorylated in cells infected with PRV lacking US3 kinase, indicating that hyperphosphorylation of HDAC2 by PRV occurs in a US3-independent manner. Specific chemical inhibition of class I HDAC activity increases the plaquing efficiency of VZV and PRV lacking US3 or its enzymatic activity, whereas only minimal effects are observed with wild-type viruses, suggesting that VZV and PRV US3 kinase activities target HDACs to reduce viral genome silencing and allow efficient viral replication. However, no effect was observed for wild-type or US3 null HSV-1. Thus, we have demonstrated that while HDAC2 is a conserved target of alphaherpesvirus US3 kinases, the functional significance of these events is virus specific.

Varicella-zoster virus open reading frame 66 protein kinase and its relationship to alphaherpesvirus US3 kinases

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame (ORF) 66 encodes a basophilic kinase orthologous to the US3 protein kinases found in all alphaherpesviruses. This review summarizes current information on the ORF66 kinase, and outlines apparent differences from other US3 kinases, as well as some of the conserved functions. One critical difference is the VZV ORF66 kinase targeting of the major regulatory VZV IE62 protein to control its nuclear import and assembly into the VZV virion, which is so far unprecedented in the alphaherpesviruses. However, ORF66 targets some cellular targets which are also targeted by US3 kinases of other herpesviruses, including the histone deacetylase-1 and 2 proteins, pathways that lead to changes in actin dynamics, and the targeting of substrates of protein kinase A, including the nuclear matrix protein matrin 3.

Major tegument protein VP8 of bovine herpesvirus 1 is phosphorylated by viral US3 and cellular CK2 protein kinases

The UL47 gene product, VP8, is one of the major tegument proteins of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) and is subject to phosphorylation. Analysis of protein bands co-immunoprecipitated with VP8 from BoHV-1-infected cells by mass spectroscopy suggested that VP8 interacts with two protein kinases: cellular CK2 and viral US3. CK2 is a highly conserved cellular protein, expressed ubiquitously and known to phosphorylate numerous proteins. The US3 gene product is one of the viral kinases produced by BoHV-1 during infection. Interactions of CK2 and US3 with VP8 were confirmed outside the context of infection when FLAG–VP8 was expressed alone or co-expressed with US3–haemagglutinin tag in Cos-7 cells. Furthermore, VP8 and US3 were found to co-localize in the nucleus during viral infection. To explore the significance of these interactions, an in vitro kinase assay was performed, which demonstrated that VP8 is heavily phosphorylated by CK2. In the presence of the highly specific CK2 kinase inhibitor 2-dimethylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-1H-benzimidazole (DMAT), phosphorylation of VP8 was significantly reduced. Phosphorylation of VP8 was also inhibited by the presence of kenpaullone, a less specific CK2 inhibitor, but not by protein kinase CK1 or protein kinase C inhibitors. When VP8 and US3 were both included in the kinase assay in the presence of DMAT, phosphorylation of VP8 was again observed. Autophosphorylation of US3 was also detected and was not inhibited by DMAT. Based on these results, it is proposed that VP8 interacts with cellular CK2 and viral US3 in BoHV-1-infected cells, and is in turn subject to kinase activities associated with both of these proteins.

Histone deacetylases 1 and 2 are phosphorylated at novel sites during varicella-zoster virus infection

ORF66p, a virion-associated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) protein, is a member of a conserved Alphaherpesvirinae kinase family with homology to herpes simplex virus US3 kinase. Expression of ORF66p in cells infected with VZV or an adenovirus expressing only ORF66p results in hyperphosphorylation of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and HDAC2. Mapping studies reveal that phosphorylation is at a unique conserved Ser residue in the C terminus of both HDACs. This modification requires an active kinase domain in ORF66p, as neither protein is phosphorylated in cells infected with VZV lacking kinase activity. However, hyperphosphorylation appears to occur indirectly, as within the context of in vitro kinase reactions, purified ORF66p phosphorylates a peptide derived from ORF62p, a known substrate, but does not phosphorylate HDAC. These results support a model where ORF66p is necessary but not sufficient to effect hyperphosphorylation of HDAC1 and HDAC2.

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.

Regulation of the catalytic activity of herpes simplex virus 1 protein kinase Us3 by autophosphorylation and its role in pathogenesis

Us3 is a serine/threonine protein kinase encoded by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). We recently identified serine at Us3 position 147 (Ser-147) as a physiological phosphorylation site of Us3 (A. Kato, M. Tanaka, M. Yamamoto, R. Asai, T. Sata, Y. Nishiyama, and Y. Kawaguchi, J. Virol. 82:6172-6189, 2008). In the present study, we investigated the effects of phosphorylation of Us3 Ser-147 on regulation of Us3 catalytic activity in infected cells and on HSV-1 pathogenesis. Our results were as follows. (i) Only a small fraction of Us3 purified from infected cells was phosphorylated at Ser-147. (ii) Us3 phosphorylated at Ser-147 purified from infected cells had significantly higher kinase activity than Us3 not phosphorylated at Ser-147. (iii) Phosphorylation of Us3 Ser-147 in infected cells was dependent on Us3 kinase activity. (iv) Replacement of Us3 Ser-147 by alanine significantly reduced viral replication in the mouse cornea and the development of herpes stromal keratitis and periocular skin disease in mice. These results indicated that Us3 catalytic activity is tightly regulated by autophosphorylation of Ser-147 in infected cells and that regulation of Us3 activity by autophosphorylation appeared to play a critical role in viral replication in vivo and in HSV-1 pathogenesis.

Herpes simplex virus 1 protein kinase Us3 phosphorylates viral envelope glycoprotein B and regulates its expression on the cell surface

Us3 is a serine-threonine protein kinase encoded by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). As reported here, we attempted to identify the previously unreported physiological substrate of Us3 in HSV-1-infected cells. Our results were as follows. (i) Bioinformatics analysis predicted two putative Us3 phosphorylation sites in the viral envelope glycoprotein B (gB) at codons 557 to 562 (RRVSAR) and codons 884 to 889 (RRNTNY). (ii) In in vitro kinase assays, the threonine residue at position 887 (Thr-887) in the gB domain was specifically phosphorylated by Us3, while the serine residue at position 560 was not. (iii) The phosphorylation of gB Thr-887 in Vero cells infected with wild-type HSV-1 was specifically detected using an antibody that recognized phosphorylated serine or threonine residues with arginine at the -3 and -2 positions. (iv) The phosphorylation of gB Thr-887 in infected cells was dependent on the kinase activity of Us3. (v) The replacement of Thr-887 with alanine markedly upregulated the cell surface expression of gB in infected cells, whereas replacement with aspartic acid, which sometimes mimics constitutive phosphorylation, restored the wild-type phenotype. The upregulation of gB expression on the cell surface also was observed in cells infected with a recombinant HSV-1 encoding catalytically inactive Us3. These results supported the hypothesis that Us3 phosphorylates gB and downregulates the cell surface expression of gB in HSV-1-infected cells.

Varicella-zoster virus IE62 protein utilizes the human mediator complex in promoter activation

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) major transactivator, IE62, is involved in the expression of all kinetic classes of VZV genes and can also activate cellular promoters, promoters from heterologous viruses, and artificial promoters containing only TATA elements. A key component of the mechanism of IE62 transactivation is an acidic activation domain comprising the N-terminal 86 amino acids of IE62. However, the cellular target of this N-terminal acidic activation is unknown. In the work presented here, we show that the IE62 activation domain targets the human Mediator complex via the Med25 (ARC92) subunit and that this interaction appears to be fundamental for transactivation by the IE62 activation domain. In contrast, the Med23 subunit (Sur2/TRAP150beta/DRIP130/CRSP130) of the Mediator complex is not essential for IE62-mediated activation. Further, the IE62 activation domain appears to selectively interact with a form of the Mediator complex lacking CDK8. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments showed that IE62 stimulates recruitment of Mediator to an IE62-responsive model promoter. Finally, immunofluorescence microscopy of VZV-infected cells demonstrated intranuclear translocation of the Mediator complex to viral replication compartments. These studies suggest that Mediator is an essential component for efficient VZV gene expression.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 1/cyclin B1 phosphorylates varicella-zoster virus IE62 and is incorporated into virions

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), an alphaherpesvirus restricted to humans, infects differentiated cells in vivo, including T lymphocytes, keratinocytes, and neurons, and spreads rapidly in confluent cultured dermal fibroblasts (HFFs). In VZV-infected HFFs, atypical expression of cyclins D3 and B1 occurs along with the induction of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity. A specific CDK1 inhibitor blocked VZV spread, indicating an important function for this cellular kinase in VZV replication. CDK activity assays of infected cells revealed a large viral phosphoprotein that was identified as being the major immediate-early transactivator, IE62. Since IE62 colocalized with CDK1/cyclin B1 by confocal microscopy, we investigated whether this cellular kinase complex interacts with IE62. Using recombinant fragments of IE62 spanning the entire amino acid sequence, we found that purified CDK1/cyclin B1 phosphorylated IE62 at residues T10, S245, and T680 in vitro. Immunoprecipitation of cyclin B1 from VZV-infected HFFs indicated that IE62 was included in the complex within infected cells. The full-length IE62 protein, obtained by immunoprecipitation from infected cells, was also phosphorylated by purified CDK1/cyclin B1. Based on IE62/CDK1/cyclin B1 colocalization near viral assembly regions, we hypothesized that these cellular proteins could be incorporated into VZV virions with IE62. Purified virions were analyzed by immunoblotting for the presence of CDK1 and cyclin B1, and active CDK1 and cyclin B1 were present in the VZV tegument with IE62 and were sensitive to detergent treatment. Thus, IE62 is a substrate for CDK1/cyclin B1, and virions could deliver the active cellular kinase to nondividing cells that normally do not express it.

Development and pathogenic evaluation of recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1 expressing two fluorescent reporter genes from different lytic promoters

To develop means to explore viral gene expression in ganglia without laborious histological sectioning and staining, we created a two color fluorescent recombinant HSV-1, in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and red fluorescent protein (RFP) are expressed from the glycoprotein B (gB) and glycoprotein C (gC) promoters respectively. We show that this virus retained growth and pathogenic capacity both in vitro and in vivo compared to wild type HSV-1; established latent infections with similar genome copy number in trigeminal ganglia (TG); induced a similar HSV-specific CD8(+) T cell infiltrate; did not induce CD8(+) T cells reactive to EGFP or RFP; and reactivated from latency with normal kinetics in ex vivo TG cultures. Fluorescent EGFP expression in plaques surrounding neurons preceded RFP expression and provided highly sensitive detection of reactivation and different stages of infection in ex vivo TG cultures. Expression of both EGFP and RFP in neurons was readily detectable in whole mounts of TG excised during acute infection and following in vivo sodium butyrate-induced reactivation from latency. This virus constitutes a useful reagent for monitoring lytic viral promoter activity in sensory neurons in vivo and in vitro.

Varicella-zoster virus open reading frame 66 protein kinase is required for efficient viral growth in primary human corneal stromal fibroblast cells

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame 66 (ORF66) encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase that is not required for VZV growth in most cell types but is needed for efficient growth in T cells. The ORF66 kinase affects nuclear import and virion packaging of IE62, the major regulatory protein, and is known to regulate apoptosis in T cells. Here, we further examined the importance of ORF66 using VZV recombinants expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged functional and kinase-negative ORF66 proteins. VZV virions with truncated or kinase-inactivated ORF66 protein were marginally reduced for growth and progeny yields in MRC-5 fibroblasts but were severely growth and replication impaired in low-passage primary human corneal stromal fibroblasts (PCF). To determine if the growth impairment was due to ORF66 kinase regulation of IE62 nuclear import, recombinant VZVs that expressed IE62 with alanine residues at S686, the suspected target by which ORF66 kinase blocks IE62 nuclear import, were made. IE62 S686A expressed by the VZV recombinant remained nuclear throughout infection and was not packaged into virions. However, the mutant virus still replicated efficiently in PCF cells. We also show that inactivation of the ORF66 kinase resulted in only marginally increased levels of apoptosis in PCF cells, which could not fully account for the cell-specific growth requirement of ORF66 kinase. Thus, the unique short region VZV kinase has important cell-type-specific functions that are separate from those affecting IE62 and apoptosis.

Identification of a physiological phosphorylation site of the herpes simplex virus 1-encoded protein kinase Us3 which regulates its optimal catalytic activity in vitro and influences its function in infected cells

Us3 is a serine/threonine protein kinase encoded by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Here, we report the identification of a physiological Us3 phosphorylation site on serine at position 147 (Ser-147) which regulates its protein kinase activity in vitro. Moreover, mutation of this site influences Us3 function, including correct localization of the enzyme and induction of the usual morphological changes in HSV-1-infected cells. These conclusions are based on the following observations: (i) in in vitro kinase assays, a domain of Us3 containing Ser-147 was specifically phosphorylated by Us3 and protein kinase A, while a mutant domain in which Ser-147 was replaced with alanine was not; (ii) in vitro, alanine replacement of Ser-147 (S147A) in Us3 resulted in significant impairment of the kinase activity of the purified molecule expressed in a baculovirus system; (iii) phosphorylation of Ser-147 in Us3 tagged with the monomeric fluorescent protein (FP) VenusA206K (VenusA206K-Us3) from Vero cells infected with a recombinant HSV-1 encoding VenusA206K-Us3 was specifically detected using an antibody that recognizes phosphorylated serine or threonine residues with arginine at the -3 and -2 positions; and (iv) the S147A mutation influenced some but not all Us3 functions, including the ability of the protein to localize itself properly and to induce wild-type cytopathic effects in infected cells. Our results suggest that some of the regulatory activities of Us3 in infected cells are controlled by phosphorylation at Ser-147.

The phosphorylation profile of protein kinase A substrates is modulated during Varicella-zoster virus infection

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) is a key enzyme for many cellular mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the importance of this kinase for the replication of the alphaherpesvirus Varicella-zoster virus (VZV). We report that the expression of the catalytic subunit of PKA was strongly increased at the beginning of the viral cycle. The presence of a peptide inhibitor of PKA had no consequence on viral replication in a melanoma cell line whereas in fibroblasts, it resulted in a drastic decrease of replication. An overall analysis of PKA substrates phosphorylation patterns during VZV replication showed that the phosphorylation of PKA substrates was modulated. These results were completed by investigating the accumulation and phosphorylation patterns of the PKA target cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). This transcription factor remained available throughout the VZV replication, but its phosphorylation decreased in the early phase of infection before it rose later on. These results indicate that the PKA signalling plays a cell-type dependent role for VZV replication and that the infection resulted in a regulated CREB-dependent gene expression.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 immediate-early protein ICP27 is required for efficient incorporation of ICP0 and ICP4 into virions

Early in infection, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early (IE) proteins ICP0 and ICP4 localize to the nucleus, where they stimulate viral transcription. Later in infection, ICP0 and to a lesser extent ICP4 accumulate in the cytoplasm, but their biological role there is unknown. Previously, it was shown that the cytoplasmic localization of ICP0/4 requires the multifunctional IE protein ICP27, which is itself an activator of viral gene expression. Here, we identify a viral ICP27 mutant, d3-4, which is unable to efficiently localize ICP0 and ICP4 to the cytoplasm but which otherwise resembles wild-type HSV-1 in its growth and viral gene expression phenotypes. These results genetically separate the function of ICP27 that affects ICP0/4 localization from its other functions, which affect viral growth and gene expression. As both ICP0 and ICP4 are known to be minor virion components, we used d3-4 to test the hypothesis that the cytoplasmic localization of these proteins is required for their incorporation into viral particles. Consistent with this conjecture, d3-4 virions were found to lack ICP0 in their tegument and to have greatly reduced levels of ICP4. Thus, the cytoplasmic localization of ICP0 and ICP4 appears to be a prerequisite for the assembly of these important transcriptional regulatory proteins into viral particles. Furthermore, our results show that ICP27 plays a previously unrecognized role in determining the composition of HSV-1 virions.

Downregulation of class I major histocompatibility complex surface expression by varicella-zoster virus involves open reading frame 66 protein kinase-dependent and -independent mechanisms

We show here that the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame 66 (ORF66) protein kinase is one mechanism employed to reduce class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) surface expression in VZV-infected cells. Cells expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein-tagged functional and inactivated ORF66 (GFP-66 and GFP-66kd) from replication-defective adenovirus vectors revealed that ORF66 reduced MHC-I surface levels in a manner dependent on kinase activity. Cells infected with recombinant VZV expressing GFP-66 exhibited a significantly greater reduction in MHC-I surface expression than that observed in cells infected with VZV disrupted in GFP-66 expression. MHC-I maturation was delayed in its transport from the endoplasmic reticulum through the Golgi in both adenovirus-transduced cells expressing only GFP-66 and in VZV-infected cells expressing high levels of GFP-66, and this was predominantly kinase dependent. MHC-I levels were reduced in VZV-infected cells, and analyses of intracellular MHC-I revealed accumulation of folded MHC-I in the Golgi region, irrespective of ORF66 expression. Thus, the ORF66 kinase is important for VZV-mediated MHC-I downregulation, but additional mechanisms also may be involved. Analyses of the VZV ORF9a protein, the ortholog of the bovine herpesvirus 1 transporter associated with antigen processing inhibitor UL49.5 revealed no effects on MHC-I. These results establish a new role for viral protein kinases in immune evasion and suggest that VZV utilizes unique mechanisms to inhibit antigen presentation.

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ORF9 protein interacts with the IE62 major VZV transactivator

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ORF9 protein is a member of the herpesvirus UL49 gene family but shares limited identity and similarity with the UL49 prototype, herpes simplex virus type 1 VP22. ORF9 mRNA is the most abundantly expressed message during VZV infection; however, little is known concerning the functions of the ORF9 protein. We have found that the VZV major transactivator IE62 and the ORF9 protein can be coprecipitated from infected cells. Yeast two-hybrid analysis localized the region of the ORF9 protein required for interaction with IE62 to the middle third of the protein encompassing amino acids 117 to 186. Protein pull-down assays with GST-IE62 fusion proteins containing N-terminal IE62 sequences showed that amino acids 1 to 43 of the acidic transcriptional activation domain of IE62 can bind recombinant ORF9 protein. Confocal microscopy of transiently transfected cells showed that in the absence of other viral proteins, the ORF9 protein was localized in the cytoplasm while IE62 was localized in the nucleus. In VZV-infected cells, the ORF9 protein was localized to the cytoplasm whereas IE62 exhibited both nuclear and cytoplasmic localization. Cotransfection of plasmids expressing ORF9, IE62, and the viral ORF66 kinase resulted in significant colocalization of ORF9 and IE62 in the cytoplasm. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments with antitubulin antibodies indicate the presence of ORF9-IE62-tubulin complexes in infected cells. Colocalization of ORF9 and tubulin in transfected cells was visualized by confocal microscopy. These data suggest a model for ORF9 protein function involving complex formation with IE62 and possibly other tegument proteins in the cytoplasm at late times in infection.

Postentry events are responsible for restriction of productive varicella-zoster virus infection in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Productive infection of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in vitro is restricted almost exclusively to cells derived from humans and other primates. We demonstrate that the restriction of productive VZV infection in CHO-K1 cells occurs downstream of virus entry. Entry of VZV into CHO-K1 cells was characterized by utilizing an ICP4/beta-galactosidase reporter gene that has been used previously to study herpes simplex virus type 1 entry. Entry of VZV into CHO-K1 cells involved cell surface interactions with heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans and a cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor. Lysosomotropic agents inhibited the entry of VZV into CHO-K1 cells, consistent with a low-pH-dependent endocytic mechanism of entry. Infection of CHO-K1 cells by VZV resulted in the production of both immediate early and late gene products, indicating that a block to progeny virus production occurs after the initiation of virus gene expression.

ORF66 protein kinase function is required for T-cell tropism of varicella-zoster virus in vivo

Several functions have been attributed to the serine/threonine protein kinase encoded by open reading frame 66 (ORF66) of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), including modulation of the apoptosis and interferon pathways, down-regulation of major histocompatibility complex class I cell surface expression, and regulation of IE62 localization. The amino acid sequence of the ORF66 protein contains a recognizable conserved kinase domain. Point mutations were introduced into conserved protein kinase motifs to evaluate their importance to ORF66 protein functions. Two substitution mutants were generated, including a G102A substitution, which blocked autophosphorylation and altered IE62 localization, and an S250P substitution, which had no effect on either autophosphorylation or IE62 localization. Both kinase domain mutants grew to titers equivalent to recombinant parent Oka (pOka) in vitro. pOka66G102A had slightly reduced growth in skin, which was comparable to the reduction observed when ORF66 translation was prevented by stop codon insertions in pOka66S. In contrast, infection of T-cell xenografts with pOka66G102A was associated with a significant decrease in infectious virus production equivalent to the impaired T-cell tropism found with pOka66S infection of T-cell xenografts in vivo. Disrupting kinase activity with the G102A mutation did not alter IE62 cytoplasmic localization in VZV-infected T cells, suggesting that decreased T-cell tropism is due to other ORF66 protein functions. The G102A mutation reduced the antiapoptotic effects of VZV infection of T cells. These experiments indicate that the T-cell tropism of VZV depends upon intact ORF66 protein kinase function.