Thomas ECM, Finnen RL, Mewburn JD, Archer SL, Banfield BW. The Herpes Simplex Virus pUL16 and pUL21 Proteins Prevent Capsids from Docking at Nuclear Pore Complexes.
PLoS Pathog 2023;
19:e1011832. [PMID:
38039340 PMCID:
PMC10718459 DOI:
10.1371/journal.ppat.1011832]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
After entry into cells, herpes simplex virus (HSV) nucleocapsids dock at nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) through which viral genomes are released into the nucleoplasm where viral gene expression, genome replication, and early steps in virion assembly take place. After their assembly, nucleocapsids are translocated to the cytoplasm for final virion maturation. Nascent cytoplasmic nucleocapsids are prevented from binding to NPCs and delivering their genomes to the nucleus from which they emerged, but how this is accomplished is not understood. Here we report that HSV pUL16 and pUL21 deletion mutants accumulate empty capsids at the cytoplasmic face of NPCs late in infection. Additionally, prior expression of pUL16 and pUL21 prevented incoming nucleocapsids from docking at NPCs, delivering their genomes to the nucleus and initiating viral gene expression. Both pUL16 and pUL21 localized to the nuclear envelope, placing them in an appropriate location to interfere with nucleocapsid/NPC interactions.
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