scholarly journals The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus ORF57 protein: a pleurotropic regulator of gene expression

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 705-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Malik ◽  
E.C. Schirmer

Herpesviridae comprises over 120 viruses infecting a wide range of vertebrates including humans and livestock. Herpesvirus infections typically produce dermal lesions or immune cell destruction, but can also lead to oncogenesis, especially with KSHV (Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus). All herpesviruses are nuclear replicating viruses that subvert cellular processes such as nucleocytoplasmic transport for their advantage. For virus replication to take over the cell and produce lytic infection requires that virus gene expression outpace that of the host cell. KSHV ORF57 (open reading frame 57) appears to play a major role in this by (i) serving as a nuclear export receptor to carry intronless viral mRNAs out of the nucleus and (ii) inhibiting expression of intron-containing host mRNAs. As most of the virally encoded mRNAs are intronless compared with host cell mRNAs, these two mechanisms are critical to overcoming host gene expression.

2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dajiang Li ◽  
Tim Mosbruger ◽  
Dinesh Verma ◽  
Sankar Swaminathan

ABSTRACT CTCF and the cohesin complex modify chromatin by binding to DNA and interacting with each other and with other cellular proteins. Both proteins regulate transcription by a variety of local effects on transcription and by long-range topological effects. CTCF and cohesin also bind to herpesvirus genomes at specific sites and regulate viral transcription during latent and lytic cycles of replication. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) transcription is regulated by CTCF and cohesin, with both proteins previously reported to act as restrictive factors for lytic cycle transcription and virion production. In this study, we examined the interdependence of CTCF and cohesin binding to the KSHV genome. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) analyses revealed that cohesin binding to the KSHV genome is highly CTCF dependent, whereas CTCF binding does not require cohesin. Furthermore, depletion of CTCF leads to the almost complete dissociation of cohesin from sites at which they colocalize. Thus, previous studies that examined the effects of CTCF depletion actually represent the concomitant depletion of both CTCF and cohesin components. Analysis of the effects of single and combined depletion indicates that CTCF primarily activates KSHV lytic transcription, whereas cohesin has primarily inhibitory effects. Furthermore, CTCF or cohesin depletion was found to have regulatory effects on cellular gene expression relevant for the control of viral infection, with both proteins potentially facilitating the expression of multiple genes important in the innate immune response to viruses. Thus, CTCF and cohesin have both positive and negative effects on KSHV lytic replication as well as effects on the host cell that enhance antiviral defenses. IMPORTANCE Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is causally linked to Kaposi’s sarcoma and several lymphoproliferative diseases. KSHV, like other herpesviruses, intermittently reactivates from latency and enters a lytic cycle in which numerous lytic mRNAs and proteins are produced, culminating in infectious virion production. These lytic proteins may also contribute to tumorigenesis. Reactivation from latency is controlled by processes that restrict or activate the transcription of KSHV lytic genes. KSHV gene expression is modulated by binding of the host cell proteins CTCF and cohesin complex to the KSHV genome. These proteins bind to and modulate the conformation of chromatin, thereby regulating transcription. We have analyzed the interdependence of binding of CTCF and cohesin and demonstrate that while CTCF is required for cohesin binding to KSHV, they have very distinct effects, with cohesin primarily restricting KSHV lytic transcription. Furthermore, we show that cohesin and CTCF also exert effects on the host cell that promote antiviral defenses.


2012 ◽  
Vol 86 (18) ◽  
pp. 9866-9874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Da-Jiang Li ◽  
Dinesh Verma ◽  
Sankar Swaminathan

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) ORF57 protein is expressed early during lytic KSHV replication, enhances expression of many KSHV genes, and is essential for virus production. ORF57 is a member of a family of proteins conserved among all human and many animal herpesviruses that are multifunctional regulators of gene expression and act posttranscriptionally to increase accumulation of their target mRNAs. The mechanism of ORF57 action is complex and may involve effects on mRNA transcription, stability, and export. ORF57 directly binds to REF/Aly, a cellular RNA-binding protein component of the TREX complex that mediates RNA transcription and export. We analyzed the effects of an ORF57 mutation known to abrogate REF/Aly binding and demonstrate that the REF-binding mutant is impaired in activation of viral mRNAs and noncoding RNAs confined to the nucleus. Although the inability to bind REF leads to decreased ORF57 activity in enhancing gene expression, there is no demonstrable effect on nuclear export of viral mRNA or the ability of ORF57 to support KSHV replication and virus production. These data indicate that REF/Aly-ORF57 interaction is not essential for KSHV lytic replication but may contribute to target RNA stability independent of effects on RNA export, suggesting a novel role for REF/Aly in viral RNA metabolism.


2008 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 2531-2539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojuan Li ◽  
Fanxiu Zhu

ABSTRACT Open reading frame 45 (ORF45) of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus 8 (KSHV) is an immediate-early phosphorylated tegument protein and has been shown to play important roles at both early and late stages of viral infection. Homologues of ORF45 exist only in gammaherpesviruses, and their homology is limited. These homologues differ in their protein lengths and subcellular localizations. We and others have reported that KSHV ORF45 is localized predominantly in the cytoplasm, whereas its homologue in murine herpesvirus 68 is localized exclusively in the nucleus. We observed that ORF45s of rhesus rhadinovirus and herpesvirus saimiri are found exclusively in the nucleus. As a first step toward understanding the mechanism underlying the distinct intracellular distribution of KSHV ORF45, we identified the signals that control its subcellular localization. We found that KSHV ORF45 accumulated rapidly in the nucleus in the presence of leptomycin B, an inhibitor of CRM1 (exportin 1)-dependent nuclear export, suggesting that it could shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Mutational analysis revealed that KSHV ORF45 contains a CRM1-dependent, leucine-rich-like nuclear export signal and an adjacent nuclear localization signal. Replacement of the key residues with alanines in these motifs of ORF45 disrupts its shuttling between the cytoplasm and nucleus. The resulting ORF45 mutants have restricted subcellular localizations, being found exclusively either in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus. Recombinant viruses were reconstituted by introduction of these mutations into KSHV bacterial artificial chromosome BAC36. The resultant viruses have distinct phenotypes. A mutant virus in which ORF45 is restricted to the cytoplasm behaves as an ORF45-null mutant and produces 5- to 10-fold fewer progeny viruses than the wild type. In contrast, mutants in which the ORF45 protein is mostly restricted to the nucleus produce numbers of progeny viruses similar to those produced by the wild type. These data suggest that the subcellular localization signals of ORF45 have important functional roles in KSHV lytic replication.


Blood ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 1186-1191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo G. Horenstein ◽  
Roland G. Nador ◽  
Amy Chadburn ◽  
Elizabeth M. Hyjek ◽  
Giorgio Inghirami ◽  
...  

Primary effusion (body cavity–based) lymphoma (PEL) is a recently recognized subtype of malignant lymphoma that exhibits distinctive clinical and biological features, most notably its usual infection with the Kaposi's sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV). The vast majority of cases also contain Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This dual viral infection is the first example of a consistent dual herpesviral infection in a human neoplasm and provides a unique model to study viral interactions. We analyzed the pattern of EBV latent gene expression to determine the pathogenic role of this agent in PELs. We examined five PELs coinfected with EBV and KSHV by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. EBER1 mRNA, a consistent marker of viral latency, was positive in all PEL cases, although at lower levels than in the non-PEL controls due to EBER1 expression by only a variable subset of lymphoma cells. Qp-initiated mRNA, encoding only EBNA1 and characteristic of latencies I and II, was positive in all PEL cases. Wp- and Cp-initiated mRNAs, encoding all EBNAs and characteristic of latency III, were negative in all cases. LMP1 mRNA, expressed in latencies II and III, was present in three cases of PEL, although at very low levels that were not detectable at the protein level by immunohistochemistry. Low levels of LMP2A mRNA were detected in all cases. BZLF1, an early-intermediate lytic phase marker, was weakly positive in four cases, suggesting a productive viral infection in a very small proportion of cells, which was confirmed by ZEBRA antigen expression. Therefore, PELs exhibit a restricted latency pattern, with expression of EBNA1 in all cases, and low LMP1 and LMP2A levels.


2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelica F. Castañeda ◽  
Britt A. Glaunsinger

ABSTRACTIn the beta- and gammaherpesviruses, a specialized complex of viral transcriptional activators (vTAs) coordinate to direct expression of virus-encoded late genes, which are critical for viral assembly and whose transcription initiates only after the onset of viral DNA replication. The vTAs in Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) are ORF18, ORF24, ORF30, ORF31, ORF34, and ORF66. While the general organization of the vTA complex has been mapped, the individual roles of these proteins and how they coordinate to activate late gene promoters remain largely unknown. Here, we performed a comprehensive mutational analysis of the conserved residues in ORF18, which is a highly interconnected vTA component. Surprisingly, the mutants were largely selective for disrupting the interaction with ORF30 but not the other three ORF18 binding partners. Furthermore, disrupting the ORF18-ORF30 interaction weakened the vTA complex as a whole, and an ORF18 point mutant that failed to bind ORF30 was unable to complement an ORF18 null virus. Thus, contacts between individual vTAs are critical as even small disruptions in this complex result in profound defects in KSHV late gene expression.IMPORTANCEKaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma and other B-cell cancers and remains a leading cause of death in immunocompromised individuals. A key step in the production of infectious virions is the transcription of viral late genes, which generates capsid and structural proteins and requires the coordination of six viral proteins that form a complex. The role of these proteins during transcription complex formation and the importance of protein-protein interactions are not well understood. Here, we focused on a central component of the complex, ORF18, and revealed that disruption of its interaction with even a single component of the complex (ORF30) prevents late gene expression and completion of the viral lifecycle. These findings underscore how individual interactions between the late gene transcription components are critical for both the stability and function of the complex.


2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muzammel Haque ◽  
K. G. Kousoulas

ABSTRACTHypoxia and hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) play important roles in the Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) life cycle. KSHV is the causative agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and other AIDS-related malignancies. Kaposi’s sarcoma is a highly vascular tumor, which preferentially develops in the lower extremities of the body where blood vessels are often poorly oxygenated. The main cellular responses to hypoxia are mediated mainly by two isoforms of HIF, HIF-1α and HIF-2α. HIF-1α and HIF-2α have common as well as distinct functions, although they are similar in structure and function. Previously, we showed that the KSHV ORF34 protein binds HIF-1α and facilitates its degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway causing negative regulation of HIF-1α-dependent genes (Haque and Kousoulas, J Virol 87:2164-2173, 2013, https://www.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02460-12). Herein, we show that theORF34gene is involved in the regulation of KSHV lytic gene expression, since deletion ofORF34resulted in reduced immediate early and early lytic gene expression and blocked late gene expression. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed that the ORF34 protein physically interacted with HIF-2α in transfected as well as in KSHV-infected cells. Utilization of ORF34 truncations revealed that three distinct domains bind HIF-2α and that both bHLH and PAS domains of HIF-2α interacted with ORF34. Unlike HIF-1α, dose-dependent coexpression of ORF34 stabilized the HIF-2α protein, ensuring HIF-2α-dependent transcriptional activity. The ORF34 protein enhanced HIF-2α ubiquitination at the bHLH and PAS domains. The results show that the KSHV ORF34 protein is involved in the KSHV life cycle by regulating the expression of HIF-1α and HIF-2α proteins.IMPORTANCEHypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and HIF-2α are transcription factors which play important roles in the Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) latent and lytic gene replication. Herein, we show that theORF34gene is involved in the regulation of KSHV lytic gene expression, since deletion ofORF34resulted in reduced immediate early and early lytic gene expression and blocked late gene expression. In addition, we demonstrate that the KSHV ORF34 protein binds and stabilizes HIF-2α, in contrast to its role in binding HIF-1α and causing its degradation via the proteasome pathway. Thus, the KSHV ORF34 protein plays a regulatory role in the KSHV life cycle by regulating HIF-1α and HIF-2α expression.


Blood ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 1186-1191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo G. Horenstein ◽  
Roland G. Nador ◽  
Amy Chadburn ◽  
Elizabeth M. Hyjek ◽  
Giorgio Inghirami ◽  
...  

Abstract Primary effusion (body cavity–based) lymphoma (PEL) is a recently recognized subtype of malignant lymphoma that exhibits distinctive clinical and biological features, most notably its usual infection with the Kaposi's sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV). The vast majority of cases also contain Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This dual viral infection is the first example of a consistent dual herpesviral infection in a human neoplasm and provides a unique model to study viral interactions. We analyzed the pattern of EBV latent gene expression to determine the pathogenic role of this agent in PELs. We examined five PELs coinfected with EBV and KSHV by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. EBER1 mRNA, a consistent marker of viral latency, was positive in all PEL cases, although at lower levels than in the non-PEL controls due to EBER1 expression by only a variable subset of lymphoma cells. Qp-initiated mRNA, encoding only EBNA1 and characteristic of latencies I and II, was positive in all PEL cases. Wp- and Cp-initiated mRNAs, encoding all EBNAs and characteristic of latency III, were negative in all cases. LMP1 mRNA, expressed in latencies II and III, was present in three cases of PEL, although at very low levels that were not detectable at the protein level by immunohistochemistry. Low levels of LMP2A mRNA were detected in all cases. BZLF1, an early-intermediate lytic phase marker, was weakly positive in four cases, suggesting a productive viral infection in a very small proportion of cells, which was confirmed by ZEBRA antigen expression. Therefore, PELs exhibit a restricted latency pattern, with expression of EBNA1 in all cases, and low LMP1 and LMP2A levels.


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