Similar regulation of the synthesis of adenovirus fiber and of simian virus 40-specific proteins encoded by the helper-defective Ad2+SV40 hybrid viruses Ad2+ND5 and Ad2+ND4del.

Human adenoviruses fail to multiply effectively in monkey cells. The block to the replication of these viruses can be overcome by coinfection with simian virus 40 (SV40) or when part of the SV40 genome is integrated into and expressed as part of the adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) genome, as occurs in several Ad2+SV40 hybrid viruses, such as Ad2+ND1, Ad2+ND2, and Ad2+ND4. The SV40 helper-defective Ad2+SV40 hybrid viruses Ad2+ND5 and Ad2+ND4del were analyzed to determine why they are unable to grow efficiently in monkey cells even though they contain the appropriate SV40 genetic information. Characterization of the Ad2+ND5-SV40-specific 42,000-molecular-weight (42K) protein revealed that this protein is closely related, but not identical, to the SV40-specific 42K protein of the SV40 helper-competent Ad2+ND2 hybrid virus. Although the minor differences between these proteins may be sufficient to account for the poor growth of Ad2+ND5 in monkey cells, the most striking difference between helper-competent Ad2+ND2 and helper-defective Ad2+ND5 is in the production of the SV40-specific protein after infection of monkey cells. Whereas synthesis of the SV40-specific proteins of Ad2+ND2 is very similar in human and in monkey cells, production of the 42K protein of Ad2+ND5 is dramatically reduced in monkey cells compared with human cells. Similarly, the synthesis of the SV40-specific proteins of Ad2+ND4del is markedly reduced in monkey cells. Thus, it is likely that both Ad2+ND5 and Ad2+ND4del are helper defective because of a block in the production of their SV40-specific proteins rather than because their SV40-specific proteins are nonfunctional. This block, like the block to adenovirus fiber synthesis, is overcome by coinfection with SV40, with helper-competent hybrid viruses, or with host range mutants of adenoviruses. This suggests that the synthesis of fiber and the synthesis of SV40-specific proteins are similarly regulated in Ad2+SV40 hybrid viruses.     

Synthesis of Viral Ribonucleic Acid During Restricted Adenovirus Infection

The mechanism by which simian virus 40 converts the abortive adenovirus type 7 infection of monkey cells into an efficient lytic infection has been investigated. Analysis of ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis during unenhanced and enhanced infection of monkey cells has shown that adenovirus RNA synthesized in the abortive infection contains both "early" and "late" sequences. In hybridization competition experiments, early adenovirus RNA from human cells prevented the hybridization of only 20% of the adenovirus RNA transcribed in unenhanced infection. Further, the RNA from unenhanced cells was able to completely block the hybridization of RNA synthesized during enhanced infection. Finally, virus-associated RNA, which is a late RNA transcribed in lytic adenovirus infection, is also produced in the unenhanced infection. An accompanying paper describes a marked deficiency in adenoviral capsid protein synthesis in the unenhanced infection. We conclude that RNA sequences, which are sufficient to code for the synthesis and assembly of structural proteins of adenovirus, are transcribed but are not efficiently translated in the unenhanced adenovirus infection of monkey cells.     

Conditional lethal mutants of adenovirus type 2-simian virus 40 hybrids. II. Ad2+ND1 host-range mutants that synthesize fragments of the Ad2+ND1 30K protein.

Adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) grows 1,000 times less well in monkey cells than in human cells. This defect can be overcome, not only upon co-infection of cells with simian virus 40 (SV40), but also when the relevant part of the SV40 genome is integrated into the adenovirus genome to form an adenovirus-SV40 hybrid virus. We have used the nondefective Ad2-SV40 hybrid virus Ad2+ND1, which contains an insertion of 17% of the SV40 genome, to isolate host-range mutants which are defective in growth on monkey cells although they grow normally on human cells. Like Ad2, these mutants are defective in the synthesis of late proteins in monkey cells. A 30,000-molecular-weight protein (30K), unique to Ad2+ND1-infected cells, can be synthesized in vitro, using Ad2+ND1 mRNA that contains SV40 sequences. 30K is not seen in cells infected with those host-range mutants that are most defective in growth on monkey cells, and translation in vitro of SV40-specific mRNA from these cells produces new unique polypeptides, instead of 30K. Genetic and biochemical analyses indicate that these mutants carry point mutations rather than deletions.     

Synthesis of human adenovirus early RNA species is similar in productive and abortive infections of monkey and human cells.

Northern (RNA) blot analysis has been used to show that synthesis of early mRNA species is similar in monkey cells productively or abortively infected with human adenovirus. mRNA species from all five major early regions (1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4) are identical in size and comparable in abundance whether isolated from monkey cells infected with adenovirus type 2 or with the host range mutant Ad2hr400 or coinfected with adenovirus type 2 plus simian virus 40. The mRNA species isolated from monkey cells are identical in size to those isolated from human cells. Production of virus-associated RNA is also identical in productive and abortive infections of monkey cells. Synthesis of virus-associated RNA is, however, significantly greater in HeLa cells than in CV1 cells at late times after infection regardless of which virus is used in the infection.     

Mutations that allow human Ad2 and Ad5 to express late genes in monkey cells map in the viral gene encoding the 72K DNA binding protein.

Five host-range mutants (Ad2hr400–hr403, Ad5hr404) of human adenovirus serotype 2 and 5 (Ad2 and Ad5) which overcome the block to growth of wild-type adenovirus in monkey cells have been isolated. They form plaques and multiply efficiently in both monkey and human cells. The alteration in each of these mutants allows the full expression of all viral late genes, in marked contrast to the depressed synthesis of many late proteins in monkey cells infected with the parental Ad2 or Ad5. The altered gene encodes a diffusible product, since the mutation acts in trans to enhance the synthesis of wild-type Ad3 late proteins during co-infections of monkey cells with Ad2hr400 and Ad3. Restriction enzyme analysis of the genomes of all the host-range mutants show that none of them contain major alterations. In addition, an earlier report (Klessig and Hassell, 1978) indicated that Ad2hr400 does not contain SV40 sequences, which in some adenovirus-SV40 hybrid viruses allows efficient multiplication in monkey cells. The mutation responsible for the extended host range has been physically mapped by marker rescue experiments using isolated restriction enzyme fragments of the mutants to transfer the new phenotype to wild-type adenovirus. The alteration in each of the five mutants is located in a region (coordinates 62–70.7; coordinates 62–68 for Ad5hr404) which encodes predominantly the 72K DNA binding protein. More detailed mapping using Ad2hr400 fragments places the mutation (coordinates 62.9–65.6) entirely within the 72K gene. The multifunctional nature of the 72K protein and some of its similarities to SV40 T antigen are discussed.     

Post-transcriptional restriction of human adenovirus expression in monkey cells.

Infection of the continuous simian cell lines CV-1 and BSC-1 with human adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) is abortive. However, the restriction of Ad2 reproduction in these cells can be overcome by increasing the Ad2 infectious dose or by coinfection with simian virus 40. Vero, another established simian cell line free of detectable endogenous simian virus 40 DNA, is not restricted in its ability to promote Ad2 growth even at low input multiplicities of Ad2 and in the absence of SV40 helper. The amount of structural Ad2 proteins in total cell extracts of enhanced BSC-1 cells is at least two orders of magnitude higher than that of unenhanced cells. In contrast, comparable quantities of Ad2 mRNA specifying these proteins are found in both the enhanced and the unenhanced cell. Both sets of mRNA can be translated in a cell-free system with equal efficiency.     

Conditional Lethal Mutants of Adenovirus 2-Simian Virus 40 Hybrids I. Host Range Mutants of Ad2+ND1

Human adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) grows poorly in monkey cells, although this defect can be overcome by co-infection with simian virus 40 (SV40). The nondefective Ad2-SV40 hybrid virus, Ad2(+)ND1, replicates efficiently in both human and African green monkey kidney cells, presumably due to the insertion of SV40 sequences into the Ad2 DNA. Several mutants of Ad2(+)ND1 have been isolated that grow and plaque poorly in monkey cells, although they retain the ability to replicate and plaque efficiently in HeLa cells. One of these mutants (H39) has been examined in detail. Studies comparing the DNA of the mutant with Ad2(+)ND1 either by the cleavage patterns produced by Escherichia coli R.RI restriction endonuclease digestion or by heteroduplexing reveal no differences. The pattern of protein synthesis of Ad2(+)ND1 and H39 in monkey cells is quite different with the mutant resembling Ad2, which is defective in the synthesis of late proteins. However, in human cells, the proteins synthesized by H39 and the parent Ad2(+)ND1 are very similar. The production of SV40 U antigen in H39-infected cells is different from that in Ad2(+)ND1-infected cells. Finally, the growth of H39 in monkey cells can be complemented by SV40.     

Interference with simian virus 40 DNA replication by adenovirus type 2 during mixed infection of monkey cells.

Infection of monkey cells with human adenovirus (Ad) is abortive, but the infection can be enhanced by coinfecting with simian virus 40 (SV40). However, in the coinfected monkey cells, Ad interferes strongly with SV40 DNA biosynthesis. This interference was found to be a reproducible, delicately controlled phenomenon that was proportional to the multiplicity of infection of Ad and dependent on the active expression of the Ad genome. Newly synthesized SV40 DNA was not broken down in cells after delayed superinfection with Ad, and several early events of SV40 infection such as adsorption, penetration, uncoating, induction of cellular DNA synthesis, and enhancement of Ad infection were not markedly influenced by Ad-mediated interference. It is unlikely that interference is simply due to competition between SV40 and Ad for metabolites, enzymes, or replication sites. The interference effect could be partially neutralized by an increase in the multiplicity of coinfecting SV40 or by an increase in the time interval between SV40 infection and Ad coinfection. Interference was shown to be due to the activity of an Ad early gene product. However, the detailed mechanism of this Ad interference is still unclear.