Viral DNA synthesis in cells infected with temperature-sensitive mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1.

Temperature-sensitive mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1 representing eight DNA-negative complementation groups were grouped into the following three categories based on the viral DNA synthesis patterns after shift-up from the permissive to the nonpermissive temperature and after shift-down from the nonpermissive to the permissive temperature in the presence and absence of inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis. (i) Viral DNA synthesis was inhibited after shift-up in cells infected with tsB, tsH, and tsJ. After shift-down, tsB- and tsH-infected cells synthesized viral DNA in the absence of de novo RNA and protein synthesis whereas tsJ-infected cells synthesized no viral DNA in the absence of protein synthesis. The B, H, and J proteins appear to be continuously required for the synthesis of viral DNA. (ii) Viral DNA synthesis continued after shift-up in cells infected with tsD and tsK whereas no viral DNA was synthesized after shift-down in the absence of RNA and protein synthesis. Mutants tsD and tsK appear to be defective in early regulatory functions. (iii) Cells infected with tsL, tsS, and tsU synthesized viral DNA after shift-up and after shift-down in the absence of RNA and protein synthesis. The functions of the L, S, and U proteins cannot yet be determined.     

Replication of herpes simplex virus type I DNA in permeabilized infected cells.

Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV)-infected Vero cells can be permeabilized by a combination of hypotonic shock and a mild emulsifier, gum arabic. Permeabilized cells will incorporate triphosphate precursors into viral and host DNA in vitro in ratios similar to those seen in vivo. This reaction is ATP-dependent and is shown to be replicative by the single strand density shift of DNA synthesized in the presence of BrdUTP. The product is heterogeneous in size, and contains a significant proportion of rapidly sedimenting forms and of unit size (55S) viral DNA. The presence of polyamines and EGTA (a specific chelator of Ca2+ ions) in the labeling medium is shown to be necessary to maintain the integrity of the replicating DNA. The average size of newly synthesized single strands, however, is smaller than seen in vivo. The reaction is sensitive to phosphonoacetic acid added at the time of labeling, at concentrations which inhibit in vivo synthesis only after one hour of pre-exposure. These properties make permeabilized cell monolayers an attractive system for the study of HSV DNA replication.     

The physical state of herpes simplex virus DNA in infected human cells.

Treatment of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-infected human embryo lung (HEL) cells with phosphonoacetic acid (PAA) resulted in complete inhibition of HSV DNA replication. DNA was extracted from PAA-treated HEL cells infected with HSV-1 and centrifuged in a neutral CsCl density gradient. The HSV DNA sequences in the nuclei of PAA treated cells at 24 hr post infection banded at the same density as free HSV DNA (1.725 g/cm3), but a significant amount of viral DNA sequences were detected in the regions of cell DNA (1.700 g/cm3) as well as in the intermediate fractions as determined by hybridization with 3H HSV complementary RNA. The viral DNA sequences of lower deisntiy did not change in density by recentrifugation in a CsCl density gradient, but did change to the density of free viral DNA after treatment with EcoR1 restriction endonuclease. When the DNA from the nuclei of PAA treated cells was analyzed in an alkaline glycerol gradient, more than 95% of the viral DNA sequences were found in the free viral DNA fractions. Since the viral and cellular hybrid DNA represented approximately 33% of the total viral DNA sequences, it is concluded that some of the HSV DNA sequences in PAA treated, infected cells are associated with cell DNA by alkali-labile bonds.     

Induction of human cell DNA synthesis by herpes simplex virus type 2.

The effect of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection on the synthesis of DNA in human embryonic fibroblast cells was determined at temperatures permissive (37 C) and nonpermissive (42 C) for virus multiplication. During incubation of HSV-2 infected cultures at 42 C for 2 to 4 days or after shift-down from 42 to 37 C, incorporation of (3H)TdR into total DNA was increased 2-to 30-fold as compared with mock-infected cultures. Analysis of the (3H)DNA suggested that host cell DNA synthesis was induced by HSV-2 infection. Induction of host cell DNA synthesis by HSV-2 also occurred in cells arrested in DNA replication by low serum concentration. The three strains of HSV-2 tested were capable of stimulating cellular DNA synthesis. Virus inactivated by UV irradiation, heat, or neutral red dye and light did not induce cellular DNA synthesis, suggesting that an active viral genome is necessary for induction.     

Association between the p170 form of human topoisomerase II and progeny viral DNA in cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1.

Endogenous host topoisomerase II acts upon herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA in infected cells (S.N. Ebert, S.S. Shtrom, and M.T. Muller, J. Virol. 56:4059-4066, 1990), and cleavage is directed exclusively at progeny viral DNA while parental DNA is resistant. To evaluate the possibility that HSV-1 induces topoisomerase II activity which could account for the preferential cleavage of progeny viral DNA, we assessed topoisomerase II cleavage activity on cellular and viral DNA substrates before and after the initiation of viral DNA replication. We show that cleavage of a host gene in mock-infected cells was similar to that observed in HSV-1-infected cells, regardless of whether viral DNA replication had occurred. In addition, quantitative measurements revealed comparable amounts of topoisomerase II activity in infected and mock-infected cells; thus, HSV-1 neither induces nor encodes its own type II topoisomerase and cleavages in vivo are due to a preexisting host topoisomerase. Human cells contain two isozymes of topoisomerase II (p170 and p180), encoded by separate genes. Through the use of isozyme-specific antibodies, we demonstrate that only p170 was found to be cross-linked to HSV-1 DNA even though both forms were present at nearly constant levels in HSV-1-infected cells. Immunofluorescence revealed that by 6 h postinfection, p170 becomes redistributed and localized to sites of active viral DNA synthesis. The data suggest that p170 gains preferential access to replicated viral DNA molecules, which explains why topoisomerase II activity is concentrated on progeny DNA.     

Characterization of RNA synthesized in isolated nuclei of herpes simplex virus type 1-infected KB cells.

Nuclei isolated from herpes simplex virus (HSV)-infected KB cells actively synthesize HSV RNA in vitro; the RNA can be hybridized with HSV DNA or nuclear RNA from HSV-infected cells. Nascent RNA molecules labeled in vivo with 32PO4 were elongated, utilizing the nuclear system to incorporate Hg-CTP at their 3' ends, and then isolated on an affinity column. Hybridization of isolated nascent RNA molecules showed that greater than 50% of them were HSV specific and that more than 25% were self-complementary.     

Polyphosphoinositide metabolism in baby-hamster kidney cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1.

The incorporation of [32P]Pi and [3H]inositol into the inositol lipids of baby-hamster kidney cells was studied in herpes-simplex-virus-type-1(HSV-1)-infected and mock-infected cells. The infection was conducted during incorporation of, as well as after prelabelling with, the precursors. These methods were used in order to study both synthesis de novo of, and steady-state changes in, the phosphoinositides. Both with infection during labelling, and after prelabelling, we found increased [32P]- and [3H]-phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and decreased [32P]- and [3H]-phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate in infected as compared with mock-infected cells, whereas no effect was observed on phosphatidylinositol. This altered inositol-lipid metabolism was (at least in the case of PIP2) not present until 3-6 h after infection and remained stable, or increased slightly, throughout the infection period. Polyphosphoinositide metabolism constitutes an important step in signal processing in many forms of cellular stimulation, and the results obtained suggest that HSV-1 infection may induce such events in our cell system.     

Release of a virus coded glycoprotein from herpes simplex virus type 1 infected cells

HEp-2 cells, which were infected with HSV-1, excrete besides other proteins a soluble glycoprotein (Mr 125000–130000) related to the virus protein gC. The excretion of the glycoprotein and the production of extracellular virus particles is reduced to a similar extent when the cells were treated with monensin. Possible consequences of the excretion of soluble viral proteins to a modulation of the immune response are discussed.Abbreviations HSV-1 Herpes simplex virus type 1 - PAGE Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - SDS Sodium dodecylsulfate     

Deoxycytidine kinase from rabbit kidney cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2.

When rabbit kidney cells were infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (strain Seibert) or herpes simplex virus type 2 (strain 316D), deoxycytidine kinase (CdR kinase) activity, assayed at 38 degrees, increased 5- to 15-fold relative to controls. The CdR kinase activity induced by type 2 virus was more thermolabile than the enzyme activity induced by type 1 virus. When CdR kinase activity was assayed at various temperatures between 0.5 and 38 degrees, maximum activity for type 1 enzyme was obtained at 16 degrees while maximum activities for host and type 2 enzymes were obtained at 38 degrees. Both type 1 and type 2 induced CdR kinase activities eluted at the same positions as deoxythymidine kinase activities on a Sephadex G-100 column. The estimated mol wt for HSV-1 (Seibert) and HSV-2 (316D) induced CdR kinases are 67,000 and 60,000, respectively.     

Fate of microfilaments in vero cells infected with measles virus and herpes simplex virus type 1.

In herpes simplex virus type 1-infected Vero cells, reorganization of microfilaments was observed approximately 4 h postinfection. Conversion of F (filamentous) actin to G (globular) actin, as assessed by a DNase I inhibition assay, was continuous over the next 12 to 16 h, at which time a level of G actin of about twice that observed in uninfected cells was measured. Fluorescent localization of F actin, using 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD)-phallacidin, demonstrated that microfilament fibers began to diminish at about 16 to 18 h postinfection, roughly corresponding to the time that G actin levels peaked and virus-induced cytopathology was first observable. In measles virus-infected cells, no such disassembly of microfilaments occurred. Rather, there was a modest decrease in G actin levels. Fluorescent localization of F actin showed that measles virus-infected Vero cells maintained a complex microfilament network characterized by fibers which spanned the entire length of the newly formed giant cells. Disruption of microfilaments with cytochalasin B, which inhibits measles virus-specific cytopathology, was not inhibitory to measles virus production at high multiplicities of infection (MOI) but was progressively inhibitory as the MOI was lowered. The carbobenzoxy tripeptide SV-4814, which inhibits the ability of Vero cells to fuse after measles virus infection, like cytochalasin B, inhibited measles virus production at low MOI but not at high MOI. Thus, it appears that agents which affect the ability of Vero cells to fuse after measles virus infection may be inhibitory to virus production and that the actin network is essential to this process.