HuR and Ago2 Bind the Internal Ribosome Entry Site of Enterovirus 71 and Promote Virus Translation and Replication

EV71 (enterovirus 71) RNA contains an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) that directs cap-independent initiation of translation. IRES-dependent translation requires the host’s translation initiation factors and IRES-associated trans-acting factors (ITAFs). We reported recently that mRNA decay factor AUF1 is a negative-acting ITAF that binds IRES stem-loop II. We also reported that the small RNA-processing enzyme Dicer produces at least four small RNAs (vsRNAs) from the EV71 IRES. One of these, vsRNA1, derived from IRES stem-loop II, reduces IRES activity and virus replication. Since its mechanism of action is unknown, we hypothesized that it might control association of ITAFs with the IRES. Here, we identified the mRNA stability factor HuR and the RISC subunit Argonaute 2 (Ago2) as two ITAFs that bind stem-loop II. In contrast to AUF1, HuR and Ago2 promote EV71 IRES activity and virus replication. In vitro RNA-binding assays revealed that vsRNA1 can alter association of Ago2, HuR, and AUF1 with stem-loop II. This presents a possible mechanism by which vsRNA1 could control viral translation and replication.     

Far upstream element binding protein 2 interacts with enterovirus 71 internal ribosomal entry site and negatively regulates viral translation

An internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) that directs the initiation of viral protein translation is a potential drug target for enterovirus 71 (EV71). Regulation of internal initiation requires the interaction of IRES trans-acting factors (ITAFs) with the internal ribosomal entry site. Biotinylated RNA-affinity chromatography and proteomic approaches were employed to identify far upstream element (FUSE) binding protein 2 (FBP2) as an ITAF for EV71. The interactions of FBP2 with EV71 IRES were confirmed by competition assay and by mapping the association sites in both viral IRES and FBP2 protein. During EV71 infection, FBP2 was enriched in cytoplasm where viral replication occurs, whereas FBP2 was localized in the nucleus in mock-infected cells. The synthesis of viral proteins increased in FBP2-knockdown cells that were infected by EV71. IRES activity in FBP2-knockdown cells exceeded that in the negative control (NC) siRNA-treated cells. On the other hand, IRES activity decreased when FBP2 was over-expressed in the cells. Results of this study suggest that FBP2 is a novel ITAF that interacts with EV71 IRES and negatively regulates viral translation.     

mRNA Decay Factor AUF1 Binds the Internal Ribosomal Entry Site of Enterovirus 71 and Inhibits Virus Replication

AU-rich element binding factor 1 (AUF1) has a role in the replication cycles of different viruses. Here we demonstrate that AUF1 binds the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of enterovirus 71 (EV71) and negatively regulates IRES-dependent translation. During EV71 infection, AUF1 accumulates in the cytoplasm where viral replication occurs, whereas AUF1 localizes predominantly in the nucleus in mock-infected cells. AUF1 knockdown in infected cells increases IRES activity and synthesis of viral proteins. Taken together, the results suggest that AUF1 interacts with the EV71 IRES to negatively regulate viral translation and replication.     

Far upstream element binding protein 1 binds the internal ribosomal entry site of enterovirus 71 and enhances viral translation and viral growth

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is associated with severe neurological disorders in children, and has been implicated as the infectious agent in several large-scale outbreaks with mortalities. Upon infection, the viral RNA is translated in a cap-independent manner to yield a large polyprotein precursor. This mechanism relies on the presence of an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element within the 5'-untranslated region. Virus-host interactions in EV71-infected cells are crucial in assisting this process. We identified a novel positive IRES trans-acting factor, far upstream element binding protein 1 (FBP1). Using binding assays, we mapped the RNA determinants within the EV71 IRES responsible for FBP1 binding and mapped the protein domains involved in this interaction. We also demonstrated that during EV71 infection, the nuclear protein FBP1 is enriched in cytoplasm where viral replication occurs. Moreover, we showed that FBP1 acts as a positive regulator of EV71 replication by competing with negative ITAF for EV71 IRES binding. These new findings may provide a route to new anti-viral therapy.     

Host factors in enterovirus 71 replication

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infections continue to remain an important public health problem around the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. There is a significant mortality rate following such infections, and there is neither any proven therapy nor a vaccine for EV71. This has spurred much fundamental research into the replication of the virus. In this review, we discuss recent work identifying host cell factors which regulate the synthesis of EV71 RNA and proteins. Three of these proteins, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1), far-upstream element-binding protein 2 (FBP2), and FBP1 are nuclear proteins which in EV71-infected cells are relocalized to the cytoplasm, and they influence EV71 internal ribosome entry site (IRES) activity. hnRNP A1 stimulates IRES activity but can be replaced by hnRNP A2. FBP2 is a negative regulatory factor with respect to EV71 IRES activity, whereas FBP1 has the opposite effect. Two other proteins, hnRNP K and reticulon 3, are required for the efficient synthesis of viral RNA. The cleavage stimulation factor 64K subunit (CstF-64) is a host protein that is involved in the 3' polyadenylation of cellular pre-mRNAs, and recent work suggests that in EV71-infected cells, it may be cleaved by the EV71 3C protease. Such a cleavage would impair the processing of pre-mRNA to mature mRNAs. Host cell proteins play an important role in the replication of EV71, but much work remains to be done in order to understand how they act.     

Apigenin Inhibits Enterovirus-71 Infection by Disrupting Viral RNA Association with trans-Acting Factors

Flavonoids are widely distributed natural products with broad biological activities. Apigenin is a dietary flavonoid that has recently been demonstrated to interact with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) and interferes with their RNA editing activity. We investigated whether apigenin possessed antiviral activity against enterovirus-71 (EV71) infection since EV71 infection requires of hnRNP proteins. We found that apigenin selectively blocks EV71 infection by disrupting viral RNA association with hnRNP A1 and A2 proteins. The estimated EC₅₀ value for apigenin to block EV71 infection was determined at 10.3 µM, while the CC₅₀ was estimated at 79.0 µM. The anti-EV71 activity was selective since no activity was detected against several DNA and RNA viruses. Although flavonoids in general share similar structural features, apigenin and kaempferol were among tested compounds with significant activity against EV71 infection. hnRNP proteins function as trans-acting factors regulating EV71 translation. We found that apigenin treatment did not affect EV71-induced nucleocytoplasmic redistribution of hnRNP A1 and A2 proteins. Instead, it prevented EV71 RNA association with hnRNP A1 and A2 proteins. Accordingly, suppression of hnRNP A1 and A2 expression markedly reduced EV71 infection. As a positive sense, single strand RNA virus, EV71 has a type I internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that cooperates with host factors and regulates EV71 translation. The effect of apigenin on EV71 infection was further demonstrated using a bicistronic vector that has the expression of a GFP protein under the control of EV71 5′-UTR. We found that apigenin treatment selectively suppressed the expression of GFP, but not a control gene. In addition to identification of apigenin as an antiviral agent against EV71 infection, this study also exemplifies the significance in antiviral agent discovery by targeting host factors essential for viral replication.     

Genetic adaptation to untranslated region-mediated enterovirus growth deficits by mutations in the nonstructural proteins 3AB and 3CD

Both untranslated regions (UTRs) of plus-strand RNA virus genomes jointly control translation and replication of viral genomes. In the case of the Enterovirus genus of the Picornaviridae family, the 5'UTR consists of a cloverleaf-like terminus preceding the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) and the 3' terminus is composed of a structured 3'UTR and poly(A). The IRES and poly(A) have been implicated in translation control, and all UTR structures, in addition to cis-acting genetic elements mapping to the open reading frame, have been assigned roles in RNA replication. Viral UTRs are recognized by viral and host cell RNA-binding proteins that may co-determine genome stability, translation, plus- and minus-strand RNA replication, and scaffolding of viral replication complexes within host cell substructures. In this report, we describe experiments with coxsackie B viruses with a cell type-specific propagation deficit in Sk-N-Mc neuroblastoma cells conferred by the combination of a heterologous IRES and altered 3'UTR. Serial passage of these constructs in Sk-N-Mc cells yielded genetic adaptation by mutations within the viral nonstructural proteins 3A and 3C. Our data implicate 3A and/or 3C or their precursors 3AB and/or 3CD in a functional complex with the IRES and 3'UTR that drives viral propagation. Adaptation to neuroblastoma cells suggests an involvement of cell type-specific host factors or the host cell cytoplasmic milieu in this phenomenon.     

Replication of poliovirus RNA with complete internal ribosome entry site deletions

cis-acting RNA sequences and structures in the 5' and 3' nontranslated regions of poliovirus RNA interact with host translation machinery and viral replication proteins to coordinately regulate the sequential translation and replication of poliovirus RNA. The poliovirus internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the 5' nontranslated region (NTR) has been implicated as a cis-active RNA required for both viral mRNA translation and viral RNA replication. To evaluate the role of the IRES in poliovirus RNA replication, we exploited the advantages of cell-free translation-replication reactions and preinitiation RNA replication complexes. Genetic complementation with helper mRNAs allowed us to create preinitiation RNA replication complexes containing RNA templates with defined deletions in the viral open reading frame and the IRES. A series of deletions revealed that no RNA elements of either the viral open reading frame or the IRES were required in cis for negative-strand RNA synthesis. The IRES was dispensable for both negative- and positive-strand RNA syntheses. Intriguingly, although small viral RNAs lacking the IRES replicated efficiently, the replication of genome length viral RNAs was stimulated by the presence of the IRES. These results suggest that RNA replication is not directly dependent on a template RNA first functioning as an mRNA. These results further suggest that poliovirus RNA replication is not absolutely dependent on any protein-RNA interactions involving the IRES.     

Poly(A) binding protein, C-terminally truncated by the hepatitis A virus proteinase 3C, inhibits viral translation

Proteolytic cleavage of translation initiation factors is a means to interfere with mRNA circularization and to induce translation arrest during picornaviral replication or apoptosis. It was shown that the regulated cleavages of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4G and poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) by viral proteinases correlated with early and late arrest of host cap-dependent and viral internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent translation, respectively. Here we show that in contrast to coxsackievirus, eIF4G is not a substrate of proteinase 3C of hepatitis A virus (HAV 3C^pro). However, PABP is cleaved by HAV 3C^pro in vitro and in vivo, separating the N-terminal RNA-binding domain (NTD) of PABP from the C-terminal protein-interaction domain. In vitro, NTD has a dominant negative effect on HAV IRES-dependent translation and an enhanced binding affinity to the RNA structural element pY1 in the 5′ nontranslated region of the HAV RNA that is essential for viral genome replication. The results point to a regulatory role of PABP cleavage in RNA template switching of viral translation to RNA synthesis.     

Internal Ribosome Entry Sites within the RNA Genomes of Hepatitis C Virus and Other Flaviviruses

The 5′ nontranslated RNAs of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and several other members of theFlaviviridaecontain highly structured segments which form internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs). Thesecis-active RNA elements direct the cap-independent initiation of translation of the viral polyprotein in association withtrans-acting cellular and possibly viral proteins, and thus they play a key role in the replication of the virus. The structure of the HCV IRES does not resemble that of any picornaviral IRES, and its function is uniquely dependent upon RNA sequence extending 3′ of the site of translation initiation as well as structure surrounding the initiator AUG.     

Sequences within the poliovirus internal ribosome entry segment control viral RNA synthesis.

The 5' untranslated region of poliovirus RNA has been reported to possess two functional elements: (i) the 5' proximal 88 nucleotides form a cloverleaf structure implicated in positive-strand RNA synthesis during viral replication, and (ii) nucleotides 134 to at least 556 function as a highly structured internal ribosome entry segment (IRES) during cap-independent, internal initiation of translation. We show here that the IRES itself is bifunctional and contains sequences necessary for viral RNA synthesis per se. For this purpose, we used a dicistronic poliovirus RNA in which the translation of the viral non-structural (replication) proteins is uncoupled from the poliovirus IRES. In this system, RNA synthesis is readily detectable in transfected cells, even when the poliovirus IRES is inactivated by point mutation. However, deletion of the major part of the poliovirus IRES renders viral-specific RNA synthesis undetectable. Using the same system, we show that a three nucleotide deletion at position 500 in the 5' untranslated region drastically affects both translation efficiency and RNA synthesis. Furthermore, disruption of the secondary structure of the IRES around nucleotide 343 has minimal effects on IRES function, but dramatically reduces viral RNA replication. Taken together, these results provide direct evidence that sequences essential for viral RNA synthesis are located in the 3' region of the poliovirus IRES.     

cis-acting RNA elements required for replication of bovine viral diarrhea virus-hepatitis C virus 5' nontranslated region chimeras.

Pestiviruses, such as bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), share many similarities with hepatitis C virus (HCV) yet are more amenable to virologic and genetic analysis. For both BVDV and HCV, translation is initiated via an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Besides IRES function, the viral 5' nontranslated regions (NTRs) may also contain cis-acting RNA elements important for viral replication. A series of chimeric RNAs were used to examine the function of the BVDV 5' NTR. Our results show that: (1) the HCV and the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) IRES element can functionally replace that of BVDV; (2) two 5' terminal hairpins in BVDV genomic RNA are important for efficient replication; (3) replacement of the entire BVDV 5' NTR with those of HCV or EMCV leads to severely impaired replication; (4) such replacement chimeras are unstable and efficiently replicating pseudorevertants arise; (5) pseudorevertant mutations involve deletion of 5' sequences and/or acquisition of novel 5' sequences such that the 5' terminal 3-4 bases of BVDV genome RNA are restored. Besides providing new insight into functional elements in the BVDV 5' NTR, these chimeras may prove useful as pestivirus vaccines and for screening and evaluation of anti-HCV IRES antivirals.     

AUF1在病毒感染及相关炎症反应中的调控作用

富含AU元件的RNA结合蛋白1(AU-rich element binding factor 1,AUF1)具有剪接加工前体mRNA、转运和降解成熟mRNA的功能,同时调节带有富含AU元件(AU-rich element,ARE)的mRNA翻新。AUF1通过介导炎性细胞因子及其反应从而控制炎症进程。研究表明,AUF1与肠道病毒71型的内部核糖体进入位点(internal ribosome entry site,IRES)结合并与其交互负性调节病毒翻译与复制,它还可被募集到柯萨奇病毒B3型和肠道病毒71型诱导的应激颗粒中。     

The folding of the hepatitis C virus internal ribosome entry site depends on the 3′-end of the viral genome

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) translation initiation is directed by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and regulated by distant regions at the 3′-end of the viral genome. Through a combination of improved RNA chemical probing methods, SHAPE structural analysis and screening of RNA accessibility using antisense oligonucleotide microarrays, here, we show that HCV IRES folding is fine-tuned by the genomic 3′-end. The essential IRES subdomains IIIb and IIId, and domain IV, adopted a different conformation in the presence of the cis-acting replication element and/or the 3′-untranslatable region compared to that taken up in their absence. Importantly, many of the observed changes involved significant decreases in the dimethyl sulfate or N-methyl-isatoic anhydride reactivity profiles at subdomains IIIb and IIId, while domain IV appeared as a more flexible element. These observations were additionally confirmed in a replication-competent RNA molecule. Significantly, protein factors are not required for these conformational differences to be made manifest. Our results suggest that a complex, direct and long-distance RNA–RNA interaction network plays an important role in the regulation of HCV translation and replication, as well as in the switching between different steps of the viral cycle.     

PolyC-Binding Protein 1 Interacts with 5′-Untranslated Region of Enterovirus 71 RNA in Membrane-Associated Complex to Facilitate Viral Replication

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is one causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), which may lead to severe neurological disorders and mortality in children. EV71 genome is a positive single-stranded RNA containing a single open reading frame (ORF) flanked by 5′-untranslated region (5′UTR) and 3′UTR. The 5′UTR is fundamentally important for virus replication by interacting with cellular proteins. Here, we revealed that poly(C)-binding protein 1 (PCBP1) specifically binds to the 5′UTR of EV71. Detailed studies indicated that the RNA-binding K-homologous 1 (KH1) domain of PCBP1 is responsible for its binding to the stem-loop I and IV of EV71 5′UTR. Interestingly, we revealed that PCBP1 is distributed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of uninfected cells, but mainly localized in the cytoplasm of EV71-infected cells due to interaction and co-localization with the viral RNA. Furthermore, sub-cellular distribution analysis showed that PCBP1 is located in ER-derived membrane, in where virus replication occurred in the cytoplasm of EV71-infected cells, suggesting PCBP1 is recruited in a membrane-associated replication complex. In addition, we found that the binding of PCBP1 to 5′UTR resulted in enhancing EV71 viral protein expression and virus production so as to facilitate viral replication. Thus, we revealed a novel mechanism in which PCBP1 as a positive regulator involved in regulation of EV71 replication in the host specialized membrane-associated replication complex, which provides an insight into cellular factors involved in EV71 replication.     

Antiviral effects of two Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids against enterovirus 71 infection

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major causative agent for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), and fatal neurological and systemic complications in children. However, there is currently no clinical approved antiviral drug available for the prevention and treatment of the viral infection. Here, we evaluated the antiviral activities of two Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids (GLTs), Lanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-3-one,15;26-dihydroxy (GLTA) and Ganoderic acid Y (GLTB), against EV71 infection. The results showed that the two natural compounds display significant anti-EV71 activities without cytotoxicity in human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells as evaluated by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assay. The mechanisms by which the two compounds affect EV71 infection were further elucidated by three action modes using Ribavirin, a common antiviral drug, as a positive control. The results suggested that GLTA and GLTB prevent EV71 infection through interacting with the viral particle to block the adsorption of virus to the cells. In addition, the interactions between EV71 virion and the compounds were predicated by computer molecular docking, which illustrated that GLTA and GLTB may bind to the viral capsid protein at a hydrophobic pocket (F site), and thus may block uncoating of EV71. Moreover, we demonstrated that GLTA and GLTB significantly inhibit the replication of the viral RNA (vRNA) of EV71 replication through blocking EV71 uncoating. Thus, GLTA and GLTB may represent two potential therapeutic agents to control and treat EV71 infection.