Vaccinia virus encodes an active thymidylate kinase that complements a cdc8 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A vaccinia virus open reading frame (ORF) previously predicted to encode thymidylate kinase (TmpK) is shown to encode an active enzyme. A copy of the ORF, generated by polymerase chain reaction, was cloned into an Escherichia coli inducible expression vector. Cell extracts of E. coli expressing the vaccinia gene contained high levels of TmpK activity, whereas extracts of cells without the TmpK gene did not. The vaccinia ORF expressed from a yeast vector complemented a Saccharomyces cerevisiae cdc8 mutant, demonstrating functional compatibility of the vaccinia virus and yeast TmpK enzymes. The gene is shown to be nonessential for the replication of vaccinia virus in cultured cells by the construction of a viable virus mutant that has the coding region of the TmpK gene interrupted by the Ecogpt gene. Synthesis of the vaccinia TmpK protein in infected cells was demonstrated by the use of a polyvalent rabbit antiserum raised against the purified TmpK enzyme expressed in E. coli to immunoprecipitate a 23-kDa early polypeptide from cells infected with wild type vaccinia but not from cells infected with the TmpK mutant. Plasmid vectors that allow the construction of recombinant viruses expressing foreign gene(s) from the nonessential TmpK locus are described.     

Absence or overexpression of the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) ORF29 latency-associated protein impairs late gene expression and reduces VZV latency in a rodent model

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ORF29 encodes the viral single-stranded DNA binding protein and is expressed during latency in human ganglia. We constructed an ORF29 deletion mutant virus and showed that the virus could replicate only in cells expressing ORF29. An ORF29-repaired virus, in which ORF29 was driven by a cytomegalovirus promoter, grew to peak titers similar to those seen with the parental virus. The level of ORF29 protein in cells infected with the repaired virus was greater than that seen with parental virus. Infection of cells with either the ORF29 deletion or repaired virus resulted in similar levels of VZV immediate-early proteins but reduced levels of glycoprotein E compared to those observed with parental virus. Cotton rats infected with the ORF29 deletion mutant had a markedly reduced frequency of latent infection in dorsal root ganglia compared with those infected with parental virus (P < 0.00001). In contrast, infection of animals with the ORF29 deletion mutant resulted in a frequency of ganglionic infection at 3 days similar to that seen with the parental virus. Animals infected with the ORF29-repaired virus, which overexpresses ORF29, also had a reduced frequency of latent infection compared with those infected with parental virus (P = 0.0044). These studies indicate that regulation of ORF29 at appropriate levels is critical for VZV latency in a rodent model.     

Vaccinia virus encodes a polypeptide with DNA ligase activity.

Vaccinia virus gene SalF 15R potentially encodes a polypeptide of 63 kD which shares 30% amino acid identity with S. pombe and S. cerevisiae DNA ligases. DNA ligase proteins can be identified by incubation with alpha-(32P)ATP, resulting in the formation of a covalent DNA ligase-AMP adduct, an intermediate in the enzyme reaction. A novel radio-labelled polypeptide of approximately 61 kD appears in extracts from vaccinia virus infected cells after incubation with alpha-(32P)ATP. This protein is present throughout infection and is a DNA ligase as the radioactivity is discharged in the presence of either DNA substrate or pyrophosphate. DNA ligase assays show an increase in enzyme activity in cell extracts after vaccinia virus infection. A rabbit antiserum, raised against a bacterial fusion protein of beta-galactosidase and a portion of SalF 15R, immune-precipitates polypeptides of 61 and 54 kD from extracts of vaccinia virus-infected cells. This antiserum also immune-precipitates the novel DNA ligase-AMP adduct, thus proving that the observed DNA ligase is encoded by SalF 15R.     

The vaccinia virus A14.5L gene encodes a hydrophobic 53-amino-acid virion membrane protein that enhances virulence in mice and is conserved among vertebrate poxviruses

A short sequence, located between the A14L and A15L open reading frames (ORFs) of vaccinia virus, was predicted to encode a hydrophobic protein of 53 amino acids that is conserved in orthopoxviruses, leporipoxviruses, yatapoxiruses, and molluscipoxviruses. We constructed a recombinant vaccinia virus with a 10-codon epitope tag appended to the C terminus of the A14.5L ORF. Synthesis of the tagged protein occurred at late times and was blocked by an inhibitor of DNA replication, consistent with regulation by a predicted late promoter just upstream of the A14.5L ORF. Hydrophobicity of the protein was demonstrated by extraction into the detergent phase of Triton X-114. The protein was associated with purified vaccinia virus particles and with membranes of immature and mature virions that were visualized by electron microscopy of infected cells. Efficient release of the protein from purified virions occurred after treatment with a nonionic detergent and reducing agent. A mutant virus, in which the A14.5L ORF was largely deleted, produced normal-size plaques in several cell lines, and the yields of infectious intra- and extracellular viruses were similar to those of the parent. In contrast, with a mouse model, mutant viruses with the A14.5L ORF largely deleted were attenuated relative to that of the parental virus or a mutant virus with a restored A14.5L gene.     

Genetic identification of HSD-1, a conserved steroidogenic enzyme that directs larval development in Caenorhabditis elegans

In C. elegans, steroid hormones function in conjunction with insulin/IGF-1-like signaling in promoting reproductive development over entry into the diapausal dauer stage. The NCR-1 and -2 (NPC1-related) intracellular cholesterol transporters function redundantly in preventing dauer arrest, presumably by regulating the availability of substrates for steroid hormone synthesis. We have identified hsd-1 as a new component of this cholesterol trafficking/processing pathway, using an ncr-1 enhancer screen. HSD-1 is orthologous to 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Delta(5)-Delta(4) isomerases (3beta-HSDs), which are key steroidogenic enzymes in vertebrates, and is exclusively expressed in two neuron-like XXX cells that are crucial in preventing dauer arrest, suggesting that it is involved in biosynthesis of dauer-preventing steroid hormones. The hsd-1 null mutant displays defects in inhibiting dauer arrest: it forms dauers in the deletion mutant backgrounds of ncr-1 or daf-28/insulin; as a single mutant, it is hypersensitive to dauer pheromone. We found that hsd-1 defects can be rescued by feeding mutant animals with several steroid intermediates that are either downstream of or in parallel to the 3beta-HSD function in the dafachronic acid biosynthetic pathway, suggesting that HSD-1 functions as a 3beta-HSD. Interestingly, sterols that rescued hsd-1 defects also bypassed the need for the NCR-1 and/or -2 functions, suggesting that HSD-1-mediated steroid hormone production is an important functional output of the NCR transporters. Finally, we found that the HSD-1-mediated signal activates insulin/IGF-I signaling in a cell non-autonomous fashion, suggesting a novel mechanism for how these two endocrine pathways intersect in directing development.     

Open reading frame S/L of varicella-zoster virus encodes a cytoplasmic protein expressed in infected cells

We report the discovery of a novel gene in the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) genome, designated open reading frame (ORF) S/L. This gene, located at the left end of the prototype VZV genome isomer, expresses a polyadenylated mRNA containing a splice within the 3' untranslated region in virus-infected cells. Sequence analysis reveals significant differences between the ORF S/Ls of wild-type and attenuated strains of VZV. Antisera raised to a bacterially expressed portion of ORF S/L reacted specifically with a 21-kDa protein synthesized in cells infected with a VZV clinical isolate and with the original vaccine strain of VZV (Oka-ATCC). Cells infected with other VZV strains, including a wild-type strain that has been extensively passaged in tissue culture and commercially produced vaccine strains of Oka, synthesize a family of proteins ranging in size from 21 to 30 kDa that react with the anti-ORF S/L antiserum. MeWO cells infected with recombinant VZV harboring mutations in the C-terminal region of the ORF S/L gene lost adherence to the stratum and adjacent cells, resulting in an altered plaque morphology. Immunohistochemical analysis of VZV-infected cells demonstrated that ORF S/L protein localizes to the cytoplasm. ORF S/L protein was present in skin lesions of individuals with primary or reactivated infection and in the neurons of a dorsal root ganglion during virus reactivation.     

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame 47 (ORF47) protein kinase is dispensable for viral replication and is not required for phosphorylation of ORF63 protein, the VZV homolog of herpes simplex virus ICP22.

To investigate the role of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame 47 (ORF47) protein kinase during infection, a VZV mutant was generated in which two contiguous stop codons were introduced into ORF47, thus eliminating expression of the ORF47 kinase. ORF47 kinase was not essential for the growth of VZV in cultured cells, and the growth rate of the VZV mutant lacking ORF47 protein was indistinguishable from that of parental VZV. Nuclear extracts from cells infected with parental VZV contained several phosphorylated proteins which were not detected in extracts from cells infected with the ORF47 mutant. The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) UL13 protein (the homolog of VZV ORF47 protein) is responsible for the posttranslational processing associated with phosphorylation of HSV-1 ICP22 (the homolog of VZV ORF63 protein). Immunoprecipitation of 32P-labeled proteins from cells infected with parental virus and those infected with ORF47 mutant virus yielded similar amounts of the VZV phosphoproteins encoded by ORF4, ORF62, ORF63, and ORF68 (VZV gE), and the electrophoretic migration of these proteins was not affected by the lack of ORF47 kinase. Therefore, while the VZV ORF47 protein is capable of phosphorylating several cellular or viral proteins, it is not required for phosphorylation of the ORF63 protein in virus-infected cells.     

Deletion in open reading frame 49 of varicella-zoster virus reduces virus growth in human malignant melanoma cells but not in human embryonic fibroblasts

The ORF49 gene product (ORF49p) of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is likely a myristylated tegument protein, and its homologs are conserved across the herpesvirus subfamilies. The UL11 gene of herpes simplex virus type 1 and of pseudorabies virus and the UL99 gene of human cytomegalovirus are the homologs of ORF49 and have been well characterized by using mutant viruses; however, little research on the VZV ORF49 gene has been reported. Here we report on VZV ORF49p expression, subcellular localization, and effect on viral spread in vitro. ORF49p was expressed during the late phase of infection and located in the juxtanuclear region of the cytoplasm, where it colocalized mainly with the trans-Golgi network-associated protein. ORF49p was incorporated into virions and showed a molecular mass of 13 kDa in VZV-infected cells and virions. To elucidate the role of the ORF49 gene, we constructed a mutant virus that lacked a functional ORF49. No differences in plaque size or cell-cell spread were observed in human embryonic fibroblast cells, MRC-5 cells, infected with the wild-type or the mutant virus. However, the mutant virus showed diminished cell-cell infection in a human malignant melanoma cell line, MeWo cells. Therefore, VZV ORF49p is important for virus growth in MeWo cells, but not in MRC-5 cells. VZV may use different mechanisms for virus growth in MeWo and MRC-5 cells. If so, understanding the role of ORF49p should help elucidate how VZV accomplishes cell-cell infections in different cell types.     

Cloning and characterization of human form 2 type 7 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, a primarily 3beta-keto reductase and estrogen activating and androgen inactivating enzyme

Type 7 17beta-HSD catalyzes the transformation of estrone (E1) into estradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) into 5alpha -androstane-3beta,17beta-diol (3beta-diol) as well as zymosterone into zymosterol. This suggests that in addition to cholesterol metabolism, the enzyme could play a critical role in estrogen-sensitive cells, since it inactivates DHT that generally shows antagonistic effect in the cells, while producing active E2 for cell proliferation. In this report, we describe the cloning and characterization of a second form of type 7 17beta-HSD (17beta-HSD7_2) that shares 95.6% identity with 17beta-HSD7_1. Using a 7.5kb genomic DNA fragment of 17beta-HSD7_1 as probe, we have obtained 7 BAC clones: three clones containing the 17beta-HSD7_1 gene and four containing the 17beta-HSD7_2 gene. The corresponding 17beta-HSD7_2 cDNA fragments of the coding region were obtained by amplification using RT-PCR and subcloned into pCMV expression vector and stably transfected into human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells. The overexpressed 17beta-HSD7_2 catalyzes efficiently the transformation of E1 into E2 and of DHT into 3beta-diol. Ribonuclease protection assays (RPA) indicate that 17beta-HSD7_2 is expressed in the liver, prostate, uterus and placenta. FISH mapping using the 7.5kb genomic DNA fragment as well as 2 BAC clones of each form allowed us to map the 17beta-HSD7_1 gene on chromosome band 1q23, and 17beta-HSD7_2 on band 10p11.2. These results contrast with a previous report that the 17beta-HSD7_1 gene was mapped to chromosomal band 10p11.2. This newly identified form of 17beta-HSD7 could have a significant role by modulating active hormone levels in estrogen-sensitive cells or tissues.     

The vaccinia virus O1 protein is required for sustained activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and promotes viral virulence

Sustained activation of the Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in infected cells has been shown to be crucial for full replication efficiency of orthopoxviruses in cell culture. In infected cells, this pathway is mainly activated by the vaccinia virus growth factor (VGF), an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like protein. We show here that chorioallantois vaccinia virus Ankara (CVA), but not modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), induced sustained activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in infected human 293 cells, although both viruses direct secretion of functional VGF. A CVA mutant lacking the O1L gene (CVA-ΔO1L) demonstrated that the O1 protein was required for sustained upregulation of the ERK1/2 pathway in 293 cells as well as in other mammalian cell lines. The highly conserved orthopoxvirus O1L gene encodes a predicted 78-kDa protein with a hitherto-unknown function. CVA-ΔO1L showed reduced plaque size and an attenuated cytopathic effect (CPE) in infected cell cultures and reduced virulence and spread from lungs to ovaries in intranasally infected BALB/c mice. Reinsertion of an intact O1L gene into MVA, which in its original form harbors a fragmented O1L open reading frame (ORF), restored ERK1/2 activation in 293 cells but did not increase replication and spread of MVA in human or other mammalian cell lines. Thus, the O1 protein was crucial for sustained ERK1/2 activation in CVA- and MVA-infected human cells, complementing the autocrine function of VGF, and enhanced virulence in vivo.     

ORF3 protein of hepatitis E virus is not required for replication, virion assembly, or infection of hepatoma cells in vitro

A subclone of Huh-7 cells that could be relatively efficiently transfected and infected with hepatitis E virus was identified. Following transfection, infectious virus was produced but remained predominantly cell associated. Intracellular virus, recovered by lysis of transfected cells, infected na?ve cells. This in vitro-produced virus appeared to be antigenically identical to virus isolated from clinical samples. Lysates from cells transfected with mutant viral genomes unable to synthesize ORF3 protein contained infectious virions that were similar in number, thermostability, and sedimentation characteristics to those in lysates transfected with wild-type viral genomes. Therefore, in contrast to its requirement in vivo, ORF3 protein is not required for infection of Huh-7 cells or production of infectious virus in vitro.     

Targeting human glutathione transferase A3-3 attenuates progesterone production in human steroidogenic cells

hGSTA3-3 (human Alpha-class glutathione transferase 3-3) efficiently catalyses steroid Delta(5)-Delta(4) double-bond isomerization in vitro, using glutathione as a cofactor. This chemical transformation is an obligatory reaction in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones and follows the oxidation of 3beta-hydroxysteroids catalysed by 3beta-HSD (3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase). The isomerization has commonly been ascribed to a supplementary function of 3beta-HSD. The present study is the first to provide evidence that hGSTA3-3 contributes to this step in steroid hormone biosynthesis in complex cellular systems. First, we find glutathione-dependent Delta(5)-Delta(4) isomerase activity in whole-cell extracts prepared from human steroidogenic cells. Secondly, effective inhibitors of hGSTA3-3 dramatically decrease the conversion of Delta(5)-androstene-3,17-dione into Delta(4)-androstene-3,17-dione in cell lysates. Thirdly, we show that RNAi (RNA interference) targeting hGSTA3-3 expression decreases by 30% the forskolin-stimulated production of the steroid hormone progesterone in a human placental cell line. This effect is achieved at low concentrations of two small interfering RNAs directed against distinct regions of hGSTA3-3 mRNA, and is weaker in unstimulated cells, in which hGSTA3-3 expression is low. The results concordantly show that hGSTA3-3 makes a significant contribution to the double-bond isomerization necessary for steroid hormone biosynthesis and thereby complements the indispensable 3beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase activity of 3beta-HSD. The results indicate that the lower isomerase activity of 3beta-HSD is insufficient for maximal rate of cellular sex hormone production and identify hGSTA3-3 as a possible target for pharmaceutical intervention in steroid hormone-dependent diseases.     

Characterization of Varicella-Zoster virus glycoprotein K (open reading frame 5) and its role in virus growth

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is an alphaherpesvirus that is the causative agent of chickenpox and herpes zoster. VZV open reading frame 5 (ORF5) encodes glycoprotein K (gK), which is conserved among alphaherpesviruses. While VZV gK has not been characterized, and its role in viral replication is unknown, homologs of VZV gK in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and pseudorabies virus (PRV) have been well studied. To identify the VZV ORF5 gene product, we raised a polyclonal antibody against a fusion protein of ORF5 codons 25 to 122 with glutathione S-transferase and used it to study the protein in infected cells. A 40,000-molecular-weight protein was detected in cell-free virus by Western blotting. In immunogold electron microscopic studies, VZV gK was in enveloped virions and was evenly distributed in the cytoplasm in infected cells. To determine the function of VZV gK in virus growth, a series of gK deletion mutants were constructed with VZV cosmid DNA derived from the Oka strain. Full and partial deletions in gK prevented viral replication when the gK mutant cosmids were transfected into melanoma cells. Insertion of the HSV-1 (KOS) gK gene into the endogenous VZV gK site did not compensate for the deletion of VZV gK. The replacement of VZV gK at a nonnative AvrII site in the VZV genome restored the phenotypic characteristics of intact recombinant Oka (rOka) virus. Moreover, gK complementing cells transfected with a full gK deletion mutant exhibited viral plaques indistinguishable from those of rOka. Our results are consistent with the studies of gK proteins of HSV-1 and PRV showing that gK is indispensable for viral replication.