Rep-Mediated Nicking of the Adeno-Associated Virus Origin Requires Two Biochemical Activities, DNA Helicase Activity and Transesterification

The single-stranded adeno-associated virus (AAV) genome is flanked by terminal hairpinned origins of DNA replication (terminal repeats [TRs]) that are nicked at the terminal resolution site (trs) by the AAV Rep protein in an ATP-dependent, site-specific manner. Here we determine the minimal trs sequence necessary for Rep cleavage, 3'-CCGGT/TG-5', and show that this 7-base core sequence is required only on the nicked strand. We also identify a potential stem-loop structure at the trs. Interestingly, Rep nicking on a TR substrate that fixes this trs stem-loop in the extruded form no longer requires ATP. This suggests that ATP-dependent Rep helicase activity is necessary to unwind the duplex trs and extrude the stem-loop structure, prior to the ATP-independent Rep transesterification reaction. The extrusion of origin stem-loop structures prior to nicking appears to be a general mechanism shared by plant and animal viruses and bacterial plasmids. In the case of AAV, this mechanism of TR nicking would provide a possible regulatory function.     

Parvovirus initiation factor PIF: a novel human DNA-binding factor which coordinately recognizes two ACGT motifs.

A novel human site-specific DNA-binding factor has been partially purified from extracts of HeLa S3 cells. This factor, designated PIF, for parvovirus initiation factor, binds to the minimal origin of DNA replication at the 3' end of the minute virus of mice (MVM) genome and functions as an essential cofactor in the replication initiation process. Here we show that PIF is required for the viral replicator protein NS1 to nick and become covalently attached to a specific site in the origin sequence in a reaction which requires ATP hydrolysis. DNase I and copper ortho-phenanthroline degradation of the PIF-DNA complexes showed that PIF protects a stretch of some 20 nucleotides, covering the entire region in the minimal left-end origin not already known to be occupied by NS1. Methylation and carboxy-ethylation interference analysis identified two ACGT motifs, spaced by five nucleotides, as the sequences responsible for this binding. A series of mutant oligonucleotides was then used as competitive inhibitors in gel mobility shift assays to confirm that PIF recognizes both of these ACGT sequences and to demonstrate that the two motifs comprise a single binding site rather than two separate sites. Competitive inhibition of the origin nicking assay, using the same group of oligonucleotides, confirmed that the same cellular factor is responsible for both mobility shift and nicking activities. UV cross-linking and relative mobility assays suggest that PIF binds DNA as a heterodimer or higher-order multimer with subunits in the 80- to 100-kDa range.     

Specific initiation of replication at the right-end telomere of the closed species of minute virus of mice replicative-form DNA.

We have developed an in vitro system that supports the replication of natural DNA templates of the autonomous parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVM). MVM virion DNA, a single-stranded molecule bracketed by short, terminal, self-complementary sequences, is converted into double-stranded replicative-form (RF) DNA when incubated in mouse A9 fibroblast extract. The 3' end of the newly synthesized complementary strand is ligated to the right-end hairpin of the virion strand, resulting in the formation of a covalently closed RF (cRF) molecule as the major conversion product. cRF DNA is not further replicated in A9 cell extract alone. On addition of purified MVM nonstructural protein NS1 expressed from recombinant baculoviruses or vaccinia viruses, cRF DNA is processed into a right-end (5' end of the virion strand) extended form (5'eRF). This is indicative of NS1-dependent nicking of the right-end hairpin at a distinct position, followed by unfolding of the hairpin and copying of the terminal sequence. In contrast, no resolution of the left-end hairpin can be detected in the presence of NS1. In the course of the right-end nicking reaction, NS1 gets covalently attached to the right-end telomere of the DNA product, as shown by immunoprecipitation with NS1-specific antibodies. The 5'eRF product is the target for additional rounds of NS1-induced nicking and displacement synthesis at the right end, arguing against the requirement of the hairpin structure for recognition of the DNA substrate by NS1. Further processing of the 5'eRF template in vitro leads to the formation of dimeric RF (dRF) DNA in a left-to-left-end configuration, presumably as a result of copying of the whole molecule by displacement synthesis initiated at the right-end telomere. Formation of dRF DNA is highly stimulated by NS1. The experimental results presented in this report support various assumptions of current models of parvovirus DNA replication and provide new insights into the replication functions of the NS1 protein.     

Structure of the NS1 Protein N-Terminal Origin Recognition/Nickase Domain from the Emerging Human Bocavirus

Human bocavirus is a newly identified, globally prevalent, parvovirus that is associated with respiratory infection in infants and young children. Parvoviruses encode a large nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) that is essential for replication of the viral single-stranded DNA genome and DNA packaging and may play versatile roles in virus-host interactions. Here, we report the structure of the human bocavirus NS1 N-terminal domain, the first for any autonomous parvovirus. The structure shows an overall fold that is canonical to the histidine-hydrophobic-histidine superfamily of nucleases, which integrates two distinct DNA-binding sites: (i) a positively charged region mediated by a surface hairpin (residues 190 to 198) that is responsible for recognition of the viral origin of replication of the double-stranded DNA nature and (ii) the nickase active site that binds to the single-stranded DNA substrate for site-specific cleavage. The structure reveals an acidic-residue-rich subdomain that is present in bocavirus NS1 proteins but not in the NS1 orthologs in erythrovirus or dependovirus, which may mediate bocavirus-specific interaction with DNA or potential host factors. These results provide insights into recognition of the origin of replication and nicking of DNA during bocavirus genome replication. Mapping of variable amino acid residues of NS1s from four human bocavirus species onto the structure shows a scattered pattern, but the origin recognition site and the nuclease active site are invariable, suggesting potential targets for antivirals against this clade of highly diverse human viruses.     

High-Mobility Group 1/2 Proteins Are Essential for Initiating Rolling-Circle-Type DNA Replication at a Parvovirus Hairpin Origin

Rolling-circle replication is initiated by a replicon-encoded endonuclease which introduces a single-strand nick into specific origin sequences, becoming covalently attached to the 5′ end of the DNA at the nick and providing a 3′ hydroxyl to prime unidirectional, leading-strand synthesis. Parvoviruses, such as minute virus of mice (MVM), have adapted this mechanism to amplify their linear single-stranded genomes by using hairpin telomeres which sequentially unfold and refold to shuttle the replication fork back and forth along the genome, creating a continuous, multimeric DNA strand. The viral initiator protein, NS1, then excises individual genomes from this continuum by nicking and reinitiating synthesis at specific origins present within the hairpin sequences. Using in vitro assays to study ATP-dependent initiation within the right-hand (5′) MVM hairpin, we have characterized a HeLa cell factor which is absolutely required to allow NS1 to nick this origin. Unlike parvovirus initiation factor (PIF), the cellular complex which activates NS1 endonuclease activity at the left-hand (3′) viral origin, the host factor which activates the right-hand hairpin elutes from phosphocellulose in high salt, has a molecular mass of around 25 kDa, and appears to bind preferentially to structured DNA, suggesting that it might be a member of the high-mobility group 1/2 (HMG1/2) protein family. This prediction was confirmed by showing that purified calf thymus HMG1 and recombinant human HMG1 or murine HMG2 could each substitute for the HeLa factor, activating the NS1 endonuclease in an origin-specific nicking reaction.     

Two widely spaced initiator binding sites create an HMG1-dependent parvovirus rolling-hairpin replication origin

Minute virus of mice (MVM) replicates via a linearized form of rolling-circle replication in which the viral nickase, NS1, initiates DNA synthesis by introducing a site-specific nick into either of two distinct origin sequences. In vitro nicking and replication assays with substrates that had deletions or mutations were used to explore the sequences and structural elements essential for activity of one of these origins, located in the right-end (5') viral telomere. This structure contains 248 nucleotides, most-favorably arranged as a simple hairpin with six unpaired bases. However, a pair of opposing NS1 binding sites, located near its outboard end, create a 33-bp palindrome that could potentially assume an alternate cruciform configuration and hence directly bind HMG1, the essential cofactor for this origin. The palindromic nature of this sequence, and thus its ability to fold into a cruciform, was dispensable for origin function, as was the NS1 binding site occupying the inboard arm of the palindrome. In contrast, the NS1 site in the outboard arm was essential for initiation, even though positioned 120 bp from the nick site. The specific sequence of the nick site and an additional NS1 binding site which directly orients NS1 over the initiation site were also essential and delimited the inboard border of the minimal right-end origin. DNase I and hydroxyl radical footprints defined sequences protected by NS1 and suggest that HMG1 allows the NS1 molecules positioned at each end of the origin to interact, creating a distortion characteristic of a double helical loop.     

Amino-terminal domain exchange redirects origin-specific interactions of adeno-associated virus rep78 in vitro

The unique ability of adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV) to site-specifically integrate its genome into a defined sequence on human chromosome 19 (AAVS1) makes it of particular interest for use in targeted gene delivery. The objective underlying this study is to provide evidence for the feasibility of retargeting site-specific integration into selected loci within the human genome. Current models postulate that AAV DNA integration is initiated through the interactions of the products of a single viral open reading frame, REP, with sequences present in AAVS1 that resemble the minimal origin for AAV DNA replication. Here, we present a cell-free system designed to dissect the Rep functions required to target site-specific integration using functional chimeric Rep proteins derived from AAV Rep78 and Rep1 of the closely related goose parvovirus. We show that amino-terminal domain exchange efficiently redirects the specificity of Rep to the minimal origin of DNA replication. Furthermore, we establish that the amino-terminal 208 amino acids of Rep78/68 constitute a catalytic domain of Rep sufficient to mediate site-specific endonuclease activity.     

The putative metal coordination motif in the endonuclease domain of human Parvovirus B19 NS1 is critical for NS1 induced S phase arrest and DNA damage

The non-structural proteins (NS) of the parvovirus family are highly conserved multi-functional molecules that have been extensively characterized and shown to be integral to viral replication. Along with NTP-dependent helicase activity, these proteins carry within their sequences domains that allow them to bind DNA and act as nucleases in order to resolve the concatameric intermediates developed during viral replication. The parvovirus B19 NS1 protein contains sequence domains highly similar to those previously implicated in the above-described functions of NS proteins from adeno-associated virus (AAV), minute virus of mice (MVM) and other non-human parvoviruses. Previous studies have shown that transient transfection of B19 NS1 into human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells initiates the intrinsic apoptotic cascade, ultimately resulting in cell death. In an effort to elucidate the mechanism of mammalian cell demise in the presence of B19 NS1, we undertook a mutagenesis analysis of the protein's endonuclease domain. Our studies have shown that, unlike wild-type NS1, which induces an accumulation of DNA damage, S phase arrest and apoptosis in HepG2 cells, disruptions in the metal coordination motif of the B19 NS1 protein reduce its ability to induce DNA damage and to trigger S phase arrest and subsequent apoptosis. These studies support our hypothesis that, in the absence of replicating B19 genomes, NS1-induced host cell DNA damage is responsible for apoptotic cell death observed in parvoviral infection of non-permissive mammalian cells.     

Asymmetric resolution of a parvovirus palindrome in vitro.

Cell extracts from murine A9 or human HeLa cells containing wild-type copies the NS1 polypeptide of minute virus of mice (MVM), produced from a recombinant vaccinia virus, can support the resolution of viral 3' termini from palindromic junction fragments of dimeric, replicative-form MVM DNA. Resolution resulted in the generation of two new viral termini, one associated with each arm of the junction palindrome. Telomeres were created in two configurations, "extended" forms, which were covalently associated with NS1 molecules, and smaller "turn-around" forms in which a single arm of the palindrome terminated at the axis of dyad symmetry in a covalent bond which cross-linked the two strands. The in vitro resolution reaction was asymmetric, generating predominantly extended-form termini from one arm of the palindrome but predominantly turn-around forms from the other. This asymmetry was independent of the type of cell used to prepare the in vitro extract or the orientation of the palindrome in the plasmid and was obtained for all cloned junction sequences of 156 bp or more. Two modified forms of the duplex junction fragment, which appeared to be intermediates in the resolution process since they were nicked, covalently linked to NS1, and associated with newly synthesized DNA, were identified. The structures of these intermediates suggest that resolution is initiated by preferential nicking at one of the two candidate resolution sites. The asymmetric nature of this resolution reaction is discussed in terms of current models of MVM DNA replication.     

Recombinant junctions formed by site-specific integration of adeno-associated virus into an episome.

A model system using an episomal Epstein-Barr virus shuttle vector was recently developed to study the adeno-associated virus (AAV) site-specific integration event in chromosome 19q13.3-qter (C. Giraud, E. Winocour, and K.I. Berns, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:10039-10043, 1994). In this study, we analyze the recombinant junctions generated after integration of the AAV genome into an Epstein-Barr virus shuttle vector carrying 8.2, 1.6, or 0.51 kb of the chromosome 19 preintegration sequence (AAVS1 locus). In most of the recombinants, one end of the viral genome was joined to a portion of the AAVS1 DNA previously shown to be a minimum target for AAV integration. Within this AAVS1 segment, the AAV insertion points were strikingly clustered around a binding site for the AAV regulatory protein. In all cases, the second junction with AAV occurred with vector DNA outside of the AAVS1 segment. With respect to the viral genome, one junction with the shuttle vector DNA occurred either within the AAV inverted terminal repeat (itr), or near the P5 promoter, approximately 100 nucleotides distal to a modified itr. The modified itr in 5 of 11 recombinants involved a head-to-tail organization. In one such instance, the AAV insert contained slightly more than one genome equivalent arranged in a head-to-tail manner with a junction close to the P5 promoter; the AAV insert in this recombinant episome could be rescued by adenovirus infection and replicated to virus particles. The significance of the head-to-tail organization is discussed in terms of the possible circularization of AAV DNA before or during integration.     

A role for MRE11, NBS1, and recombination junctions in replication and stable maintenance of EBV episomes

Recombination-like structures formed at origins of DNA replication may contribute to replication fidelity, sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome segregation, and overall genome stability. The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) origin of plasmid replication (OriP) provides episomal genome stability through a poorly understood mechanism. We show here that recombinational repair proteins MRE11 and NBS1 are recruited to the Dyad Symmetry (DS) region of OriP in a TRF2- and cell cycle-dependent manner. Depletion of MRE11 or NBS1 by siRNA inhibits OriP replication and destabilized viral episomes. OriP plasmid maintenance was defective in MRE11 and NBS1 hypomorphic fibroblast cell lines and only integrated, non-episomal forms of EBV were detected in a lympoblastoid cell line derived from an NBS1-mutated individual. Two-dimensional agarose gel analysis of OriP DNA revealed that recombination-like structures resembling Holliday-junctions form at OriP in mid S phase. MRE11 and NBS1 association with DS coincided with replication fork pausing and origin activation, which preceded the formation of recombination structures. We propose that NBS1 and MRE11 promote replication-associated recombination junctions essential for EBV episomal maintenance and genome stability.     

Structural unity among viral origin binding proteins: crystal structure of the nuclease domain of adeno-associated virus Rep

Adeno-associated virus (AAV), unique among animal viruses in its ability to integrate into a specific chromosomal location, is a promising vector for human gene therapy. AAV Replication (Rep) protein is essential for viral replication and integration, and its amino terminal domain possesses site-specific DNA binding and endonuclease activities required for replication initiation and integration. This domain displays a novel endonuclease fold and demonstrates an unexpected structural relationship to other viral origin binding proteins such as the papillomavirus E1 protein and the SV40 T antigen. The active site, located at the bottom of a positively charged cleft, is formed by the spatial convergence of a divalent metal ion and two conserved sequence motifs that define the rolling circle replication superfamily.     

DNA sequence motifs which direct adeno-associated virus site-specific integration in a model system

The DNA sequence motifs which direct adeno-associated virus type 2 site-specific integration are being investigated using a shuttle vector, propagated as a stable episome in cultured cell lines, as the target for integration. Previously, we reported that the minimum episomal targeting elements comprise a 16-bp binding motif (Rep binding site [RBS]) for a viral regulatory protein (Rep) separated by a short DNA spacer from a sequence (terminal resolution site [TRS]) that can serve as a substrate for Rep-mediated nicking activity (R. M. Linden, P. Ward, C. Giraud, E. Winocour, and K. I. Berns, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:11288-11294, 1996; R. M. Linden, E. Winocour, and K. I. Berns, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:7966-7972, 1996). We now report that episomal integration depends upon both the sequence and the position of the spacer DNA separating the RBS and TRS motifs. The spacer thus constitutes a third element required for site-specific episomal integration.     

Structure of simian virus 40-adeno-associated virus recombinant genomes.

The structures of recombinant genomes formed by recombination between simian virus 40 (SV40) and adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV) DNAs after either DNA cotransfection or coinfection by virions were characterized. Two types of structures were found. Group A structures, found after cotransfection and in one of seven recombinants arising from coinfection, represented a simple deletion of SV40 sequences replaced by a slightly shorter AAV sequence. Group B structures were found in six of seven recombinants arising after virion coinfection. All contained either the left or right terminal sequences (approximately 250 to 450 bases) of the AAV genome adjacent to the SV40 origin of DNA replication. Only 350 to 650 bases (including the origin) remained of the SV40 sequence. The joined SV40-AAV sequences were present in the recombinant genome as a tandem repeat of a size that can be packaged into SV40 capsids.     

Mechanism of Rep-mediated adeno-associated virus origin nicking

The single-stranded adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV) genome is flanked by terminal repeats (TRs) that fold back on themselves to form hairpinned structures. During AAV DNA replication, the TRs are nicked by the virus-encoded Rep proteins at the terminal resolution site (trs). This origin function apparently requires three sequence elements, the Rep binding element (RBE), a small palindrome that comprises a single tip of an internal hairpin within the TR (RBE'), and the trs. Previously, we determined the sequences at the trs required for Rep-mediated cleavage and demonstrated that the trs endonuclease reaction occurs in two discrete steps. In the first step, the Rep DNA helicase activity unwinds the TR, thereby extruding a stem-loop structure at the trs. In the second step, Rep transesterification activity cleaves the trs. Here we investigate the contribution of the RBE and RBE' during this process. Our data indicate that Rep is tethered to the RBE in a specific orientation during trs nicking. This orientation appears to align Rep on the AAV TR, allowing specific nucleotide contacts with the RBE' and directing nicking to the trs. Accordingly, alterations in the polarity or position of the RBE relative to the trs greatly inhibit Rep nicking. Substitutions within the RBE' also reduce Rep specific activity, but to a lesser extent. Interestingly, Rep interactions with the RBE and RBE' during nicking seem to be functionally distinct. Rep contacts with the RBE appear necessary for both the DNA helicase and trs cleavage steps of the endonuclease reaction. On the other hand, RBE' contacts seem to be required primarily for TR unwinding and formation of the trs stem-loop structure, not cleavage. Together, these results suggest a model of Rep interaction with the AAV TR during origin nicking through a tripartite cleavage signal comprised of the RBE, the RBE', and the trs.     

In vivo evidence for instability of episomal human immunodeficiency virus type 1 cDNA

Current regimens for the management of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection suppress plasma viremia to below detectable levels for prolonged intervals. Nevertheless, there is a rapid resumption in plasma viremia if therapy is interrupted. Attempts to characterize the extent of viral replication under conditions of potent suppression and undetectable plasma viremia have been hampered by a lack of convenient assays that can distinguish latent from ongoing viral replication. Using episomal viral cDNA as a surrogate for ongoing replication, we previously presented evidence that viral replication persists in the majority of infected individuals with a sustained aviremic status. The labile nature of viral episomes and hence their validity as surrogate markers of ongoing replication in individuals with long-term-suppressed HIV-1 infection have been analyzed in short-term in vitro experiments with conflicting results. Since these in vitro experiments do not shed light on the long-term in vivo dynamics of episomal cDNA or recapitulate the natural targets of infection in vivo, we have analyzed the dynamics of episomal cDNA turnover in vivo by following the emergence of an M184V polymorphism in plasma viral RNA, in episomal cDNA, and in proviral DNA in patients on suboptimal therapies. We demonstrate that during acquisition of drug resistance, wild-type episomal cDNAs are replaced by M184V-harboring episomes. Importantly, a complete replacement of wild-type episomes with M184V-containing episomes occurred while proviruses remained wild type. This indicates that episomal cDNAs are turned over by degradation rather than through death or tissue redistribution of the infected cell itself. Therefore, evolution of episomal viral cDNAs is a valid surrogate of ongoing viral replication in HIV-1-infected individuals.     

The small nonstructural protein (NS2) of the parvovirus minute virus of mice is required for efficient DNA replication and infectious virus production in a cell-type-specific manner.

Seven mutations which affect only the small nonstructural protein NS2 were introduced into the infectious clone of the autonomous parvovirus, minute virus of mice (MVM). The majority of these mutants were severely defective for replication following transfection of normal host murine A9 fibroblasts; however, all were found to replicate more efficiently and produce infectious virus in certain other cell types, including human NB324K. The isolation of viral stocks from NB324K cells permitted a more detailed analysis of the mutant defect on A9 cells. NS2 mutant NS2-2018 was shown to be approximately 10-fold deficient for viral monomer replicative-form DNA production within a single-burst cycle in infected A9 cells and produced a reduced amount of progeny single strand. Mutant NS2-2018 generated wild-type levels of monomer replicative-form DNA on NB324K cells but made reduced levels of progeny single strand and small plaques on these cells. The accumulation of NS1 is reduced late in NS2-2018 infection of A9 cells, but NS1 accumulates to wild-type levels late in NB324K cell infections. NS1 nuclear localization is not dependent on NS2 in A9 or NB324K cells. These results indicate that NS2 participates in MVM DNA replication and is required for efficient viral growth. The requirement for NS2 during MVM replication is also host cell specific. This requirement is significantly more pronounced in the normal host murine A9 cells than in certain other cell types, including NB324K.