Processing of a cellular polypeptide by 3CD proteinase is required for poliovirus ribonucleoprotein complex formation.

Poliovirus interactions with host cells were investigated by studying the formation of ribonucleoprotein complexes at the 3' end of poliovirus negative-strand RNA which are presumed to be involved in viral RNA synthesis. It was previously shown that two host cell proteins with molecular masses of 36 and 38 kDa bind to the 3' end of viral negative-strand RNA at approximately 3 to 4 h after infection. We tested the hypothesis that preexisting cellular proteins are modified during the course of infection and are subsequently recruited to play a role in viral replication. It was demonstrated that the 38-kDa protein, either directly or indirectly, is the product of processing by poliovirus 3CD/3C proteinase. Only the modified 38-kDa protein, not its precursor protein, has a high affinity for binding to the 3' end of viral negative-strand RNA. This modification depends on proteolytically active proteinase, and a direct correlation between the levels of 3CD proteinase and the 38-kDa protein was demonstrated in infected tissue culture cells. The nucleotide (nt) 5-10 region (positive-strand numbers) of poliovirus negative-strand RNA is important for binding of the 38-kDa protein. Deletion of the nt 5-10 region in full-length, positive-strand RNA renders the RNA noninfectious in transfection experiments. These results suggest that poliovirus 3CD/3C proteinase processes a cellular protein which then plays an essential role during the viral life cycle.     

“Host Shutoff” Function of Bacteriophage T7: Involvement of T7 Gene 2 and Gene 0.7 in the Inactivation of Escherichia coli RNA Polymerase

The "host shutoff" function of bacteriophage T7 involves an inactivation of the host Escherichia coli RNA polymerase by an inhibitor protein bound to the enzyme. When this inhibitor protein, termed I protein, was removed from the inactive RNA polymerase complex prepared from T7-infected cells by glycerol gradient centrifugation in the presence of 1 M KCl, the enzyme recovered its activity equivalent to about 70 to 80% of the activity of the enzyme from uninfected cells. Analysis of the activity of E. coli RNA polymerase from E. coli cells infected with various T7 mutant phages indicated that the T7 gene 2 codes for the inhibitor I protein. The activity of E. coli RNA polymerase from gene 2 mutant phage-infected cells, which was about 70% of that from uninfected cells, did not increase after glycerol gradient centrifugation in the presence of 1 M KCl, indicating that the salt-removable inhibitor was not present with the enzyme. It was found that the reduction in E. coli RNA polymerase activity in cells infected with T7(+) or gene 2 mutant phage, i.e., about 70% of the activity of the enzyme compared to that from uninfected cells after glycerol gradient centrifugation in the presence of 1 M KCl, results from the function of T7 gene 0.7. E. coli RNA polymerase from gene 0.7 mutant phage-infected cells was inactive but recovered a full activity equivalent to that from uninfected cells after removal of the inhibitor I protein with 1 M KCl. E. coli RNA polymerase from the cells infected with newly constructed mutant phages having mutations in both gene 2 and gene 0.7 retained the full activity equivalent to that from uninfected cells with or without treatment of the enzyme with 1 M KCl. From these results, we conclude that both gene 2 and gene 0.7 of T7 are involved in accomplishing complete shutoff of the host E. coli RNA polymerase activity in T7 infection.     

Measles Virus Nonstructural C Protein Modulates Viral RNA Polymerase Activity by Interacting with Host Protein SHCBP1

Most viruses possess strategies to circumvent host immune responses. The measles virus (MV) nonstructural C protein suppresses the interferon response, thereby allowing efficient viral growth, but its detailed mechanism has been unknown. We identified Shc Src homology 2 domain-binding protein 1 (SHCBP1) as one of the host proteins interacting with the C protein. Knockdown of SHCBP1 using a short-hairpin RNA greatly reduced MV growth. SHCBP1 was found to be required for viral RNA synthesis in the minigenome assay and to bind to the MV phosphoprotein, a subunit of the viral RNA polymerase. A stretch of 12 amino acid residues in the C protein were sufficient for SHCBP1 binding, and the peptide containing these 12 residues could suppress MV RNA synthesis, like the full-length C protein. The central region of SHCBP1 was found to bind to the C protein, as well as the phosphoprotein, but the two viral proteins did not compete for SHCBP1 binding. Our results indicate that the C protein modulates MV RNA polymerase activity by binding to the host protein SHCBP1. SHCBP1 may be exploited as a target of antiviral compounds.     

Inhibitors acting on Nucleic Acid Synthesis in an Oncogenic RNA Virus

IN infection with an oncogenic RNA virus, synthesis of viral RNA seems to be catalysed by an RNA dependent DNA polymerase in the host cell^1–4. Several specific inhibitors of viral DNA polymerases have been found^5–7 and Spiegelman⁸ has shown that the activity of viral enzymes depends strongly on the chemical composition of the template. We report here first a new highly specific poison of the Rauscher murine leukaemia virus (RMLV) DNA polymerases; second, several inactivators of the RNA and DNA template involved in the RMLV enzyme systems; and third, the action of actinomycin D on viral DNA polymerases and on host DNA/RNA polymerase. The results are discussed with respect to the influence of actinomycin D on virus multiplication.