Herpesvirus glycoprotein synthesis and insertion into plasma membranes.

In the presence of the antibiotic tunicamycin (TM), glycosylation of herpes simplex virus glycoproteins is inhibited and non-glycosylated polypeptides analogous to the glycoproteins are synthesized (Pizer et al., J. Virol. 34:142-153, 1980). The synthesis of viral proteins and DNA occurs in TM-treated cells. By electron microscopy, nucleocapsids can be observed both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of TM-treated cells; a small number of enveloped virions were observed on the cell surface. Analyses of the proteins in partially purified virus readily detects viral glycoproteins in the control cells, but neither glycoproteins nor nonglycosylated polypeptide analogs were observed in the virus prepared from TM-treated cells. By labeling the surface of infected cells with 125I, viral glycoproteins were detected as soon as 90 min after infection even when protein synthesis was inhibited with cycloheximide and glycosylation was blocked with TM. Labeling the proteins synthesized in infected cells with [35S]methionine showed that the surface glycoproteins detected in the cycloheximide- and TM-treated cells were not synthesized de novo after infection, but were placed on the cell surface by the infecting virus. Studies with metabolic inhibitors and a temperature-sensitive mutant blocked early in the infectious cycle showed that glycoproteins gA/gB and gD were synthesized soon after infection, but that the synthesis of gC was delayed. Under conditions of infection, in which gC and its precursor pgC are not produced, we have been able to observe the relationships between the glycosylated polypeptides that correspond to pgA/pgB and the nonglycosylated analog made in the presence of TM.     

Resolution and characterization of intracytoplasmic forms of reverse transcriptase from Rauscher leukemia virus-producing cells.

We have investigated the association of viral DNA with cell DNA in chicken embryo kidney (CEK) cells productively infected with chicken embryo lethal orphan (CELO) virus and in human (HEK) cells infected with mutants ts36 and ts125 of human adenovirus type 5 under permissive and restrictive conditions. Cell and viral DNA molecules were separated after CELO virus infection of CEK cells by alkaline sucrose gradient centrifugation, network formation, and CsCl density gradient centrifugation, methods that rely on different properties of the DNA. The cell DNA was then tested for viral sequences by DNA reannealing kinetics. Between 500 and 1,000 viral genome equivalents per cell were found at 36 h postinfection associated with cell DNA purified by each method. These values greatly exceeded the amount of free viral DNA found contaminating cell DNA prepared by the same methods from uninfected cells to which CELO virus DNA had been added. Quantitative agreement in the amounts of viral DNA found associated with cell DNA purified by these different methods suggests that CELO virus DNA is integrated into chick cell DNA during lytic infection. Similar experiments in HEK cells using mutants ts36 and ts125 of adenovirus type 5 at both restrictive and permissive temperatures showed that the same proportion of viral DNA is associated with cell DNA in the absence of viral DNA replication, and this suggests that the difference in the frequency with which cells are transformed by these mutants is not due to a difference in the frequency integration.     

Aleutian mink disease parvovirus infection of mink peritoneal macrophages and human macrophage cell lines.

Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (ADV) mRNAs are found in macrophages in lymph nodes and peritoneal exudate cells from ADV-infected mink. Therefore, we developed an in vitro infection system for ADV by using primary cultures of mink macrophages or macrophage cell lines. In peritoneal macrophage cultures from adult mink, virulent ADV-Utah I strain showed nuclear expression of viral antigens with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled ADV-infected mink serum, but delineation of specific viral proteins could not be confirmed by immunoblot analysis. Amplification of ADV DNA and production of replicative-form DNA were observed in mink macrophages by Southern blot analysis; however, virus could not be serially propagated. The human macrophage cell line U937 exhibited clear nuclear expression of viral antigens after infection with ADV-Utah I but not with tissue culture-adapted ADV-G. In U937 cells, ADV-Utah I produced mRNA, replicative-form DNA, virion DNA, and structural and nonstructural proteins; however, virus could not be serially passaged nor could [3H]thymidine-labeled virions be observed by density gradient analysis. These findings indicated that ADV-Utah I infection in U937 cells was not fully permissive and that there is another restricted step between gene amplification and/or viral protein expression and production of infectious virions. Treatment with the macrophage activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate after adsorption of virus reduced the frequency of ADV-positive U937 cells but clearly increased that of human macrophage line THP-1 cells. These results suggested that ADV replication may depend on conditions influenced by the differentiation state of macrophages. U937 cells may be useful as an in vitro model system for the analysis of the immune disorder caused by ADV infection of macrophages.     

Cloned mouse mammary tumor virus DNA is biologically active in transfected mouse cells and its expression is stimulated by glucocorticoid hormones

We have cloned circular unintegrated mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) DNA from infected rat hepatoma cells in bacteriophage lambda. Seven independent clones containing MMTV DNA of homogeneous length of 9 kb (five) or 10 kb (two) were identified. The five 9 kb clones had identical restriction maps consistent with that of 9 kb unintegrated DNA; the other two were aberrant. MMTV DNA inserts were purified, ligated and used for cotransfection of Ltk^? cells together with a plasmid containing the thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus. All Tk⁺ cell clones acquired new MMTV sequences and those transfected with the 9 kb MMTV DNA synthesized normal viral RNA and proteins. Viral gene expression was increased by the addition of dexamethasone.     

A ubiquitin conjugating enzyme encoded by African swine fever virus.

The post-translational modification of proteins by covalent attachment of ubiquitin occurs in all eukaryotes by a multi-step process. A family of E2 or ubiquitin conjugating (UBC) enzymes catalyse one step of this process and these have been implicated in several diverse regulatory functions. We report here the sequence of a gene encoded by African swine fever virus (ASFV) which has high homology with UBC enzymes. This ASFV encoded enzyme has UBC activity when expressed in Escherichia coli since it forms thiolester bonds with [125I]ubiquitin in the presence of purified ubiquitin activating enzyme (E1) and ATP, and subsequently transfers [125I]ubiquitin to specific protein substrates. These substrates include histones, ubiquitin and the UBC enzyme itself. The ASFV encoded UBC enzyme is similar in structure and enzyme activity to the yeast ubiquitin conjugating enzymes UBC2 and UBC3. This is the first report of a virus encoding a functionally active UBC enzyme and provides an example of the exploitation of host regulatory mechanisms by viruses.     

Purification of a pituitary receptor for somatostatin. The utility of biotinylated somatostatin analogs.

A somatostatin (SRIF) receptor and its associated Gi regulatory proteins was purified from GH4C1 rat pituitary cells by: 1) saturation of the membrane-bound receptor with biotinyl-NH-[Leu8,D-Trp22,Tyr25] SRIF28 (bio-S28); 2) solubilization of receptor-ligand (R.L) complex with deoxycholate-lysophosphatidylcholine (D.L); 3) adsorption of solubilized receptor-ligand complex to immobilized streptavidin; and 4) elution of receptor and G-protein by GTP. The receptor, a glycoprotein with an average M(r) of 85,000, was then purified to substantial homogeneity on immobilized wheat germ agglutinin. The 85-kDa glycoprotein was identified as a SRIF receptor by several criteria. (a) It had the same size as the chemically cross-linked R.[125I]L complex. (b) Yield of the purified protein increased and plateaued in the same range of bio-S28 concentrations where specific high affinity binding reached saturation. (c) It was copurified with appropriate G-protein subunits. The 85-kDa receptor and two other proteins with M(r) values of 35,000 and 40,000, the sizes of G beta and G alpha, did not appear in eluates from control streptavidin columns done with SRIF receptors loaded with nonbiotinylated S14. The 40-kDa protein was identified as a Gi alpha by ADP-ribosylation from [32P]NAD catalyzed by pertussis toxin. (d) Both the chemically cross-linked R.[125I]L complex and SRIF receptor purified from [35S]methionine-labeled GH4C1 cells were reduced in size to about 38 kDa by endoglycosidase F. (e) Amino acid sequence from the purified receptor was nearly identical with that of a recently cloned SRIF receptor subtype.     

The lef-3 gene of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus encodes a single-stranded DNA-binding protein.

The Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) replicates in the nuclei of infected cells and encodes several proteins required for viral DNA replication. As a first step in the functional characterization of viral replication proteins, we purified a single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) from AcNPV-infected insect cells. Nuclear extracts were chromatographed on single-stranded DNA agarose columns. An abundant protein with an apparent molecular weight of 43,000 was eluted from the columns at 0.9 to 1.0 M NaCl. This protein was not evident in extracts prepared from control cells, suggesting that the SSB was encoded by the virus. SSB bound to single-stranded DNA in solution, and binding was nonspecific with respect to base sequence, as single-stranded vector DNA competed as efficiently as single-stranded DNA containing the AcNPV origin of DNA replication. Competition binding experiments indicated that SSB showed a preference for single-stranded DNA over double-stranded DNA. To determine whether SSB was encoded by the lef-3 gene of AcNPV, the lef-3 open reading frame was cloned under the control of the bacteriophage T7 promoter. Immunochemical analyses indicated that LEF-3 produced in bacteria or in rabbit reticulocyte lysates specifically reacted with antiserum produced by immunization with purified SSB. Immunoblot analyses of infected cell extracts revealed that SSB/LEF-3 was detected by 4 h postinfection and accumulated through 48 h postinfection.     

55,000-dalton, retrovirus-associated, cell membrane glycoprotein: purification and quantitative measurements of expression in viruses, cells, and tissues.

We have purified to homogeneity and characterized a 55,000-dalton rat cell membrane glycoprotein, gp55. This protein was originally identified in preparations of a defective pseudotype of the Kirsten sarcoma virus and shown to be present in several rodent retrovirus particles. The gp55 was purified from this defective virus by concanavalin A and heparin affinity chromatography, as well as by preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. Both preparations displayed similar purity and antigenic characteristics. The 125I-labeled gp55 was precipitated by antisera against rodent retroviruses, but not by monospecific antisera against purified type C virus structural proteins, thus indicating that gp55 was retrovirus associated, but unrelated to known retrovirus structural proteins. Competition radioimmunoassay with an anti-rat virus serum which recognized rodent group-specific antigens on gp55 indicated: the presence of gp55 antigens in 15 rodent cell lines, but not 10 nonrodent cell lines; no effect of viral infection or cell transformation on the amount of gp55 expressed; up to 100-fold increases in the concentration of the gp55 antigens in nine rodent retroviruses, but not in five nonrodent viruses, as compared to cells; the presence of gp55 in rodent sera, especially of the NZB mouse, where anti-gp55 antibody was also detected; a lymphoid and epithelial tissue distribution of gp55 in rats and mice. Additional competition radioimmunoassays with a broad-reacting antivirus serum also detected the presence of gp55 in nonrodent, mink, and human cells and thus distinguished rat type, rodent group, and interspecies antigenic determinants on gp55. In conclusion, gp55 is a cell membrane glycoprotein associated in high concentration with retroviruses.     

The study of DNA-repair defects using [125I]iododeoxycytidine incorporation as an assay for the growth of herpes simplex virus

[125I]Iododeoxycytidine incorporation was used to measure herpes virus (HSV-1) DNA synthesis following specific DNA damage. Xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts were less able to replicate UV-irradiated viral DNA than were normal fibroblasts, indicating the necessity for excision repair for the survival of UV-irradiated virus. Because of its rapidity and ease of quantitation, this assay had advantages over standard viral mediated assays of DNA excision repair. It was possible to monitor viral replication as a function of the cellular cell cycle. Other genetic defects which have been proposed to reflect deficiencies in DNA-repair capacity were not detected by this assay. DNA-repair inhibitors, caffeine and 3-aminobenzamide, also did not show synergistic lethal effects on the replication of damaged viral DNA.     

Genetic analysis of the vaccinia virus I6 telomere-binding protein uncovers a key role in genome encapsidation

The linear, double-stranded DNA genome of vaccinia virus contains covalently closed hairpin termini. These hairpin termini comprise a terminal loop and an A+T-rich duplex stem that has 12 extrahelical bases. DeMasi et al. have shown previously that proteins present in infected cells and in virions form distinct complexes with the telomeric hairpins and that these interactions require the extrahelical bases. The vaccinia virus I6 protein was identified as the protein showing the greatest specificity and affinity for interaction with the viral hairpins (J. DeMasi, S. Du, D. Lennon, and P. Traktman, J. Virol. 75:10090-10105, 2001). To gain insight into the role of I6 in vivo, we generated eight recombinant viruses bearing altered alleles of I6 in which clusters of charged amino acids were changed to alanine residues. One allele (temperature-sensitive I6-12 [tsI6-12]) conferred a tight ts phenotype and was used to examine the stage(s) of the viral life cycle that was affected at the nonpermissive temperature. Gene expression, DNA replication, and genome resolution proceeded normally in this mutant. However, proteolytic processing of structural proteins, which accompanies virus maturation, was incomplete. Electron microscopic studies confirmed a severe block in morphogenesis in which immature, but no mature, virions were observed. Instead, aberrant spherical virions and large crystalloids were seen. When purified, these aberrant virions were found to have normal protein content but to be devoid of viral DNA. We propose that the binding of I6 to viral telomeres directs genome encapsidation into the virus particle.     

Mammalian DNA ligases. Biosynthesis and intracellular localization of DNA ligase I

Mammalian DNA ligase I is presumed to act in DNA replication. Rabbit antibodies against the homogeneous enzyme from calf thymus inhibited DNA ligase I activity and consistently recognized a single polypeptide of 125 kDa when cells from an established bovine kidney cell line (MDBK) were lysed rapidly by a variety of procedures and subjected to immunoblotting analysis. After biosynthetic labeling of MDBK cells with [35S]methionine, immunoprecipitation experiments revealed a polypeptide of 125 kDa that did not appear when purified calf thymus DNA ligase I was used in competition. A 125-kDa polypeptide was adenylated when immunoprecipitated protein from MDBK cells was incubated with [alpha-32P]ATP. Thus, the apparent molecular mass of the initial translation product is identical or nearly so to that of the purified enzyme. The half-life of the protein is 7 h as determined by pulse-chase experiments in asynchronous MDBK cells. Immunocytochemistry and indirect immunofluorescence experiments showed that DNA ligase I is localized to cell nuclei.     

Herpes simplex virus gene expression in neurons: viral DNA synthesis is a critical regulatory event in the branch point between the lytic and latent pathways.

Herpes simplex virus establishes a latent infection in peripheral neurons. We examined viral gene expression in rat peripheral neurons in vitro and determined that viral gene expression is attenuated and delayed in these neurons compared with that in Vero cells. In addition, using pharmacologic and genetic blocks to viral DNA synthesis, we found that viral alpha and beta gene expression was upregulated by viral DNA synthesis. Although maximal gene expression in neurons requires viral DNA synthetic activity, activation of viral gene expression was seen even in the presence of herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase inhibitors, but not in the absence of the origin-binding protein. Initiation of viral DNA synthesis is apparently a key regulatory event in the balance between the lytic and latent pathways in peripheral neurons.     

[125I]deoxycytidine used in a rapid, sensitive, and specific assay for herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase.

[125I]deoxycytidine was a good substrate for herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (TK), whereas [125I]deoxycytidine was a very poor substrate for cellular TK. Simple, sensitive, and specific assays for viral TK could be carried out in vivo and in vitro even in the presence of cell TK. Autoradiographic detection of incorporated [125I]deoxycytidine provided a rapid and simple method for detection of and screening for viral TK in infected as well as viral TK-transformed cells.     

The cell-specific elastase I enhancer comprises two domains.

Two separate domains within the 134-base-pair rat elastase I enhancer and a third domain at the enhancer-promoter boundary are required for selective expression in pancreatic acinar cells. The domains were detected by a series of 10-base-pair substitution mutations across the elastase I gene regulatory region from positions -200 to -61. The effect of each mutant on the pancreas-specific expression of a linked chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene was assayed by transfection into pancreatic 266-6 acinar cells and control NIH/3T3 cells. The two enhancer domains are nonredundant, because mutations in either eliminated (greater than 100-fold reduction) expression in 266-6 cells. DNase I protection studies of the elastase I enhancer-promoter region with partially purified nuclear extracts from pancreatic tissue and 266-6 cells revealed nine discrete protected regions (footprints) on both DNA strands. One of three footprints that lie within the two functional domains of the enhancer contained a sequence, conserved among several pancreas-specific genes, which when mutated decreased linked chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression up to 170-fold in 266-6 cells. This footprint may represent a binding site for one or more pancreas-specific regulatory proteins.     

Nuclear thyroid hormone receptors: evidence for association with nucleolar chromatin.

When hypothyroid rat liver nuclei labeled $\text{in vivo}$ with [125 I]L-triiodothyronine are incubated with micrococcal nuclease, the nuclear chromatin is digested and chromatin particles are released into the medium. The nuclease-treated nuclei contain intact nucleoli and a residual chromatin fraction. When this residual chromatin is purified, it contains only a small percentage of the initial nuclear DNA but is strikingly enriched in [125 I]L-triiodothyronine. This chromatin fraction has many of the characteristics of nucleolar chromatin including a high protein to DNA ratio, an abundance of nonhistone proteins, and a relatively high RNA to DNA ratio. An association of thyroid hormone receptors with a nucleolar component implicates this organelle in the early events of thyroid hormone action.