Oligomeric structure of glycoproteins in herpes simplex virus type 1.

A number of herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoproteins are found in oligomeric states: glycoprotein E (gE)-gI and gH-gL form heterodimers, and both gB and gC have been detected as homodimers. We have further explored the organization of glycoproteins in the virion envelope by using both purified virions to quantitate glycoprotein amounts and proportions and chemical cross-linkers to detect oligomers. We purified gB, gC, gD, and gH from cells infected with HSV type 1 and used these as immunological standards. Glycoproteins present in sucrose gradient-purified preparations of two strains of HSV type 1, KOS and NS, were detected with antibodies to each of the purified proteins. From these data, glycoprotein molar ratios of 1:2:11:16 and 1:1:14:9 were calculated for gB/gC/gD/gH in KOS and NS, respectively. gL was also detected in virions, although we lacked a purified gL standard for quantitation. We then asked whether complexes of these glycoproteins could be identified, and if they existed as homo- or hetero-oligomers. Purified KOS was incubated at 4 degrees C with bis (sulfosuccinimidyl) suberate (BS3), an 11.4 A (1A = 0.1 mm) noncleavable, water-soluble cross-linker. Virus extracts were examined by Western blotting (immunoblotting), or immunoprecipitation followed by Western blotting, to assay for homo- and hetero-oligomers. Homodimers of gB, gC, and gD were detected, and hetero-oligomers containing gB cross-linked to gC, gC to gD, and gD to gB were also identified. gH and gL were detected as a hetero-oligomeric pair and could be cross-linked to gD or gC but not to gB. We conclude that these glycoproteins are capable of forming associations with one another. These studies suggest that glycoproteins are closely associated in virions and have the potential to function as oligomeric complexes.     

Multimeric forms of herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoproteins.

Molecular clones of closed circular DNA molecules of a mink cell focus-inducing murine leukemia virus (MCF-13 MuLV) were generated. Closed circular DNA molecules isolated from a Hirt extraction of recently infected NIH/3T3 cells were inserted at their unique EcoRI site into lambda gtWES.lambda B. Restriction endonuclease analysis of inserts of two clones indicated that they represented intact MCF-13 MuLV genomes. One viral insert contained two large terminal repeat sequences, and the other contained only one. A 300-base-pair DNA fragment located in the envelope region of the MCF-13 MuLV genome was determined to be related to xenotropic MuLV sequences.     

Virus-specific glycoproteins associated with the nuclear fraction of herpes simplex virus type 1-infected cells.

Monospecific antisera to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoproteins gB, gC, and gD were used to identify the HSV-1-specific glycoproteins associated with the nuclear fraction as compared with those associated with cytoplasmic fraction, whole-cell lysates, and purified virions. The results indicate that a predominance of HSV glycoprotein precursors pgC(105), pgB(110), and pgD(52) is associated with the nuclear fraction. Treatment of the nuclear fraction with the enzyme endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H indicated that the lower-molecular-weight glycoproteins are sensitive to this endoglycosidase. These results suggest that in the nuclear fraction of HSV-1-infected cells virus-specific glycoproteins gB, gC, and gD are predominately in the high-mannose precursor form; however, detectable amounts of the fully glycosylated forms of gC and gD were also found.     

N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase activity involved in O-glycosylation of herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins

We report on N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (UDPacetylgalactosamine--protein acetylgalactosaminyltransferase; EC 2.4.1.41) activity in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-infected BHK and RicR14 cells, a line of ricin-resistant BHK cells defective in N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I. The enzyme catalyzed the transfer of [14C]N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) from UDP-[14C]GalNAc into HSV glycoproteins, as identified by immunoprecipitation. The sugar was selectively incorporated into the immature forms of herpesvirus glycoproteins pgC, pgD, and gA-pgB, which are known to contain N-linked glycans of the high-mannose type. The high incorporation of [14C]GalNAc into endogenous acceptors of HSV-1-infected RicR14 cells was consistent with the accumulation of immature forms of HSV glycoproteins which occurs in these cells. Mild alkaline borohydride treatment of glycoproteins labeled via GalNAc transferase showed that the transferred GalNAc was O-linked and represented the first sugar added to the peptide backbone.     

Expression of herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins in interferon-treated human neuroblastoma cells.

Human alpha interferon (IFN) significantly inhibits the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 in human neuroblastoma cells. This inhibitory effect can be blocked by pretreatment with antiserum to IFN. We observed no significant differences in the expression of major nucleocapsid proteins, including VP5, between IFN-treated and untreated neuroblastoma cells. Electron micrographs demonstrated that there were distinct viral nucleocapsids within IFN-treated neuroblastoma cells. The expression of glycoproteins B and E was significantly reduced in these IFN-treated cells. On the other hand, glycoprotein D, although reduced in quantity, was expressed after IFN treatment. An immunofluorescence assay of the IFN-treated and virus-infected cells detected glycoprotein D in the Golgi complexes and in the nuclear membranes. Our results indicate that human alpha IFN may be useful in the study of gene expression in IFN-treated cells of neuronal origin.     

Ribonucleotide reductase of herpes simplex virus type 2 resembles that of herpes simplex virus type 1.

The ribonucleotide reductase (ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase; EC 1.17.4.1) induced by herpes simplex virus type 2 infection of serum-starved BHK-21 cells was purified to provide a preparation practically free of both eucaryotic ribonucleotide reductase and contaminating enzymes that could significantly deplete the substrates. Certain key properties of the herpes simplex virus type 2 ribonucleotide reductase were examined to define the extent to which it resembled the herpes simplex virus type 1 ribonucleotide reductase. The herpes simplex virus type 2 ribonucleotide reductase was inhibited by ATP and MgCl2 but only weakly inhibited by the ATP X Mg complex. Deoxynucleoside triphosphates were at best only weak inhibitors of this enzyme. ADP was a competitive inhibitor (K'i, 11 microM) of CDP reduction (K'm, 0.5 microM), and CDP was a competitive inhibitor (K'i, 0.4 microM) of ADP reduction (K'm, 8 microM). These key properties closely resemble those observed for similarly purified herpes simplex virus type 1 ribonucleotide reductase and serve to distinguish these virally induced enzymes from other ribonucleotide reductases.     

Synthesis and processing of glycoproteins gD and gC of herpes simplex virus type 1.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) contains five glycoproteins, designated gA, gB, gC, gD, and gE. The present studies focused on the synthesis and processing of two of these, gC and gD. By using monoprecipitin antibody to gC, we demonstrated an antigenic and structural relationship between the precursor, pgC(110), and the product, gC(130). Tryptic peptide analysis showed that pgC and gC shared methionine peptides and that these molecules had the same fingerprint pattern as that of gC(130) extracted from the purified virion. These results suggested that post-translational processing of gC involved no major changes in methionine-containing tryptic peptides or in the cleavage sites required to generate those peptides. The syntheses of gC and gD were compared. We found that the glycoproteins were synthesized starting at different times in the infectious cycle; pgD was detected by 2 h postinfection, whereas pgC was first detected at 4 to 6 h postinfection. Both precursor molecules, pgC(110) and pgD(52), are basic glycopolypeptides, and in both cases processing involved changes in molecular weight and charge. These changes were detected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Both glycoproteins exhibited heterogeneity, displayed as a series of spots (6 for gD and 15 to 20 for gC) of increasing negative charge and molecular weight. Neuraminidase treatment decreased the size, number, and acidic charge of the spots, suggesting that processing was due in part, but not entirely, to addition of sialic acid to pgD and pgC.     

Analysis of a membrane interacting region of herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein H

Glycoprotein H (gH) of herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) is involved in the complex mechanism of membrane fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell. Membrane interacting regions and potential fusion peptides have been identified in HSV-1 gH as well as glycoprotein B (gB). Because of the complex fusion mechanism of HSV-1, which requires four viral glycoproteins, and because there are only structural data for gB and glycoprotein D, many questions regarding the mechanism by which HSV-1 fuses its envelope with the host cell membrane remain unresolved. Previous studies have shown that peptides derived from certain regions of gH have the potential to interact with membranes, and based on these findings we have generated a set of peptides containing mutations in one of these domains, gH-(626-644), to investigate further the functional role of this region. Using a combination of biochemical, spectroscopic, and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, we showed that the alpha-helical nature of this stretch of amino acids in gH is important for membrane interaction and that the aromatic residues, tryptophan and tyrosine, are critical for induction of fusion.     

Identification of host cell proteins which interact with herpes simplex virus type 1 tegument protein pUL37

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) structural tegument protein pUL37, which is conserved across the Herpesviridae family, is known to be essential for secondary envelopment during the egress of viral particles. To shed light on additional roles of pUL37 during viral replication a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human brain cDNA library was undertaken. This screen identified ten host cell proteins as potential pUL37 interactors. One of the interactors, serine threonine kinase TAOK3, was subsequently confirmed to interact with pUL37 using an in vitro pulldown assay. Such host cell/pUL37 interactions provide further insights into the multifunctional role of this herpesviral tegument protein.     

Identification of herpes simplex virus type 1 genes required for origin-dependent DNA synthesis.

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) genome contains both cis- and trans-acting elements which are important in viral DNA replication. The cis-acting elements consist of three origins of replication: two copies of oriS and one copy of oriL. It has previously been shown that five cloned restriction fragments of HSV-1 DNA together can supply all of the trans-acting functions required for the replication of plasmids containing oriS or oriL when cotransfected into Vero cells (M. D. Challberg, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83:9094-9098, 1986). These observations provide the basis for a complementation assay with which to locate all of the HSV sequences which encode trans-acting functions necessary for origin-dependent DNA replication. Using this assay in combination with the data from large-scale sequence analysis of the HSV-1 genome, we have now identified seven HSV genes which are necessary for transient replication of plasmids containing either oriS or oriL. As shown previously, two of these genes encode the viral DNA polymerase and single-stranded DNA-binding protein, which are known from conventional genetic analysis to be essential for viral DNA replication in infected cells. The functions of the products of the remaining five genes are unknown. We propose that the seven genes essential for plasmid replication comprise a set of genes whose products are directly involved in viral DNA synthesis.     

Cellular protein interactions with herpes simplex virus type 1 oriS.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) origin of DNA replication, oriS, contains an AT-rich region and three highly homologous sequences, sites I, II, and III, identified as binding sites for the HSV-1 origin-binding protein (OBP). In the present study, interactions between specific oriS DNA sequences and proteins in uninfected cell extracts were characterized. The formation of one predominant protein-DNA complex, M, was demonstrated in gel shift assays following incubation of uninfected cell extracts with site I DNA. The cellular protein(s) that comprises complex M has been designated origin factor I (OF-I). The OF-I binding site was shown to partially overlap the OBP binding site within site I. Complexes with mobilities indistinguishable from that of complex M also formed with site II and III DNAs in gel shift assays. oriS-containing plasmid DNA mutated in the OF-I binding site exhibited reduced replication efficiency in transient assays, demonstrating a role for this site in oriS function. The OF-I binding site is highly homologous to binding sites for the cellular CCAAT DNA-binding proteins. The binding site for the CCAAT protein CP2 was found to compete for OF-I binding to site I DNA. These studies support a model involving the participation of cellular proteins in the initiation of HSV-1 DNA synthesis at oriS.     

Differential rates of processing and transport of herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins gB and gC.

The kinetics of processing and transport of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoproteins gB and gC was investigated. The conversion of precursor to mature forms and the appearance of the glycoproteins at the infected-cell surface at different times postinfection (p.i.) were studied. gB, synthesized at 4 h p.i., was converted to the mature form with a half-time (t1/2) of 120 min and appeared at the plasma membrane with a t1/2 of 270 min. The gB synthesized at later times p.i. (6, 8, and 10.5 h) was transported less efficiently. Less than 50% of gB synthesized at later times p.i. was processed and transported to the cell surface. gB synthesized in transfected cells was transported to the plasma membrane with kinetics similar to that for gB synthesized at early times p.i. gC was processed efficiently when synthesized at both 8 and 10.5 h p.i., with t1/2 of conversion of pgC to gC of 40 and 60 min, respectively. Approximately 90 to 95% of the gC synthesized was converted to the mature form. The gC synthesized at 8 h p.i. was also transported rapidly to the cell surface, compared with the transport of gB synthesized at the same time, with a t1/2 of 240 min. Greater than 70% of the gC synthesized at 8 h p.i. appeared at the cell surface. The gC synthesized at 10.5 h was transported less efficiently to the cells surface during a 6-h chase.     

Detection of herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoproteins expressed in virus-transformed rat cells.

Rat embryo fibroblasts transformed by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) were assayed for the expression of certain virus-specific glycoproteins on the surface membranes. Monospecific antisera to HSV-2-specific glycoproteins, designated gAgB, gC, and gX, were used in membrane immunofluorescence studies with HSV-2-transformed cell lines tREF-G-1, tREF-G-2, and a tumor-derived rat fibrosarcoma cells line produced in syngeneic rats inoculated with tREF-G-1 cells. Analysis of the three HSV-2-transformed cell lines showed that antisera to the gAgB and gX glycoproteins were reactive with these cells. In contrast, no significant reactivity was observed when anti-gC serum was reacted with the HSV-2-transformed cell lines. All three antiglycoprotein sera reacted positively with rat cells productively infected with HSV-2. Additionally, the HSV-2-transformed and tumor-derived cell lines showed positive internal immunofluorescence after reaction with antiserum to an early, nonstructural viral protein designated VP143 (molecular weight, 143,000). Infectivity of HSV-2 in standard plaque assays was neutralized by hyperimmune rat antisera to tREF-G-2 or rat fibrosarcoma cells and to HSV-2 virions and by sera from rats bearing the fibrosarcoma. Adsorption of rat-anti-HSV-2 serum with tREF-G-2 or rat fibrosarcoma cells reduced neutralizing activity to 10 and 12%, respectively, compared with 90% neutralization by antiserum adsorbed with nontransformed rat embryo fibroblast cells and 100% neutralization with unadsorbed antiserum. In summary, HSV-2-transformed rat cells retained and expressed genetic information necessary for the production of HSV-2 glycoproteins and a nonstructural protein after high passage in tissue culture or in the syngeneic host.     

Identification of dominant-negative mutants of the herpes simplex virus type 1 immediate-early protein ICP0.

ICP0 is a 110,000-molecular-weight immediate-early protein of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) which is encoded by three exons. It has been shown to function as a promiscuous transactivator of a variety of different HSV-1 and non-HSV-1 promoters in transient expression assays. Analysis of mutations which truncated the carboxy-terminal end of this 775-amino-acid (aa) protein demonstrated that a polypeptide which contained only aa 1 to 553 still possessed significant transactivation potential. Additional carboxy-terminal truncations which sequentially removed aa 245 to 553 and thus the remainder of the third exon resulted in the eventual loss of transactivation capability in these mutants. However, further analysis of these truncated derivatives demonstrated that they behaved as dominant-negative mutants to the wild-type polypeptide. Moreover, one of the mutants was found to act as a promiscuous repressor, in that it could dramatically inhibit a variety of HSV-1 promoters, non-HSV-1 promoters, and heterologous transactivator proteins in transient expression assays, despite having lost almost the entire third exon. These results indicate that a domain encoded by the first two exons probably interacts with, and can effectively titrate, the unknown cellular factor(s) through which ICP0 mediates transactivation.     

Properties of the cell surface Fc-receptor induced by herpes simplex virus.

Detection of peroxidase-antiperoxidase soluble complexes (PAP) bound to the surface of herpes simplex virus-infected cells has been used to demonstrate virus-induced Fc receptors and to study their distribution. The PAP method is more sensitive than hemadsorption with immunoglobulin-coated sheep red blood cells, and can be used to study localization by light and electron microscopy. Our results indicate that capping takes place after the receptor is engaged by antigen-antibody complexes and that at least a portion of the bound ligand is internalized.     

Interaction of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein gC with mammalian cell surface molecules.

The entry of herpes simplex virus (HSV) into mammalian cells is a multistep process beginning with an attachment step involving glycoproteins gC and gB. A second step requires the interaction of glycoprotein gD with a cell surface molecule. We explored the interaction between gC and the cell surface by using purified proteins in the absence of detergent. Truncated forms of gC and gD, gC1(457t), gC2(426t), and gD1(306t), lacking the transmembrane and carboxyl regions were expressed in the baculovirus system. We studied the ability of these proteins to bind to mammalian cells, to bind to immobilized heparin, to block HSV type 1 (HSV-1) attachment to cells, and to inhibit plaque formation by HSV-1. Each of these gC proteins bound to conformation-dependent monoclonal antibodies and to human complement component C3b, indicating that they maintained the same conformation of gC proteins expressed in mammalian cells. Biotinylated gC1(457t) and gC2(426t) each bind to several cell lines. Binding was inhibited by an excess of unlabeled gC but not by gD, indicating specificity. The attachment of gC to cells involves primarily heparan sulfate proteoglycans, since heparitinase treatment of cells reduced gC binding by 50% but had no effect on gD binding. Moreover, binding of gC to two heparan sulfate-deficient L-cell lines, gro2C and sog9, both of which are mostly resistant to HSV infection, was markedly reduced. Purified gD1 (306t), however, bound equally well to the two mutant cell lines. In contrast, saturating amounts of gC1(457t) interfered with HSV-1 attachment to cells but failed to block plaque formation, suggesting a role for gC in attachment but not penetration. A mutant form of gC lacking residues 33 to 123, gC1(delta 33-123t), expressed in the baculovirus system, bound significantly less well to cells than did gC1(457t) and competed poorly with biotinylated gC1(457t) for binding. These results suggest that residues 33 to 123 are important for gC attachment to cells. In contrast, both the mutant and wild-type forms of gC bound to immobilized heparin, indicating that binding of these proteins to the cell surface involves more than a simple interaction with heparin. To determine that the contribution of the N-terminal region of gC is important for HSV attachment, we compared several properties of a mutant HSV-1 which contains gC lacking amino acids 33 to 123 to those of its parental virus, which contains full-length gC. The mutant bound less well to cells than the parental virus but exhibited normal growth properties.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Variation in herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins produced in kidney cells from different species

Viral glycoproteins from herpes simplex virus, type 1 (HSV-1) infected NBL-1, Vero, and BHK-21 cells were labelled with 14C-glucosamine and studied by SDS-PAGE and Con-A chromatography. SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated differences in the number and molecular weight of glycoproteins from these cells. Con-A chromatography resulted in similar binding of glycoproteins from NBL-1 and Vero cells of 10.5 and 18.6%, respectively, whereas BHK-21 cells showed binding of 65%. These studies indicate that HSV-1 glycoprotein oligosaccharide processing is variable in kidney cells of different species.     

Hand-to-hand transmission of herpes simplex virus type 1

Droplets of tissue culture fluid containing herpes simplex virus type 1 were placed on the palm of the hand. Each 0.01 ml droplet was taken from a stock virus suspension with a titre of 10(7.5) TCID50/0.1 ml. At 0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min a droplet was firmly touched with the middle finger of the right hand, after which, attempts were made to recover virus from the finger. At 0 min, when the virus-containing droplet was in a liquid state, there was a 100% rate of virus recovery. By 15 min the droplets had dried out, and after touching dried out droplets there was a 40% virus recovery rate, even though experimental procedures demonstrated that infectious virus was present in the dried out droplets at all test times. If the finger was moistened with tap water or saliva, there was a 100% recovery rate of virus after touching dried out droplets, as well as after touching droplets in a liquid state.