VIP induces in HT-29 cells 2'5'oligoadenylate synthetase and antiviral state via interferon beta/alpha synthesis.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), composed of 28 amino acids, is a multifunctional neurotransmitter. We have demonstrated here that its action on human transformed colonic epithelial (HT-29) cells is mediated through the induction of interferon (IFN) synthesis. We have found that these cells have a functional receptor for IFN alpha 2; binding was specific to either IFN alpha 2 or IFN beta but not to IFN gamma. VIP induced the 2'5'oligoadenylate synthetase (2'5'A synthetase) and the antiviral state with the same efficiency as poly (I).poly (C). The induction of 2'5'A synthetase activity required cellular RNA and protein synthesis, and the maximum induction occurred with 10(-7) M VIP at 24 h. VIP, like some IFN inducers, induced the synthesis of the 70 hsp which, however, preceded the expression of 2'5'A synthetase. VIP treatment caused the induction and secretion of IFN, having a titer value of 32 international units/ml. This IFN has been identified as type beta/alpha, because both 2'5'A synthetase and the antiviral activities were abolished by anti-human IFN beta/alpha antibodies, but not by anti-IFN gamma antibodies. Thus the pathway of VIP action on HT-29 cells may be outlined as 1) binding of VIP, 2) synthesis of 70 hsp, 3) induction of IFN synthesis and its secretion, 4) binding of the secreted IFN to cell surface receptors and 5) turning on the induction of 2'5'A synthetase and antiviral activities.     

Dissociation of interferon effects on murine leukemia virus and encephalomyocarditis virus replication in mouse cells.

Two subclones of Swiss mouse cells infected with Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) were tested for their response to interferon (IFN). Whereas M-MuLV production in the two subclones was inhibited to the same extent, one of the subclones was significantly more sensitive to IFN when the antiviral effect was measured by replication of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus. The same subclone was also more sensitive to the anticellular activities of IFN. Additionally, NIH 3T3 cells infected with M-MuLV were completely resistant to IFN actions when EMC virus replication or the anticellular activities were tested. However, under the same conditions, M-MuLV production was completely inhibited by IFN. These results indicate that IFN may affect cell growth functions and EMC replication through mechanisms different from those by which MuLV production is inhibited.     

ISG20, a new interferon-induced RNase specific for single-stranded RNA,defines an alternative antiviral pathway against RNA genomic viruses

Interferons (IFNs) encode a family of secreted proteins that provide the front-line defense against viral infections. Their diverse biological actions are thought to be mediated by the products of specific but usually overlapping sets of cellular genes induced in the target cells. We have recently isolated a new human IFN-induced gene that we have termed ISG20, which codes for a 3' to 5' exonuclease with specificity for single-stranded RNA and, to a lesser extent, for DNA. In this report, we demonstrate that ISG20 is involved in the antiviral functions of IFN. In the absence of IFN treatment, ISG20-overexpressing HeLa cells showed resistance to infections by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), influenza virus, and encephalomyocarditis virus (three RNA genomic viruses) but not to the DNA genomic adenovirus. ISG20 specifically interfered with VSV mRNA synthesis and protein production while leaving the expression of cellular control genes unaffected. No antiviral effect was observed in cells overexpressing a mutated ISG20 protein defective in exonuclease activity, demonstrating that the antiviral effects were due to the exonuclease activity of ISG20. In addition, the inactive mutant ISG20 protein, which is able to inhibit ISG20 exonuclease activity in vitro, significantly reduced the ability of IFN to block VSV development. Taken together, these data suggested that the antiviral activity of IFN against VSV is partly mediated by ISG20. We thus show that, besides RNase L, ISG20 has an antiviral activity, supporting the idea that it might represent a novel antiviral pathway in the mechanism of IFN action.     

Antiviral effects of 2',5'oligoadenylates (2-5As), and related compounds

Dephosphorylated "core" of 2',5'-oligoadenylate (2-5A) dimer (A2'p5'A), exogenously added to nonpermeabilized FL cells, inhibited the multiplication of Sindbis virus and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). The compound was shown to inhibit viral protein synthesis. The addition of A2'p5'A at the early stage of viral replication was more effective than that at the late stage. In contrast with the core, phosphorylated 2-5A (p5'A2'p5'A and ppp5'A2'p5'A) and 2-5A analogs containing cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) did not show such antiviral effects. The rate of uptake of [3H]ppp5'A 2'p5'A into acid-soluble and acid-insoluble fractions, especially into the acid-insoluble fraction, was faster than that of [3H]A2'p5'A. These results suggest that the difference of antiviral activity between A2'p5'A and ppp5'A2'p5'A does not result from the different rate of uptake by cells, but from the different rate of from acid-soluble to acid-insoluble fractions.     

Characterization of the gene encoding the 100-kDa form of human 2',5' oligoadenylate synthetase

The 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetases (OAS) represent a family of interferon (IFN)-induced proteins implicated in the antiviral action of IFN. When activated by double-stranded (ds) RNA, these proteins polymerize ATP into 2'-5' linked oligomers with the general formula pppA(2'p5'A)n, n greater than or = 1. Three forms of human OAS have been described corresponding to proteins of 40/46, 69/71, and 100 kDa. These isoforms are encoded by three distinct genes clustered on chromosome 12 and exhibit differential constitutive and IFN-inducible expression. Here we describe the structural and functional analysis of the gene encoding the large form of human OAS. This gene has 16 exons with exon/intron boundaries that are conserved among the different isoforms of the human OAS family, reflecting the evolutionary link among them. The promoter region of the p100 gene is composed of multiple features conferring direct inducibility not only by IFNs but also by TNF and all-trans retinoic acid. In contrast, the induction of the p100 promoter by dsRNA is indirect and requires IFN type I production.     

Adenovirus early region 1A modulation of interferon antiviral activity.

Human adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) is a DNA virus which replicates as efficiently in human A549 cells treated with human interferon-alpha 2 (IFN) as in untreated cells. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), on the other hand, is a negative-strand RNA virus which is very sensitive to the effects of IFN treatment in A549 cells. The IFN-mediated inhibition of VSV replication was not observed in cells coinfected with Ad5. Abrogation of IFN-mediated antiviral activity was maximal when Ad5 infection preceded VSV infection by at least 36 h, but did not require adenovirus DNA synthesis for manifestation. Coinfection experiments with VSV and deletion variants of adenovirus demonstrated that neither virus-associated RNA synthesis nor expression of adenovirus early regions E1B, E2A, E3, or E4 are required for abrogation of IFN-mediated inhibition of VSV replication. However, expression of early region E1A was essential, suggesting that E1A products can modulate, either directly or indirectly, IFN activity in adenovirus-infected cells.     

Alpha/beta interferons potentiate virus-induced apoptosis through activation of the FADD/Caspase-8 death signaling pathway

Interferon (IFN) mediates its antiviral effects by inducing a number of responsive genes, including the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase, PKR. Here we report that inducible overexpression of functional PKR in murine fibroblasts sensitized cells to apoptosis induced by influenza virus, while in contrast, cells expressing a dominant-negative variant of PKR were completely resistant. We determined that the mechanism of influenza virus-induced apoptosis involved death signaling through FADD/caspase-8 activation, while other viruses such as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and Sindbis virus (SNV) did not significantly provoke PKR-mediated apoptosis but did induce cytolysis of fibroblasts via activation of caspase-9. Significantly, treatment with IFN-alpha/beta greatly sensitized the fibroblasts to FADD-dependent apoptosis in response to dsRNA treatment or influenza virus infection but completely protected the cells against VSV and SNV replication in the absence of any cellular destruction. The mechanism by which IFN increases the cells' susceptibility to lysis by dsRNA or certain virus infection is by priming cells to FADD-dependent apoptosis, possibly by regulating the activity of the death-induced signaling complex (DISC). Conversely, IFN is also able to prevent the replication of viruses such as VSV that avoid triggering FADD-mediated DISC activity, by noncytopathic mechanisms, thus preventing destruction of the cell.     

Purification and some properties of human erythrocyte calpastatin

By means of a new type of microinjection apparatus, which has a micropipette located in a hole through the optical axis of the condenser lens, we injected interferon (IFN) or 2',5'-oligoadenylate (2-5A) into mouse L cells, and observed their antiviral effects on the multiplication of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). After injection, cells were infected with VSV, and labeled with [3H]uridine in the presence of actinomycin D. The proportion of cells infected with VSV which carried radioactive virus-RNA was determined by autoradiography. IFN introduced directly into L cells had no effect on the virus growth. This result supports the idea that IFN molecules exert their effect from outside the cell membrane without penetrating into the cytoplasm. 2-5A, on the other hand, was able to inhibit the growth of VSV effectively when injected into L cells. The antiviral effect was dependent on the dose of 2-5A injected, and moreover the effect was transient, since it disappeared completely after 24-h incubation.     

The target reaction in the antiviral action of mouse interferon against vesicular stomatitis virus multiplication

Treatment of mouse L929 cells with mouse interferon (IFN) lowered the yield of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in a dose-dependent manner. Accumulation of viral proteins was severely inhibited in IFN-treated cells, whereas cellular protein synthesis was not, indicating that the virus-induced shutoff of cellular protein synthesis was prevented by IFN. In order to identify the major target of IFN action precisely, the effect of IFN treatment on the synthesis of viral RNAs and proteins at various stages during the course of viral replication was examined. Accumulation of viral RNAs late in infection was inhibited, as was the case with viral proteins, but the synthesis of leader RNA and mRNAs early in infection was not significantly inhibited by treatment with a moderate dose of IFN. On the other hand, viral protein synthesis at an early stage of infection was strongly inhibited by IFN. The results indicate that the major target reaction of antiviral action of IFN against VSV multiplication is the translation of viral mRNA.     

Mechanism of pppA(2'p5'A)n2'p5'AOH synthesis in extracts of interferon-treated HeLa cells

Treatment of HeLa cells with interferon results in the induction of an enzymatic activity designated 2'5'oligo(A) polymerase. The polymerase requires continuous presence of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for activity, since degradation of dsRNA abolishes synthesis of the oligomeric series pppA(2'p5'A)n. These oligonucleotides are formed initially at a constant rate with dimer synthesized faster than trimer, and the latter faster than tetramer. After 45 min, accumulation of the dimer declines whereas that of other oligomers still proceeds at a linear rate. These results suggest that an oligomer remains associated with the enzyme for possible consecutive additions of adenylate, since no significant accumulation of dimer precedes synthesis of trimer. The relative amounts of the different oligomers found at the end of a reaction may reflect an increasing probability of release as the oligomers are elongated. The accumulation of dimer, however, decreases when it becomes a substrate for adenylate addition; incorporation of isolated dimer into 2'5'-oligo(A) was directly shown. Other nucleotides with a blocked p5'A terminus, like A5'ppppp5'A and NADH, can serve as adenylate acceptors in the presence of dsRNA. The adenosine triphosphates 2'-dATP and 3'-dATP are not incorporated efficiently into 2'5'-oligo(A) and inhibit its synthesis.     

A mouse cell line, which is unprotected by interferon against lytic virus infection, lacks ribonuclease F activity

A mouse cell line, NIH 3T3, does not respond to some of the activities of interferon. Even after treatment with high concentrations of interferon the replication of lytic viruses, such as encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is not inhibited in these cells. In contrast, interferon treatment of these same cells results in the inhibition of Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMuLV) production. We have analyzed enzymatic pathways which are induced by interferon in these cells. After interferon treatment, the level of the (2'-5')oligoadenylate [(2'-5)An] synthetase activity and the phosphorylation of the 67000-dalton protein (P1) are enhanced in NIH 3T3 cells to approximately the same level as interferon-sensitive mouse L-cells. Moreover, NIH 3T3 and L-cells, contain approximately the same levels of enzymes which inactivate (2'-5')An. Both exogenously added (2'-5')A3 or double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) failed to inhibit protein synthesis in NIH 3T3 extracts even though they were potent inhibitors of L-cell extract-directed protein synthesis. Direct measurements of the (2'-5')An-dependent ribonuclease F (RNase F) failed to detect such activity in NIH 3T3 cells. Our results, therefore, suggest that the presence of RNase F activity is necessary for the interferon-induced antiviral activity against EMCV and against VSV. The induction of protein kinase activity by interferon treatment of NIH 3T3 cells appears to have no direct effect on EMCV and VSV replication.     

Mechanism of interferon action. Effect of double-stranded RNA and the 5'-O-monophosphate form of 2',5'-oligoadenylate on the inhibition of reovirus mRNA translation in vitro

The effect of reovirus double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and 5'-O-monophosphate form of 2',5'-oligoadenylate (pA(2'p5'A)2) on the translation and degradation of reovirus messenger RNA and on protein phosphorylation was examined in extracts prepared from interferon-treated mouse L fibroblasts. The following results were obtained. 1) The enhanced degradation of reovirus [3H]mRNA observed in the presence of either dsRNA or the 5'-O-triphosphate form of 2',5'-oligoadenylate (pppA(2'p5'A)3) was completely blocked by pA(2'p5'A)2. 2) The dsRNA-dependent phosphorylation of protein P1 and the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF-2) depended in a similar manner upon the concentration of dsRNA and was optimal at low dsRNA concentrations (0.1 to 1 microgram/ml). However, high concentrations of dsRNA (greater than 100 micrograms/ml) drastically reduced the phosphorylation of both P1 and eIF-2 alpha. Neither P1 nor eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation was affected by either pA(2'p5'A)2 or pppA(2'p5'A)3. 3) The translation of reovirus mRNA in vitro was inhibited by the addition of either low concentrations of dsRNA or pppA(2'p5'A)3. Whereas pA(2'p5'A)2 completely reversed the pppA(2'p5'A)3-mediated inhibition of translation, the inhibition mediated by low concentrations of dsRNA was only partially reversed by pA(2'p5'A)2. Under conditions where the pppA-(2'p5'A)3mediated degradation of reovirus mRNA was blocked, the translation of reovirus mRNA was still inhibited by low but not by high concentrations of dsRNA in a manner that correlated with the activation of P1 and eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation. These results suggest that the pppA(2'p5'A)n-dependent ribonuclease is not required and that protein phosphorylation may indeed be sufficient for the dsRNA-dependent inhibition of reovirus mRNA translation in cell-free systems derived from interferon-treated mouse fibroblasts.     

The RIG‐I‐like receptor LGP2 inhibits Dicer‐dependent processing of long double‐stranded RNA and blocks RNA interference in mammalian cells

In vertebrates, the presence of viral RNA in the cytosol is sensed by members of the RIG‐I‐like receptor (RLR) family, which signal to induce production of type I interferons (IFN). These key antiviral cytokines act in a paracrine and autocrine manner to induce hundreds of interferon‐stimulated genes (ISGs), whose protein products restrict viral entry, replication and budding. ISGs include the RLRs themselves: RIG‐I, MDA5 and, the least‐studied family member, LGP2. In contrast, the IFN system is absent in plants and invertebrates, which defend themselves from viral intruders using RNA interference (RNAi). In RNAi, the endoribonuclease Dicer cleaves virus‐derived double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that target complementary viral RNA for cleavage. Interestingly, the RNAi machinery is conserved in mammals, and we have recently demonstrated that it is able to participate in mammalian antiviral defence in conditions in which the IFN system is suppressed. In contrast, when the IFN system is active, one or more ISGs act to mask or suppress antiviral RNAi. Here, we demonstrate that LGP2 constitutes one of the ISGs that can inhibit antiviral RNAi in mammals. We show that LGP2 associates with Dicer and inhibits cleavage of dsRNA into siRNAs both in vitro and in cells. Further, we show that in differentiated cells lacking components of the IFN response, ectopic expression of LGP2 interferes with RNAi‐dependent suppression of gene expression. Conversely, genetic loss of LGP2 uncovers dsRNA‐mediated RNAi albeit less strongly than complete loss of the IFN system. Thus, the inefficiency of RNAi as a mechanism of antiviral defence in mammalian somatic cells can be in part attributed to Dicer inhibition by LGP2 induced by type I IFNs. LGP2‐mediated antagonism of dsRNA‐mediated RNAi may help ensure that viral dsRNA substrates are preserved in order to serve as targets of antiviral ISG proteins.     

Antiapoptotic and Oncogenic Potentials of Hepatitis C Virus Are Linked to Interferon Resistance by Viral Repression of the PKR Protein Kinase

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is prevalent worldwide and has become a major cause of liver dysfunction and hepatocellular carcinoma. The high prevalence of HCV reflects the persistent nature of infection and the large frequency of cases that resist the current interferon (IFN)-based anti-HCV therapeutic regimens. HCV resistance to IFN has been attributed, in part, to the function of the viral nonstructural 5A (NS5A) protein. NS5A from IFN-resistant strains of HCV can repress the PKR protein kinase, a mediator of the IFN-induced antiviral and apoptotic responses of the host cell and a tumor suppressor. Here we examined the relationship between HCV persistence and resistance to IFN therapy. When expressed in mammalian cells, NS5A from IFN-resistant HCV conferred IFN resistance to vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which normally is sensitive to the antiviral actions of IFN. NS5A blocked viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-induced PKR activation and phosphorylation of eIF-2alpha in IFN-treated cells, resulting in high levels of VSV mRNA translation. Mutations within the PKR-binding domain of NS5A restored PKR function and the IFN-induced block to viral mRNA translation. The effects due to NS5A inhibition of PKR were not limited to the rescue of viral mRNA translation but also included a block in PKR-dependent host signaling pathways. Cells expressing NS5A exhibited defective PKR signaling and were refractory to apoptosis induced by exogenous dsRNA. Resistance to apoptosis was attributed to an NS5A-mediated block in eIF-2alpha phosphorylation. Moreover, cells expressing NS5A exhibited a transformed phenotype and formed solid tumors in vivo. Disruption of apoptosis and tumorogenesis required the PKR-binding function of NS5A, demonstrating that these properties may be linked to the IFN-resistant phenotype of HCV.     

Effect of interferon on the production of HBsAg and induction of an antiviral state in human hepatoma cell line PLC/PRF/5

The effects of human alpha and beta interferons (IFN) on the production of HBsAG by PLC/PRF/5 cells, an HBsAg-producing human hepatoma cell line, were studied in the exponential and stationary phases of cell growth. When exponential phase cells were treated with 100 or 1,000 U of IFN per ml for 48 hr. the amount of HBsAg in the culture medium decreased. The number of cells and the synthesis of DNA and proteins were also reduced by the IFN treatment. These results suggested that IFN did not affect the production of HBsAg specifically in exponential phase cells. When cells in the stationary phase were similarly treated with IFN, HbsAg production was not inhibited nor did the number of cells decrease. To examine the antiviral state induced by IFN in PLC/PRF/5, induction of 2'5'-oligo (A) synthetase and susceptibility to two kinds of viruses were examined. The 2'5'-oligo (A) synthetase activity was increased in an IFN-dose dependent manner. Susceptibility to vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) was decreased by treatment with 10 and 100 U of IFN per ml for 20 hr. It was concluded that IFN-alpha and IFN-beta induce 2'5'-oligo (A) synthetase and the antiviral state, but do not inhibit HBsAg production by PLC/PRF/5 cells.     

The NS3 protein of rice hoja blanca virus complements the RNAi suppressor function of HIV‐1 Tat

The question of whether RNA interference (RNAi) acts as an antiviral mechanism in mammalian cells remains controversial. The antiviral interferon (IFN) response cannot easily be distinguished from a possible antiviral RNAi pathway owing to the involvement of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a common inducer molecule. The non‐structural protein 3 (NS3) protein of rice hoja blanca virus (RHBV) is an RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) that exclusively binds to small dsRNA molecules. Here, we show that this plant viral RSS lacks IFN antagonistic activity, yet it is able to substitute the RSS function of the Tat protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. An NS3 mutant that is deficient in RNA binding and its associated RSS activity is inactive in this complementation assay. This cross‐kingdom suppression of RNAi in mammalian cells by a plant viral RSS indicates the significance of the antiviral RNAi response in mammalian cells and the usefulness of well‐defined RSS proteins.     

Effects of mutation in hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 5A on interferon resistance mediated by inhibition of PKR kinase activity in mammalian cells

The IFN-induced double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase PKR is one of the key molecules in the antiviral effects of IFN. To clarify the effects of hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) on antiviral activity of IFN, in particular on PKR kinase activity, in mammalian cells, we established inducible NS5A-expressing cell lines derived from human osteosarcoma (Saos-2). The cells expressing NS5A derived from an IFN-resistant clone (NS5A-lb) that interacted with endogenous PKR in vitro, showed a suppressive effect on IFN function as determined by interference with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection, whereas NS5A (NS5A-2a) from an IFN-sensitive clone did not block the antiviral effect of IFN. A mutant with deletion of the IFN sensitivity determining region (ISDR) in NS5A-1b (NS5A-AISDR) also interacted with PKR and suppressed its activity in vitro. However, neither NS5A-2a nor the C-terminal truncated mutant of NS5A-1b (NS5A-deltaC) blocked PKR activity. These observations confirmed the previous report that the inhibitory effect of NS5A on IFN activity is mediated at least in part by the repression of PKR. In addition, we showed that IFN sensitivity was determined not only by the ISDR but that the involvement of the C-terminal region of NS5A-1b is important for the suppression of PKR activity.     

Molecular basis for an attenuated cytoplasmic dsRNA response in human embryonic stem cells

The introduction of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) into the cytoplasm of mammalian cells usually leads to a potent antiviral response resulting in the rapid induction of interferon beta (IFNβ).     

Biological characteristics of interferon-r-induced resistant histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937

A brief exposure (for 6 h) of U937 cells to interferon (IFN)-gamma (500 U/ml) followed by a long term incubation of cells in normal medium for 8 or more weeks resulted in the induction of cells that were refractory to the anticellular and differentiating effects of not only IFN-gamma but also IFN-alpha and IFN-beta at concentrations up to 10(4) U/ml. In addition, the cells became insensitive to the potent differentiating effect of the phorbol ester--tumor promoting agent (TPA). However, the resistant cells retained their sensitivity to the antiviral effect of different IFNs and were fullu responsive to the induction of endonuclease 2',5'-oligoadenylate (2-5A) synthetase by IFN. Furthermore, the resistant cell population appeared to be homogeneous because clones derived from single cells from this population all exhibited the same resistant phenotype to IFN and TPA. These results suggest that induction of resistant U937 cells may involve a dedifferentiation process which results in the formation of an immature cell population that do not respond to the differentiating and/or anticellular effects of various types of IFNs.