Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ICP22 but Not US1.5 Is Required for Efficient Acute Replication in Mice and VICE Domain Formation

The herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early protein, infected cell protein 22 (ICP22), is required for efficient replication in restrictive cells, for virus-induced chaperone-enriched (VICE) domain formation, and for normal expression of a subset of viral late proteins. Additionally, ICP22 is important for optimal acute viral replication in vivo. Previous studies have shown that the U_S1 gene that encodes ICP22, produces an in-frame, N-terminally truncated form of ICP22, known as U_S1.5. To date, studies conducted to characterize the functions of ICP22 have not separated its functions from those of U_S1.5. To determine the individual roles of ICP22 and U_S1.5, we made viral mutants that express either ICP22 with an M90A mutation in the U_S1.5 initiation codon (M90A) or U_S1.5 with three stop codons introduced upstream of the U_S1.5 start codon (3×stop). Our studies showed that, in contrast to M90A, 3×stop was unable to replicate efficiently in the eyes and trigeminal ganglia of mice during acute infection, to efficiently establish a latent infection, or to induce VICE domain formation and was only mildly reduced in its replication in restrictive HEL-299 cells and murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Both mutants enhanced the expression of the late viral proteins virion host shutoff (vhs) and glycoprotein C (gC) and inhibited viral gene expression mediated by HSV-1 infected cell protein 0 (ICP0). When we tested our mutants'' sensitivity to type I interferon (beta interferon [IFN-β]) in restrictive cells, we noticed that the plating of the ICP22 null (d22) and 3×stop mutants was reduced by the addition of IFN-β. Overall, our data suggest that U_S1.5 partially complements the functions of ICP22.     

Comprehensive characterization of extracellular herpes simplex virus type 1 virions

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) genome is contained in a capsid wrapped by a complex tegument layer and an external envelope. The poorly defined tegument plays a critical role throughout the viral life cycle, including delivery of capsids to the nucleus, viral gene expression, capsid egress, and acquisition of the viral envelope. Current data suggest tegumentation is a dynamic and sequential process that starts in the nucleus and continues in the cytoplasm. Over two dozen proteins are assumed to be or are known to ultimately be added to virions as tegument, but its precise composition is currently unknown. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis of all proteins found in HSV-1 virions is still lacking. To better understand the implication of the tegument and host proteins incorporated into the virions, highly purified mature extracellular viruses were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The method proved accurate (95%) and sensitive and hinted at 8 different viral capsid proteins, 13 viral glycoproteins, and 23 potential viral teguments. Interestingly, four novel virion components were identified (U_L7, U_L23, U_L50, and U_L55), and two teguments were confirmed (ICP0 and ICP4). In contrast, U_L4, U_L24, the U_L31/U_L34 complex, and the viral U_L15/U_L28/U_L33 terminase were undetected, as was most of the viral replication machinery, with the notable exception of U_L23. Surprisingly, the viral glycoproteins gJ, gK, gN, and U_L43 were absent. Analyses of virions produced by two unrelated cell lines suggest their protein compositions are largely cell type independent. Finally, but not least, up to 49 distinct host proteins were identified in the virions.     

RAB11A is essential for transport of the influenza virus genome to the plasma membrane

Influenza A virus assembly is a complex process that requires the intersection of pathways involved in transporting viral glycoproteins, the matrix protein, and viral genomes, incorporated in the viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complex, to plasma membrane sites of virion formation. Among these virion components, the mechanism of vRNP delivery is the most incompletely understood. Here, we reveal a functional relationship between the cellular Rab11 GTPase isoform, RAB11A, and vRNPs and show that RAB11A is indispensable for proper vRNP transport to the plasma membrane. Using an immunofluorescence-based assay with a monoclonal antibody that recognizes nucleoprotein in the form of vRNP, we demonstrate association between RAB11A and vRNPs at all stages of vRNP cytoplasmic transport. Abrogation of RAB11A expression through small interfering RNA (siRNA) treatment or disruption of RAB11A function by overexpression of dominant negative or constitutively active proteins caused aberrant vRNP intracellular accumulation, retention in the perinuclear region, and lack of accumulation at the plasma membrane. Complex formation between RAB11A and vRNPs was further established biochemically. Our results uncover a critical host factor with an essential contribution to influenza virus genome delivery and reveal a potential role for RAB11A in the transport of ribonucleoprotein cargo.     

Mono-ubiquitylated ORF45 Mediates Association of KSHV Particles with Internal Lipid Rafts for Viral Assembly and Egress

Herpesviruses acquire their envelope by budding into the lumen of cytoplasmic membrane vesicles. This process is initiated by component(s) on viral particles, which recognize the budding site where the viral glycoproteins are present and recruit cellular cargo transport and sorting machinery to the site to complete the budding process. Proteins in the tegument layer, connecting capsid and envelope, are candidates for the recognition of budding sites on vesicle membrane and induction of budding and final envelopment. We examined several outer and matrix tegument proteins of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and found that ORF45 associates with lipid rafts (LRs) of cellular membrane. LRs are membrane micro-domains, which have been implicated as relay stations in intracellular signaling and transport including viral entry and virion assembly. The ability of ORF45 to target LR is dependent on the mono-ubiquitylation of ORF45 at Lys297 as the mutation at Lys297 (K297R) abolished LR-association of ORF45. The K297R mutation also impairs ORF45 and viral particle co-localization with trans-Golgi network and endosomes, but facilitates ORF45 and viral particles co-localizing with lysosomes. More importantly, the recombinant KSHV carrying ORF45 K297R mutant (BAC-K297R) was found severely defective in producing mature and infectious virion particles in comparison to wild type KSHV (BAC16). Taken together, our results reveal a new function of KSHV tegument protein ORF45 in targeting LR of host cell membrane, promoting viral particles co-localization with trans-Golgi and endosome vesicles and facilitating the maturation and release of virion particles, suggesting that ORF45 plays a role in bringing KSHV particles to the budding site on cytoplasmic vesicle membrane and triggering the viral budding process for final envelopment and virion maturation.     

The Intracellular Mobility of Nuclear Import Receptors and NLS Cargoes

We have investigated classical nuclear localization sequence (NLS) mediated protein trafficking by measuring biomolecular dynamics within living cells using two-photon fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. By directly observing the behavior of specific molecules in their native cellular environment, it is possible to uncover functional details that are not apparent from traditional biochemical investigations or functional assays. We show that the intracellular mobility of NLS cargoes and their import receptor proteins, karyopherin-α and karyopherin-β, can be robustly measured and that quantitative comparison of intracellular diffusion coefficients provides new insights into nuclear transport mechanisms. Import cargo complexes are assembled throughout the cytoplasm, and their diffusion is slower than predicted by molecular weight due to specific interactions. Analysis of NLS cargo diffusion in the cytoplasm indicates that these interactions are likely disrupted by NLS cargo binding. Our results suggest that delivery of import receptors and NLS cargoes to nuclear pores may complement selective translocation through the pores as a functional mechanism for regulating transport of proteins into the nucleus.     

Regulating cytoskeleton-based vesicle motility

During vesicular transport, the assembly of the coat complexes and the selection of cargo proteins must be coordinated with the subsequent translocation of vesicles from the donor to an acceptor compartment. Here, we review recent progress toward uncovering the molecular mechanisms that connect transport vesicles to the protein machinery responsible for cytoskeleton-mediated motility. An emerging theme is that vesicle cargo proteins, either directly or through binding interactions with coat proteins, are able to influence cytoskeletal dynamics and motor protein function. Hence, a vesicle's cargo composition may help direct its intracellular motility and targeting.     

Intracellular transport based on actin polymerization

In addition to the intracellular transport of particles (cargo) along microtubules, there are in the cell two actin-based transport systems. In the actomyosin system the transport is driven by myosin, which moves the cargo along actin microfilaments. This transport requires the hydrolysis of ATP in the myosin molecule motor domain that induces conformational changes in the molecule resulting in the myosin movement along the actin filament. The other actin-based transport system of the cell does not involve myosin or other motor proteins. This system is based on a unidirectional actin polymerization, which depends on ATP hydrolysis in actin polymers and is initiated by proteins bound to the surface of transported particles. Obligatory components of the actin-based transport are proteins of the WASP/Scar family and a complex of Arp2/3 proteins. Moreover, the actin-based systems often contain dynamin and cortactin. It is known that a system of actin filaments formed on the surface of particles, the so-called “comet-like tail”, is responsible for intracellular movements of pathogenic bacteria, micropinocytotic vesicles, clathrin-coated vesicles, and phagosomes. This movement is reproduced in a cell-free system containing extract of Xenopus oocytes. The formation of a comet-like structure capable of transporting vesicles from the plasma membrane into the cell depth has been studied in detail by high performance electron microscopy combined with electron tomography. A similar mechanism provides the movement of vesicles containing membrane rafts enriched with sphingolipids and cholesterol, changes in position of the nuclear spindle at meiosis, and other processes. This review will consider current ideas about actin polymerization and its regulation by actin-binding proteins and show how these mechanisms are realized in the intracellular actin-based vesicular transport system.     

Effects of Brefeldin A on the Golgi complex, endoplasmic reticulum and viral envelope glycoproteins in murine erythroleukemia cells

This report concerns the effects of Brefeldin A (BFA): i) on the Golgi complex and the ER of retrovirus-transformed murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells and, ii) on the viral proteins these cells express. Golgi complexes were extensively disorganized by BFA. Within 5 min, most stacked cisternae were converted to vesicles scattered throughout the centrosphere region. By 30 min, the Golgi complexes were completely disassembled. Only clusters of small vesicles ("Golgi remnants") persisted in the vicinity of the centrioles and microtubule-organizing centers. Some of these small vesicles had a simple coat structure on their membranes. Over the next 1 to 2 h of BFA treatment, the number of vesicles in the Golgi area decreased concomitantly with the expansion of a predominantly smooth membrane portion of the ER, consisting of a network of dilated tubules in continuity with regular RER cisternae, annulate lamellae and the nuclear envelope. By electron microscopy, viral glycoproteins appeared to accumulate on the membranes of this network, and immature virions were found to bud preferentially into its cisternal space. Viral accumulations increased with time under BFA. The rest of the RER appeared normal, apparently unaffected by the drug. Preferential virion budding suggests that this expanding network is a chemically differentiated part of the ER. By immunofluorescence, antibodies to viral envelope proteins gave a punctate staining at the surface of control cells, presumably in the areas of virion budding, whereas relatively large intracellular masses of antigens were found in BFA-treated cells. We assume that these masses represent the differentiated parts of the ER. Taken together, these findings suggest that BFA blocks intracellular transport of newly synthesized cellular and viral proteins immediately distal to the distinct compartment of the ER in which virion budding preferentially occurs. BFA effects are rapidly and fully reversible. Within 1 min of the removal of the drug, stacks of Golgi cisternae began to reappear in the vicinity of the centrioles, and by 30 min, Golgi complexes regained their normal structural appearance.     

甲型流感病毒蛋白和遗传物质在宿主细胞质内顺向转运过程及其机制

流感病毒的蛋白和基因组在宿主细胞内能否正确地转运到相关部位,直接影响到病毒颗粒的形态发生。流感病毒跨膜蛋白(HA、NA和M2)主要通过宿主细胞的运输膜泡实现转运,而宿主细胞的蛋白转运机器参与了这一过程。新合成的流感病毒核糖核蛋白复合物(vRNPs)出核后,通过与活化的Rab11相结合,聚集于邻近微管组织中心(MTOC)的胞内体。然后以运输小膜泡的形式,沿着MTOC的微管网络向细胞膜方向转运。跨膜蛋白和基因组在细胞质内的转运受一些宿主因子的调控,如ARHGAP21和小G蛋白Cdc42能够调节NA蛋白向细胞膜转运,Rab11协助vRNPs从MTOC向细胞膜转运。文中主要讨论新合成的流感病毒跨膜蛋白和遗传物质在宿主细胞质内的顺向转运(Anterograde transport)过程与调控。     

The Large GTPase Mx1 Is Involved in Apical Transport in MDCK Cells

In epithelial cells apical proteins are transported by specific transport carriers to the correct membrane domain. The composition of these carriers is heterogeneous and comprises components such as motor proteins, annexins, lectins, Rab GTPases and cargo molecules. Here, we provide biochemical and fluorescence microscopic data to show that the dynamin‐related large GTPase Mx1 is a component of post‐Golgi vesicles carrying the neurotrophin receptor p75^NTR. Moreover, siRNA‐mediated depletion of Mx1 significantly decreased the transport efficiency of apical proteins in MDCK cells. In conclusion, Mx1 plays a crucial role in the delivery of cargo molecules to the apical membrane of epithelial cells.      

Characterization of Polyoma DNA-Protein Complexes I. Electrophoretic Identification of the Proteins in a Nucleoprotein Complex Isolated from Polyoma-Infected Cells

A study was undertaken to examine polyoma DNA-protein complexes. A biophysical characterization of the complexes was made, and the proteins found in such complexes were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A comparison was made between a 52S nucleoprotein complex isolated from nuclei of 26-h polyoma-infected cells and a 28S virion core complex ejected out of mature virus particles. It was found that both complexes were reduced to a 20S viral DNA component plus free protein after incubation in 1 M NaCl or Sarkosyl. Treatment of the complexes with either Pronase or 0.5 M NaCl resulted in only partial removal of proteins from the viral DNA. After fixation in formaldehyde, the 52S nucleoprotein complex had a buoyant density of 1.45 g/cm³, and the virion core complex had a buoyant density of 1.59 g/cm³. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel profiles of purified polyoma virion proteins, used as a reference marker, demonstrated three capsid proteins, V1 to V3, as well as four histones, V4 to V7, which constituted about 7% of the total virion protein. Electrophoretic analysis of the proteins comprising the 52S nucleoprotein complex revealed that the same seven proteins present in the mature virion were also found in this complex. However, the ratios of the proteins in the complex were quite different from that of the mature virion, with the four histones comprising 48% of the total complex protein. A pulse-chase experiment of the nucleoprotein complex demonstrated that the 26-h complex was chased into mature virions.     

Endo-lysosomal vesicles positive for Rab7 and LAMP1 are terminal vesicles for the transport of dextran

The endo-lysosomal pathway is essential for intracellular transport and the degradation of extracellular cargo. The relationship between three populations of endo-lysosomal vesicles--Rab7-positive, LAMP1-positive, and both Rab7- and LAMP1-postive--was probed with fluorescence microscopy and single particle tracking. Of specific interest was determining if these vesicles were intermediate or terminal vesicles in the transport of extracellular cargo. We find that the major organelle in the endo-lysosomal pathway, both in terms of population and cargo transport, is positive for Rab7 and LAMP1. Dextran, a fluid phase cargo, shifts from localization within all three populations of vesicles at 30 minutes and 1 hour to primarily LAMP1- and Rab7/LAMP1-vesicles at longer times. This demonstrates that LAMP1- and Rab7/LAMP1-vesicles are terminal vesicles in the endo-lysosomal pathway. We tested two possible mechanisms for this distribution of cargo, delivery to mannose 6-phosphate receptor (M6PR)-negative vesicles and the fusion dynamics of individual vesicles. We find no correlation with M6PR but do find that Rab7-vesicles undergo significantly fewer fusion events than LAMP1- or Rab7/LAMP1-vesicles suggesting that the distribution of fluid phase cargo is driven by vesicle dynamics.     

Exocyst Subcomplex Functions in Autophagosome Biogenesis by Regulating Atg9 Trafficking

During autophagy, double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes capture and degrade the intracellular cargo. The de novo formation of autophagosomes requires several vesicle transport and membrane fusion events which are not completely understood. We studied the involvement of exocyst, an octameric tethering complex, which has a primary function in tethering post-Golgi secretory vesicles to plasma membrane, in autophagy. Our findings indicate that not all subunits of exocyst are involved in selective and general autophagy. We show that in the absence of autophagy specific subunits, autophagy arrest is accompanied by accumulation of incomplete autophagosome-like structures. In these mutants, impaired Atg9 trafficking leads to decreased delivery of membrane to the site of autophagosome biogenesis thereby impeding the elongation and completion of the autophagosomes. The subunits of exocyst, which are dispensable for autophagic function, do not associate with the autophagy specific subcomplex of exocyst.     

Phosphorylation of the UL31 Protein of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 by the US3-Encoded Kinase Regulates Localization of the Nuclear Envelopment Complex and Egress of Nucleocapsids

Herpes simplex virus 1 nucleocapsids bud through the inner nuclear membrane (INM) into the perinuclear space to obtain a primary viral envelope. This process requires a protein complex at the INM composed of the U_L31 and U_L34 gene products. While it is clear that the viral kinase encoded by the U_S3 gene regulates the localization of pU_L31/pU_L34 within the INM, the molecular mechanism by which this is accomplished remains enigmatic. Here, we have determined the following. (i) The N terminus of pU_L31 is indispensable for the protein''s normal function and contains up to six serines that are phosphorylated by the U_S3 kinase during infection. (ii) Phosphorylation at these six serines was not essential for a productive infection but was required for optimal viral growth kinetics. (iii) In the presence of active U_S3 kinase, changing the serines to alanine caused the pU_L31/pU_L34 complex to aggregate at the nuclear rim and caused some virions to accumulate aberrantly in herniations of the nuclear membrane, much as in cells infected with a U_S3 kinase-dead mutant. (iv) The replacement of the six serines of pU_L31 with glutamic acid largely restored the smooth distribution of pU_L34/pU_L31 at the nuclear membrane and precluded the accumulation of virions in herniations whether or not U_S3 kinase was active but also precluded the optimal primary envelopment of nucleocapsids. These observations indicate that the phosphorylation of pU_L31 by pU_S3 represents an important regulatory event in the virion egress pathway that can account for much of pU_S3''s role in nuclear egress. The data also suggest that the dynamics of pU_L31 phosphorylation modulate both the primary envelopment and the subsequent fusion of the nascent virion envelope with the outer nuclear membrane.The U_L31 and U_L34 proteins of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) form a complex that accumulates at the inner nuclear membrane (INM) of infected cells (26, 27). This complex is essential for the budding of nucleocapsids through the INM into the perinuclear space (26, 28). pU_L34 is a type 2 integral membrane protein with a 247-amino-acid nucleoplasmic domain that binds pU_L31 and holds the latter in close approximation to the INM (16, 19, 26, 31, 36, 37). Both proteins become incorporated into nascent virions, indicating that they directly or indirectly interact with nucleocapsids during the budding event (27). Interestingly, the coexpression of the pseudorabies virus homologs of HSV pU_L31 and pU_L34 are sufficient to induce budding from the INM in the absence of other viral proteins (13).The most prominent model of nuclear egress proposes that the step following primary envelopment involves the fusion of the perinuclear virion envelope with the outer nuclear membrane (ONM), allowing subsequent steps in which the deenveloped capsid engages budding sites in the Golgi or trans-Golgi network (20, 32). The U_S3 protein is a promiscuous kinase that phosphorylates pU_L31, pU_L34, and several other viral and cellular components (1, 2, 5, 11, 15, 21-23, 25). In the absence of pU_S3 kinase activity, (i) virions accumulate within distensions of the perinuclear space that herniate into the nucleoplasm (14, 27, 29), (ii) the pU_L31/pU_L34 complex is mislocalized at the nuclear rim from a smooth pattern to discrete foci that accumulate adjacent to nuclear membrane herniations (12, 14, 27, 29), and (iii) the onset of infectious virus production is delayed (21, 29).Aberrant accumulations of perinuclear virions similar to those observed in cells infected with U_S3 kinase-dead viruses have been observed in cells infected with viruses lacking the capacity to produce glycoproteins H and B (gH and gB, respectively) (8). Because these proteins are required for fusion with the plasma membrane or endocytic vesicles during HSV entry (3, 4, 9, 10, 18, 30, 33), it has been proposed that the accumulation of perinuclear virions in the absence of gH and gB reflects a failure in the apparatus that normally mediates the fusion between the nascent virion envelope and the ONM (8). By extension of this hypothesis, pU_S3 might act to trigger or otherwise regulate this perinuclear fusion event.The substrate(s) of the pU_S3 kinase responsible for the altered localization of the pU_L31/pU_L34 complex and the aberrant accumulation of perinuclear virions were heretofore unknown. In one study to identify such a substrate, it was determined that precluding the phosphorylation of pU_L34 was not responsible for the nuclear egress defects induced by the absence of pU_S3 or its kinase activity (29). The current study was therefore undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that the pU_S3-mediated phosphorylation of pU_L31 is critical to regulate nuclear egress. The presented evidence indicates that aspects of the U_S3 kinase-dead phenotype, including the retention of virions in the perinuclear space, the mislocalization of the pU_L31/pU_L34 complex, and the delayed onset of virus replication, can be replicated by precluding pU_L31 phosphorylation in the presence or absence of pU_S3 kinase activity. The data also suggest that the dynamic phosphorylation of pU_L31 is important during the primary envelopment of nucleocapsids.     

Insulin-mediated translocation of GLUT-4-containing vesicles is preserved in denervated muscles

Skeletal muscle denervation decreases insulin-sensitive glucose uptake into this tissue as a result of marked GLUT-4 protein downregulation ( approximately 20% of controls). The process of insulin-stimulated glucose transport in muscle requires the movement or translocation of intracellular GLUT-4-rich vesicles to the cell surface, and it is accompanied by the translocation of several additional vesicular cargo proteins. Thus examining GLUT-4 translocation in muscles from denervated animals allows us to determine whether the loss of a major cargo protein, GLUT-4, affects the insulin-dependent behavior of the remaining cargo proteins. We find no difference, control vs. denervated, in the insulin-dependent translocation of the insulin-responsive aminopeptidase (IRAP) and the receptors for transferrin and insulin-like growth factor II/mannose 6-phosphate, proteins that completely (IRAP) or partially co-localize with GLUT-4. We conclude that 1) denervation of skeletal muscle does not block the specific branch of insulin signaling pathway that connects receptor proximal events to intracellular GLUT-4-vesicles, and 2) normal levels of GLUT-4 protein are not necessary for the structural organization and insulin-sensitive translocation of its cognate intracellular compartment. Muscle denervation also causes a twofold increase in GLUT-1. In normal muscle, all GLUT-1 is present at the cell surface, but in denervated muscle a significant fraction (25.1 +/- 6.1%) of this transporter is found in intracellular vesicles that have the same sedimentation coefficient as GLUT-4-containing vesicles but can be separated from the latter by immunoadsorption. These GLUT-1-containing vesicles respond to insulin and translocate to the cell surface. Thus the formation of insulin-sensitive GLUT-1-containing vesicles in denervated muscle may be a compensatory mechanism for the decreased level of GLUT-4.     

Transport and assembly of gag proteins into Moloney murine leukemia virus.

We have studied the process of Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) assembly by characterization of core (gag) protein mutants and analysis of wild-type (wt) gag proteins produced by cells in the presence of the ionophore monensin. Our genetic studies involved examination of linker insertion mutants of a Gag-beta-galactosidase (Gag-beta-gal) fusion protein, GBG2051, which is incorporated into virus particles when expressed in the presence of wt viral proteins. Analysis indicated that the amino-terminal two-thirds of the gag matrix domain is essential for targeting of proteins to the plasma membrane; mutant proteins localized to the cytoplasm or were trapped on intracellular membranes. Mutations through most of the coding region of the gag capsid domain generated proteins which were released from cells in membrane vesicles but not in virions. In contrast, linker insertions into p12gag or carboxy-terminal portions of the matrix or capsid coding regions did not affect assembly of fusion proteins into virus particles. Monensin, which blocks vesicular transport, inhibited gag protein intracellular transport and release from cells. Our results suggest that a significant proportion of M-MuLV myristylated gag proteins travel via vesicles to the cell surface. Specific matrix protein polypeptide regions and myristic acid modification are both necessary for appropriate gag protein transport, while capsid protein interactions appear to mediate the final phase of virion formation.     

Formation of protein complexes containing plant virus movement protein TGBp3 is necessary for its intracellular trafficking

Cell-to-cell movement of Poa semilatent virus (genus Hordeivirus) in infected plants is mediated by three viral ‘triple gene block’ (TGB) proteins. One of those termed TGBp3 is an integral membrane protein essential for intracellular transport of other TGB proteins and viral genomic RNA to plasmodesmata. TGBp3 targeting to plasmodesmata-associated sites is believed to involve an unconventional mechanism which does not employ endoplasmic reticulum-derived transport vesicles. Previously TGBp3 has been shown to contain a composite transport signal consisting of the central hydrophilic protein region which includes a conserved pentapeptide YQDLN and the C-terminal transmembrane segment. This study demonstrates that these TGBp3 structural elements have distinct functions in protein transport. The YQDLN-containing region is essential for TGBp3 incorporation into high-molecular-mass protein complexes. In transient expression assay formation of such complexes is necessary for entering the TGBp3-specific pathway of intracellular transport and protein delivery to plasmodesmata-associated sites. In virus-infected plants TGBp3 is also found predominantly in the form of high-molecular-mass complexes. When the complex-formation function of YQDLN-containing region is disabled by a mutation, targeting to plasmodesmata-associated sites can be complemented by a heterologous peptide capable of formation multimeric complexes. The C-terminal transmembrane segment is found to be an essential signal of TGBp3 intracellular transport to peripheral sites.     

The Virion Host Shutoff RNase Plays a Key Role in Blocking the Activation of Protein Kinase R in Cells Infected with Herpes Simplex Virus 1

Earlier studies have shown that active MEK blocks the activation of protein kinase R (PKR), a component of antiviral innate immune responses. In this report we show that the herpes simplex virus 1 virion host shutoff (VHS) RNase protein and MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase) act cooperatively in blocking the activation of PKR. This conclusion is based on the following. (i) In contrast to viral gene expression in the parental cell line or a cell line expressing a constitutively active MEK, the replication of a VHS mutant is particularly impaired in cells expressing dominant negative MEK. In this cell line PKR is activated by phosphorylation, and the accumulation of several viral proteins is delayed. (ii) In transfected cells, wild-type VHS blocked the activation of PKR, whereas PKR was activated in cells transfected with a mutant VHS or with plasmids encoding the VHS RNase and VP16 and VP22, the two viral proteins that neutralize the RNase activity of VHS. The results suggest that early in infection the VHS RNase degrades RNAs that activate PKR. Coupled with published data, the results suggest that inhibition of activation of PKR or its effect on viral replication is staged early in infection by VHS, postsynthesis of VP16 and VP22 by the γ₁34.5 protein, and very late in infection by the U_S11 protein.