Characterization of adenovirus-induced inverted terminal repeat-independent amplification of integrated adeno-associated virus rep-cap sequences

Stable packaging cell lines expressing the rep and cap genes for recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2 (rAAV-2) assembly constitute an attractive alternative to transient transfection protocols. We recently characterized a stable HeLa rep-cap cell clone (HeRC32) and demonstrated that upon vector transfection and adenovirus infection, efficient rAAV assembly correlated with a 100-fold amplification of the integrated rep-cap sequence with the inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) deleted. We now report a more detailed analysis of this phenomenon and highlight the key cellular and viral factors involved. Determination of the rep-cap copy number of HeRC32 cells indicated that maximum rep-cap amplification occurred between 24 and 48 h following adenovirus infection. Analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of adenovirus-infected HeRC32 cells indicated that amplified rep-cap sequences were found in an extrachromosomal form. Amplification of the rep-cap sequence with the ITRs deleted was not dependent on adenovirus replication and still occurred when the highly specific adenovirus polymerase was inactivated. In contrast, amplification was inhibited in the presence of aphidicolin, indicating that cellular polymerases were needed. Our study also documented that among the adenovirus gene products, the DNA-binding protein (DBP) was essential, since rep-cap amplification was severely abrogated when HeRC32 cells were infected at a nonpermissive temperature with an adenovirus mutant encoding a thermosensitive DBP. Furthermore, expression of DBP alone in HeRC32 cells was sufficient to induce a sustained level of rep-cap amplification. Finally, immunofluorescence analysis showed that HeRC32 cells expressing the DBP also simultaneously expressed the Rep proteins, suggesting a possible involvement of the latter in rep-cap amplification. Indeed, the lack of detectable amplification in an adenovirus-infected stable rep-cap HeLa cell clone unable to produce Rep proteins further supported that, among the viral gene products, both the DBP and Rep proteins are necessary to induce the targeted amplification of the integrated rep-cap sequences in the absence of the AAV ITRs.     

Evidence for packaging of rep-cap sequences into adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 2 capsids in the absence of inverted terminal repeats: a model for generation of rep-positive AAV particles

We previously reported that a 350-bp region of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 2 rep gene contains a cis-acting element responsible for the Rep-dependent replication of a transiently transfected rep-cap plasmid. In this study, we further report that replicated rep-cap sequences can be packaged into AAV capsids in the absence of the inverted terminal repeats.     

PCR Detection of Oxytetracycline Resistance Genes otr(A) and otr(B) in Tetracycline-Resistant Streptomycete Isolates from Diverse Habitats

A range of European habitats was screened by PCR for detection of the oxytetracycline resistance genes otr(A) and otr(B), found in the oxytetracycline-producing strain Streptomyces rimosus. Primers were developed to detect these otr genes in tetracycline-resistant (Tc^R) streptomycete isolates from environmental samples. Samples were obtained from bulk and rhizosphere soil, manure, activated sludge and seawater. The majority of Tc^R streptomycetes originated from bulk and rhizosphere soil. Fewer Tc^R streptomycetes were isolated from manure and seawater and none from sewage. By PCR, three out of 217 isolates were shown to contain the otr(A) gene and 13 out of 217 the otr(B) gene. Surprisingly, these genes were detected in taxonomic groups not known as tetracycline-producing strains. The majority of the otr gene–carrying strains was assigned to S. exfoliatus or S. rochei and originated from all habitats from which Tc^R streptomycetes were obtained. Our results indicated that the occurrence of otr(A) and otr(B) genes in natural environments was limited and that otr(B), in comparison to otr(A), seemed to be more common.     

RhoA guanine exchange factor expression profile in arteries: evidence for a Rho kinase-dependent negative feedback in angiotensin II-dependent hypertension

Sustained overactivation of RhoA is a common component for the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular disorders, including hypertension. Although activity of Rho proteins depends on Rho exchange factors (Rho-GEFs), the identity of Rho-GEFs expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and participating in the control of Rho protein activity and Rho-dependent functions remains unknown. To address this question, we analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR the expression profile of 28 RhoA-GEFs in arteries of normotensive (saline-treated) and hypertensive (ANG II-treated) rats. Sixteen RhoA-GEFs were downregulated in mesenteric arteries of hypertensive rats, among which nine are also downregulated in cultured VSMC stimulated by ANG II (100 nM, 48 h), suggesting a direct effect of ANG II. Inhibition of type 1 ANG II receptors (losartan, 1 μM) or Rho kinase (fasudil, 10 μM) prevented ANG II-induced RhoA-GEF downregulation. Functionally, ANG II-induced downregulation of RhoA-GEFs is associated with decreased Rho kinase activation in response to endothelin-1, norepinephrine, and U-46619. This work thus identifies a group of RhoA-GEFs that controls RhoA and RhoA-dependent functions in VSMC, and a negative feedback of RhoA/Rho kinase activity on the expression of these RhoA-GEFs that may play an adaptative role to limit RhoA/Rho kinase activation.     

Relative influence of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 2 p5 element for recombinant AAV vector site-specific integration

The p5 promoter region of the adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV-2) rep gene has been described as essential for Rep-mediated site-specific integration (RMSSI) of plasmid sequences in human chromosome 19. We report here that insertion of a full-length or minimal p5 element between the viral inverted terminal repeats does not significantly increase RMSSI of a recombinant AAV (rAAV) vector after infection of growth-arrested or proliferating human cells. This result suggests that the p5 element may not improve RMSSI of rAAV vectors in vivo.     

Differentiation between clathrin-dependent and clathrin-independent endocytosis by means of membrane fluidity measurements

The fluorescence probe [1-(4-trimethylammonium]-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (TMA-DPH) displays properties relevant for both monitoring endocytosis kinetics and assessing membrane fluidity by fluorescence-anisotropy measurements (1). Thus, it is, possible with this probe to follow the evolution of membrane fluidity during endocytosis, from the very beginning of the process, i.e., the formation of endocytic vesicles. In most cases, endocytosis is known to start with clathrin-coated vesicles. Still, there are more and more arguments in favor of a complementary endocytic pathway without clathrin. In this article we present membrane-fluidity data for very early endocytosis, which allow an upper limit to be determined for the contribution of a putative nonclathrin pathway. We show that this limit is markedly higher for bone marrow-derived macrophages than for mouse fibroblasts of the L929 cell line.     

Cdc2-cyclin B triggers H3 kinase activation of Aurora-A in Xenopus oocytes

Xenopus oocytes are arrested in meiotic prophase I and resume meiotic divisions in response to progesterone. Progesterone triggers activation of M-phase promoting factor (MPF) or Cdc2-cyclin B complex and neosynthesis of Mos kinase, responsible for MAPK activation. Both Cdc2 and MAPK activities are required for the success of meiotic maturation. However, the signaling pathway induced by progesterone and leading to MPF activation is poorly understood, and most of the targets of both Cdc2 and MAPK in the oocyte remain to be determined. Aurora-A is a Ser/Thr kinase involved in separation of centrosomes and in spindle assembly during mitosis. It has been proposed that in Xenopus oocytes Aurora-A could be an early component of the progesterone-transduction pathway, acting through the regulation of Mos synthesis upstream Cdc2 activation. We addressed here the question of Aurora-A regulation during meiotic maturation by using new in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches. We demonstrate that Cdc2 kinase activity is necessary and sufficient to trigger both Aurora-A phosphorylation and kinase activation in Xenopus oocyte. In contrast, these events are independent of the Mos/MAPK pathway. Aurora-A is phosphorylated in vivo at least on three residues that regulate differentially its kinase activity. Therefore, Aurora-A is under the control of Cdc2 in the Xenopus oocyte and could be involved in meiotic spindle establishment.     

Hepatitis B virus Core protein nuclear interactome identifies SRSF10 as a host RNA-binding protein restricting HBV RNA production

Despite the existence of a preventive vaccine, chronic infection with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects more than 250 million people and represents a major global cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. Current clinical treatments, in most of cases, do not eliminate viral genome that persists as a DNA episome in the nucleus of hepatocytes and constitutes a stable template for the continuous expression of viral genes. Several studies suggest that, among viral factors, the HBV core protein (HBc), well-known for its structural role in the cytoplasm, could have critical regulatory functions in the nucleus of infected hepatocytes. To elucidate these functions, we performed a proteomic analysis of HBc-interacting host-factors in the nucleus of differentiated HepaRG, a surrogate model of human hepatocytes. The HBc interactome was found to consist primarily of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which are involved in various aspects of mRNA metabolism. Among them, we focused our studies on SRSF10, a RBP that was previously shown to regulate alternative splicing (AS) in a phosphorylation-dependent manner and to control stress and DNA damage responses, as well as viral replication. Functional studies combining SRSF10 knockdown and a pharmacological inhibitor of SRSF10 phosphorylation (1C8) showed that SRSF10 behaves as a restriction factor that regulates HBV RNAs levels and that its dephosphorylated form is likely responsible for the anti-viral effect. Surprisingly, neither SRSF10 knock-down nor 1C8 treatment modified the splicing of HBV RNAs but rather modulated the level of nascent HBV RNA. Altogether, our work suggests that in the nucleus of infected cells HBc interacts with multiple RBPs that regulate viral RNA metabolism. Our identification of SRSF10 as a new anti-HBV restriction factor offers new perspectives for the development of new host-targeted antiviral strategies.     

Impact of the interaction between herpes simplex virus type 1 regulatory protein ICP0 and ubiquitin-specific protease USP7 on activation of adeno-associated virus type 2 rep gene expression

Expression of the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) regulatory protein ICP0 in transfected cells reactivates rep gene expression from integrated adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 2 genomes via a mechanism that requires both its RING finger and USP7 interaction domains. In this study, we found that the rep reactivation defect of USP7-binding-negative ICP0 mutants can be overcome by further deletion of sequences in the C-terminal domain of ICP0, indicating that binding of USP7 to ICP0 is not directly required. Unlike the case in transfected cells, only the RING finger domain of ICP0 was essential for rep gene reactivation during HSV-1 infection. However, mutants unable to bind to USP7 activate HSV-1 gene expression and reactivate rep gene expression with reduced efficiencies. These results further elucidate the role of ICP0 as a helper factor for AAV replication and illustrate that care is required when extrapolating from the properties of ICP0 in transfection assays to events occurring during HSV-1 infection.