Albert Zimmermann

A cytomegaloviral protein reveals a dual role for STAT2 in IFN-γ signaling and antiviral responses

A mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) gene conferring interferon (IFN) resistance was identified. This gene, M27, encodes a 79-kD protein that selectively binds and down-regulates for signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-2, but it has no effect on STAT1 activation and signaling. The absence of pM27 conferred MCMV susceptibility to type I IFNs (α/β), but it had a much more dramatic effect on type II IFNs (γ) in vitro and in vivo. A comparative analysis of M27+ and M27 − MCMV revealed that the antiviral efficiency of IFN-γ was partially dependent on the synergistic action of type I IFNs that required STAT2. Moreover, STAT2 was directly activated by IFN-γ. This effect required IFN receptor expression and was independent of type I IFNs. IFN-γ induced increasing levels of tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT2 in M27− MCMV-infected cells that were essential for the antiviral potency of IFN-γ. pM27 represents a new strategy for simultaneous evasions from types I and II IFNs, and it documents an unknown biological significance for STAT2 in antiviral IFN-γ responses.

Human cytomegalovirus interferes with signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 2 protein stability and tyrosine phosphorylation

We have investigated the role of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 2 during human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication and found that protein levels of STAT2 are downregulated. STAT2 downregulation was observed in HCMV clinical isolates and laboratory strains with the exception of strain Towne. The HCMV-induced loss of STAT2 protein occurred despite an increased accumulation of STAT2 mRNA; it required HCMV early gene expression. The decrease in STAT2 was sensitive to proteasome inhibition, suggesting degradation of STAT2 via the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. Notably, pUL27, the HCMV homologue of the mouse CMV pM27 protein, which mediates the selective proteolysis of STAT2, did not induce STAT2 downregulation. Moreover, preceding STAT2 degradation, alpha/beta interferon (IFN)-receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT2 was inhibited in HCMV-infected cells. This effect was paralleled by impaired tyrosine activation of STAT1 and STAT3. Accordingly, IFNs affected the replication efficiency of STAT2 degrading and non-degrading HCMV strains to a similar degree. In summary, HCMV abrogates IFN receptor signalling at multiple checkpoints by independent mechanisms including UL27-independent degradation of STAT2 and a preceding blockade of STAT2 phosphorylation.

Absence of Cross-Presenting Cells in the Salivary Gland and Viral Immune Evasion Confine Cytomegalovirus Immune Control to Effector CD4 T Cells

Horizontal transmission of cytomegaloviruses (CMV) occurs via prolonged excretion from mucosal surfaces. We used murine CMV (MCMV) infection to investigate the mechanisms of immune control in secretory organs. CD4 T cells were crucial to cease MCMV replication in the salivary gland (SG) via direct secretion of IFNγ that initiated antiviral signaling on non-hematopoietic cells. In contrast, CD4 T cell helper functions for CD8 T cells or B cells were dispensable. Despite SG-resident MCMV-specific CD8 T cells being able to produce IFNγ, the absence of MHC class I molecules on infected acinar glandular epithelial cells due to viral immune evasion, and the paucity of cross-presenting antigen presenting cells (APCs) prevented their local activation. Thus, local activation of MCMV-specific T cells is confined to the CD4 subset due to exclusive presentation of MCMV-derived antigens by MHC class II molecules on bystander APCs, resulting in IFNγ secretion interfering with viral replication in cells of non-hematopoietic origin.

The Dynamics of Mouse Cytomegalovirus-Specific CD4 T Cell Responses during Acute and Latent Infection

The dynamics of mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV)-specific CD4 T cell responses and the mechanisms by which these cells contribute to viral control are not well understood, mainly due to lack of appropriate tools to characterize MCMV-specific CD4 T cells. We therefore generated MCMV-specific CD4 T cell hybridomas, then used an MCMV expression library and overlapping peptides to identify CD4 T cell epitopes. We used these novel tools to study the long-term kinetics and organ distribution of MCMV-specific CD4 T cells in comparison to MCMV-specific CD8 T cell responses. We demonstrate that the overall MCMV-specific CD4 T cell response stabilizes during the latent stage, which stands in contrast to subpopulations of MCMV-specific CD8 T cells and HCMV-specific CD4 T cells which accumulate over the course of CMV latency. Furthermore, MCMV-specific CD4 T cells displayed a Th1 phenotype, secreting high levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α and to some extent IL-2, cytokines which are involved in protection from CMV disease.

Proteasome inhibitor MG132 blocks viral DNA replication and assembly of human cytomegalovirus

This study provides evidence that proteasomal activity is required at multiple steps in human cytomegalovirus replication. Electron microscopy revealed that no viral particles were assembled in the presence of proteasome inhibitor MG132. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses using MG132 demonstrated that immediate early gene expression was suppressed at low but not high MOI. In contrast, expression of late proteins was completely blocked independent of MOI. Additionally, pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis demonstrated that MG132 interferes with cleavage of HCMV DNA. Bromodeoxyuridine incorporation studies showed that de novo viral DNA synthesis is reduced in the presence of MG132. Furthermore, in contrast to previous hypotheses we demonstrated that neither the ND10 components PML and hDaxx nor NFκB activation represent the target for MG132.

Human cytomegalovirus Fcγ binding proteins gp34 and gp68 antagonize Fcγ receptors I, II and III.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) establishes lifelong infection with recurrent episodes of virus production and shedding despite the presence of adaptive immunological memory responses including HCMV immune immunoglobulin G (IgG). Very little is known how HCMV evades from humoral and cellular IgG-dependent immune responses, the latter being executed by cells expressing surface receptors for the Fc domain of IgG (FcγRs). Remarkably, HCMV expresses the RL11-encoded gp34 and UL119-118-encoded gp68 type I transmembrane glycoproteins which bind Fcγ with nanomolar affinity. Using a newly developed FcγR activation assay, we tested if the HCMV-encoded Fcγ binding proteins (HCMV FcγRs) interfere with individual host FcγRs. In absence of gp34 or/and gp68, HCMV elicited a much stronger activation of FcγRIIIA/CD16, FcγRIIA/CD32A and FcγRI/CD64 by polyclonal HCMV-immune IgG as compared to wildtype HCMV. gp34 and gp68 co-expression culminates in the late phase of HCMV replication coinciding with the emergence of surface HCMV antigens triggering FcγRIII/CD16 responses by polyclonal HCMV-immune IgG. The gp34- and gp68-dependent inhibition of HCMV immune IgG was fully reproduced when testing the activation of primary human NK cells. Their broad antagonistic function towards FcγRIIIA, FcγRIIA and FcγRI activation was also recapitulated in a gain-of-function approach based on humanized monoclonal antibodies (trastuzumab, rituximab) and isotypes of different IgG subclasses. Surface immune-precipitation showed that both HCMV-encoded Fcγ binding proteins have the capacity to bind trastuzumab antibody-HER2 antigen complexes demonstrating simultaneous linkage of immune IgG with antigen and the HCMV inhibitors on the plasma membrane. Our studies reveal a novel strategy by which viral FcγRs can compete for immune complexes against various Fc receptors on immune cells, dampening their activation and antiviral immunity.

Mouse cytomegalovirus inhibits beta interferon (IFN-β) gene expression and controls activation pathways of the IFN-β enhanceosome

We have investigated beta interferon (IFN-beta) and IFN-alpha4 gene expression and activation of related transcription factors in mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV)-infected fibroblasts. mRNA analysis demonstrated an initial phase of IFN gene induction upon MCMV infection, which was followed by a sustained MCMV-mediated simultaneous downregulation of IFN-beta and IFN-alpha4 gene expression. The induction of IFN transcription resulted from the activation of the components of the IFN-beta enhanceosome, i.e. IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 3, nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB, activating transcription factor (ATF)-2 and c-Jun. Activation of the transcription factors occurred rapidly and in a sequential order upon infection, but only lasted a while. As a consequence, IFN-alpha/beta gene expression became undetectable 6 h post-infection and throughout the MCMV replication cycle. This effect is based on an active interference since restimulation of IFN gene induction by further external stimuli (e.g. Sendai virus infection) was completely abolished. This inhibition required MCMV gene expression and was not observed in cells infected with UV-inactivated MCMV virions. The efficiency of inhibition is achieved by a concerted blockade of IkappaBalpha degradation and a lack of nuclear accumulation of IRF3 and ATF-2/c-Jun. Using an MCMV mutant lacking pM27, a signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 2-specific inhibitor of Jak/STAT signalling, we found that the initial phase of IFN induction and the subsequent inhibition does not depend on the positive-IFN feedback loop. Our findings indicate that the MCMV-mediated downregulation of IFN transcription in fibroblasts relies on a large arsenal of inhibitory mechanisms targeting each pathway that contributes to the multiprotein enhanceosome complex.

Gamma Interferon-Induced Interferon Regulatory Factor 1-Dependent Antiviral Response Inhibits Vaccinia Virus Replication in Mouse but Not Human Fibroblasts

ABSTRACT Vaccinia virus (VACV) replicates in mouse and human fibroblasts with comparable kinetics and efficiency, yielding similar titers of infectious progeny. Here we demonstrate that gamma interferon (IFN-γ) but not IFN-α or IFN-β pretreatment of mouse fibroblasts prior to VACV infection induces a long-lasting antiviral state blocking VACV replication. In contrast, high doses of IFN-γ failed to establish an antiviral state in human fibroblasts. In mouse fibroblasts, IFN-γ impeded the viral replication cycle at the level of late gene transcription and blocked the multiplication of VACV genomes. The IFN-γ-induced antiviral state invariably prevented the growth of different VACV strains but was not effective against the replication of ectromelia virus. The IFN-γ effect required intact IFN-γ receptor signaling prior to VACV infection through Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1). The permissive state of IFN-γ-treated human cells was unrelated to the VACV-encoded IFN decoy receptors B8 and B18 and associated with a complete disruption of STAT1 homodimer formation and DNA binding. Unlike human fibroblasts, mouse cells responded with long-lasting STAT1 activation which was preserved after VACV infection. The deletion of the IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) gene from mouse cells rescued efficient VACV replication, demonstrating that IRF-1 target genes have a critical role in VACV control. These data have implications for the understanding of VACV pathogenesis and identify an incongruent IFN-γ response between the human host and the mouse model.

Identification of DNA-Damage DNA-Binding Protein 1 as a Conditional Essential Factor for Cytomegalovirus Replication in Interferon-γ-Stimulated Cells

The mouse cytomegaloviral (MCMV) protein pM27 represents an indispensable factor for viral fitness in vivo selectively, antagonizing signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2)-mediated interferon signal transduction. We wished to explore by which molecular mechanism pM27 accomplishes this effect. We demonstrate that pM27 is essential and sufficient to curtail the protein half-life of STAT2 molecules. Pharmacologic inhibition of the proteasome restored STAT2 amounts, leading to poly-ubiquitin-conjugated STAT2 forms. PM27 was found in complexes with an essential host ubiquitin ligase complex adaptor protein, DNA-damage DNA-binding protein (DDB) 1. Truncation mutants of pM27 showed a strict correlation between DDB1 interaction and their ability to degrade STAT2. SiRNA-mediated knock-down of DDB1 restored STAT2 in the presence of pM27 and strongly impaired viral replication in interferon conditioned cells, thus phenocopying the growth attenuation of M27-deficient virus. In a constructive process, pM27 recruits DDB1 to exploit ubiquitin ligase complexes catalyzing the obstruction of the STAT2-dependent antiviral state of cells to permit viral replication.

Regulatory T cells and T-cell-derived IL-10 interfere with effective anti-cytomegalovirus immune response.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes lifelong chronic infection in its host with mostly asymptomatic or only mild disease, but under immunosuppressive conditions the virus can reactivate and infection can cause life‐threatening disease. CMV has evolved several mechanisms to escape from hosts immunity, allowing persistence of the virus. Until now, it remains elusive whether regulatory T cells (Tregs) have an impact on insufficient host immune response against the virus in this context. In the present study, we provide evidence that CD4+Foxp3+ naturally occurring Tregs (nTregs) as well as CD4+Foxp3−IL‐10+‐induced Tregs (iTregs) interfere with an effective anti‐mouse CMV (mCMV) immune response. Depletion of Foxp3+ Tregs by using DEREG mice resulted in enhanced T‐cell activation as measured by the expression of CD62L, granzyme B and interferon (IFN)‐γ and was associated with reduced viral titers in salivary glands, the organ where mCMV mainly persists. Moreover, we identified CD4+Foxp3− T cells to produce elevated levels of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL‐10 at early time points during mCMV infection. Analysis of T‐cell activation and viral replication in mCMV‐infected IL‐10flox/flox × CD4‐cre mice and IL‐10flox/flox × FIC mice revealed that T‐cell‐specific inactivation of IL‐10, but not Foxp3+ Treg‐specific IL‐10 ablation alone, resulted in elevated IFN‐γ production by T cells associated with a significant decrease in viral loads in salivary glands. Thus, our data illustrate a crucial role for CD4+Foxp3+ nTregs as well as IL‐10‐producing CD4+Foxp3− iTregs in the regulation of appropriate T‐cell responses and viral clearance during mCMV infection.