Dolores González

The Oligomerization Domain of VP3, the Scaffolding Protein of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus, Plays a Critical Role in Capsid Assembly

ABSTRACT Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) capsids are formed by a single protein layer containing three polypeptides, pVP2, VP2, and VP3. Here, we show that the VP3 protein synthesized in insect cells, either after expression of the complete polyprotein or from a VP3 gene construct, is proteolytically degraded, leading to the accumulation of product lacking the 13 C-terminal residues. This finding led to identification of the VP3 oligomerization domain within a 24-amino-acid stretch near the C-terminal end of the polypeptide, partially overlapping the VP1 binding domain. Inactivation of the VP3 oligomerization domain, by either proteolysis or deletion of the polyprotein gene, abolishes viruslike particle formation. Formation of VP3-VP1 complexes in cells infected with a dual recombinant baculovirus simultaneously expressing the polyprotein and VP1 prevented VP3 proteolysis and led to efficient virus-like particle formation in insect cells.

Regulation of the tumor suppressor PTEN by SUMO

The crucial function of the PTEN tumor suppressor in multiple cellular processes suggests that its activity must be tightly controlled. Both, membrane association and a variety of post-translational modifications, such as acetylation, phosphorylation, and mono- and polyubiquitination, have been reported to regulate PTEN activity. Here, we demonstrated that PTEN is also post-translationally modified by the small ubiquitin-like proteins, small ubiquitin-related modifier 1 (SUMO1) and SUMO2. We identified lysine residue 266 and the major monoubiquitination site 289, both located within the C2 domain required for PTEN membrane association, as SUMO acceptors in PTEN. We demonstrated the existence of a crosstalk between PTEN SUMOylation and ubiquitination, with PTEN-SUMO1 showing a reduced capacity to form covalent interactions with monoubiquitin and accumulation of PTEN-SUMO2 conjugates after inhibition of the proteasome. Moreover, we found that virus infection induces PTEN SUMOylation and favors PTEN localization at the cell membrane. Finally, we demonstrated that SUMOylation contributes to the control of virus infection by PTEN.

Structural insights into the multifunctional protein VP3 of birnaviruses.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), a member of the Birnaviridae family, is the causative agent of one of the most harmful poultry diseases. The IBDV genome encodes five mature proteins; of these, the multifunctional protein VP3 plays an essential role in virus morphogenesis. This protein, which interacts with the structural protein VP2, with the double-stranded RNA genome, and with the virus-encoded, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, VP1, is involved not only in the formation of the viral capsid, but also in the recruitment of VP1 into the capsid and in the encapsidation of the viral genome. Here, we report the X-ray structure of the central region of VP3, residues 92-220, consisting of two alpha-helical domains connected by a long and flexible hinge that are organized as a dimer. Unexpectedly, the overall fold of the second VP3 domain shows significant structural similarities with different transcription regulation factors.

Characterization of the RNA-binding activity of VP3, a major structural protein of Infectious bursal disease virus

Summary. Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is the agent of an immune-depressive disease affecting the poultry industry worldwide. Infection of IBDV leads to expression of five mature virus-encoded proteins. Proteolytic processing of the virus-encoded polyprotein generates VP3 which coats the inner surface of the IBDV capsid. In this report, we describe the characterization of the RNA-binding activity of VP3. For these studies, the VP3 coding region was fused to a histidine tag and expressed in insect cells using a recombinant baculovirus. The histidine-tagged VP3 was affinity-purified and used to study its ability to bind RNA molecules using three complementary methods: (i) Northwestern blotting; (ii) binding of VP3 protein-RNA complexes to nitrocellulose membranes; and (iii) electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The results demonstrated that VP3 efficiently bound ssRNA and dsRNA. Under the experimental conditions used in this study, the formation of VP3-RNA complexes did not depend upon the presence of specific RNA sequences. A series of histidine-tagged VP3 deletion mutants spanning the whole VP3 coding region were generated. The use of these mutants revealed that the VP3 RNA-binding domain layed in a highly conserved 69 aa stretch close to the N-terminus of the protein.

Covalent modification by SUMO is required for efficient disruption of PML oncogenic domains by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus latent protein LANA2

The multifunctional Kaposis sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) latent protein latency-associated nuclear antigen 2 (LANA2) has a critical role in KSHV-induced B-cell malignancies. LANA2 increases the level of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)2-ubiquitin-modified PML and induces the disruption of PML oncogenic domains (PODs) by a process that requires a non-covalent SUMO interaction domain (SIM) in LANA2. We now demonstrate that LANA2 is covalently conjugated to SUMO1 and SUMO2 both in vitro and in latently KSHV-infected B-cells. We show that a LANA2 SIM mutant exhibits a slightly altered sumoylation pattern, which suggests that non-covalent SUMO interactions represent a mechanism for determining SUMO substrate recognition and modification. In addition, several lysine residues were mapped as SUMO conjugation sites. A sumoylation-deficient mutant shows impaired ability to induce disruption of PODs, which suggests that either directly bound or covalently conjugated SUMO moieties may act as a bridge for interaction between LANA2 and other SUMO-modified or SUMO-interacting proteins required for disruption of PODs.

Acetylation is indispensable for p53 antiviral activity.

Tumor suppressor p53 is known to be a direct transcriptional target of type I interferons (IFNs), contributing to virus-induced apoptosis, and in turn activating itself the interferon pathway. Acetylation, among many other post-translational modifications of p53, is thought to exert a crucial role regulating p53 activity. Here, we examined the contribution of this modification on the antiviral activity mediated by p53. Our results show that virus infection induces p53 acetylation at lysine 379, and that this modification is absolutely required for p53-dependent transcriptional transactivation of both, pro-apoptotic and IFN-stimulated genes induced by virus infection, and for p53-mediated control of virus replication. Thus, our study identifies p53 acetylation as an indispensable event that enables the p53-mediated antiviral response.

Regulation of Vaccinia Virus E3 Protein by Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier Proteins

ABSTRACT The vaccinia virus (VACV) E3 protein is essential for virulence and has antiapoptotic activity and the ability to impair the host innate immune response. Here we demonstrate that E3 interacts with SUMO1 through a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-interacting motif (SIM). SIM integrity is required for maintaining the stability of the viral protein and for the covalent conjugation of E3 to SUMO1 or SUMO2, a modification that has a negative effect on the E3 transcriptional transactivation of the p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) and APAF-1 genes. We also demonstrate that E3 is ubiquitinated, a modification that does not destabilize the wild-type protein but triggers the degradation of an E3-ΔSIM mutant. This report constitutes the first demonstration of the important roles that both SUMO and ubiquitin play in the regulation of the VACV protein E3.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus lana2 protein interacts with the pocket proteins and inhibits their sumoylation.

The pocket proteins retinoblastoma protein (pRb), p107 and p130 are the key targets of oncoproteins expressed by DNA tumor viruses. Some of these viral proteins contain an LXCXE motif that mediates the interaction with the three pocket proteins and the inhibition of the pRb SUMOylation. Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) contains at least two proteins that can regulate pRb function but, so far, a KSHV-encoded protein targeting p107 and p130 has not been identified. Here, we show that the KSHV latent protein LANA2 binds to pRb, p107 and p130. LANA2 contains an LXCXE motif that is required for bypassing pRb-mediated cell-cycle arrest and for inhibiting pRb SUMOylation. Finally, we demonstrate that, in addition to pRb, both p107 and p130 can be SUMOylated, and this modification is also inhibited by LANA2 in an LXCXE-dependent manner. These results demonstrate, for the first time, the SUMOylation of p107 or p130 and, so far, they represent the first example of a KSHV protein able to interact with the three pocket proteins and to inhibit their conjugation to SUMO.

Rotavirus Viroplasm Proteins Interact with the Cellular SUMOylation System: Implications for Viroplasm-Like Structure Formation

ABSTRACT Posttranslational modification by SUMO provides functional flexibility to target proteins. Viruses interact extensively with the cellular SUMO modification system in order to improve their replication, and there are numerous examples of viral proteins that are SUMOylated. However, thus far the relevance of SUMOylation for rotavirus replication remains unexplored. In this study, we report that SUMOylation positively regulates rotavirus replication and viral protein production. We show that SUMO can be covalently conjugated to the viroplasm proteins VP1, VP2, NSP2, VP6, and NSP5. In addition, VP1, VP2, and NSP2 can also interact with SUMO in a noncovalent manner. We observed that an NSP5 SUMOylation mutant protein retains most of its activities, such as its interaction with VP1 and NSP2, the formation of viroplasm-like structures after the coexpression with NSP2, and the ability to complement in trans the lack of NSP5 in infected cells. However, this mutant is characterized by a high degree of phosphorylation and is impaired in the formation of viroplasm-like structures when coexpressed with VP2. These results reveal for the first time a positive role for SUMO modification in rotavirus replication, describe the SUMOylation of several viroplasm resident rotavirus proteins, and demonstrate a requirement for NSP5 SUMOylation in the production of viroplasm-like structures.

Infectious bursal disease virus persistently infects bursal B-lymphoid DT40 cells

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), an important avian pathogen, exhibits a specific tropism for immature B-lymphocyte populations. We have investigated the ability of IBDV to replicate in chicken B-lymphoid DT40 cells, a tumour cell line derived from the bursa of Fabricius of a chicken infected with avian leukosis virus. Our results show that IBDV persistently infects DT40 cells. Establishment of the persistent infection is associated with an extensive remodelling of the hypervariable region of the VP2 capsid polypeptide, accumulating 14 amino acid changes during the first 60 days of the persistent infection. The amino acid sequence of the non-structural VP5 polypeptide, involved in virus dissemination, is not altered during the persistent infection. Results described in this report constitute the first demonstration of the ability of IBDV to establish a persistent infection in vitro.