Fan Mou

US3 of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Encodes a Promiscuous Protein Kinase That Phosphorylates and Alters Localization of Lamin A/C in Infected Cells

ABSTRACT The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) US3 gene encodes a serine/threonine kinase that, when inactivated, causes capsids to aggregate aberrantly between the inner and outer nuclear membranes (INM and ONM, respectively) within evaginations/extensions of the perinuclear space. In both Hep2 cells and an engineered cell line derived from Hep2 cells expressing lamin A/C fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP-lamin A/C), lamin A/C localized mostly in a reticular pattern with small regions of the INM devoid of eGFP-lamin A/C when they were either mock infected or infected with wild-type HSV-1(F). Cells infected with HSV-1(F) also contained some larger diffuse regions lacking lamin A/C. Proteins UL31 and UL34, markers of potential envelopment sites at the INM and perinuclear virions, localized within the regions devoid of lamin A/C and also in regions containing lamin A/C. Similar to previous observations with Vero cells (S. L. Bjerke and R. J. Roller, Virology 347:261-276, 2006), the proteins UL34 and UL31 localized exclusively in very discrete regions of the nuclear lamina lacking lamin A/C in the absence of US3 kinase activity. To determine how US3 alters lamin A/C distribution, US3 was purified and shown to phosphorylate lamin A/C at multiple sites in vitro, despite the presence of only one putative US3 kinase consensus site in the lamin A/C sequence. US3 kinase activity was also sufficient to invoke partial solubilization of lamin A/C from permeabilized Hep2 cell nuclei in an ATP-dependent manner. Two-dimensional electrophoretic analyses of lamin A/C revealed that lamin A/C is phosphorylated in HSV-infected cells, and the full spectrum of phosphorylation requires US3 kinase activity. These data suggest that US3 kinase activity regulates HSV-1 capsid nuclear egress at least in part by phosphorylation of lamin A/C.

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

ABSTRACT 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 UL31 and UL34 gene products. While it is clear that the viral kinase encoded by the US3 gene regulates the localization of pUL31/pUL34 within the INM, the molecular mechanism by which this is accomplished remains enigmatic. Here, we have determined the following. (i) The N terminus of pUL31 is indispensable for the proteins normal function and contains up to six serines that are phosphorylated by the US3 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 US3 kinase, changing the serines to alanine caused the pUL31/pUL34 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 US3 kinase-dead mutant. (iv) The replacement of the six serines of pUL31 with glutamic acid largely restored the smooth distribution of pUL34/pUL31 at the nuclear membrane and precluded the accumulation of virions in herniations whether or not US3 kinase was active but also precluded the optimal primary envelopment of nucleocapsids. These observations indicate that the phosphorylation of pUL31 by pUS3 represents an important regulatory event in the virion egress pathway that can account for much of pUS3s role in nuclear egress. The data also suggest that the dynamics of pUL31 phosphorylation modulate both the primary envelopment and the subsequent fusion of the nascent virion envelope with the outer nuclear membrane.

The Mst1 and Mst2 kinases control activation of rho family GTPases and thymic egress of mature thymocytes.

In mice lacking both Mst1 and Mst2 in the lymphoid compartment, thymocyte development is normal, but single-positive thymocytes exhibit excessive apoptosis and greatly diminished thymic egress, accompanied by loss of chemokine activation of RhoA and Rac1.

Emerin Is Hyperphosphorylated and Redistributed in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1-Infected Cells in a Manner Dependent on both UL34 and US3

ABSTRACT Cells infected with wild-type herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) show disruption of the organization of the nuclear lamina that underlies the nuclear envelope. This disruption is reflected in changes in the localization and phosphorylation of lamin proteins. Here, we show that HSV-1 infection causes relocalization of the LEM domain protein emerin. In cells infected with wild-type virus, emerin becomes more mobile in the nuclear membrane, and in cells infected with viruses that fail to express UL34 protein (pUL34) and US3 protein (pUS3), emerin no longer colocalizes with lamins, suggesting that infection causes a loss of connection between emerin and the lamina. Infection causes hyperphosphorylation of emerin in a manner dependent upon both pUL34 and pUS3. Some emerin hyperphosphorylation can be inhibited by the protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) inhibitor rottlerin. Emerin and pUL34 interact physically, as shown by pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation assays. Emerin expression is not, however, necessary for infection, since virus growth is not impaired in cells derived from emerin-null transgenic mice. The results suggest a model in which pUS3 and PKCδ that has been recruited by pUL34 hyperphosphorylate emerin, leading to disruption of its connections with lamin proteins and contributing to the disruption of the nuclear lamina. Changes in emerin localization, nuclear shape, and lamin organization characteristic of cells infected with wild-type HSV-1 also occur in cells infected with recombinant virus that does not make viral capsids, suggesting that these changes occur independently of capsid envelopment.

Herpesvirus gB-Induced Fusion between the Virion Envelope and Outer Nuclear Membrane during Virus Egress Is Regulated by the Viral US3 Kinase

ABSTRACT Herpesvirus capsids collect along the inner surface of the nuclear envelope and bud into the perinuclear space. Enveloped virions then fuse with the outer nuclear membrane (NM). We previously showed that herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoproteins gB and gH act in a redundant fashion to promote fusion between the virion envelope and the outer NM. HSV mutants lacking both gB and gH accumulate enveloped virions in herniations, vesicles that bulge into the nucleoplasm. Earlier studies had shown that HSV mutants lacking the viral serine/threonine kinase US3 also accumulate herniations. Here, we demonstrate that HSV gB is phosphorylated in a US3-dependent manner in HSV-infected cells, especially in a crude nuclear fraction. Moreover, US3 directly phosphorylated the gB cytoplasmic (CT) domain in in vitro assays. Deletion of gB in the context of a US3-null virus did not add substantially to defects in nuclear egress. The majority of the US3-dependent phosphorylation of gB involved the CT domain and amino acid T887, a residue present in a motif similar to that recognized by US3 in other proteins. HSV recombinants lacking gH and expressing either gB substitution mutation T887A or a gB truncated at residue 886 displayed substantial defects in nuclear egress. We concluded that phosphorylation of the gB CT domain is important for gB-mediated fusion with the outer NM. This suggested a model in which the US3 kinase is incorporated into the tegument layer (between the capsid and envelope) in HSV virions present in the perinuclear space. By this packaging, US3 might be brought close to the gB CT tail, leading to phosphorylation and triggering fusion between the virion envelope and the outer NM.

Effects of Lamin A/C, Lamin B1, and Viral US3 Kinase Activity on Viral Infectivity, Virion Egress, and the Targeting of Herpes Simplex Virus UL34-Encoded Protein to the Inner Nuclear Membrane

ABSTRACT Previous results indicated that the UL34 protein (pUL34) of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is targeted to the nuclear membrane and is essential for nuclear egress of nucleocapsids. The normal localization of pUL34 and virions requires the US3-encoded kinase that phosphorylates UL34 and lamin A/C. Moreover, pUL34 was shown to interact with lamin A in vitro. In the present study, glutathione S-transferase/pUL34 was shown to specifically pull down lamin A and lamin B1 from cellular lysates. To determine the role of these interactions on viral infectivity and pUL34 targeting to the inner nuclear membrane (INM), the localization of pUL34 was determined in LmnA−/− and LmnB1−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) by indirect immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy in the presence or absence of US3 kinase activity. While pUL34 INM targeting was not affected by the absence of lamin B1 in MEFs infected with wild-type HSV as viewed by indirect immunofluorescence, it localized in densely staining scalloped-shaped distortions of the nuclear membrane in lamin B1 knockout cells infected with a US3 kinase-dead virus. Lamin B1 knockout cells were relatively less permissive for viral replication than wild-type MEFs, with viral titers decreased at least 10-fold. The absence of lamin A (i) caused clustering of pUL34 in the nuclear rim of cells infected with wild-type virus, (ii) produced extensions of the INM bearing pUL34 protein in cells infected with a US3 kinase-dead mutant, (iii) precluded accumulation of virions in the perinuclear space of cells infected with this mutant, and (iv) partially restored replication of this virus. The latter observation suggests that lamin A normally impedes viral infectivity and that US3 kinase activity partially alleviates this impediment. On the other hand, lamin B1 is necessary for optimal viral replication, probably through its well-documented effects on many cellular pathways. Finally, neither lamin A nor B1 was absolutely required for targeting pUL34 to the INM, suggesting that this targeting is mediated by redundant functions or can be mediated by other proteins.

The UL31 and UL34 Gene Products of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Are Required for Optimal Localization of Viral Glycoproteins D and M to the Inner Nuclear Membranes of Infected Cells

ABSTRACT UL31 and UL34 of herpes simplex virus type 1 form a complex necessary for nucleocapsid budding at the inner nuclear membrane (INM). Previous examination by immunogold electron microscopy and electron tomography showed that pUL31, pUL34, and glycoproteins D and M are recruited to perinuclear virions and densely staining regions of the INM where nucleocapsids bud into the perinuclear space. We now show by quantitative immunogold electron microscopy coupled with analysis of variance that gD-specific immunoreactivity is significantly reduced at both the INM and outer nuclear membrane (ONM) of cells infected with a UL34 null virus. While the amount of gM associated with the nuclear membrane (NM) was only slightly (P = 0.027) reduced in cells infected with the UL34 null virus, enrichment of gM in the INM at the expense of that in the ONM was greatly dependent on UL34 (P < 0.0001). pUL34 also interacted directly or indirectly with immature forms of gD (species expected to reside in the endoplasmic reticulum or nuclear membrane) in lysates of infected cells and with the cytosolic tail of gD fused to glutathione S-transferase in rabbit reticulocyte lysates, suggesting a role for the pUL34/gD interaction in recruiting gD to the NM. The effects of UL34 on gD and gM localization were not a consequence of decreased total expression of gD and gM, as determined by flow cytometry. Separately, pUL31 was dispensable for targeting gD and gM to the two leaflets of the NM but was required for (i) the proper INM-versus-ONM ratio of gD and gM in infected cells and (ii) the presence of electron-dense regions in the INM, representing nucleocapsid budding sites. We conclude that in addition to their roles in nucleocapsid envelopment and lamina alteration, UL31 and UL34 play separate but related roles in recruiting appropriate components to nucleocapsid budding sites at the INM.

G protein‐coupled receptors engage the mammalian Hippo pathway through F‐actin

The Hippo pathway, a cascade of protein kinases that inhibits the oncogenic transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ, was discovered in Drosophila as a major determinant of organ size in development. Known modes of regulation involve surface proteins that mediate cell‐cell contact or determine epithelial cell polarity which, in a tissue‐specific manner, use intracellular complexes containing FERM domain and actin‐binding proteins to modulate the kinase activities or directly sequester YAP. Unexpectedly, recent work demonstrates that GPCRs, especially those signaling through Galpha12/13 such as the protease activated receptor PAR1, cause potent YAP dephosphorylation and activation. This response requires active RhoA GTPase and increased assembly of filamentous (F‐)actin. Morever, cell architectures that promote F‐actin assembly per se also activate YAP by kinase‐dependent and independent mechanisms. These findings unveil the ability of GPCRs to activate the YAP oncogene through a newly recognized signaling function of the actin cytoskeleton, likely to be especially important for normal and cancerous stem cells.

MST1/2 and Other Upstream Signaling that Affect Hippo Pathway Function

The Hippo signaling pathway is a conserved regulator of proliferation and cell survival in metazoans. The core of the pathway consists of a kinase cascade with the tumor suppressor Hippo (and its mammalian orthologues, MST1 and MST2) as the upstream kinase. Hippo activation is coupled to diverse stimuli, including cell contact, cell stress, and growth factor receptor signaling. These stimuli engage the Hippo pathway via multiple different signaling mechanisms that are cell type and cell context dependent. Notably, distinct mechanisms that control Hippo signaling have been uncovered in hematopoietic, epithelial, and mesenchymal lineages, and in cells exposed to strong inducers of apoptosis. Here we provide an overview of the signaling processes controlling mammalian Hippo pathway function, focusing on the direct regulation of MST1 and MST2 activity.