Pradeep D. Uchil

RNA interference screen for human genes associated with West Nile virus infection.

West Nile virus (WNV), and related flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever and dengue viruses, constitute a significant global human health problem. However, our understanding of the molecular interaction of such flaviviruses with mammalian host cells is limited. WNV encodes only 10 proteins, implying that it may use many cellular proteins for infection. WNV enters the cytoplasm through pH-dependent endocytosis, undergoes cycles of translation and replication, assembles progeny virions in association with endoplasmic reticulum, and exits along the secretory pathway. RNA interference (RNAi) presents a powerful forward genetics approach to dissect virus–host cell interactions. Here we report the identification of 305 host proteins that affect WNV infection, using a human-genome-wide RNAi screen. Functional clustering of the genes revealed a complex dependence of this virus on host cell physiology, requiring a wide variety of molecules and cellular pathways for successful infection. We further demonstrate a requirement for the ubiquitin ligase CBLL1 in WNV internalization, a post-entry role for the endoplasmic-reticulum-associated degradation pathway in viral infection, and the monocarboxylic acid transporter MCT4 as a viral replication resistance factor. By extending this study to dengue virus, we show that flaviviruses have both overlapping and unique interaction strategies with host cells. This study provides a comprehensive molecular portrait of WNV–human cell interactions that forms a model for understanding single plus-stranded RNA virus infection, and reveals potential antiviral targets.

TRIM5 is an innate immune sensor for the retrovirus capsid lattice

TRIM5 is a RING domain-E3 ubiquitin ligase that restricts infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and other retroviruses immediately following virus invasion of the target cell cytoplasm. Antiviral potency correlates with TRIM5 avidity for the retrovirion capsid lattice and several reports indicate that TRIM5 has a role in signal transduction, but the precise mechanism of restriction is unknown. Here we demonstrate that TRIM5 promotes innate immune signalling and that this activity is amplified by retroviral infection and interaction with the capsid lattice. Acting with the heterodimeric, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC13–UEV1A (also known as UBE2N–UBE2V1), TRIM5 catalyses the synthesis of unattached K63-linked ubiquitin chains that activate the TAK1 (also known as MAP3K7) kinase complex and stimulate AP-1 and NFκB signalling. Interaction with the HIV-1 capsid lattice greatly enhances the UBC13–UEV1A-dependent E3 activity of TRIM5 and challenge with retroviruses induces the transcription of AP-1 and NF-κB-dependent factors with a magnitude that tracks with TRIM5 avidity for the invading capsid. Finally, TAK1 and UBC13–UEV1A contribute to capsid-specific restriction by TRIM5. Thus, the retroviral restriction factor TRIM5 has two additional activities that are linked to restriction: it constitutively promotes innate immune signalling and it acts as a pattern recognition receptor specific for the retrovirus capsid lattice.

Video-rate nanoscopy using sCMOS camera-specific single-molecule localization algorithms

Newly developed scientific complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (sCMOS) cameras have the potential to dramatically accelerate data acquisition, enlarge the field of view and increase the effective quantum efficiency in single-molecule switching nanoscopy. However, sCMOS-intrinsic pixel-dependent readout noise substantially lowers the localization precision and introduces localization artifacts. We present algorithms that overcome these limitations and that provide unbiased, precise localization of single molecules at the theoretical limit. Using these in combination with a multi-emitter fitting algorithm, we demonstrate single-molecule localization super-resolution imaging at rates of up to 32 reconstructed images per second in fixed and living cells.

Retroviruses Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Murine Leukemia Virus Are Enriched in Phosphoinositides

ABSTRACT Retroviruses acquire a lipid envelope during budding from the membrane of their hosts. Therefore, the composition of this envelope can provide important information about the budding process and its location. Here, we present mass spectrometry analysis of the lipid content of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and murine leukemia virus (MLV). The results of this comprehensive survey found that the overall lipid content of these viruses mostly matched that of the plasma membrane, which was considerably different from the total lipid content of the cells. However, several lipids are enriched in comparison to the composition of the plasma membrane: (i) cholesterol, ceramide, and GM3; and (ii) phosphoinositides, phosphorylated derivatives of phosphatidylinositol. Interestingly, microvesicles, which are similar in size to viruses and are also released from the cell periphery, lack phosphoinositides, suggesting a different budding mechanism/location for these particles than for retroviruses. One phosphoinositide, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2], has been implicated in membrane binding by HIV Gag. Consistent with this observation, we found that PI(4,5)P2 was enriched in HIV-1 and that depleting this molecule in cells reduced HIV-1 budding. Analysis of mutant virions mapped the enrichment of PI(4,5)P2 to the matrix domain of HIV Gag. Overall, these results suggest that HIV-1 and other retroviruses bud from cholesterol-rich regions of the plasma membrane and exploit matrix/PI(4,5)P2 interactions for particle release from cells.

TRIM E3 ligases interfere with early and late stages of the retroviral life cycle.

Members of the TRIpartite interaction Motif (TRIM) family of E3 ligases have been shown to exhibit antiviral activities. Here we report a near comprehensive screen for antiretroviral activities of 55 TRIM proteins (36 human, 19 mouse). We identified ∼20 TRIM proteins that, when transiently expressed in HEK293 cells, affect the entry or release of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV), murine leukemia virus (MLV), or avian leukosis virus (ALV). While TRIM11 and 31 inhibited HIV entry, TRIM11 enhanced N-MLV entry by interfering with Ref1 restriction. Strikingly, many TRIM proteins affected late stages of the viral life cycle. Gene silencing of endogenously expressed TRIM 25, 31, and 62 inhibited viral release indicating that they play an important role at late stages of the viral life cycle. In contrast, downregulation of TRIM11 and 15 enhanced virus release suggesting that these proteins contribute to the endogenous restriction of retroviruses in cells.

Human TRIM Gene Expression in Response to Interferons

Background Tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins constitute a family of proteins that share a conserved tripartite architecture. The recent discovery of the anti-HIV activity of TRIM5α in primate cells has stimulated much interest in the potential role of TRIM proteins in antiviral activities and innate immunity. Principal Findings To test if TRIM genes are up-regulated during antiviral immune responses, we performed a systematic analysis of TRIM gene expression in human primary lymphocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages in response to interferons (IFNs, type I and II) or following FcγR-mediated activation of macrophages. We found that 27 of the 72 human TRIM genes are sensitive to IFN. Our analysis identifies 9 additional TRIM genes that are up-regulated by IFNs, among which only 3 have previously been found to display an antiviral activity. Also, we found 2 TRIM proteins, TRIM9 and 54, to be specifically up-regulated in FcγR-activated macrophages. Conclusions Our results present the first comprehensive TRIM gene expression analysis in primary human immune cells, and suggest the involvement of additional TRIM proteins in regulating host antiviral activities.

TRIM protein mediated regulation of inflammatory and innate immune signaling and its association with antiretroviral activity

ABSTRACT Members of the tripartite interaction motif (TRIM) family of E3 ligases are emerging as critical regulators of innate immunity. To identify new regulators, we carried out a screen of 43 human TRIM proteins for the ability to activate NF-κB, AP-1, and interferon, hallmarks of many innate immune signaling pathways. We identified 16 TRIM proteins that induced NF-κB and/or AP-1. We found that one of these, TRIM62, functions in the TRIF branch of the TLR4 signaling pathway. Knockdown of TRIM62 in primary macrophages led to a defect in TRIF-mediated late NF-κB, AP-1, and interferon production after lipopolysaccharide challenge. We also discovered a role for TRIM15 in the RIG-I-mediated interferon pathway upstream of MAVS. Knockdown of TRIM15 limited virus/RIG-I ligand-induced interferon production and enhanced vesicular stomatitis virus replication. In addition, most TRIM proteins previously identified to inhibit murine leukemia virus (MLV) demonstrated an ability to induce NF-κB/AP-1. Interfering with the NF-κB and AP-1 signaling induced by the antiretroviral TRIM1 and TRIM62 proteins rescued MLV release. In contrast, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gene expression was increased by TRIM proteins that induce NF-κB. HIV-1 resistance to inflammatory TRIM proteins mapped to the NF-κB sites in the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) U3 and could be transferred to MLV. Thus, our work identifies new TRIM proteins involved in innate immune signaling and reinforces the striking ability of HIV-1 to exploit innate immune signaling for the purpose of viral replication.

Cell-to-Cell Transmission Can Overcome Multiple Donor and Target Cell Barriers Imposed on Cell-Free HIV

Virus transmission can occur either by a cell-free mode through the extracellular space or by cell-to-cell transmission involving direct cell-to-cell contact. The factors that determine whether a virus spreads by either pathway are poorly understood. Here, we assessed the relative contribution of cell-free and cell-to-cell transmission to the spreading of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We demonstrate that HIV can spread by a cell-free pathway if all the steps of the viral replication cycle are efficiently supported in highly permissive cells. However, when the cell-free path was systematically hindered at various steps, HIV transmission became contact-dependent. Cell-to-cell transmission overcame barriers introduced in the donor cell at the level of gene expression and surface retention by the restriction factor tetherin. Moreover, neutralizing antibodies that efficiently inhibit cell-free HIV were less effective against cell-to-cell transmitted virus. HIV cell-to-cell transmission also efficiently infected target T cells that were relatively poorly susceptible to cell-free HIV. Importantly, we demonstrate that the donor and target cell types influence critically the extent by which cell-to-cell transmission can overcome each barrier. Mechanistically, cell-to-cell transmission promoted HIV spread to more cells and infected target cells with a higher proviral content than observed for cell-free virus. Our data demonstrate that the frequently observed contact-dependent spread of HIV is the result of specific features in donor and target cell types, thus offering an explanation for conflicting reports on the extent of cell-to-cell transmission of HIV.

TRIM22 Inhibits HIV-1 Transcription Independently of Its E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Activity, Tat, and NF-κB-Responsive Long Terminal Repeat Elements

ABSTRACT Previous studies identified clones of the U937 promonocytic cell line that were either permissive or nonpermissive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. These clones were investigated further in the search for host restriction factors that could explain their differential capacity to support HIV-1 replication. Among known HIV-1 restriction factors screened, tripartite motif-containing protein 22 (TRIM22) was the only factor constitutively expressed in nonpermissive and absent in permissive U937 cells. Stable TRIM22 knockdown (KD) rescued HIV-1 long-terminal-repeat (LTR)-driven transcription in KD-nonpermissive cells to the levels observed in permissive cells. Conversely, transduction-mediated expression of TRIM22 in permissive cells reduced LTR-driven luciferase expression by ∼7-fold, supporting a negative role of TRIM22 in HIV-1 transcription. This finding was further confirmed in the human T cell line A3.01 expressing TRIM22. Moreover, overexpression of TRIM22 in 293T cells significantly impaired basal and phorbol myristate acetate-ionomycin-induced HIV-1 LTR-driven gene expression, whereas inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced viral transcription was a consequence of lower basal expression. In agreement, TRIM22 equally inhibited an LTR construct lacking the tandem NF-κB binding sites. In addition, TRIM22 did not affect Tat-mediated LTR transactivation. Finally, these effects were independent of TRIM22 E3 ubiquitin-ligase activity. In the context of replication-competent virus, significantly higher levels of HIV-1 production were observed in KD-nonpermissive versus control nonpermissive U937 cells after infection. In contrast, lower peak levels of HIV-1 replication characterized U937 and A3.01 cells expressing TRIM22 versus their control transduced counterpart. Thus, nuclear TRIM22 significantly impairs HIV-1 replication, likely by interfering with Tat- and NF-κB-independent LTR-driven transcription.

Nuclear Localization of Flavivirus RNA Synthesis in Infected Cells

ABSTRACT Flaviviral replication is believed to be exclusively cytoplasmic, occurring within virus-induced membrane-bound replication complexes in the host cytoplasm. Here we show that a significant proportion (20%) of the total RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity from cells infected with West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and dengue virus is resident within the nucleus. Consistent with this, the major replicase proteins NS3 and NS5 of JEV also localized within the nucleus. NS5 was found distributed throughout the nucleoplasm, but NS3 was present at sites of active flaviviral RNA synthesis, colocalizing with NS5, and visible as distinct foci along the inner periphery of the nucleus by confocal and immunoelectron microscopy. Both these viral replicase proteins were also present in the nuclear matrix, colocalizing with the peripheral lamina, and revealed a well-entrenched nuclear location for the viral replication complex. In keeping with this observation, antibodies to either NS3 or NS5 coimmunoprecipitated the other protein from isolated nuclei along with newly synthesized viral RNA. Taken together these data suggest an absolute requirement for both of the replicase proteins for nucleus-localized synthesis of flavivirus RNA. Thus, we conclusively demonstrate for the first time that the host cell nucleus functions as an additional site for the presence of functionally active flaviviral replicase complex.