Ser(2194) is a highly conserved major phosphorylation site of the hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein NS5A.

Phosphorylation of the nonstructural NS5A protein is highly conserved among hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes. However, the precise site or sites of phosphorylation of NS5A have not been determined, and the functional significance of phosphorylation remains unknown. Here, we showed by two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping that a protein kinase or kinases present in yeast, insect, and mammalian cells phosphorylated a highly purified HCV genotype 1b NS5A from insect cells on identical serine residues. We identified a major phosphopeptide (corresponding to amino acids 2193-2212 of the HCV 1b polyprotein) by using negative-ion electrospray ionization-microcapillary high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The elution time of the phosphopeptide determined by negative-ion electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry corresponded with the elution time of the majority of (32)P-label that was incorporated into the phosphopeptide by an in vitro kinase reaction. Subsequent analysis of the peak fraction by automated positive-ion electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry revealed that Ser(2194) was the major phosphorylated residue on the phosphopeptide GpSPPSLASSSASQLSAPSLK. Substitution for Ser(2194) with Ala resulted in the concomitant disappearance of major in vivo phosphorylated peptides. Ser(2194) and surrounding amino acids are highly conserved in all HCV genotypes, suggesting NS5A phosphorylation at Ser(2194) may be an important mechanism for modulating NS5A biological functions.

Control of PKR protein kinase by hepatitis C virus nonstructural 5A protein: molecular mechanisms of kinase regulation.

The PKR protein kinase is a critical component of the cellular antiviral and antiproliferative responses induced by interferons. Recent evidence indicates that the nonstructural 5A (NS5A) protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) can repress PKR function in vivo, possibly allowing HCV to escape the antiviral effects of interferon. NS5A presents a unique tool by which to study the molecular mechanisms of PKR regulation in that mutations within a region of NS5A, termed the interferon sensitivity-determining region (ISDR), are associated with sensitivity of HCV to the antiviral effects of interferon. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of NS5A-mediated PKR regulation and the effect of ISDR mutations on this regulatory process. We observed that the NS5A ISDR, though necessary, was not sufficient for PKR interactions; we found that an additional 26 amino acids (aa) carboxyl to the ISDR were required for NS5A-PKR complex formation. Conversely, we localized NS5A binding to within PKR aa 244 to 296, recently recognized as a PKR dimerization domain. Consistent with this observation, we found that NS5A from interferon-resistant HCV genotype 1b disrupted kinase dimerization in vivo. NS5A-mediated disruption of PKR dimerization resulted in repression of PKR function and inhibition of PKR-mediated eIF-2alpha phosphorylation. Introduction of multiple ISDR mutations abrogated the ability of NS5A to bind to PKR in mammalian cells and to inhibit PKR in a yeast functional assay. These results indicate that mutations within the PKR-binding region of NS5A, including those within the ISDR, can disrupt the NS5A-PKR interaction, possibly rendering HCV sensitive to the antiviral effects of interferon. We propose a model of PKR regulation by NS5A which may have implications for therapeutic strategies against HCV.

Regulation of interferon-induced protein kinase PKR: modulation of P58IPK inhibitory function by a novel protein, P52rIPK.

The cellular response to environmental signals is largely dependent upon the induction of responsive protein kinase signaling pathways. Within these pathways, distinct protein-protein interactions play a role in determining the specificity of the response through regulation of kinase function. The interferon-induced serine/threonine protein kinase, PKR, is activated in response to various environmental stimuli. Like many protein kinases, PKR is regulated through direct interactions with activator and inhibitory molecules, including P58IPK, a cellular PKR inhibitor. P58IPK functions to represses PKR-mediated phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha subunit (eIF-2alpha) through a direct interaction, thereby relieving the PKR-imposed block on mRNA translation and cell growth. To further define the molecular mechanism underlying regulation of PKR, we have utilized an interaction cloning strategy to identify a novel cDNA encoding a P58IPK-interacting protein. This protein, designated P52rIPK, possesses limited homology to the charged domain of Hsp90 and is expressed in a wide range of cell lines. P52rIPK and P58IPK interacted in a yeast two-hybrid assay and were recovered as a complex from mammalian cell extracts. When coexpressed with PKR in yeast, P58IPK repressed PKR-mediated eIF-2alpha phosphorylation, inhibiting the normally toxic and growth-suppressive effects associated with PKR function. Conversely, introduction of P52rIPK into these strains resulted in restoration of both PKR activity and eIF-2alpha phosphorylation, concomitant with growth suppression due to inhibition of P58IPK function. Furthermore, P52rIPK inhibited P58IPK function in a reconstituted in vitro PKR-regulatory assay. Our results demonstrate that P58IPK is inhibited through a direct interaction with P52rIPK which, in turn, results in upregulation of PKR activity. Taken together, our data describe a novel protein kinase-regulatory system which encompasses an intersection of interferon-, stress-, and growth-regulatory pathways.