Hepatitis B Virus HBx Protein Mediates the Degradation of Host Restriction Factors through the Cullin 4 DDB1 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Complex.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) regulatory HBx protein is required for infection, and its binding to cellular damaged DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1) is critical for this function. DDB1 is an adaptor protein for the cullin 4A Really Interesting New Gene (RING) E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL4) complex and functions by binding cellular DDB1 cullin associated factor (DCAF) receptor proteins that recruit substrates for ubiquitination and degradation. We compared the proteins found in the CRL4 complex immunoprecipitated from uninfected versus HBV-infected hepatocytes from human liver chimeric mice for insight into mechanisms by which HBV and the cell interact within the CRL4 complex. Consistent with its role as a viral DCAF, HBx was found in the HBV CRL4 complexes. In tissue culture transfection experiments, we showed that HBx expression led to decreased levels of known restriction factor structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 6 (SMC6) and putative restriction factors stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2), and proteasome activator subunit 4 (PSME4). Moreover, silencing of these proteins led to increased HBV replication in the HepG2-sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) infection model. We also identified cellular DCAF receptors in CRL4 complexes from humanized mice. Increasing amounts of HBx did not reveal competitive DCAF binding to cullin4 (CUL4)-DDB1 in plasmid-transfected cells. Our results suggest a model in which HBx benefits virus replication by directly or indirectly degrading multiple cellular restriction factors.

Hepatitis B virus HBx protein interactions with the ubiquitin proteasome system.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes acute and chronic hepatitis, and the latter is a major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV encodes a 17-kDa regulatory protein, HBx, which is required for virus replication. Although the precise contribution(s) of HBx to virus replication is unknown, many viruses target cellular pathways to create an environment favorable for virus replication. The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a major conserved cellular pathway that controls several critical processes in the cell by regulating the levels of proteins involved in cell cycle, DNA repair, innate immunity, and other processes. We summarize here the interactions of HBx with components of the UPS, including the CUL4 adaptor DDB1, the cullin regulatory complex CSN, and the 26S proteasome. Understanding how these protein interactions benefit virus replication remains a challenge due to limited models in which to study HBV replication. However, studies from other viral systems that similarly target the UPS provide insight into possible strategies used by HBV.

Attenuating mutations in nsP1 reveal tissue-specific mechanisms for control of Ross River virus infection.

UNLABELLED: Ross River virus (RRV) is one of a group of mosquito-transmitted alphaviruses that cause debilitating, and often chronic, musculoskeletal disease in humans. Previously, we reported that replacement of the nonstructural protein 1 (nsP1) gene of the mouse-virulent RRV strain T48 with that from the mouse-avirulent strain DC5692 generated a virus that was attenuated in a mouse model of disease. Here we find that the six nsP1 nonsynonymous nucleotide differences between strains T48 and DC5692 are determinants of RRV virulence, and we identify two nonsynonymous nucleotide changes as sufficient for the attenuated phenotype. RRV T48 carrying the six nonsynonymous DC5692 nucleotide differences (RRV-T48-nsP1(6M)) was attenuated in both wild-type and Rag1(-/-) mice. Despite the attenuated phenotype, RRV T48 and RRV-T48-nsP1(6M) loads in tissues of wild-type and Rag1(-/-) mice were indistinguishable from 1 to 3 days postinoculation. RRV-T48-nsP1(6M) loads in skeletal muscle tissue, but not in other tissues, decreased dramatically by 5 days postinoculation in both wild-type and Rag1(-/-) mice, suggesting that the RRV-T48-nsP1(6M) mutant is more sensitive to innate antiviral effectors than RRV T48 in a tissue-specific manner. In vitro, we found that the attenuating mutations in nsP1 conferred enhanced sensitivity to type I interferon. In agreement with these findings, RRV T48 and RRV-T48-nsP1(6M) loads were similar in mice deficient in the type I interferon receptor. Our findings suggest that the type I IFN response controls RRV infection in a tissue-specific manner and that specific amino acid changes in nsP1 are determinants of RRV virulence by regulating the sensitivity of RRV to interferon. IMPORTANCE: Arthritogenic alphaviruses, including Ross River virus (RRV), infect humans and cause debilitating pain and inflammation of the musculoskeletal system. In this study, we identified coding changes in the RRV nsP1 gene that control the virulence of RRV and its sensitivity to the antiviral type I interferon response, a major component of antiviral defense in mammals. Furthermore, our studies revealed that the effects of these attenuating mutations are tissue specific. These findings suggest that these mutations in nsP1 influence the sensitivity of RRV to type I interferon only in specific host tissues. The new knowledge gained from these studies contributes to our understanding of host responses that control alphavirus infection and viral determinants that counteract these responses.

Separase loss of function cooperates with the loss of p53 in the initiation and progression of T- and B-cell lymphoma, leukemia and aneuploidy in mice.

BACKGROUND: Cohesin protease Separase plays a key role in faithful segregation of sister chromatids by cleaving the cohesin complex at the metaphase to anaphase transition. Homozygous deletion of ESPL1 gene that encodes Separase protein results in embryonic lethality in mice and Separase overexpression lead to aneuploidy and tumorigenesis. However, the effect of Separase haploinsufficiency has not been thoroughly investigated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we examined the effect of ESPL1 heterozygosity using a hypomorphic mouse model that has reduced germline Separase activity. We report that while ESPL1 mutant (ESPL1 (+/hyp)) mice have a normal phenotype, in the absence of p53, these mice develop spontaneous T- and B-cell lymphomas, and leukemia with a significantly shortened latency as compared to p53 null mice. The ESPL1 hypomorphic, p53 heterozygous transgenic mice (ESPL1(+/hyp), p53(+/-)) also show a significantly reduced life span with an altered tumor spectrum of carcinomas and sarcomas compared to p53(+/-) mice alone. Furthermore, ESPL1(+/hyp), p53(-/-) mice display significantly higher levels of genetic instability and aneuploidy in normal cells, as indicated by the abnormal metaphase counts and SKY analysis of primary splenocytes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results indicate that reduced levels of Separase act synergistically with loss of p53 in the initiation and progression of B- and T- cell lymphomas, which is aided by increased chromosomal missegregation and accumulation of genomic instability. ESPL1(+/hyp), p53(-/-) mice provide a new animal model for mechanistic study of aggressive lymphoma and also for preclinical evaluation of new agents for its therapy.