Journal of Virology, March 2001, p. 2097-2106, Vol. 75, No. 5
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.5.2097-2106.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
9 Fatty Acid Desaturase
Inhibits Brome Mosaic Virus RNA Replication between Template
Recognition and RNA Synthesis
Howard Hughes Medical
Institute1 and Institute for Molecular
Virology,2 University of Wisconsin
Madison,
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Received 18 July 2000/Accepted 30 November 2000
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ABSTRACT |
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All positive-strand RNA viruses assemble their RNA replication
complexes on intracellular membranes. Brome mosaic virus (BMV) replicates its RNA in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated complexes in plant cells and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BMV
encodes RNA replication factors 1a, with domains implicated in RNA
capping and helicase functions, and 2a, with a central polymerase-like domain. Factor 1a interacts independently with the ER membrane, viral
RNA templates, and factor 2a to form RNA replication complexes on the
perinuclear ER. We show that BMV RNA replication is severely inhibited
by a mutation in OLE1, an essential yeast chromosomal gene
encoding
9 fatty acid desaturase, an integral ER membrane protein
and the first enzyme in unsaturated fatty acid synthesis. OLE1 deletion and medium supplementation show that BMV RNA
replication requires unsaturated fatty acids, not the Ole1 protein, and
that viral RNA replication is much more sensitive than yeast growth to
reduced unsaturated fatty acid levels. In ole1 mutant
yeast, 1a still becomes membrane associated, recruits 2a to the
membrane, and recognizes and stabilizes viral RNA templates normally.
However, RNA replication is blocked prior to initiation of
negative-strand RNA synthesis. The results show that viral RNA
synthesis is highly sensitive to lipid composition and suggest that
proper membrane fluidity or plasticity is essential for an early step
in RNA replication. The strong unsaturated fatty acid dependence also
demonstrates that modulating fatty acid balance can be an effective
antiviral strategy.
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INTRODUCTION |
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All positive-strand RNA viruses of eukaryotes studied to date have RNA replication complexes localized to intracellular membranes, often in association with infection-specific membrane proliferation and or vesiculation (28, 29, 38, 39, 41). Multiple results indicate that membrane association is important for viral RNA synthesis. In vitro synthesis of positive-strand RNAs of picornaviruses and nodaviruses depends on membranes (31, 48). Activation of the alphavirus Semliki Forest virus (SFV) RNA-capping enzyme requires lipids with anionic head groups (3). Cerulenin, an inhibitor of lipid synthesis, inhibits RNA replication by poliovirus and SFV (16, 34). Brefeldin A, an inhibitor of secretory vesicle formation, severely inhibits RNA replication by poliovirus and rhinovirus, though not by some other picornaviruses (11, 20, 30). Despite these results, the nature and function of membrane association in positive-strand RNA virus replication remain poorly understood.
Brome mosaic virus (BMV) is a representative member of the
alphavirus-like superfamily of human, animal, and plant positive-strand RNA viruses. The BMV genome is composed of three RNAs. RNA1 and RNA2
respectively encode 1a and 2a, the only BMV proteins required for RNA
replication. 1a and 2a interact (25) and contain three domains conserved with those of other superfamily members. 1a contains
an N-terminal domain with m7G methyltransferase and
m7GMP covalent binding activities required for capping
viral RNA in vivo (1, 26) and a C-terminal DEAD box RNA
helicase domain. 2a contains a central polymerase-like domain. 1a
directs itself and 2a to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to
form replication complexes that colocalize with viral RNA synthesis
(7, 37, 38). RNA3 encodes a cell-to-cell movement protein
(3a) and the coat protein, which are dispensable for RNA replication.
The 3'-end-proximal coat protein gene is not translatable from RNA3 but
only from a subgenomic mRNA, RNA4, synthesized from negative-strand
RNA3 (Fig. 1).
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As well as in BMV's natural plant hosts, 1a and 2a direct RNA3 replication and subgenomic mRNA synthesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (24). This yeast system reproduces all known features of BMV RNA replication in plant cells, including localization of replication complexes to the perinuclear ER (7, 37). When RNA3 or its derivatives are introduced by transfection or in vivo DNA-dependent transcription into yeast expressing 1a and 2a, negative-strand RNA3 is synthesized and used as a template for RNA-directed synthesis of more positive-strand RNA3 and subgenomic mRNA to express the coat protein gene or its replacements (Fig. 1A). Replacing the coat gene with suitable reporter genes thus provides colony-selectable or -screenable phenotypes linked to BMV RNA replication (22, 24).
To identify cellular factors and functions required for BMV RNA
replication, we screened for yeast mutants with defects in their
support of BMV-directed gene expression. Here we describe the isolation
and characterization of one such yeast mutant, herein designated
ole1w yeast, which inhibited BMV RNA replication by more
than 95%. The affected OLE1 gene encodes an integral ER
membrane protein,
9 fatty acid desaturase, essential for conversion
of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) to unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) (44, 45). These UFAs are incorporated into membrane lipids and are major determinants of membrane fluidity and plasticity (10, 36, 40, 42, 47). We found that the OLE1
protein was not required for BMV RNA replication but that one or more steps between template recognition and initiation of viral RNA synthesis required UFAs at levels far above those required for yeast
growth. Thus, the ole1 mutation reveals linkage between lipid composition and specific early steps in viral RNA replication. Through its ability to block RNA replication at a particular step, the
ole1 mutation should be valuable for further study of RNA synthesis initiation and the membrane association of RNA replication. These results also suggest new directions for antiviral strategies.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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Plasmids.
Yeast 2µm plasmids, pB1CT19 (HIS3
marker gene) and pB2CT15 (LEU2 marker) (24),
and centromeric plasmids, pB1YT3H (HIS3 marker) and pB2YT5
(LEU2 marker) (7), were used to express 1a and
2a from the ADH1 and GAL1 promoters,
respectively. pB1YT3H was made by substituting the HIS3 gene
for the URA3 gene in pB1YT3 (Y. Tomita and M. Ishikawa,
unpublished results), a yeast centromeric plasmid with the 1a open
reading frame (ORF) linked to the GAL1 promoter. All
plasmids expressing RNA3 or its derivatives were derived from pB3RQ39,
a centromeric plasmid with the TRP1 marker gene, as
described previously (22). A yeast genomic DNA library, ATCC 77164, containing yeast strain YPH1 genomic DNA fragments (average size, 8.8 kb) in the centromeric vector pRS200
(TRP1 marker) (18) was used to identify the
complementing gene. The ole1w mutation was isolated by using
the gap repair method (12) to clone an
HpaI-PacI DNA fragment containing the first 90%
of the OLE1 ORF and 220 bp of 5' noncoding sequence (Fig.
2B) from the mutant yeast into the vector
pRS200. DNA sequencing was performed at the Automated DNA Sequencing
Facility, University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center.
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Yeast strains, cell growth, and transformation.
Yeast strain
YPH500 (MAT
ura3-52 lys2-801 ade2-101 tyr1-63
his3-200 leu2-1) and its derivatives (21) were used
throughout, except that YMI06, a derivative of YPH499
(MATa ura3-52 lys2-801 ade2-101 trp1-63
his3-200 leu2-1), (21) was used for mating. YMI04,
the parental strain for mutant isolation, was a YPH500 derivative
containing chromosomally integrated B3URA3 and B3GUS expression
cassettes and plasmids pB1CT19 and pB2CT15.
ole1
::URA3 yeast was constructed by
integrative transformation (12) of YM104 with the
NheI-BsrG1 fragment of Fig. 2B with the
EcoNI-PacI fragment, containing 400 bp of the 5'
noncoding sequence and 90% of the OLE1 ORF, replaced by the
transcriptionally active URA3 gene. The isogenic strains
ole1wi and ole1wi' were
constructed by integrative transformation of the
NheI-BsrG1 fragment (Fig. 2B) containing the
ole1w mutation into, respectively,
ole1
::URA3 and an equivalent
ole1
::URA3 derivative of YPH500.
Correct integration was verified by Southern blot analysis.
70°C until RNA or protein extraction. Tergitol Nonidet P-40 (1%) was added to the
medium to solubilize fatty acids (44). Plasmid
transformation was performed with a FROZEN-EZ yeast transformation kit
(Zymo Research).
RNA transfection. Capped in vitro RNA transcripts of B3CAT were synthesized from pB3CA101, spheroplasts were prepared from yeast grown for 24 h in Gal medium, and RNA transfections were performed as described previously (24).
GUS and CAT assays.
-Glucuronidase (GUS) filter lifts and
quantitative assays were performed as described previously
(22). For chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assays,
yeast lysate was prepared as for the quantitative GUS assay but a
different extraction buffer (50 mM Tris [pH 7.5], 5 mM EDTA, 0.1%
N-lauroylsarcosine, 0.1% Triton X-100, and 1× protease
inhibitors [0.5 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 2.5 mM benzamidine,
1 µg of pepstatin A per ml, and 2.5 µg each of aprotinin and
leupeptin per ml]) was used. CAT protein levels were measured with a
CAT enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Boehringer Mannheim), and
total protein was determined with a Bradford protein assay kit
(Bio-Rad) using bovine serum albumin as a concentration standard.
Western blotting. Protein was prepared as for the CAT assays except that the extraction buffer was augmented with 20 mM 2-mercaptoethanol and a 2X solution of the protease inhibitors and the clarified cell lysate was supplemented with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and boiled for 5 min to inactivate the proteases. Total protein of each cell lysate was determined by a sodium dodecyl sulfate-tolerant Bio-Rad DC Protein Assay (Lowry assay). Equal amounts of total protein were electrophoresed and transferred to nylon membrane. 1a and 2a proteins were probed with corresponding antibodies and detected by chemiluminescence (38).
Northern blotting. Total yeast RNA isolation, RNA concentration determination by absorbance at 260 nm, agarose-formaldehyde gel electrophoresis, and transfer to nylon membrane were performed as described previously (4, 24). Positive-strand RNA3 and RNA4 were detected with a 32P-labeled RNA probe complementary to their 3' 200 bases. Negative-strand RNA3 was detected with a 32P-labeled RNA probe corresponding to the CAT gene (for B3CAT) or coat gene (for B3 and B3CPfs) coding sequence (24). Radioactive signals were measured with a Molecular Dynamics PhosphorImager.
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RESULTS |
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Isolation of a yeast mutant strongly inhibiting BMV-directed gene expression. To isolate mutants with a reduced ability to support BMV-directed gene expression, we used yeast strain YMI04 (21). YMI04 contains plasmids expressing BMV 1a and 2a from the constitutive ADH1 promoter and chromosomally integrated cassettes expressing B3URA3 and B3GUS from the galactose (Gal)-inducible GAL1 promoter. B3URA3 and B3GUS are BMV RNA3 derivatives with the coat gene replaced by the URA3 and GUS genes, respectively. URA3 or GUS expression requires both Gal to induce B3URA3 and B3GUS transcription and BMV 1a- and 2a-directed RNA replication and subgenomic mRNA synthesis (Fig. 1A).
To isolate mutants, UV-mutagenized YMI04 yeast cells were plated on Gal medium containing 0.1% 5-fluoroorotic acid to select against cells with BMV-directed URA3 expression. After 5 to 7 days, about 0.1% of the plated cells developed into colonies. Six thousand such colonies were examined for BMV-expressed GUS activity by filter lift assays. Three hundred isolates with blue color development lacking or delayed relative to that of wild-type (wt) YMI04 were selected and mated with YMI06, which contained no BMV sequences and had the mating type (MATa) opposite to that of YMI04 (MAT
).
Of the resulting 300 diploids, 100 showed restored GUS activity,
implying that inhibition of BMV-directed GUS expression in the
corresponding YMI04-derived parental haploids was due to recessive
yeast chromosomal mutations complemented by the YMI06 genome. One such
Gus
haploid isolate, in which BMV-directed GUS expression
was reduced 20-fold, was chosen for further analysis. Complementation
experiments showed that this mutation was independent of the previously
described BMV-inhibiting yeast mutations mab1,
-2, and -3 (21).
This original mutant strain is herein designated ole1w yeast
because, as shown below, the causal mutation that inhibits BMV RNA
replication maps to the yeast OLE1 gene. w is an
allele designation to distinguish this mutation from other
ole1 mutations. ole1w yeast grew normally. Its
doubling time in defined Gal medium, about 5 h, paralleled that of
wt YMI04 yeast. Nevertheless, BMV-directed gene expression was strongly
inhibited: GUS activity per milligram of total protein in extracts of
ole1w yeast averaged 5% of that of wt YMI04 yeast (Fig.
1B). To determine if this inhibition was due to defective DNA-directed
transcription or nucleocytoplasmic transport of B3GUS RNA3, these
nuclear steps were bypassed by transfecting ole1w yeast with
in vitro transcripts of B3CAT, an RNA3 derivative with the coat gene
replaced by the CAT gene. Since the ratio of CAT expression in
ole1w yeast to that in wt yeast was equal to that for GUS
(Fig. 1B to C), cytoplasmic steps of BMV RNA synthesis must be
inhibited in ole1w yeast.
The yeast OLE1 gene complements the mutant defect in BMV-directed gene expression. To identify genes able to complement this recessive defect in supporting BMV-directed gene expression, ole1w yeast cells were transformed with a yeast genomic DNA library carried by the shuttle vector pRS200, which bears the yeast TRP1 gene (18). Of 20,000 transformants screened by filter lift assays for BMV-directed GUS activity, 5 reproducibly showed wt blue color development. From each of these transformants, a pRS200-based plasmid was isolated by its ability to permit E. coli auxotrophic strain KC8 to grow on medium lacking tryptophan (4). Each of these plasmids complemented the ole1w mutation when it was retransformed into ole1w yeast. Sequencing both ends of the yeast genomic DNA in these plasmids revealed two overlapping fragments of yeast chromosome VII: bases 397187 to 406757 and bases 398499 to 407045. The 8.25-kb region common to both fragments contained five ORFs of 100 or more codons and two tRNA genes.
By deletion mapping and filter lift assays for BMV-directed GUS activity, complementing activity was assigned to a 2.9-kb NheI-BsrG1 fragment containing only the OLE1 ORF (Fig. 2A). When transformed into ole1w yeast, this fragment restored BMV-directed GUS expression to wt levels (Fig. 2B). Moreover, the complete OLE1 gene was required for full complementation (Fig. 2A). To determine whether OLE1 was the originally mutated gene or an extragenic suppressor, the ole1w gene was cloned from the mutant yeast by gap repair and used to replace the OLE1 gene in wt YMI04 yeast by integrative transformation. The resulting ole1wi isogenic strain reproduced the original ole1w mutant phenotype, inhibiting BMV-directed GUS expression to 5% of that of the wt, and this phenotype was suppressed by a plasmid bearing the wt OLE1 gene (Fig. 2C). To identify the causal mutation in the ole1w allele, restriction fragments were exchanged between the mutant and wt OLE1 genes and the recombinant plasmids were tested for the ability to complement ole1w yeast. The mutant phenotype was mapped to a 280-bp DNA fragment encoding Arg167-Leu262 of the OLE1-encoded protein, Ole1p. DNA sequencing of this region in the wt and mutant genes revealed a single A-to-G substitution, causing a Tyr212 (TAT)-to-Cys (TGT) substitution in Ole1p.UFAs restore BMV-directed gene expression in ole1w and
ole1
yeast.
Ole1p is the
9 fatty acid
desaturase, a 510-amino-acid (57-kDa) integral ER membrane protein that
converts saturated palmitic (16:0) and stearic (18:0) acids into
unsaturated palmitoleic (16:1) and oleic (18:1) acids (Fig.
3A). These UFAs exist in yeast cells primarily (>95% of the time) as acy1 chains of membrane phospholipids and are important determinants of membrane fluidity and other physical
properties. Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of
OLE1 by UFAs, SFAs, and other conditions are largely
responsible for regulating the UFA/SFA ratio and thus membrane fluidity
(9, 17). As the only enzyme converting SFAs to UFAs,
OLE1 is essential for yeast growth in media lacking UFAs
(44).
9 fatty acid desaturase is also the
rate-limiting, initial enzyme for UFA synthesis in animals
(32).
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::URA3 yeast. As expected,
ole1
::URA3 yeast was unable to grow
in medium lacking UFAs (Fig. 3B). The growth of
ole1
::URA3 yeast and its ability to
support BMV-directed gene expression were then tested in medium
supplemented with increasing amounts of UFA. UFA was provided as an
equimolar mixture of the Ole1p products palmitoleic and oleic acids,
which results in a cellular fatty acid composition similar to that in
unsupplemented wt yeast (6). UFA (0.02 to 0.1 mM) was
sufficient to restore ole1
::URA3
yeast to growth with a wt doubling time, but BMV-directed GUS
expression remained inhibited to 5 to 15% of wt levels (Fig. 3B).
Higher UFA levels progressively improved BMV-directed GUS expression,
with nearly wt levels being restored by 0.4 mM UFA. Thus, UFAs but not
Ole1p were important for BMV-directed GUS expression. The ability of
ole1 mutant yeast to grow with substantially reduced UFA
levels is consistent with the finding that UFA levels in wt yeast
membranes are five- to ninefold higher than required for growth under
optimal conditions (19, 44). The excess UFA is thought to
provide extra membrane fluidity required to adapt to environmental
changes such as a fall in temperature. Consistent with this,
ole1w and ole1wi yeast lost viability
within a few days in storage at 4°C while wt yeast was stable for
several weeks.
Supplementing the original ole1w yeast with UFAs also
restored BMV-directed GUS expression (Fig. 3B), implying that the
original mutant phenotype was caused by reduced desaturase activity.
ole1w yeast required less UFA supplementation than its
ole1
::URA3 counterpart to restore a
similar level of BMV-directed GUS expression. This finding is
consistent with the fact that ole1w yeast cells were isolated and grow normally on defined medium lacking UFAs (see above)
and so must retain sufficient desaturase activity for cell growth. When
either ole1 mutant was grown in high levels of UFA, some
increase in doubling time was noted. However, a similar result was seen
with wt yeast and mild inhibitory effects of UFAs on yeast growth have
been reported previously (49).
1a and 2a protein accumulation and membrane association in mutant yeast. To facilitate the viral RNA accumulation experiments described below, we made an additional isogenic yeast strain, ole1wi', bearing the ole1w allele but lacking the chromosomally integrated B3URA3 and B3GUS expression cassettes of YMI04 and ole1wi. This ole1wi' strain allowed study of wt RNA3 and RNA3 derivatives introduced on plasmids, while avoiding interference from B3URA3 and B3GUS RNAs in Northern blot analysis of BMV RNA replication products. The initial BMV RNA template used was B3CAT, which combines an easily assayed reporter gene with higher accumulations of BMV RNA replication products than are found with B3GUS.
wt and ole1wi' yeast were transformed with plasmids expressing B3CAT, 1a, and 2a. With ADH1-expressed 1a and 2a, ole1wi' yeast showed wt 1a protein accumulation and slightly reduced 2a protein accumulation (Fig. 4A, lanes 1 to 3). Since 2a levels can be reduced substantially without inhibiting BMV RNA replication (13), it was unclear if this reduction contributed to the ole1w RNA replication phenotype. To resolve this, we tested plasmids expressing 1a and 2a from the GAL1 promoter which yield higher levels of and more stable 1a and 2a expression in yeast (12). As intended, GAL1-promoted expression increased 1a and 2a accumulation in wt yeast, and these higher 1a and 2a levels were reproduced in ole1wi' yeast with or without UFA supplementation (Fig. 4A, lanes 4 to 6).
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Inhibited accumulation of BMV RNA replication products in
ole1wi' yeast.
To determine whether
inhibition of BMV-directed gene expression by ole1w mutation
was due to a defect in subgenomic mRNA (RNA4) synthesis or translation,
we measured B3CAT RNA4 accumulation in wt and
ole1wi' yeast. Positive-strand RNA4 accumulation
in ole1wi' yeast was only 2% of that of the wt
(Fig. 5, lanes 1 to 3), fully accounting
for the reduction of BMV-directed CAT protein expression (Fig. 4B).
Similar inhibition of positive- and negative-strand B3CAT genomic RNA
(RNA3) accumulation was seen in ole1wi' yeast (7 and 5% of wt levels). All of these viral RNA accumulation defects were
suppressed by medium supplementation with 0.2 mM UFA (Fig. 5, lanes 2 to 3).
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Normal 1a-induced RNA3 stabilization in ole1wi' yeast. In wt yeast lacking 2a, 1a acts through the cis-acting intergenic replication enhancer (RE) of positive-strand RNA3 (Fig. 1A) to dramatically increase the stability and accumulation of RNA3 transcripts while inhibiting their translation (23). Multiple results, including parallel inhibitory and stimulatory effects of RE mutations on 1a-induced RNA3 stabilization and RNA3 replication, indicate that these 1a-induced effects reflect the initial recruitment of RNA3 templates from translation to RNA replication (12, 46). To better determine the stage at which RNA3 replication was inhibited in ole1wi' yeast, we tested for 1a-induced stimulation of RNA3 transcript accumulation in ole1wi' yeast.
In the absence of 1a and 2a, plasmid-derived, positive-strand RNA3 transcripts accumulated to equal levels in ole1wi' yeast with or without the UFA supplementation that suppresses the ole1w phenotype (Fig. 6, lanes 1 to 2). Thus, the ole1w mutation did not affect DNA-dependent synthesis or accumulation of RNA3 transcripts. In the presence of 1a, RNA3 accumulation increased 16-fold in ole1wi' yeast, again independently of UFA supplementation (lanes 3 to 4). Thus, 1a-induced stimulation of RNA3 accumulation was also not inhibited by the ole1w mutation. Nevertheless, RNA3 replication and subgenomic mRNA synthesis in ole1wi' yeast remained strongly dependent on UFAs (lanes 5 to 6).
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Inhibition of negative-strand RNA3 synthesis in ole1wi' yeast. The negative-strand RNA3 synthesis pathway in yeast is not saturated by DNA-transcribed positive-strand RNA3 templates, so that negative-strand RNA3 accumulation is stimulated by RNA-dependent amplification of positive-strand RNA3 templates (22). Consequently, due to the cyclical nature of wt RNA3 replication (Fig. 1A), the reduced negative-strand accumulation in ole1wi' yeast (Fig. 5) is consistent either with direct inhibition of negative-strand synthesis or with a primary defect in positive-strand synthesis, reducing the templates available for negative-strand synthesis.
To block RNA-dependent positive-strand RNA synthesis and test negative-strand RNA synthesis directly, the wt BMV 5' noncoding region (NCR) of B3CPfs was replaced with the 5' NCR of the yeast GAL1 mRNA in an expression plasmid designated B3(5'GAL, CPfs) (Fig. 7A). The resulting B3(5'GAL, CPfs) transcript retained the RE region and, like wt RNA3, showed a strong 1a-dependent increase in accumulation (Fig. 7B, lanes 1 to 4). Moreover, as expected, B3(5'GAL, CPfs) directed UFA-dependent subgenomic mRNA synthesis (Fig. 7B, lane 6). However, even in UFA-supplemented yeast, coexpression of 1a and 2a did not produce the dramatic further increase in positive-strand RNA3 accumulation seen for B3CPfs and wt RNA3 (Fig. 7B, lanes 5 to 6). Rather, with or without UFA supplementation, positive-strand RNA3 accumulation in the presence of 1a and 2a was less than with 1a alone (Fig. 7B, lanes 3 to 6). Thus, B3(5'GAL, CPfs) RNA3 supported little or no BMV-directed positive-strand RNA3 synthesis, confirming prior results that the wt RNA3 5' NCR contains signals required for positive-strand synthesis (22). Thus, for B3(5'GAL, CPfs), the only templates for negative-strand RNA3 synthesis were provided by GAL1-promoted DNA transcription, which was unaffected by the ole1wi' mutation (Fig. 7B, lanes 1 to 2). Accordingly, in wt yeast (2) and in UFA-supplemented ole1wi' yeast (Fig. 7C and data not shown), the 5' GAL substitution reduced negative-strand RNA3 accumulation to 15% of that of replicating wt RNA3. More importantly, in unsupplemented ole1wi' yeast, negative-strand RNA accumulation for B3(5' GAL, CPfs) was reduced a further 10-fold relative to that from the same template in wt yeast or UFA-supplemented ole1wi' yeast (Fig. 7C). Thus, in unsupplemented ole1wi' yeast, BMV RNA replication was inhibited at or before negative-strand RNA3 synthesis.| |
DISCUSSION |
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The studies presented here show that BMV RNA replication in yeast
is severely inhibited by mutation of OLE1, an essential yeast gene encoding the
9 fatty acid desaturase required for unsaturated fatty acids synthesis. UFA supplementation of an engineered ole1 deletion strain showed that BMV RNA replication did not
require the Ole1 protein but rather required UFA levels well above
those required for yeast cell growth. These results demonstrate in vivo the functional importance of lipids for BMV RNA replication and, as
discussed below, imply an intimate and potentially dynamic relationship
between RNA replication factors and the lipid bilayer.
The RNA replication defect in ole1w mutant yeast was traced to a narrow interval in early replication. In ole1w yeast, RNA replication factor 1a carried out several normal functions. 1a still became membrane associated and directed the membrane association of 2a (Fig. 4C). The 2a-independent ability of 1a to stabilize RNA3 transcripts, a function strongly linked to selection of RNA3 templates for replication (12, 46), was also unimpaired in ole1wi' yeast (Fig. 6). Nevertheless, negative-strand RNA3 synthesis was reduced to 10% or less of that of the wt (Fig. 7C). Thus, BMV RNA synthesis was inhibited after initial recognition of the positive-strand RNA3 template but at or before the first phase of RNA synthesis, i.e., negative-strand RNA synthesis. While this defect in negative-strand synthesis is sufficient to explain the overall reduction in BMV RNA replication, the results do not rule out additional defects in later steps of positive-strand RNA3 and subgenomic mRNA synthesis. For flock house virus, e.g., complete in vitro replication of viral RNA and positive-strand synthesis in particular depends on glycerophospholipids (48). Also, the capping functions of the alphavirus SFV nsP1 are activated by lipids, with a requirement for anionic head groups (3). While BMV may be subject to similar influences from polar head groups of membrane lipids, the results presented here show that BMV RNA replication is also highly sensitive to the fatty acid composition of the lipid bilayer.
Recently, BMV RNA replication was also found to be inhibited by mutation of the yeast gene LSM1 (12). LSM1 and OLE1 show many disparate characteristics and appear to be involved in distinct aspects of BMV RNA replication. Unlike OLE1, LSM1 is dispensable for yeast growth in minimal medium at 30°C, though it is required at 37°C. The LSM1-encoded protein, Lsm1p, is not membrane associated but distributed throughout the cytoplasm. Lsm1p is not a biosynthetic enzyme but rather is related to RNA splicing factors and implicated in the metabolism of viral and cellular mRNAs, including the transition of mRNAs from translation to other fates such as degradation and replication (5, 12). Accordingly, LSM1 mutation inhibits 1a-induced stabilization of RNA3, which is unimpaired in ole1wi' mutants (Fig. 6). These results, isolation of additional BMV-inhibiting yeast mutations, and other findings suggest that many if not most steps in viral RNA replication depend on distinct host factors (12, 21).
UFA dependence of RNA replication. Cerulenin, an inhibitor of lipid synthesis, inhibits RNA replication by poliovirus and the alphavirus SFV (16, 34). While alternate interpretations cannot be ruled out due to cerulenin's ability to inhibit processes other than lipid synthesis (33), this inhibition of RNA replication suggests a possible requirement for continued lipid and/or membrane synthesis. The inhibition of BMV RNA replication in ole1w yeast, however, is not due to a general block of lipid or membrane synthesis. Ole1p is the desaturase that converts newly synthesized SFAs to UFAs. When UFA levels in yeast are limited by ole1 mutations, membrane synthesis proceeds at normal rates but the UFA/SFA ratio in membrane phospholipids drops (44). Moreover, our experiments showed that ole1w yeast cells had a normal growth rate and size, and this did not change when the cells expressed 1a, 2a, and RNA3.
The UFA/SFA ratio affects many membrane-associated functions because of its strong effect on membrane fluidity and other physical properties (14, 42). wt BMV RNA replication required approximately five times more UFA supplementation than did normal growth of mutant yeast (Fig. 3), suggesting that optimal assembly or function of the RNA replication complex requires a highly fluid membrane. After membrane association, rapid diffusion might be required for 1a, 2a, or another replication factor to locate a required interaction partner before being trapped in a competing nonproductive interaction. During replication, rotation or translation of membrane-associated RNA replication factors might be required for RNA unwinding, translocation along RNA templates, or necessary cyclical alterations in protein-protein interactions. In addition to kinetic effects, reduced UFA levels may also impede BMV RNA synthesis by perturbing the form or stability of replication factor interactions. Under conditions of reduced UFA levels, increased lipid packing density and membrane microviscosity tend to displace membrane-associated proteins farther into the aqueous phase, altering their potential for interacting with other factors and the position of such interactions relative to the membrane (8, 42). Since introducing a cis double bond shifts lipids from a cylindrical to a more cone-shaped profile, UFAs also influence membrane curvature and flexibility (40). Modulating any of these parameters may impede the functional interaction of 1a, 2a, viral RNA, or host components with each other. Since the ole1w mutation did not inhibit 1a association with membrane or 1a-directed membrane association of 2a (Fig. 4C), the required interaction of the N-terminal 120 amino acids of 2a with the 1a C-terminal helicase-like domain (7) was not affected in ole1w yeast. However, other 1a-2a interactions required for later RNA replication steps may be perturbed. For example, BMV RNA replication also depends on an independent interaction between 1a and the central 2a polymerase domain (43). While negative-strand RNA synthesis was strongly dependent on UFAs in vivo, a preformed, template-dependent negative-strand RNA synthesis activity can be solubilized from membranes of BMV-infected plant cells or yeast expressing 1a, 2a, and RNA3 (35). Thus, the UFA requirement may lie in assembly of a functional RNA synthesis complex. Alternatively, in vivo UFA dependence and membrane association of negative-strand RNA synthesis may relate to functions missing from the solubilized, in vitro negative-strand synthesis activity. Anomalous characteristics of the in vitro system include low efficiency of template usage (<0.1% of added template) and a lack of response to the intercistronic replication enhancer, which in vivo directs 1a-dependent RNA3 stabilization and stimulates negative-strand RNA3 synthesis and RNA3 replication approximately 100-fold (35, 46). While unsaturated oleic and/or palmitoleic acids were required for BMV RNA replication, oleic acid disrupts poliovirus RNA replication in HeLa cells (15) or HeLa cell extracts (31). These results may be related to more complex effects of oleic acid on HeLa cells. Supplementing ole1 mutant yeast with oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, or other UFAs yields a direct increase in membrane glycerophospholipids containing these UFAs (44). However, treating of HeLa cells with oleic acid resulted in major changes in the synthesis of many lipids, including dramatic increases in the synthesis of cholesterol and other neutral lipids, a reduced phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine ratio, and other changes (15). Similarly, in HeLa cell extracts, oleic acid inhibited in vitro translation as well as poliovirus RNA replication (31). In conclusion, we find that BMV RNA replication is strongly dependent on UFA levels in vivo. When UFAs were limited, ER-associated RNA replication was blocked after 1a and 2a membrane association and RNA3 template recognition and stabilization but before negative-strand RNA synthesis. The ability to use the ole1w mutation to block RNA replication at this stage should help to elucidate the early events in initiation of RNA synthesis. Dependence of BMV RNA replication on UFA levels in particular implies a requirement for host membrane fluidity, suggesting that the membrane is not just a static anchoring site for RNA replication complexes. Accordingly, further study of ole1w yeast should help to illuminate the nature and function of membrane association in RNA replication in positive-strand RNA viruses. Since membrane-associated RNA replication appears to be a universal feature of positive-strand RNA viruses of eukaryotes, the replication of other viruses in this class may also be dependent on the fatty acid compositions of membrane lipids. Thus, while different host cells and viruses may function optimally over different lipid composition ranges, the finding that BMV RNA replication is much more sensitive than normal yeast cell growth to reduced levels of UFAs suggests that genetic or pharmacological approaches to modulate the lipid composition of host membranes may provide useful antiviral strategies.| |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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We thank Yukio Tomita for pB1YT3, Michael Sullivan for pB3(5' GAL, CPfs), Amine Noueiry and Juana Diez for valuable experimental advice, and Cindy Dorner for excellent technical assistance.
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health through grant GM35072. P.A. is an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
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FOOTNOTES |
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*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute for
Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, 1525 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706-1596. Phone: (608) 263-5916. Fax: (608) 265-9214. E-mail: ahlquist{at}facstaff.wisc.edu.
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