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Journal of Virology, November 2003, p. 11555-11562, Vol. 77, No. 21
0022-538X/03/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.77.21.11555-11562.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021,1 Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, People's Republic of China,2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 100323
Received 16 June 2003/ Accepted 31 July 2003
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Alphaviruses cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide (reviewed in reference 7). The broad host range for these viruses includes vertebrates and invertebrates, with arthropods being the usual vectors of transmission to mammals. Infection with Sindbis virus (SIN), the type alphavirus, can lead to a painful polyarthritis, while disease caused by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE) ranges from a mild influenza-type illness to fatal encephalitis. Alphaviruses are small, enveloped RNA viruses with an icosahedral nucleocapsid (reviewed in reference 22). The SIN genome consists of a single, capped, positive-sense RNA molecule of approximately 11.7 kb and contains a 5' untranslated region (UTR) as well as a 3' UTR and a poly(A) tail. The 5'-terminal two-thirds of the genomic 49S RNA is directly translated to produce the four nonstructural proteins (nsPs), while the structural proteins are encoded by a subgenomic 26S RNA derived from the 3' one-third of the genome.
The binding of alphaviruses to the cell surface is possible through a number of receptors in different species and is mediated by the viral glycoprotein E2 (22). SIN enters the cell via clathrin-coated vesicles (3), where an E1 conformational change in the acidic environment of the endosome results in membrane fusion and release of the nucleocapsid into the cytosol. After interaction of the nucleocapsids with the 60S ribosomal subunit in the cytosol, the genomic RNA is released and translated (22, 23).
Initial translation and processing of the alphavirus plus strand RNA produces the four nsPs, nsP1 to nsP4 (10, 22). Following translation of the nsPs, replication complexes are established on cellular membranes, where the genomic RNA is transcribed to the complementary minus strand. The minus strand in turn functions as a template both for the production of additional plus strand RNA and for the transcription of the 26S subgenomic molecules.
Glycoproteins PE2 and E1, a capsid protein, and a small (6-kDa) membrane-embedded protein are the final products of subgenomic translation. Assembly of nucleocapsids occurs by oligomerization of the capsid protein and selection of the genomic RNA through recognition of an encapsidation signal (4, 22, 24). Completed nucleocapsids are then transported to the plasma membrane, where they interact with viral glycoproteins and enveloped virus buds from the cell (6).
Theoretically, a protein that inhibits alphavirus replication could affect any number of these steps in the virus life cycle. In the present study, we demonstrate that cells expressing NZAP-Zeo are dramatically resistant to infection by alphaviruses. Using SIN as our alphavirus model, we show that NZAP-Zeo targets translation of the incoming viral RNA to block alphavirus replication.
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Cell lines. All cell lines were maintained at 37°C in humidified chambers containing 5% CO2. Vero cells (American Type Culture Collection [ATCC] CCL-81; African green monkey) were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM; Invitrogen) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS; Invitrogen). BHK-J cells, a derivative of BHK-21 cells (ATCC CCL-10; hamster kidney fibroblasts), were cultured in minimum essential medium (MEM; Sigma) supplemented with 7.5% FBS and have been described previously (15). Rat2 (ATCC CRL-1764; rat thymidine kinase-negative fibroblast) cells transduced with the retroviral vector pBabe-HAZ (Rat2-HA-Zeo) or pBabe-NZAP-Zeo (Rat2-NZAP-Zeo) were maintained in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and 100 µg of zeocin (Invitrogen)/ml.
Viruses, replicons, and viral infection. SIN and RRV stocks were produced by electroporation of BHK-J cells (BTX Electro Square Porator, EMC 830; 5 pulses at 99 µs and 960 V) with viral RNA generated by transcription in vitro, in the presence of a cap analog, with XhoI-linearized pToto1101 (19) or derivatives and SacI-linearized pRR64 (11), respectively, as the template. Virus present in the medium 24 to 48 h later was harvested and stored at -80°C. Semliki Forest virus (SFV) (14) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), San Juan strain, stocks were a gift from Milton Schlesinger. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain KOS (ATCC VR-1493) stocks were produced by low-multiplicity infection of Vero cells as described previously (18). Yellow Fever virus (YF) strain 17D stocks were generated by electroporation of in vitro-transcribed viral RNA (1) as previously described (12). Packaged SIN replicons derived from the S.A.AR86 isolate and expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the viral subgenomic promoter were generated as described previously (9) and were a gift from Mark T. Heise. Packaged VEE replicons expressing GFP, a gift from Bob Johnston and Nancy Davis, were generated as described previously (16).
Viral infections, unless indicated otherwise, were carried out in six-well culture dishes, with 0.2 ml of inoculum per well. SIN, RRV, SFV, and VSV, as well as packaged SIN and VEE replicons, were diluted in Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS; Gibco) supplemented with 1% FBS prior to infection. HSV-1 was diluted in DMEM containing 10% FBS; YF was diluted in DMEM containing 2% FBS. After removal of the medium, the inoculum was applied and cells were incubated for 1 h at 37°C with occasional rocking. For temperature-sensitive mutants, infection and subsequent incubation were carried out at the permissive (28°C) or nonpermissive (40°C) temperature.
Virus titration.
Virus stocks and growth curve samples were titered in duplicate by infection of permissive cells with 10-fold serial dilutions of sample, followed by visual enumeration of plaques. For alphavirus and YF stocks, titers were determined with either BHK-J or Rat2-HA-Zeo cells and an MEM overlay containing 1.2% agarose and supplemented with 2% FBS, 100 U of penicillin/ml, and 100 µg of streptomycin/ml. Plaques were enumerated by crystal violet staining after
48 (alphaviruses) or
72 h (YF). Titers of temperature-sensitive SIN stocks were determined at 28°C, with staining and enumeration after 4 days. The titer of the VSV stock was similarly determined by using an MEM overlay containing 0.6% agarose, with plaque enumeration after
18 h. For alphavirus, YF, and VSV growth curve samples, titers were determined on BHK-J cells. HSV-1 stocks and growth curve samples were titered on Vero cells as described previously (18).
Growth curves. Rat2-HA-Zeo and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells were seeded at 7 x 105 per 9.6-cm2 dish in 3 ml of medium. The following day the cells were infected at the multiplicities of infection (MOI) indicated in the figure legends. For alphaviruses, YF, and VSV, following the 1 h of infection the inoculum was removed and the cells were washed twice with DMEM, supplemented with 10% FBS, or DPBS (YF). Three (alphaviruses and YF) or 2 ml (VSV) of fresh medium was then added to each dish. Medium overlying the cells was frozen (-80°C) at various times after infection and titered on BHK-J cells as described above. For HSV-1 growth curves, following infection the cells were washed twice with DPBS and 3 ml of fresh medium was added to each dish. Dishes were frozen at -80°C at various times after infection. After thawing, cells and medium were scraped off the plate, vortexed, and subjected to titration on Vero cells.
Analysis of SIN RNA replication. Dishes (55 cm2) seeded with either Rat2-HA-Zeo or Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells at 2.8 x 106 cells/plate 24 h previously were either mock infected or infected with SIN (MOI of 5) in DMEM supplemented with 2% FBS and l µg of actinomycin D (Sigma)/ml. Following the 1-h infection, 7 ml of medium containing l µg of actinomycin D/ml and 10 µCi of [5,6-3H]uridine (ICN; 41 Ci/mmol)/ml was added to each dish. Total RNA was isolated from the cells with Trizol reagent (Gibco) at various times after infection and was size separated by 1.2% formaldehyde denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis. Newly synthesized viral RNA was detected by fluorography.
Preparation of 32P-radiolabeled SIN.
To generate a high-titer radiolabeled SIN stock, we made use of the fact that SIN release is inhibited under low-salt conditions (17). Cells were seeded at 7.3 x 106 cells per 145-cm2 dish and were infected the following day with SIN (MOI of 10) diluted in DPBS supplemented with 1% FBS and l µg of actinomycin D/ml. Following the 1-h incubation, the inoculum was removed and the cells were washed extensively with low-salt, low-phosphate MEM (LSM; made with MEM containing 60 mM NaCl and 0.1 mM NaH2PO4 · H2O and supplemented with 7.5% FBS). After the last wash, LSM supplemented with 1 µg of actinomycin D/ml and 0.1 mCi of 32P/ml as orthophosphate (Amersham Pharmacia) was added. After 24 h, the radioactive medium was removed and cells were washed with LSM. SIN was harvested from each dish by two sequential 15-min incubations with high-salt MEM (MEM containing 216 mM NaCl and supplemented with 7.5% FBS), with the same wash medium for each plate. The washes were pooled (
15 ml) and immediately loaded onto two 15 to 30% sucrose gradients made up in virus dilution buffer (VDB) containing 50 mM Tris · HCl, pH 7.4, 200 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA, and 200 µg of bovine serum albumin/ml (fraction V; Amersham). After centrifugation (120,000 x g) for 2 h at 4°C, fractions were collected and an aliquot of each was counted by liquid scintillation spectrophotometry. Peak fractions were pooled, diluted in VDB, and pelleted by centrifugation (100,000 x g, 4°C for 3 h) to remove the sucrose. The virus pellet was resuspended in VDB, and aliquots were frozen at -80°C. The titer was determined on Rat2-HA-Zeo cells.
Viral binding assay.
Rat2-HA-Zeo and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells were seeded at 3.5 x 105 cells per well in collagen (Sigma)-coated 12-well plates. The following day, 10,000 cpm (
100 PFU per cell) of 32P-labeled SIN diluted in 0.1 ml of binding medium (BM) was added to each well. BM consisted of DPBS supplemented with 0.9 mM CaCl2 · 2H2O, 0.5 mM MgCl2 · 6H2O, and 1% FBS. Binding was carried out on a rocker at 4°C for 1 h with frequent additional manual rocking. After 1 h of binding the cells were washed four times with 2 ml of BM per well and lysed with 150 µl of 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (Fisher), and the amount of bound virus in a 100-µl aliquot was determined by liquid scintillation spectrophotometry.
Transfection of viral RNA. For transfections, Rat2-HA-Zeo and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells were seeded in six-well plates at 7 x 105 cells per well. The next day the cells were transfected with Lipofectin (Gibco) or TransMessenger transfection reagent (Qiagen). For wild-type SIN, cells were washed with Opti-MEMI (Gibco) and were transfected with in vitro-transcribed SIN Toto1101 RNA by using a 200-µl cocktail of 8 µg of SIN RNA and 8 µg of Lipofectin in Opti-MEMI. After incubation at room temperature for 10 min, the cells were washed with Opti-MEMI and 3 ml of DMEM, containing 2% FBS, was added to each well. A 200-µl aliquot of the medium was removed and replaced with fresh medium at various times after transfection. Samples were stored at -80°C and titered on BHK-J cells. PolioRep/GFP was similarly transfected into the cells with 3.5 µg of RNA per well. Toto1101/Luc/Pol- and Renilla luciferase RNAs were introduced into Rat2-HA-Zeo and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells according to the manufacturer's recommendations by using 1 µg of RNA with a 1:4 ratio of RNA to TransMessenger transfection reagent.
Determination of luciferase activity. Cell lysates were harvested with 1x passive lysis buffer, and luciferase activity was determined with the Dual-Luciferase reporter assay system or luciferase assay system (Promega) according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Luciferase activity was measured on a Lumat LD 9507 (EG&G Berthold).
DNA transfections for Cre-mediated insert removal. Cells were seeded at 1.5 x 106 cells per 55-cm2 plate and transfected the following day with 10 µg of plasmid pMAMNeo or 10 µg of pMC-Cre in combination with 1 µg of pMAMNeo by using 85 µg of SuperFect transfection reagent (Qiagen). Cells were placed under G418 (Invitrogen) selection (0.5 mg/ml) the following day. For pMC-Cre-transfected cells, individual clones were picked and expanded. Cre-mediated removal was verified by PCR as described previously (5).
Flow cytometry. Cells were harvested, fixed with 2% paraformaldehyde in phosphate-buffered saline and analyzed for expression of GFP using a FACSCalibur cytometer and CellQuest software (Becton Dickinson), analyzing 10,000 events for each sample. Gates were set with uninfected or untransfected cells such that less than 1% of the cells fell within the positive gate. Unpaired t tests were performed using GraphPad Prism, version 3.0a, for Macintosh (GraphPad Software, San Diego, Calif).
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108 PFU/ml in both the high- and low-MOI infections. This effect was still observed when cells were challenged with SIN at an MOI of 25, calculated based on titration of the SIN stock on Rat2-HA-Zeo cells (data not shown). Additionally, full-length rat ZAP without the zeocin resistance gene fusion was inhibitory to SIN when expressed from plasmid pZAP-myc (5) in human T-REx-293 (Invitrogen) cells (not shown).
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FIG. 1. ZAP inhibits multiple members of the Alphavirus genus. Rat2-HA-Zeo cells expressing vector alone (filled circles) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells expressing the amino-terminal portion of ZAP fused to the product of the zeocin resistance gene (open circles) were infected with SIN (A and B), SFV (C and D), or RRV (E and F) at MOIs of 0.01 and 5, as indicated. SIN MOIs were calculated based on stock titers determined on BHK-J cells, while SFV and RRV MOIs were based on stock titers determined on Rat2-HA-Zeo cells. At the indicated times after infection, medium was harvested and virus growth was determined by titration in duplicate on permissive cells. A separate well was utilized for each time point, and each experiment was done in duplicate. Dashed lines (A, C, and E), plaque assay detection limit. Data are mean log titers ± standard errors of the means; error bars for some points are obscured by the symbol.
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FIG. 2. NZAP-Zeo expression is necessary for the resistance of Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells to SIN infection. Rat2-HA-Zeo, Rat2-NZAP-Zeo, Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells stably transfected with pMAMNeo (pMamNeo) and clones of Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells stably transfected with pMAMNeo in combination with pMC-Cre (Cre1, -2, -3, and -4) were infected with SIN at MOIs of 0.01 and 5 as indicated, and the virus produced after 24 h was determined by titration in duplicate. Dashed line, plaque assay detection limit. Each cell line was tested in duplicate; data are mean log titers ± standard errors of the means. The retroviral insert present in each of the tested cell populations was amplified by PCR, and the ethidium-stained gel is shown at the top.
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3 log units). RRV showed a consistent 2- to 3-log-unit reduction in titer in ZAP-expressing cells compared to its titer in control cells. For our studies on VEE we chose to use a packaged self-replicating replicon that lacks the viral structural genes and that expresses GFP under the control of the viral subgenomic promoter. We first validated the assay by confirming that replication of a similar SIN-based replicon was inhibited by ZAP. For this we utilized a SIN replicon (9) derived from strain S.A.AR86, a strain isolated from mosquitoes and likely responsible for febrile illnesses in humans (reviewed in reference 20). The replicon expresses GFP under the control of the subgenomic promoter and lacks the viral structural genes. NZAP-Zeo-expressing and control cells were infected with SIN replicon-containing particles, and replication was monitored by flow cytometry. Expression of GFP indicates that the incoming replicon RNA was translated to generate the nonstructural proteins, that minus strand RNA was generated, and that subgenomic RNAs were transcribed and translated to produce GFP. Expression of ZAP inhibited the number of cells (<10%) expressing GFP, compared to control cells, where 70 to 80% of the cells were GFP positive (Fig. 3A). ZAP also inhibited, although less dramatically, replication of VEE (Fig. 3B). When analyzed by flow cytometry at 4 h postinfection (p.i.), 18% of the NZAP-Zeo-expressing cells infected with the VEE replicon showed GFP expression compared to 52% of control cells (a 65% reduction). When analyzed 20 h p.i., 44% of the NZAP-Zeo-expressing cells and 69% of the control cells expressed GFP (a 36% reduction). These data indicate that replication of VEE is inhibited in the NZAP-Zeo-expressing cells and that expression of the alphavirus structural genes is not required for ZAP's inhibitory activity. Taken together with the viral titer results from SIN, SFV, and RRV infections, these results demonstrate that NZAP-Zeo expression results in a broad resistance to alphaviruses, blocking replication at a step prior to translation of the viral structural genes encoded by the subgenomic RNA.
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FIG. 3. ZAP inhibits replication of a GFP-expressing VEE replicon. Rat2-HA-Zeo cells expressing vector alone (shaded bars) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells expressing the amino-terminal portion of ZAP fused to the product of the zeocin resistance gene (open bars) were seeded in 12-well plates and infected with packaged SIN (A) or VEE (B) replicons expressing GFP. The percentage of cells expressing GFP was determined by flow cytometry at the indicated times after infection. Each bar represents the mean of results for three independent wells, with error bars indicating the standard deviations. The unpaired two-tailed t test indicates a significant difference between the mean values obtained after VEE infection of Rat2-HA-Zeo cells and those obtained after infection of Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells (P < 0.0001 at 4 h, P = 0.0002 at 20 h). The results shown are similar to those from one other independent experiment.
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FIG. 4. HSV-1, YF, and VSV are not inhibited by ZAP. Rat2-HA-Zeo cells expressing vector alone (filled circles) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells expressing the amino-terminal portion of ZAP fused to the product of the zeocin resistance gene (open circles) were infected at the indicated MOIs with HSV-1 (A and B), YF (C and D), and VSV (E), and virus growth was determined by titration in duplicate on permissive cells. MOIs were calculated based on stock titers determined on Vero (HSV-1), BHK-J (YF), or Rat2-HA-Zeo (VSV) cells. A separate well was utilized for each time point, and the experiment was done in duplicate. Dashed line (C), plaque assay detection limit. Data are mean log titers ± standard errors of the means; error bars for some points are obscured by the symbol.
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FIG. 5. Replication of a poliovirus replicon is not inhibited by ZAP. Rat2-HA-Zeo cells expressing vector alone (shaded bars) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells expressing the amino-terminal portion of ZAP fused to the product of the zeocin resistance gene (open bars) were seeded in six-well plates and transfected with 3.5 µg of PolioRep/GFP RNA encoding a GFP-expressing poliovirus replicon per well. The percentage of cells expressing GFP was determined by flow cytometry 8 h after transfection. Each bar represents the mean of results for three independent wells, with error bars indicating the standard deviations. Similar results were obtained in two independent experiments.
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FIG. 6. ZAP affects SIN replication after binding, penetration, and uncoating. (A) SIN binding. Rat2-HA-Zeo (shaded bar) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo (open bar) cells were incubated in 12-well plates as described in Materials and Methods with 10,000 cpm of radioactive SIN ( 100 PFU/cell) for 1 h at 4°C to allow binding without penetration of SIN. Cells were washed extensively to remove unbound virus, and, after lysis in sodium dodecyl sulfate, the amount of bound virus was determined by counting an aliquot of the lysate. The experiment was done in triplicate and is representative of three independent experiments. Data are means, with error bars indicating the standard deviations. (B) SIN RNA transfection. SIN RNA was introduced via cationic lipid transfection into Rat2-HA-Zeo cells expressing vector alone (filled circles) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells (open circles). At the indicated times after transfection, an aliquot of the medium was harvested, and virus growth was determined by titration in duplicate on permissive cells. Dashed line, plaque assay detection limit. The experiment was done in duplicate and is representative of two independent experiments. Data are mean log titers ± standard errors of the means; error bars for some points are obscured by the symbol.
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FIG. 7. ZAP blocks the production of new plus strand genomic RNA. (A) Rat2-HA-Zeo (V) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo (Z) cells were mock-infected (-) or infected (+) with SIN (MOI = 5, as titered on BHK-J cells) in the presence of actinomycin D (1 µg/ml) as described in Materials and Methods. After infection, [3H]uridine was added, and RNA was harvested at the indicated times after infection. Total RNA (5 µg) was size separated by denaturing gel electrophoresis, and, after ethidium bromide staining, the gel was treated for fluorography and exposed to film for 28 h at -80°C. On prolonged exposure (1 week) a faint 49S signal, likely due to a small percentage of permissive cells in the culture, can be seen in infected Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells harvested at 12 h. Migration of RNA size markers is shown on the right. Arrows, locations of the SIN genomic (49S) and subgenomic (26S) RNAs. (B) Ethidium bromide staining of ribosomal 28S RNA prior to fluorography indicates equal loading of RNA on the gel. The results are representative of two independent experiments.
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FIG. 8. ZAP blocks translation of incoming SIN RNA. (A) Schematic representation of Toto1101 virus and luciferase-expressing variants. Solid lines, UTRs. Open and shaded boxes, locations of the nonstructural- and structural-protein-encoding regions, respectively. The approximate locations of the nonstructural proteins nsP1, nsP2, nsP3, and nsP4 and structural protein capsid (C), glycoproteins (PE and E1), and the 6-kDa protein are shown, as is the location of the cap and poly(A) tail (An). SpeI indicates the restriction site used for cloning the luciferase (Luc) gene into pToto1101. Hatched bars within nsP3, firefly luciferase-encoding region. The 36-nt deletion resulting in a defective RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is indicated ( KpnI), as are the glycine (G)-to-glutamic acid (E) mutations of ts6 and ts110. (B) Rat2-HA-Zeo control cells (shaded bars) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells (open bars) were infected with firefly luciferase-expressing SIN temperature-sensitive mutant Toto1101/Luc:ts6 (MOI = 0.006). Binding was carried out at 4°C. After being washed, the cells were incubated at the nonpermissive temperature (40°C). At the indicated times after infection, the cells were lysed and luciferase activity was measured with the luciferase assay system (Promega). (C and D) Rat2-HA-Zeo control cells (shaded bars) and Rat2-NZAP-Zeo cells (open bars) were transfected for 30 min with a mixture of 0.9 µg of capped Toto1101/Luc/Pol- RNA and 0.1 µg of capped control RNA encoding Renilla luciferase. Cells were lysed at the indicated times, and Renilla (C) and firefly (D) luciferase activities were measured with the Dual-Luciferase reporter assay system (Promega). Renilla luciferase activity indicates translation of the control RNA (C), while firefly luciferase activity indicates translation of SIN RNA (D). For panels B to D the data are representative of two independent experiments. Bars represent the means of triplicate samples ± standard deviations. RLU, relative light units.
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Similar to its effect on MMLV, ZAP was found to block SIN replication by preventing the accumulation of new genomic viral RNA in the cytoplasm. Since alphaviruses are replicated and propagated entirely in an RNA state, utilizing only cytoplasmic machinery, ZAP-mediated viral inhibition must not directly require nuclear machinery. The mechanism(s) by which ZAP inhibits viruses from two divergent families is unknown. Our data indicate that ZAP blocks the generation of nsPs from SIN RNA, leading to a failure to replicate and accumulate viral RNA. Whether the block is a result of RNA degradation, altered RNA targeting, and/or a direct inhibition of the translation process is unknown. The block to viral translation is not due to induction of a general antiviral state and likely does not involve interferon, since several viruses, including the highly interferon-sensitive VSV, grew to equivalent titers in control and ZAP-expressing cells. No obvious similarity between MMLV and SIN replication cycles compared to those of viruses unaffected by ZAP explains the pattern of viral inhibition seen. Since MMLV genome transcription occurred normally in the presence of ZAP (5), it is tempting to consider that a common mechanism occurring in the cytoplasm underlies ZAP-mediated inhibition of the accumulation of viral genomic MMLV and SIN RNA. Interestingly, two viruses (YF and poliovirus) which, like SIN, are positive stranded and replicate entirely within the cytoplasm were unaffected by ZAP. MMLV and SIN RNA genomes both contain a 5' cap and 3' poly(A) tail. However, neither of these structures alone was able to confer susceptibility to ZAP-mediated inhibition. YF contains a 5' cap structure and lacks a poly(A) tail, and poliovirus lacks a 5' cap but contains a poly(A) tail, yet neither was inhibited by ZAP. Whether ZAP inhibits MMLV and alphaviruses by a common mechanism or by distinct mechanisms remains to be determined.
ZAP contains four potential CCCH-type zinc-fingers similar to those found in proteins known to bind RNA, including tristetraprolin, a protein that negatively regulates the stability of several RNAs (2, 13). Similarly, ZAP might directly interact with viral RNAs and affect their stability. Alternatively ZAP might bind SIN RNA and alter its intracellular trafficking or ability to interact appropriately with the translational machinery. ZAP might also interfere with a protein-protein or nucleic acid-protein interaction that is necessary for polysome association or translation of SIN RNA without directly binding to SIN RNA. Although members of the Alphavirus genus have extensive sequence homology, there is no obvious sequence homology between MMLV and SIN. Due to a lack of proofreading ability in their RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, alphaviruses replicate their genomes with relatively low fidelity, the error rate being in the range of 10-4 to 10-5 (reviewed in reference 22). As a result, one might expect escape mutants to arise. We have been unable to isolate such SIN mutants that can overcome ZAP's effect (not shown). This suggests that, if ZAP binds directly to the SIN RNA, it either targets multiple sites within the genome or interacts with a conserved sequence required for virus survival.
ZAP exhibits broad-spectrum activity against alphaviruses, which cause widespread human disease. Determining the mechanism of ZAP's inhibition of SIN translation will shed light on ZAP's normal cellular function and may lead to the development of new antiviral therapies. For example, treatments that upregulate ZAP expression might be used as therapeutic interventions. If ZAP has a direct interaction with a host or viral factor that results in viral inhibition, then small molecules that mimic this interaction could be pursued. Such approaches could lead to the development of panalphavirus therapies for preventing encephalitic disease or debilitating arthritis due to alphavirus infection.
We thank Richard Kuhn for plasmid pRR64, Mark Heise for SIN, and Bob Johnston and Nancy Davis for VEE replicon stocks, respectively, Milton Schlesinger for the SFV and VSV stocks, Beate Kümmerer for YF stocks, and David Leib for HSV-1 strain KOS.
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