Previous Article | Next Article 
Journal of Virology, May 2006, p. 5086-5091, Vol. 80, No. 10
0022-538X/06/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.80.10.5086-5091.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Chaperone-Mediated In Vitro Disassembly of Polyoma- and Papillomaviruses
Laura R. Chromy,
Amy Oltman,
Patricia A. Estes, and
Robert L. Garcea*
Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Molecular Biology Program, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado 80045
Received 15 November 2005/
Accepted 20 February 2006

ABSTRACT
Hsp70 chaperones play a role in polyoma- and papillomavirus
assembly, as evidenced by their interaction in vivo with polyomavirus
capsid proteins at late times after virus infection and by their
ability to assemble viral capsomeres into capsids in vitro.
We studied whether Hsp70 chaperones might also participate in
the uncoating reaction. In vivo, Hsp70 coimmunoprecipitated
with polyomavirus virion VP1 at 3 h after infection of mouse
cells. In vitro, prokaryotic and eukaryotic Hsp70 chaperones
efficiently disassembled polyoma- and papillomavirus-like particles
and virions in energy-dependent reactions. These observations
support a role for cell chaperones in the disassembly of these
viruses.

TEXT
The
Papillomaviridae and
Polyomaviridae are small, nonenveloped
DNA viruses that have structurally similar 50- to 55-nm-diameter
capsids comprised of 72 capsomeres arranged in a T = 7 icosahedral
lattice (
2). Each capsomere is a pentamer of the major capsid
protein: L1 for papillomavirus and VP1 for polyomavirus. The
carboxy terminus of L1 or VP1 mediates interpentameric contacts
in the assembled capsid (
13,
16,
17,
22). These contacts are
stabilized by disulfide bonds for papillomaviruses (
15,
21,
29) or by both disulfide bonds and calcium bridges for polyomaviruses
(
4,
5,
14).
Some papillomaviruses enter the cell via a slow version of clathrin-dependent receptor-mediated endocytosis (3, 9, 10, 31, 32), and disassembly may be initiated in late endosomes before escape into the cytoplasm (9). Polyomavirus entry pathways converge on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where disassembly and release of a dissociated viral nucleoprotein complex into the cytosol may occur (25, 26). Disassembly of simian virus 40 begins within 5 h postinfection (hpi) in the ER (25); murine polyomavirus VP1 colocalizes with the ER resident Hsp70 family chaperone BiP by 3 hpi and subsequently can be detected in perinuclear regions (19, 27). While there is no evidence for Hsc70/BiP functioning in the uncoating of polyoma- and papillomaviruses, previous studies have demonstrated an interaction between Hsp70 family chaperones and polyomavirus VP1 late in infection during virion assembly (1, 8), and Hsc70-mediated in vitro assembly of both polyoma- and papillomavirus capsids from VP1 and L1 has been observed (7; L. R. Chromy and R. L. Garcea, unpublished data).
Observations during the study of in vitro chaperone-mediated assembly of capsomeres suggested that the chaperone reaction may be reversible (Chromy and Garcea, unpublished data). Therefore, we hypothesized that Hsp70 family chaperones may also participate in the disassembly of entering polyoma- and papillomavirus virions.
Hsp70 chaperones associate with polyomavirus virions early in infection.
To determine whether cellular Hsp70 chaperones associate with incoming virions during infection, coimmunoprecipitation experiments were performed with murine polyomavirus-infected NIH 3T3 cells. Uninfected cells or cells at 1, 2, or 3 hpi were harvested in radioimmunoprecipitation assay buffer containing 10 mM ADP to inhibit dissociation of chaperones (7, 8). The lysate was coimmunoprecipitated with either I58, an anti-VP1 rabbit antibody, or SPA820, an anti-Hsp/Hsc70 mouse antibody (Stressgen). The converse antibody was used to detect the interacting protein by immunoblotting.
As seen in Fig. 1, an association between Hsc70 and VP1 was detected in both immunoprecipitation reactions at 3 hpi, although the interaction was more apparent with the anti-Hsc70 antibody (Fig. 1B). Hsc70 binding to VP1 was not detected after 3 hpi (not shown). Although supportive of an interaction between virions and Hsp70 during uncoating, the analysis is difficult because of the relatively low numbers of infecting virions and thus a small amount of VP1. Therefore, we continued to study the interaction of cellular chaperone proteins with both polyoma- and papillomavirus by using in vitro biochemical assays.
Disassembly of virions and VLPs by prokaryotic chaperones.
Recombinant bovine papillomavirus (BPV) L1 virus-like particles
(VLPs) and BPV virions isolated from cow warts (
15) were purified
by density ultracentrifugation in CsCl. CsCl was removed by
dialysis into gradient buffer (20 mM Tris-Cl [pH 7.2], 5% glycerol,
180 mM NaCl, 10 mM KCl, 1 mM CaCl
2, 1 mM MgCl
2), and the VLPs
or virions were then treated with either no chaperones or the
purified recombinant prokaryotic chaperones DnaK, DnaJ, and
GrpE (KJE) (Stressgen) (
7). These reactions were carried out
by dialysis against reaction buffer (50 mM Tris-Cl [pH 7.2],
5% glycerol, 180 mM NaCl, 10 mM KCl, 1 mM CaCl
2, 20 mM MgCl
2,
20 mM ATP) or against reaction buffer with 20 mM ADP instead
of ATP overnight at room temperature with 4 µM KJE.
Reaction mixtures were absorbed to glow-discharged, carbon, and Formvar-coated copper grids (G400 copper; EM Sciences), rinsed with buffer lacking phosphates, stained with uranyl acetate, and examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (Philips CM10) at 80 kV. No morphological differences between the starting samples in CsCl and the dialyzed particles were seen (Fig. 2A). The addition of prokaryotic chaperones resulted in a decreased number of assembled particles per field and a concomitant increase in the amount of pentamers and background amorphous material (Fig. 2A). In the BPV-plus-KJE samples, capsid proteins may be present as aggregates on the viral genome (Fig. 2A, arrow). No disassembly was observed when chaperone activity was inhibited by excess ADP (Fig. 2A).
The products of the in vitro reactions were analyzed by sucrose
gradient sedimentation to separate VLPs or virions from the
disassembly intermediates and to quantify the extent of disassembly.
Ten to 50% discontinuous sucrose gradients were prepared with
gradient buffer (20 mM Tris-Cl [pH 7.2], 5% glycerol, 180 mM
NaCl, 10 mM KCl, 1 mM CaCl
2, 1 mM MgCl
2) in 2.2-ml tubes (Beckman).
Samples were sedimented in an RP55S-351 swinging bucket rotor
in a Sorvall RC M120 ultracentrifuge at 50,000 rpm for 30 min
at 4°C. Fractions were trichloroacetic acid precipitated,
and capsid proteins were assayed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide
gel electrophoresis. The gradients demonstrated that the assembled
particles seen in the samples without chaperones were shifted
to slower-sedimenting products in the reactions with chaperones
(Fig.
2B). The products from the BPV VLP-plus-KJE reactions
sedimented at the position of capsomere controls, while the
BPV-plus-KJE reactions had a wider sedimentation profile, consistent
with the genome-plus-capsid-protein aggregates seen by TEM.
The presence of ADP inhibited chaperone disassembly of particles
and also appeared to stabilize the inherent background dissociation
seen in samples without chaperones. A similar stabilization
was seen for polyomavirus particles, but to a lesser extent
(see below). The assembled particles (Fig.
2B, shaded regions)
were quantitated (Fig.
2C), and the number of VLPs or virions
was significantly reduced by chaperone-mediated disassembly
in an energy-dependent manner. The relatively low percentage
of assembled particles in the no-chaperone samples may represent
a compromise between the need to stabilize assembled particles
and the optimization of buffer conditions for chaperone activity.
All of the disassembly reactions were repeated multiple times
with similar results; however, only the data from the optimized
buffer conditions are shown.
In vitro disassembly reactions were also performed with recombinant polyomavirus VLPs or polyomavirus virions purified, respectively, from recombinant baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells or virus-infected NIH 3T3 cells (12, 30). In vitro disassembly reactions were carried out as described for papillomavirus VLPs and virions. TEM demonstrated disassembly in the presence of prokaryotic chaperones, and the chaperone-mediated disassembly was inhibited by ADP (Fig. 3A). Again, capsid proteins appeared to form aggregates with the viral genome in the virion-plus-KJE samples (Fig. 3A, arrow).
The products of the polyomavirus reactions were analyzed by
sucrose gradient sedimentation (Fig.
3B). The polyomavirus virion
sedimentation profile, although broadened in this experiment,
was similar to that observed for BPV, with a shift to slower-sedimenting
products in the presence of chaperones that was inhibited by
ADP. However, the polyomavirus VLP reactions did not demonstrate
disassembly as complete as that seen for BPV VLPs. Polyomavirus
VLP disassembly may have been partially inhibited by calcium
in the reaction buffer, which both stabilizes and promotes VLP
assembly. Additionally, chaperones assemble VP1 capsomeres into
capsids in the presence of ATP, although very few of these assemblies
were identified. Reassembly probably did not occur in the polyomavirus
virion disassembly reactions because the dissociated capsomeres
likely formed aggregates with the viral minichromosomes. Nevertheless,
quantitation of the assembled fractions revealed chaperone-mediated
disassembly that was energy dependent (Fig.
3C).
Previous studies have demonstrated that disulfide bond-reducing agents expand BPV (15, 21, 29) and that disulfide bonds and calcium bridges stabilize polyomavirus virions (4, 5, 14). However, chelating and reducing agents did not enhance chaperone-mediated disassembly of either papilloma- or polyomavirus virions (data not shown).
Eukaryotic chaperone-mediated disassembly of polyoma- and papillomavirus VLPs and virions.
We also determined whether eukaryotic chaperones could disassemble polyoma- and papillomavirus capsids in the same manner as did the prokaryotic factors. Disassembly reactions were carried out with BPV VLPs, BPV virions, polyomavirus VLPs, and polyomavirus virions with or without addition of the eukaryotic chaperones Hsc70 and Hsp40 (at 4 µM and 0.4 µM, respectively). As in the TEM analysis of the previous experiments, the samples with chaperones showed disassembly products (Fig. 4A). The BPV VLP-plus-Hsc70/40 reaction had residual assembled products, and these observations were consistent over several experiments. Sucrose gradient analysis confirmed disassembly by chaperones, including the disassembly of BPV VLPs, as evidenced by a shift to slower-sedimenting fractions (quantitation in Fig. 4B).
Discussion.
Chaperones assist in many stages of virus life cycles (
20) and
have been implicated in the disassembly of adenovirus (
6,
23,
28). Our previous studies identified a role for Hsp70 chaperones
in the late stages of infection, when virions are being assembled
(
7,
8). The current results show that Hsp70 chaperones can disassemble
viral capsids in the reverse reaction. The direction of the
equilibrium could depend on cochaperones found in particular
cellular compartments or other regulatory factors (reviewed
in reference
35).
Capsid dissociation is likely initiated before the viral genome enters the cytosol, so that the genome will be competent for nuclear import. Polyoma- and papillomavirus virions must undergo considerable conformational changes during disassembly, since they are too large (50 to 55 nm) to be transported intact through the nuclear pore, (reviewed in reference 33). Although we found that significant morphological and structural changes resulted from chaperone action, the observed virus disassembly intermediates may not be completely "uncoated." Complete removal of capsid proteins may be disadvantageous, since the viral genome likely could not be imported to the nucleus without the karyophilic signals of bound capsid proteins, as shown for the nuclear localization signal of polyomavirus VP3 (17).
The entry pathway is critical for initiating disassembly and raises interesting paradoxes for these viruses, given the bonds stabilizing their capsids. For example, the calcium concentration is high and the disulfide reducing capacity is relatively low in the ER. Thus, the uncoating reaction must prevail despite unfavorable environmental conditions. Indeed, we detected little to no enhancement of chaperone-mediated disassembly in the presence of chelating and reducing agents. Cofactors in vivo may modulate the unfavorable environmental conditions. For example, thiol-redox reactions are mediated by the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family, and these proteins can be found at the cell surface through the ER. Some PDIs contain J domains (reviewed in reference 11), suggesting that PDIs may recruit and stimulate Hsp70 chaperones or have intrinsic chaperone activity (24, 34), and recently the PDI-like protein Erp29 was shown to mediate polyomavirus membrane penetration (18). Our observations support a step in which Hsc70-like chaperones continue the uncoating process.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Martin Müller for BPV VLPs and John Schiller for
anti-BPV antibodies.
R.L.G. was supported by NIH/NCI grant CA37667. L.R.C. was supported by NIH predoctoral training grant T32 AI07537.

FOOTNOTES
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: UCDHSC at Fitzsimons, Pediatrics, Mail Stop 8302, P.O. Box 6511, Aurora, CO 80045. Phone: (303) 724-4000. Fax: (303) 724-4015. E-mail:
bob.garcea{at}uchsc.edu.

Present address: University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1301 Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0611. 

REFERENCES
1 - Becker, K. A., L. Florin, C. Sapp, G. G. Maul, and M. Sapp. 2004. Nuclear localization but not PML protein is required for incorporation of the papillomavirus minor capsid protein L2 into virus-like particles. J. Virol. 78:1121-1128.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2 - Belnap, D. M., N. H. Olson, N. M. Cladel, W. W. Newcomb, J. C. Brown, J. W. Kreider, N. D. Christensen, and T. S. Baker. 1996. Conserved features in papillomavirus and polyomavirus capsids. J. Mol. Biol. 259:249-263.[CrossRef][Medline]
3 - Bousarghin, L., A. Touze, P. Y. Sizaret, and P. Coursaget. 2003. Human papillomavirus types 16, 31, and 58 use different endocytosis pathways to enter cells. J. Virol. 77:3846-3850.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
4 - Brady, J. N., V. D. Winston, and R. A. Consigli. 1977. Dissociation of polyoma virus by the chelation of calcium ions found associated with purified virions. J. Virol. 23:717-724.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
5 - Chen, P. L., M. Wang, W. C. Ou, C. K. Lii, L. S. Chen, and D. Chang. 2001. Disulfide bonds stabilize JC virus capsid-like structure by protecting calcium ions from chelation. FEBS Lett. 500:109-113.[CrossRef][Medline]
6 - Chroboczek, J., E. Gout, A. L. Favier, and R. Galinier. 2003. Novel partner proteins of adenovirus penton. Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol. 272:37-55.[Medline]
7 - Chromy, L. R., J. M. Pipas, and R. L. Garcea. 2003. Chaperone-mediated in vitro assembly of polyomavirus capsids. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100:10477-10482.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
8 - Cripe, T. P., S. E. Delos, P. A. Estes, and R. L. Garcea. 1995. In vivo and in vitro association of hsc70 with polyomavirus capsid proteins. J. Virol. 69:7807-7813.[Abstract]
9 - Day, P. M., D. R. Lowy, and J. T. Schiller. 2003. Papillomaviruses infect cells via a clathrin-dependent pathway. Virology 307:1-11.[CrossRef][Medline]
10 - Drobni, P., N. Mistry, N. McMillan, and M. Evander. 2003. Carboxy-fluorescein diacetate, succinimidyl ester labeled papillomavirus virus-like particles fluoresce after internalization and interact with heparan sulfate for binding and entry. Virology 310:163-172.[CrossRef][Medline]
11 - Ellgaard, L., and L. W. Ruddock. 2005. The human protein disulphide isomerase family: substrate interactions and functional properties. EMBO Rep. 6:28-32.[CrossRef][Medline]
12 - Garcea, R. L., and P. A. Estes. 1998. Purification of papovavirus virus-like particles from Sf9 insect cells, p. 521-527. In J. E. Celis (ed.), Cell biology: a laboratory handbook, 2nd ed., vol. 1. Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
13 - Garcea, R. L., D. M. Salunke, and D. L. Caspar. 1987. Site-directed mutation affecting polyomavirus capsid self-assembly in vitro. Nature 329:86-87.[CrossRef][Medline]
14 - Ishizu, K. I., H. Watanabe, S. I. Han, S. N. Kanesashi, M. Hoque, H. Yajima, K. Kataoka, and H. Handa. 2001. Roles of disulfide linkage and calcium ion-mediated interactions in assembly and disassembly of virus-like particles composed of simian virus 40 VP1 capsid protein. J. Virol. 75:61-72.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
15 - Li, M., P. Beard, P. A. Estes, M. K. Lyon, and R. L. Garcea. 1998. Intercapsomeric disulfide bonds in papillomavirus assembly and disassembly. J. Virol. 72:2160-2167.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
16 - Li, M., T. P. Cripe, P. A. Estes, M. K. Lyon, R. C. Rose, and R. L. Garcea. 1997. Expression of the human papillomavirus type 11 L1 capsid protein in Escherichia coli: characterization of protein domains involved in DNA binding and capsid assembly. J. Virol. 71:2988-2995.[Abstract]
17 - Li, P. P., A. Nakanishi, S. W. Clark, and H. Kasamatsu. 2002. Formation of transitory intrachain and interchain disulfide bonds accompanies the folding and oligomerization of simian virus 40 Vp1 in the cytoplasm. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99:1353-1358.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
18 - Magnuson, B., E. K. Rainey, T. L. Benjamin, M. Baryshev, S. Mkrtchian, and B. Tsai. 2005. ERp29 triggers a conformational change in polyomavirus to stimulate membrane binding. Mol. Cell 20:289-300.[CrossRef][Medline]
19 - Mannova, P., and J. Forstova. 2003. Mouse polyomavirus utilizes recycling endosomes for a traffic pathway independent of COPI vesicle transport. J. Virol. 77:1672-1681.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
20 - Mayer, M. P. 2005. Recruitment of hsp70 chaperones: a crucial part of viral survival strategies. Rev. Physiol. Biochem. Pharmacol. 153:1-46.[CrossRef][Medline]
21 - McCarthy, M. P., W. I. White, F. Palmer-Hill, S. Koenig, and J. A. Suzich. 1998. Quantitative disassembly and reassembly of human papillomavirus type 11 viruslike particles in vitro. J. Virol. 72:32-41.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
22 - Modis, Y., B. L. Trus, and S. C. Harrison. 2002. Atomic model of the papillomavirus capsid. EMBO J. 21:4754-4762.[CrossRef][Medline]
23 - Niewiarowska, J., J. C. D'Halluin, and M. T. Belin. 1992. Adenovirus capsid proteins interact with HSP70 proteins after penetration in human or rodent cells. Exp. Cell Res. 201:408-416.[CrossRef][Medline]
24 - Noiva, R. 1999. Protein disulfide isomerase: the multifunctional redox chaperone of the endoplasmic reticulum. Cell Dev. Biol. 10:481-493.
25 - Norkin, L. C., H. A. Anderson, S. A. Wolfrom, and A. Oppenheim. 2002. Caveolar endocytosis of simian virus 40 is followed by brefeldin A-sensitive transport to the endoplasmic reticulum, where the virus disassembles. J. Virol. 76:5156-5166.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
26 - Pelkmans, L., T. Burli, M. Zerial, and A. Helenius. 2004. Caveolin-stabilized membrane domains as multifunctional transport and sorting devices in endocytic membrane traffic. Cell 118:767-780.[CrossRef][Medline]
27 - Richterova, Z., D. Liebl, M. Horak, Z. Palkova, J. Stokrova, P. Hozak, J. Korb, and J. Forstova. 2001. Caveolae are involved in the trafficking of mouse polyomavirus virions and artificial VP1 pseudocapsids toward cell nuclei. J. Virol. 75:10880-10891.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
28 - Saphire, A. C., T. Guan, E. C. Schirmer, G. R. Nemerow, and L. Gerace. 2000. Nuclear import of adenovirus DNA in vitro involves the nuclear protein import pathway and hsc70. J. Biol. Chem. 275:4298-4304.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
29 - Sapp, M., C. Volpers, M. Müller, and R. E. Streeck. 1995. Organization of the major and minor capsid proteins in human papillomavirus type 33 virus-like particles. J. Gen. Virol. 76:2407-2412.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
30 - Schaffhausen, B. S., and T. L. Benjamin. 1976. Deficiency in histone acetylation in nontransforming host range mutants of polyoma virus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 73:1092-1096.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
31 - Selinka, H. C., T. Giroglou, and M. Sapp. 2002. Analysis of the infectious entry pathway of human papillomavirus type 33 pseudovirions. Virology 299:279-287.[CrossRef][Medline]
32 - Shafti-Keramat, S., A. Handisurya, E. Kriehuber, G. Meneguzzi, K. Slupetzky, and R. Kirnbauer. 2003. Different heparan sulfate proteoglycans serve as cellular receptors for human papillomaviruses. J. Virol. 77:13125-13135.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
33 - Talcott, B., and M. S. Moore. 1999. Getting across the nuclear pore complex. Trends Cell Biol. 9:312-318.[CrossRef][Medline]
34 - Tsai, B., C. Rodighiero, W. I. Lencer, and T. A. Rapoport. 2001. Protein disulfide isomerase acts as a redox-dependent chaperone to unfold cholera toxin. Cell 104:937-948.[CrossRef][Medline]
35 - Young, J. C., J. M. Barral, and F. Ulrich Hartl. 2003. More than folding: localized functions of cytosolic chaperones. Trends Biochem. Sci. 28:541-547.[CrossRef][Medline]
Journal of Virology, May 2006, p. 5086-5091, Vol. 80, No. 10
0022-538X/06/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.80.10.5086-5091.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Conway, M.J., Meyers, C.
(2009). Replication and Assembly of Human Papillomaviruses. JDR
88: 307-317
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Bird, G., O'Donnell, M., Moroianu, J., Garcea, R. L.
(2008). Possible Role for Cellular Karyopherins in Regulating Polyomavirus and Papillomavirus Capsid Assembly. J. Virol.
82: 9848-9857
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Ivanovic, T., Agosto, M. A., Chandran, K., Nibert, M. L.
(2007). A Role for Molecular Chaperone Hsc70 in Reovirus Outer Capsid Disassembly. J. Biol. Chem.
282: 12210-12219
[Abstract]
[Full Text]