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Journal of Virology, April 2009, p. 3384-3388, Vol. 83, No. 7
0022-538X/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.02513-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology,1 International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan,5 ERATO Infection-Induced Host Responses Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan,4 Laboratory of Prion Diseases, Department of Prion Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-818, Japan,3 Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 537062
Received 6 December 2008/ Accepted 12 January 2009
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To identify the packaging signal of the M vRNA, we generated infectious VLPs by A/WSN/33 (H1N1; WSN) virus-based reverse genetics (17) using plasmids for mutant M vRNAs that possessed the GFP gene flanked by various lengths of the coding and/or noncoding regions (Fig. 1). The packaging efficiency of each test M vRNA into infectious VLPs was measured as previously described (19) (Fig. 1). Briefly, we infected Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells with the VLPs, detected virus-infected cells with an anti-WSN virus polyclonal antibody, and counted the number of WSN viral antigen-expressing (representing the total number of infectious VLPs) and GFP-expressing (representing the number of VLPs that possessed the test M vRNA) cells at 24 h postinfection. As the 3' or 5' coding region was extended, both the M vRNA packaging efficiency and the VLP number gradually increased except for those of M(0)GFP(0) (the numbers in parentheses indicate the nucleotide numbers for the M coding regions). These results indicate that, like the other segments (2-4, 10, 14, 16, 19, 21), both ends of the M vRNA coding region support efficient packaging of the vRNA segment into virions.
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FIG. 1. Identification of domains in the 3' or the 5' coding region of the M vRNA important for genome packaging and virion formation. (A) Schematic diagrams of test M vRNAs. The numbers in parentheses indicate the nucleotide numbers for the M coding regions. The noncoding and coding regions are represented by gray and green bars, respectively, while the dashed lines indicate nucleotides deleted from the M coding regions. The GFP open reading frame (green bar) was inserted in frame into the M open reading frame. All mutants are shown in the negative-sense orientation. (B) Efficiencies of genome packaging and virion formation. To generate WSN strain-based infectious VLPs possessing the test M vRNAs given in panel A, plasmids for each test M vRNA were transfected into 293T cells with seven plasmids for the remaining vRNAs and six plasmids for the expression of PB2, PB1, PA, NP, M1, and M2. Forty-eight hours posttransfection, the supernatants were transferred to MDCK cells. The numbers of WSN viral antigen-expressing (representing the total number of infectious VLPs) and GFP-expressing (representing the number of VLPs that possessed the test M vRNA) cells at 24 h postinfection were determined, and the packaging efficiency of each test M vRNA into VLP was calculated by dividing the number of M vRNA-positive VLPs by the total number of VLPs. The numbers of VLPs with and without test M vRNAs are shown by green and gray bars, respectively. The results shown are representative of three independent experiments.
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FIG. 2. Construction of mutant M vRNAs and their packaging efficiencies into virions. (A) Schematic diagrams of wild-type and mutant M vRNAs. The nucleotide sequences at the 5' end (positions 972 to 1013) of wild-type, Mstop, Mrdm, Mstop-cc, M-27U, Mdel, and Mscr-1, -2, and -3 vRNAs are shown. For the construction of a plasmid pool for Mrdm vRNA, we performed inverse PCR with plasmid for Mdel vRNA as a template and primers containing randomized nucleotides at positions 979 to 1007. The self-ligated PCR products were used to transform Escherichia coli DH5 , resulting in 5.0 x 103 transformants. The InvivoGen small interfering RNA Wizard (http://www.sirnawizard.com/scrambled.php) was used to create the randomized sequences of the Mscr-1, -2, and -3 vRNAs. The noncoding and coding regions are represented in gray and black, respectively. Stop codons and the altered nucleotides from the authentic sequence are shown in red and blue, respectively. Note that the amino acid sequences of M2 encoded on the listed M vRNAs are identical except for the wild-type M vRNA. (B) Transcription/replication efficiencies of wild-type and mutant M vRNAs. An RNA polymerase I-driven plasmid for M vRNA synthesis was transfected into 293T cells together with four plasmids for the expression of PB2, PB1, PA, and NP, which are necessary and sufficient for vRNA transcription and replication. Twenty-four hours posttransfection, the expression of M1, M2, and β-actin (as an internal control) in the cell lysates was analyzed by Western blotting with monoclonal antibodies specific for each protein. The results shown are representative of three independent experiments.
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We analyzed 38 plaque-purified viruses and found 25 different nucleotide sequences of M vRNAs (Table 1). None of these 25 sequences were identical to the sequence found in the original Mstop vRNA. All of the viruses possessing these different nucleotide sequences in their 29-nt sequence grew efficiently (107 to 108 PFU/ml) and maintained the sequences after three passages, with the exception of clone number 13. In this clone, we found a uracil inserted at the 5' end of the randomized nucleotides in the M vRNA after three passages (data not shown). No other mutations were found in these mutant M vRNAs. The ratios of adenine and uracil were much higher than those of guanine and cytosine in these mutant M vRNAs; however, this AT-rich tendency was likely an artifact, since a similar nucleotide bias was also found in the plasmid pool used to generate the Mrdm vRNA (Table 2).
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TABLE 1. Nucleotide sequences of viruses possessing M vRNAs derived from a pool of mutant M vRNA segmentsa
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TABLE 2. Nucleotide biases found at nucleotide positions 979 to 1007 in plasmids and in vRNAs from rescued viruses
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Our finding of only limited conservation of the sequence in the 29-nt region in the M vRNA among our viral clones indicated that the nucleotide sequence in this region can be highly diverse without disrupting efficient virus replication, except for the two uracils at the 5' end. To confirm the relaxed stringency of the nucleotide sequence at the 5' end of the Mstop vRNA for efficient virus replication, we designed a mutant vRNA containing uracils at all positions from 979 to 1005 (Fig. 2A). However, the transcription/replication efficiency of this mutant vRNA was quite low (Fig. 2B).
We therefore designed four M vRNA mutants whose noncoding 27-nt regions for the M2 C terminus (except for the last two uracils) were deleted (Fig. 2A) or replaced with randomized sequences (Fig. 2A). The nucleotide compositions of the 27-nt sequence regions of these latter three M vRNAs were the same as those of the Mstop vRNA, but the nucleotide sequences were randomized. The transcription/replication efficiencies of these mutant M vRNAs were comparable to those of the wild-type M and Mstop vRNAs (Fig. 2B). While infectious viruses possessing the Mscr-1, -2, and -3 and Mstop vRNAs were readily generated by reverse genetics, we could not rescue infectious virus that possessed the Mdel vRNA. Although all of the viruses that possessed the scrambled sequences in their M vRNAs grew more slowly than the Mstop virus, their maximum titers were comparable to those of the Mstop virus (Fig. 3A). These results indicate that the nucleotide length, rather than the nucleotide sequence, at the 5' end of the Mstop vRNA is critical for virus replication.
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FIG. 3. Characterization of mutant viruses possessing a scrambled sequence in their M vRNAs. (A) Growth comparison of Mstop and Mscr-1, -2, and -3 viruses. MDCK cells were infected with each virus at a multiplicity of infection of 0.01. The culture supernatants harvested at the indicated times postinfection were subjected to plaque assay on MDCK cells. Error bars indicate the standard deviations of three independent experiments. (B) Packaging efficiencies of HA, NP, and M vRNAs into wild-type, Mstop, and Mscr-1, -2, and -3 viruses. MDCK cells were infected with the indicated viruses at a low (<0.1) multiplicity of infection. Twelve hours postinfection, the cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) for 30 min and M1-, NP-, or HA-expressing cells were identified with anti-M1, -NP, or -HA monoclonal antibodies; virus-infected cells were identified with an anti-WSN virus polyclonal antibody. The packaging efficiency of each vRNA was determined by dividing the numbers of monoclonal antibody-positive cells (representing the number of infectious virions that possessed M, NP, or HA vRNA, respectively) by the number of polyclonal antibody-positive cells (representing the number of all infectious virions). Error bars indicate the standard deviations of three independent experiments. (C) Formation efficiency of infectious virions possessing wild-type, Mstop, Mdel, and Mscr-1, -2, and -3 viruses. The indicated viruses were generated in 293T cells by reverse genetics using a plasmid for the NA vRNA that possesses a mutation from lysine to arginine at the C terminus. MDCK cells were infected with the transfectant viruses and fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS, and virus-infected cells were identified with an antiserum to WSN virus. Error bars indicate the standard deviations of three independent experiments.
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To elucidate the effect of the nucleotide sequence scrambling on infectious virion formation, we generated, by reverse genetics, Mscr-1, -2, and -3 viruses whose NA vRNA encoded arginine at the carboxyl-terminal position 453 instead of lysine. This mutation prevents trypsin-independent cleavage of WSN virus HA via the interaction between NA and plasminogen (6) and multiple cycles of virus replication in plasmid-transfected cells. To determine the efficiency of infectious virion formation, we titrated the transfectant viruses in the supernatant of the plasmid-transfected cells (Fig. 3C). The Mscr-1, -2, and -3 virus titers were more than 10-fold lower than those of the wild-type WSN and Mstop viruses, indicating that the nucleotide sequence scrambling reduced the efficiency of infectious virion formation.
In summary, here we demonstrated that both ends of the coding regions of the M vRNA are required for its efficient packaging into virions as has been shown for the other seven vRNAs (2-4, 10, 14, 16, 19, 21). We also found that the 27-nt sequence at the 5' end of the coding region in the M vRNA can accommodate highly diverse sequences compromising virus replication to only a limited extent and that the length, rather than the sequence, of nucleotides in this region is important for virus replication.
Synonymous mutations introduced into the highly conserved M2 codons at positions 90 to 92 (nucleotide positions 981 to 989 of M vRNA) (7) caused a more severe reduction in virus titer in MDCK cells compared with that found with our Mscr-1, -2, and -3 viruses. However, the results of both studies indicate that the nucleotide sequence of the 5' end of the coding region in the M vRNA, but not the amino acid sequence of the corresponding gene product, affects virus replication efficiency. These findings further our understanding of the packaging mechanism of influenza A virus vRNA segments into virions.
This work was supported by the Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO) grant from Japan Science and Technology Agency and by grants-in-aid from the Ministries of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology and of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan and by research grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service.
Published ahead of print on 21 January 2009. ![]()
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