Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of the most common neoplasm in untreated AIDS patients, and is also affiliated with two B cell lymphoproliferative disorders. The lytic viral replication cycle has previously been shown to be an essential component of KSHV-induced pathogenesis. One prominent consequence of lytic KSHV infection is a near total destruction of the cellular transcriptome, termed 'host shutoff'. This phenotype is mediated by the viral SOX protein which promotes enhanced cellular messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation, likely via interception of cellular RNA stability pathways. We have identified 2 novel SOX activities linked to host shutoff: SOX induces nuclear re-localization of cytoplasmic poly(A) binding protein (PABPC), and triggers disruption of the 3'end processing of cellular mRNAs in the nucleus leading to their hyperadenylation. PABPC is a cellular protein that plays a key role in mRNA translation and stability in the cytoplasm yet has no known nuclear functions. Thus, we hypothesize that its aberrant localization in SOX-expressing cells is a significant contributor to cytoplasmic mRNA destruction. Within the nucleus, the nascent hyperadenylated cellular mRNAs are not exported, and we predict they are destroyed by cellular quality control mechanisms. Interestingly, we have preliminary data indicating that nuclear PABPC is an important driver of the hyperadenylation phenotype. Thus, KSHV appears to target PABPC to eliminate both nuclear and cytoplasmic cellular messages via distinct mechanisms. This represents a completely novel mechanism of virus-induced termination of host gene expression and, additionally, reveals for the first time in human cells a mechanism for polyadenylation-stimulated mRNA decay and a role for PABPC in the nucleus. Emerging connections between disruption of normal cellular RNA turnover pathways and human disease have highlighted the importance of understanding mechanisms by which such events become deregulated;it is in this regard that KSHV SOX represents an excellent tool to probe how pathogenic human viruses may interface with these critical cellular pathways. This proposal will explore the connections between SOX-induced PABPC import and mRNA hyperadenylation, as well as explore the contribution of cellular quality control pathways towards the ultimate destruction of these messages. Specifically, we will begin by confirming that nuclear PABPC drives hyperadenylation then proceed to dissect the mechanisms by which this occurs. PABPC is a key antagonist of the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway in the cytoplasm, and we will therefore explore the potential aberrant activation of this and other quality control pathways during KSHV infection. Finally, we will monitor the contribution of host shutoff towards viral replication and pathogenesis both in cell culture and in murine models.

Public Health Relevance

Viruses not only cause disease, but are also superb tools to probe the inner workings of our own cells. We investigate how a cancer causing human herpesvirus destroys cellular messages to enhance its own replication, as this information will provide important clues both into how this virus thrives in infected individuals and also how cellular gene expression is regulated.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01CA136367-01A2
Application #
7929210
Study Section
AIDS-associated Opportunistic Infections and Cancer Study Section (AOIC)
Program Officer
Read-Connole, Elizabeth Lee
Project Start
2010-05-12
Project End
2015-03-31
Budget Start
2010-05-12
Budget End
2011-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$296,776
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Other Basic Sciences
Type
Schools of Earth Sciences/Natur
DUNS #
124726725
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
Gilbertson, Sarah; Federspiel, Joel D; Hartenian, Ella et al. (2018) Changes in mRNA abundance drive shuttling of RNA binding proteins, linking cytoplasmic RNA degradation to transcription. Elife 7:
Karijolich, John; Zhao, Yang; Alla, Ravi et al. (2017) Genome-wide mapping of infection-induced SINE RNAs reveals a role in selective mRNA export. Nucleic Acids Res 45:6194-6208
Tucker, Jessica M; Glaunsinger, Britt A (2017) Host Noncoding Retrotransposons Induced by DNA Viruses: a SINE of Infection? J Virol 91:
Muller, Mandy; Glaunsinger, Britt A (2017) Nuclease escape elements protect messenger RNA against cleavage by multiple viral endonucleases. PLoS Pathog 13:e1006593
Glaunsinger, Britt A (2015) Modulation of the Translational Landscape During Herpesvirus Infection. Annu Rev Virol 2:311-33
Abernathy, Emma; Gilbertson, Sarah; Alla, Ravi et al. (2015) Viral Nucleases Induce an mRNA Degradation-Transcription Feedback Loop in Mammalian Cells. Cell Host Microbe 18:243-53
Abernathy, Emma; Glaunsinger, Britt (2015) Emerging roles for RNA degradation in viral replication and antiviral defense. Virology 479-480:600-8
Davis, Zoe H; Verschueren, Erik; Jang, Gwendolyn M et al. (2015) Global mapping of herpesvirus-host protein complexes reveals a transcription strategy for late genes. Mol Cell 57:349-60
Gaglia, Marta Maria; Rycroft, Chris H; Glaunsinger, Britt A (2015) Transcriptome-Wide Cleavage Site Mapping on Cellular mRNAs Reveals Features Underlying Sequence-Specific Cleavage by the Viral Ribonuclease SOX. PLoS Pathog 11:e1005305
Muller, Mandy; Hutin, Stephanie; Marigold, Oliver et al. (2015) A ribonucleoprotein complex protects the interleukin-6 mRNA from degradation by distinct herpesviral endonucleases. PLoS Pathog 11:e1004899

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