|
||
© The Rockefeller University Press,
0021-9525/2001//449 $5.00
The Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 153, Number 3,
, 2001 449-456
Original Article |
Aggresomes Resemble Sites Specialized for Virus Assembly
thomas.wileman{at}bbsrc.ac.uk
The large cytoplasmic DNA viruses such as poxviruses, iridoviruses, and African swine fever virus (ASFV) assemble in discrete perinuclear foci called viral factories. Factories exclude host proteins, suggesting that they are novel subcellular structures induced by viruses. Novel perinuclear structures, called aggresomes are also formed by cells in response to misfolded protein (Johnston, J.A., C.L. Ward, and R.R. Kopito. 1998. J. Cell Biol. 143:1883–1898; García-Mata, R., Z. Bebök, E.J. Sorscher, and E.S. Sztul. 1999. J. Cell Biol. 146:1239–1254). In this study, we have investigated whether aggresomes and viral factories are related structures. Aggresomes were compared with viral factories produced by ASFV. Aggresomes and viral factories were located close to the microtubule organizing center and required an intact microtubular network for assembly. Both structures caused rearrangement of intermediate filaments and the collapse of vimentin into characteristic cages, and both recruited mitochondria and cellular chaperones. Given that ASFV factories resemble aggresomes, it is possible that a cellular response originally designed to reduce the toxicity of misfolded proteins is exploited by cytoplasmic DNA viruses to concentrate structural proteins at virus assembly sites.
Key Words: virus assembly aggresomes African swine fever virus microtubules vimentin
© 2001 The Rockefeller University Press
| Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
ASFV shares the genomic organization of poxviruses with the striking icosahedral symmetry of the iridoviridae (Goorha and Granoff 1979; Yáñez et al. 1995), suggesting an evolutionary connection to both virus families. The 170-kb genome of ASFV encodes some 150 open reading frames, and as many as 50 viral proteins are assembled into viral particles (Esteves et al. 1986). Assembly of the virus takes place in perinuclear viral factories (Moura Nunes et al. 1975) that contain fully assembled virions seen as 200-nm-diameter hexagons in cross section, and a series of one- to six-sided assembly intermediates (Rouiller et al. 1998). Approximately 35% of the mass of the virion is provided by p73, the major capsid protein, while the ordered processing of a 220-kD polyprotein to structural proteins, p150, p37, p34, and p14, provides another 25% of the virion mass (Andrés et al. 1997). Recruitment of these proteins into viral factories is highly efficient, and they are almost exclusively localized to virus factories when observed by immunofluorescence microscopy (Cobbold et al. 1996; Andrés et al. 1997). At present, it is not known how p73, or other proteins required for virion assembly, are recruited into virus factories. The generation of a specific assembly site within cells could occur actively by targeting viral proteins into the assembly site. Alternatively, they may form passively as a consequence of the localized accumulation of large quantities of protein during virus infection.
It has been shown recently that cells respond to the production of high levels of misfolded proteins by transporting them to perinuclear sites called aggresomes. Aggresomes were first described as sites able to sequester misfolded cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance receptors or unassembled presenilin (Johnston et al. 1998; Wigley et al. 1999), but it is now thought possible that aggresome formation may be a general cellular response to misfolded or unassembled proteins (García-Mata et al. 1999). Aggresomes are located close to centrosomes and are enclosed in a characteristic vimentin cage. They also recruit cellular chaperones and proteasomes and may regulate protein folding and degradation (Kopito 2000). The ability of aggresomes to concentrate proteins and cellular chaperones make them highly suitable for facilitating virus assembly. In this study we investigated the possibility that viral factories and aggresomes are related structures, and find a striking similarity between them. It is possible that a cellular response originally designed to reduce the potential toxicity of misfolded proteins is exploited by ASFV as a means of concentrating structural proteins at sites of virus assembly.
| Materials and Methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Antibodies and Reagents
The monoclonal antibody 4H3 binds the major ASFV capsid protein p73 (Cobbold et al. 1996). The antibody specific for vp30 was from Dan Rock (United States Department of Agriculture, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Greenport, NY). Rabbit antibody specific for p34 was generated from recombinant his-tagged protein using the pTrcHis expression vector (Invitrogen). 9E10 was used to detect myc-tagged p50/dynamitin. Antibody against TCPI
chain was from StressGen Biotechnologies. Nocodazole and all other antibodies were from Sigma-Aldrich.
Cell Culture and Transfections
Vero cells were grown on 12-mm coverslips to 70% confluency and transfected transiently with plasmids using Transfast (Promega). The GFP-250 plasmid was a gift from Dr. Elizabeth Sztul (University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL). The p50/dynamitin plasmid (PCMVH50myc was a gift from Dr. Richard Vallee (University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, MA) and is described in Echeverri et al. 1996.
Fluorescence Microscopy
Cells were fixed in –20°C methanol or 4% paraformaldehyde, permeabilized in 0.1% Triton X-100, and blocked with 0.2% gelatin and 30% goat serum. The cells were incubated with primary antibodies in the same buffer and visualized with the secondary antibodies conjugated to Alexa dyes (Molecular Probes). Cells were mounted in Fluoromount-G (Southern Biotechnology Associates, Inc.) and viewed at 60x/1.4 NA with a Nikon E800 microscope, and 0.2-µm digital sections were captured with a DCC camera (C-4746A; Hamamatsu) and digitally deconvolved using Openlab software from Improvision. The Vernier calibration tool was used to calculate aggresome and factory cross sectional areas.
Online Supplemental Material
(Fig. S1) Virus assembly can initiate at multiple sites within the virus factory. (Table SI) Distribution of virus assembly sites within virus factories. Available online at http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/153/3/449/DC1.
| Results and Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
The mechanism of vimentin reorganization during aggresome or factory formation is not known. Vimentin cages form during mitosis, and this may be regulated by phosphorylation of vimentin by cell cycle control kinases such as cdc2 and rho (Chou et al. 1990; Inagaki et al. 1987; Goto et al. 1998). Significantly, vimentin cages have long been known to form around the assembly sites of the cytoplasmic iridovirus, frog virus 3 (FV3) (Murti and Goorha 1983), and a fourfold increase in phosphorylation of vimentin occurs in cells infected with FV3 (Chen et al. 1986). This is particularly relevant since ASFV was originally classified as an iridovirus and is structurally related to FV3. Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of vimentin therefore offer a possible means of regulating cage formation during ASFV infection.
Aggresomes and Viral Factories Locate Near the Microtubule Organizing Center and Recruit Mitochondria and Cellular Chaperones
The perinuclear location of aggresomes has implicated a role for microtubules and the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in construction of the organelle (Johnston et al. 1998; García-Mata et al. 1999). The location of the MTOC in cells expressing the GFP-250 protein was determined using an antibody specific for
-tubulin (Fig. 2 A). The centrioles were difficult to image because partial disruption of the MTOC by the aggresome produced diffuse
-tubulin staining, as reported by Johnston et al. 1998. Two centrioles were, however, distinguished as orange spots in the inset. Viral factories were located using an antibody specific for p73, the major capsid protein (Fig. 2 B). Viral factories did not disperse
-tubulin staining, and centrioles at the MTOC were clearly visible (red). The merged image is representative of many cells viewed, and in each case the assembly site of ASFV was located close to the MTOC. In contrast to aggresomes, however, virus factories did not localize directly at the MTOC. The reasons for this difference are unknown.
|
|
-Tubulin formed a filamentous network extending throughout the cell (center). There was a partial exclusion of tubulin from the area occupied by the factory, as has been described for the aggresomes (García-Mata et al. 1999). ASFV did not otherwise cause obvious disruption of microtubules. The effect of nocodazole on the viral factories is shown in Fig. 4B and Fig. C. Cells were either stained with antibodies specific for p34 and
-tubulin (B), or two different markers for viral factories, p34 and p73 (C). Nocodazole disrupted the filamentous microtubule network and caused the staining for the two viral structural proteins and extranuclear DNA to extend in a polarized fashion from one side of the nucleus to the cell periphery. These results suggested that, in common with aggresomes, the compact perinuclear location of the viral factory was dependent on an intact microtubule network and, by implication, that microtubules are used to transport proteins to viral factories.
|
Given the striking similarity between aggresomes and ASFV factories, it is interesting to ask how the virus stimulates aggresome formation and then gains access to the organelle. In a model proposed by Johnston et al. 1998, hydrophobic interactions between misfolded proteins lead to aggregation, and once aggregates reach a diameter of 60–80-nm diameter they are delivered to the MTOC by retrograde transport along microtubules. Exit of aggregates by diffusion into the cytoplasm is prevented by reorganization of intermediate filaments into a cage surrounding the aggresome. The ability of the aggresome pathway to recognize large protein aggregates provides one mechanism for recruitment of ASFV into aggresomes. The outer envelopes of ASFV are removed in endosomes and lysosomes as the virus enters the cell (Geraldes and Valdeira 1985), and a compact nucleoprotein core of
100-nm diameter enters the cytosol (Valdeira et al. 1998). We propose that viral cores may be recognized by the aggresome pathway and transported by minus end–directed motors to the MTOC along microtubules (Fig. 5). The subsequent reorganization of vimentin into cages around these particles would then prevent release of virion cores into the cytosol. Since virion cores contain the enzymes necessary for genome replication, this mechanism would establish an intracellular site within the aggresome ideally suited for the localized production of viral DNA. Support for this comes from the observation that late gene expression was inhibited if early viral components were denied access to the aggresome pathway by p50/dynamitin or nocodazole (Fig. 4D and Fig. E). At later stages of replication, viral components need to be delivered to aggresomes to initiate assembly. The experiments with nocodazole suggests that these are delivered by microtubules. Interestingly, three viral core proteins of vaccinia virus, another virus that replicates in cytoplasmic factories, bind microtubules (Ploubidou et al. 2000), and microtubules are thought to facilitate virus egress (Sanderson et al. 2000) and also transport viral cores into vaccinia virus factories earlier during assembly. After assembly in factories, ASF virus particles are released into the cytoplasm. Given that the exclusion limit of the aggresome vimentin cage is 60–100 nm, and virus particles are 200 nm in diameter, ASF virus must have some means of breaking down the vimentin cage. It is possible that this is achieved through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of vimentin.
|
| Acknowledgments |
|---|
Submitted: 5 December 2000
Revised: 7 March 2001
Accepted: 7 March 2001
The online version of this article contains supplemental material.
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Andrés G., Simón-Mateo C. & Viñuela E.. Assembly of African swine fever virusrole of polyprotein pp220, J. Virol., 71, 1997, 2331–2341.[Abstract]
Chen M., Goorha R. & Murti K.G.. Interaction of frog virus-3 with the cytomatrix. IV. Phosphorylation of vimentin precedes the reorganisation of intermediate filaments around the virus assembly sites, J. Gen. Virol., 67, 1986, 915–922.
Chou Y.H., Bischoff J.R., Beach D. & Goldman R.D.. Intermediate filament reorganisation during mitosis is mediated by p34cdc2 phosphorylation of vimentin, Cell., 62, 1990, 1063–1071.[Medline]
Cobbold C., Whittle J.T. & Wileman T.. Role of the endoplasmic reticulum in the assembly and envelopment of African swine fever virus, J. Virol., 70, 1996, 377–384.
Cobbold C. & Wileman T.. The major structural protein of African swine fever virus, p73, is packaged into large structures, indicative of viral capsid or matrix precursors, on the endoplasmic reticulum, J. Virol., 72, 1998, 5215–5223.
Echeverri C.J., Paschal B.M., Vaughan K.T. & Vallee R.B.. Molecular characterization of the 50kDa subunit of dynactin reveals function for the complex in chromosome alignment and spindle organization during mitosis, J. Cell Biol., 132, 1996, 617–633.
Esteves M., Marques M.I. & Costa J.V.. Two-dimensional analysis of African swine fever virus protein and proteins induced in infected cells, Virology., 152, 1986, 192–206.[Medline]
García-Mata R., Bebök Z., Sorscher E.J. & Sztul E.S.. Characterization and dynamics of aggresome formation by a cytosolic GFP-chimera, J. Cell Biol., 146, 1999, 1239–1254.
Georgi A., Mottolahartshorn C., Warner A., Fields B. & Chen L.B.. Detection of individual fluorescently labeled reovirions in living cells, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 87, 1990, 6579–6583.
Geraldes A. & Valdeira M.L.. Effect of chloroquine on African swine fever virus infection, J. Gen. Virol., 66, 1985, 1145–1148.
Goorha R. & Granoff A.. Icosahedral cytoplasmic deoxyviruses, Fraenkel-Contrat H. & Wagner R.R., Newly Characterised Vertebrate Viruses. Comprehensive Virology 14, 1979, 347–399, Plenum Publishing Corp, New York, NY.
Goto H., Kosako H., Tanabe K., Yanagida M., Sakurai M., Amano M., Kaibuchi K. & Inagaki M.. Phosphorylation of vimentin by Rho-associated kinase at a unique amino-terminal site that is specifically phosphorylated during cytokinesis, J. Biol. Chem., 273, 1998, 11728–11736.
Inagaki M., Nishi Y., Nishizawa K., Matsuyama M. & Sato C.. Site-specific phosphorylation induces disassembly of vimentin filaments in vitro, Nature., 328, 1987, 649–652.[Medline]
Johnston J.A., Ward C.L. & Kopito R.R.. Aggresomesa cellular response to misfolded proteins, J. Cell Biol., 143, 1998, 1883–1898.
Kopito R.R.. Aggresomes, inclusion bodies and protein aggregation, Trends Cell Biol., 10, 2000, 524–530.[Medline]
Leão Ferreira R.L., Moussatche N. & Neto V.M.. Rearrangement of intermediate filament network of BHK-21 cells infected with vaccinia virus, Arch. Virol., 138, 1994, 273–285.[Medline]
Moura Nunes J.F., Vigario D. & Terrinha M.. Ultrastructural study of African swine fever virus replication in cultures of swine bone marrow cells, Arch. Virol., 49, 1975, 59–66.[Medline]
Murata T., Goshima F., Daikoku T., Inagaki-Ohara K., Takakuwa H., Kato K. & Nishiyama Y.. Mitochondrial distribution and function in herpes simplex virus-infected cells, J. Gen. Virol., 81, 2000, 401–406.
Murti K.G. & Goorha R.. Interaction of frog virus-3 with the cytoskeleton. I. Altered organization of microtubules, intermediate filaments, and microfilaments, J. Cell Biol., 96, 1983, 1248–1257.
Nédellec P., Vicart P., Laurent-Winter C., Martinat C., Prévost M.C. & Brahic M.. Interaction of Theiler's virus with intermediate filaments of infected cells, J. Virol., 72, 1998, 9553–9560.
Ploubidou A., Moreau V., Ashman K., Reckmann I., González C. & Way M.. Vaccinia virus infection disrupts microtubule organization and centrosome function, EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J., 19, 2000, 3932–3944.[Medline]
Rouiller I., Brookes S.M., Hyatt A.D., Windsor M. & Wileman T.. African swine fever virus is wrapped by the endoplasmic reticulum, J. Virol., 72, 1998, 2373–2387.
Sanderson C.M., Hollinshead M. & Smith G.L.. The vaccinia A27L protein is needed for microtubule-dependent transport of intracellular mature virus particles, J. Gen. Virol., 81, 2000, 47–58.
Sharpe A.H., Chen L.B. & Fields B.N.. The interaction of mammalian reoviruses with the cytoskeleton of monkey kidney CV-1 cells, Virology., 120, 1982, 399–411.[Medline]
Sodeik B., Ebersold M.W. & Helenius A.. Microtubule-mediated transport of incoming herpes simplex virus 1 capsids to the nucleus, J. Cell Biol., 136, 1997, 1007–1021.
Suomalainen M., Nakano M.Y., Keller S., Boucke K., Stidwill R.P. & Geber U.F.. Microtubule-dependent plus- and minus end-directed motilities are competing processes for nuclear targeting of adenovirus, J. Cell Biol., 144, 1999, 657–672.
Valdeira M.L., Bernardes C., Cruz B. & Geraldes A.. Entry of African swine fever virus into Vero cells and uncoating, Vet. Microbiol, 60, 1998, 131–140.[Medline]
Wigley W.C., Fabunmi R.P., Goo Lee M., Marino C.R., Muallem S., DeMartino G.N. & Thomas P.J.. Dynamic association of proteasomal machinery with the centrosome, J. Cell Biol., 145, 1999, 481–490.
Yáñez R.J., Rodríguez J.M., Nogal M.L., Yuste L., Enríquez C., Rodriguez J.F. & Viñuela E.. Analysis of the complete nucleotide sequence of African swine fever virus, Virology., 208, 1995, 249–278.[Medline]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|