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PubMed2000

Structural studies of recombinant Norwalk capsids.

Norwalk virus is the major cause of epidemic viral gastroenteritis in humans. Attempts to grow this human virus in laboratory cell lines have been unsuccessful; however, the Norwalk virus capsid protein, when expressed in insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus, spontaneously assembles into virus-like particles. The x-ray crystallographic structure of these recombinant Norwalk particles has been determined to 3.4 A, using a 22-A electron cryomicroscopy structure as a phasing model. The recombinant capsids, 380 A in diameter, exhibit a T=3 icosahedral symmetry. The capsid is formed by 90 dimers of the capsid protein, each of which forms an arch-like capsomere. The capsid protein has two distinct domains-a shell (S) and a protruding (P) domain-that are connected by a flexible hinge. Although the S domain has a classical beta-sandwich fold, the structure of the P domain is unlike any other viral protein. One of the subdomains in the P domain formed by the most variable part of the sequence is located at the exterior of the capsid.

Capsid↗
PubMed2024

Suppression of CNS APOE4 Expression by miRNAs Delivered by the S2 AAVrh.10 Capsid-Modified AAV Vector.

The homozygous Apolipoprotein E (APOE4) genotype is the major risk factor for the development of early Alzheimer's disease. Genome engineering studies in mouse models of human APOE4-dependent pathology have established that reduction of APOE4 expression can rescue the phenotype. We hypothesized that APOE4 could be suppressed in the CNS of APOE4 homozygotes using adeno-associated virus (AAV) expression of microRNAs (miRNA) designed to hybridize to APOE mRNA. We screened nine different miRNAs targeting APOE following transfection in HEK293T and Huh7 cells. Optimal APOE suppression was obtained with mir2A (targeting coding region nt330-351) and mirN4 (3' untranslated region nt1142-1162). miRNA expression cassettes were designed with two copies of each of these two miRNAs co-expressed with a mCherry transgene. To optimize delivery of these miRNAs, an engineered AAVrh.10 variant was identified from a screen of multiple peptide insertions into capsid loop IV and substitutions in loop VIII. This led to identifying the AAV.S2 capsid with enhanced transduction of both neurons and glia and enhanced distribution in the brain. The engineered capsid was used to deliver the APOE miRNA suppression cassette to the hippocampus of TRE4 mice (human APOE4 knock-in replacement of the murine apoE locus). Two weeks after intra-hippocampus administration, regional expression of miRNA at the injection site was quantified at the mRNA level relative to an endogenous reference. The AAV.S2 capsid provided 2.31 &#xb1; 0.37-fold higher expression of miRNA over that provided by AAVrh.10 (p < 0.05). In the targeted region, a single intra-hippocampus AAV.S2 administration suppressed hippocampal APOE4 mRNA levels by 76.5 &#xb1; 3.9% compared with 41.3 &#xb1; 3.3% with the same cassette delivered by the wildtype AAVrh.10 capsid (p < 0.0001). We conclude that an expression cassette with two different miRNAs targeting APOE4 delivered by the AAV.S2 capsid will generate highly significant suppression of APOE4 in the CNS.

Dependovirus↗
PubMed2002

Function of dynein and dynactin in herpes simplex virus capsid transport.

After fusion of the viral envelope with the plasma membrane, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) capsids are transported along microtubules (MTs) from the cell periphery to the nucleus. The motor ATPase cytoplasmic dynein and its multisubunit cofactor dynactin mediate most transport processes directed toward the minus-ends of MTs. Immunofluorescence microscopy experiments demonstrated that HSV1 capsids colocalized with cytoplasmic dynein and dynactin. We blocked the function of dynein by overexpressing the dynactin subunit dynamitin, which leads to the disruption of the dynactin complex. We then infected such cells with HSV1 and measured the efficiency of particle binding, virus entry, capsid transport to the nucleus, and the expression of immediate-early viral genes. High concentrations of dynamitin and dynamitin-GFP reduced the number of viral capsids transported to the nucleus. Moreover, viral protein synthesis was inhibited, whereas virus binding to the plasma membrane, its internalization, and the organization of the MT network were not affected. We concluded that incoming HSV1 capsids are propelled along MTs by dynein and that dynein and dynactin are required for efficient viral capsid transport to the nucleus.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed2002

The morphogenic linker peptide of HBV capsid protein forms a mobile array on the interior surface.

Many capsid proteins have peptides that influence their assembly. In hepatitis B virus capsid protein, the peptide STLPETTVV, linking the shell-forming 'core' domain and the nucleic acid-binding 'protamine' domain, has such a role. We have studied its morphogenic properties by permuting its sequence, substituting it with an extraneous peptide, deleting it to directly fuse the core and protamine domains and assembling core domain dimers with added linker peptides. The peptide was found to be necessary for the assembly of protamine domain-containing capsids, although its size-determining effect tolerates some modifications. Although largely invisible in a capsid crystal structure, we could visualize linker peptides by cryo-EM difference imaging: they emerge on the inner surface and extend from the capsid protein dimer interface towards the adjacent symmetry axis. A closely sequence-similar peptide in cellobiose dehydrogenase, which has an extended conformation, offers a plausible prototype. We propose that linker peptides are attached to the capsid inner surface as hinged struts, forming a mobile array, an arrangement with implications for morphogenesis and the management of encapsidated nucleic acid.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed1990

Intragenic suppression of a capsid assembly-defective P22 tailspike mutation.

The tailspike protein of bacteriophage P22 assembles with mature capsids during the final reaction in phage morphogenesis. The gene 9 mutation hmH3034 synthesizes a tailspike protein with a change at amino acid 100 from Asp to Asn. This mutant form of trimeric tailspike protein fails to assemble with capsids in vivo. By using in vitro quantitative tailspike-capsid assembly assays, this mutant tailspike trimer can be shown to assemble with capsids at very high tailspike concentrations. From these assays, we estimate that this single missense mutation decreases by 100-500-fold the affinity of the tailspike for capsids. Furthermore, hmH3034 tailspike protein has a structural defect which makes the mature tailspike trimers sensitive to SDS at room temperature and causes the trimers to "partially unfold." Spontaneously arising intragenic suppressors of the capsid assembly defect have been isolated. All of these suppressors are changes at amino acid 13 of the tailspike protein, which substitute His, Leu or Ser for the wild type amino acid Arg. These hmH3034/sup3034 mutants and the separated sup3034 mutants form fully functional tailspike proteins with assembly activities indistinguishable from wild type while retaining the SDS-sensitive structural defect. From the analysis of the hmH3034 mutant and its suppressors, we propose that in the wild-type tailspike protein, the Asp residue at position 100 and the Arg residue at position 13 form an intrachain or interchain salt bridge which stabilizes the amino terminus of the tailspike protein and that the unneutralized positive charge at amino acid 13 in the hmH3034 protein is the cause of the assembly defect of this protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Capsid↗
PubMed1990

Herpes simplex virus type 1 UL28 gene product is important for the formation of mature capsids.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 temperature-sensitive (ts) DNA-positive mutant ts1203 has been characterized. The ts lesion in ts1203 was located by marker rescue within the coding region of gene UL28. Nuclei of cells infected with ts1203 at the non-permissive temperature (NPT) contained large numbers of capsids with a uniform morphology. These capsids lacked DNA but had a defined internal structure. No full capsids were detected at the NPT, suggesting that ts1203 was unable to package viral DNA. In this respect ts1203 is similar to ts1201 which has a defect in gene UL26. The capsids made by ts1203 at the NPT, however, contained a more compact internal structure than those of ts1201. In addition, ts1203 capsids were dispersed throughout the nucleus whereas ts1201 capsids were frequently found clustered together in large arrays. Southern blot and sedimentation analyses of viral DNA confirmed that ts1203 had an encapsidation defect and showed that most of the mutant DNA at the NPT was of a high Mr. The effect of the ts1203 mutation could not be reversed in the absence of de novo protein synthesis by transferring mutant-infected cells from the NPT to the permissive temperature.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1991

Phylogeny of capsid proteins of small icosahedral RNA plant viruses.

Statistically significant alignment was generated between the amino acid sequences of the (putative) shell (S) domains of the capsid proteins of small RNA plant viruses with icosahedral capsids in the tombusvirus, carmovirus, dianthovirus, sobemovirus and luteovirus groups. Inspection of the alignment showed good correspondence between the experimentally defined beta-strands and alpha-helices of the capsid proteins of tomato bushy stunt, southern bean mosaic and turnip crinkle viruses, allowing prediction of the secondary structure elements in proteins with unresolved tertiary structure. It is concluded that this set of viral capsid proteins forms a tight evolutionary cluster. Comparison of the alignment of the proteins of this family with the sequences of other capsid proteins of icosahedral RNA viruses revealed more distant similarities to the satellites of tobacco necrosis, panicum mosaic, tobacco mosaic and maize white line mosaic viruses, as well as to nepo- and comoviruses. The tentative phylogenetic tree derived from the capsid protein alignment separated into three main lineages: (I) carmo-, tombus- and dianthoviruses, (II) southern bean mosaic, tobacco necrosis and maize chlorotic mottle viruses, and (III) luteoviruses. Comparison of this tree topology with the tentative evolutionary schemes for the respective virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerases suggested that gene shuffling is the universal trend in the evolution of small RNA plant virus genomes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Irreversible growth model for virus capsid assembly.

We model the spontaneous assembly of a capsid (a virus' closed outer shell) from many copies of identical units, using entirely irreversible steps and only information local to the growing edge. Our model is formulated in terms of (i) an elastic Hamiltonian with stretching and bending stiffness and a spontaneous curvature, and (ii) a set of rate constants for the addition of new units or bonds. An ensemble of highly irregular capsids is generated, unlike the well-known icosahedrally symmetric viruses, but (we argue) plausible as a way to model the irregular capsids of retroviruses such as HIV. We found that (i) the probability of successful capsid completion decays exponentially with capsid size; (ii) capsid size depends strongly on spontaneous curvature and weakly on the ratio of the bending and stretching elastic stiffnesses of the shell; (iii) the degree of localization of Gaussian curvature (a measure of facetedness) depends heavily on the ratio of elastic stiffnesses.

Capsid↗
PubMed2000

The molecular structure and structural transition of the alpha-helical capsid in filamentous bacteriophage Pf1.

The major coat protein in the capsid of Pf1 filamentous bacteriophage (Inovirus) forms a helical assembly of about 7000 identical protein subunits, each of which contains 46 amino-acid residues and can be closely approximated by a single gently curved alpha-helix. Since the viral DNA occupies the core of the tubular capsid and appears to make no significant specific interactions with the capsid proteins, the capsid is a simple model system for the study of the static and dynamic properties of alpha-helix assembly. The capsid undergoes a reversible temperature-induced structural transition at about 283 K between two slightly different helix forms. The two forms can coexist without an intermediate state, consistent with a first-order structural phase transition. The molecular model of the higher temperature form was refined using improved X-ray fibre diffraction data and new refinement and validation methods. The refinement indicates that the two forms are related by a change in the orientation of the capsid subunits within the virion, without a significant change in local conformation of the subunits. On the higher temperature diffraction pattern there is a region of observed intensity that is not consistent with a simple helix of identical subunits; it is proposed that the structure involves groups of three subunits which each have a slightly different orientation within the group. The grouping of subunits suggests that a change in subunit libration frequency could be the basis of the Pf1 structural transition; calculations from the model are used to explore this idea.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

A reaction landscape identifies the intermediates critical for self-assembly of virus capsids and other polyhedral structures.

The capsids of spherical viruses may contain from tens to hundreds of copies of the capsid protein(s). Despite their complexity, these particles assemble rapidly and with high fidelity. Subunit and capsid represent unique end states. However, the number of intermediate states in these reactions can be enormous-a situation analogous to the protein folding problem. Approaches to accurately model capsid assembly are still in their infancy. In this paper, we describe a sail-shaped reaction landscape, defined by the number of subunits in each species, the predicted prevalence of each species, and species stability. Prevalence can be calculated from the probability of synthesis of a given intermediate and correlates well with the appearance of intermediates in kinetics simulations. In these landscapes, we find that only those intermediates along the leading edge make a significant contribution to assembly. Although the total number of intermediates grows exponentially with capsid size, the number of leading-edge intermediates grows at a much slower rate. This result suggests that only a minute fraction of intermediates needs to be considered when describing capsid assembly.

Capsid Proteins↗
PubMed1983

Evidence for the presence of a hole in the capsid of turnip yellow mosaic virus after RNA release by freezing and thawing. Decapsidation of turnip yellow mosaic virus in vitro.

Turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) RNA escapes from viral capsids after freezing and thawing the virus, and the remaining capsids look very similar to natural capsids in the electron microscope after negative staining [Katouzian-Safadi, M., Favre, A., and Haenni, A. L. (1980) Eur. J. Biochem. 112, 478-486]. In order to understand how an RNA of 2 X 10(6) Da (33% virus by weight) can escape from a compact protein shell we have compared artificial capsids formed after freezing TYMV and natural capsids produced in vivo in infected plants. We have used various physicochemical techniques including analytical ultracentrifugation, X-ray scattering, X-ray diffraction and orientation in a magnetic field. From the combination of these results we conclude that the escape of the RNA is accompanied by the formation of a hole in the capsid surface. The size of such a hole is estimated to 5-9 coat protein subunits.

Capsid↗
PubMed2004

Cell-free systems for capsid assembly of primate lentiviruses from three different lineages.

We recently demonstrated that capsids from three main primate lentiviral lineages appear to form via a pathway of assembly intermediates in primate cells. Retroviral capsid assembly intermediates were initially identified and characterized using a cell-free system for assembly of immature HIV-1 capsids. Because cell-free capsid assembly systems are useful tools, we are interested in developing such systems for other primate lentiviruses besides HIV-1. Here we extend previous cell-free studies by showing that Gag proteins of HIV-2, from a second primate lentiviral lineage, progress from early intermediates to late intermediates and completed capsids over time. Additionally, we demonstrate that Gag proteins of SIVagm, from a third primate lentiviral lineage, associate with the cellular factor HP68 and complete assembly in this system. Therefore, cell-free systems reproduce assembly of Gag from three main primate lentiviral lineages, and can be used to compare mechanistic features of capsid assembly of genetically divergent primate lentiviruses.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Expression and self-assembly in baculovirus of porcine enteric calicivirus capsids into virus-like particles and their use in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody detection in swine.

Porcine enteric calicivirus (PEC) causes diarrhea and intestinal lesions in pigs. PEC strain Cowden grows to low to moderate titers in cell culture but only with the addition of intestinal contents from uninfected gnotobiotic pigs (W. T. Flynn and L. J. Saif, J. Clin. Microbiol. 26:206--212, 1988; A. V. Parwani, W. T. Flynn, K. L. Gadfield, and L. J. Saif, Arch. Virol. 120:115--122, 1991). Cloning and sequence analysis of the PEC Cowden full-length genome revealed that it is most closely related genetically to the human Sapporo-like viruses. In this study, the complete PEC capsid gene was subcloned into the plasmid pBlueBac4.5 and the recombinant baculoviruses were identified by plaque assay and PCR. The PEC capsid protein was expressed in insect (Sf9) cells inoculated with the recombinant baculoviruses, and the recombinant capsid proteins self- assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs) that were released into the cell supernatant and purified by CsCl gradient centrifugation. The PEC VLPs had the same molecular mass (58 kDa) as the native virus capsid and reacted with pig hyperimmune and convalescent-phase sera to PEC Cowden in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. The PEC capsid VLPs were morphologically and antigenically similar to the native virus by immune electron microscopy. High titers (1:102,400 to 204,800) of PEC-specific antibodies were induced in guinea pigs inoculated with PEC VLPs, suggesting that the VLPs could be useful for future candidate PEC vaccines. A fixed-cell ELISA and VLP ELISA were developed to detect PEC serum antibodies in pigs. For the fixed-cell ELISA, Sf9 cells were infected with recombinant baculoviruses expressing PEC capsids, followed by cell fixation with formalin. For the VLP ELISA, the VLPs were used for the coating antigen. Our data indicate that both tests were rapid, specific, and reproducible and might be used for large-scale serological investigations of PEC antibodies in swine.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Adeno-associated virus type 2 capsids with externalized VP1/VP2 trafficking domains are generated prior to passage through the cytoplasm and are maintained until uncoating occurs in the nucleus.

Common features of parvovirus capsids are open pores at the fivefold symmetry axes that traverse the virion shell. Upon limited heat treatment in vitro, the pores can function as portals to externalize VP1/VP2 protein N-terminal sequences which harbor infection-relevant functional domains, such as a phospholipase A(2) catalytic domain. Here we show that adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) also exposes its VP1/VP2 N termini in vivo during infection, presumably in the endosomal compartment. This conformational change is influenced by treatment with lysosomotropic reagents. While incubation of cells with bafilomycin A1 reduced exposure of VP1/VP2 N termini, incubation with chloroquine stimulated externalization transiently. N-terminally located basic amino acid clusters with nuclear localization activity also become exposed in this process and are accessible on the virus capsid when it enters the cytoplasm. This is an obligatory step in AAV2 infection. However, a direct role of these sequences in nuclear translocation of viral capsids could not be determined by microinjection of wild-type or mutant viruses. This suggests that further modifications of the capsid have to take place in a precytoplasmic entry step that prepares the virus for nuclear entry. Microinjection of several capsid-specific antibodies into the cell nucleus blocked AAV2 infection completely, supporting the conclusion that AAV2 capsids bring the infectious genome into the nucleus.

Capsid Proteins↗
PubMed2006

The amino-conserved domain of human cytomegalovirus UL80a proteins is required for key interactions during early stages of capsid formation and virus production.

Assembly of many spherical virus capsids is guided by an internal scaffolding protein or group of proteins that are often cleaved and eliminated in connection with maturation and incorporation of the genome. In cytomegalovirus there are at least two proteins that contribute to this scaffolding function; one is the maturational protease precursor (pUL80a), and the other is the assembly protein precursor (pUL80.5) encoded by a shorter genetic element within UL80a. Yeast GAL4 two-hybrid assays established that both proteins contain a carboxyl-conserved domain that is required for their interaction with the major capsid protein (pUL86) and an amino-conserved domain (ACD) that is required for their self-interaction and for their interaction with each other. In the work reported here, we demonstrate that when the ACD is deleted (deltaACD) or disrupted by a point mutation (L47A), the bacterially expressed mutant protein sediments as a monomer during rate-velocity centrifugation, whereas the wild-type protein sediments mainly as oligomers. We also show that the L47A mutation reduces the production of infectious virus by at least 90%, results in the formation of irregular nuclear capsids, gives rise to tube-like structures in the nucleus that resemble the capsid core in cross-section and contain UL80 proteins, slows nuclear translocation of the major capsid protein, and may slow cleavage by the maturational protease. We provide physical corroboration that mutating the ACD disrupts self-interaction of the UL80 proteins and biological support for the proposal that the ACD has a critical role in capsid assembly and production of infectious virus.

Capsid↗
PubMed2006

Lipid-mediated introduction of hepatitis B virus capsids into nonsusceptible cells allows highly efficient replication and facilitates the study of early infection events.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an enveloped DNA virus which is highly infectious in vivo. In vitro, only primary hepatocytes of humans and Tupaia belangeri or the novel HepaRG cell line are susceptible to HBV, but infection is inefficient and study of early infection events in single cells is unsatisfactory. Since hepatoma cells replicate the virus efficiently after transfection, this limited infection efficiency must be related to the initial entry phase. Here, we describe the lipid-based delivery of HBV capsids into nonsusceptible cells, circumventing the natural entry pathway. Successful infection was monitored by observing the emergence of the nuclear viral covalently closed circular DNA and the production of progeny virus and subviral particles. Lipid-mediated transfer initiated productive infection that was at least 100-fold more effective than infection of permissive cell cultures. High-dose capsid transfer showed that the uptake was not receptor limited and allowed the intracellular transport of capsids and genomes to be examined microscopically. The addition of inhibitors confirmed an entry pathway by fusion of the lipid with the plasma membrane. By indirect immune fluorescence and native fluorescence in situ hybridization, we followed the pathway of capsids and viral genomes in individual cells. We observed an active microtubule-dependent capsid transfer to the nucleus and a subsequent release of the viral genomes exclusively into the karyoplasm. Lipid-mediated transfer of viral capsids thus appears to allow efficient introduction of genetic information into target cells, facilitating studies of early infection events which are otherwise impeded by the small number of viruses entering the cell.

Capsid↗
PubMed2006

Epitopes expressed in different adenovirus capsid proteins induce different levels of epitope-specific immunity.

On the basis of the concept that the capsid proteins of adenovirus (Ad) gene transfer vectors can be genetically manipulated to enhance the immunogenicity of Ad-based vaccines, the present study compared the antiantigen immunogenicity of Ad vectors with a common epitope of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of the influenza A virus incorporated into the outer Ad capsid protein hexon, penton base, fiber knob, or protein IX. Incorporation of the same epitope into the different capsid proteins provided insights into the correlation between epitope position and antiepitope immunity. Following immunization of three different strains of mice (C57BL/6, BALB/c, and CBA) with either an equal number of Ad particles (resulting in a different total HA copy number) or different Ad particle numbers (to achieve the same HA copy number), the highest primary (immunoglobulin M [IgM]) and secondary (IgG) anti-HA humoral and cellular CD4 gamma interferon and interleukin-4 responses against HA were always achieved with the Ad vector carrying the HA epitope in fiber knob. These observations suggest that the immune response against an epitope inserted into Ad capsid proteins is not necessarily dependent on the capsid protein number and imply that the choice of incorporation site in Ad capsid proteins in their use as vaccines needs to be compared in vivo.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1980

Structural analysis of the capsid polypeptides of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.

Capsids of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 contain seven polypeptides ranging in molecular weight from 154,000 to 12,000 (termed NC-1 through NC-7 in order of descending molecular weight). Antibodies prepared to HSV-1 capsid polypeptides isolated from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels reacted in an immunofluorescence assay against HSV-1-infected KB cells. Three of the antibodies (anti-NC-1, anti-NC-2, and anti-NC-3,4) also reacted with HSV-2-infected cells. Tryptic peptide analysis showed that each of the HSV-1 capsid polypeptides had a unique methionine peptide profile, and none appeared to be derived from the major capsid polypeptide. Comparative peptide analysis of HSV-1 and HSV-2 showed that one polypeptide (NC-7, 12,000 molecular weight) had an identical methionine peptide profile and a very similar arginine peptide profile in both virus types. The arginine peptide profile of NC-7 of HSV-1 was very different from the arginine profile of KB histone H4. Although there were certain intertypic similarities in the methionine peptide profiles of the other capsid components especially in NC-1 (the major capsid protein), there was no case where the tryptic peptides were identical in the two virus types.

Capsid↗