Bharaj Preeti, Atkins Colm, Luthra Priya, Giraldo Maria Isabel, Dawes Brian E, Miorin Lisa, Johnson Jeffrey R, Krogan Nevan J, Basler Christopher F, Freiberg Alexander N, Rajsbaum Ricardo
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Department of Pathology, The Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and The Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
J Virol. 2017 Aug 24;91(18). doi: 10.1128/JVI.00833-17. Print 2017 Sep 15.
Ebola virus (EBOV), a member of the family, is a highly pathogenic virus that causes severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and is responsible for epidemics throughout sub-Saharan, central, and West Africa. The EBOV genome encodes VP35, an important viral protein involved in virus replication by acting as an essential cofactor of the viral polymerase as well as a potent antagonist of the host antiviral type I interferon (IFN-I) system. By using mass spectrometry analysis and coimmunoprecipitation assays, we show here that VP35 is ubiquitinated on lysine 309 (K309), a residue located on its IFN antagonist domain. We also found that VP35 interacts with TRIM6, a member of the E3-ubiquitin ligase tripartite motif (TRIM) family. We recently reported that TRIM6 promotes the synthesis of unanchored K48-linked polyubiquitin chains, which are not covalently attached to any protein, to induce efficient antiviral IFN-I-mediated responses. Consistent with this notion, VP35 also associated noncovalently with polyubiquitin chains and inhibited TRIM6-mediated IFN-I induction. Intriguingly, we also found that TRIM6 enhances EBOV polymerase activity in a minigenome assay and TRIM6 knockout cells have reduced replication of infectious EBOV, suggesting that VP35 hijacks TRIM6 to promote EBOV replication through ubiquitination. Our work provides evidence that TRIM6 is an important host cellular factor that promotes EBOV replication, and future studies will focus on whether TRIM6 could be targeted for therapeutic intervention against EBOV infection. EBOV belongs to a family of highly pathogenic viruses that cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and other mammals with high mortality rates (40 to 90%). Because of its high pathogenicity and lack of licensed antivirals and vaccines, EBOV is listed as a tier 1 select-agent risk group 4 pathogen. An important mechanism for the severity of EBOV infection is its suppression of innate immune responses. The EBOV VP35 protein contributes to pathogenesis, because it serves as an essential cofactor of the viral polymerase as well as a potent antagonist of innate immunity. However, how VP35 function is regulated by host cellular factors is poorly understood. Here, we report that the host E3-ubiquitin ligase TRIM6 promotes VP35 ubiquitination and is important for efficient virus replication. Therefore, our study identifies a new host factor, TRIM6, as a potential target in the development of antiviral drugs against EBOV.
埃博拉病毒(EBOV)是该病毒家族的成员,是一种高致病性病毒,可导致人类严重出血热,并在撒哈拉以南非洲、中部非洲和西非引发疫情。EBOV基因组编码VP35,这是一种重要的病毒蛋白,通过作为病毒聚合酶的必需辅助因子以及宿主抗病毒I型干扰素(IFN-I)系统的有效拮抗剂参与病毒复制。通过质谱分析和免疫共沉淀实验,我们在此表明VP35在赖氨酸309(K309)处被泛素化,该残基位于其IFN拮抗剂结构域上。我们还发现VP35与E3泛素连接酶三方基序(TRIM)家族成员TRIM6相互作用。我们最近报道,TRIM6促进未锚定的K48连接的多聚泛素链的合成,这些链不与任何蛋白质共价连接,以诱导有效的抗病毒IFN-I介导的反应。与此观点一致,VP35也与多聚泛素链非共价结合,并抑制TRIM6介导的IFN-I诱导。有趣的是,我们还发现在微型基因组实验中TRIM6增强了EBOV聚合酶活性,并且TRIM6基因敲除细胞中传染性EBOV的复制减少,这表明VP35通过泛素化劫持TRIM6来促进EBOV复制。我们的工作提供了证据,证明TRIM6是促进EBOV复制的重要宿主细胞因子,未来的研究将集中在TRIM6是否可作为针对EBOV感染的治疗干预靶点。EBOV属于一类高致病性病毒,可导致人类和其他哺乳动物严重出血热,死亡率很高(40%至90%)。由于其高致病性以及缺乏已获许可的抗病毒药物和疫苗,EBOV被列为1级选择生物风险组4病原体。EBOV感染严重性的一个重要机制是其对先天免疫反应的抑制。EBOV VP35蛋白促成发病机制,因为它是病毒聚合酶的必需辅助因子以及先天免疫的有效拮抗剂。然而,宿主细胞因子如何调节VP35功能却知之甚少。在此,我们报道宿主E3泛素连接酶TRIM6促进VP35泛素化,对有效的病毒复制很重要。因此,我们的研究确定了一种新的宿主因子TRIM6,作为开发抗EBOV抗病毒药物的潜在靶点。