Hippocampal expression of a virus-derived protein impairs memory in mice.

The analysis of the biology of neurotropic viruses, notably of their interference with cellular signaling, provides a useful tool to get further insight into the role of specific pathways in the control of behavioral functions. Here, we exploited the natural property of a viral protein identified as a major effector of behavioral disorders during infection. We used the phosphoprotein (P) of Borna disease virus, which acts as a decoy substrate for protein kinase C (PKC) when expressed in neurons and disrupts synaptic plasticity. By a lentiviral-based strategy, we directed the singled-out expression of P in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and we examined its impact on mouse behavior. Mice expressing the P protein displayed increased anxiety and impaired long-term memory in contextual and spatial memory tasks. Interestingly, these effects were dependent on P protein phosphorylation by PKC, as expression of a mutant form of P devoid of its PKC phosphorylation sites had no effect on these behaviors. We also revealed features of behavioral impairment induced by P protein expression but that were independent of its phosphorylation by PKC. Altogether, our findings provide insight into the behavioral correlates of viral infection, as well as into the impact of virus-mediated alterations of the PKC pathway on behavioral functions.

Neuronal retrograde transport of Borna disease virus occurs in signalling endosomes.

Long-range axonal retrograde transport is a key mechanism for the cellular dissemination of neuroinvasive viruses, such as Borna disease virus (BDV), for which entry and egress sites are usually distant from the nucleus, where viral replication takes place. Although BDV is known to disseminate very efficiently in neurons, both in vivo and in primary cultures, the modalities of its axonal transport are still poorly characterized. In this work, we combined different methodological approaches, such as confocal microscopy and biochemical purification of endosomes, to study BDV retrograde transport. We demonstrate that BDV ribonucleoparticles (composed of the viral genomic RNA, nucleoprotein and phosphoprotein), as well as the matrix protein, are transported towards the nucleus into endocytic carriers. These specialized organelles, called signalling endosomes, are notably used for the retrograde transport of neurotrophins and activated growth factor receptors. Signalling endosomes have a neutral luminal pH and thereby offer protection against degradation during long-range transport. This particularity could allow the viral particles to be delivered intact to the cell body of neurons, avoiding their premature release in the cytoplasm.

Bornavirus et cellules cibles : une amitié presque sincère.

Viruses have to meet the challenge to cope with the limited capacity of renewal of neuronal cells in order to allow their replication and persistence in the central nervous system (CNS). Accordingly, many neurotropic viruses establish latency to optimize their maintenance in the CNS. Bornaviruses have evolved a different and original strategy to persist in neurons, which involves an active replication without associated cytopathic effect. Despite their small genomes and limited number of proteins, bornaviruses hijack multiple signaling pathways, leading to escape from immune surveillance or protection of cells against apoptosis. Long term persistence has even led to integration of genome elements within the host cell genome, leading to "fossil bornaviruses" in a wide range of vertebrate species. Hence, bornaviruses represent the ideal host-cell adaptation example and can thus be considered as the "best enemy" for its hosts.

Analysis of borna disease virus trafficking in live infected cells by using a virus encoding a tetracysteine-tagged p protein.

Borna disease virus (BDV) is a nonsegmented, negative-stranded RNA virus characterized by noncytolytic persistent infection and replication in the nuclei of infected cells. To gain further insight on the intracellular trafficking of BDV components during infection, we sought to generate recombinant BDV (rBDV) encoding fluorescent fusion viral proteins. We successfully rescued a virus bearing a tetracysteine tag fused to BDV-P protein, which allowed assessment of the intracellular distribution and dynamics of BDV using real-time live imaging. In persistently infected cells, viral nuclear inclusions, representing viral factories tethered to chromatin, appeared to be extremely static and stable, contrasting with a very rapid and active trafficking of BDV components in the cytoplasm. Photobleaching (fluorescence recovery after photobleaching [FRAP] and fluorescence loss in photobleaching [FLIP]) imaging approaches revealed that BDV components were permanently and actively exchanged between cellular compartments, including within viral inclusions, albeit with a fraction of BDV-P protein not mobile in these structures, presumably due to its association with viral and/or cellular proteins. We also obtained evidence for transfer of viral material between persistently infected cells, with routing of the transferred components toward the cell nucleus. Finally, coculture experiments with noninfected cells allowed visualization of cell-to-cell BDV transmission and movement of the incoming viral material toward the nucleus. Our data demonstrate the potential of tetracysteine-tagged recombinant BDV for virus tracking during infection, which may provide novel information on the BDV life cycle and on the modalities of its interaction with the nuclear environment during viral persistence.