Directional change during active diffusion of viral ribonucleoprotein particles through cytoplasm.

A mesh of cytoskeletal fibers, consisting of microtubules, intermediate filaments, and fibrous actin, prevents the Brownian diffusion of particles with a diameter larger than 0.10 µm, such as vesicular stomatitis virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles, in mammalian cells. Nevertheless, RNP particles do move in random directions but at a lower rate than Brownian diffusion, which is thermally driven. This nonthermal biological transport process is called "active diffusion" because it is driven by ATP. The ATP powers motor proteins such as myosin II. The motor proteins bend and cross-link actin fibers, causing the mesh to jiggle. Until recently, little was known about how RNP particles get through the mesh. It has been customary to analyze the tracks of particles like RNPs by computing the slope of the ensemble-averaged mean-squared displacement of the particles as a signature of mechanism. Although widely used, this approach "loses information" about the timing of the switches between physical mechanisms. It has been recently shown that machine learning composed of variational Bayesian analysis, Gaussian mixture models, and hidden Markov models can use "all the information" in a single track to reveal that that the positions of RNP particles are spatially clustered. Machine learning assigns a number, called a state, to each cluster. RNP particles remain in one state for 0.2-1.0 s before switching (hopping) to a different state. This earlier work is here extended to analyze the movements of a particle within a state and to determine particle directionality within and between states.

Mechanisms of active diffusion of vesicular stomatitis virus inclusion bodies and cellular early endosomes in the cytoplasm of mammalian cells.

Viral and cellular particles too large to freely diffuse have two different types of mobility in the eukaryotic cell cytoplasm: directed motion mediated by motor proteins moving along cytoskeletal elements with the particle as its load, and motion in random directions mediated by motor proteins interconnecting cytoskeletal elements. The latter motion is referred to as "active diffusion." Mechanisms of directed motion have been extensively studied compared to mechanisms of active diffusion, despite the observation that active diffusion is more common for many viral and cellular particles. Our previous research showed that active diffusion of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) in the cytoplasm consists of hopping between traps and that actin filaments and myosin II motors are components of the hop-trap mechanism. This raises the question whether similar mechanisms mediate random motion of larger particles with different physical and biological properties. Live-cell fluorescence imaging and a variational Bayesian analysis used in pattern recognition and machine learning were used to determine the molecular mechanisms of random motion of VSV inclusion bodies and cellular early endosomes. VSV inclusion bodies are membraneless cellular compartments that are the major sites of viral RNA synthesis, and early endosomes are representative of cellular membrane-bound organelles. Like VSV RNPs, inclusion bodies and early endosomes moved from one trapped state to another, but the distance between states was inconsistent with hopping between traps, indicating that the apparent state-to-state movement is mediated by trap movement. Like VSV RNPs, treatment with the actin filament depolymerizing inhibitor latrunculin A increased VSV inclusion body mobility by increasing the size of the traps. In contrast neither treatment with latrunculin A nor depolymerization of microtubules by nocodazole treatment affected the size of traps that confine early endosome mobility, indicating that intermediate filaments are likely major trap components for these cellular organelles.

Dynamic Actin Filament Traps Mediate Active Diffusion of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Ribonucleoproteins.

A recently developed variational Bayesian analysis using pattern recognition and machine learning of single viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particle tracks in the cytoplasm of living cells provides a quantitative molecular explanation for active diffusion, a concept previously "explained" largely by hypothetical models based on indirect analyses such as continuum microrheology. Machine learning shows that vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) RNP particles are temporarily confined to dynamic traps or pores made up of cytoskeletal elements. Active diffusion occurs when the particles escape from one trap to a nearby trap. In this paper, we demonstrate that actin filament disruption increased RNP mobility by increasing trap size. Inhibition of nonmuscle myosin II ATPase decreased mobility by decreasing trap size. Trap sizes were observed to fluctuate with time, dependent on nonmuscle myosin II activity. This model for active diffusion is likely to account for the dominant motion of other viral and cellular elements. IMPORTANCE RNA virus ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) are too large to freely diffuse in the host cytoplasm, yet their dominant motions consist of movements in random directions that resemble diffusion. We show that vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) RNPs overcome limitations on diffusion in the host cytoplasm by hopping between traps formed in part by actin filaments and that these traps expand and contract by nonmuscle myosin II ATPase activity. ATP-dependent random motion of cellular particles has been termed "active diffusion." Thus, these mechanisms are applicable to active diffusion of other cellular and viral elements.

Diversity in responses to oncolytic Lassa-vesicular stomatitis virus in patient-derived glioblastoma cells.

The difficulty of glioblastoma treatment makes it a good candidate for novel therapies, such as oncolytic viruses. Vesicular stomatitis virus expressing Lassa virus glycoprotein (Lassa-VSV) showed significant promise in animal models using established glioblastoma cell lines. These experiments were to determine the susceptibility of low-passage, patient-derived cell lines to Lassa-VSV oncolysis. Four patient-derived glioblastoma cell lines were infected with Lassa-VSV that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and cell viability assays. Cells were also analyzed as tumorspheres containing primarily glioma stem-like cells. Three low-passage, patient-derived cells were further analyzed with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Individual cell lines varied somewhat in their levels of viral gene expression and time course of Lassa-VSV-induced cell death, but each was susceptible to Lassa-VSV. Brain Tumor Center of Excellence (BTCOE) 4765 cells had the highest level of expression of interferon-stimulated genes but were most susceptible to Lassa-VSV-induced cell death, indicating that more susceptible cells do not necessarily have lower interferon pathway activation. Cells cultured as tumorspheres and infected with Lassa-VSV also showed variable susceptibility to Lassa-VSV, but BTCOE 4765 cells were least susceptible. Thus, patient-derived brain tumor cells show variable responses to Lassa-VSV infection, but each of the lines was susceptible to VSV oncolysis.

Functional Dissection of the Dominant Role of CD55 in Protecting Vesicular Stomatitis Virus against Complement-Mediated Neutralization.

The human complement system is an important part of the innate immune system. Its effector pathways largely mediate virus neutralization. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) activates the classical pathway of the complement, leading to virus neutralization by lysis. Two host-derived membrane-associated regulators of complement activation (RCA), CD55 and CD46, which are incorporated into the VSV envelope during egress, confer protection by delaying/resisting complement-mediated neutralization. We showed previously that CD55 is more effective than CD46 in the inhibition of neutralization. In this study, we identified that, at the protein level, VSV infection resulted in the down-regulation of CD46 but not CD55. The mRNA of both the RCAs was significantly down-regulated by VSV, but it was delayed in the case of CD55. The immunoblot analysis of the levels of RCAs in the progeny virion harvested at three specific time intervals, points to an equal ratio of its distribution relative to viral proteins. Besides reconfirming the dominant role of CD55 over CD46 in shielding VSV from complement, our results also highlight the importance of the subtle modulation in the expression pattern of RCAs in a system naturally expressing them.

Vesicular stomatitis virus nucleocapsids diffuse through cytoplasm by hopping from trap to trap in random directions.

Within 2-6 hours after infection by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), newly assembled VSV particles are released from the surface of infected cells. In that time, viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles (nucleocapsids) travel from their initial sites of synthesis near the nucleus to the edge of the cell, a distance of 5-10 µm. The hydrodynamic radius of RNP particles (86 nm) precludes simple diffusion through the mesh of cytoskeletal fibers. To reveal the relative importance of different transport mechanisms, movement of GFP-labeled RNP particles in live A549 cells was recorded within 3 to 4 h postinfection at 100 frames/s by fluorescence video microscopy. Analysis of more than 200 RNP particle tracks by Bayesian pattern recognition software found that 3% of particles showed rapid, directional motion at about 1 µm/s, as previously reported. 97% of the RNP particles jiggled within a small, approximately circular area with Gaussian width σ = 0.06 µm. Motion within such "traps" was not directional. Particles stayed in traps for approximately 1 s, then hopped to adjacent traps whose centers were displaced by approximately 0.17 µm. Because hopping occurred much more frequently than directional motion, overall transport of RNP particles was dominated by hopping over the time interval of these experiments.

MAP3K7 and CHD1 Are Novel Mediators of Resistance to Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus in Prostate Cancer Cells.

A key principle of oncolytic viral therapy is that many cancers develop defects in their antiviral responses, making them more susceptible to virus infection. However, some cancers display resistance to viral infection. Many of these resistant cancers constitutively express interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). The goal of these experiments was to determine the role of two tumor suppressor genes, MAP3K7 and CHD1, in viral resistance and ISG expression in PC3 prostate cancer cells resistant to oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). MAP3K7 and CHD1 are often co-deleted in aggressive prostate cancers. Silencing expression of MAP3K7 and CHD1 in PC3 cells increased susceptibility to the matrix (M) gene mutant M51R-VSV, as shown by increased expression of viral genes, increased yield of progeny virus, and reduction of tumor growth in nude mice. Silencing MAP3K7 alone had a greater effect on virus susceptibility than did silencing CHD1. Silencing MAP3K7 and CHD1 decreased constitutive expression of ISG mRNAs and proteins, whereas silencing MAP3K7 alone decreased expression of ISG proteins, but actually increased expression of ISG mRNAs. These results suggest a role for the protein product of MAP3K7, transforming growth factor ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), in regulating translation of ISG mRNAs and a role of CHD1 in maintaining the transcription of ISGs.

Immune Effects of M51R Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Treatment of Carcinomatosis From Colon Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze the oncolytic and immunomodulatory functions of an M protein mutant of vesicular stomatitis virus (M51R VSV) in a murine model of peritoneal surface dissemination from colon cancer (PSD from CRC). METHODS: Luciferase-expressing CT26 peritoneal tumors were established in Balb/c mice to evaluate the impact of M51R VSV treatment on intraperitoneal tumor growth and overall survival. The mice were treated with either intraperitoneal phosphate buffered saline (n = 10) or 5 × 106 PFU M51R VSV (n = 10) at 5 d after tumor implantation. Tumor bioluminescence was measured every 3 d during the 60-day study period. The immunomodulatory effect of M51R VSV treatment was evaluated in mice treated with either intraperitoneal phosphate buffered saline (n = 21) or M51R VSV (n = 21). Peritoneal lavages were collected at days 1, 3, and 7 after M51R VSV treatment for flow cytometry and multiplex cytokine bead analysis. RESULTS: A single, intraperitoneal treatment with M51R VSV inhibited the growth of PSD from CRC as evidenced by decreased bioluminescence and improved survival. This treatment approach also resulted in significantly higher frequencies of peritoneal CD4+ T (10.95 ± 1.17 versus 6.19 ± 0.44, P = 0.004) and B1b cells (5.01 ± 0.97 versus 2.20 ± 0.2, P = 0.024). On the other hand, treatment with M51R VSV resulted in fewer myeloid-derived suppressor cells relative to controls (10.66 ± 1.48 versus 14.47 ± 1.06, P = 0.035). M51R-treated peritoneal cavities also contained lower concentrations of immunosuppressive monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin 6 cytokines relative to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that M51R VSV alters the innate and adaptive immune responses in PSD from CRC. Future studies will delineate specific components of antitumor immunity that result in its therapeutic effect.

JC Viruria Is Associated With Reduced Risk of Diabetic Kidney Disease.

PURPOSE: African Americans who shed JC polyomavirus (JCV) in their urine have reduced rates of nondiabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). We assessed the associations between urinary JCV and urine BK polyomavirus (BKV) with CKD in African Americans with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: African Americans with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and controls lacking nephropathy from the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes Consortium (FIND) and African American-Diabetes Heart Study (AA-DHS) had urine tested for JCV and BKV using quantitative PCR. Of the 335 individuals tested, 148 had DKD and 187 were controls. RESULTS: JCV viruria was detected more often in the controls than in the patients with DKD (FIND: 46.6% vs 32.2%; OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.93; P = 0.03; AA-DHS: 30.4% vs 26.2%; OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.27 to 1.48; P = 0.29). A joint analysis adjusted for age, sex, and study revealed that JC viruria was inversely associated with DKD (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.91; P = 0.02). Statistically significant relationships between BKV and DKD were not observed. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: The results from the present study extend the inverse association between urine JCV and nondiabetic nephropathy in African Americans to DKD. These results imply that common pathways likely involving the innate immune system mediate coincident chronic kidney injury and restriction of JCV replication. Future studies are needed to explore causative pathways and characterize whether the absence of JC viruria can serve as a biomarker for DKD in the African American population.

Protective association between JC polyoma viruria and kidney disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The presence of viruses in urine (urine virome) typically reflects infection in the kidneys and urinary tract. The urinary virome is associated with HIV-associated nephropathy and chronic glomerulosclerosis. There are many associations of this microbiome with human diseases that remain to be described. This manuscript reviews emerging data on relationships between kidney disease and urinary tract infection/colonization with JC polyomavirus (JCPyV). RECENT FINDINGS: Approximately 30% of the adult population sheds JCPyV in the urine. Further, urinary tract infection with one polyomavirus strain appears to inhibit secondary infections. The presence of urinary JCPyV and BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) replication were measured with polymerase chain reaction in African Americans to assess relationships with apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1)-associated nephropathy. Urinary JCPyV was associated with paradoxically lower rates of nephropathy in those with APOL1 high-risk genotypes. Subsequent studies revealed African Americans with JCPyV viruria had lower rates of nondiabetic nephropathy independent from APOL1. SUMMARY: Urinary tract JCPyV replication is common and associates with lower rates of nephropathy. This relationship is observed in diverse settings. Results support a host immune system that fails to eradicate nonnephropathic viruses and is also less likely to manifest renal parenchymal inflammation resulting in glomerulosclerosis.

Immunogenicity in African Green Monkeys of M Protein Mutant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Vectors and Contribution of Vector-Encoded Flagellin.

Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a promising platform for vaccine development. M51R VSV, an attenuated, M protein mutant strain, is an effective inducer of Type I interferon and dendritic cell (DC) maturation, which are desirable properties to exploit for vaccine design. We have previously evaluated M51R VSV (M51R) and M51R VSV that produces flagellin (M51R-F) as vaccine vectors using murine models, and found that flagellin enhanced DC activation and VSV-specific antibody production after low-dose vaccination. In this report, the immunogenicity of M51R vectors and the adjuvant effect of virus-produced flagellin were evaluated in nonhuman primates following high-dose (108 pfu) and low-dose (105 pfu) vaccination. A single intramuscular vaccination of African green monkeys with M51R or M51R-F induced VSV-specific, dose-dependent humoral immune responses. Flagellin induced a significant increase in antibody production (IgM, IgG and neutralizing antibody) at the low vaccination dose. A VSV-specific cellular response was detected at 6 weeks post-vaccination, but was neither dose-dependent nor enhanced by flagellin; similar numbers of VSV-specific, IFNγ-producing cells were detected in lymph node and spleen of all animals. These results indicate that virus-directed, intracellular flagellin production may improve VSV-based vaccines encoding heterologous antigens by lowering the dose required to achieve humoral immunity.

JC polyoma viruria associates with protection from chronic kidney disease independently from apolipoprotein L1 genotype in African Americans.

Background: Viral infections can trigger chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the urine virome may inform risk. The Natural History of APOL1-Associated Nephropathy Study (NHAANS) reported that urine JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) associated with a lower risk of APOL1-associated nephropathy in African Americans. Herein, association was assessed between urine JCPyV with CKD in African Americans independent from the APOL1 genotype. Methods: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed for urinary detection of JCPyV and BK polyoma virus (BKPyV) in 200 newly recruited nondiabetic African Americans. A combined analysis was performed in these individuals plus 300 NHAANS participants. Results: In the 200 new participants, urine JCPyV was present in 8.8% of CKD cases and 45.8% of nonnephropathy controls (P = 3.0 × 10-8). In those with APOL1 renal-risk genotypes, JCPyV was detected in 5.1% of cases and 40.0% of controls (P = 0.0002). In those lacking APOL1 renal-risk genotypes, JCPyV was detected in 12.2% of cases and 48.8% of controls (P = 8.5 × 10-5). BKPyV was detected in 1.3% of cases and 0.8% of controls (P = 0.77). In a combined analysis with 300 NHAANS participants (n = 500), individuals with urine JCPyV had a 63% lower risk of CKD compared with those without urine JCPyV (odds ratio 0.37; P = 4.6 × 10-6). RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of JCPyV genomic DNA and JCPyV messenger RNA (mRNA) in nondiseased kidney. Conclusions: Inverse relationships exist between JCPyV viruria and non-diabetic CKD. Future studies should determine whether renal inflammation associated with CKD is less permissive for JCPyV reactivation/replication or whether JCPyV is a marker of reduced host immune responsiveness that diminishes immune pathologic contributions to CKD.

Migration of Nucleocapsids in Vesicular Stomatitis Virus-Infected Cells Is Dependent on both Microtubules and Actin Filaments.

UNLABELLED: The distribution of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) nucleocapsids in the cytoplasm of infected cells was analyzed by scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy using a newly developed quantitative approach called the border-to-border distribution method. Nucleocapsids were located near the cell nucleus at early times postinfection (2 h) but were redistributed during infection toward the edges of the cell. This redistribution was inhibited by treatment with nocodazole, colcemid, or cytochalasin D, indicating it is dependent on both microtubules and actin filaments. The role of actin filaments in nucleocapsid mobility was also confirmed by live-cell imaging of fluorescent nucleocapsids of a virus containing P protein fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein. However, in contrast to the overall redistribution in the cytoplasm, the incorporation of nucleocapsids into virions as determined in pulse-chase experiments was dependent on the activity of actin filaments with little if any effect on inhibition of microtubule function. These results indicate that the mechanisms by which nucleocapsids are transported to the farthest reaches of the cell differ from those required for incorporation into virions. This is likely due to the ability of nucleocapsids to follow shorter paths to the plasma membrane mediated by actin filaments. IMPORTANCE: Nucleocapsids of nonsegmented negative-strand viruses like VSV are assembled in the cytoplasm during genome RNA replication and must migrate to the plasma membrane for assembly into virions. Nucleocapsids are too large to diffuse in the cytoplasm in the time required for virus assembly and must be transported by cytoskeletal elements. Previous results suggested that microtubules were responsible for migration of VSV nucleocapsids to the plasma membrane for virus assembly. Data presented here show that both microtubules and actin filaments are responsible for mobility of nucleocapsids in the cytoplasm, but that actin filaments play a larger role than microtubules in incorporation of nucleocapsids into virions.

The border-to-border distribution method for analysis of cytoplasmic particles and organelles.

Comparing the distribution of cytoplasmic particles and organelles between different experimental conditions can be challenging due to the heterogeneous nature of cell morphologies. The border-to-border distribution method was created to enable the quantitative analysis of fluorescently labeled cytoplasmic particles and organelles of multiple cells from images obtained by confocal microscopy. The method consists of four steps: (1) imaging of fluorescently labeled cells, (2) division of the image of the cytoplasm into radial segments, (3) selection of segments of interest, and (4) population analysis of fluorescence intensities at the pixel level either as a function of distance along the selected radial segments or as a function of angle around an annulus. The method was validated using the well-characterized effect of brefeldin A (BFA) on the distribution of the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein, in which intensely labeled Golgi membranes are redistributed within the cytoplasm. Surprisingly, in untreated cells, the distribution of fluorescence in Golgi membrane-containing radial segments was similar to the distribution of fluorescence in other G protein-containing segments, indicating that the presence of Golgi membranes did not shift the distribution of G protein towards the nucleus compared to the distribution of G protein in other regions of the cell. Treatment with BFA caused only a slight shift in the distribution of the brightest G protein-containing segments which had a distribution similar to that in untreated cells. Instead, the major effect of BFA was to alter the annular distribution of G protein in the perinuclear region.

Interferon Beta and Interferon Alpha 2a Differentially Protect Head and Neck Cancer Cells from Vesicular Stomatitis Virus-Induced Oncolysis.

UNLABELLED: Oncolytic viruses (OV) preferentially kill cancer cells due in part to defects in their antiviral responses upon exposure to type I interferons (IFNs). However, IFN responsiveness of some tumor cells confers resistance to OV treatment. The human type I IFNs include one IFN-ß and multiple IFN-α subtypes that share the same receptor but are capable of differentially inducing biological responses. The role of individual IFN subtypes in promoting tumor cell resistance to OV is addressed here. Two human IFNs which have been produced for clinical use, IFN-α2a and IFN-ß, were compared for activity in protecting human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) lines from oncolysis by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Susceptibility of HNSCC lines to killing by VSV varied. VSV infection induced increased production of IFN-ß in resistant HNSCC cells. When added exogenously, IFN-ß was significantly more effective at protecting HNSCC cells from VSV oncolysis than was IFN-α2a. In contrast, normal keratinocytes and endothelial cells were protected equivalently by both IFN subtypes. Differential responsiveness of tumor cells to IFN-α and -ß was further supported by the finding that autocrine IFN-ß but not IFN-α promoted survival of HNSCC cells during persistent VSV infection. Therefore, IFN-α and -ß differentially affect VSV oncolysis, justifying the evaluation and comparison of IFN subtypes for use in combination with VSV therapy. Pairing VSV with IFN-α2a may enhance selectivity of oncolytic VSV therapy for HNSCC by inhibiting VSV replication in normal cells without a corresponding inhibition in cancer cells. IMPORTANCE: There has been a great deal of progress in the development of oncolytic viruses. However, a major problem is that individual cancers vary in their sensitivity to oncolytic viruses. In many cases this is due to differences in their production and response to interferons (IFNs). The experiments described here compared the responses of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines to two IFN subtypes, IFN-α2a and IFN-ß, in protection from oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus. We found that IFN-α2a was significantly less protective for cancer cells than was IFN-ß, whereas normal cells were equivalently protected by both IFNs. These results suggest that from a therapeutic standpoint, selectivity for cancer versus normal cells may be enhanced by pairing VSV with IFN-α2a.

Changes in Susceptibility to Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus during Progression of Prostate Cancer.

UNLABELLED: A major challenge to oncolytic virus therapy is that individual cancers vary in their sensitivity to oncolytic viruses, even when these cancers arise from the same tissue type. Variability in response may arise due to differences in the initial genetic lesions leading to cancer development. Alternatively, susceptibility to viral oncolysis may change during cancer progression. These hypotheses were tested using cells from a transgenic mouse model of prostate cancer infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Primary cultures from murine cancers derived from prostate-specific Pten deletion contained a mixture of cells that were susceptible and resistant to VSV. Castration-resistant cancers contained a higher percentage of susceptible cells than cancers from noncastrated mice. These results indicate both susceptible and resistant cells can evolve within the same tumor. The role of Pten deletion was further investigated using clonal populations of murine prostate epithelial (MPE) progenitor cells and tumor-derived Pten(-/-) cells. Deletion of Pten in MPE progenitor cells using a lentivirus vector resulted in cells that responded poorly to interferon and were susceptible to VSV infection. In contrast, tumor-derived Pten(-/-) cells expressed higher levels of the antiviral transcription factor STAT1, activated STAT1 in response to VSV, and were resistant to VSV infection. These results suggest that early in tumor development following Pten deletion, cells are primarily sensitive to VSV, but subsequent evolution in tumors leads to development of cells that are resistant to VSV infection. Further evolution in castration-resistant tumors leads to tumors in which cells are primarily sensitive to VSV. IMPORTANCE: There has been a great deal of progress in the development of replication-competent viruses that kill cancer cells (oncolytic viruses). However, a major problem is that individual cancers vary in their sensitivity to oncolytic viruses, even when these cancers arise from the same tissue type. The experiments presented here were to determine whether both sensitive and resistant cells are present in prostate cancers originating from a single genetic lesion in transgenic mice, prostate-specific deletion of the gene for the tumor suppressor Pten. The results indicate that murine prostate cancers are composed of both cells that are sensitive and cells that are resistant to oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Furthermore, androgen deprivation led to castration-resistant prostate cancers that were composed primarily of cells that were sensitive to VSV. These results are encouraging for the use of VSV for the treatment of prostate cancers that are resistant to androgen deprivation therapy.

Molecular determinants of susceptibility to oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: M protein mutant vesicular stomatitis virus (M51R-VSV) has oncolytic properties against many cancers. However, some cancer cells are resistant to M51R-VSV. Herein, we evaluate the molecular determinants of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: Cell viability and the effect of ß-interferon (IFN) were analyzed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay. Gene expression was evaluated via microarray analysis. Cell infectability was measured by flow cytometry. Xenografts were established in athymic nude mice and treated with intratumoral M51R-VSV. RESULTS: Four of five pancreatic cancer cell lines were sensitive to M51R-VSV, whereas Panc 03.27 cells remained resistant (81 ± 3% viability 72 h after single-cycle infection). Comparing sensitive MiaPaCa2 cells with resistant Panc 03.27 cells, significant differences in gene expression were found relating to IFN signaling (P = 2 × 10(-5)), viral entry (P = 3 × 10(-4)), and endocytosis (P = 7 × 10(-4)). MiaPaCa2 cells permitted high levels of VSV infection, whereas Panc 03.27 cells were capable of resisting VSV cell entry even at high multiplicities of infection. Extrinsic ß-IFN overcame apparent defects in IFN-mediated pathways in MiaPaCa2 cells conferring VSV resistance. In contrast, ß-IFN decreased cell viability in Panc 3.27 cells, suggesting intact antiviral mechanisms. VSV-treated xenografts exhibited reduced tumor growth relative to controls in both MiaPaCa2 (1423 ± 345% versus 164 ± 136%; P < 0.001) and Panc 3.27 (979 ± 153% versus 50 ± 56%; P = 0.002) tumors. Significant lymphocytic infiltration was seen in M51R-VSV-treated Panc 03.27 xenografts. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of VSV endocytosis and intact IFN-mediated defenses are responsible for M51R-VSV resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. M51R-VSV treatment appears to induce antitumor cellular immunity in vivo, which may expand its clinical efficacy.

Signaling pathways in murine dendritic cells that regulate the response to vesicular stomatitis virus vectors that express flagellin.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vectors that express heterologous antigens have shown promise as vaccines in preclinical studies. The efficacy of VSV-based vaccines can be improved by engineering vectors that enhance innate immune responses. We previously generated a VSV vaccine vector that incorporates two enhancing strategies: an M protein mutation (M51R) that prevents the virus from suppressing host antiviral responses and a gene encoding bacterial flagellin (M51R-F vector). The rationale was that intracellular expression of flagellin would activate innate immune pathways in addition to those activated by virus alone. This was tested with dendritic cells (DCs) from mice containing deletions in key signaling molecules. Infection of DC with either M51R or M51R-F vector induced the production of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-6 and increased surface expression of T cell costimulatory molecules. These responses were dramatically reduced in DCs from IPS-1(-/-) mice. Infection with M51R-F vector also induced the production of IL-1ß. In addition, in approximately half of the DCs, M51R-F vector induced pyroptosis, a proinflammatory-type of cell death. These responses to flagellin were ablated in DCs from NLRC4(-/-) mice but not Toll-like receptor 5-deficient (TLR5(-/-)) mice, indicating that they resulted from inflammasome activation. These results demonstrate that flagellin induces additional innate immune mechanisms over those induced by VSV alone.

Oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus as a treatment for neuroendocrine tumors.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic goals for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) not amenable to operative cure are limited to relieving symptoms and slowing progression. Many malignancies acquire defective antiviral responses as they undergo unregulated proliferation. Therefore, we explored the abilities of recombinant wild-type vesicular stomatitis virus and an attenuated matrix protein mutant (M51R-VSV) to exploit defective antiviral pathways in NETs. METHODS: Viral infectivity and lethality were evaluated in a panel of human NET cell lines H727, UMC-11, and CNDT2.5. We evaluated ß-interferon pathways in these cells to define the acquired defect. Murine xenografts were treated with a single intratumoral injection of M51R-VSV to study viral efficacy in vivo. RESULTS: VSV infected >99% of cells within 24 hours and killed >95% within 72 hours. NET cells did not produce relevant amounts of ß-interferon after infection, but exogenous ß-interferon protected cells from oncolysis. Treatment with M51R-VSV resulted in suppressed tumor growth (mean value ± standard error of the mean) compared with mock-infected xenografts for H727 (87 ± 72% vs. 2,197 ± 335%; P < .001), UMC-11 (13 ± 59% vs. 1,471 ± 324%; P < .001), and CNDT2.5 (81 ± 121% vs. 1,576 ± 349%; P = .001). CONCLUSION: VSV infects and kills human NETs by exploiting their inability to produce a type I antiviral response. Therefore, M51R-VSV is an excellent candidate for the treatment of advanced NETs.

Preservation of dendritic cell function during vesicular stomatitis virus infection reflects both intrinsic and acquired mechanisms of resistance to suppression of host gene expression by viral M protein.

Inhibition of host-directed gene expression by the matrix (M) protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) effectively blocks host antiviral responses, promotes virus replication, and disables the host cell. However, dendritic cells (DC) have the capacity to resist these effects and remain functional during VSV infection. Here, the mechanisms of DC resistance to M protein and their subsequent maturation were addressed. Flt3L-derived murine bone marrow dendritic cells (FDC), which phenotypically resemble resident splenic DC, continued to synthesize cellular proteins and matured during single-cycle (high-multiplicity) and multicycle (low-multiplicity) infection with VSV. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-derived myeloid DC (GDC), which are susceptible to M protein effects, were nevertheless capable of maturing, but the response was delayed and occurred only during multicycle infection. FDC resistance was manifested early and was type I interferon (IFN) receptor (IFNAR) and MyD88 independent, but sustained resistance required IFNAR. MyD88-dependent signaling contributed to FDC maturation during single-cycle infection but was dispensable during multicycle infection. Similar to FDC, splenic DC were capable of maturing in vivo during the first 24 h of infection with VSV, and neither Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) nor MyD88 was required. We conclude that FDC resistance to M protein is controlled by an intrinsic, MyD88-independent mechanism that operates early in infection and is augmented later in infection by type I IFN. In contrast, while GDC are not intrinsically resistant, they can acquire resistance during multicycle infection. In vivo, splenic DC resist the inhibitory effects of VSV, and as in multicycle FDC infection, MyD88-independent signaling events control their maturation.