The regulation of export of mRNA from nucleus to cytoplasm.

The past year has been marked by the discovery that the influenza virus NS1 protein belongs to the group of viral proteins that regulate the nuclear export of mRNA. This protein, like other viral proteins in this group, such as the Rev protein of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and the complex of two adenovirus early proteins, has the potential to provide insights into the poorly understood process of the nuclear export of mRNA.

Metabolism and expression of RNA polymerase II transcripts in influenza virus-infected cells.

Influenza virus infection has adverse effects on the metabolism of two representative RNA polymerase II transcripts in chicken embryo fibroblasts, those coding for beta-actin and for avian leukosis virus (ALV) proteins. Proviral ALV DNA was integrated into host cell DNA by prior infection with ALV. Within 1 h after influenza virus infection, the rate of transcription of beta-actin and ALV sequences decreased 40 to 60%, as determined by labeling the cells for 5 min with [3H]uridine and by in vitro, runoff assays with isolated nuclei. The transcripts that continued to be synthesized did not appear in the cytoplasm as mature mRNAs, and the kinetics of labeling of these transcripts strongly suggest that they were degraded in the nucleus. By S1 endonuclease assay, it was confirmed that nuclear ALV transcripts disappeared very early after infection, already decreasing ca. 80% by 1 h postinfection. A plausible explanation for this nuclear degradation is that the viral cap-dependent endonuclease in the nucleus cleaves the 5' ends of new polymerase II transcripts, rendering the resulting decapped RNAs susceptible to hydrolysis by cellular nucleases. In contrast to the nuclear transcripts, cytoplasmic beta-actin and ALV mRNAs, which are synthesized before infection, were more stable and did not decrease in amount until after 3 h postinfection. Similar stability of cytoplasmic host cell mRNAs was observed in infected HeLa cells, in which the levels of actin mRNA and two HeLa cell mRNAs (pHe 7 and pHe 28) remained at undiminished levels for 3 h of infection and decreased only slightly by 4.5 h postinfection. The cytoplasmic actin and pHe 7 mRNAs isolated from infected HeLa cells were shown to be translated in reticulocyte extracts in vitro, indicating that host mRNAs were not inactivated by a virus-induced modification. Despite the continued presence of high levels of functional host cell mRNAs, host cell protein synthesis was effectively shut off by about 3 h postinfection in both chicken embryo fibroblasts and HeLa cells. These results are consistent with the establishment of an influenza virus-specific translational system that selectively translates viral and not host mRNAs.

Regulation of the extent of splicing of influenza virus NS1 mRNA: role of the rates of splicing and of the nucleocytoplasmic transport of NS1 mRNA.

Influenza virus NS1 mRNA is spliced by host nuclear enzymes to form NS2 mRNA, and this splicing is regulated in infected cells such that the steady-state amount of spliced NS2 mRNA is only about 10% of that of unspliced NS1 mRNA. This regulation would be expected to result from a suppression in the rate of splicing coupled with the efficient transport of unspliced NS1 mRNA from the nucleus. To determine whether the rate of splicing of NS1 mRNA was controlled by trans factors in influenza virus-infected cells, the NS1 gene was inserted into an adenovirus vector. The rates of splicing of NS1 mRNA in cells infected with this vector and in influenza virus-infected cells were measured by pulse-labeling with [3H]uridine. The rates of splicing of NS1 mRNA in the two systems were not significantly different, strongly suggesting that the rate of splicing of NS1 mRNA in influenza virus-infected cells is controlled solely by cis-acting sequences in NS1 mRNA itself. In contrast to the rate of splicing, the extent of splicing of NS1 mRNA in the cells infected by the adenovirus recombinant was dramatically increased relative to that occurring in influenza virus-infected cells. This could be attributed largely, if not totally, to a block in the nucleocytoplasmic transport of unspliced NS1 mRNA in the recombinant-infected cells. Most of the unspliced NS1 mRNA was in the nuclear fraction, and no detectable NS1 protein was synthesized. When the 3' splice site of NS1 mRNA was inactivated by mutation, NS1 mRNA was transported and translated, indicating that the transport block occurred because NS1 rRNA was committed to the splicing pathway. This transport block is apparently obviated in influenza virus-infected cells. These experiments demonstrate the important role of the nucleocytoplasmic transport of unspliced NS1 mRNA in regulating the extent of splicing of NS1 mRNA.

A block in mammalian splicing occurring after formation of large complexes containing U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins.

The assembly of mammalian pre-mRNAs into large 50S to 60S complexes, or spliceosomes, containing small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) leads to the production of splicing intermediates, 5' exon and lariat-3' exon, and the subsequent production of spliced products. Influenza virus NS1 mRNA, which encodes a virus-specific protein, is spliced in infected cells to form another viral mRNA (the NS2 mRNA), such that the ratio of unspliced to spliced mRNA is 10 to 1. NS1 mRNA was not detectably spliced in vitro with nuclear extracts from uninfected HeLa cells. Surprisingly, despite the almost total absence of splicing intermediates in the in vitro reaction, NS1 mRNA very efficiently formed ATP-dependent 55S complexes. The formation of 55S complexes with NS1 mRNA was compared with that obtained with an adenovirus pre-mRNA (pKT1 transcript) by using partially purified splicing fractions that restricted the splicing of the pKT1 transcript to the production of splicing intermediates. At RNA precursor levels that were considerably below saturation, approximately 10-fold more of the input NS1 mRNA than of the input pKT1 transcript formed 55S complexes at all time points examined. The pKT1 55S complexes contained splicing intermediates, whereas the NS1 55S complexes contained only precursor NS1 mRNA. Biotin-avidin affinity chromatography showed that the 55S complexes formed with either NS1 mRNA or the pKT1 transcript contained the U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6 snRNPs. Consequently, the formation of 55S complexes containing these five snRNPs was not sufficient for the catalysis of the first step of splicing, indicating that some additional step(s) needs to occur subsequent to this binding. These results indicate that the 5' splice site, 3' and branch point of NS1 and mRNA were capable of interacting with the five snRNPs to form 55S complexes, but apparently some other sequence element(s) in NS1 mRNA blocked the resolution of the 55S complexes that leads to the catalysis of splicing. On the basis of our results, we suggest mechanisms by which the splicing of NS1 is controlled in infected cells.

Translational control by influenza virus: suppression of the kinase that phosphorylates the alpha subunit of initiation factor eIF-2 and selective translation of influenza viral mRNAs.

Selective translation of influenza viral mRNAs occurs after influenza virus superinfection of cells infected with the VAI RNA-negative adenovirus mutant dl331 (M. G. Katze, Y.-T. Chen, and R. M. Krug, Cell 37:483-490, 1984). Cell extracts from these doubly infected cells catalyze the initiation of essentially only influenza viral protein synthesis, reproducing the in vivo situation. This selective translation is correlated with a 5- to 10-fold suppression of the dl331-induced kinase that phosphorylates the alpha subunit of eucaryotic initiation factor eIF-2. This strongly suggests that influenza virus encodes a gene product that, analogous to the adenoviral VAI RNA, prevents the shutdown of overall protein synthesis caused by an eIF-2 alpha kinase turned on by viral infection. Adenoviral mRNA translation was restored to the extract from the doubly infected cells by the addition of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor eIF-2B, which is responsible for the normal recycling of eIF-2 during protein synthesis. This indicates that the residual kinase in the doubly infected cells leads to a limitation in functional (nonsequestered) eIF-2B and hence functional (GTP-containing) eIF-2 and that under these conditions influenza viral mRNAs are selectively translated over adenoviral mRNAs. Addition of double-stranded RNA to the extracts from these cells restored the eIF-2 alpha kinase to a level approaching that seen in extracts from cells infected with dl331 alone and caused the inhibition of influenza viral mRNA translation. This suggests that the putative influenza viral gene product acts against the double-stranded RNA activation of the kinase and indicates that influenza viral mRNA translation is also linked to the level of functional eIF-2. Our results thus indicate that a limitation in functional eIF-2 which causes a nonspecific reduction in the rate of initiation of protein synthesis results in the preferential translation of the better mRNAs (influenza viral mRNAs) at the expense of the poorer mRNAs (adenoviral mRNAs).

Identification of cis-acting intron and exon regions in influenza virus NS1 mRNA that inhibit splicing and cause the formation of aberrantly sedimenting presplicing complexes.

In in vitro splicing reactions, influenza virus NS1 mRNA was not detectably spliced, but nonetheless very efficiently formed ATP-dependent 55S complexes containing the U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) (C. H. Agris, M. E. Nemeroff, and R. M. Krug, Mol. Cell. Biol. 9:259-267, 1989). We demonstrate that the block in splicing was caused by two regions in NS1 mRNA: (i) a large intron region (not including the branchpoint sequence) and (ii) an 85-nucleotide 3' exon region near the 3' end of the exon. After removal of both of these regions, the 5' and 3' splice sites and branchpoint of NS1 mRNA functioned efficiently in splicing, indicating that they were not defective. The two inhibitory regions shared one property: splicing inhibition was independent of the identity of the nucleotide sequence in either region. In other respects, however, the two inhibitory regions differed. The inhibitory activity of the intron region was proportional to its length, indicating that the inhibition was probably due to size only. In contrast, the 3' exon, which was of small size, was a context element; i.e., it functioned only when it was located at a specific position in the 3' exon of NS1 mRNA. To determine how these intron and exon regions inhibited splicing, we compared the types of splicing complexes formed by intact NS1 mRNA with those formed by spliceable NS1 mRNA lacking the intron and exon regions. Splicing complexes were formed by using purified splicing factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Selective nuclear export of viral mRNAs in influenza-virus-infected cells.

The NS1A protein of influenza A virus specifically inhibits the cellular machinery that processes the 3' ends of cellular pre-mRNAs by targeting two of the essential proteins of this machinery. Because the virus does not use this cellular machinery to synthesize the 3' poly(A) ends of viral mRNA, the nuclear export of cellular but not viral mRNAs is selectively inhibited.

Influenza B virus NS1 protein inhibits conjugation of the interferon (IFN)-induced ubiquitin-like ISG15 protein.

Of the several hundred proteins induced by interferon (IFN) alpha/beta, the ubiquitin-like ISG15 protein is one of the most predominant. We demonstrate the novel way in which the function of the ISG15 protein is inhibited by influenza B virus, which strongly induces the ISG15 protein: a specific region of the influenza B virus NS1 protein, which includes part of its effector domain, blocks the covalent linkage of ISG15 to its target proteins both in vitro and in infected cells. We identify UBE1L as the E1 enzyme that catalyzes the first activation step in the conjugation of ISG15, and show that the NS1B protein inhibits this activation step in vitro. Influenza A virus employs a different strategy: its NS1 protein does not bind the ISG15 protein, but little or no ISG15 protein is produced during infection. We discuss the likely basis for these different strategies.

Transcription antitermination during influenza viral template RNA synthesis requires the nucleocapsid protein and the absence of a 5' capped end.

The first step in the replication of influenza virion RNAs is the synthesis of full-length transcripts of these RNAs. The synthesis of these transcripts, or template RNAs, requires: unprimed initiation rather than the capped RNA-primed initiation used during viral mRNA synthesis, and antitermination at the polyadenylylation site used during mRNA synthesis. To determine the mechanism of template RNA synthesis, we prepared nuclear extracts from infected cells that were active in the synthesis of both template RNAs and viral mRNAs. By providing the dinucleotide ApG as primer, we circumvented the inefficient unprimed initiation catalyzed by these extracts and, as a consequence, were able to focus on the antitermination step. Antitermination, and hence template RNA synthesis, occurred when ApG but not a capped RNA was used as primer, indicating that the presence of a 5' capped end blocked antitermination at the 3' end of the transcript. Ultracentrifugation of the nuclear extract yielded a pellet fraction that contained viral nucleocapsids active in viral mRNA synthesis but not template RNA synthesis and a supernatant fraction that contained the antitermination factor. When the supernatant, which had essentially no activity by itself, was added to the pellet in the presence of ApG, template RNA synthesis was restored. Depletion experiments in which this supernatant was incubated with protein A-Sepharose containing antibodies to individual viral proteins demonstrated that the viral nucleocapsid protein was required for antitermination. The implications of these results for the control of viral RNA replication are discussed.

Influenza virus RNA replication in vitro: synthesis of viral template RNAs and virion RNAs in the absence of an added primer.

The two steps in influenza virus RNA replication are (i) the synthesis of template RNAs, i.e., full-length copies of the virion RNAs, and (ii) the copying of these template RNAs into new virion RNAs. We prepared nuclear extracts from infected HeLa cells that catalyzed both template RNA and virion RNA synthesis in vitro in the absence of an added primer. Antibody depletion experiments implicated nucleocapsid protein molecules not associated with nucleocapsids in template RNA synthesis for antitermination at the polyadenylation site used during viral mRNA synthesis. Experiments with the WSN influenza virus temperature-sensitive mutant ts56 containing a defect in the nucleocapsid protein proved that the nucleocapsid protein was indeed required for template RNA synthesis both in vivo and in vitro. Nuclear extracts prepared from mutant virus-infected cells synthesized template RNA at the permissive temperature but not at the nonpermissive temperature, whereas the synthesis of mRNA-size transcripts was not decreased at the nonpermissive temperature. Antibody depletion experiments showed that nucleocapsid protein molecules not associated with nucleocapsids were also required for the copying of template RNA into virion RNA. In contrast to the situation with the synthesis of transcripts complementary to virion RNA, no discrete termination product(s) were made during virion RNA synthesis in vitro in the absence of nucleocapsid protein molecules.

The RNA-binding and effector domains of the viral NS1 protein are conserved to different extents among influenza A and B viruses.

The NS1 protein of the influenza A/Udorn/72 virus possesses two important functional domains: an RNA-binding domain near the amino-terminal end and an effector domain in the carboxyl half of the molecule. Though the NS1 proteins of influenza A and B viruses share little sequence homology, an RNA-binding domain with the same activities is preserved in the NS1 protein of influenza B/LEE/40 virus. The RNA-binding domains of the NS1 proteins of these influenza A and B viruses share the following properties: (i) they specifically bind to the same three RNA targets, poly(A), U6 snRNA, and double-stranded (ds) RNA; (ii) a polypeptide containing an amino-terminal sequence of the protein possesses all the RNA-binding activity of the full-length protein and exists in the form of a dimer; (iii) the binding to U6 snRNA causes an inhibition of pre-mRNA splicing in vitro; and (iv) the binding to dsRNA blocks the activation of the PKR kinase in vitro. The conservation of the RNA-binding domain of the NS1 protein among influenza A and B viruses strongly suggests that this domain is required for the replication of all these influenza viruses. In contrast, the NS1 protein of influenza B virus (NS1B protein) lacks an effector domain that functions like that of the NS1 protein of influenza A virus (NS1A protein). The effector domain of the NS1A protein is required for two of its in vivo activities: the inhibition of the nuclear export of poly(A)-containing mRNA and the inhibition of pre-mRNA splicing. The NS1B protein lacks these two in vivo activities. In addition, a naturally occurring, truncated NS1A protein lacks such an effector domain. Consequently, an effector domain that functions like that of full-length NS1A proteins is not absolutely required for the replication of influenza A and B viruses. We discuss the implications of these results for the roles of the RNA-binding and effector domains of the NS1 protein during infection by influenza A and B viruses.

Surprising function of the three influenza viral polymerase proteins: selective protection of viral mRNAs against the cap-snatching reaction catalyzed by the same polymerase proteins.

Influenza virus, a negative strand RNA virus, cannibalizes host cell, capped RNA polymerase II transcripts in the nucleus via a process termed "cap-snatching". The viral transcriptase enzyme; which is composed of a complex of the three viral polymerase (P) proteins, contains a cap-dependent endonuclease that cleaves capped cellular RNAs in the nucleus 10-13 nucleotides from their 5' ends. The resulting capped RNA fragments are required as primers for the initiation of viral mRNA synthesis. In the 18 year since the discovery of "cap-snatching" it has not been determined how the viral transcriptase exhibits selectivity and "snatches" caps from cellular, but not viral, mRNAs. Here we elucidate the surprising mechanism of this selectivity: the complex of the same three viral P proteins that catalyzes "cap-snatching" is also responsible for selectivity protecting the 5' ends of viral, but not cellular, mRNAs from "cap-snatching". The viral P protein complex is able to acquire these two very different functions because this complex lacks any detectable activity unless it binds to one or more specific RNA sequences. Here we demonstrate that the viral P protein complex binds to the common sequence in all the viral mRNAs that is immediately 3' to the 5' sequence that is "snatched" from host cell RNAs. This binding activates the cap-binding activity of the P protein complex, thereby enhancing its binding to the capped viral mRNA. We show that these P protein complexes protect the 5' ends of viral mRNAs from endonucleolytic cleavage by the viral transcriptase, whereas the 5' ends of nonviral mRNAs are not protected.

Novel exploitation of a nuclear function by influenza virus: the cellular SF2/ASF splicing factor controls the amount of the essential viral M2 ion channel protein in infected cells.

We show that a cellular nuclear protein, the SR splicing factor SF2/ASF, controls the level of production of an essential influenza virus protein, the M2 ion channel protein. The M2 mRNA that encodes the ion channel protein is produced by alternative splicing of another viral mRNA, M1 mRNA. The production of M2 mRNA is controlled in two ways. First, a distal (stronger) 5' splice site in M1 mRNA is blocked by the complex of viral polymerase proteins synthesized during infection, allowing the cellular splicing machinery to switch to the proximal (weaker) M2 5' splice site. Second, utilization of the weak M2 5' splice site requires its activation by the cellular SF2/ASF protein. This activation is mediated by the binding of the SF2/ASF protein to a purine-rich splicing enhancer sequence that is located in the 3' exon of M1 mRNA. We demonstrate that activation of the M2 5' splice site is controlled by the SF2/ASF protein in vivo during influenza virus infection. Utilizing four cell lines that differ in their levels of production of the SF2/ASF protein, we show that during virus infection of these cell lines both M2 mRNA and the M2 ion channel protein are produced in amounts that are proportional to the different expression levels of the SF2/ASF protein.

The influenza virus NS1 protein is a poly(A)-binding protein that inhibits nuclear export of mRNAs containing poly(A).

The influenza virus NS1 protein inhibits the nuclear export of a spliced viral mRNA, NS2 mRNA (F. V. Alonso-Caplen, M. E. Nemeroff, Y. Qiu, and R. M. Krug, Genes Dev. 6:255-267, 1992). To identify the sequence in NS2 mRNA that is recognized by the NS1 protein, we developed a gel shift assay for the formation of specific RNA-protein complexes. With this assay, it was established that the NS1 protein binds to the poly(A) sequence at the 3' end of NS2 mRNA and of other mRNAs. In addition, the NS1 protein was shown to bind to poly(A) itself. This specificity was also observed in vivo. The NS1 protein inhibited the nuclear export of every poly(A)-containing mRNA that was tested. In contrast, the NS1 protein failed to inhibit the nuclear export of an mRNA whose 3' end was generated by cleavage without subsequent addition of poly(A). Addition of poly(A) to this mRNA enabled the NS1 protein to inhibit mRNA export. The implications of these results for the role of the NS1 protein during virus infection are discussed.

Purification of influenza viral complementary RNA: its genetic content and activity in wheat germ cell-free extracts.

Influenza viral complementary RNA (cRNA) was purified free from any detectable virion-type RNA (vRNA), and its genetic content and activity in wheat germ cell-free extracts were examined. After phenol-chloroform extraction of cytoplasmic fractions from infected cells, poly(A)-containing viral cRNA is found in two forms: in single-stranded RNA and associated with vRNA in partially and fully double-stranded RNA. To purify single-stranded cRNA free of these double-stranded forms, it was necessary to employ, as starting material, RNA fractions in which cRNA was predominantly single stranded. Two RNA fractions were successfully employed as starting material: polyribosomal RNA and the total cytoplasmic RNA from infected cells treated with 100 mug of cycloheximide (CM) per ml at 3 h after infection. In WSN virus-infected canine kidney (MDCK) cells, the addition of CM at 3 h after infection stimulates the production of cRNA threefold and causes a very large increase in the proportion of the cytoplasmic cRNA which is single stranded; double-stranded RNA forms are greatly reduced in amount. Total cRNA was obtained by oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography, and single-stranded cRNA was separated from double-stranded forms by Sepharose 4B chromatography. The cRNA preparation purified from polyribosomes consists of 95% single-stranded cRNA, with the remaining 5% apparently being double-stranded RNA forms. The cRNA preparation purified from CM-treated cells (CM cRNA) is even more pure: 100% of the radiolabeled RNA is single-stranded cRNA. Annealing experiments, in which a limited amount of 32P-labeled genome RNA was annealed to the cRNA, indicate that the purified cRNA contains at least 84 to 90% of the genetic information in the vRNA genome. Purified viral cRNA (CM cRNA) is very active in directing the synthesis of virus-specific proteins in wheat germ cell-free extracts.

Synthesis of the templates for influenza virion RNA replication in vitro.

To elucidate the mechanism(s) of influenza viral RNA replication, we have developed an in vitro system in which the templates for viral RNA replication as well as the viral messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are synthesized. Because the synthesis of both the viral mRNAs and the template RNAs occurs in the nucleus of infected cells, we determined whether infected cell nuclei are active in the synthesis of these two types of transcripts in vitro. Nuclei isolated as early as 1-2 hr after infection catalyze the in vitro synthesis of both the viral mRNAs and template RNAs. The time course of appearance of these activities indicates that they most likely represent the transcriptional complexes functioning in vivo. Template RNA synthesis catalyzed by the nuclei in vitro is independent of concomitant protein synthesis; rather, it utilizes preformed proteins present in the nuclear preparations. This protein pool can be depleted by treating the infected cells with a protein synthesis inhibitor prior to the isolation of the nuclei, thereby rendering the nuclei inactive in template RNA synthesis in vitro. This activity can be restored by the addition of infected cell cytoplasmic extracts or of the high-speed supernatant fraction from these extracts. These results indicate that the cytoplasmic fraction from infected cells enables the viral transcription complex to continue transcription past the site at which termination occurs during viral mRNA synthesis and also suggest that this fraction enables the transcription complex to initiate transcription without the capped primer used in viral mRNA synthesis.

Selected host cell capped RNA fragments prime influenza viral RNA transcription in vivo.

Influenza viral RNA transcription in vitro is primed by capped RNA fragments cleaved from capped RNAs by a viral endonuclease. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the specificities of the viral endonuclease and transcriptase observed in in vitro studies are also observed in the infected cell. The NS (nonstructural) gene of influenza WSN virus was cloned in pBR322 by using a double-stranded DNA containing a cDNA copy of both virion RNA (vRNA) and in vivo viral mRNA. We determined the 5' terminal sequence of the particular NS viral mRNA molecule which was cloned and also the 5' terminal sequences of the entire population of in vivo NS viral mRNAs synthesized in two different cell lines. For the latter determination we used a restriction fragment from the cloned DNA for the reverse transcriptase-catalyzed extension of total in vivo viral mRNA. The results indicate that in vivo and in vitro viral RNA transcription are similar in two important respects: (i) transcription initiates not with an A residue directed by the 3' terminal U of the vRNA, but with a G residue directed by the 3' penultimate C of the vRNA; and (ii) capped RNA fragments containing a 3' terminal A residue are preferentially used as primers, therapy generating an AG sequence in the viral mRNA complementary to the 3' terminal UC of the vRNA. Actually, for in vivo transcription, a subset of A-terminated capped fragments, namely those containing a 3' penultimate C residue, are the preferred primers. The latter specificity had not been observed in previous in vitro studies.

Absence of adenine-rich ribonucleic acid from purified infectious reovirus 3.

The basic properties of released and cell-associated reovirus are the same. Both contained as their total nucleic acid complement only double-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) with an adenine content of 28%. Preparations of purified cell-associated virus, but not released virus, contained adenine-rich RNA which could be separated from the virus with little or no loss of infectivity. These adenine-rich ribonucleic acids were present in the virus preparations either as free RNA or associated with some structures of molecular weight less than 25 x 10(6) daltons. In contrast to our previous report, double-stranded reovirus RNA possessed little or no template activity for the Escherichia coli deoxyribonucleic acid and RNA polymerases.