Stabilization of the human cytomegalovirus UL136p33 reactivation determinant overcomes the requirement for UL135 for replication in hematopoietic cells.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a beta herpesvirus that persists indefinitely in the human host through a latent infection. The polycistronic UL133-UL138 gene locus of HCMV encodes genes regulating latency and reactivation. While UL138 is pro-latency, restricting virus replication in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), UL135 overcomes this restriction and is required for reactivation. By contrast, UL136 is expressed with later kinetics and encodes multiple proteins with differential roles in latency and reactivation. Like UL135, the largest UL136 isoform, UL136p33, is required for reactivation from latency in HPCs; viruses failing to express either protein are unresponsive to reactivation stimuli. Furthermore, UL136p33 is unstable, and its instability is important for the establishment of latency, and sufficient accumulation of UL136p33 is a checkpoint for reactivation. We hypothesized that stabilizing UL136p33 might overcome the requirement of UL135 for replication. We generated recombinant viruses lacking UL135 that expressed a stabilized variant of UL136p33. Stabilizing UL136p33 did not impact the replication of the UL135 mutant virus in fibroblasts. However, in the context of infection in HPCs, stabilization of UL136p33 strikingly compensated for the loss of UL135, resulting in increased replication in CD34+ HPCs and in humanized NOD-scid IL2Rγcnull (huNSG) mice. This finding suggests that while UL135 is essential for replication in HPCs, it functions largely at steps preceding the accumulation of UL136p33, and that stabilized expression of UL136p33 largely overcomes the requirement for UL135. Taken together, our genetic evidence indicates an epistatic relationship between UL136p33 and UL135, whereby UL135 may initiate events early in reactivation that drive the accumulation of UL136p33 to a threshold required for productive reactivation. IMPORTANCE Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is one of nine human herpesviruses and a significant human pathogen. While HCMV establishes a lifelong latent infection that is typically asymptomatic in healthy individuals, its reactivation from latency can have devastating consequences in the immunocompromised. Defining viral genes important in the establishment of or reactivation from latency is important to defining the molecular basis of latent and replicative states and in controlling infection and CMV disease. Here we define a genetic relationship between two viral genes in controlling virus reactivation from latency using primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells and humanized mouse models.

Liver X Receptor-Inducible Host E3 Ligase IDOL Targets a Human Cytomegalovirus Reactivation Determinant.

Liver X receptor (LXR) signaling broadly restricts virus replication; however, the mechanisms of restriction are poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that the cellular E3 ligase LXR-inducible degrader of low-density lipoprotein receptor (IDOL) targets the human cytomegalovirus (HMCV) UL136p33 protein for turnover. UL136 encodes multiple proteins that differentially impact latency and reactivation. UL136p33 is a determinant of reactivation. UL136p33 is targeted for rapid turnover by the proteasome, and its stabilization by mutation of lysine residues to arginine results in a failure to quiet replication for latency. We show that IDOL targets UL136p33 for turnover but not the stabilized variant. IDOL is highly expressed in undifferentiated hematopoietic cells where HCMV establishes latency but is sharply downregulated upon differentiation, a stimulus for reactivation. We hypothesize that IDOL maintains low levels of UL136p33 for the establishment of latency. Consistent with this hypothesis, knockdown of IDOL impacts viral gene expression in wild-type (WT) HCMV infection but not in infection where UL136p33 has been stabilized. Furthermore, the induction of LXR signaling restricts WT HCMV reactivation from latency but does not affect the replication of a recombinant virus expressing a stabilized variant of UL136p33. This work establishes the UL136p33-IDOL interaction as a key regulator of the bistable switch between latency and reactivation. It further suggests a model whereby a key viral determinant of HCMV reactivation is regulated by a host E3 ligase and acts as a sensor at the tipping point between the decision to maintain the latent state or exit latency for reactivation. IMPORTANCE Herpesviruses establish lifelong latent infections, which pose an important risk for disease particularly in the immunocompromised. Our work is focused on the betaherpesvirus human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) that latently infects the majority of the population worldwide. Defining the mechanisms by which HCMV establishes latency or reactivates from latency is important for controlling viral disease. Here, we demonstrate that the cellular inducible degrader of low-density lipoprotein receptor (IDOL) targets a HCMV determinant of reactivation for degradation. The instability of this determinant is important for the establishment of latency. This work defines a pivotal virus-host interaction that allows HCMV to sense changes in host biology to navigate decisions to establish latency or to replicate.

Human cytomegalovirus protein UL136 activates the IL-6/STAT3 signal through MiR-138 and MiR-34c in gastric cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidences have indicated that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) may link to multiple human malignancies, including gastric cancer. However, the mechanistic role of HCMV in GC remains largely unknown. METHODS: In this study, we have successfully established HCMV latent gene UL-136-expressing gastric cancer cells. We measured cell proliferation of GC cells, MNK-45 and SGC-7901, with stable UL136 expression or paired control cells by using CCK-8 assay. We have showed that GC cells with stable UL136 expression had a rapid cell growth. Furthermore, our data from matrigel-coated transwell assay have demonstrated that UL136 expressing GC cells showed an enhanced invasion capacity compared to control cells. Furthermore, ectopic expression of UL136 inhibits tumorigenicity in an animal model. RESULTS: We observed that IL-6/STAT3 was stimulated by UL136 overexpression. Also, miR-138 is consistently up-regulated, while miR-34 down-regulated by UL136 in either MNK-45 or SGC-7901 cells. Our mechanistic study showed that treatment of miR-138 mimics in MNK-45 cells indeed inhibited SIRT1 expression to increase phosphorylation level of STAT3. MiR-34c suppressed expression of IL6R through direct binding with the putative 3'UTR binding sites of this gene. UL136 regulate IL6/STAT3 pathway, at least in part, through down-regulation of miR-34c in GC cells. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, HCMV-induced miR-34c or miR-138 involves in the activation of IL6/STAT3 signaling. Targeting the IL6-STAT3 axis or miRNAs represent a promising strategy for HCMV-related tumor formation.

The Role of the Human Cytomegalovirus UL133-UL138 Gene Locus in Latency and Reactivation.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) latency, the means by which the virus persists indefinitely in an infected individual, is a major frontier of current research efforts in the field. Towards developing a comprehensive understanding of HCMV latency and its reactivation from latency, viral determinants of latency and reactivation and their host interactions that govern the latent state and reactivation from latency have been identified. The polycistronic UL133-UL138 locus encodes determinants of both latency and reactivation. In this review, we survey the model systems used to investigate latency and new findings from these systems. Particular focus is given to the roles of the UL133, UL135, UL136 and UL138 proteins in regulating viral latency and how their known host interactions contribute to regulating host signaling pathways towards the establishment of or exit from latency. Understanding the mechanisms underlying viral latency and reactivation is important in developing strategies to block reactivation and prevent CMV disease in immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant patients.

The highly conserved human cytomegalovirus UL136 ORF generates multiple Golgi-localizing protein isoforms through differential translation initiation.

The UL133-UL138 locus in the unique long b' (ULb') region of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genome is considered to play certain roles in viral replication, dissemination and latency in a host cell type-dependent manner. Here we characterized the proteins encoded by UL136, one of the open reading frames (ORFs) in the locus. Comparative sequence analysis of UL136 among clinical isolates and laboratory strains indicates that its predicted amino-acid sequence is highly conserved. A polyclonal antibody against UL136 proteins (pUL136s) was raised against its carboxy-terminal region and this antibody specifically recognized at least five UL136-encoded protein isoforms of 29-17 kDa both in HCMV-infected cells and in cells transfected with a construct expressing pUL136. Immunofluorescence analysis with this antibody revealed localization of pUL136 in the Golgi apparatus. Analysis of several pUL136 mutants indicated that the putative transmembrane domain of pUL136 is required for its Golgi localization. Mutational analysis of multiple AUG codons in UL136 demonstrated that translation initiation from these AUG codons contributes in the generation of pUL136 isoforms.

Interaction between human cytomegalovirus UL136 protein and ATP1B1 protein

Interplay between the host and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has a pivotal role in the outcome of infection. A region (referred to as UL/b’) present in the Toledo strain of HCMV and low passage clinical isolates contains 19 additional genes, which are absent in the highly passaged laboratory strain AD169. Products of the UL/b’ genes may determine the manifestations of HCMV infection in vivo. However, little is known about the host factors, which interact with UL/b’ proteins. This study was conducted to investigate the function of the HCMV UL136 protein. By yeast two-hybrid screening, the β1 subunit of the host Na+/K+-ATPase (ATP1B1) was identified to be a candidate protein, which interacts with the HCMV UL136 protein. The interaction was further evaluated both in vitro by pull-down assay and in vivo by immunofluorescent co-localization. The results showed that the UL136 protein can interact with ATP1B1 in vitro. Co-localization of UL136-EGFP and ATP1B1-DsRed in cell membranes suggests that ATP1B1 was a partner of the UL136 protein. It can be proposed that the HCMV UL136 protein may have important roles in processes such as cell-to-cell spread, and in maintaining cell osmotic pressure and intracellular ion homeostasis during HCMV infection.