Intrinsic Antiviral Activity of Optineurin Prevents Hyperproliferation of a Primary Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection.

Very little knowledge exists on virus-specific host cell intrinsic mechanisms that prevent hyperproliferation of primary HSV type 2 (HSV-2) genital infections. In this study, we provide evidence that the Nemo-related protein, optineurin (OPTN), plays a key role in restricting HSV-2 infection both in vitro and in vivo. Contrary to previous reports regarding the proviral role of OPTN during Sendai virus infection, we demonstrate that lack of OPTN in cells causes enhanced virus production. OPTN deficiency negatively affects the host autophagy response and results in a marked reduction of CCL5 induction. OPTN knockout (OPTN-/-) mice display exacerbated genital disease and dysregulated T cell frequencies in infected tissues and lymph nodes. A human transcriptomic profile dataset provides further credence that a strong positive correlation exists between CCL5 upregulation and OPTN expression during HSV-2 genital infection. Our findings underscore a previously unknown OPTN/CCL5 nexus that restricts hyperproliferative spread of primary HSV-2 infection, which may constitute an intrinsic host defense mechanism against herpesviruses in general.

CRISPR-Cas based targeting of host and viral genes as an antiviral strategy.

Viral infections in human are leading cause of mortality and morbidity across the globe. Several viruses (including HIV and Herpesvirus), have evolved ingenious strategies to evade host-immune system and persist life-long. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) is an ancient antiviral system recently discovered in bacteria that has shown tremendous potential as a precise, invariant genome editing tool. Using CRISPR-Cas based system to activate host defenses or genetic modification of viral genome can provide novel, exciting and successful antiviral mechanisms and treatment modalities. In this review, we will provide progress on the CRISPR-Cas based antiviral approaches that facilitate clearance of virus-infected cells and/or prohibit virus infection or replication. We will discuss on the possibilities of CRIPSR-Cas as prophylaxis and therapy in viral infections and review the challenges of this potent gene editing technology.

Bacterial Pigment Prodigiosin Demonstrates a Unique Antiherpesvirus Activity That Is Mediated through Inhibition of Prosurvival Signal Transducers.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is among the most prevalent viral infections worldwide and remains incurable. While nucleoside analogs are used to relieve symptoms of infection, they suffer from having serious adverse effects and are unable to abolish the virus from the host. Here, we demonstrate a unique antiviral effect of prodigiosin (PG), a natural secondary metabolite produced by Serratia marcescens, on HSV infection. We show that PG naturally exerts antiviral activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections. PG treatment resulted in robust inhibition of viral replication in vitro and ex vivo in cultured porcine corneas. Additionally, PG protected against HSV-1 infection and disease progression in a murine model of ocular infection. In our quest to determine the molecular mechanisms of its antiviral activity, we show that PG specifically inhibits NF-κB and Akt signaling pathways and promotes accelerated cell death in HSV-infected cells. Our findings reveal novel antiviral properties of PG, suggesting its high potential as an alternative treatment for herpetic diseases. They also provide new information on antiviral effects of HSV-bacterial metabolite interactions.IMPORTANCE In this article, we provide a new role for a commonly found bacterial pigment in controlling herpes simplex virus infection, for which diverse and multimodal antiviral agents are needed to prevent drug resistance. Serratia marcescens is a red pigment (prodigiosin)-producing Gram-negative bacillus that is naturally found in soil and water. It is associated with many kinds of human infections, including wound and eye infections, and meningitis. Taking cues from previous studies on prodigiosin, including possible proapoptotic anticancer properties, we investigated how it might affect HSV infection. Interestingly, we found that it is a potent virucidal compound that disrupts host signaling pathways needed for HSV growth and survival. The mode of antiviral action suggests potentially broad activity against enveloped viruses. Our results also indicate that interactions with commensal bacteria may inhibit HSV infection, underscoring the importance of studying these microbial metabolites and their implications for viral pathogenesis and treatment.

Pathological processes activated by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection in the cornea.

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) is a ubiquitous pathogen that infects a large majority of the human population worldwide. It is also a leading cause of infection-related blindness in the developed world. HSV-1 infection of the cornea begins with viral entry into resident cells via a multistep process that involves interaction of viral glycoproteins and host cell surface receptors. Once inside, HSV-1 infection induces a chronic immune-inflammatory response resulting in corneal scarring, thinning and neovascularization. This leads to development of various ocular diseases such as herpes stromal keratitis, resulting in visual impairment and eventual blindness. HSV-1 can also invade the central nervous system and lead to encephalitis, a relatively common cause of sporadic fetal encephalitis worldwide. In this review, we discuss the pathological processes activated by corneal HSV-1 infection and existing antiviral therapies as well as novel therapeutic options currently under development.

Heparanase-Induced Activation of AKT Stabilizes ß-Catenin and Modulates Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling during Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection.

Under pathological conditions like herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection, host-pathogen interactions lead to major reconstruction of the host protein network, which contributes to the dysregulation of signaling pathways and disease onset. Of note is the upregulation of a multifunctional host protein, heparanase (HPSE), following infection, which serves as a mediator in HSV-1 replication. In this study, we identify a novel function of HPSE and highlight it as a key regulator of ß-catenin signal transduction. The regulatory role of HPSE on the activation, nuclear translocation, and signal transduction of ß-catenin disrupts cellular homeostasis and establishes a pathogenic environment that promotes viral replication. Under normal physiological conditions, ß-catenin is bound to a group of proteins, referred to as the destruction complex, and targeted for ubiquitination and, ultimately, degradation. We show that virus-induced upregulation of HPSE leads to the activation of Akt and subsequent stabilization and activation of ß-catenin through (i) the release of ß-catenin from the destruction complex, and (ii) direct phosphorylation of ß-catenin at Ser552. This study also provides an in-depth characterization of the proviral role of ß-catenin signaling during HSV-1 replication using physiologically relevant cell lines and in vivo models of ocular infection. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibitors of this pathway generated a robust antiviral state against multiple laboratory and clinical strains of HSV-1. Collectively, our findings assign a novel regulatory role to HPSE as a driver of ß-catenin signaling in HSV-1 infection. IMPORTANCE Heparanase (HPSE) and ß-catenin have independently been implicated in regulating key pathophysiological processes, including neovascularization, angiogenesis, and inflammation; however, the relationship between the two proteins has remained elusive thus far. For that reason, characterizing this relationship is crucial and can lead to the development of novel therapeutics. For HSV-1 specifically, current antivirals are not able to abolish the virus from the host, leaving patients susceptible to episodes of viral reactivation. Identifying a host-based intervention can provide a better alternative with enhanced efficacy and sustained relief.

Entry receptor bias in evolutionarily distant HSV-1 clinical strains drives divergent ocular and nervous system pathologies.

PURPOSE: Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection leads to varying pathologies including the development of ocular lesions, stromal keratitis and encephalitis. While the role for host immunity in disease progression is well understood, the contribution of genetic variances in generating preferential viral entry receptor usage and resulting immunopathogenesis in humans are not known. METHODS: Ocular cultures were obtained from patients presenting distinct pathologies of herpes simplex keratitis (HSK). Next-generation sequencing and subsequent analysis characterized genetic variances among the strains and estimated evolutionary divergence. Murine model of ocular infection was used to assess phenotypic contributions of strain variances on damage to the ocular surface and propagation of innate immunity. Flow cytometry of eye tissue identified differential recruitment of immune cell populations, cytokine array probed for programming of local immune response in the draining lymph node and histology was used to assess inflammation of the trigeminal ganglion (TG). Ex-vivo corneal cultures and in-vitro studies elucidated the role of genetic variances in altering host-pathogen interactions, leading to divergent host responses. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis of the clinical isolates suggests evolutionary divergence among currently circulating HSV-1 strains. Mutations causing alterations in functional host interactions were identified, particularly in viral entry glycoproteins which generated a receptor bias to herpesvirus entry mediator, an immune modulator involved in immunopathogenic diseases like HSK, leading to exacerbated ocular surface pathologies and heightened viral burden in the TG and brainstem. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests receptor bias resulting from genetic variances in clinical strains may dictate disease severity and treatment outcome.

mTORC2 confers neuroprotection and potentiates immunity during virus infection.

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) causes ocular and orofacial infections. In rare cases, HSV-1 can cause encephalitis, which leads to permanent brain injuries, memory loss or even death. Host factors protect humans from viral infections by activating the immune response. However, factors that confer neuroprotection during viral encephalitis are poorly understood. Here we show that mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) is essential for the survival of experimental animals after ocular HSV-1 infection in vivo. We find the loss of mTORC2 causes systemic HSV-1 infection due to defective innate and adaptive immune responses, and increased ocular and neuronal cell death that turns lethal for the infected mice. Furthermore, we find that mTORC2 mediated cell survival channels through the inactivation of the proapoptotic factor FoxO3a. Our results demonstrate how mTORC2 potentiates host defenses against viral infections and implicate mTORC2 as a necessary factor for survival of the infected host.

Disruption of innate defense responses by endoglycosidase HPSE promotes cell survival.

The drive to withstand environmental stresses and defend against invasion is a universal trait extant in all forms of life. While numerous canonical signaling cascades have been characterized in detail, it remains unclear how these pathways interface to generate coordinated responses to diverse stimuli. To dissect these connections, we followed heparanase (HPSE), a protein best known for its endoglycosidic activity at the extracellular matrix but recently recognized to drive various forms of late-stage disease through unknown mechanisms. Using herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection as a model cellular perturbation, we demonstrate that HPSE acts beyond its established enzymatic role to restrict multiple forms of cell-intrinsic defense and facilitate host cell reprogramming by the invading pathogen. We reveal that cells devoid of HPSE are innately resistant to infection and counteract viral takeover through multiple amplified defense mechanisms. With a unique grasp of the fundamental processes of transcriptional regulation and cell death, HPSE represents a potent cellular intersection with broad therapeutic potential.

Standalone or combinatorial phenylbutyrate therapy shows excellent antiviral activity and mimics CREB3 silencing.

Herpesviruses are ubiquitous human pathogens that tightly regulate many cellular pathways including the unfolded protein response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Pharmacological modulation of this pathway results in the inhibition of viral replication. In this study, we tested 4-phenylbutyrate (PBA), a chemical chaperone-based potent alleviator of ER stress, for its effects on herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 infection. Through in vitro studies, we observed that application of PBA to HSV-infected cells results in the down-regulation of a proviral, ER-localized host protein CREB3 and a resultant inhibition of viral protein synthesis. PBA treatment caused viral inhibition in cultured human corneas and human skin grafts as well as murine models of ocular and genital HSV infection. Thus, we propose that this drug can provide an alternative to current antivirals to treat both ocular HSV-1 and genital HSV-2 infections and may be a strong candidate for human trials.

An Intra-Vaginal Zinc Oxide Tetrapod Nanoparticles (ZOTEN) and Genital Herpesvirus Cocktail Can Provide a Novel Platform for Live Virus Vaccine.

Herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) is a common cause of genital infections throughout the world. Currently no prophylactic vaccine or therapeutic cure exists against the virus that establishes a latent infection for the life of the host. Intravaginal microbivac is a developing out-of-the-box strategy that combines instant microbicidal effects with future vaccine-like benefits. We have recently shown that our uniquely designed zinc oxide tetrapod nanoparticles (ZOTEN) show strong microbivac efficacy against HSV-2 infection in a murine model of genital infection. In our attempts to further understand the antiviral and immune bolstering effects of ZOTEN microbivac and to develop ZOTEN as a platform for future live virus vaccines, we tested a ZOTEN/HSV-2 cocktail and found that prior incubation of HSV-2 with ZOTEN inhibits the ability of the virus to infect vaginal tissue in female Balb/c mice and blocks virus shedding as judged by plaque assays. Quite interestingly, the ZOTEN-neutralized virions elicit a local immune response that is highly comparable with the HSV-2 infection alone with reduced inflammation and clinical manifestations of disease. Information provided by our study will pave the way for the further development of ZOTEN as a microbivac and a future platform for live virus vaccines.

Drug-encapsulated carbon (DECON): A novel platform for enhanced drug delivery.

Current drug-delivery systems are designed primarily for parenteral applications and are either lipid or polymer drug conjugates. In our quest to inhibit herpes simplex virus infection via the compounds found in commonly used cosmetic products, we found that activated carbon particles inhibit infection and, in addition, substantially improve topical delivery and, hence, the efficacy of a common antiviral drug, acyclovir (ACV). Our in vitro studies demonstrate that highly porous carbon structures trapped virions, blocked infection and substantially improved efficacy when ACV was loaded onto them. Also, using murine models of corneal and genital herpes infections, we show that the topical use of drug-encapsulated carbon (DECON) reduced dosing frequency, shortened treatment duration, and exhibited higher therapeutic efficacy than currently approved topical or systemic antivirals alone. DECON is a nontoxic, cost-effective and nonimmunogenic alternative to current topical drug-delivery systems that is uniquely triggered for drug release by virus trapping.