Cellular Importin-α3 Expression Dynamics in the Lung Regulate Antiviral Response Pathways against Influenza A Virus Infection (original) (raw)
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Journal of Virology, 2014
ABSTRACTInfluenza A viruses recruit components of the nuclear import pathway to enter the host cell nucleus and promote viral replication. Here, we analyzed the role of the nuclear import factor importin-α7 in H1N1 influenza virus pulmonary tropism by using variousex vivoimaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and correlative light-electron microscopy). We infected importin-α7 gene-deficient (α7−/−) mice with a recombinant H1N1 influenza virus and compared thein vivoviral kinetics with those in wild-type (WT) mice. In WT mice, influenza virus replication in the bronchial and alveolar epithelium already occurred a few days after infection. Accordingly, extensive mononuclear infiltration and alveolar destruction were present in the lungs of infected WT mice, followed by 100% lethality. Conversely, in α7−/−mice, virus replication was restricted mostly to the bronchial epithelium with marginal alveolar infection, resulting in significantly red...
Virology Journal, 2016
Background: Transportation into the host cell nucleus is crucial for replication and transcription of influenza virus. The classical nuclear import is regulated by specific cellular factor, importin-α. Seven isoforms of importin-α have been identified in human. The preference of importin-α3 of avian influenza virus and-α7 isoform of human strains during replication in human cells was previously identified. In addition, both avian and human influenza viruses were shown to use importin-α1 isoform for their replication. Finding: The mRNA levels of importin-α1, −α3, and-α7 isoforms in human respiratory tract was determined by real-time RT-PCR. The results indicate that mRNA level of importin-α7 was significantly higher than that of importin-α1 (p-value < 0.0001) and importin-α3 (p-value < 0.0001) isoforms in human nasal mucosa while importin-α1 was detected as the highest expression importin-α isoform in lung tissues. Conclusions: These results may explain the preference of importin-α7 isoforms in seasonal influenza viruses in human upper respiratory tract and may suggest a selective pressure toward importin-α7 in human respiratory tract infection of an avian virus.
Human importin alpha and RNA do not compete for binding to influenza A virus nucleoprotein
Virology, 2011
Influenza virus has a segmented genome composed of eight negative stranded RNA segments. Each segment is covered with NP forming ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs) and carries a copy of the heterotrimeric polymerase complex. As a rare phenomenon among the RNA viruses, the viral replication occurs in the nucleus and therefore implies interactions between host and viral factors, such as between importin alpha and nucleoprotein. In the present study we report that through binding with the human nuclear receptor importin α5 (Impα5), the viral NP is no longer oligomeric but maintained as a monomer inside the complex. In this regard, Impα5 acts as a chaperone until NP is delivered in the nucleus for viral RNA encapsidation. Moreover, we show that the association of NP with the host transporter does not impair the binding of NP to RNA. The complex human Impα5-NP binds RNA with the same affinity as wt NP alone, whereas engineered monomeric NP through point mutations binds RNA with a strongly reduced affinity.
Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark), 2005
Replication of the RNAs of influenza virus occurs in the nucleus of infected cells. The nucleoprotein (NP) has been shown to be important for the import of the viral RNA into the nucleus and has been proposed to contain at least three different nuclear localization signals (NLSs). Here, an import assay in digitonin-permeabilized cells was used to further define the contribution of these NLSs. Mutation of the unconventional NLS impaired the nuclear import of the NP. A peptide bearing the unconventional NLS could inhibit the nuclear import of the NP in this import assay and prevent the NP-karyopherin alpha interaction in a binding assay confirming the crucial role of this signal. Interestingly, a peptide containing the SV40 T antigen NLS was unable to inhibit the nuclear import of NP or the NP-karyopherin alpha interaction, suggesting that the NP and the SV40 T antigen do not share a common binding site on karyopherin alpha. We also investigated the question of which NLS(s) is/are nec...
Targeting importin-α7 as a therapeutic approach against pandemic influenza viruses
Journal of Virology, 2015
ABSTRACTViral drug resistance is believed to be less likely to occur if compounds are directed against cellular rather than viral proteins. In this study, we analyzed the feasibility of a crucial viral replication factor, namely, importin-α7, as a cellular drug target to combat pandemic influenza viruses. Surprisingly, only five viral lung-to-lung passages were required to achieve 100% lethality in importin-α7−/−mice that otherwise are resistant. Viral escape from importin-α7 requirement was mediated by five mutations in the viral ribonucleoprotein complex and the surface glycoproteins. Moreover, the importin-α7−/−mouse-adapted strain became even more virulent for wild-type mice than the parental strain. These studies show that targeting host proteins may still result in viral escape by alternative pathways, eventually giving rise to even more virulent virus strains. Thus, therapeutic intervention strategies should consider a multitarget approach to reduce viral drug resistance.IMPO...
The influenza A virus is a causative agent of influenza, which infects human cells and uses host factors to accomplish viral genome replication as part of its life cycle. The nucleoprotein (NP) and PB2 of the influenza virus associate with importin a1 to gain access to the host nucleus through a ternary import complex. Killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity is the primary mechanism of eliminating the influenza virus. Here, we showed that lymphokine-activated killer cells participated in the elimination of the influenza virus. Granzyme (Gzm) K inhibition elevated viral replication in vitro and aggravated viral infection in vivo. We identified that importin a1 and its transport partner protein importin b are physiological substrates of GzmK. Proteolysis of these two substrates wrecked their association to generate the importin a1/b dimer and disrupted transportation of viral NP to the nucleus, leading to inhibition of influenza virus replication.
Journal of General Virology, 2010
During influenza A virus infection, the NS1 protein is engaged in different functions in different intracellular compartments. In this study, we showed that the NS1 of A/PR/8/34 localized in different positions from that of A/Sydney/5/97 when transiently expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. Residue 221 of NS1 was identified to be a new key residue involved in the Cterminal nuclear localization signal (NLS) and nucleolar localization signal (NoLS) of NS1 from A/ Sydney/5/97. Analysis of chimeric NS1 and further mutants showed that residues responsible for the binding between NS1 and the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) are correlated with the intracellular localization of transiently expressed NS1 proteins. Fluorescence loss in photobleaching imaging revealed that the NS1 protein with both functional NLSs and nuclear export signal (NES) was able to shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Drug inhibition experiments and fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis suggested that NS1 was exported out of the cell nuclei via a Crm1-independent pathway. Moreover, it is likely that another cytoplasmic localization-related sequence exists in the NS1 protein other than the leucine-rich NES. These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of intracellular localization and trafficking of influenza A virus NS1 protein, which is important for understanding its function.