Role of Ran Binding Protein 5 in Nuclear Import and Assembly of the Influenza Virus RNA Polymerase Complex (original) (raw)

Nuclear transport of influenza virus polymerase PA protein

Virus Research, 1992

The subcellular distribution of influenza polymerase PA subunit has been studied using a SV40-recombinant virus (SVPA76), which allows the expression and accumulation of this protein in COS-1 cells. In contrast to the complete nuclear localization observed for the PA subunit several hours after influenza virus infection, when COS-1 cells were infected with the SVPA76 recombinant, the PA protein accumulated either in the nucleus, in the cytoplasm or was distributed throughout the cell. When cells were infected with the SVPA76 recombinant and superinfected with influenza virus, a clear increase in the proportion of cells showing nuclear localization of the PA protein was observed, suggesting that some trans-factor may be required to allow complete nuclear accumulation of the protein. Double infections using SVPA76 recombinant and either SVPB1 or SVNS recombinant viruses showed a complete correlation between expression of polymerase PB1 subunit or NS1 protein and nuclear localization of polymerase PA subunit. However, no such correlation was observed in the double infections of SVPA76 and SVNP recombinants. These results suggest that polymerase PB1 subunit and the non-structural proteins could be involved in the nuclear targeting or nuclear retention of influenza polymerase PA protein.

Nuclear trafficking of influenza virus ribonuleoproteins in heterokaryons

Journal of Virology, 1996

The influenza virus nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein (M1), and ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs) undergo regulated nuclear import and export during infection. Their trafficking was analyzed by using interspecies heterokaryons containing nuclei from infected and uninfected cells. Under normal conditions, it was demonstrated that the vRNPs which were assembled in the nucleus and transported to the cytosol were prevented from reimport into the nucleus. To be import competent, they must first assemble into virions and enter by the endosomal entry pathway. In influenza virus mutant ts51, in which M1 is defective, direct reimport took place but was inhibited by heterologous expression of wild-type M1. These data confirm M1's role as the inhibitor of premature nuclear import and as the main regulator of nuclear transport of vRNPs. In addition to this vRNP shuttling, M1 also shuttled between the nucleus and the cytoplasm in ts51-infected cells. When NP was expressed in the absence of virus i...

Trafficking of viral genomic RNA into and out of the nucleus: influenza, Thogoto and Borna disease viruses

Virus Research, 2003

Most RNA viruses that lack a DNA phase replicate in the cytoplasm. However, several negative-stranded RNA viruses such as influenza, Thogoto, and Borna disease viruses replicate their RNAs in the nucleus, taking advantage of the host cell's nuclear machinery. A challenge faced by these viruses is the trafficking of viral components into and out of the nucleus through the nuclear membrane. The genomic RNAs of these viruses associate with proteins to form large complexes called viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs), which exceed the size limit for passive diffusion through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). To insure efficient transport across the nuclear membrane, these viruses use nuclear import and export signals exposed on the vRNPs. These signals recruit the cellular import and export complexes, which are responsible for the translocation of the vRNPs through the NPC. The ability to control the direction of vRNP trafficking throughout the viral life cycle is critical. Various mechanisms, ranging from simple posttranslational modification to complex, sequential masking-and-exposure of localization signals, are used to insure the proper movement of the vRNPs. #

The PA Subunit Is Required for Efficient Nuclear Accumulation of the PB1 Subunit of the Influenza A Virus RNA Polymerase Complex

Journal of Virology, 2004

The RNA genome of influenza virus is transcribed and replicated by the viral RNA polymerase complex in the cell nucleus. We have generated green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged polymerase subunits to study the assembly of the polymerase complex. Our results show that individually expressed polymerase basic protein 1 (PB1) and polymerase acidic protein (PA) subunits were distributed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus, while the polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2) subunit accumulated in the nucleus. Although it has been reported that PB1 alone accumulates in the nucleus, we demonstrate that PB1 requires the coexpression of PA for efficient nuclear accumulation. Our results support a model which proposes that PB1 and PA are transported into the nucleus as a complex.

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.

An unconventional NLS is critical for the nuclear import of the influenza A virus nucleoprotein and ribonucleoprotein

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...

Influenza polymerase encoding mRNAs utilize atypical mRNA nuclear export

Virology Journal, 2014

Background: Influenza is a segmented negative strand RNA virus. Each RNA segment is encapsulated by influenza nucleoprotein and bound by the viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) to form viral ribonucleoproteins responsible for RNA synthesis in the nucleus of the host cell. Influenza transcription results in spliced mRNAs (M2 and NS2), intron-containing mRNAs (M1 and NS1), and intron-less mRNAs (HA, NA, NP, PB1, PB2, and PA), all of which undergo nuclear export into the cytoplasm for translation. Most cellular mRNA nuclear export is Nxf1-mediated, while select mRNAs utilize Crm1. Methods: Here we inhibited Nxf1 and Crm1 nuclear export prior to infection with influenza A/Udorn/307/1972(H3N2) virus and analyzed influenza intron-less mRNAs using cellular fractionation and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). We examined direct interaction between Nxf1 and influenza intron-less mRNAs using immuno purification of Nxf1 and RT-PCR of associated RNA. Results: Inhibition of Nxf1 resulted in less influenza intron-less mRNA export into the cytoplasm for HA and NA influenza mRNAs in both human embryonic kidney cell line (293 T) and human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line (A549). However, in 293 T cells no change was observed for mRNAs encoding the components of the viral ribonucleoproteins; NP, PA, PB1, and PB2, while in A549 cells, only PA, PB1, and PB2 mRNAs, encoding the RdRP, remained unaffected; NP mRNA was reduced in the cytoplasm. In A549 cells NP, NA, HA, mRNAs were found associated with Nxf1 but PA, PB1, and PB2 mRNAs were not. Crm1 inhibition also resulted in no significant difference in PA, PB1, and PB2 mRNA nuclear export. Conclusions: These results further confirm Nxf1-mediated nuclear export is functional during the influenza life cycle and hijacked for select influenza mRNA nuclear export. We reveal a cell type difference for Nxf1-mediated nuclear export of influenza NP mRNA, a reminder that cell type can influence molecular mechanisms. Importantly, we conclude that in both A549 and 293 T cells, PA, PB1, and PB2 mRNA nuclear export is Nxf1 and Crm1 independent. Our data support the hypothesis that PA, PB1, and PB2 mRNAs, encoding the influenza RdRP, utilize atypical mRNA nuclear export.

Complex structure of the nuclear translocation signal of influenza virus polymerase PA subunit

Journal of General Virology, 1994

The protein regions involved in the nuclear translocation of the influenza virus PA polymerase subunit have been identified by deletion analysis of the protein expressed from a recombinant simian virus 40. Two regions seem to play a role in the process: region I (amino acids 124 to 139) and region II (amino acids 186 to 247). A nucleoplasmin-like nuclear translocation signal (NLS) has been identified in region I and an additional NLS appears to be present in region II, although no consensus targeting sequence can be detected. Alteration in any of the regions identified by short deletions completely prevented nuclear transport, whereas elimination of the regions I or II by large amino- or carboxy-terminal deletions did not prevent nuclear targeting of the truncated protein. In addition, a point mutation at position 154 completely eliminated nuclear transport. A beta-galactosidase fusion protein containing the 280 amino acid terminal region of the PA protein was partially transported to the nucleus and mutant PA proteins with a cytoplasmic phenotype could not be rescued by superinfection with influenza virus. These results suggest that the PA protein contains a functional nuclear targeting region which is required in influenza virus infection, with two independent NLSs, one in region I and the other in region II.

Nuclear Import and Assembly of Influenza A Virus RNA Polymerase Studied in Live Cells by Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy

Journal of Virology, 2009

Intracellular transport and assembly of the subunits of the heterotrimeric RNA-dependent RNA polymerase constitute a key component of the replication cycle of influenza virus. Recent results suggest that efficient polymerase assembly is a limiting factor in the viability of reassortant viruses. The mechanism of nuclear import and assembly of the three polymerase subunits, PB1, PB2, and PA, is still controversial, yet it is clearly of great significance in understanding the emergence of new strains with pandemic potential. In this study, we systematically investigated the interactions between the polymerase subunits and their localization in living cells by fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS) and quantitative confocal microscopy. We could show that PB1 and PA form a dimer in the cytoplasm, which is imported into the nucleus separately from PB2. Once in the nucleus, the PB1/PA dimer associates with PB2 to form the trimeric polymerase. Photon-counting histogram analysis ...