Viral Entry and Receptors

Deletions in the hepatitis B virus small envelope protein: effect on assembly and secretion of surface antigen particles

The small envelope S protein of hepatitis B virus carrying the surface antigen has the unique property of mobilizing cellular lipids into empty envelope particles which are secreted from mammalian cells. We studied the biogenesis of such particles using site-directed mutagenesis. In this study, we describe the effect of deletions in the N-terminal hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains of the S protein. Whereas short overlapping deletions of hydrophilic sequences flanking the first hydrophobic domain were tolerated, larger deletions of the same sequences were not. Conversely, the hydrophilic region preceding the second hydrophobic domain was not permissive for even short deletions. Deletion of…

Surface-exposed Amino Acid Residues of HPV16 L1 Protein Mediating Interaction with Cell Surface Heparan Sulfate

Efficient infection of cells by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and pseudovirions requires primary interaction with cell surface proteoglycans with apparent preference for species carrying heparan sulfate (HS) side chains. To identify residues contributing to virus/cell interaction, we performed point mutational analysis of the HPV16 major capsid protein, L1, targeting surface-exposed amino acid residues. Replacement of lysine residues 278, 356, or 361 for alanine reduced cell binding and infectivity of pseudovirions. Various combinations of these amino acid exchanges further decreased cell attachment and infectivity with residual infectivity of less than 5% for the triple mutant, suggesting …

A short introduction to papillomavirus biology.

In this report, the tropism of papillomaviruses, the structure of virions, the function of viral proteins and the use of pseudovirions for the analysis of the immune response against papillomaviruses and the search for the viral receptor are briefly described.

Development of type-specific and cross-reactive serological probes for the minor capsid protein of human papillomavirus type 33.

Human papillomavirus type 33 (HPV33) is associated with malignant tumors of the cervix. In an attempt to develop immunological probes for HPV33 infections, antisera against various bacterial fusion proteins carrying sequences of the minor capsid protein encoded by L2 were raised in animals. Antigenic determinants on the HPV33 L2 protein were identified by using truncated fusion proteins and were classified as type specific or cross-reactive with respect to HPV1, -8, -11, -16, and -18. Cross-reactive epitopes map to amino acids 98 to 107 or to amino acids 102 to 112 and 107 to 117, respectively, depending on the fusion protein used for immunization. Antibodies directed toward these epitopes …

Novel transmembrane topology of the hepatitis B virus envelope proteins.

Abstract The small (S), middle (M) and large (L) envelope proteins of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) are initially synthesized as multispanning membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. We now demonstrate that all envelope proteins synthesized in transfected cells or in a cell-free system adopt more than one transmembrane orientation. The L protein disposes its N-terminal preS domain both to the cytoplasmic and the luminal side of the membrane. This unusual topology does not depend on interaction with the viral nucleocapsid, but is preserved in secreted empty envelope particles. Pulse-chase analysis suggests a novel process of post-translational translocation leading to the non-…

Conformational and linear epitopes on virus-like particles of human papillomavirus type 33 identified by monoclonal antibodies to the minor capsid protein L2

The organization of epitopes on the minor capsid protein L2 of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 33 has been analysed using three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) generated against a large fragment of the L2 protein (amino acids 82-259) expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein. The topology of the L2 epitopes has been investigated with respect to the structure of HPV-33 virus-like particles (VLPs). Two of the MAbs reacted with linear epitopes which were mapped to amino acids 153-160 and 163-170, respectively. These epitopes were accessible in denatured but not in native VLPs consisting of L1 and L2, suggesting an internal location. The third antibody was unable to detect denatured …

Organization of the major and minor capsid proteins in human papillomavirus type 33 virus-like particles.

The organization of the major (L1) and minor (L2) proteins in the human papillomavirus capsid is still largely unknown. In this study we analysed the disulphide bonding between L1 proteins and the association of L2 proteins with capsomers using virus-like particles obtained in insect cells by co-expression of the L1 and L2 genes of human papillomavirus type 33. About 50% of the L1 protein molecules in these particles (1.29 g/cm3) formed disulphide-bonded trimers. Reduction of the intermolecular disulphide bonds by dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment caused disassembly of virus-like particles into capsomers. This indicates that disulphide bonds between capsomers at the threefold symmetry position…

Analysis of type-restricted and cross-reactive epitopes on virus-like particles of human papillomavirus type 33 and in infected tissues using monoclonal antibodies to the major capsid protein

A panel of six monoclonal antibodies recognizing at least three different antigenic regions has been raised against the L1 major capsid protein of human papillo-mavirus type 33 (HPV-33), which is associated with cervical carcinoma. The antigenic sites defined by these antibodies have been mapped and classified as type-restricted or broadly cross-reactive using bacterially expressed L1 fusion proteins of a variety of HPV types. Conformational and linear epitopes have been distinguished using native and denatured virus-like particles. HPV infection of genital lesions has been analysed using both monoclonal antibodies and DNA amplification by PCR. The antibodies obtained should be useful to pr…

Genome organization and nucleotide sequence of human papillomavirus type 39

The 7833-bp nucleotide sequence of human papillomavirus type 39 (HPV39), which is associated with genital intraepithelial neoplasias and invasive carcinomas, has been determined. The genome organization deduced from the sequence shares characteristic features with other genital papillomaviruses. According to sequence comparisons, HPV39 most closely resembles HPV18 and may be a member of a subgroup of genital papillomaviruses distinct from the HPV16/31/33 group. As a novel feature, we report a 1.3-kb open reading frame on the DNA strand which lacks major open reading frames in the other sequenced HPV genomes.

Nuclear Translocation of Papillomavirus Minor Capsid Protein L2 Requires Hsc70

ABSTRACT Minor capsid protein L2 of papillomaviruses plays an essential role in virus assembly by recruiting viral components to PML bodies, the proposed sites of virus morphogenesis. We demonstrate here that the function of L2 in virus assembly requires the chaperone Hsc70. Hsc70 was found dispersed in naturally infected keratinocytes and cultured cells. A dramatic relocation of Hsc70 from the cytoplasm to PML bodies was induced in these cells by L2 expression. Hsc70-L2 complex formation was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. The complex was modulated by the cochaperones Hip and Bag-1, which stabilize and destabilize Hsc70-substrate complexes, respectively. Cytoplasmic depletion of Hsc70 …

Secretion and antigenicity of hepatitis B virus small envelope proteins lacking cysteines in the major antigenic region.

Abstract Disulfide bonds are of crucial importance for the structure and antigenic properties of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelope. We have evaluated the role of the eight highly conserved cysteines of the major antigenic region for assembly, secretion, and antigenicity of the envelope proteins. Mutants carrying single or multiple substitutions of alanine for cysteine were analyzed using epitope tagging and transient expression in COS-7 cells. The only single cysteines found to be indispensable for efficient secretion were Cys-107 and Cys-138, but double mutation of Cys-137 and Cys-139 also created a block to secretion. Poorly secreted mutants formed aberrant oligomeric structures. The a…

Assembly of the Major and the Minor Capsid Protein of Human Papillomavirus Type 33 into Virus-like Particles and Tubular Structures in Insect Cells

Native virions of human papillomaviruses (HPV) can be isolated from genital lesions only in very limited amounts. Recent studies have shown that virus-like particles can be obtained by expression of the capsid proteins using vaccinia virus recombinants or the baculovirus system. We now present the first detailed characterization of virus-like particles of a human papillomavirus associated with malignant genital lesions, HPV-33, produced in high yield using the baculovirus expression system. Assembly of the major capsid protein L1 alone or together with the minor capsid protein L2 has been obtained. Both spherical virus-like particles of 50-60 nm diameter and tubular structures of either 25-…

Human papillomavirus infection requires cell surface heparan sulfate.

ABSTRACT Using pseudoinfection of cell lines, we demonstrate that cell surface heparan sulfate is required for infection by human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) and HPV-33 pseudovirions. Pseudoinfection was inhibited by heparin but not dermatan or chondroitin sulfate, reduced by reducing the level of surface sulfation, and abolished by heparinase treatment. Carboxy-terminally deleted HPV-33 virus-like particles still bound efficiently to heparin. The kinetics of postattachment neutralization by antiserum or heparin indicated that pseudovirions were shifted on the cell surface from a heparin-sensitive into a heparin-resistant mode of binding, possibly involving a secondary receptor. Alpha-6…

Immunological analyses of human papillomavirus capsids

Recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV) virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising vaccine candidates for controlling anogenital HPV disease. Questions remain, however, concerning the extent of capsid antigenic similarity between closely related virus genotypes. To investigate this issue, we produced VLPs and corresponding polyclonal immune sera from several anogenital HPV types, and examined these reagents in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and in cross-neutralization studies. Despite varying degrees of L1 genetic sequence relatedness, VLPs of each type examined induced high-titer serum polyclonal antibody responses that were entirely genotype-specific. In an in vitro infectivity…

Reorganization of Nuclear Domain 10 Induced by Papillomavirus Capsid Protein L2

AbstractNuclear domains (ND) 10 are associated with proteins implicated in transcriptional regulation, growth suppression, and apoptosis. We now show that the minor capsid protein L2 of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 33 induces a reorganization of ND10-associated proteins. Whereas the promyelocytic leukemia protein, the major structural component of ND10, was unaffected by L2, Sp100 was released from ND10 upon L2 expression. The total cellular amount of Sp100, but not of Sp100 mRNA, decreased significantly, suggesting degradation of Sp100. Proteasome inhibitors induced the dispersal of Sp100 and inhibited the nuclear translocation of L2. In contrast to Sp100, Daxx was recruited to ND10 by …

Deletion and insertion mutants of HBsAg particles

We have found previously that hybrid 22-nm HBsAg particles can be created by insertion of short antigenic sequences into the HBV major envelope protein [1]. We have now performed a detailed deletion mutagenesis of the S gene of HBV encoding HBsAg. Deletion of the 51 C-terminal amino acids including most of the third and all of the fourth hydrophobic domain of the S protein did not affect particle assembly and secretion. However, secretion of 22-nm particles was abolished by minor deletions in the N-terminal region. Insertion and deletion/substitution mutants carrying a poliovirus epitope at the N-terminus and the preSl region at the C-terminus have been characterized.

Generation and neutralization of pseudovirions of human papillomavirus type 33

Since human papillomaviruses (HPV) cannot be propagated in cell culture, the generation of infectious virions in vitro is a highly desirable goal. Here we report that pseudovirions can be generated by the assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) in COS-7 cells containing multiple copies of a marker plasmid. Using recombinant vaccinia viruses, we have obtained spherical VLPs of HPV type 33 (HPV-33) which fractionate into heavy and light VLPs in cesium chloride density gradients. VLPs in the heavy fraction (1.31 g/cm3) carry the plasmid in DNase-resistant form and are capable of transferring the genetic marker located on the plasmid to COS-7 cells in a DNase-resistant way (pseudoinfection). Th…

Myristylation is involved in intracellular retention of hepatitis B virus envelope proteins

The envelope of hepatitis B virus contains three related proteins, one of which is myristylated. The nonmyristylated small and middle protein are assembled into empty envelope particles which are secreted from cells, whereas the myristylated large envelope protein is mainly found in complete virions and is not secreted in the absence of the nucleocapsid. The block to secretion can be partially overcome by mutation or deletion of the myristylation site. Creation of a myristyl attachment site in the small protein impairs the secretion of empty envelope particles but not their intracellular assembly. Myristylation may therefore play a crucial role in hepatitis B virus replication by channeling…

Assembly and Translocation of Papillomavirus Capsid Proteins

ABSTRACT The major and minor capsid proteins of polyomavirus are preassembled in the cytoplasm and translocated to the nucleus only as a VP1-VP2/VP3 complex. In this study, we describe independent nuclear translocation of the L1 major protein and the L2 minor capsid protein of human papillomavirus type 33 by several approaches. First, we observed that expression and nuclear translocation of L2 in natural lesions precede expression of L1. Second, using a cell culture system for coexpression, we found that accumulation of L2 in nuclear domain 10 (ND10) subnuclear structures precedes L1 by several hours. In contrast, complexes of L2 and mutants of L1 forced to assemble in the cytoplasm are tra…

Induction of Type-Specific Neutralizing Antibodies by Capsomeres of Human Papillomavirus Type 33

Abstract The immunogenicity of capsomeres of human papillomavirus type 33 was evaluated in a dose–response analysis. Capsomeres were obtained free of capsids by expression of L1 carrying the single point mutation C427S. Neutralizing antibodies were detected using an in vitro pseudoinfection assay. Capsomeres induced type-specific, neutralizing antibodies in mice even in the absence of adjuvant. The neutralization titers of immune sera raised without adjuvant were 10- to 20-fold lower than those of antisera to virus-like particles, but virtually identical using Freund's adjuvant. These data indicate that capsomeres may substitute for virus-like particles in future vaccines when used with an …

Enhancement of Gene Expression by Somatic Hybridization with Primary Cells: High-Level Synthesis of the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Monkey Vero Cells by Fusion with Primary Hepatocytes

Vero cells transfected with the S gene encoding the surface antigen (HBsAg) of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) synthesize HBsAg at low levels. We have obtained a large increase in S gene expression by somatic hybridization of Vero cells with primary hepatocytes, which are the natural target cells for HBV infection. Fusion with cells other than hepatocytes did not enhance expression of the S gene. The Vero/hepatocyte hybrid clones analyzed are stable and have maintained a high level of HBsAg synthesis over prolonged periods. Hybrid cell lines may be of general interest for the high-level synthesis of proteins using cloned genes.

Binding and internalization of human papillomavirus type 33 virus-like particles by eukaryotic cells

Infection of cells by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) associated with malignant genital lesions has not been studied because of the lack of an in vitro system and the unavailability of virions. We have now used virus-like particles (VLPs) of HPV type 33 to analyze the initial events in the interaction of the HPV capsid with cell lines. Binding of VLPs to HeLa cells was observed in biochemical assays and by immunofluorescence. VLP binding was inhibited by antisera raised against VLPs but not by monoclonal antibodies recognizing either L1 or L2 epitopes accessible on VLPs. Under saturating conditions, approximately 2 x 10(4) VLPs were bound per cell, with a dissociation constant of about 100 pM…

Mutational analysis of the cysteine residues in the hepatitis B virus small envelope protein.

The small envelope protein of hepatitis B virus is the major component of the viral coat and is also secreted from cells as a 20-nm subviral particle, even in the absence of other viral proteins. Such empty envelope particles are composed of approximately 100 copies of this polypeptide and host-derived lipids and are stabilized by extensive intermolecular disulfide cross-linking. To study the contribution of disulfide bonds to assembly and secretion of the viral envelope, single and multiple mutants involving all 14 cysteines in HepG2 and COS-7 cells were analyzed. Of the six cysteines located outside the region carrying the surface antigen, Cys-48, Cys-65, and Cys-69 were each found to be …

Identification of a Dynein Interacting Domain in the Papillomavirus Minor Capsid Protein L2

ABSTRACT Papillomaviruses enter cells via endocytosis (H. C. Selinka et al., Virology 299:279-287, 2002). After egress from endosomes, the minor capsid protein L2 accompanies the viral DNA to the nucleus and subsequently to the subnuclear promyelocytic leukemia protein bodies (P. M. Day et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:14252-14257, 2004), suggesting that this protein may be involved in the intracytoplasmic transport of the viral genome. We now demonstrate that the L2 protein is able to interact with the microtubule network via the motor protein dynein. L2 protein was found attached to microtubules after uncoating of incoming human papillomavirus pseudovirions. Based on immunofluoresce…

Properties of modified hepatitis B virus surface antigen particles carrying preS epitopes

The current hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines contain the small (S) and middle (M) viral envelope proteins in particulate form but lack the large (L) protein. Although these particles elicit protective immunity to HBV, inclusion of the immunogenic preS1 region of the L protein may enhance their efficacy. To present preS1-derived epitopes on secretable subviral particles we rearranged the HBV envelope ORF by fusing part or all of the preS1 region to either the N or C terminus of the S protein. Fusion of the first 42 residues of preS1 to either site allowed efficient secretion of the modified particles and rendered the linked sequence accessible at the surface of the particle. Conversely, fusi…

Papillomavirus assembly requires trimerization of the major capsid protein by disulfides between two highly conserved cysteines.

ABSTRACT We have used viruslike particles (VLPs) of human papillomaviruses to study the structure and assembly of the viral capsid. We demonstrate that mutation of either of two highly conserved cysteines of the major capsid protein L1 to serine completely prevents the assembly of VLPs but not of capsomers, whereas mutation of all other cysteines leaves VLP assembly unaffected. These two cysteines form intercapsomeric disulfides yielding an L1 trimer. Trimerization comprises about half of the L1 molecules in VLPs but all L1 molecules in complete virions. We suggest that trimerization of L1 is indispensable for the stabilization of intercapsomeric contacts in papillomavirus capsids.