Molecular Basis for Oligomeric-DNA Binding and Episome Maintenance by KSHV LANA Research

Autor: Bruno, Correia, Sofia A, Cerqueira, Chantal, Beauchemin, Marta, Pires de Miranda, Shijun, Li, Rajesh, Ponnusamy, Lénia, Rodrigues, Thomas R, Schneider, Maria A, Carrondo, Kenneth M, Kaye, J Pedro, Simas, Colin E, McVey
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Zdroj: PLoS Pathogens
ISSN: 1553-7374
Popis: Latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) mediates γ2-herpesvirus genome persistence and regulates transcription. We describe the crystal structure of the murine gammaherpesvirus-68 LANA C-terminal domain at 2.2 Å resolution. The structure reveals an alpha-beta fold that assembles as a dimer, reminiscent of Epstein-Barr virus EBNA1. A predicted DNA binding surface is present and opposite this interface is a positive electrostatic patch. Targeted DNA recognition substitutions eliminated DNA binding, while certain charged patch mutations reduced bromodomain protein, BRD4, binding. Virus containing LANA abolished for DNA binding was incapable of viable latent infection in mice. Virus with mutations at the charged patch periphery exhibited substantial deficiency in expansion of latent infection, while central region substitutions had little effect. This deficiency was independent of BRD4. These results elucidate the LANA DNA binding domain structure and reveal a unique charged region that exerts a critical role in viral latent infection, likely acting through a host cell protein(s).
Author Summary Herpesviruses establish life-long latent infections. During latency, gammaherpesviruses, such as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), persist as multicopy, circularized genomes in the cell nucleus and express a small subset of viral genes. KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) is the predominant gene expressed during latent infection. C-terminal LANA binds KSHV terminal repeat (TR) DNA to mediate DNA replication. TR DNA binding also allows tethering of the viral genome to mitotic chromosomes to mediate DNA segregation to daughter nuclei. We describe here the crystal structure of the murine gammaherpesvirus 68 LANA DNA binding domain, which is homologous to that of KSHV LANA. The structure revealed a dimer and we identified residues involved in the interaction with viral DNA. Mutation of these residues abolished DNA binding and viable latency establishment in a mouse model of infection. We also identified a positively charged patch on the dimer surface opposite to the DNA binding region and found this patch exerts an important role in the virus's ability to expand latent infection in vivo. This work elucidates the structure of the LANA DNA binding domain and identifies a novel surface feature that is critical for viral latent infection, likely by acting through a host cell protein.
Databáze: OpenAIRE