The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway stimulates herpes simplex virus 1 productive infection.

Abstract

The ability of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) to replicate efficiently in differentiated cells is regulated by cellular factors that stimulate viral gene expression, cell survival, and viral morphogenesis. Activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway generally increases β-catenin protein levels, cell survival, and growth in dividing cells suggesting this important signaling pathway regulates productive infection. In this study, we demonstrated that a β-catenin specific small molecule inhibitor (iCRT14) reduced HSV-1 titers approximately 10-fold in primary human lung fibroblasts and Vero cells. Furthermore, β-catenin dependent transcription was increased at late times after infection and as expected iCRT14 reduced β-catenin dependent transcription. Although HSV-1 infection increased β-catenin steady state protein levels approximately 4-fold in Vero cells, there was only a nominal increase in human lung fibroblasts. We hypothesized that VP16 regulates β-catenin dependent transcription because VP16 is a viral regulatory protein expressed at late times after infection. In the absence of other viral proteins, VP16 increased β-catenin dependent transcription and β-catenin steady state protein levels. Collectively, these studies suggested the cellular transcription factor β-catenin stimulates productive infection, in part because VP16 enhances β-catenin dependent transcription.

• Authors: Liqian Zhu, Clinton Jones
• Journal: Virus research (Virus Res) Vol. 256 Pg. 29-37 (09 02 2018) ISSN: 1872-7492 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 30077727 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Herpes Simplex Virus Protein Vmw65
• beta Catenin

Topics

• Animals
• Cells, Cultured
• Epithelial Cells (virology)
• Fibroblasts (virology)
• Herpes Simplex Virus Protein Vmw65 (metabolism)
• Herpesvirus 1, Human (growth & development)
• Host-Pathogen Interactions
• Humans
• Viral Load
• Virus Replication
• Wnt Signaling Pathway
• beta Catenin (metabolism)