Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Molecular and Cellular Biology, December 2005, p. 10556-10565, Vol. 25, No. 23
0270-7306/05/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/MCB.25.23.10556-10565.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Brian Raught,1,
and
Nahum Sonenberg1,2*
Department of Biochemistry,1 McGill Cancer Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada2
Received 6 June 2005/ Returned for modification 5 July 2005/ Accepted 13 September 2005
|
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4F (eIF4F) mediates 40S ribosomal subunit binding to the 5'end of capped mRNA. eIF4F is a complex containing three proteins: eIF4E, the cap-binding subunit; eIF4A, an RNA-dependent ATPase/ATP-dependent RNA helicase; and eIF4G, a high-molecular-weight protein that acts as a scaffold for binding eIF4E and eIF4A. In addition, eIF4G interacts with the 40S ribosome binding factor eIF3 and the poly(A)-binding protein, thereby establishing a critical link between mRNA and the ribosome (reviewed in references 14, 21, and 22). The various eIF4F subunits are expressed to remarkably different levels in most cell types, with the eIF4E subunit being the least abundant (22).
Importantly, formation of the eIF4F complex is dynamic and tightly regulated (44). In particular, eIF4E availability for participation in eIF4F formation is modulated by a family of small translation repressor molecules, the eIF4E-binding proteins (4E-BPs) (31, 38). While hypophosphorylated 4E-BPs interact strongly with eIF4E, hyperphosphorylated 4E-BPs do not (15). 4E-BP phosphorylation levels are modulated by many types of extracellular stimuli. In particular, hormonal or nutritional stimulation tends to increase 4E-BP1 phosphorylation levels, while environmental or nutritional stress elicits 4E-BP dephosphorylation (15, 43). Thus, a binary subcomplex consisting of eIF4G and eIF4A (eIF4G/4A) appears to exist in a dynamic equilibrium with eIF4F. This equilibrium may be shifted to increase or decrease eIF4F formation in response to nutrients, hormonal stimulation, or stress (43).
Internal translation initiation on most IRES-containing mRNAs, such as encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) mRNA, requires the same canonical eIFs that are required for translation of capped mRNAs, except for eIF4E (1, 39, 40). In contrast to typical eIF4E-mediated ribosomal recruitment, the initial step in recruitment of the ribosome to the EMCV IRES is the eIF4A-dependent high-affinity binding of the central domain of eIF4G to the J-K stem-loop of the IRES (27, 32). Subsequent addition of the 40S ribosomal subunit, presumably via the eIF4G-eIF3-40S interaction, and the 60S subunit completes the assembly of the initiation complex.
EMCV and other picornavirus infections are accompanied by a shutoff of host cell protein synthesis (10). In cells infected with poliovirus (PV), human rhinovirus, and foot-and-mouth disease virus, the primary event responsible for this shutoff is the cleavage of the eIF4G isoforms by virus-specific proteases (11, 47). The C-terminal cleavage fragment of eIF4G can efficiently support IRES-dependent, but not cap-dependent translation, as it retains the binding sites for IRES, eIF4A and eIF3, but cannot bind eIF4E. This situation is akin to a net increase of eIF4G/4A at the expense of the eIF4F complex. While infection of cells with EMCV also inhibits host cell protein synthesis, this inhibition develops more slowly than that caused by PV and is not mediated by cleavage of eIF4G (25, 35).
Although eIF4G is not cleaved in EMCV-infected cells, it is highly likely that the ratio of eIF4G/4A to eIF4F is also increased during EMCV infection. We previously described the dephosphorylation and activation of 4E-BP1 following EMCV infection (16). Inasmuch as 4E-BP1 dephosphorylation coincides with the shutoff of host mRNA translation in EMCV-infected cells, we hypothesized that these two events are causally related (16). Dissociating eIF4F may also favor viral protein synthesis, as suggested by experiments employing rapamycin and wortmannin, two inhibitors of 4E-BP1 phosphorylation (5, 51). Upon forced dephosphorylation of 4E-BPs by treating cells with rapamycin and wortmannin at the beginning of EMCV infection, viral protein synthesis and viral titers were higher than in untreated control cells (5, 51). However, because rapamycin and wortmannin also have other cellular targets (15) and because these in vivo studies were merely correlative, it was critical to directly assess the function of eIF4F in the translation of EMCV mRNA.
We were recently able to reconstitute EMCV translation and replication in Krebs-2 cell extract (55). This system enabled us to address the importance of eIF4F subunit composition in viral protein synthesis and replication. Here we report that when EMCV mRNA is translated in competition with cellular mRNAs (i.e., in extracts that are not treated with nuclease), addition of 4E-BPs significantly augments viral protein synthesis. In contrast, addition of eIF4E dramatically inhibits viral protein synthesis. Furthermore, when eIF4F is converted to the eIF4G/4A subcomplex by eIF4E knockdown, the onset of viral protein synthesis in EMCV- or PV-infected cells is markedly accelerated and the viral yield is higher. These findings demonstrate that active eIF4E functions as a negative modulator of IRES-mediated translation by increasing competition from capped mRNAs for the eIF4F complex.
|
|
|---|
4E (4E-BP1
54-63), GST-4E-BP2,
GST-eIF4E, GST-eIF4EW73A, eIF4E, eIF4A, and eIF4G-Ct were described
previously (12,
13,
33,
52-54).
Protein expression was performed in Escherichia coli BL21
(DE3) cells according to the manufacturer's instructions (GE
Healthcare). To assess purity, proteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl
sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Coomassie
blue staining. 2Apro was a kind gift of H.-D. Liebig
(52). Mouse monoclonal
antibody 8D10 against recombinant mengovirus protein 3Dpol
(8) was kindly provided by
Ann Palmenberg (University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI). Mouse monoclonal
antibodies against eIF4E and ß-actin were purchased from BD
Biosciences and Sigma, respectively. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies
against eIF4GI and eIF4AI were previously described
(30,
34). Secondary
horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated sheep anti-mouse and donkey
anti-rabbit antibodies were obtained from GE Healthcare. HeLa S3 and
BHK-21 cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection
(ATCC numbers CCL-2.2 and CCL-10, respectively). Dulbecco's modified
modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), Lipofectamine 2000, and OPTIMEM were
from Invitrogen. Krebs-2 cell extract preparation. Krebs-2 ascites cell propagation in mice and the preparation of extracts were done as previously described (56). Before homogenization, cells were suspended in methionine-free DMEM and incubated at 37°C for 2 h with gentle agitation. The cells were broken with a Dounce homogenizer, and a postmitochondrial supernatant (S10) was obtained by a high-speed centrifugation (18,000 x g, 4°C, 20 min). Where indicated, the extracts were treated with micrococcal nuclease in the presence of CaCl2 (56).
In vitro assays for EMCV mRNA translation, RNA replication, and virion synthesis.
EMCV mRNA
translation and replication reaction mixtures (30 µl) that
contained either untreated or nuclease-treated Krebs-2 S10 extract were
programmed with EMCV mRNA (4 µg/ml), as described previously
(55). For protein
labeling, reaction mixtures were supplemented with
[35S]methionine. After incubation at 32°C for 1.5 to
3 h, reactions were stopped with Laemmli sample buffer.
Protein products were resolved by SDS-PAGE (15% gels),
electrophoretically transferred to a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)
membrane, and detected by autoradiography. Western blotting for
3Dpol was performed as described below. RNA replication and
virion production were assayed in the reaction mixtures that contained
unlabeled methionine as described previously
(55). For RNA labeling,
[
-32P]CTP was added to the reaction mixtures after
4 h of incubation. One hour later, RNA was extracted and RNA
products were analyzed by native 1% agarose gel electrophoresis and
autoradiography (55). To
assay for EMCV synthesis, reaction mixtures were incubated at
32°C for 20 h and treated with a mixture of RNase A
and T1 (55).
Plaque assays were performed using serial dilutions of samples as
described below.
siRNA transfection. Target sequences for small interfering RNA (siRNA) were designed using the Dharmacon web-based criteria and were purchased from Dharmacon. The positions and sequences of the siRNAs used in this study are listed in Table 1. HeLa S3 cells were seeded in a 24-well culture dish at a density of 7 x 105 cells per well. siRNA transfection was performed using Lipofectamine 2000 as described previously (7).
|
View this table: [in a new window] |
TABLE 1. Positions
and sequences of the siRNAs used to knock down gene expression
|
Western blotting. PVDF membranes were blocked with Tris-buffered saline/0.1% (vol/vol) Tween 20 containing 5% nonfat dry milk and probed with the indicated antibodies. The antibodies against eIF4E, eIF4GI, eIF4AI, and ß-actin were used diluted 1:500, 1:1,000, 1:1,000, and 1:5,000, respectively. The antibody against mengovirus protein 3Dpol was used at a dilution of 1:1,500. After washing, the membrane was incubated with HRP-conjugated anti-mouse or anti-rabbit antibody, as appropriate (diluted 1:5,000). HRP was detected using the Western Lightning chemiluminescence kit as recommended by the manufacturer (Perkin-Elmer Life Sciences, Inc.).
Plaque assays. Plaque assays were performed as previously described using confluent monolayers of either BHK-21 cells (for EMCV) or HeLa R19 cells (for PV) in 60-mm-diameter plates (45). Virus-infected cells from 24-well dishes were lysed in 500 µl DMEM per well by three cycles of freezing and thawing. Cell debris was removed by centrifugation (10,000 x g, 4°C, 5 min), and the supernatants were diluted with DMEM containing 2% fetal bovine serum. Cells were infected with 250 µl of serially diluted lysates. Plaques were allowed to develop under semisolid agar for 26 h (EMCV) or 36 h (PV) at 37°C and were detected by staining with 1% crystal violet.
|
|
|---|
threefold; compare black bars 3, 5, and 15 with bar 1).
Both cap-dependent translation and IRES-dependent translation were
unaffected by 4E-BP1
4E, a 4E-BP1 mutant protein lacking the
eIF4E binding site (bars 4)
(12,
33). Exogenous
recombinant eIF4E, either with or without a GST tag, stimulated
cap-dependent translation (four- to fivefold) but inhibited EMCV
IRES-directed translation (three- to fourfold; Fig.
1A; compare black bars 6
and 8 with bar 1 for IRES-driven translation). The effects of eIF4E on
translation were exerted via the eIF4E/4G complex, as they
were negated by the W73A mutation in eIF4E, which abolishes this
complex formation (bars 7)
(13).
![]() View larger version (22K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 1. Regulation
of cap-dependent and cap-independent translation by effectors of eIF4F
function in Krebs-2 cell extracts. (A) Translation in
untreated extract. Cap-luc(A+) and EMCV IRES-luc(A+)
mRNAs (5 µg/ml) were translated in 12.5-µl
reaction mixtures at 32°C for 90 min in the presence of
unlabeled methionine
(52). Prior to the
additions of mRNA, the extracts were preincubated at 32°C for 2
min with either control buffer (control) or the following components:
GST (20 µg/ml), GST-4E-BP1, GST-4E-BP1 4E,
GST-4E-BP2, GST-eIF4E, GST-eIF4EW73A (40 µg/ml each),
eIF4E (16 µg/ml), eIF4A (80 µg/ml), eIF4G-Ct (40
µg/ml), GDP, or m7GDP (0.5 mM), as indicated in the
figure. Where indicated (2A), the reaction mixtures contained extract
treated with 2Apro (25 µg/ml, 32°C, 5 min)
(52). (B)
Translation of cap-luc(A+) and EMCV IRES-luc(A+) mRNAs
in nuclease-treated extract. Protein additions and translation
conditions were as described in panel A, except for S10, which was
nuclease treated. Luciferase activity (relative light units [RLU]) was
determined as previously described
(56) and is shown as a
percentage of that of the control sample. Data represent the average of
three independent determinations. Error bars indicate the standard
deviation from the
mean.
|
To prove that the
relative excess of the eIF4G/4A subcomplex as compared with the intact
eIF4F complex indirectly stimulates EMCV IRES-directed translation by
decreasing competition from cellular mRNAs, we performed assays similar
to those above using an extract in which endogenous cellular mRNAs were
degraded by nuclease treatment (Fig.
1B). EMCV IRES-directed
translation was enhanced (
threefold) in the nuclease-treated
extract (data not shown), demonstrating that competing cellular mRNAs
in the untreated extract indeed had an inhibitory effect on EMCV IRES
activity. Our results were consistent with those reported for
nuclease-treated rabbit reticulocye lysate
(38,
53). Although addition of
4E-BPs and m7GDP strongly inhibited cap-dependent
translation (8- to 20-fold), these components did not stimulate EMCV
IRES activity in the nuclease-treated extract; in fact, 4E-BPs had a
slightly adverse effect on EMCV IRES activity (Fig.
1B; compare black bars 3
and 4 with bar 1). Nuclease treatment also abolished the ability of
eIF4E to inhibit translation from the EMCV IRES (Fig.
1B; compare black bars 5
and 1). In contrast to observations in the untreated extract,
2Apro treatment or eIF4G-Ct addition did not substantially
stimulate EMCV IRES activity in the nuclease-treated extract (Fig.
1B; compare black bars 8,
7, and 1). Taken together, these findings suggest that a relative
excess of the free eIF4G/4A subcomplex, compared with eIF4F,
upregulates EMCV IRES-driven translation only in the presence of
competing cellular mRNAs.
The eIF4G/4A subcomplex is essential and limiting for EMCV replication in untreated extract. We next examined whether 4E-BP1 and eIF4E modulate translation from the EMCV IRES when the full-length EMCV mRNA is used in untreated extract. EMCV mRNA was translated in the presence of increasing concentrations of 4E-BP1 or eIF4E. Translation products were resolved by SDS-PAGE, transferred to a PVDF membrane, and detected by autoradiography. [35S]methionine incorporation into polypeptides in the untreated extract primarily reflected elongation of preexisting polypeptide chains. However, consistent with the contribution from de novo translation initiation, incorporation of [35S]methionine into cellular proteins was inhibited by 4E-BP1 and stimulated by eIF4E (Fig. 2A; note the corresponding changes in the intensities of two prominent cellular proteins, p47 and p50). The latter observation indicates that eIF4E is limiting for translation of endogenous cellular mRNAs. It was difficult to discern virus-specific polypeptides on this autoradiograph due to the high degree of labeling of endogenous cellular proteins. We therefore assessed the efficiency of EMCV mRNA translation by Western blotting using an antibody against the nonstructural protein 3Dpol (an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase). The addition of 4E-BP1 stimulated (up to 3.2-fold) 3Dpol synthesis (Fig. 2B; compare lanes 5 and 2). In contrast, eIF4E dramatically inhibited 3Dpol synthesis by up to 14-fold (Fig. 2B; compare lanes 9 and 6). Thus, in the untreated extract, translation of full-length EMCV mRNA was upregulated by 4E-BP1 and downregulated by eIF4E. Thus, the effects of 4E-BP1 and eIF4E on the translation of full-length EMCV mRNA were similar to those measured using the surrogate template, EMCV IRES-luc(A+) mRNA.
![]() View larger version (26K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 2. EMCV
mRNA translation, RNA replication, and virus yield in the untreated
EMCV mRNA-programmed S10 extracts. (A) Effects of 4E-BP1 and
eIF4E concentration on protein synthesis in untreated EMCV
mRNA-programmed Krebs-2 cell extract. [35S]methionine
labeling of proteins was performed in a 20-µl total
reaction volume in the absence (lane 1) or presence (lanes 2
to 9) of EMCV mRNA (4 µg/ml). Prior to the addition of mRNA,
the extracts were preincubated with the indicated proteins, as
described in the legend to Fig.
1. GST-4E-BP1 was
used at 15, 30, and 60 µg/ml (lanes 3, 4, and 5, respectively).
eIF4E was used at 3, 6, and 12 µg/ml (lanes 7, 8, and 9,
respectively). Translation products were separated by SDS-PAGE and
transferred to a PVDF membrane. The autoradiograph of the membrane is
shown. The positions of two abundant cellular proteins (p47 and p50;
arrowheads), the EMCV-specific protein 3Dpol (arrow), and
the [14C]methylated protein molecular weight markers (GE
Healthcare) are indicated. (B) Western blotting analysis of
EMCV-specific protein 3Dpol synthesis. The middle portion of
the membrane from panel A was probed with anti-3Dpol as
described in Materials and Methods. 3Dpol band intensities
in different lanes were compared using NIH Image version 1.63 software.
The values obtained from reactions performed in the absence of added
proteins (lanes 2 and 6) were defined as 100%. (C) EMCV RNA replication
was assayed in 30-µl reaction mixtures containing untreated
extract, EMCV mRNA (4 µg/ml), and other components as described
in Materials and Methods. Before mRNA addition, reaction mixtures were
preincubated with control buffer (lane 1), GST-4E-BP1 (lane 2),
eIF4E (lane 3), or a combination of eIF4E and 2Apro (lane
4), as described for Fig.
1A. The RNA products were
pulse-labeled with [ -32P]CTP after 4 to 5
h of incubation at 32°C and analyzed by agarose gel
electrophoresis and autoradiography. The position of the intact EMCV
mRNA is indicated (vRNA). (D) Reaction mixtures (30 µl)
preincubated with either control buffer or the indicated components (as
described for Fig. 1A) and
programmed with EMCV mRNA (4 µg/ml) were incubated for
20 h at 32°C. The samples were then treated with a
mixture of RNases A and T1 and assayed for infectivity after
appropriate dilution, as described in Materials and Methods. Values
represent the average of three independent titer determinations. Error
bars indicate the standard deviation from the
mean.
|
-32P]CTP 4 h after the beginning of
incubation with 4E-BP1. The newly synthesized RNA was extracted and
analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and autoradiography.
EMCV RNA synthesis was stimulated approximately 15-fold in
the presence of 4E-BP1 (Fig.
2C; compare lanes 2 and
1). Conversely, addition of eIF4E reduced RNA synthesis to below
detectable levels (Fig.
2C; compare lanes 3 and
1). Consistent with the importance of intact eIF4G for the
eIF4E-mediated inhibition of translation, cleavage of eIF4G
by 2Apro restored viral RNA synthesis (Fig.
2C; compare lane 4 with
lanes 3 and 1).
We then examined the effects of 4E-BP1, 4E-BP2,
eIF4E, eIF4A, and eIF4G-Ct on EMCV yield. EMCV titers in reaction
mixtures supplemented with different factors were determined after a
20-h incubation (Fig. 2D).
Strikingly, 4E-BP1 and 4E-BP2, as well as m7GDP, stimulated
EMCV synthesis 24- to 35-fold (compare bars 3, 5, and 15 with 1),
whereas 4E-BP1
4E, which cannot bind eIF4E, had only a marginal
effect. Conversely, eIF4E, but not the eIF4E W73A mutant, dramatically
decreased the viral titer by 150- to 200-fold (Fig.
2D; compare bars 6 and 8
with 1). Addition of the C-terminal portion of eIF4G or
2Apro potently stimulated infectivity (7- and 15-fold,
respectively; compare bars 10 and 11 with 1), and this enhancement was
not influenced by coaddition of eIF4E or 4E-BP1. Overall, EMCV titers
under different conditions covaried with luciferase
expression from EMCV IRES-luc(A+) mRNA (compare Fig.
2D with Fig.
1A). However, the
magnitude of the changes in viral titer was greater than that measured
for translation efficiency.
Importantly, and in agreement with a role for mRNA competition in the regulation of viral RNA translation, addition of eIF4E to the EMCV mRNA-programmed or nuclease-treated extract neither inhibited EMCV mRNA translation (as judged by the accumulation of the viral protein 3D) nor changed the expression pattern of virus-specific polypeptides (Fig. 3A; compare lane 4 with lane 2). Also, eIF4E had no effect on EMCV synthesis (Fig. 3B). These results rule out the possibility that contaminating bacterial proteins, which may be present in the eIF4E preparation, adversely affected EMCV replication. Nuclease treatment also abolished the stimulatory effect of 4E-BP1 on EMCV translation and replication (Fig. 3A and B). Although these negative controls argued for the importance of mRNA competition in the regulation of viral protein expression by eIF4F, they did not rule out an alternative possibility. Specifically, the detrimental effect of nuclease treatment might be a consequence of destruction or inactivation of some labile regulatory components of the extract. To address this possibility, we restored mRNA competition by adding saturating concentrations of capped mRNAs [either total poly(A)+ mRNA isolated from the cytoplasm of Krebs-2 cells or globin mRNA] along with EMCV mRNA to the nuclease-treated extract and examined the effects of 4E-BP1 and eIF4E on viral protein expression. Translation of poly(A)+ mRNA alone yielded heterogeneous polypeptides similar to the products of endogenous mRNA translation in the untreated extract (Fig. 3C, lane 1). Globin mRNA translation yielded a 15-kDa polypeptide as expected (lane 8). When EMCV mRNA was translated in the presence of poly(A)+ or globin mRNA, the expression of viral proteins was reduced two- to threefold (compare lane 3 with 2 and lane 10 with 9). In parallel, 18S rRNA was used as a negative control and found not to inhibit viral translation (data not shown). (It should be noted that a molar excess of capped mRNAs over EMCV mRNA was used in these experiments. This was to mimic the initial stage of infection when viral mRNA constitutes a minor fraction of total mRNA.) Addition of 4E-BP1 to the system programmed with a mixture of EMCV mRNA and capped mRNAs stimulated virus protein expression two- to threefold (compare lane 4 with 3 and lane 11 with 10), similar to the addition of m7GDP (compare lane 6 with 3 and lane 13 with 10). In contrast, eIF4E markedly inhibited viral protein synthesis (1.9- to 2.7-fold inhibition; compare lane 5 with 3 and lane 12 with 10). Thus, the addition of capped mRNAs to the EMCV mRNA-programmed nuclease-treated extract rescues the regulation of viral protein expression by eIF4F.
![]() View larger version (22K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 3. 4E-BP1
and eIF4E have no effect on EMCV protein synthesis and replication in
nuclease-treated Krebs-2 cell extract. (A) Products of EMCV
mRNA translation. Reaction mixtures contained the
nuclease treated Krebs-2 cell extract but otherwise were identical to that described in Fig.
2A. Reaction mixtures were
preincubated with control buffer, GST-4E-BP1 (60 µg/ml),
or eIF4E (12 µg/ml) where indicated. Translation was performed
at 32°C for 3 h. Aliquots (5 µl) of the
translation reaction mixtures were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. An
autoradiogram of the dried gel is shown.
[35S]methionine incorporation into EMCV-specific
protein 3Dpol was quantified using a Fuji BAS2000
phosphorimager. The value obtained from the reaction
performed in the absence of added protein (lane 2, control) was defined
as 100%. (B) EMCV yields. Reaction mixtures (30 µl, unlabeled)
were preincubated with control buffer, GST-4E-BP1, or eIF4E and
programmed with EMCV mRNA, as specified above. Plaques were scored
following incubation for 20 h at 32°C and RNase
treatment. Data represent the average of three determinations. Error
bars indicate the standard deviation from the mean. (C) Coaddition of
capped mRNA competitors rescues the regulation of translation of EMCV
mRNA by 4E-BP1 and eIF4E in nuclease-treated extract. EMCV mRNA (4
µg/ml) was translated at 32°C for 90 min in the absence
(lanes 2 and 9) or presence of either total Krebs-2 cell
poly(A)+ mRNA (40 µg/ml, lanes 3 to 6) or
globin mRNA (10 µg/ml, lanes 10 to 13). Reaction mixtures were
preincubated with control buffer, GST-4E-BP1 (60 µg/ml),
eIF4E (12 µg/ml), or m7GDP (0.5 mM) where indicated.
Products of translation of Krebs-2 cell poly(A)+
mRNA or globin mRNA alone are shown in lanes 1 and 8, respectively. No
mRNA was added to the reaction mixture analyzed in lane 7. Relative
values for [35S]methionine incorporation into EMCV-specific
protein 3Dpol were determined as in panel A. On panels A and
C, the assignment of EMCV polypeptides was as described previously
(55). The positions of
the 14C-methylated protein molecular weight markers (GE
Healthcare) are also shown. An asterisk on panel C indicates the
position of
globin.
|
85%)
knockdown of eIF4E (Fig.
4B; also see Fig. S1A and S2B in the supplemental material). eIF4E
knockdown did not lead to a decrease in the overall abundance of eIF4GI
or eIF4AI, which accounts for the majority of total eIF4G and
eIF4A (6,
50), but dramatically
decreased the amount of eIF4F, as determined by cap-column
pull-down assays (see Fig S1A in the supplemental material) (data not
shown). To determine whether down-regulation of eIF4E decreases the
rate of translation initiation, polyribosomes isolated from the control
and eIF4E knockdown cells were fractionated by sucrose density gradient
centrifugation. eIF4E knockdown cells displayed a higher 80S
monosome/polyribosome ratio compared to the control. In addition, a
small shift of the polyribosome distribution in favor of lighter
polysomes was evident (see Fig. S1B in the supplemental material).
The reduction in polyribosome loading after eIF4E depletion
is consistent with the inhibition of cellular mRNA translation
initiation under these conditions.
![]() View larger version (33K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 4. eIF4E
knockdown stimulates translation and replication of EMCV in
vivo. (A) Time course of protein synthesis in EMCV-infected
cells. siRNA against eIF4E or a nonspecific siRNA (con- trol)
was transfected into HeLa S3 cells. eIF4E knockdown or control cells
were infected with EMCV, and protein synthesis was examined by
pulse-labeling with [35S]methionine at the indicated time
points. After labeling, polypeptides were resolved by SDS-PAGE and transferred to a PVDF
membrane. The autoradiograph of the membrane is shown. The positions of
the major EMCV-specific proteins are indicated on the right. (B) eIF4E
levels in cells, as analyzed by Western blotting. The membrane from
panel A was probed with anti-eIF4E, and signals were quantified as
described in Materials and Methods. The average level of eIF4E
depletion for lanes 1 to 5 (versus lanes 6 to 10) was 86%. (C)
ß-Actin detection by Western blotting (a loading control). (D)
Plaque assays of the indicated dilutions of the lysates from control
and eIF4E knockdown cells 4 h after infection. (E) EMCV
yield, as affected by eIF4E siRNA treatment. EMCV-infected cells (eIF4E
knockdown or control, unlabeled) were lysed at 4 h
postinfection. Viral titer was measured as described in the legend to Fig. 2D.
|
The abundance of the eIF4G/4A subcomplex could also play a role at an early stage of enterovirus infection when cleavage of eIF4G is not yet accomplished. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of eIF4E knockdown on PV infection. HeLa cells transfected with either control siRNA or siRNA directed against eIF4E were infected with PV, and the kinetics of viral protein synthesis were analyzed by [35S]methionine pulse-labeling. As with EMCV, eIF4E knockdown significantly shortened the eclipse phase of infection, during which no virus proteins can be detected (see Fig. S2A in the supplemental material). Higher rates of PV protein synthesis were evident at 3, 4, and 5 h postinfection in eIF4E knockdown cells as compared to control cells (see Fig. S2A in the supplemental material). Consistent with these results, cells depleted of eIF4E exhibited a PV-induced cytopathic effect earlier than control cells and produced more PV (see Fig. S2D in the supplemental material) (data not shown). Thus, eIF4E appears to be a general, rather than EMCV mRNA-specific, inhibitor of IRES-mediated translation. An unlikely possibility that cannot be rigorously excluded is that eIF4E depletion primarily stimulates viral RNA replication and that the enhancement of viral protein accumulation is a secondary effect.
|
|
|---|
How does eIF4E dissociation from eIF4F enhance virus-specific translation? eIF4E dissociation is believed to cause a conformational change in eIF4GI that can be detected by its slower rate of cleavage by picornavirus proteases (19, 37). However, several lines of evidence suggest that this conformational change cannot account for the stimulatory effect of the eIF4G/4A subcomplex on virus-specific translation. First, UV cross-linking experiments suggest that eIF4G binds efficiently to the EMCV IRES as a component of the eIF4F complex (42). Second, the cap analog m7GDP, which inhibits the cap-binding activity of eIF4F but does not alter eIF4F assembly, stimulates EMCV IRES activity and viral production in a manner similar to 4E-BPs (Fig. 1A and 2D). Finally, and most importantly, 4E-BP1 and eIF4E have no effect on viral RNA translation in a nuclease-treated extract (Fig. 3A). Thus, in the reconstituted system or in nuclease-treated extract, EMCV IRES appears to interact with the eIF4F or eIF4G/4A complexes with comparable efficiency. We therefore conclude that competition from cellular mRNAs for eIF4F is required for the regulation of EMCV synthesis by eIF4E and 4E-BPs.
Luciferase translation from the EMCV IRES is enhanced in response to eIF4G cleavage or upon addition of the eIF4G C-terminal protein fragment to the extract. Similar results have been reported for PV IRES-mediated translation (4, 52). If this effect were to be influenced by mRNA competition, it should be more pronounced in the presence of competing cellular mRNAs. Consistent with this prediction, we found that 2Apro treatment stimulated EMCV IRES activity much more potently in untreated than in nuclease-treated extracts (11-fold versus 1.4-fold; compare Fig. 1A, black bar 11, and B, black bar 8). Likewise, cellular mRNA competition was required for eIF4G-Ct- or m7GDP-mediated stimulation of IRES activity, as this stimulation occurred exclusively in untreated extracts.
RNA replication and virus yield correlated with EMCV mRNA translation efficiency, indicating that translation is the limiting step in virus replication. Strikingly, the magnitude of modulation of RNA replication and virion formation by 4E-BP1 and eIF4E was substantially higher than the magnitude of their effect on EMCV mRNA translation. Thus, effects associated with competition for translation factors are amplified at subsequent steps of the infectious cycle. Interestingly, eIF4F complex dissociation is also beneficial for PV gene expression, inasmuch as eIF4E-depleted or rapamycin-treated cells supported viral protein synthesis to a higher level than the respective control cells (see Fig. S2A in the supplemental material) (5). Presumably, this stimulation occurs early in infectionprior to eIF4G cleavage, when the viral RNA must compete with cellular mRNAs for the limiting pool of intact eIF4F. It remains to be determined whether eIF4F dissociation stimulates infectious processes induced by other picornaviruses.
A model illustrating the regulation of EMCV replication by eIF4F is shown in Fig. 5. Central to this model is the fact that EMCV IRES does not compete efficiently with capped cellular mRNAs for eIF4F unless the cap-binding subunit eIF4E is sequestered in a complex with the 4E-BPs, and the relative abundance of the eIF4G/4A subcomplex is increased. As there is no cap-binding subunit within the eIF4G/4A subcomplex, one can assume that it is not recruited efficiently by cellular mRNAs. Indeed, in the presence of eIF4A, the binding affinity of eIF4G for ß-globin mRNA is lower than that for EMCV IRES by up to 100-fold (32). However, the concentration of the eIF4G/4A subcomplex in HeLa cells is limiting for translation of picornavirus RNAs, since eIF4E knockdown significantly augments the expression of viral proteins in EMCV- and PV-infected cells. Because eIF4A is not tightly associated with eIF4G and recycles during translation (39), some eIF4G may also exist outside the eIF4F complex or the binary eIF4G/4A subcomplex. However, this "free" eIF4G is not expected to bind EMCV IRES with high affinity (32) and is therefore not shown in the model.
![]() View larger version (19K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 5. Model
explaining eIF4F regulation of mRNA competition in EMCV-infected cells.
It is presumed that there is equilibrium between eIF4F (eIF4E/4G/4A)
and a binary subcomplex comprised of eIF4G and eIF4A (eIF4G/4A) and
that EMCV mRNA competes with capped cellular mRNA for the recruitment
of eIF4G shared by these complexes. Saturation of the eIF4G/4A
subcomplex with eIF4E to generate eIF4F increases its recruitment by
capped cellular mRNAs and dramatically inhibits EMCV translation and
replication (Fig. 1 and
2). Hence, EMCV mRNA
encounters strong competition from cellular mRNA when it binds to eIF4G
within the ternary eIF4F complex. By default, EMCV mRNA uses eIF4G
within the binary eIF4G/4A subcomplex, which is recruited inefficiently
by capped mRNA (32,
36). Dephosphorylated
(active) 4E-BP1 and 4E-BP2 (designated as 4E-BP) trigger the expulsion
of eIF4E from the eIF4F ternary complex. Elevation of the concentration
of the eIF4G/4A subcomplex, resulting from either 4E-BP activation
(5,
51) or eIF4E knockdown
(Fig. 4), stimulates EMCV
IRES-directed translation and downstream virus-specific processes.
Thick solid and thin dashed arrows designate efficient and inefficient
pathways, respectively. m7G and AAA denote the cap structure and the
poly(A) tail of the mRNA, respectively. VPg denotes the
genome-linked protein of
EMCV.
|
In addition to its role in the
expression of virus genomes, the ratio between the different eIF4G
complexes may regulate cellular proliferation, survival, and death, as
IRES elements are often found in the mRNAs of genes controlling these
processes (20,
24,
26,
48). Our results suggest
that IRES-mediated translation of cellular mRNAs should not only be
resistant to eIF4F dissociation but stimulated by it. The following
examples of selective translation conform to this notion. Despite a
reduction in overall protein synthesis, the X-linked inhibitor of
apoptosis mRNA, which possesses an IRES, is translated more efficiently
under serum starvation, which decreases 4E-BP phosphorylation
(24). Elevated levels of
X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis are thought to delay the onset of
apoptosis and allow the cell to survive under stress conditions. A
rapid inhibition of translationas a consequence of 4E-BP1
dephosphorylation and eIF2
phosphorylation by
PERKdevelops during hypoxia, which is common in many human
diseases such as stroke, heart disease, and cancer
(24). However, at least
two proteins (HIF1
and vascular endothelial growth factor)
involved in cell survival are upregulated during hypoxia, presumably
via their synthesis by IRES-dependent translation. It is also
noteworthy that in neurons from the mollusk Aplysia
californica the switch from cap-dependent to IRES-dependent
translation is believed to be triggered by dephosphorylation of eIF4E
(9). Knowing how selective
translation allows cells to adapt to environmental and physiological
stresses, such as hypoxia, heat shock, toxins, and drug exposure, is
important for understanding many human disorders and may lead to the
development of new therapeutic approaches for such
conditions.
This work was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) to N.S., who is a CIHR Distinguished Scientist and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Scholar.
Supplemental
material for this article may be found at
http://mcb.asm.org/. ![]()
Present
address: Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA
98103. ![]()
|
|
|---|
of the 2A proteases from human
coxsackievirus and rhinovirus. J. Biol. Chem.
268:19200-19203.
This article has been cited by other articles:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»