title: Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 by human cytomegalovirus infection through two distinct pathways: a novel mechanism for activation of p38.
abstract: Recent evidence indicates activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 has a critical function in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) viral DNA replication in infected human fibroblasts. To elucidate the mechanism of HCMV-mediated p38 activation, we have performed a detailed analysis of p38 activation and the kinases associated with this activation at different times postinfection. We demonstrate that p38 kinase activity is strongly increased following viral infection. Inhibition of this activity significantly inhibited HCMV-induced hyperphosphorylation of pRb and phosphorylation of heat shock protein 27, suggesting that p38 activation is involved in virus-mediated changes in host cell metabolism throughout the course of infection. We then provide evidence that p38 activation is mediated by different mechanisms at early times versus later times of infection. At early times of infection (8 to 14 h postinfection [hpi]), when p38 activation is first observed, no significant activation of the three kinases which can directly phosphorylate p38 (namely, MKK3, MKK6, and MKK4) is detected. Using vectors which express dominant negative proteins, we demonstrate that basal MKK6 kinase activity is necessary for HCMV-mediated p38 activation at these early times of infection (12 hpi). Then, we use ATP depletion to show that at 12 hpi, HCMV inhibits dephosphorylation of activated p38. These two experiments suggest that HCMV activates p38 by inhibition of dephosphorylation of p38. In contrast to early times of infection, at later times of infection (48 to 72 hpi), increased MKK3/6, but not MKK4, activity is observed. These results indicate that at early times of HCMV infection, increased steady-state levels of activated p38 is mediated at least in part by inhibition of dephosphorylation of p38, while at later times of infection p38 activation is due to increased activity of the upstream kinases MKK3 and MKK6. These findings indicate that HCMV has developed multiple mechanisms to ensure activation of the MAPK p38, a kinase critical to viral infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7295, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Huong
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D007700:Kinetics; D048371:MAP Kinase Kinase 3; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D048669:MAP Kinase Kinase 6; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048371:MAP Kinase Kinase 3; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D048669:MAP Kinase Kinase 6; C482530:MAP2K3 protein, human; C482559:MAP2K4 protein, human; C482566:MAP2K6 protein, human; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases