Human cytomegalovirus UL69 protein facilitates translation by associating with the mRNA cap-binding complex and excluding 4EBP1.
4EBP1 is phosphorylated by the mTORC1 kinase. When mTORC1 activity is inhibited, hypophosphorylated 4EBP1 binds and sequesters eIF4E, a component of the mRNA cap-binding complex, and blocks translation. As a consequence, mTORC1 activity is needed to maintain active translation. The human cytomegalovirus pUL38 protein preserves mTORC1 activity, keeping most of the E4BP1 in the infected cell in a hyperphosphorylated, inactive state. Here we report that a second viral protein, pUL69, also antagonizes the activity of 4EBP1, but by a separate mechanism. pUL69 interacts directly with eIF4A1, an element of the cap-binding complex, and the poly(A)-binding protein, which binds to the complex. When pUL69 accumulates during infection with wild-type virus, 4EBP1 is excluded from the complex. However, 4EBP1 is present in the cap-binding complex after infection with a pUL69-deficient virus, coincident with reduced accumulation of several late virus-coded proteins. We propose that pUL69 supports translation in human cytomegalovirus-infected cells by excluding hypophosphorylated 4EBP1 from the cap-binding complex.
Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.
Mariko
M
Aoyagi
Miguel
M
Gaspar
Thomas E
TE
Shenk
D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D039561:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D009154:Mutation; D010442:Peptide Chain Initiation, Translational; D039122:Poly(A)-Binding Protein I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D039102:Poly(A)-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011132:Polyribosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012315:RNA Caps / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
D039561:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E; D039122:Poly(A)-Binding Protein I; D039102:Poly(A)-Binding Proteins; D012315:RNA Caps; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015534:Trans-Activators; C446019:pUL69 protein, Human herpesvirus 5