Tracking and elucidating alphavirus-host protein interactions

Publication Year
2006

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

Viral infections cause profound alterations in host cells. Here, we explore the interactions between proteins of the Alphavirus Sindbis and host factors during the course of mammalian cell infection. Using a mutant virus expressing the viral nsP3 protein tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) we directly observed nsP3 localization and isolated nsP3-interacting proteins at various times after infection. These results revealed that host factor recruitment to nsP3-containing complexes was time dependent, with a specific early and persistent recruitment of G3BP and a later recruitment of 14-3-3 proteins. Expression of GFP-tagged G3BP allowed reciprocal isolation of nsP3 in Sindbis infected cells, as well as the identification of novel G3BP-interacting proteins in both uninfected and infected cells. Note-worthy interactions include nuclear pore complex components whose interactions with G3BP were reduced upon Sindbis infection. This suggests that G3BP is a nuclear transport factor, as hypothesized previously, and that viral infection may alter RNA transport. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that a portion of Sindbis nsP3 is localized at the nuclear envelope, suggesting a possible site of G3BP recruitment to nsP3-containing complexes. Our results demonstrate the utility of using a standard GFP tag to both track viral protein localization and elucidate specific viral-host interactions over time in infected mammalian cells.

Journal
J Biol Chem
Volume
281
Issue
40
Pages
30269-78
Date Published
10/2006
ISSN Number
0021-9258
Alternate Journal
J Biol Chem
PMID
16895903