The unfolded protein response (UPR) is induced by a variety of external and internal stimuli, including accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Viruses such as Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) induce host cells to produce viral proteins many of which undergo glycosylation and other modifications in the ER, causing stress to the ER and consequently UPR activation. I have tested the hypothesis that HSV-1 has evolved strategies to regulate the UPR in order to suppress aspects of the UPR that might interfere with viral replication and to promote pathways that aid its own survival and replication. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that HSV-1 selectively modulates the three pathways (PERK, ATF6, and IRE-1) of the UPR in epithelial and neuronal cells and to examine the similarities and the differences between these two types of cells in their responses to ER stress. Vero and ONS-76 cells were used as models of epithelial and neuronal cells respectively and qRT PCR technique was used for analyzing RNA levels of transcripts of spliced Xbp1, HERP, CHOP and BIP, selected target genes for three pathways of the UPR. HSV-1 DNA synthesis and infectious virus production in infected cells showed that compared to the permissive Vero cells, ONS-76 cells seemed to be semi-permissive to HSV-1 infection with limited viral DNA synthesis and infectious virus production. The kinetics of transcript and protein synthesis for genes representing immediate early, early and late classes of viral genes was also monitored. Expression of the immediate early gene, ICP0, was similar in both cell types but the expression of the early gene, TK and late genes VP16 and VP 5 was different. My work reveals that HSV-1 infection in cells of epithelial and neuronal origins results in activation of the UPR, but through cell type selective regulation of the three signal transduction pathways of the UPR (PERK, ATF6, and IRE-1). While HSV-1 infection resulted in upregulation of Spliced Xbp1 and its target gene HERP (IRE1 pathway) and downregulation of BIP (ATF6 pathway) in both cell types, CHOP (PERK pathway) was upregulated only in ONS cells. My results suggest that some aspects of the UPR are regulated differently in cells representing the sites for HSV-1 lytic and latent infections. This may indicate the need for increasing the capacity for protein folding and degradation (Xbp1 and ATF6-induced) in both cells but a requirement for suppressing apoptosis (PERK-induced) only in epithelial cells. As well, I show that HSV-1 infection not only selectively activates the UPR pathways in different cell types, but also inactivates some components of the UPR pathways activated by the drug thapsigargin.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is induced by a variety of external and internal stimuli, including accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Viruses such as Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) induce host cells to produce viral proteins many of which undergo glycosylation and other modifications in the ER, causing stress to the ER and consequently UPR activation. I have tested the hypothesis that HSV-1 has evolved strategies to regulate the UPR in order to suppress aspects of the UPR that might interfere with viral replication and to promote pathways that aid its own survival and replication. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that HSV-1 selectively modulates the three pathways (PERK, ATF6, and IRE-1) of the UPR in epithelial and neuronal cells and to examine the similarities and the differences between these two types of cells in their responses to ER stress. Vero and ONS-76 cells were used as models of epithelial and neuronal cells respectively and qRT PCR technique was used for analyzing RNA levels of transcripts of spliced Xbp1, HERP, CHOP and BIP, selected target genes for three pathways of the UPR. HSV-1 DNA synthesis and infectious virus production in infected cells showed that compared to the permissive Vero cells, ONS-76 cells seemed to be semi-permissive to HSV-1 infection with limited viral DNA synthesis and infectious virus production. The kinetics of transcript and protein synthesis for genes representing immediate early, early and late classes of viral genes was also monitored. Expression of the immediate early gene, ICP0, was similar in both cell types but the expression of the early gene, TK and late genes VP16 and VP 5 was different. My work reveals that HSV-1 infection in cells of epithelial and neuronal origins results in activation of the UPR, but through cell type selective regulation of the three signal transduction pathways of the UPR (PERK, ATF6, and IRE-1). While HSV-1 infection resulted in upregulation of Spliced Xbp1 and its target gene HERP (IRE1 pathway) and downregulation of BIP (ATF6 pathway) in both cell types, CHOP (PERK pathway) was upregulated only in ONS cells. My results suggest that some aspects of the UPR are regulated differently in cells representing the sites for HSV-1 lytic and latent infections. This may indicate the need for increasing the capacity for protein folding and degradation (Xbp1 and ATF6-induced) in both cells but a requirement for suppressing apoptosis (PERK-induced) only in epithelial cells. As well, I show that HSV-1 infection not only selectively activates the UPR pathways in different cell types, but also inactivates some components of the UPR pathways activated by the drug thapsigargin.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is induced by a variety of external and internal stimuli, including accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Viruses such as Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) induce host cells to produce viral proteins many of which undergo glycosylation and other modifications in the ER, causing stress to the ER and consequently UPR activation. I have tested the hypothesis that HSV-1 has evolved strategies to regulate the UPR in order to suppress aspects of the UPR that might interfere with viral replication and to promote pathways that aid its own survival and replication. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that HSV-1 selectively modulates the three pathways (PERK, ATF6, and IRE-1) of the UPR in epithelial and neuronal cells and to examine the similarities and the differences between these two types of cells in their responses to ER stress. Vero and ONS-76 cells were used as models of epithelial and neuronal cells respectively and qRT PCR technique was used for analyzing RNA levels of transcripts of spliced Xbp1, HERP, CHOP and BIP, selected target genes for three pathways of the UPR. HSV-1 DNA synthesis and infectious virus production in infected cells showed that compared to the permissive Vero cells, ONS-76 cells seemed to be semi-permissive to HSV-1 infection with limited viral DNA synthesis and infectious virus production. The kinetics of transcript and protein synthesis for genes representing immediate early, early and late classes of viral genes was also monitored. Expression of the immediate early gene, ICP0, was similar in both cell types but the expression of the early gene, TK and late genes VP16 and VP 5 was different. My work reveals that HSV-1 infection in cells of epithelial and neuronal origins results in activation of the UPR, but through cell type selective regulation of the three signal transduction pathways of the UPR (PERK, ATF6, and IRE-1). While HSV-1 infection resulted in upregulation of Spliced Xbp1 and its target gene HERP (IRE1 pathway) and downregulation of BIP (ATF6 pathway) in both cell types, CHOP (PERK pathway) was upregulated only in ONS cells. My results suggest that some aspects of the UPR are regulated differently in cells representing the sites for HSV-1 lytic and latent infections. This may indicate the need for increasing the capacity for protein folding and degradation (Xbp1 and ATF6-induced) in both cells but a requirement for suppressing apoptosis (PERK-induced) only in epithelial cells. As well, I show that HSV-1 infection not only selectively activates the UPR pathways in different cell types, but also inactivates some components of the UPR pathways activated by the drug thapsigargin.

Included in this thesis are two papers describing companion studies which employed complementary methodologies to study the issue of how Acadia National Park might balance resource protection efforts and maintain quality visitor experiences on the summit of Cadillac Mountain. In the first study, stated choice analysis was used to assess visitors' preferences for alternative combinations of public access, resource protection, visitor regulation, and site hardening to manage the Cadillac Mountain summit. Results suggest that visitors consider resource protection to be a priority and are willing to accept regulation of their behavior onsite, reinforced with the use of moderately to highly intensive management structures, but generally don't support limiting public access to the summit to achieve resource protection objectives. In the second study, qualitative interviews were conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of visitor experiences on the summit of Cadillac Mountain and how site management actions designed to achieve resource protection objectives might affect visitors' experiences. Respondents indicated that the summit of Cadillac Mountain is a centerpiece of Acadia National Park, and their experiences of the mountain summit are centered around the aesthetics and naturalness of Cadillac Mountain. Several factors emerged as influencing whether site management actions are deemed appropriate by visitors and perceived to affect visitors' experiences. In particular, site management structures that were perceived to blend in with the surroundings, be constructed of natural materials and protect vegetation were considered appropriate and of little consequence to visitors' experiences. Some study participants also suggested that site management structures that provide visitors with the opportunity to freely demonstrate their choice to help protect vegetation and soils can enhance visitors' experiences. In contrast, site management structures and actions perceived as being regulatory, confining, or limiting opportunities for visitors to choose to help protect vegetation resources were considered less appropriate and more likely to negatively affect visitors' experiences. / Master of Science