Introduction: Picornaviruses are a family of RNA viruses which are economically and clinically significant. Like many other viruses, picornaviruses utilise host cell machinery to facilitate their replication and assembly, including heat shock proteins (Hsps). The aim of this research was to investigate the role of Hsp40, Hsp70 and Hsp90 during picornavirus infection using the cardiovirus, Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), as a study model. Methodology: Picornavirus VP1 capsid proteins were analysed by multiple sequence alignment and multiple structural comparisons. Protein domain architecture was used to analyse Hsp90 cellular and viral client proteins. Effects of Hsp90 inhibitors, novobiocin and geldanamycin, on TMEV growth in BHK-21 cells was observed over a 48hr period. Localisation of Hsp40, Hsp90 and Hsp70 in TMEV-infected BHK-21 cells was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Results and Discussion: VP1 proteins of picornaviruses are highly divergent within the family at the amino acid level, which might be linked to the protein’s function in determining virus tropism and antibody neutralisation. An eight-stranded anti-parallel beta-barrel structure was found conserved in the VP1 protein structures which might be linked to the highly conserved picornavirus capsid assembly process. Absence of a common protein domain between Hsp90 viral and cellular client proteins that might be functionally connected to Hsp90, suggests that Hsp90 most likely recognises surface features rather than sequence motifs/patterns. The Hsp90 inhibitors, novobiocin and geldanamycin, had a negative effect on virus growth as virus-induced cytopathic effect was not observed in treated cell after 48hrs. TMEV 2C protein was detected by Western analysis in infected cell lysates treated with geldanamycin but not novobiocin, suggesting novobiocin affects the translation or processing of TMEV 2C. Immunofluorescence analysis of TMEV-infected cells showed a relocalisation of Hsp40 into the nucleus during infection. Overlap of Hsp40 and TMEV P1 was observed in the perinuclear region, suggesting colocalisation between these proteins. Hsp70 converged around the replication complex during infection but did not overlap with TMEV 2C. Hsp90 concentrated in the region of the replication complex where it overlapped with TMEV 2C and this redistribution was found to be dependent on the stage of infection. The overlap between Hsp90 and TMEV 2C signals observed, suggested colocalisation between the two proteins. Conclusion: This study identified Hsp90, Hsp70 and Hsp40 as possible host factors required in TMEV replication.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:rhodes/vital:3966 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Mutsvunguma, Lorraine Zvichapera |
| Publisher | Rhodes University, Faculty of Science, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MSc |
| Format | xiii, 104 p.: ill. (mostly col.), pdf |
| Rights | Mutsvunguma, Lorraine Zvichapera |
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