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Gammaherpesviruses establish lifelong latent infection in B lymphocytes and are the causative agent of several B-cell malignancies and lymphoproliferative disorders. While a quiescent latent infection allows these pathogens to evade immune detection, initiation of an alternative lifecycle stage, known as lytic replication, is an essential step in the production and dissemination of infectious progeny. Although cessation of cellular proliferation is an eventual consequence of lytic induction, exactly how gammaherpesviruses manipulate the cell cycle prior to amplification of viral DNA remains under debate. Here we show that the onset of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) lytic reactivation in B cells leads to S-phase accumulation and that exit from G1 is required for efficient viral DNA replication. We also show that lytic replication leads to an S-phase-specific activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) that is abrogated when lytic replication is restricted to G0/G1. Finally, we observe that expression of early lytic viral genes results in cellular replication stress with increased stalling of DNA replication forks. Overall, we demonstrate that S-phase entry is important for optimal KSHV replication, that G1 arresting compounds are effective inhibitors of viral propagation, and that lytic-induced cell-cycle arrest could occur through the obstruction of cellular replication forks and subsequent activation of the DDR.

Despite being the first homolog of the bacterial RecQ helicase to be identified in humans, the function of RECQL1 remains poorly characterized. Furthermore, unlike other members of the human RECQ family of helicases, mutations in RECQL1 have not been associated with a genetic disease. Here, we identify 2 families with a genome instability disorder that we have named RECON (RECql ONe) syndrome, caused by biallelic mutations in the RECQL gene. The affected individuals had short stature, progeroid facial features, a hypoplastic nose, xeroderma, and skin photosensitivity and were homozygous for the same missense mutation in RECQL1 (p.Ala459Ser), located within its zinc binding domain. Biochemical analysis of the mutant RECQL1 protein revealed that the p.A459S missense mutation compromised its ATPase, helicase, and fork restoration activity, while its capacity to promote single-strand DNA annealing was largely unaffected. At the cellular level, this mutation in RECQL1 gave rise to a defect in the ability to repair DNA damage induced by exposure to topoisomerase poisons and a failure of DNA replication to progress efficiently in the presence of abortive topoisomerase lesions. Taken together, RECQL1 is the fourth member of the RecQ family of helicases to be associated with a human genome instability disorder.

A role for iron in carcinogenesis is supported by evidence that iron metabolism proteins are modulated in cancer progression. To date, however, the expression of iron regulatory protein‐2 (IRP2), which is known to regulate several iron metabolism proteins, has not been assessed in colorectal cancer. Expression of IRP2 was assessed by quantitative RT‐PCR and immunohistochemistry in human colorectal cancer tissue. By interrogating The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, expression of IRP2 and transferrin receptor‐1 (TfR1) was assessed relative to common mutations that are known to occur in cancer. The impact of suppressing IRP2 on cellular iron metabolism was also determined by using siRNA and by using the MEK inhibitor trametinib. IRP2 was overexpressed in colorectal cancer compared to normal colonic mucosa and its expression was positively correlated with TfR1 expression. In addition, IRP2 expression was associated with mutations in BRAF. The MEK inhibitor trametinib suppressed IRP2 and this was associated with a suppression in TfR1 and the labile iron pool (LIP). Moreover, epidermal growth factor stimulation resulted in decreased ferritin expression and an increase in the LIP which were independent of IRP2. Results presented here suggest that ablating IRP2 provides a therapeutic platform for intervening in colorectal tumorigenesis.

Infection by most DNA viruses activates a cellular DNA damage response (DDR), which may be to the detriment or advantage of the virus. In the case of adenoviruses, they neutralize antiviral effects of DDR activation by targeting a number of proteins for rapid proteasome-mediated degradation. We have now identified a novel DDR protein, tankyrase 1 binding protein 1 (TNKS1BP1) (also known as Tab182), which is degraded during infection by adenovirus serotype 5 and adenovirus serotype 12. In both cases, degradation requires the action of the early region 1B55K (E1B55K) and early region 4 open reading frame 6 (E4orf6) viral proteins and is mediated through the proteasome by the action of cullin-based cellular E3 ligases. The degradation of Tab182 appears to be serotype specific, as the protein remains relatively stable following infection with adenovirus serotypes 4, 7, 9, and 11. We have gone on to confirm that Tab182 is an integral component of the CNOT complex, which has transcriptional regulatory, deadenylation, and E3 ligase activities. The levels of at least 2 other members of the complex (CNOT3 and CNOT7) are also reduced during adenovirus infection, whereas the levels of CNOT4 and CNOT1 remain stable. The depletion of Tab182 with small interfering RNA (siRNA) enhances the expression of early region 1A proteins (E1As) to a limited extent during adenovirus infection, but the depletion of CNOT1 is particularly advantageous to the virus and results in a marked increase in the expression of adenovirus early proteins. In addition, the depletion of Tab182 and CNOT1 results in a limited increase in the viral DNA level during infection. We conclude that the cellular CNOT complex is a previously unidentified major target for adenoviruses during infection. IMPORTANCE Adenoviruses target a number of cellular proteins involved in the DNA damage response for rapid degradation. We have now shown that Tab182, which we have confirmed to be an integral component of the mammalian CNOT complex, is degraded following infection by adenovirus serotypes 5 and 12. This requires the viral E1B55K and E4orf6 proteins and is mediated by cullin-based E3 ligases and the proteasome. In addition to Tab182, the levels of other CNOT proteins are also reduced during adenovirus infection. Thus, CNOT3 and CNOT7, for example, are degraded, whereas CNOT4 and CNOT1 are not. The siRNA-mediated depletion of components of the complex enhances the expression of adenovirus early proteins and increases the concentration of viral DNA produced during infection. This study highlights a novel protein complex, CNOT, which is targeted for adenovirus-mediated protein degradation. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the CNOT complex has been identified as an adenoviral target.

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA are recognized by the Ku70/80 heterodimer and the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex and result in activation of the DNA-PK and ATM kinases, which play key roles in regulating the cellular DNA damage response (DDR). DNA tumor viruses such as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) are known to interact extensively with the DDR during the course of their replicative cycles. Here we show that during lytic amplification of KSHV DNA, the Ku70/80 heterodimer and the MRN complex consistently colocalize with viral genomes in replication compartments (RCs), whereas other DSB repair proteins form foci outside RCs. Depletion of MRE11 and abrogation of its exonuclease activity negatively impact viral replication, while in contrast, knockdown of Ku80 and inhibition of the DNA-PK enzyme, which are involved in nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) repair, enhance amplification of viral DNA. Although the recruitment of DSB-sensing proteins to KSHV RCs is a consistent occurrence across multiple cell types, activation of the ATM-CHK2 pathway during viral replication is a cell line-specific event, indicating that recognition of viral DNA by the DDR does not necessarily result in activation of downstream signaling pathways. We have also observed that newly replicated viral DNA is not associated with cellular histones. Since the presence and modification of these DNA-packaging proteins provide a scaffold for docking of multiple DNA repair factors, the absence of histone deposition may allow the virus to evade localization of DSB repair proteins that would otherwise have a detrimental effect on viral replication. IMPORTANCE Tumor viruses are known to interact with machinery responsible for detection and repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA, although detail concerning how Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) modulates these cellular pathways during its lytic replication phase was previously lacking. By undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the localization of DSB repair proteins during KSHV replication, we have determined that a DNA damage response (DDR) is directed to viral genomes but is distinct from the response to cellular DNA damage. We also demonstrate that although recruitment of the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) DSB-sensing complex to viral genomes and activation of the ATM kinase can promote KSHV replication, proteins involved in nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) repair restrict amplification of viral DNA. Overall, this study extends our understanding of the virus-host interactions that occur during lytic replication of KSHV and provides a deeper insight into how the DDR is manipulated during viral infection.

The kinetics have been measured for the rearrangement of 1-phenylprop-2-en-1-ol (1) to 3-phenylprop-2-en-1-ol (2) in tetramethylene sulphone solution, catalysed by various tin(IV) chloride species. The rate coefficients, kn′ at 313.2 K, per unit concentration of the catalyst, were: SnCl4, 305; PhSnCl3, 86.4; p-MeC6H4SnCl3, 18.7; MeSnCl3, 6.60; PrnSnCl3, 5.36; EtSnCl3, 4.69; BunSnCl3, 1.62; (p-CIC6H4)2SnCl2, ca. 3 × 10–2; Ph2SnCl2, 5.1 × 10–3; Et2SnCl2, 1.4 × 10–3, Me2SnCl2, 4.3 × 10–4 dm3 mol–1 s–1. The reaction catalysed by SnCl4 was studied with a range of added compounds, viz. H2O, LiCl, LiCIO4, and 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene. Evidence was obtained for the involvement of both anhydrous SnCl4 and its monohydrate as catalysts for the rearrangement. Tin(II) chloride has been found to be an effective catalyst for the rearrangement, with kn(313.2 K)= 3.51 dm3 mol–1 s–1. Addition of phosphoryl chloride to SnCl2 causes a sharp increase in rate, with a maximum corresponding to the species SnCl2·POCl3. The value of kn(303.5 K)≃ 1 200 dm3 mol–1 s–1 makes this catalyst the most powerful yet found for the rearrangement.