An immunodominant envelope glycoprotein is encoded by the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) (also termedKaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus) K8.1 gene. The functional role of glycoprotein K8.1 is unknown, and recognizable sequence homology to K8.1 is not detectable in the genomes of most other closely related gammaherpesviruses, such as herpesvirus saimiri or Epstein-Barr virus. In search for a possible function for K8.1, we expressed the ectodomain of K8.1 fused to the Fc part of human immunoglobulin G1 (K8.1⌬TMFc). K8.1⌬TMFc specifically bound to the surface of cells expressing glycosaminoglycans but not to mutant cell lines negative for the expression of heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Binding of K8.1⌬TMFc to mammalian cells could be blocked by heparin. Interestingly, the infection of primary human endothelial cells by HHV-8 could also be blocked by similar concentrations of heparin. The specificity and affinity of these interactions were then determined by surface plasmon resonance measurements using immobilized heparin and soluble K8.1. This revealed that K8.1 binds to heparin with an affinity comparable to that of glycoproteins B and C of herpes simplex virus, which are known to be involved in target cell recognition by binding to cell surface proteoglycans, especially heparan sulfate. We conclude that cell surface glycosaminoglycans play a crucial role in HHV-8 target cell recognition and that HHV-8 envelope protein K8.1 is at least one of the proteins involved.

Pritelivir reduced the rates of genital HSV shedding and days with lesions in a dose-dependent manner in otherwise healthy men and women with genital herpes. (Funded by AiCuris; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01047540.).

Structural genes of phospholipid biosynthesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are activated by the Ino2p/Ino4p transcription factor that binds to ICRE promoter motifs and mediates maximal gene expression in the absence of inositol. We identified the ino80 mutation causing inositol auxotrophy as a result of a defect in ICRE‐dependent gene activation. The product of the corresponding wild‐type gene INO80 (= YGL150C) shows significant similarity to the Snf2p family of DNA‐dependent ATPases. Nevertheless, SNF2 in increased gene dosage did not suppress ino80 mutant phenotypes. Mutation of the Ino80p lysine residue corresponding to the NTP binding site of Snf2p led to a non‐functional protein. In ino80 null mutants, gene activation mediated by an ICRE decreased to 16% of the wild‐type level. Maximal expression of PHO5, GAL1, CYC1 and ICL1 was also significantly reduced. Thus, Ino80p affects several transcription factors involved in unrelated pathways. As demonstrated by gel filtration, Ino80p is part of a high‐molecular‐weight complex of more than 1 MDa. Similar to what was found for Snf2p, the Ino80p‐containing complex may influence the transcriptional level of several unrelated structural genes by functioning as an ATPase that possibly acts on chromatin.

The attachment, entry, and fusion of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) with target cells are mediated by complex machinery containing, among others, viral glycoprotein H (gH) and its alleged chaperone, gL. We observed that KSHV gH, in contrast to its homologues in several other herpesviruses, is transported to the cytoplasm membrane independently from gL, but not vice versa. Mutational analysis revealed that the N terminus of gH is sufficient for gL interaction. However, the entire extracellular part of gH is required for efficient gL secretion. The soluble ectodomain of gH was sufficient to interact with the surfaces of potential target cells in a heparin-dependent manner, and binding was further enhanced by coexpression of gL. Surface plasmon resonance revealed a remarkably high affinity of gH for glycosaminoglycans. Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans of the syndecan family act as cellular receptors for the gH/gL complex. They promoted KSHV infection, and expression of gH/gL on target cells inhibited subsequent KSHV infection. Whereas gH alone was able to bind to HS, we observed that only the gH/gL complex adhered to heparan sulfate-negative cells at lamellipodium-like structures.

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