Receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) and its substrate mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) are core regulators of programmed necrosis. The elimination of pathogen-infected cells by programmed necrosis acts as an important host defense mechanism. Here, we report that human herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 had opposite impacts on programmed necrosis in human cells versus their impacts in mouse cells. Similar to HSV-1, HSV-2 infection triggered programmed necrosis in mouse cells. However, neither HSV-1 nor HSV-2 infection was able to induce programmed necrosis in human cells. Moreover, HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection in human cells blocked tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced necrosis by preventing the induction of an RIP1/RIP3 necrosome. The HSV ribonucleotide reductase large subunit R1 was sufficient to suppress TNF-induced necrosis, and its RIP homotypic interaction motif (RHIM) domain was required to disrupt the RIP1/RIP3 complex in human cells. Therefore, this study provides evidence that HSV has likely evolved strategies to evade the host defense mechanism of programmed necrosis in human cells.
IMPORTANCE
This study demonstrated that infection with HSV-1 and HSV-2 blocked TNF-induced necrosis in human cells while these viruses directly activated programmed necrosis in mouse cells. Expression of HSV R1 suppressed TNF-induced necrosis of human cells.The RHIM domain of R1 was essential for its association with human RIP3 and RIP1, leading to disruption of the RIP1/RIP3 complex. This study provides new insights into the species-specific modulation of programmed necrosis by HSV. N ecrotic cell death characterized by the disruption of the plasma membrane has been observed in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, including in mammalian development, in tissue damage, and in pathogen infection (1-3). Inhibition of apoptosis is known to facilitate programmed necrosis in cells. Proteins of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family of cytokines, including TNF-␣, TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand), and FasL, are classic inducers of programmed necrosis, also known as necroptosis (4). In TNF-␣-triggered necrosis, receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1) (5) forms a protein complex, called the necrosome (6), with receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) (7-9) through the RIP homotypic interaction motif (RHIM) domains of both proteins (10). Deubiquitination of RIP1 by cylindromatosis (CYLD) is required to mediate necrosome formation and activation (11,12). Active RIP3 subsequently phosphorylates its substrate, mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL), to trigger membrane localization of MLKL and downstream events for the induction of membrane rupture (13)(14)(15)(16)(17).Additionally, the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns by the Toll-like receptor (TLR) proteins triggers programmed necrosis. TLR3 and TLR4 specifically recognize, respectively, viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) [or a synthesized analog of dsRNA poly(I·C)], and bacteria lipop...