Bag3-induced autophagy is associated with degradation of JCV oncoprotein, T-Ag

PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e45000. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045000. Epub 2012 Sep 12.

Abstract

JC virus, JCV, is a human neurotropic polyomavirus whose replication in glial cells causes the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). In addition, JCV possesses oncogenic activity and expression of its transforming protein, large T-antigen (T-Ag), in several experimental animals induces tumors of neural origin. Further, the presence of JCV DNA and T-Ag have been repeatedly observed in several human malignant tissues including primitive neuroectodermal tumors and glioblastomas. Earlier studies have demonstrated that Bag3, a member of the Bcl-2-associated athanogene (Bag) family of proteins, which is implicated in autophagy and apoptosis, is downregulated upon JCV infection of glial cells and that JCV T-Ag is responsible for suppressing the activity of the BAG3 promoter. Here, we investigated the possible impact of Bag3 on T-Ag expression in JCV-infected human primary glial cells as well as in cells derived from T-Ag-induced medulloblastoma in transgenic animals. Results from these studies revealed that overexpression of Bag3 drastically decreases the level of T-Ag expression by inducing the autophagic degradation of the viral protein. Interestingly, this event leads to the inhibition of JCV infection of glial cells, suggesting that the reduced levels of T-antigen seen upon the overexpression of Bag3 has a biological impact on the viral lytic cycle. Results from protein-protein interaction studies showed that T-Ag and Bag3 physically interact with each other through the zinc-finger of T-Ag and the proline rich domains of Bag3, and this interaction is important for the autophagic degradation of T-Ag. Our observations open a new avenue of research for better understanding of virus-host interaction by investigating the interplay between T-Ag and Bag3, and their impact on the development of JCV-associated diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / genetics
  • Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / metabolism*
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Astrocytes / cytology
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Astrocytes / virology
  • Autophagy*
  • Binding Sites
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cells, Cultured
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • Gene Dosage
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • JC Virus / genetics
  • JC Virus / metabolism*
  • JC Virus / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Protein Binding
  • Proteolysis
  • RNA Interference
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • BAG3 protein, human
  • DNA, Viral