Structural highlights
Function
[MOB1A_HUMAN] Activator of LATS1/2 in the Hippo signaling pathway which plays a pivotal role in organ size control and tumor suppression by restricting proliferation and promoting apoptosis. The core of this pathway is composed of a kinase cascade wherein STK3/MST2 and STK4/MST1, in complex with its regulatory protein SAV1, phosphorylates and activates LATS1/2 in complex with its regulatory protein MOB1, which in turn phosphorylates and inactivates YAP1 oncoprotein and WWTR1/TAZ. Phosphorylation of YAP1 by LATS1/2 inhibits its translocation into the nucleus to regulate cellular genes important for cell proliferation, cell death, and cell migration. Stimulates the kinase activity of STK38 and STK38L. Acts cooperatively with STK3/MST2 to activate STK38.[1] [2] [3] [POLG_HCVJF] Core protein packages viral RNA to form a viral nucleocapsid, and promotes virion budding. Modulates viral translation initiation by interacting with HCV IRES and 40S ribosomal subunit. Also regulates many host cellular functions such as signaling pathways and apoptosis. Prevents the establishment of cellular antiviral state by blocking the interferon-alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) and IFN-gamma signaling pathways and by inducing human STAT1 degradation. Thought to play a role in virus-mediated cell transformation leading to hepatocellular carcinomas. Interacts with, and activates STAT3 leading to cellular transformation. May repress the promoter of p53, and sequester CREB3 and SP110 isoform 3/Sp110b in the cytoplasm. Also represses cell cycle negative regulating factor CDKN1A, thereby interrupting an important check point of normal cell cycle regulation. Targets transcription factors involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses and in the immune response: suppresses NK-kappaB activation, and activates AP-1. Could mediate apoptotic pathways through association with TNF-type receptors TNFRSF1A and LTBR, although its effect on death receptor-induced apoptosis remains controversial. Enhances TRAIL mediated apoptosis, suggesting that it might play a role in immune-mediated liver cell injury. Seric core protein is able to bind C1QR1 at the T-cell surface, resulting in down-regulation of T-lymphocytes proliferation. May transactivate human MYC, Rous sarcoma virus LTR, and SV40 promoters. May suppress the human FOS and HIV-1 LTR activity. Alters lipid metabolism by interacting with hepatocellular proteins involved in lipid accumulation and storage. Core protein induces up-regulation of FAS promoter activity, and thereby probably contributes to the increased triglyceride accumulation in hepatocytes (steatosis) (By similarity). E1 and E2 glycoproteins form a heterodimer that is involved in virus attachment to the host cell, virion internalization through clathrin-dependent endocytosis and fusion with host membrane. E1/E2 heterodimer binds to human LDLR, CD81 and SCARB1/SR-BI receptors, but this binding is not sufficient for infection, some additional liver specific cofactors may be needed. The fusion function may possibly be carried by E1. E2 inhibits human EIF2AK2/PKR activation, preventing the establishment of an antiviral state. E2 is a viral ligand for CD209/DC-SIGN and CLEC4M/DC-SIGNR, which are respectively found on dendritic cells (DCs), and on liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and macrophage-like cells of lymph node sinuses. These interactions allow capture of circulating HCV particles by these cells and subsequent transmission to permissive cells. DCs act as sentinels in various tissues where they entrap pathogens and convey them to local lymphoid tissue or lymph node for establishment of immunity. Capture of circulating HCV particles by these SIGN+ cells may facilitate virus infection of proximal hepatocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations and may be essential for the establishment of persistent infection (By similarity). P7 seems to be a heptameric ion channel protein (viroporin) and is inhibited by the antiviral drug amantadine. Also inhibited by long-alkyl-chain iminosugar derivatives. Essential for infectivity (By similarity). Protease NS2-3 is a cysteine protease responsible for the autocatalytic cleavage of NS2-NS3. Seems to undergo self-inactivation following maturation (By similarity). NS3 displays three enzymatic activities: serine protease, NTPase and RNA helicase. NS3 serine protease, in association with NS4A, is responsible for the cleavages of NS3-NS4A, NS4A-NS4B, NS4B-NS5A and NS5A-NS5B. NS3/NS4A complex also prevents phosphorylation of human IRF3, thus preventing the establishment of dsRNA induced antiviral state. NS3 RNA helicase binds to RNA and unwinds dsRNA in the 3' to 5' direction, and likely RNA stable secondary structure in the template strand. Cleaves and inhibits the host antiviral protein MAVS (By similarity). NS4B induces a specific membrane alteration that serves as a scaffold for the virus replication complex. This membrane alteration gives rise to the so-called ER-derived membranous web that contains the replication complex (By similarity). NS5A is a component of the replication complex involved in RNA-binding. Its interaction with Human VAPB may target the viral replication complex to vesicles. Down-regulates viral IRES translation initiation. Mediates interferon resistance, presumably by interacting with and inhibiting human EIF2AK2/PKR. Seems to inhibit apoptosis by interacting with BIN1 and FKBP8. The hyperphosphorylated form of NS5A is an inhibitor of viral replication (By similarity). NS5B is a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase that plays an essential role in the virus replication (By similarity).
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a widespread human pathogen causing liver cirrhosis and cancer. Similar to other viruses, HCV depends on host and viral factors to complete its life cycle. We used proteomic and yeast two-hybrid approaches to elucidate host factors involved in HCV nonstructural protein NS5A function and found that MOBKL1B interacts with NS5A. Initial experiments with siRNA knockdown suggesting a role in HCV replication led us to examine the interaction using biochemical and structural approaches. As revealed by a co-crystal structure of a core MOBKL1B-NS5A peptide complex at 1.95 A, NS5A binds to a hydrophobic patch on the MOBKL1B surface. Biosensor binding assays identified a highly conserved, 18 amino acid binding site in domain II of NS5A, which encompasses residues implicated in cyclophilin A (CypA)-dependent HCV RNA replication. However, a CypA-independent HCV variant had reduced replication in MOBKL1B knockdown cells, even though its NS5A does not interact with MOBKL1B. These discordant results prompted more extensive studies of MOBKL1B gene knockdowns, which included additional siRNAs and specifically matched seed-sequence siRNA controls. We found that reduced virus replication after treating cells with MOBKL1B siRNA was actually due to off-target inhibition, and indicated that the initial finding of virus replication dependence on the MOBKL1B-NS5A interaction was incorrect. Ultimately, using several approaches we found no relationship of the MOBKL1B-NS5A interaction to virus replication. These findings collectively serve as a reminder to investigators and scientific reviewers of the pervasive impact of siRNA off-target effects on interpretation of biological data. IMPORTANCE: Our study illustrates an underappreciated shortcoming of siRNA gene knockdown technology. We initially identified a cellular protein, MOBKL1B, as a binding partner with the NS5A protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV). MOBKL1B siRNA, but not irrelevant RNA treatment was associated with both reduced virus replication and the absence of MOBKL1B. Believing that HCV replication depended on the MOBKL1B-NS5A interaction, we carried out structural and biochemical analyses. Unexpectedly, an HCV variant lacking the MOBKL1B-NS5A interaction could not replicate after cells were treated with MOBKL1B siRNA. By repeating the MOBKL1B siRNA knockdowns, and including seed sequence-matched siRNA instead of irrelevant siRNA as a control, we found that the MOBKL1B siRNAs utilized had off-target inhibitory effects on virus replication. Collectively, our results suggest that stricter controls must be utilized in all RNAi-mediated gene knockdown experiments to ensure sound conclusions and a reliable scientific knowledge database.
Seed-sequence matched controls reveal limitations of siRNA knockdown in functional and structural studies of HCV NS5A-MOBKL1B interaction.,Chung HY, Gu M, Buehler E, MacDonald MR, Rice CM J Virol. 2014 Jul 16. pii: JVI.01582-14. PMID:25031347[4]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Bichsel SJ, Tamaskovic R, Stegert MR, Hemmings BA. Mechanism of activation of NDR (nuclear Dbf2-related) protein kinase by the hMOB1 protein. J Biol Chem. 2004 Aug 20;279(34):35228-35. Epub 2004 Jun 14. PMID:15197186 doi:10.1074/jbc.M404542200
- ↑ Hirabayashi S, Nakagawa K, Sumita K, Hidaka S, Kawai T, Ikeda M, Kawata A, Ohno K, Hata Y. Threonine 74 of MOB1 is a putative key phosphorylation site by MST2 to form the scaffold to activate nuclear Dbf2-related kinase 1. Oncogene. 2008 Jul 17;27(31):4281-92. doi: 10.1038/onc.2008.66. Epub 2008 Mar 24. PMID:18362890 doi:10.1038/onc.2008.66
- ↑ Chow A, Hao Y, Yang X. Molecular characterization of human homologs of yeast MOB1. Int J Cancer. 2010 May 1;126(9):2079-89. doi: 10.1002/ijc.24878. PMID:19739119 doi:10.1002/ijc.24878
- ↑ Chung HY, Gu M, Buehler E, MacDonald MR, Rice CM. Seed-sequence matched controls reveal limitations of siRNA knockdown in functional and structural studies of HCV NS5A-MOBKL1B interaction. J Virol. 2014 Jul 16. pii: JVI.01582-14. PMID:25031347 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01582-14
