The mechanism used by mouse polyomavirus (MPyV) overcomes the crowded cytosol to reach the nucleus has not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the involvement of importin α/β1 mediated transport in the delivery of MPyV genomes into the nucleus. Interactions of the virus with importin β1 were studied by co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assay. For infectivity and nucleus delivery assays, the virus and its capsid proteins mutated in the nuclear localization signals (NLSs) were prepared and produced. We found that at early times post infection, virions bound importin β1 in a time dependent manner with a peak of interactions at 6 h post infection. Mutation analysis revealed that only when the NLSs of both VP1 and VP2/3 were disrupted, virus did not bind efficiently to importin β1 and its infectivity remarkably decreased (by 80%). Nuclear targeting of capsid proteins was improved when VP1 and VP2 were co-expressed. VP1 and VP2 were effectively delivered into the nucleus, even when one of the NLS, either VP1 or VP2, was disrupted. Altogether, our results showed that MPyV virions can use VP1 and/or VP2/VP3 NLSs in concert or individually to bind importins to deliver their genomes into the cell nucleus.

• Klíčová slova
• capsid proteins, importin β1, mouse polyomavirus, nuclear localization signal, trafficking into the nucleus,
• MeSH
• biologický transport MeSH
• buněčné jádro MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• DNA virů metabolismus   MeSH
• fluorescenční protilátková technika MeSH
• jaderné lokalizační signály genetika   MeSH
• karyoferiny metabolismus   MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• myši MeSH
• polyomavirové infekce metabolismus   virologie   MeSH
• Polyomavirus fyziologie   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• sestavení viru MeSH
• substituce aminokyselin MeSH
• vazba proteinů MeSH
• virové plášťové proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA virů MeSH
• jaderné lokalizační signály MeSH
• karyoferiny MeSH
• virové plášťové proteiny MeSH