<p>Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is crucial for maternal to zygotic transition at the 2-8-cell stage in order to overcome silencing of genes and enable transcription from the zygotic genome. In humans, ZGA is induced by DUX4, a pioneer factor that drives expression of downstream germline-specific genes and retroelements. Here we show that herpesviruses from all subfamilies, papillomaviruses and Merkel cell polyomavirus actively induce DUX4 expression to promote viral transcription and replication. Analysis of single-cell sequencing data sets from patients shows that viral DUX4 activation is of relevance in vivo. Herpes-simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) immediate early proteins directly induce expression of DUX4 and its target genes, which mimics zygotic genome activation. Upon HSV-1 infection, DUX4 directly binds to the viral genome and promotes viral transcription. DUX4 is functionally required for infection, since genetic depletion by CRISPR/Cas9 as well as degradation of DUX4 by nanobody constructs abrogates HSV-1 replication. Our results show that DNA viruses including herpesviruses mimic an embryonic-like transcriptional program that prevents epigenetic silencing of the viral genome and facilitates herpesviral gene expression.</p>

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Herpesviruses mimic zygotic genome activation to promote viral replication

  • Eva Neugebauer,
  • Stephanie Walter,
  • Jiang Tan,
  • Nir Drayman,
  • Vedran Franke,
  • Michiel van Gent,
  • Sandra Pennisi,
  • Pia Veratti,
  • Karla S. Stein,
  • Isabelle Welker,
  • Savaş Tay,
  • Georges M. G. M. Verjans,
  • H. T. Marc Timmers,
  • Altuna Akalin,
  • Markus Landthaler,
  • Armin Ensser,
  • Emanuel Wyler,
  • Florian Full

摘要

Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is crucial for maternal to zygotic transition at the 2-8-cell stage in order to overcome silencing of genes and enable transcription from the zygotic genome. In humans, ZGA is induced by DUX4, a pioneer factor that drives expression of downstream germline-specific genes and retroelements. Here we show that herpesviruses from all subfamilies, papillomaviruses and Merkel cell polyomavirus actively induce DUX4 expression to promote viral transcription and replication. Analysis of single-cell sequencing data sets from patients shows that viral DUX4 activation is of relevance in vivo. Herpes-simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) immediate early proteins directly induce expression of DUX4 and its target genes, which mimics zygotic genome activation. Upon HSV-1 infection, DUX4 directly binds to the viral genome and promotes viral transcription. DUX4 is functionally required for infection, since genetic depletion by CRISPR/Cas9 as well as degradation of DUX4 by nanobody constructs abrogates HSV-1 replication. Our results show that DNA viruses including herpesviruses mimic an embryonic-like transcriptional program that prevents epigenetic silencing of the viral genome and facilitates herpesviral gene expression.