Minute virus of canines (MVC) is an autonomous parvovirus in the genusBocaparvovirus. It has a single promoter that generates a single pre-mRNA processed via alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation to produce at least 8 mRNA transcripts. MVC contains two polyadenylation sites, one at the right-hand end of the genome, (pA)d, and another complex site, (pA)p, within the capsid-coding region. During viral infection, the mRNAs must extend through (pA)p and undergo additional splicing of the immediately upstream 3D⁄3A intron to access the capsid gene. MVC NP1 is a 22-kDa nuclear phosphoprotein unique to the genus Bocaparvovirus of the Parvovirinae which we have shown governs suppression of (pA)p independently of viral genome replication. We show here that in addition to suppression of (pA)p, NP1 is also required for the excision of the MVC 3D⁄3A intron, independently of its effect on alternative polyadenylation. Mutations of the arginine⁄serine (SR) di-repeats within the intrinsically disordered amino terminus of NP1 are required for splicing of the capsid transcript but not suppression of polyadenylation at (pA)p. 3=-end processing of MVC mRNAs at (pA)p is critical for viral genome replication and the optimal expression of NP1 and NS1. Thus, a finely tuned balance between (pA)p suppression and usage is necessary for efficient virus replication. NP1 is the first parvovirus protein implicated in RNA processing. Its characterization reveals another way that parvoviruses govern access to their capsid protein genes, namely, at the RNA level, by regulating the essential splicing of an intron and the suppression of an internal polyadenylation site. IMPORTANCEThe Parvovirinae are small nonenveloped icosahedral viruses that are important pathogens in many animal species, including humans. Although parvoviruses have only subtle early-to-late expression shifts, they all regulate access to their capsid genes. Minute virus of canines (MVC) is an autonomous parvovirus in the genusBocaparvovirus. It has a single promoter generating a single pre-mRNA which is processed via alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation to generate at least 8 mRNA transcripts. MVC contains two polyadenylation sites, one at the right-hand end of the genome, (pA)d, and another, (pA)p, within the capsid-coding region. It had not been clear how the potent internal polyadenylation motif is suppressed to allow processing, export, and accumulation of the spliced capsid protein-encoding mRNAs. We show here that MVC NP1, the first parvovirus protein to be implicated in RNA processing, governs access to the MVC capsid gene by facilitating splicing and suppressing internal polyadenylation of MVC pre-mRNAs. M inute virus of canines (MVC) is an autonomous parvovirus in the genusBocaparvovirus. Infection in young dogs can result in neonatal mortality (1) and respiratory and gastrointestinal distress (2) and can cause infertility and stillbirths in adult pregnant female dogs (3). The parvovirus genus Bocaparvovirus has 12 currently known...

bWe present a detailed characterization of a single-cycle infection of the bocavirus minute virus of canines (MVC) in canine WRD cells. This has allowed identification of an additional smaller NS protein that derives from an mRNA spliced within the NS gene that had not been previously reported. In addition, we have identified a role for the viral NP1 protein during infection. NP1 is required for read-through of the MVC internal polyadenylation site and, thus, access of the capsid gene by MVC mRNAs. Although the mechanism of NP1's action has not yet been fully elucidated, it represents the first parvovirus protein to be implicated directly in viral RNA processing.

Parvoviruses use a variety of means to control the expression of their compact genomes. The bocaparvovirus minute virus of canines (MVC) encodes a small, genus-specific protein, NP1, which governs access to the viral capsid gene via its role in alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing of the single MVC premRNA. In addition to NP1, MVC encodes five additional nonstructural proteins (NS) that share an initiation codon at the left end of the genome and which are individually encoded by alternative multiply spliced mRNAs. We found that three of these proteins were encoded by mRNAs that excise the NP1-regulated MVC intron immediately upstream of the internal polyadenylation site, (pA)p, and that generation of these proteins was thus regulated by NP1. Splicing of their progenitor mRNAs joined the amino termini of these proteins to the NP1 open reading frame, and splice site mutations that prevented their expression inhibited virus replication in a host celldependent manner. Thus, in addition to controlling capsid gene access, NP1 also controls the expression of three of the five identified NS proteins via its role in governing MVC pre-mRNA splicing. IMPORTANCEThe Parvovirinae are small nonenveloped icosahedral viruses that are important pathogens in many animal species, including humans. Minute virus of canine (MVC) is an autonomous parvovirus in the genus Bocaparvovirus. It has a single promoter that generates a single pre-mRNA. NP1, a small genus-specific MVC protein, participates in the processing of this pre-mRNA and so controls capsid gene access via its role in alternative internal polyadenylation and splicing. We show that NP1 also controls the expression of three of the five identified NS proteins via its role in governing MVC pre-mRNA splicing. These NS proteins together are required for virus replication in a host cell-dependent manner.KEYWORDS gene expression, parvovirus P arvoviruses use multiple mechanisms to maximize the coding potential of their compact genomes, including alternative transcription initiation, alternative splicing, alternative polyadenylation, and alternative translation initiation mechanisms (1-3).Infection with minute virus of canines (MVC), a member of the genus Bocaparvovirus (4), can cause abortion and stillbirth in pregnant dogs, as well as mild gastroenteritis and respiratory disease in puppies (5-8). MVC generates a single pre-mRNA from a promoter at the left-hand end of the genome (P6) that is processed via alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation into multiple nonstructural and capsidencoding transcripts (9, 10). As with other parvoviruses, an open reading frame (ORF) in the left half of the genome encodes nonstructural (NS) proteins, while an ORF in the right half encodes the capsid proteins VP1 and VP2 (2). The bocaparvoviruses also

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 2 and 5 proteins Rep52 and Rep40 were polyubiquitinated during AAV-adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) coinfection and during transient transfection in either the presence or absence of Ad5 E4orf6 and E1b-55k. Polyubiquitination of small Rep proteins via lysine 48 (K48) linkages, normally associated with targeting of proteins for proteasomal degradation, was detected only in the presence of E4orf6. The small Rep proteins were ubiquitinated via lysine 63 (K63) following transfection in either the presence or absence of E4orf6 or following coinfection with Ad5. E4orf6/E1b-55k-dependent K48-specific polyubiquitination of small Rep proteins could be inhibited using small interfering RNA (siRNA) to cullin 5.Together, adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) early gene products E1a, E1b-55k, E2a, E4orf6, and virus-associated (VA) RNA can support efficient replication of adeno-associated virus (AAV) (4, 31). E4orf6 and E1b-55k are known to interact with cellular cullin 5 (cul5), elongins B and C, and the ring box protein Rbx1 to form an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex that specifically targets a small population of cellular proteins for degradation by the proteasome (1,7,21,22,24,27). This property has been implicated in a number of functions presumed to be required for both Ad and AAV replication (3, 8-10, 17, 23, 24, 34, 35).Previously, only p53, Mre11, DNA ligase IV, and integrin ␣3 had been shown to be substrates of the Ad5 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex (1,7,21,22,24,27); however, we have recently shown (16,17) that the small Rep proteins and capsid proteins of AAV5 are also degraded in the presence of Ad E4orf6 and E1b-55k in a proteasome-dependent manner. These proteins were restored to levels required during infection by the action of VA RNA (17). The targeting for degradation of AAV5 protein by the E4orf6/E1b-55k E3 ubiquitin ligase complex required functional BC-box motifs in E4orf6 and could be inhibited by depletion of the scaffolding protein cullin 5 using directed small interfering RNA (siRNA) (16). In addition, the degradation of AAV5 protein was partially prevented by overexpression of pUBR7, a plasmid that generates a dominantnegative ubiquitin (16). The role this targeted degradation plays in the life cycle of AAV has not yet been clarified; however, E4orf6 mutants that cannot function in this regard do not support AAV replication as well as wild-type E4orf6 (R. Nayak and D. J. Pintel, unpublished data). Degradation of Mre11 by the Ad5 E3 ligase has also been implicated in allowing efficient Ad5 and AAV replication (24). Ubiquitination of AAV Rep proteins during viral infection, however, has not previously been reported. (Fig. 1A, lanes 3 and 4). For Rep immunoprecipitations (IPs), cells were lysed by boiling in radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) buffer (50 mM Tris-HCl [pH 7.4], 150 mM NaCl, 2 mM EDTA, 1% NP-40) plus 1% SDS, extracts were diluted to 0.2% SDS, and antibody was added, and following capture on protein G beads (#10-1243; Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA), the cells were subsequently washed in R...

The ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) has emerged as an important methodology for the detection, mapping, and quantification of RNAs. In this assay, total or cytoplasmic RNAs are hybridized to a high-specific activity antisense radioactive RNA probe synthesized by in vitro transcription from the SP6 or T7 promoter of an appropriate linearized plasmid template by the bacteriophage SP6 or T7 polymerase, respectively. The RNA hybrids are subjected to RNAse digestion and the protected products are resolved by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to allow detection of specific RNA fragments by subsequent autoradiography. RPAs are highly sensitive, the probes can be specifically targeted, and, when performed in probe excess, are quantitative, making them the method of choice for many analyses of RNA processing events.