The R1 subunit of herpes simplex virus (HSV) ribonucleotide reductase, which in addition to its Cterminal reductase domain possesses a unique N-terminal domain of about 400 amino acids, is thought to have an additional, as yet unknown, function. Here, we report that the full-length HSV-2 R1 has an anti-apoptotic function able to protect cells against death triggered by expression of R1(∆2-357), an HSV-2 R1 subunit with its first 357 amino acids deleted. We further substantiate the R1 anti-apoptotic activity by showing that its accumulation at low level could completely block apoptosis induced by TNF-receptor family triggering. Activation of caspase-8 induced either by TNF or by Fas ligand expression was prevented by the R1 protein. As HSV R1 did not inhibit cell death mediated by several agents acting via the mitochondrial pathway (Bax overexpression, etoposide, staurosporine and menadione), it is proposed that it functions to interrupt specifically death receptor-mediated signalling at, or upstream of, caspase-8 activation. The N-terminal domain on its own did not exhibit anti-apoptotic activity, suggesting that both domains of R1 or part(s) of them are necessary for this new function. Evidence for the importance of HSV R1 in protecting HSV-infected cells against cytokine-induced apoptosis was obtained with the HSV-1 R1 deletion mutants ICP6∆ and hrR3. These results show that, in addition to its ribonucleotide reductase function, which is essential for virus reactivation, HSV R1 could contribute to virus propagation by preventing apoptosis induced by the immune system.

During camptothecin- and etoposide (VP-16)-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells, the expression level of cell death receptor-3 (DR3), cell death receptor-4 (DR4), and FAS remained mostly unchanged, whereas the expression of silencers of death domain (SODD) and FLICE inhibitory proteins, inhibitors of the cell death receptor signaling pathways, decreased substantially. By indirect immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase imaging and with gel filtration column chromatography, we observed rapid aggregation at the cell surface and the appearance of high molecular weight protein complexes primarily involving DR3, and DR3 and DR4 after camptothecin and VP-16 treatment, respectively. Both drugs failed to rapidly promote FAS aggregation in these cells. The high expression level of SODD or of dominant negative forms of FADD (FADD-DN) and DAP3 (DAP3-DN), or of NH 2-terminal deletion mutant of TRADD (TRADD-ND) achieved by transient transfection experiments, did not impair the kinetics of apoptosis after camptothecin and VP-16 treatment in HL-60 and U937 cells. Taken together, these observations suggested that camptothecin and VP-16 induced rapid aggregation of DR4 and DR3, but paradoxically, the importance of these events in signaling apoptosis is uncertain, because the kinetics of apoptosis were unaffected, even in the presence of a high expression level of SODD, FADD-DN, TRADD-ND, and DAP3-DN. However, camptothecin or VP-16 treatment in combination with tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) substantially accelerated kinetics of apoptosis than treatment with camptothecin, VP-16, or TRAIL alone. In contrast, cotreatment of camptothecin or VP-16 with TWEAK or TL1A did not facilitate apoptosis in HL60 cells. These findings suggest that DR4 aggregation mediated by camptothecin or VP-16 could represent a mean that accelerates TRAIL-induced apoptosis.