De novo assembly of RNA m6A modification factors into viral genome-associated nuclear bodies drives HCMV RNA accumulation
Rebecca C. Grande,
Chia-Ching Lin,
Michael Cammer,
Ebube D. Emesom,
Maaz Asher Khurram,
Chris Boutell,
Lance T. Denes,
Timothée Lionnet,
Angus C. Wilson,
Ian Mohr
Affiliations
Rebecca C. Grande
Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Chia-Ching Lin
Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Michael Cammer
Microscopy Laboratory, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Ebube D. Emesom
Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Maaz Asher Khurram
Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Chris Boutell
MRC - University of Glasgow, Centre for Virus Research (CVR), Glasgow G61 1QH, Scotland
Lance T. Denes
Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Timothée Lionnet
Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
Angus C. Wilson
Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Corresponding author
Ian Mohr
Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: The factors that install and recognize N6-methyladenosine (m6A) on RNA to regulate gene expression are well characterized, but how their spatial organization responds to physiological stress, including infection, is unclear. Here, we show that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection induces accumulation of m6A methyltransferase subunits, including WTAP, together with nuclear m6A reader YTHDC1, into distinctive, membraneless nuclear bodies (NBs) overlapping with incoming virus genomes and immediate-early (IE) RNA transcripts. De novo assembly and integrity of these DNA-associated, IE, virus-activated NBs requires RNAPII transcription, METTL3 m6A methyltransferase activity, and m6A recognition by YTHDC1, but not new protein synthesis. Depleting YTHDC1 or WTAP limits the accumulation of critical HCMV RNAs required for virus DNA replication, interfering with virus reproduction. This reveals a surprising strategy whereby a discrete sub-nuclear RNA biogenesis compartment replete with RNAPII and m6A modification components is swiftly consolidated in proximity to infecting HCMV genomes to initialize and sustain virus gene expression.
