Nuclear activities and interactome of the NS5 protein of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus

Abstract

Orthoflaviviruses are RNA viruses responsible for significant diseases in humans, domesticated animals and wildlife. Their NS5 protein is central in viral replication, functioning both as an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and a methyltransferase, while also modulating cellular processes, including the interferon response. Although viral replication is cytoplasmic, the NS5 protein of several mosquito-borne orthoflaviviruses cycles between the cytoplasm and the nucleus of infected human cells. However, the nuclear localization and function of NS5 of tick-borne orthoflaviviruses, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), remained poorly understood. Microscopy analysis and cell fractionation revealed that the NS5 protein of TBEV localized to both the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm of infected cells. Mutagenesis studies identified critical residues required for its nuclear targeting. Mutating these residues in a TBEV replicon abolished viral replication. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry analyses performed in two human cell lines infected with TBEV recovered 352 NS5 partners. Among them, 187 were nuclear or partially nuclear. By integrating our interactome data with that of Powassan virus (POWV), another tick-borne orthoflavivirus, we refined a list of 20 high-confidence NS5 partners, including splicing factors and chromatin modulators. Functional analysis revealed that seven of these nuclear partners significantly modulated viral replication, further underscoring the importance of nuclear NS5 in the viral life cycle. Our work advances our understanding of the nuclear function of the NS5 proteins of tick-borne orthoflaviviruses. ImportanceTick-borne orthoflaviviruses are emerging globally, spreading across Europe, Asia, and North America, where they infect humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife. These viruses produce a protein called NS5, which drives viral replication and helps evade the innate immune response. We observed that the NS5 protein of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) localized both in the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm of infected human cells. We identified the specific residues responsible for its nuclear addressing and showed that it interacts with numerous nuclear proteins, including some involved in regulating gene expression. Seven of these nuclear partners significantly influenced viral replication, highlighting the importance of NS5s nuclear activity. This work sheds light on how tick-borne orthoflaviviruses manipulate host cells, deepening our understanding of their replication strategies.