Human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3), a member of the Paramyxoviridae family, can cause lower respiratory disease in infants and young children. The phosphoprotein (P) of HPIV3 is an essential cofactor of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase large protein (L). P connects nucleocapsid protein (N) with L to initiate genome transcription and replication. Sumoylation influences many important pathways of the target proteins, and many viral proteins are also themselves sumoylated. In this study, we found that the P of HPIV3 could be sumoylated, and mutation of K492 and K532 to arginine (PK492R/K532R) failed to be sumoylated within P, which enhances HPIV3 minigenome activity. Biochemical studies showed that PK492R/K532R had no effect on its interactions with N, formation of homo-tetramers and formation of inclusion bodies. Finally, we found that incorporation of K492R/K532R into a recombinant HPIV3 (rHPIV3-PK492R/K532R) increased viral production in culture cells, suggesting that sumoylation attenuates functions of P and down-regulates viral replication.
Keywords: Human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3); Phosphoprotein; Replication; Sumoylation; Viral replication.