Human cytomegalovirus up-regulates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) pathway: inhibition of PI3-K activity inhibits viral replication and virus-induced signaling.

Infection of quiescent fibroblasts with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was found to cause a rapid activation of cellular phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K). Maximum PI3-K activation occurred from 15 to 30 min postinfection. This activation was transient, and by 2 h postinfection (hpi), PI3-K activity had declined to preinfection levels. However, at 4 hpi, a second tier of PI3-K activation was detected, and PI3-K activity remained elevated relative to that of mock-infected cells for the remainder of infection. The cellular kinases Akt and p70S6K and the transcription factor NF-kappaB were activated in a PI3-K-dependent manner at similar times following HCMV infection. Analysis using UV-irradiated virus indicated that no viral protein synthesis was necessary for the first phase of PI3-K activation, but viral protein expression was required for the second tier of PI3-K activation. Treatment of infected fibroblasts with LY294002, a potent and specific inhibitor of PI3-K kinase activity, caused a 4-log decrease in viral titers. LY294002 did not inhibit viral entry, but it did decrease viral immediate-early gene expression. In addition, the protein levels of two viral early genes required for DNA replication, UL84 and UL44, were significantly lower in the presence of LY294002. Furthermore, viral DNA replication was strongly inhibited by LY294002 treatment. This inhibition of viral DNA replication could be reversed by adding back the products of PI3-K activity (PI-3,4-P(2) and PI-3,4,5-P(3)), demonstrating that the effect of LY294002 on the viral life cycle was specifically due to the inhibition of PI3-K activity. These results are the first to suggest that PI3-K mediates HCMV-induced activation of host cell mitogenic pathways. They also provide strong evidence that PI3-K activation is important for initiation of viral DNA replication and completion of the viral lytic life cycle.