Herpes simplex virus 1-encoded protein kinase UL13 phosphorylates viral Us3 protein kinase and regulates nuclear localization of viral envelopment factors UL34 and UL31.

UL13 and Us3 are protein kinases encoded by herpes simplex virus 1. We report here that Us3 is a physiological substrate for UL13 in infected cells, based on the following observations. (i) The electrophoretic mobility, in denaturing gels, of Us3 isoforms from Vero cells infected with wild-type virus was slower than that of isoforms from cells infected with a UL13 deletion mutant virus (DeltaUL13). After treatment with phosphatase, the electrophoretic mobility of the Us3 isoforms from cells infected with wild-type virus changed, with one isoform migrating as fast as one of the Us3 isoforms from DeltaUL13-infected cells. (ii) A recombinant protein containing a domain of Us3 was phosphorylated by UL13 in vitro. (iii) The phenotype of DeltaUL13 resembles that of a recombinant virus lacking the Us3 gene (DeltaUs3) with respect to localization of the viral envelopment factors UL34 and UL31, whose localization has been shown to be regulated by Us3. UL34 and UL31 are localized in a smooth pattern throughout the nuclei of cells infected with wild-type virus, whereas their localization in DeltaUL13- and DeltaUs3-infected cells appeared as nuclear punctate patterns. These results indicate that UL13 phosphorylates Us3 in infected cells and regulates UL34 and UL31 localization, either by phosphorylating Us3 or by a Us3-independent mechanism.