Interaction between HCMV pUL83 and human AIM2 disrupts the activation of the AIM2 inflammasome

AIM2, a cytosolic DNA sensor, plays an important role during infection caused by pathogens with double-stranded DNA; however, its role in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection remains unclear. Previously, we showed an increase in AIM2 protein levels during the early stage of HCMV infection and a decrease 24 h post infection. Because HCMV has developed a variety of strategies to evade host immunity, we speculated that this decline might be attributed to a viral immune escape mechanism. The tegument protein pUL83 is an important immune evasion protein and several studies have reported that pUL83 binds to specific cellular proteins, such as AIM2-like receptor IFI16, to affect their functions. To determine whether pUL83 contributes to the variation in AIM2 levels during HCMV infection, we investigated the pUL83/AIM2 interaction and its impact on the AIM2 inflammasome activation.

We constructed plasmids expressing recombinant pUL83 and AIM2 proteins for two-hybrid and chemiluminescence assays. Using co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent co-localization, we confirmed the interaction of pUL83/AIM2 in THP-1-derived macrophages infected with HCMV AD169 strain. Furthermore, by investigating the expression and cleavage of inflammasome-associated proteins in recombinant HEK293T cells expressing AIM2, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), pro-caspase-1 and pro-IL-1β, we evaluated the effect of pUL83 on the AIM2 inflammasome.

An interaction between pUL83 and AIM2 was detected in macrophages infected with HCMV as well as in transfected HEK293T cells. Moreover, transfection of the pUL83  expression vector into recombinant HEK293T cells stimulated by poly(dA:dT) resulted in reduced expression and activation of AIM2 inflammasome-associated proteins, compared with the absence of pUL83.

Our data indicate that pUL83 interacts with AIM2 in the cytoplasm during the early stages of HCMV infection. The pUL83/AIM2 interaction deregulates the activation of AIM2 inflammasome. These findings reveal a new strategy of immune evasion developed by HCMV, which may facilitate latent infection.