Membrane-bound Merkel cell polyomavirus middle T protein constitutively activates PLCγ1 signaling through Src-family kinases.

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV or MCPyV) is an alphapolyomavirus causing human Merkel cell carcinoma and encodes four tumor (T) antigen proteins: large T (LT), small tumor (sT), 57 kT, and middle T (MT)/alternate LT open reading frame proteins. We show that MCV MT is generated as multiple isoforms through internal methionine translational initiation that insert into membrane lipid rafts. The membrane-localized MCV MT oligomerizes and promiscuously binds to lipid raft-associated Src family kinases (SFKs). MCV MT-SFK interaction is mediated by a Src homology (SH) 3 recognition motif as determined by surface plasmon resonance, coimmunoprecipitation, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. SFK recruitment by MT leads to tyrosine phosphorylation at a SH2 recognition motif (pMT), allowing interaction with phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLCγ1). The secondary recruitment of PLCγ1 to the SFK-MT membrane complex promotes PLCγ1 tyrosine phosphorylation on Y783 and activates the NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway. Mutations at either the MCV MT SH2 or SH3 recognition sites abrogate PLCγ1-dependent activation of NF-κB signaling and increase viral replication after MCV genome transfection into 293 cells. These findings reveal a conserved viral targeting of the SFK-PLCγ1 pathway by both MCV and murine polyomavirus (MuPyV) MT proteins. The molecular steps in how SFK-PLCγ1 activation is achieved, however, differ between these two viruses.