Mutagenesis of dengue virus protein NS2A revealed a novel domain responsible for virus-induced cytopathic effect and interactions between NS2A and NS2B transmembrane segments

[[abstract]]The NS2A protein of Dengue virus (DENV) has eight predicted transmembrane segments (pTMS1-8) and participates in RNA replication, virion assembly, and host antiviral response. However, the roles of specific amino acid residues within the pTMS regions of NS2A during the viral life cycle are not clear. Here, we explored the function of DENV NS2A by introducing a series of alanine substitutions into the N-terminal half (pTMS1-4) of the protein in the context of a DENV infectious clone or subgenomic replicon. Six NS2A mutants (NM5, 7, 9, and 17-19) around pTMS1-2 displayed a novel phenotype showing a >1000-fold reduction in virus yield, an absence of plaque formation despite wild-type-like replicon activity, and infectious virus-like particle yields. The HEK293 cells infected with those six NS2A mutant viruses failed to cause a virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) by MitoCapture staining, cell proliferation, and lactate dehydrogenase release assays. Sequencing analyses of pseudorevertant viruses derived from lethal mutant viruses revealed two consensus reversion mutations, leucine-to-phenylalanine at codon 181 (L181F) within the pTMS7 of NS2A and isoleucine-to-threonine at codon 114 (I114T) within NS2B. The introduction of NS2A-L181F mutation into the lethal (NM15, 16, 25, and 33) and CPE-defective (NM7, 9, and 19) mutants substantially rescued virus infectivity and virus-induced CPE, respectively, whereas NS2B-L114T mutation rescued NM16, 25, and 33 mutants. In conclusion, the results revealed the essential roles of the N-terminal half of NS2A in RNA replication and virus-induced CPE. Intramolecular interactions between pTMSs of NS2A and intermolecular interactions between NS2A and NS2B protein were also implicated.Importance: The characterization of the N-terminal (current study) and C-terminal half of DENV NS2A is the most comprehensive mutagenesis study to date to investigate the function of NS2A during the flaviviral life cycle. A novel region responsible for virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) within the pTMS1-2 of DENV NS2A was identified. Revertant genetics studies implicated unexpected relationships between various pTMSs of DENV NS2A and NS2B. These results provide comprehensive knowledge regarding the functions of DENV NS2A and the specific amino acids and transmembrane segments responsible for these functions. The positions and properties of the rescuing mutations also revealed, providing important clues regarding the manner in which intramolecular or intermolecular interactions between the pTMSs of NS2A and NS2B regulate virus replication, assembly/secretion, and virus-induced CPE. These results expand the understanding of flavivirus replication. The knowledge may also facilitate the studies of pathogenesis, novel vaccine and anti-flaviviral drug development