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Alan Engelman

Publications and source records attributed to Alan Engelman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Wild-type levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infectivity in the absence of cellular emerin protein.

Preintegration complexes (PICs) mediate retroviral integration, and recent results indicate an important role for the inner nuclear membrane protein emerin in orienting human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) PICs to chromatin for integration. Two other host cell proteins, the barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) and lamina-associated polypeptide 2alpha (LAP2alpha), seemed to play a similar preintegrative role for Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) in addition to HIV-1. In contrast, we determined efficient HIV-1 and MMLV infection of HeLa-P4 cells following potent down-regulation of emerin, BAF, or LAP2alpha protein by using short interfering RNA. Mouse embryo fibroblasts ablated for emerin protein through gene knockout support the same level of HIV-1 infection as cells derived from wild-type littermate control animals. As the expression of human emerin in mouse knockout cells fails to affect the level of infectivity achieved in its absence, we conclude that HIV-1 efficiently infects cells in the absence of emerin protein and, by extension, that emerin is not a universally important regulator of HIV-1 infectivity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Structure-based mutagenesis of the integrase-LEDGF/p75 interface uncouples a strict correlation between in vitro protein binding and HIV-1 fitness.

LEDGF/p75 binding-defective IN mutant viruses were previously characterized as replication-defective, yet RNAi did not reveal an essential role for the host factor in HIV-1 replication. Correlative analyses of protein binding and viral fitness were expanded here by targeting 12 residues at the IN-LEDGF/p75 binding interface. Whereas many of the resultant viruses were defective, the majority of the INs displayed wild-type in vitro integration activities. Though an overall trend of parallel loss of LEDGF/p75 binding and HIV-1 infectivity was observed, a strict correlation was not. His-tagged IN(A128Q), derived from a phenotypically wild-type virus, failed to pull-down LEDGF/p75, but IN(A128Q) was effectively recovered in a reciprocal GST pull-down assay. Under these conditions, IN(H171A), also derived from a phenotypically wild-type virus, interacted less efficiently than a previously described interaction-defective mutant, IN(Q168A). Thus, the relative affinity of the in vitro IN-LEDGF/p75 interaction is not a universal predictor of IN mutant viral fitness.

Cell Line↗
PubMed2006

Transcriptional co-activator p75 binds and tethers the Myc-interacting protein JPO2 to chromatin.

Transcriptional co-activator p75 is implicated in human cancer, autoimmunity and replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as a dominant integrase-interacting protein. Although characterized as chromatin associated, the normal biological role(s) of p75 remains fairly unclear. To gain insight into p75 function, we have characterized its cellular binding partners and report that JPO2, a recently identified Myc-binding protein, associates with p75 in vitro and in vivo. The pseudo HEAT repeat analogous topology (PHAT) domain of p75, which mediates its interaction with integrase, also mediates the interaction with JPO2, and recombinant integrase protein competes with JPO2 protein for binding to p75 in vitro. JPO2 binds p75 through a 61-residue (amino acids 58-119) region that is distinct from its Myc-interacting domain. In cells, JPO2 and p75 co-localize throughout the cell cycle, and both proteins concentrate on condensed chromosomes during mitosis. Strikingly, the association of JPO2 with chromatin strictly depends upon p75, similar to that of ectopically expressed integrase. Also similar to its effect on integrase, p75 stabilizes intracellular steady-state levels of JPO2 protein. Our results suggest a role for p75 in the Myc regulatory network, and indicate that p75 is a general adaptor protein tethering divergent factors to chromatin through its versatile integrase-binding domain.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed2006

Requirements for capsid-binding and an effector function in TRIMCyp-mediated restriction of HIV-1.

In owl monkeys, a retrotransposition event replaced the gene encoding the retroviral restriction factor TRIM5alpha with one encoding TRIMCyp, a fusion between the RING, B-box 2 and coiled-coil domains of TRIM5 and cyclophilin A. TRIMCyp restricts human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection by a mechanism dependent on the interaction of the cyclophilin A moiety and the HIV-1 capsid protein. Here, we show that infection by retroviruses other than HIV-1 can be restricted by TRIMCyp, providing an explanation for the evolutionary retention of the TRIMCyp gene in owl monkey lineages. The TRIMCyp-mediated block to HIV-1 infection occurs before the earliest step of reverse transcription. TRIMCyp-mediated restriction involves at least two functions: (1) capsid binding, which occurs most efficiently for trimeric TRIMCyp proteins that retain the coiled-coil and cyclophilin A domains, and (2) an effector function that depends upon the B-box 2 domain.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Evolution of a cytoplasmic tripartite motif (TRIM) protein in cows that restricts retroviral infection.

Primate tripartite motif 5alpha (TRIM5alpha) proteins mediate innate intracellular resistance to retroviruses. In humans, TRIM5 is located in a paralogous cluster that includes TRIM6, TRIM34, and TRIM22. Although TRIM6 and TRIM34 orthologs are found in other mammals, TRIM5 has to date been identified only in primates. Cow cells exhibit early blocks to infection by several retroviruses. We identify a cytoplasmic TRIM protein encoded by LOC505265 that is responsible for the restriction of infection by several lentiviruses and N-tropic murine leukemia virus in cow cells. Susceptibility of N-tropic murine leukemia virus to 505265-mediated restriction is determined primarily by residue 110 of the viral capsid protein. Phylogenetically, cow LOC505265 segregates with the TRIM5/TRIM6/TRIM34 group, but is not an ortholog of known TRIM genes. The B30.2/SPRY domain of 505265 exhibits long variable regions, a characteristic of the proteins encoded by this paralogous group, and shows evidence of positive selection. Apparently, cows have independently evolved a retroviral restriction factor from the same TRIM family that spawned TRIM5 in primates. Particular features of this subset of cytoplasmic TRIM proteins may be conducive to the convergent evolution of virus-restricting factors.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

A tripartite DNA-binding element, comprised of the nuclear localization signal and two AT-hook motifs, mediates the association of LEDGF/p75 with chromatin in vivo.

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor p75 (LEDGF/p75) is a DNA-binding, transcriptional co-activator that participates in HIV-1 integration site targeting. Using complementary approaches, we determined the mechanisms of LEDGF/p75 DNA-binding in vitro and chromatin-association in living cells. The binding of highly-purified, recombinant protein was assayed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrophoretic mobility gel shift. Neither assay revealed evidence for sequence-specific DNA-binding. Residues 146-197 spanning the nuclear localization signal (NLS) and two AT-hook motifs mediated non-specific DNA-binding, and DNA-binding deficient mutants retained the ability to efficiently stimulate HIV-1 integrase activity in vitro. Chromatin-association was assessed by visualizing the localization of EGFP fusion proteins in interphase and mitotic cells. Although a conserved N-terminal PWWP domain was not required for binding to condensed mitotic chromosomes, its deletion subtly affected the nucleoplasmic distribution of the protein during interphase. A dual AT-hook mutant associated normally with chromatin, yet when the mutations were combined with NLS changes or deletion of the PWWP domain, chromatin-binding function was lost. As the PWWP domain did not readily bind free DNA in vitro, our results indicate that chromatin-association is primarily affected through DNA-binding, with the PWWP domain likely contributing a protein interaction to the overall affinity of LEDGF/p75 for human chromatin.

AT-Hook Motifs↗
PubMed2006

Proteasome inhibition reveals that a functional preintegration complex intermediate can be generated during restriction by diverse TRIM5 proteins.

The primate TRIM5 proteins constitute a class of restriction factors that prevent host cell infection by retroviruses from different species. The TRIM5 proteins act early after virion entry and prevent viral reverse transcription products from accumulating. We recently found that proteasome inhibitors altered the rhesus monkey TRIM5alpha restriction of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), allowing reverse transcription products to accumulate even though viral infection remained blocked. To assess whether sensitivity to proteasome inhibitors was a common feature of primate TRIM5 proteins, we conducted a similar analysis of restriction mediated by owl monkey TRIM-cyclophilin A (CypA) or human TRIM5alpha. Similar to rhesus monkey TRIM5alpha restriction, proteasome inhibition prevented owl monkey TRIM-CypA restriction of HIV-1 reverse transcription, even though HIV-1 infection and the output of 2-LTR circles remained impaired. Likewise, proteasome inhibition alleviated human TRIM5alpha restriction of N-tropic murine leukemia virus reverse transcription. Finally, HIV-1 reverse transcription products escaping rhesus TRIM5alpha restriction by proteasome inhibition were fully competent for integration in vitro, demonstrating that TRIM5alpha likely prevents the viral cDNA from accessing chromosomal target DNA. Collectively, these data indicate that the diverse TRIM5 proteins inhibit retroviral infection in multiple ways and that inhibition of reverse transcription products is not necessary for TRIM5-mediated restriction of retroviral infection.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Biochemical and genetic analyses of integrase-interacting proteins lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 and hepatoma-derived growth factor related protein 2 (HRP2) in preintegration complex function and HIV-1 replication.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) functions in cells within the context of high molecular weight preintegration complexes (PICs). Lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF) transcriptional coactivator/p75 and hepatoma-derived growth factor related protein 2 (HRP2) tightly bind to HIV-1 IN and stimulate its integration activity in vitro. Here, we show that each recombinant host cell factor efficiently reconstitutes the in vitro activity of HIV-1 PICs disrupted for functional integration by pre-treatment with high concentrations of salt. Mutational analysis reveals that both the IN-binding and DNA-binding activities of LEDGF/p75 contribute to functional PIC reconstitution. We also investigate a role(s) for these proteins in HIV-1 infection by using short-interfering RNA. HIV-1 infection was essentially unaffected in HeLa-P4 cells depleted for LEDGF/p75, HRP2, or both proteins. We conclude that cells knocked-out for LEDGF/p75 and/or HRP2 will be useful genetic tools to address the roles of these host cell factors in HIV-1 replication.

Cell Line↗
PubMed2005

Structural basis for the recognition between HIV-1 integrase and transcriptional coactivator p75.

Integrase (IN) is an essential retroviral enzyme, and human transcriptional coactivator p75, which is also referred to as lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF), is the dominant cellular binding partner of HIV-1 IN. Here, we report the crystal structure of the dimeric catalytic core domain of HIV-1 IN complexed to the IN-binding domain of LEDGF. Previously identified LEDGF hotspot residues anchor the protein to both monomers at the IN dimer interface. The principal structural features of IN that are recognized by the host factor are the backbone conformation of residues 168-171 from one monomer and a hydrophobic patch that is primarily comprised of alpha-helices 1 and 3 of the second IN monomer. Inspection of diverse retroviral primary and secondary sequence elements helps to explain the apparent lentiviral tropism of the LEDGF-IN interaction. Because the lethal phenotypes of HIV-1 mutant viruses unable to interact with LEDGF indicate that IN function is highly sensitive to perturbations of the structure around the LEDGF-binding site, we propose that small molecule inhibitors of the protein-protein interaction might similarly disrupt HIV-1 replication.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2005

Solution structure of the HIV-1 integrase-binding domain in LEDGF/p75.

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 is the dominant binding partner of HIV-1 integrase (IN) in human cells. We have determined the NMR structure of the integrase-binding domain (IBD) in LEDGF and identified amino acid residues essential for the interaction. The IBD is a compact right-handed bundle composed of five alpha-helices. Based on folding topology, the IBD is structurally related to a diverse family of alpha-helical proteins that includes eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4G and karyopherin-beta. LEDGF residues essential for the interaction with IN were localized to interhelical loop regions of the bundle structure. Interaction-defective IN mutants were previously shown to cripple replication although they retained catalytic function. The initial structure determination of a host cell factor that tightly binds to a retroviral enzyme lays the groundwork for understanding enzyme-host interactions important for viral replication.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

HIV-1 incorporates and proteolytically processes human NDR1 and NDR2 serine-threonine kinases.

Mammalian genomes encode two related serine-threonine kinases, nuclear Dbf2 related (NDR)1 and NDR2, which are homologous to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dbf2 kinase. Recently, a yeast genetic screen implicated the Dbf2 kinase in Ty1 retrotransposition. Since several virion-incorporated kinases regulate the infectivity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), we speculated that the human NDR1 and NDR2 kinases might play a role in the HIV-1 life cycle. Here we show that the NDR1 and NDR2 kinases were incorporated into HIV-1 particles. Furthermore, NDR1 and NDR2 were cleaved by the HIV-1 protease (PR), both within virions and within producer cells. Truncation at the PR cleavage site altered NDR2 subcellular localization and inhibited NDR1 and NDR2 enzymatic activity. These studies identify two new virion-associated host cell enzymes and suggest a novel mechanism by which HIV-1 alters the intracellular environment of human cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Genetic analyses of conserved residues in the carboxyl-terminal domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase.

Results of in vitro assays identified residues in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) important for IN-IN and IN-DNA interactions, but the potential roles of these residues in virus replication were mostly unknown. Sixteen CTD residues were targeted here, generating 24 mutant viruses. Replication-defective mutants were typed as class I (blocked at integration) or class II (additional reverse transcription and/or assembly defects). Most defective viruses (15 of 17) displayed reverse transcription defects. In contrast, replication-defective HIV-1(E246K) synthesized near-normal cDNA levels but processing of Pr55(gag) was largely inhibited in virus-producing cells. Because single-round HIV-1(E246K.Luc(R-)) transduced cells at approximately 8% of the wild-type level, we concluded that the late-stage processing defect contributed significantly to the overall replication defect of HIV-1(E246K). Results of complementation assays revealed that the CTD could function in trans to the catalytic core domain (CCD) in in vitro assays, and we since determined that certain class I and class II mutants defined a novel genetic complementation group that functioned in cells independently of IN domain boundaries. Seven of eight novel Vpr-IN mutant proteins efficiently trans-complemented class I active-site mutant virus, demonstrating catalytically active CTD mutant proteins during infection. Because most of these mutants inefficiently complemented a class II CCD mutant virus, the majority of CTD mutants were likely more defective for interactions with cellular and/or viral components that affected reverse transcription and/or preintegration trafficking than the catalytic activity of the IN enzyme.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed2005

Lys-34, dispensable for integrase catalysis, is required for preintegration complex function and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication.

Retroviral integrases (INs) function in the context of preintegration complexes (PICs). Two conserved Lys residues in the N-terminal domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) IN were analyzed here for their roles in integration and virus replication. Whereas HIV-1(K46A) grew like the wild type, HIV-1(K34A) was dead. Yet recombinant IN(K34A) protein functioned in in vitro integration assays, and Vpr-IN(K34A) efficiently transcomplemented the infectivity defect of an IN active site mutant virus in cells. HIV-1(K34A) was therefore similar to a number of previously characterized mutant viruses that failed to replicate despite encoding catalytically competent IN. To directly analyze mutant PIC function, a sensitive PCR-based integration assay was developed. HIV-1(K34A) and related mutants failed to support detectable levels (<1% of wild type) of integration. We therefore concluded that mutations like K34A disrupted higher-order interactions important for PIC function/maturation compared to the innate catalytic activity of IN enzyme.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed2005

Genetic analyses of DNA-binding mutants in the catalytic core domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase.

The catalytic core domain (CCD) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) harbors the enzyme active site and binds viral and chromosomal DNA during integration. Thirty-five CCD mutant viruses were constructed, paying particular attention to conserved residues in the Phe(139)-Gln(146) flexible loop and abutting Ser(147)-Val(165) amphipathic alpha helix that were implicated from previous in vitro work as important for DNA binding. Defective viruses were typed as class I mutants (specifically blocked at integration) or pleiotropic class II mutants (additional particle assembly and/or reverse transcription defects). Whereas HIV-1(P145A) and HIV-1(Q146K) grew like the wild type, HIV-1(N144K) and HIV-1(Q148L) were class I mutants, reinforcing previous results that Gln-148 is important for DNA binding and uncovering for the first time an important role for Asn-144 in integration. HIV-1(Q62K), HIV-1(H67E), HIV-1(N120K), and HIV-1(N155K) were also class I mutants, supporting findings that Gln-62 and Asn-120 interact with viral and target DNA, respectively, and suggesting similar integration-specific roles for His-67 and Asn-155. Although results from complementation analyses established that IN functions as a multimer, the interplay between active-site and CCD DNA binding functions was unknown. By using Vpr-IN complementation, we determined that the CCD protomer that catalyzes integration also preferentially binds to viral and target DNA. We additionally characterized E138K as an intramolecular suppressor of Gln-62 mutant virus and IN. The results of these analyses highlight conserved CCD residues that are important for HIV-1 replication and integration and define the relationship between DNA binding and catalysis that occurs during integration in vivo.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed2004

Identification of an evolutionarily conserved domain in human lens epithelium-derived growth factor/transcriptional co-activator p75 (LEDGF/p75) that binds HIV-1 integrase.

Human lens epithelium-derived growth factor/transcriptional co-activator p75 (LEDGF/p75) protein was recently identified as a binding partner for HIV-1 integrase (IN) in human cells. In this work, we used biochemical and bioinformatic approaches to define the domain organization of LEDGF/p75. Using limited proteolysis and deletion mutagenesis we show that the protein contains a pair of evolutionarily conserved domains, assuming about 35% of its sequence. Whereas the N-terminal PWWP domain had been recognized previously, the second domain is novel. It is comprised of approximately 80 amino acid residues and is both necessary and sufficient for binding to HIV-1 IN. Strikingly, the integrase binding domain (IBD) is not unique to LEDGF/p75, as a second human protein, hepatoma-derived growth factor-related protein 2 (HRP2), contains a homologous sequence. LEDGF/p75 and HRP2 IBDs avidly bound HIV-1 IN in an in vitro GST pull-down assay and each full-length protein potently stimulated HIV-1 IN activity in vitro. LEDGF/p75 and HRP2 are predicted to share a similar domain organization and have an evident evolutionary and likely functional relationship.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Human cell proteins and human immunodeficiency virus DNA integration.

Integration, catalyzed by the viral integrase (IN) protein, is a crucial step in the life cycle of all retroviruses including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Although purified HIV-1 IN protein is sufficient to catalyze the DNA breakage and joining steps of integration in the absence of any other protein factor, a number of studies indicate that cellular proteins participate in the integration process in cells. These host cell proteins have been proposed to act through binding the pre-integrated viral cDNA substrate, by directly interacting with the IN protein, and/or by repairing the single-stranded DNA gaps that occur at viral/chromosomal DNA junctions during integration. In this paper we summarize the identification and potential roles of specific cell factors in HIV-1 integration. We also present experimental results of human cell proteins that coimmunoprecipitated with HIV-1 IN following its expression in HeLa cells and discuss these results in light of the previously-identified integration cofactors.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Identification and characterization of a functional nuclear localization signal in the HIV-1 integrase interactor LEDGF/p75.

Human lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 protein forms a specific nuclear complex with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase and is essential for nuclear localization and chromosomal association of the viral protein. We now studied nuclear import of LEDGF/p75 in live and semipermeabilized cells. We show that nuclear import of LEDGF/p75 is GTP-, Ran-, importin-alpha/beta-, and energy-dependent and that the protein competes with the canonical SV40 large T antigen nuclear localization signal (NLS) for nuclear import receptors. We identified the NLS of LEDGF/p75 through deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis. The LEDGF/p75 NLS, 148GRKRKAEKQ156, belongs to the canonical SV40-like family. Fusion of this short peptide to the amino terminus of Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase rendered the fusion protein nuclear, confirming that the LEDGF/p75 NLS is transferable. Moreover, a single amino acid change in the NLS was sufficient to exclude the mutant LEDGF/p75 protein from the nucleus and abolish nuclear import of HIV-1 integrase.

Alternative Splicing↗