The HIV-1 assembly machine.
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Gene Products, gag↗
Biomedical subjects
H G Göttlinger
Publications and source records attributed to H G Göttlinger.
Efficient particle production by minimal Gag constructs which retain the carboxy-terminal domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 capsid-p2 and a late assembly domain.
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag precursor Pr55(gag) by itself is capable of assembling into retrovirus-like particles (VLP). In the present study, we attempted to identify the minimal Gag sequences required for the formation of VLP. Our results show that about 80% of Pr55(gag) can be either deleted or replaced by heterologous sequences without significantly compromising VLP production. The smallest chimeric molecule still able to efficiently form VLP was only about 16 kDa. This minimal Gag construct contained the leucine zipper domain of the yeast transcription factor GCN4 to substitute for the assembly function of nucleocapsid (NC), followed by a P-P-P-P-Y motif to provide late budding (L) domain function, and retained only the myristylation signal and the C-terminal capsid-p2 domain of Pr55(gag). We also show that the L domain function of HIV-1 p6(gag) is not dependent on the presence of an active viral protease and that the NC domain of Pr55(gag) is dispensable for the incorporation of Vpr into VLP.
Amino Acid Motifs↗
Isolation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 cores: retention of Vpr in the absence of p6(gag).
Mature human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions contain a typically cone-shaped core that encases the viral genome. In this study, we established conditions which allowed the efficient isolation of morphologically intact HIV-1 cores from virions. The isolated cores consisted mostly of cones which appeared uniformly capped at both ends but were heterogeneous with respect to the shape of the broad cap as well as the dimensions and angle of the cone. Vpr, a nonstructural virion component implicated in the nuclear import of the viral genome, was recovered in core preparations of HIV-1 and simian immunodeficiency viruses from African green monkeys. Unexpectedly, p6(gag), a structural protein required for the incorporation of Vpr, was absent from HIV-1 core preparations. Taken together, our results indicate that the incorporation of Vpr into the virion core is a conserved feature of primate lentiviruses and that the interactions required for the uptake of Vpr into assembling particles differ from those which confine Vpr within the core.
Animals↗
A conserved dileucine-containing motif in p6(gag) governs the particle association of Vpx and Vpr of simian immunodeficiency viruses SIV(mac) and SIV(agm).
Vpr is a small accessory protein of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV) that is specifically incorporated into virions. Members of the HIV-2/SIV(sm)/SIV(mac) lineage of primate lentiviruses also incorporate a related protein designated Vpx. We previously identified a highly conserved L-X-X-L-F sequence near the C terminus of the p6 domain of the Gag precursor as the major virion association motif for HIV-1 Vpr. In the present study, we show that a different leucine-containing motif (D-X-A-X-X-L-L) in the N-terminal half of p6(gag) is required for the incorporation of SIV(mac) Vpx. Similarly, the uptake of SIV(mac) Vpr depended primarily on the D-X-A-X-X-L-L motif. SIV(mac) Vpr was unstable when expressed alone, but its intracellular steady-state levels increased significantly in the presence of wild-type Gag or of the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin. Collectively, our results indicate that the interaction with the Gag precursor via the D-X-A-X-X-L-L motif diverts SIV(mac) Vpr away from the proteasome-degradative pathway. While absent from HIV-1 p6(gag), the D-X-A-X-X-L-L motif is conserved in both the HIV-2/SIV(sm)/SIV(mac) and SIV(agm) lineages of primate lentiviruses. We found that the incorporation of SIV(agm) Vpr, like that of SIV(mac) Vpx, is absolutely dependent on the D-X-A-X-X-L-L motif, while the L-X-X-L-F motif used by HIV-1 Vpr is dispensable. The similar requirements for the incorporation of SIV(mac) Vpx and SIV(agm) Vpr provide support for their proposed common ancestry.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Opposing effects of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 matrix mutations support a myristyl switch model of gag membrane targeting.
Targeting of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag precursor Pr55(gag) to the plasma membrane, the site of virus assembly, is primarily mediated by the N-terminal matrix (MA) domain. N-myristylation of MA is essential for the stable association of Pr55(gag) with membranes and for virus assembly. We now show that single amino acid substitutions near the N terminus of MA can dramatically impair assembly without compromising myristylation. Subcellular fractionation demonstrated that Gag membrane binding was compromised to a similar extent as in the absence of the myristyl acceptor site, indicating that the myristyl group was not available for membrane insertion. Remarkably, the effects of the N-terminal modifications could be completely suppressed by second-site mutations in the globular core of MA. The compensatory mutations enhanced Gag membrane binding and increased viral particle yields above wild-type levels, consistent with an increase in the exposure of the myristyl group. Our results support a model in which the compact globular core of MA sequesters the myristyl group to prevent aberrant binding to intracellular membranes, while the N terminus is critical to allow the controlled exposure of the myristyl group for insertion into the plasma membrane.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Efficient HIV-1 replication can occur in the absence of the viral matrix protein.
Matrix (MA), a major structural protein of retroviruses, is thought to play a critical role in several steps of the HIV-1 replication cycle, including the plasma membrane targeting of Gag, the incorporation of envelope (Env) glycoproteins into nascent particles, and the nuclear import of the viral genome in non-dividing cells. We now show that the entire MA protein is dispensable for the incorporation of HIV-1 Env glycoproteins with a shortened cytoplasmic domain. Furthermore, efficient HIV-1 replication in the absence of up to 90% of MA was observed in a cell line in which the cytoplasmic domain of Env is not required. Additional compensatory changes in Gag permitted efficient virus replication even if all of MA was replaced by a heterologous membrane targeting signal. Viruses which lacked the globular domain of MA but retained its N-terminal myristyl anchor exhibited an increased ability to form both extracellular and intracellular virus particles, consistent with a myristyl switch model of Gag membrane targeting. Pseudotyped HIV-1 particles that lacked the structurally conserved globular head of MA efficiently infected macrophages, indicating that MA is dispensable for nuclear import in terminally differentiated cells.
Base Sequence↗
The C-terminal half of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag precursor is sufficient for efficient particle assembly.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 particle assembly is directed by the Gag polyprotein Pr55(gag), the precursor for the matrix (MA), capsid (CA), and nucleocapsid proteins of the mature virion. We now show that CA sequences N terminal to the major homology region (MHR), which form a distinct domain, are dispensable for particle formation. However, slightly larger deletions which extend into the MHR severely impair particle production. Remarkably, a deletion which removed essentially all MA and CA sequences between the N-terminal myristyl anchor and the MHR reduced the yield of extracellular particles only moderately. Particle formation even exceeded wild-type levels when additional MA sequences, either from the N or the C terminus of the domain, were retained. We conclude that no distinct region between the myristyl anchor and the MHR is required for efficient particle assembly or release.
Gene Products, gag↗
A putative alpha-helical structure which overlaps the capsid-p2 boundary in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag precursor is crucial for viral particle assembly.
The capsid (CA) and nucleocapsid domains of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag polyprotein are separated by the p2 spacer peptide, which is essential for virus replication. Previous studies have revealed that p2 has an important role in virus morphogenesis. In this paper, we show that a crucial assembly determinant maps to the highly conserved N terminus of p2, which is predicted to form part of an alpha-helix that begins in CA. A mutational analysis indicates that the ability of the N terminus of p2 to adopt an alpha-helical structure is essential for its function during virus assembly. To prevent CA-p2 processing, it was necessary to mutate both the CA-p2 cleavage site and an internal cleavage site within p2. Virions produced by the double mutant lacked a conical core shell and instead contained a thin electron-dense shell about 10 nm underneath the virion membrane. These results suggest that p2 is transiently required for proper assembly, but needs to be removed from the C terminus of CA to weaken CA-CA interactions and allow the rearrangement of the virion core shell during virus maturation.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Virion-targeted viral inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by using Vpr fusion proteins.
Inactivation of progeny virions with chimeric virion-associated proteins represents a novel therapeutic approach against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication. The HIV type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr gene product, which is packaged into virions, is an attractive candidate for such a strategy. In this study, we developed Vpr-based fusion proteins that could be specifically targeted into mature HIV-1 virions to affect their structural organization and/or functional integrity. Two Vpr fusion proteins were constructed by fusing to the first 88 amino acids of HIV-1 Vpr the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase enzyme (VprCAT) or the last 18 C-terminal amino acids of the HIV-1 Vpu protein (VprIE). These Vpr fusion proteins were initially designed to quantify their efficiency of incorporation into HIV-1 virions when produced in cis from the provirus. Subsequently, CD4+ Jurkat T-cell lines constitutively expressing the VprCAT or the VprIE fusion protein were generated with retroviral vectors. Expression of the VprCAT or the VprIE fusion protein in CD4+ Jurkat T cells did not interfere with cellular viability or growth but conferred substantial resistance to HIV replication. The resistance to HIV replication was more pronounced in Jurkat-VprIE cells than in Jurkat-VprCAT cells. Moreover, the antiviral effect mediated by VprIE was dependent on an intact p6(gag) domain, indicating that the impairment of HIV-1 replication required the specific incorporation of Vpr fusion protein into virions. Gene expression, assembly, or release was not affected upon expression of these Vpr fusion proteins. Indeed, the VprIE and VprCAT fusion proteins were shown to affect the infectivity of progeny virus, since HIV virions containing the VprCAT or the VprIE fusion proteins were, respectively, 2 to 3 times and 10 to 30 times less infectious than the wild-type virus. Overall, this study demonstrated the successful transfer of resistance to HIV replication in tissue cultures by use of Vpr-based antiviral genes.
Gene Products, vpr↗
Transfer of the HIV-1 cyclophilin-binding site to simian immunodeficiency virus from Macaca mulatta can confer both cyclosporin sensitivity and cyclosporin dependence.
HIV-1 specifically incorporates the peptidyl prolyl isomerase cyclophilin A (CyPA), the cytosolic receptor for the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA). HIV-1 replication is inhibited by CsA as well as by nonimmunosuppressive CsA analogues that bind to CyPA and interfere with its virion association. In contrast, the related simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac, which does not interact with CyPA, is resistant to these compounds. The incorporation of CyPA into HIV-1 virions is mediated by a specific interaction between the active site of the enzyme and the capsid (CA) domain of the HIV-1 Gag polyprotein. We report here that the transfer of HIV-1 CA residues 86-93, which form part of an exposed loop, to the corresponding position in SIVmac resulted in the efficient incorporation of CyPA and conferred an HIV-1-like sensitivity to a nonimmunosuppressive cyclosporin. HIV-1 CA residues 86-90 were also sufficient to transfer the ability to efficiently incorporate CyPA, provided that the length of the CyPA-binding loop was preserved. However, the resulting SIVmac mutant required the presence of cyclosporin for efficient virus replication. The results indicate that the presence or absence of a type II tight turn adjacent to the primary CyPA-binding site determines whether CyPA incorporation enhances or inhibits viral replication. By demonstrating that CyPA-binding-site residues can induce cyclosporin sensitivity in a heterologous context, this study provides direct in vivo evidence that the exposed loop between helices IV and V of HIV-1 CA not merely constitutes a docking site for CyPA but is a functional target of this cellular protein.
Animals↗
Nef association with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 virions and cleavage by the viral protease.
Nef is a regulatory gene product of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and other primate lentiviruses which enhances virion infectivity by an unknown mechanism. We report here that Nef is detectable at moderate levels in preparations of HIV-1 virions which lack active viral protease (PR). Significantly smaller amounts of intact Nef were present in wild-type virion preparations. Instead, a smaller Nef-related product with an apparent molecular mass of 18 kDa was associated with wild-type virions, indicating that packaging of Nef resulted in cleavage by the viral PR. The presence of the HIV-1 PR inhibitor A77003 during virus production prevented the appearance of the 18-kDa Nef product and caused an accumulation of full-length Nef in virion preparations. Nef associated with comparable efficiency with viral particles produced by the Gag polyproteins of HIV-1 and Moloney murine leukemia virus, indicating that no specific interaction with a virion component is required for the incorporation of Nef. The N-terminal 86 amino acids of Nef were sufficient for packaging into virions. A nonmyristylated form of Nef associated with viral particles with considerably lower efficiency, suggesting that Nef gains access into nascent virions primarily as a consequence of its affinity for membranes. Our results raise the possibility that Nef enhances infectivity directly as a component of the virion.
Endopeptidases↗
Truncation of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein allows efficient pseudotyping of Moloney murine leukemia virus particles and gene transfer into CD4+ cells.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can readily accept envelope (Env) glycoproteins from distantly related retroviruses. However, we previously showed that the HIV-1 Env glycoprotein complex is excluded even from particles formed by the Gag proteins of another lentivirus, visna virus, unless the matrix domain of the visna virus Gag polyprotein is replaced by that of HIV-1. We also showed that the integrity of the HIV-1 matrix domain is critical for the incorporation of wild-type HIV-1 Env protein but not for the incorporation of a truncated form which lacks the 144 C-terminal amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain of the transmembrane glycoprotein. We report here that the C-terminal truncation of the transmembrane glycoprotein also allows the efficient incorporation of HIV-1 Env proteins into viral particles formed by the Gag proteins of the widely divergent Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV). Additionally, pseudotyping of a Mo-MLV-based vector with the truncated rather than the full-length HIV-1 Env allowed efficient transduction of human CD4+ cells. These results establish that Mo-MLV-based vectors can be used to target cells susceptible to infection by HIV-1.
Animals↗
Active-site residues of cyclophilin A are crucial for its incorporation into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 virions.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) incorporates the cellular peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase cyclophilin A (CyPA), the cytosolic receptor for the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA). CsA inhibits the incorporation of CyPA and reduces HIV-1 virion infectivity but is inactive against closely related primate lentiviruses that do not interact with CyPA. The incorporation of CyPA into HIV-1 virions is mediated by a specific interaction with a proline-containing, solvent-exposed loop in the capsid (CA) domain of the Gag polyprotein. CsA, which disrupts the interaction with CA, binds at the active site of CyPA. To test whether active-site residues are also involved in the interaction with HIV-1 CA, we used a panel of previously characterized active-site mutants of human CyPA. Expression vectors for epitope-tagged wild-type and mutant CyPA were transfected into COS-gamma cells along with HIV-1 proviral DNA, and the virions produced were analyzed for the presence of tagged proteins. Cotransfection of the wild-type expression vector led to the incorporation of readily detectable amounts of epitope-tagged CyPA into HIV-1 virions. One CyPA mutant with a substantially decreased sensitivity to CsA was incorporated with wild-type efficiency, demonstrating that the requirements for binding to CsA and to HIV-1 CA are not identical. The remaining six CyPA mutants were incorporated with markedly reduced efficiency, providing in vivo evidence that HIV-1 CA interacts with the active site of CyPA.
Amino Acid Isomerases↗
Inhibition of early and late events of the HIV-1 replication cycle by cytoplasmic Fab intrabodies against the matrix protein, p17.
BACKGROUND: The HIV-1 matrix (MA) protein, p17, contains two subcellular localization signals that facilitate both nuclear import of the viral preintegration complex early during infection and virus particle assembly late in infection. The dual role of MA in both the afferent and efferent arms of the HIV-1 life cycle makes it an important target for intracellular immunization-based gene therapy strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here we report, using a new bicistronic vector, that an intracellular Fab antibody, or Fab intrabody, directed against a carboxy-terminal epitope of MA from the Clade B HIV-1 genotype, can inhibit HIV-1 infection when expressed in the cytoplasm of actively dividing CD4+ T cells. RESULTS: Marked inhibition of proviral gene expression occurred when single-round HIV-1 CAT virus was used for infections. In challenge experiments using both laboratory strains and syncytium-inducing primary isolates of HIV-1, a substantial reduction in the infectivity of virions released from the cells was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: This novel strategy of simultaneously blocking early and late events of the HIV-1 life cycle may prove useful in clinical gene therapy approaches for the treatment of HIV-1 infection and AIDS, particularly when combined with genetic or pharmacologic-based strategies that inhibit other HIV-1 target molecules simultaneously.
Animals↗
Role of auxiliary proteins in retroviral morphogenesis.
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Amino Acid Isomerases↗
A conserved LXXLF sequence is the major determinant in p6gag required for the incorporation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr.
The vpr gene product of human immunodeficiency virus type (HIV-1) is a virion-associated regulatory protein. A transferable virion association motif for Vpr is located in the p6 domain of the HIV-1 Gag polyprotein. To map the sequences in p6 that are involved in Vpr incorporation, we analyzed the ability of mutant forms of p6 to direct the incorporation of Vpr into chimeric viral particles. Our results show that the determinants which govern Vpr incorporation are largely confined to a C-terminal region of the p6 domain. Within this region, three hydrophobic residues in a highly conserved sequence motif (L-X-S-L-F-G) are absolutely required. Remarkably, the transfer of the conserved motif and of a single flanking residue to a heterologous Gag polyprotein was sufficient to transfer the ability to incorporate Vpr at moderate levels. The transfer of residues 32 to 46 of p6 led to Vpr incorporation levels that were comparable to those obtained with full-length HIV-1 Gag protein, indicating that this region contains essentially all the information required for efficient Vpr incorporation.
Alanine↗
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 capsid p2 domain confers sensitivity to the cyclophilin-binding drug SDZ NIM 811.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) specifically incorporates the host cell peptidyl-prolyl isomerase cyclophilin A into virions via contacts with the capsid (CA) domain of the Gag polyprotein Pr55gag. The immunosuppressant drug cyclosporin A and the nonimmunosuppressive cyclosporin A analog SDZ NIM 811 bind to cyclophilin A and inhibit its incorporation into HIV-1 virions. Both drugs inhibit the virion association of cyclophilin A and the replication of HIV-1 with a similar dose dependence. In contrast, these compounds are inactive against other primate lentiviruses which do not incorporate cyclophilin A, such as simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). To locate determinants which confer sensitivity to SDZ NIM 811, we generated chimeric proviruses between HIV-1 and SIVmac. A hybrid SIVmac which has the CA-p2 domain of the Gag polyprotein replaced by the corresponding domain from HIV-1 replicated in an established CD4+ cell line and in human but not macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The transfer of the HIV-1 CA-p2 domain to SIVmac led to the efficient incorporation of cyclophilin A, and SDZ NIM 811 effectively inhibited both the virion association of cyclophilin A and the spread of the hybrid virus in infected cultures. We conclude that the HIV-1 CA-p2 domain contains determinants which confer the necessity to interact with cyclophilin A for efficient virus replication. Furthermore, our data show that the CA-p2 domain can play a crucial role in species tropism.
Amino Acid Isomerases↗
Incorporation of Vpr into human immunodeficiency virus type 1: role of conserved regions within the P6 domain of Pr55gag.
The 96-amino acid Vpr protein is the only virion-associated regulatory protein encoded by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Vpr incorporation into the viral particle is most likely due to an interaction with a viral structural protein. Recent data have shown that DNA encoding for the p55 Gag precursor protein (Pr55gag) is the minimal viral genetic information necessary for Vpr incorporation. Other studies have suggested that the p6 portion of Pr55gag, which is unique to lentiviruses, is involved in Vpr incorporation. To investigate the mechanism of incorporation of Vpr into HIV-1 virions, COS-7 cells were cotransfected with ptrENV, an expression vector that encodes all of the HIV-1 regulatory proteins including Rev and Vpr, and different constructs of pIIIgagCAR, a rev-dependent Gag expression plasmid that encodes Pr55gag and the viral protease. Virions produced from gag constructs containing a premature p6 termination codon at positions Leu-1, Ser-17, Tyr-36, or Leu-44 lacked detectable Vpr. In contrast, gag constructs with double Pro-10-Pro-11 substitutions for Leu-10-Leu-11 or a premature termination codon at position Pro-49 of p6 were still able to incorporate Vpr, however, with lower efficiency than wild type. The mutations described in this study affected directly two short regions within the p6 domain, which are highly conserved among primate immunodeficiency viruses. Our results suggest that the conserved (P-T/S-A-P-P) and (L-X-S-L-F-G) motifs located near the N-terminus and C-terminus, respectively, of the p6 domain of Gag are critical for Vpr incorporation into HIV-1 virions.
Amino Acid Sequence↗