scholarly journals Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Gag Is a Nuclear Shuttling Protein

2012 ◽  
Vol 86 (16) ◽  
pp. 8402-8411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Kemler ◽  
Dyana Saenz ◽  
Eric Poeschla

Lentiviral genomic RNAs are encapsidated by the viral Gag protein during virion assembly. The intracellular location of the initial Gag-RNA interaction is unknown. We previously observed feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) Gag accumulating at the nuclear envelope during live-cell imaging, which suggested that trafficking of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and FIV Gag may differ. Here we analyzed the nucleocytoplasmic transport properties of both Gag proteins. We discovered that inhibition of the CRM1 nuclear export pathway with leptomycin B causes FIV Gag but not HIV-1 Gag to accumulate in the nucleus. Virtually all FIV Gag rapidly became intranuclear when the CRM1 export pathway was blocked, implying that most if not all FIV Gag normally undergoes nuclear cycling. In FIV-infected feline cells, some intranuclear Gag was detected in the steady state without leptomycin B treatment. When expressed individually, the FIV matrix (MA), capsid (CA), and nucleocapsid-p2 (NC-p2) domains were not capable of mediating leptomycin B-sensitive nuclear export of a fluorescent protein. In contrast, CA-NC-p2 did mediate nuclear export, with MA being dispensable. We conclude that HIV-1 and FIV Gag differ strikingly in a key intracellular trafficking property. FIV Gag is a nuclear shuttling protein that utilizes the CRM1 nuclear export pathway, while HIV-1 Gag is excluded from the nucleus. These findings expand the spectrum of lentiviral Gag behaviors and raise the possibility that FIV genome encapsidation may initiate in the nucleus.

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (13) ◽  
pp. 6748-6759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad M. Swanson ◽  
Nathan M. Sherer ◽  
Michael H. Malim

ABSTRACT Nuclear RNA processing events, such as 5′ cap formation, 3′ polyadenylation, and pre-mRNA splicing, mark mRNA for efficient translation. Splicing enhances translation via the deposition of the exon-junction complex and other multifunctional splicing factors, including SR proteins. All retroviruses synthesize their structural and enzymatic proteins from unspliced genomic RNAs (gRNAs) and must therefore exploit unconventional strategies to ensure their effective expression. Here, we report that specific SR proteins, particularly SRp40 and SRp55, promote human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag translation from unspliced (intron-containing) viral RNA. This activity does not correlate with nucleocytoplasmic shuttling capacity and, in the case of SRp40, is dependent on the second RNA recognition motif and the arginine-serine (RS) domain. While SR proteins enhance Gag expression independent of RNA nuclear export pathway choice, altering the nucleotide sequence of the gag-pol coding region by codon optimization abolishes this effect. We therefore propose that SR proteins couple HIV-1 gRNA biogenesis to translational utilization.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 408-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Elton ◽  
Martha Simpson-Holley ◽  
Kate Archer ◽  
Liz Medcalf ◽  
Roger Hallam ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Influenza virus transcription occurs in the nuclei of infected cells, where the viral genomic RNAs are complexed with a nucleoprotein (NP) to form ribonucleoprotein (RNP) structures. Prior to assembly into progeny virions, these RNPs exit the nucleus and accumulate in the cytoplasm. The mechanisms responsible for RNP export are only partially understood but have been proposed to involve the viral M1 and NS2 polypeptides. We found that the drug leptomycin B (LMB), which specifically inactivates the cellular CRM1 polypeptide, caused nuclear retention of NP in virus-infected cells, indicating a role for the CRM1 nuclear export pathway in RNP egress. However, no alteration was seen in the cellular distribution of M1 or NS2, even in the case of a mutant virus which synthesizes greatly reduced amounts of NS2. Furthermore, NP was distributed throughout the nuclei of infected cells at early times postinfection but, when retained in the nucleus at late times by LMB treatment, was redistributed to the periphery of the nucleoplasm. No such change was seen in the nuclear distribution of M1 or NS2 after drug treatment. Similar to the behavior of NP, M1 and NS2 in infected cells, LMB treatment of cells expressing each polypeptide in isolation caused nuclear retention of NP but not M1 or NS2. Conversely, overexpression of CRM1 caused increased cytoplasmic accumulation of NP but had little effect on M1 or NS2 distribution. Consistent with this, NP bound CRM1 in vitro. Overall, these data raise the possibility that RNP export is mediated by a direct interaction between NP and the cellular CRM1 export pathway.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (18) ◽  
pp. 8252-8261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Roger J. Pomerantz ◽  
Geethanjali Dornadula ◽  
Yong Sun

ABSTRACT Virion infectivity factor (Vif) is a protein encoded by human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and -2) and simian immunodeficiency virus, plus other lentiviruses, and is essential for viral replication either in vivo or in culture for nonpermissive cells such as peripheral blood lymphoid cells, macrophages, and H9 T cells. Defects in the vif gene affect virion morphology and reverse transcription but not the expression of viral components. It has been shown that Vif colocalizes with Gag in cells and Vif binds to the NCp7 domain of Gag in vitro. However, it seems that Vif is not specifically packaged into virions. The molecular mechanism(s) for Vif remains unknown. In this report, we demonstrate that HIV-1 Vif is an RNA-binding protein and specifically binds to HIV-1 genomic RNA in vitro. Further, Vif binds to HIV-1 RNA in the cytoplasm of virus-producing cells to form a 40S mRNP complex. Coimmunoprecipitation and in vivo UV cross-linking assays indicated that Vif directly interact with HIV-1 RNA in the virus-producing cells. Vif-RNA binding could be displaced by Gag-RNA binding, suggesting that Vif protein in the mRNP complex may mediate viral RNA interaction with HIV-1 Gag precursors. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that these Vif mutants that lose the RNA binding activity in vitro do not supportvif-deficient HIV-1 replication in H9 T cells, suggesting that the RNA binding capacity of Vif is important for its function. Further studies regarding Vif-RNA interaction in virus-producing cells will be important for studying the function of Vif in the HIV-1 life cycle.


2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 959-967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-ichi Sakuragi ◽  
Aikichi Iwamoto ◽  
Tatsuo Shioda

ABSTRACT The dimer initiation site/dimer linkage sequence (DIS/DLS) region of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA genome is thought to play important roles at various stages of the virus life cycle. Recently we showed that the DIS/DLS region affects RNA-RNA interaction in intact virus particles, by demonstrating that duplication of the region in viral RNA caused the production of virus particles containing partially monomeric RNAs. We have extended this finding and succeeded for the first time in creating mutant particles which contain only monomeric RNAs without modifying any viral proteins. In terms of RNA encapsidation ability, virion density, and protein processing, the mutant particles were comparable to wild-type particles. The level of production of viral DNA by the mutant virus construct in infected cells was also comparable to that of the constructs that produced exclusively dimeric RNA, indicating that monomeric viral RNA could be the template for strand transfer. These results indicated that the RNA dimerization of HIV-1 could be separated from viral RNA packaging and was not absolutely required for RNA packaging, virion maturation, and reverse transcription.


2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
pp. 6589-6600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying-Chuan Lin ◽  
Zachary Beck ◽  
Garrett M. Morris ◽  
Arthur J. Olson ◽  
John H. Elder

ABSTRACT We used feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) protease (PR) as a mutational framework to define determinants for the observed substrate and inhibitor specificity distinctions between FIV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) PRs. Multiple-substitution mutants were constructed by replacing the residues in and around the active site of FIV PR with the structurally equivalent residues of HIV-1 PR. Mutants included combinations of three critical regions (FIV numbering, with equivalent HIV numbering in superscript): I3732V in the active core region; N5546M, M5647I, and V5950I in the flap region; and L9780T, I9881P, Q9982V, P10083N, and L10184I in the 90s loop region. Significant alterations in specificity were observed, consistent with the involvement of these residues in determining the substrate-inhibitor specificity distinctions between FIV and HIV PRs. Two previously identified residues, I35 and I57 of FIV PR, were intolerant to substitution and yielded inactive PRs. Therefore, we attempted to recover the activity by introducing secondary mutations. The addition of G6253F and K6354I, located at the top of the flap and outside the active site, compensated for the activity lost in the I5748G substitution mutants. An additional two substitutions, D10588N and N8874T, facilitated recovery of activity in mutants that included the I3530D substitution. Determination of Ki values of potent HIV-1 PR inhibitors against these mutants showed that inhibitor specificity paralleled that of HIV-1 PR. The findings indicate that maintenance of both substrate and inhibitor specificity is a function of interactions between residues both inside and outside the active site. Thus, mutations apparently peripheral to the active site can have a dramatic influence on inhibitor efficacy.


2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (16) ◽  
pp. 7832-7843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying-Chuan Lin ◽  
Ashraf Brik ◽  
Aymeric de Parseval ◽  
Karen Tam ◽  
Bruce E. Torbett ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We have used feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) protease (PR) as a mutational system to study the molecular basis of substrate-inhibitor specificity for lentivirus PRs, with a focus on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) PR. Our previous mutagenesis studies demonstrated that discrete substitutions in the active site of FIV PR with structurally equivalent residues of HIV-1 PR dramatically altered the specificity of the mutant PRs in in vitro analyses. Here, we have expanded these studies to analyze the specificity changes in each mutant FIV PR expressed in the context of the natural Gag-Pol polyprotein ex vivo. Expression mutants were prepared in which 4 to 12 HIV-1-equivalent substitutions were made in FIV PR, and cleavage of each Gag-Pol polyprotein was then assessed in pseudovirions from transduced cells. The findings demonstrated that, as with in vitro analyses, inhibitor specificities of the mutants showed increased HIV-1 PR character when analyzed against the natural substrate. In addition, all of the mutant PRs still processed the FIV polyprotein but the apparent order of processing was altered relative to that observed with wild-type FIV PR. Given the importance of the order in which Gag-Pol is processed, these findings likely explain the failure to produce infectious FIVs bearing these mutations.


2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (13) ◽  
pp. 6352-6366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Kemler ◽  
Anne Meehan ◽  
Eric M. Poeschla

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag and genomic RNA determinants required for encapsidation are well established, but where and when encapsidation occurs in the cell is unknown. We constructed MS2 phage coat protein labeling systems to track spatial dynamics of primate and nonprimate lentiviral genomic RNAs (HIV-1 and feline immunodeficiency virus [FIV]) vis-à-vis their Gag proteins in live cells. Genomic RNAs of both lentiviral genera were observed to traffic into the cytoplasm, and this was Rev dependent. In transit, FIV Gag and genomic RNA accumulated independently of each other at the nuclear envelope, and focal colocalizations of genomic RNA with an intact packaging signal (ψ) and Gag were observed to extend outward from the cytoplasmic face. In contrast, although HIV-1 genomic RNA was detected at the nuclear envelope, HIV-1 Gag was not. For both lentiviruses, genomic RNAs were seen at the plasma membrane if and only if Gag was present and ψ was intact. In addition, HIV-1 and FIV genomes accumulated with Gag in late endosomal foci, again, only ψ dependently. Thus, lentiviral genomic RNAs require specific Gag binding to accumulate at the plasma membrane, packaged genomes cointernalize with Gag into the endosomal pathway, and plasma membrane RNA incorporation by Gag does not trigger committed lentiviral particle egress from the cell. Based on the FIV results, we hypothesize that the Gag-genome association may initiate at the nuclear envelope.


2007 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 2106-2119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin G. Luttge ◽  
Miranda Shehu-Xhilaga ◽  
Dimiter G. Demirov ◽  
Catherine S. Adamson ◽  
Ferri Soheilian ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Infection of domestic cats with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is an important model system for studying human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection due to numerous similarities in pathogenesis induced by these two lentiviruses. However, many molecular aspects of FIV replication remain poorly understood. It is well established that retroviruses use short peptide motifs in Gag, known as late domains, to usurp cellular endosomal sorting machinery and promote virus release from infected cells. For example, the Pro-Thr/Ser-Ala-Pro [P(T/S)AP] motif of HIV-1 Gag interacts directly with Tsg101, a component of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport I (ESCRT-I). A Tyr-Pro-Asp-Leu (YPDL) motif in equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), and a related sequence in HIV-1, bind the endosomal sorting factor Alix. In this study we sought to identify and characterize FIV late domain(s) and elucidate cellular machinery involved in FIV release. We determined that mutagenesis of a PSAP motif in FIV Gag, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of Tsg101 expression, and overexpression of a P(T/S)AP-binding fragment of Tsg101 (TSG-5′) each inhibited FIV release. We also observed direct binding of FIV Gag peptides to Tsg101. In contrast, mutagenesis of a potential Alix-binding motif in FIV Gag did not affect FIV release. Similarly, expression of the HIV-1/EIAV Gag-binding domain of Alix (Alix-V) did not disrupt FIV budding, and FIV Gag peptides showed no affinity for Alix-V. Our data demonstrate that FIV relies predominantly on a Tsg101-binding PSAP motif in the C terminus of Gag to promote virus release in HeLa cells, and this budding mechanism is highly conserved in feline cells.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (19) ◽  
pp. 9458-9469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Q. Beck ◽  
Ying-Chuan Lin ◽  
John H. Elder

ABSTRACT We have used a random hexamer phage library to delineate similarities and differences between the substrate specificities of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) proteases (PRs). Peptide sequences were identified that were specifically cleaved by each protease, as well as sequences cleaved equally well by both enzymes. Based on amino acid distinctions within the P3-P3′ region of substrates that appeared to correlate with these cleavage specificities, we prepared a series of synthetic peptides within the framework of a peptide sequence cleaved with essentially the same efficiency by both HIV-1 and FIV PRs, Ac-KSGVF↓VVNGLVK-NH2 (arrow denotes cleavage site). We used the resultant peptide set to assess the influence of specific amino acid substitutions on the cleavage characteristics of the two proteases. The findings show that when Asn is substituted for Val at the P2 position, HIV-1 PR cleaves the substrate at a much greater rate than does FIV PR. Likewise, Glu or Gln substituted for Val at the P2′ position also yields peptides specifically susceptible to HIV-1 PR. In contrast, when Ser is substituted for Val at P1′, FIV PR cleaves the substrate at a much higher rate than does HIV-1 PR. In addition, Asn or Gln at the P1 position, in combination with an appropriate P3 amino acid, Arg, also strongly favors cleavage by FIV PR over HIV PR. Structural analysis identified several protease residues likely to dictate the observed specificity differences. Interestingly, HIV PR Asp30 (Ile-35 in FIV PR), which influences specificity at the S2 and S2′ subsites, and HIV-1 PR Pro-81 and Val-82 (Ile-98 and Gln-99 in FIV PR), which influence specificity at the S1 and S1′ subsites, are residues which are often involved in development of drug resistance in HIV-1 protease. The peptide substrate KSGVF↓VVNGK, cleaved by both PRs, was used as a template for the design of a reduced amide inhibitor, Ac-GSGVFΨ(CH2NH)VVNGL-NH2. This compound inhibited both FIV and HIV-1 PRs with approximately equal efficiency. These findings establish a molecular basis for distinctions in substrate specificity between human and feline lentivirus PRs and offer a framework for development of efficient broad-based inhibitors.


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