scholarly journals A Unique Heparin-Binding Domain in the Envelope Protein of the Neuropathogenic PVC-211 Murine Leukemia Virus May Contribute to Its Brain Capillary Endothelial Cell Tropism

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (24) ◽  
pp. 12439-12445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Jinno-Oue ◽  
Miho Oue ◽  
Sandra K. Ruscetti
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Murine Leukemia Virus ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Surface Protein ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Heparin Binding ◽  
Brain Capillary ◽  
Envelope Surface ◽  
Heparin Binding Domain ◽  
Murine Leukemia

ABSTRACT Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that PVC-211 murine leukemia virus (MuLV), a neuropathogenic variant of Friend MuLV (F-MuLV), had undergone genetic changes which allowed it to efficiently infect rat brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC) in vivo and in vitro. Two amino acid changes from F-MuLV in the putative receptor binding domain (RBD) of the envelope surface protein of PVC-211 MuLV (Glu-116 to Gly and Glu-129 to Lys) were shown to be sufficient for conferring BCEC tropism on PVC-211 MuLV. Recent examination of the unique RBD of PVC-211 MuLV revealed that the substitution of Lys for Glu at position 129 created a new heparin-binding domain that overlapped a heparin-binding domain common to ecotropic MuLVs. In this study we used heparin-Sepharose columns to demonstrate that PVC-211 MuLV, but not F-MuLV, can bind efficiently to heparin and that one or both of the amino acids in the RBD of PVC-211 MuLV that are associated with BCEC tropism are responsible. We further showed that heparin can enhance or inhibit MuLV infection and that the mode of action is dependent on heparin concentration, sulfation of heparin, and the affinity of the virus for heparin. Our results suggest that the amino acid changes that occurred in the envelope surface protein of PVC-211 MuLV may allow the virus to bind strongly to the surface of BCEC via heparin-like molecules, increasing the probability that the virus will bind to its cell surface receptor and efficiently infect these cells.

scholarly journals Envelope Proteins Containing Single Amino Acid Substitutions Support a Structural Model of the Receptor-Binding Domain of Bovine Leukemia Virus Surface Protein

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (21) ◽  
pp. 10861-10872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth R. Johnston ◽  
Lorraine M. Albritton ◽  
Kathryn Radke
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Bovine Leukemia Virus ◽  
Murine Leukemia Virus ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Receptor Binding Domain ◽  
Env Protein ◽  
Murine Leukemia

ABSTRACT Functional domains of the strikingly conserved envelope (Env) glycoproteins of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and its close relative, human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), are still being defined. We have used BLV Env protein variants to gain insights into the structure and function of this important determinant of viral infectivity. Each of 23 different single amino acid variants found in cDNA clones of env transcripts present after short-term culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from BLV-infected sheep was expressed in COS-1 cells and tested for the ability to mediate cell fusion and to be cleaved to surface (SU) and transmembrane (TM) protein subunits. Of 11 Env variants that failed to induce syncytia or did so poorly, 7 contained changes in amino acids identical or chemically conserved in the HTLV-1 Env protein. These seven included the four variants that showed aberrant proteolytic cleavage and poor cell surface expression, underscoring their importance for Env structure. Ten of 12 variants that retained wild-type syncytium-inducing ability clustered in the N-terminal half of BLV SU, which forms the putative receptor-binding domain (RBD). Several variants in the RBD showed evidence of subtle misfolding, as judged by reduced binding to monoclonal antibodies recognizing conformational epitopes F, G, and H formed by the N terminus of SU. We modeled the BLV RBD by aligning putative structural elements with known elements of the ecotropic Friend murine leukemia virus RBD monomer. All the variant RBD residues but one are exposed on the surface of this BLV model. These variants as well as function-altering, antibody-reactive residues defined by other investigators group on one face of the molecular model. They are strikingly absent from the opposite face, implying that it is likely to face inward in Env complexes. This surface might interact with the C-terminal domain of SU or with an adjacent monomer in the Env oligomer. This location suggests an orientation for the monomer of ecotropic Friend murine leukemia virus RBD.

scholarly journals Receptor-Triggered but Alkylation-Arrested Env of Murine Leukemia Virus Reveals the Transmembrane Subunit in a Prehairpin Conformation

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (19) ◽  
pp. 9921-9925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Wallin ◽  
Maria Ekström ◽  
Henrik Garoff
Keyword(s):  
Murine Leukemia Virus ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Surface Protein ◽  
Intermediate Stage ◽  
Central Feature ◽  
Fusion Inhibition ◽  
Mediated Reduction ◽  
Murine Leukemia

ABSTRACT A central feature of the prevailing model for retrovirus fusion is conversion of the transmembrane (TM) subunit from a prehairpin to a hairpin-like structure. The fusion inhibition of many retroviruses, except murine leukemia virus (MLV), with peptides corresponding to interacting regions in the hairpin supports the model. MLV fusion is controlled by isomerization of the intersubunit disulfide in Env. We show here that TM peptides bind to MLV Env that has been arrested at an intermediate stage of activation by alkylation of the isomerization-active thiol in the surface subunit. This inhibits fusion rescue by dithiothreitol-mediated reduction of the surface protein-TM disulfide.

scholarly journals Neuropathogenic murine leukemia virus TR1.3 induces selective syncytia formation of brain capillary endothelium

Virology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 321 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maeran Chung Landers ◽  
Natalie Dugger ◽  
Marlene Quadros ◽  
Paul M Hoffman ◽  
Glen N Gaulton
Keyword(s):  
Murine Leukemia Virus ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Capillary Endothelium ◽  
Brain Capillary ◽  
Syncytia Formation ◽  
Murine Leukemia

scholarly journals Suppression of a Fusion Defect by Second Site Mutations in the Ecotropic Murine Leukemia Virus Surface Protein

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 5034-5042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Zavorotinskaya ◽  
Lorraine M. Albritton
Keyword(s):  
Host Cell ◽  
Cell Fusion ◽  
Murine Leukemia Virus ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Surface Protein ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Virus Surface ◽  
Fusion Defect ◽  
Murine Leukemia ◽  
Cell Cell

ABSTRACT Entry of ecotropic murine leukemia virus initiates when the envelope surface protein recognizes and binds to the virus receptor on host cells. The envelope transmembrane protein then mediates fusion of viral and host cell membranes and penetration into the cytoplasm. Using a genetic selection, we isolated an infectious retrovirus variant containing three changes in the surface protein—histidine 8 to arginine, glutamine 227 to arginine, and aspartate 243 to tyrosine. Single replacement of histidine 8 with arginine (H8R) resulted in almost complete loss of infectivity, even though the mutant envelope proteins were stable and efficiently incorporated into virions. Virions carrying H8R envelope were proficient at binding cells expressing receptor but failed to induce cell-cell fusion of XC cells, indicating that the histidine at position 8 plays an essential role in fusion during penetration of the host cell membrane. Thus, there is at least one domain in SU that is involved in fusion; the fusion functions do not reside exclusively in TM. In contrast, envelope with all three changes induced cell-cell fusion of XC cells and produced virions that were 10,000-fold more infectious than those containing only the H8R substitution, indicating that changes at positions 227 and 243 can suppress a fusion defect caused by loss of histidine 8 function. Moreover, the other two changes acted synergistically, indicating that both compensate for the loss of the same essential function of histidine 8. The ability of these changes to suppress this fusion defect might provide a means for overcoming postbinding defects found in targeted retroviral vectors for use in human gene therapy.

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