scholarly journals Effects of Mutations in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gag Gene on RNA Packaging and Recombination

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (10) ◽  
pp. 4691-4697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Nikolaitchik ◽  
Terence D. Rhodes ◽  
David Ott ◽  
Wei-Shau Hu

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) recombination occurs during reverse transcription when parts of the two copackaged RNAs are used as templates for DNA synthesis. It was previously hypothesized that HIV-1 Gag polyproteins preferentially encapsidate the RNA from which they were translated (cis-packaging hypothesis). This hypothesis implies that mutants encoding Gag that cannot efficiently package viral RNA are selected against at two levels: these mutants do not generate infectious virus, and these mutants are not efficiently rescued by the wild-type virus because the mutant RNAs are packaged at much lower levels than are those of the wild-type genome. Therefore, genetic information encoded by gag mutants can be rapidly lost in the viral population. To test this prediction of the cis-packaging hypothesis, we examined several gag mutants by measuring the efficiencies of the mutant RNAs in being packaged in trans in the presence of wild-type virus and determining the rates of recombination between gag mutants and wild-type viruses. We observed that the viral RNAs from the nucleocapsid zinc finger or the capsid truncation mutant were packaged efficiently in trans, and these mutant viruses also frequently recombined with the wild-type viruses. In contrast, viral RNAs from mutants containing a 6-nucleotide substitution encompassing the gag AUG were not efficiently encapsidated, resulting in a low rate of recombination between the mutants and wild-type viruses. Further analyses revealed that other, more subtle mutations changing the gag AUG and abolishing Gag translation did not interfere with efficient encapsidation of the mutant RNA. Our results indicated that neither the gag AUG sequence nor Gag translation is essential for viral RNA encapsidation, and Gag can package both wild-type and gag mutant RNAs with similar efficiencies. Therefore, we propose that HIV-1 RNA encapsidation occurs mainly in trans, and most gag mutants can be rescued by wild-type virus; therefore, they are unlikely to face the aforementioned double-negative selection.

1999 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gadi Borkow ◽  
Dominique Arion ◽  
Mark A. Wainberg ◽  
Michael A. Parniak

ABSTRACT N-[4-Chloro-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyloxy)phenyl]-2-methyl-3-furancarbothioamide (UC781) is an exceptionally potent nonnucleoside inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase. We found that a 1:1 molar combination of UC781 and 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) showed high-level synergy in inhibiting the replication of AZT-resistant virus, implying that UC781 can restore antiviral activity to AZT against AZT-resistant HIV-1. Neither the nevirapine plus AZT nor the 2′,5′-bis-O-(t-butyldimethylsilyl)-3′-spiro-5"-(4"-amino-1",2"-oxathiole-2",2"-dioxide plus AZT combinations had this effect. Studies with purified HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (from a wild type and an AZT-resistant mutant) showed that UC781 was a potent inhibitor of the pyrophosphorolytic cleavage of nucleotides from the 3′ end of the DNA polymerization primer, a process that we have proposed to be critical for the phenotypic expression of AZT resistance. Combinations of UC781 plus AZT did not act in synergy to inhibit the replication of either wild-type virus or UC781-resistant HIV-1. Importantly, the time to the development of viral resistance to combinations of UC781 plus AZT is significantly delayed compared to the time to the development of resistance to either drug alone.


2004 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 1463-1469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Brown ◽  
Shaghayegh Moghaddam ◽  
Thomas Kawano ◽  
Cecilia Cheng-Mayer

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Nef protein has been shown to accelerate viral growth kinetics in primary human T-lymphocytes and macrophages; however, the specific function(s) of Nef responsible for this phenotype in macrophages is unknown. To address this issue, mutants of a molecularly cloned macrophage-tropic isolate, HIV-1SF162, were generated expressing single point mutations that abrogate the ability of Nef to interact with cellular kinases or mediate CD4 down-regulation. Infection of primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) with these mutant viruses revealed that residues in the PXXP motif contribute to efficient replication. Interestingly, viruses expressing alleles of Nef defective in CD4 down-modulation activity retain wild-type levels of infectivity in single-round assays but exhibited delayed replication kinetics and grew to lower titres compared to the wild-type virus in MDM. These data suggest that efficient HIV-1 replication is dependent on the ability of Nef to interact with cellular kinases and remove CD4 from the surface of infected macrophages.


2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (15) ◽  
pp. 7398-7406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Maguire ◽  
Rosario Guinea ◽  
Philip Griffin ◽  
Sarah Macmanus ◽  
Robert C. Elston ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag protease cleavage sites (CS) undergo sequence changes during the development of resistance to several protease inhibitors (PIs). We have analyzed the association of sequence variation at the p7/p1 and p1/p6 CS in conjunction with amprenavir (APV)-specific protease mutations following PI combination therapy with APV. Querying a central resistance data repository resulted in the detection of significant associations (P < 0.001) between the presence of APV protease signature mutations and Gag L449F (p1/p6 LP1′F) and P453L (p1/p6 PP5′L) CS changes. In population-based sequence analyses the I50V mutant was invariably linked to either L449F or P453L. Clonal analysis revealed that both CS mutations were never present in the same genome. Sequential plasma samples from one patient revealed a transition from I50V M46L P453L viruses at early time points to I50V M46I L449F viruses in later samples. Various combinations of the protease and Gag mutations were introduced into the HXB2 laboratory strain of HIV-1. In both single- and multiple-cycle assay systems and in the context of I50V, the L449F and P453L changes consistently increased the 50% inhibitory concentration of APV, while the CS changes alone had no measurable effect on inhibitor sensitivity. The decreased in vitro fitness of the I50V mutant was only partially improved by addition of either CS change (I50V M46I L449F mutant replicative capacity ≈ 16% of that of wild-type virus). Western blot analysis of Pr55 Gag precursor cleavage products from infected-cell cultures indicated accumulation of uncleaved Gag p1-p6 in all I50V viruses without coexisting CS changes. Purified I50V protease catalyzed cleavage of decapeptides incorporating the L449F or P453L change 10-fold and 22-fold more efficiently than cleavage of the wild-type substrate, respectively. HIV-1 protease CS changes are selected during PI therapy and can have effects on both viral fitness and phenotypic resistance to PIs.


1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (7) ◽  
pp. 5803-5813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Gerondelis ◽  
Richard H. Archer ◽  
Chockalingam Palaniappan ◽  
Richard C. Reichman ◽  
Philip J. Fay ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor (NNRTI) delavirdine (DLV) selects in vitro for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RT mutation P236L, which confers high-level resistance to DLV but not other NNRTIs. Unexpectedly, P236L has developed infrequently in HIV-1 isolates obtained from patients receiving DLV; K103N is the predominant resistance mutation observed in that setting. We characterized the replication fitness of viruses derived from pNL4-3 containing P236L or K103N in both H9 and primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures infected in parallel with the two mutants. In the absence of DLV, p24 production by wild-type virus occurred more rapidly and to higher levels than with either mutant; P236L consistently demonstrated a two- to threefold decrease in p24 relative to K103N. At low levels of DLV, growth of wild-type virus was severely inhibited, and K103N replicated two- to threefold more efficiently than P236L. At high concentrations of DLV, P236L replication and K103N replication were both inhibited. Recombinant RTs containing K103N or P236L were analyzed for DNA polymerization on heteropolymeric RNA templates and RNase H degradation of RNA-DNA hybrids. Neither mutant demonstrated defects in polymerization. K103N demonstrated normal RNA 5′-end-directed RNase H cleavage and slowed DNA 3′-end-directed RNase H cleavage compared to wild-type RT. P236L demonstrated slowing of both DNA 3′-end- and RNA 5′-end-directed RNase H cleavage, consistent with its reduced replication efficiency relative to K103N. These data suggest that NNRTI resistance mutations can lead to reductions in the efficiency of RNase H cleavage, which may contribute to a reduction in the replication fitness of HIV-1.


2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (21) ◽  
pp. 11459-11470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valery Fikkert ◽  
Bénédicte Van Maele ◽  
Jo Vercammen ◽  
Anke Hantson ◽  
Barbara Van Remoortel ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The diketo acid L-708,906 has been reported to be a selective inhibitor of the strand transfer step of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integration process (D. Hazuda, P. Felock, M. Witmer, A. Wolfe, K. Stillmock, J. A. Grobler, A. Espeseth, L. Gabryelski, W. Schleif, C. Blau, and M. D. Miller, Science 287:646-650, 2000). We have now studied the development of antiviral resistance to L-708,906 by growing HIV-1 strains in the presence of increasing concentrations of the compound. The mutations T66I, L74M, and S230R emerged successively in the integrase gene. The virus with three mutations (T66I L74M S230R) was 10-fold less susceptible to L-708,906, while displaying the sensitivity of the wild-type virus to inhibitors of the RT or PRO or viral entry process. Chimeric HIV-1 strains containing the mutant integrase genes displayed the same resistance profile as the in vitro-selected strains, corroborating the impact of the reported mutations on the resistance phenotype. Phenotypic cross-resistance to S-1360, a diketo analogue in clinical trials, was observed for all strains. Interestingly, the diketo acid-resistant strain remained fully sensitive to V-165, a novel integrase inhibitor (C. Pannecouque, W. Pluymers, B. Van Maele, V. Tetz, P. Cherepanov, E. De Clercq, M. Witvrouw, and Z. Debyser, Curr. Biol. 12:1169-1177, 2002). Antiviral resistance was also studied at the level of recombinant integrase. Single mutations did not appear to impair specific enzymatic activity. However, 3′ processing and strand transfer activities of the recombinant integrases with two (T66I L74M) and three (T66I L74M S230R) mutations were notably lower than those of the wild-type integrase. Although the virus with three mutations was resistant to inhibition by diketo acids, the sensitivity of the corresponding enzyme to L-708,906 or S-1360 was reduced only two- to threefold. As to the replication kinetics of the selected strains, the replication fitness for all strains was lower than that of the wild-type HIV-1 strain.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 3590-3599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario R. Mautino ◽  
Nicholas Keiser ◽  
Richard A. Morgan

ABSTRACT Retrovirus vectors expressing transdominant-negative mutants of Rev (TdRev) inhibit human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by preventing the nuclear export of unspliced viral transcripts, thus inhibiting the synthesis of Gag-Pol, Env, and genomic RNA. The use of HIV-1–based vectors to express TdRev would have the advantage of allowing access to nondividing hematopoietic cells. It would also provide additional levels of protection by sequestering the viral regulatory proteins Tat and Rev, competing for encapsidation into wild-type virions, and inhibiting reverse transcription. Here we describe HIV-1-based vectors that express TdRev. These vectors contain mutations in the splicing signals or replacement of the Rev-responsive element by the simian retrovirus type 1 constitutive transport element, making them less sensitive to the inhibitory effects of TdRev. In addition, overexpression of Rev and the use of an HIV-1 helper plasmid that drives high levels of Gag-Pol synthesis were used to transiently overcome the inhibition by TdRev of the synthesis of Gag-Pol during vector production. SupT1 cells transduced with these vectors were more resistant to HIV-1 replication than cells transduced with Moloney murine leukemia virus-based vectors expressing TdRev. Furthermore, we show that these vectors can be mobilized by the wild-type virus, reducing the infectivity of virions escaping inhibition and conferring protection against HIV-1 replication to previously untransduced cells.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (16) ◽  
pp. 10247-10257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Wapling ◽  
Katie L. Moore ◽  
Secondo Sonza ◽  
Johnson Mak ◽  
Gilda Tachedjian

ABSTRACT The specific impact of mutations that abrogate human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) dimerization on virus replication is not known, as mutations shown previously to inhibit RT dimerization also impact Gag-Pol stability, resulting in pleiotropic effects on HIV-1 replication. We have previously characterized mutations at codon 401 in the HIV-1 RT tryptophan repeat motif that abrogate RT dimerization in vitro, leading to a loss in polymerase activity. The introduction of the RT dimerization-inhibiting mutations W401L and W401A into HIV-1 resulted in the formation of noninfectious viruses with reduced levels of both virion-associated and intracellular RT activity compared to the wild-type virus and the W401F mutant, which does not inhibit RT dimerization in vitro. Steady-state levels of the p66 and p51 RT subunits in viral lysates of the W401L and W401A mutants were reduced, but no significant decrease in Gag-Pol was observed compared to the wild type. In contrast, there was a decrease in processing of p66 to p51 in cell lysates for the dimerization-defective mutants compared to the wild type. The treatment of transfected cells with indinavir suggested that the HIV-1 protease contributed to the degradation of virion-associated RT subunits. These data demonstrate that mutations near the RT dimer interface that abrogate RT dimerization in vitro result in the production of replication-impaired viruses without detectable effects on Gag-Pol stability or virion incorporation. The inhibition of RT activity is most likely due to a defect in RT maturation, suggesting that RT dimerization represents a valid drug target for chemotherapeutic intervention.


1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 2901-2908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bindong Liu ◽  
Renke Dai ◽  
Chun-Juan Tian ◽  
Liza Dawson ◽  
Robert Gorelick ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The nucleocapsid (NC) domain of the retrovirus Gag protein plays several important roles in the viral life cycle, including virus assembly, viral genomic RNA encapsidation, primer tRNA placement, and enhancement of viral reverse transcription. In this study, deletion of NC domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag was found to drastically reduce virus particle production in CD4+ T cells. Cellular fractionation experiments showed that although most of the uncleaved wild-type HIV-1 Gag, unmyristylated Gag, and p6Gag domain-truncated Gag molecules copurified with the host cell cytoskeleton, most of the mutant Gag molecules lacking both the NC and p6Gag domains failed to cofractionate with cytoskeleton. In wild-type virus-infected cells, in which the viral protease was active, the cleaved NCp7 copurified with the cytoskeleton, whereas most of the MAp17 and CAp24 did not. Monoclonal antibody against actin coimmunoprecipitated full-length Gag and p6Gag domain-truncated Gag molecules from cell lysates but failed to precipitate the truncated mutant Gag molecules lacking NC plus p6Gag. Purified recombinant NCp7, but not CAp24, was able to bind F-actin in cosedimentation experiments. Furthermore, wild-type NCp7 and a zinc finger mutant NCp7(F16A), like a cellular actin-binding protein (the villin headpiece), bound F-actin in a dose-dependent fashion in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that HIV-1 NCp7 can bind F-actin directly and that interaction between HIV-1 Gag and the actin cytoskeleton through the NC domain may play an important role in HIV-1 assembly and/or other steps of the viral life cycle.


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