Abstract

Membrane targeting by the Gag proteins of the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV types-1 and -2) is mediated by Gag’s N-terminally myristylated matrix (MA) domain and is dependent on cellular phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]. To determine if other lentiviruses employ a similar membrane targeting mechanism, we initiated studies of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a widespread feline pathogen with potential utility for development of human therapeutics. Bacterial co-translational myristylation was facilitated by mutation of two amino acids near the amino-terminus of the protein (Q5A/G6S; myrMAQ5A/G6S). These substitutions did not affect virus assembly or release from transfected cells. NMR studies revealed that the myristyl group is buried within a hydrophobic pocket in a manner that is structurally similar to that observed for the myristylated HIV-1 protein. Comparisons with a recent crystal structure of the unmyristylated FIV protein [myr(-)MA] indicate that only small changes in helix orientation are required to accommodate the sequestered myr group. Depletion of PI(4,5)P2 from the plasma membrane of FIV-infected CRFK cells inhibited production of FIV particles, indicating that, like HIV, FIV hijacks the PI(4,5)P2 cellular signaling system to direct intracellular Gag trafficking during virus assembly.

Highlights

  • Of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) particles occurs by a complex, multistep mechanism that includes temporally and spatially dependent interactions with several cellular host factors at or near the plasma membrane (PM) [1,2,3,4,5,6]

  • These results suggest that the assembly and release of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) particles from feline cells is highly sensitive to PM levels of PI(4,5)P2, similar to HIV-1 and HIV-2 [14,24]

  • Guillon and co-workers showed that the FIV myr(-)MA adopts a highly helical three dimensional structure that is similar to structures observed previously by NMR and X-ray crystallography for the HIV-1 and HIV-2 myr(-)MA and myrMA proteins [17,24,44,46,48,68,69]

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Summary

Introduction

Of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) particles occurs by a complex, multistep mechanism that includes temporally and spatially dependent interactions with several cellular host factors at or near the plasma membrane (PM) [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The viral envelope of HIV-1 is enriched in phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2], cholesterol, and lipid constituents associated with lipid raft-like microdomains [7,8,9,10,11,12,13], indicating that virus assembly occurs in rafts. Induction of PI(4,5)P2-enriched endosomes can retarget Gag to endosomes and MVBs and induce intravesicle budding, and substitution of HIV-1 MA by the membrane-binding N terminus of Fyn kinase reduces the sensitivity of virus assembly to PI(4,5)P2 manipulation. These studies collectively indicate that PI(4,5)P2-dependent membrane selection is mediated by the MA domain of Gag [14]. In vitro binding assays with other lipid constituents containing truncated acyl chains have led to proposals that phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine may bind HIV-1 myrMA in extended lipid conformations, and thereby help target Gag to PM rafts [25]

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