Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1992 Aug;66(8):4966–4971. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.8.4966-4971.1992

The matrix protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is required for incorporation of viral envelope protein into mature virions.

X Yu 1, X Yuan 1, Z Matsuda 1, T H Lee 1, M Essex 1
PMCID: PMC241345  PMID: 1629961

Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that the matrix (MA) protein of retroviruses plays a key role in virus assembly by directing the intracellular transport and membrane association of the Gag polyprotein. In this report, we show that the MA protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is also critical for the incorporation of viral Env proteins into mature virions. Several deletions introduced in the MA domain (p17) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag polyprotein did not greatly affect the synthesis and processing of the Gag polyprotein or the formation of virions. Analysis of the viral proteins revealed normal levels of Gag and Pol proteins in these mutant virions, but the Env proteins, gp120 and gp41, were hardly detectable in the mutant virions. Our data suggest that an interaction between the viral Env protein and the MA domain of the Gag polyprotein is required for the selective incorporation of Env proteins during virus assembly. Such an interaction appears to be very sensitive to conformational changes in the MA domain, as five small deletions in two separate regions of p17 equally inhibited viral Env protein incorporation. Mutant viruses were not infectious in T cells. When mutant and wild-type DNAs were cotransfected into T cells, the replication of wild-type virus was also hindered. These results suggest that the incorporation of viral Env protein is a critical step for replication of retroviruses and can be a target for the design of antiviral strategies.

Full text

PDF
4970

Images in this article

4968Image
on p.4968
4969Image
on p.4969

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aldovini A., Young R. A. Mutations of RNA and protein sequences involved in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 packaging result in production of noninfectious virus. J Virol. 1990 May;64(5):1920–1926. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.5.1920-1926.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bryant M., Ratner L. Myristoylation-dependent replication and assembly of human immunodeficiency virus 1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Jan;87(2):523–527. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.2.523. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gebhardt A., Bosch J. V., Ziemiecki A., Friis R. R. Rous sarcoma virus p19 and gp35 can be chemically crosslinked to high molecular weight complexes. An insight into virus assembly. J Mol Biol. 1984 Apr 5;174(2):297–317. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(84)90340-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gelderblom H. R., Hausmann E. H., Ozel M., Pauli G., Koch M. A. Fine structure of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and immunolocalization of structural proteins. Virology. 1987 Jan;156(1):171–176. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(87)90449-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gheysen D., Jacobs E., de Foresta F., Thiriart C., Francotte M., Thines D., De Wilde M. Assembly and release of HIV-1 precursor Pr55gag virus-like particles from recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells. Cell. 1989 Oct 6;59(1):103–112. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90873-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gorelick R. J., Henderson L. E., Hanser J. P., Rein A. Point mutants of Moloney murine leukemia virus that fail to package viral RNA: evidence for specific RNA recognition by a "zinc finger-like" protein sequence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Nov;85(22):8420–8424. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.22.8420. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Göttlinger H. G., Dorfman T., Sodroski J. G., Haseltine W. A. Effect of mutations affecting the p6 gag protein on human immunodeficiency virus particle release. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Apr 15;88(8):3195–3199. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.8.3195. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Göttlinger H. G., Sodroski J. G., Haseltine W. A. Role of capsid precursor processing and myristoylation in morphogenesis and infectivity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Aug;86(15):5781–5785. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.15.5781. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Haffar O., Garrigues J., Travis B., Moran P., Zarling J., Hu S. L. Human immunodeficiency virus-like, nonreplicating, gag-env particles assemble in a recombinant vaccinia virus expression system. J Virol. 1990 Jun;64(6):2653–2659. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.6.2653-2659.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hansen M., Jelinek L., Whiting S., Barklis E. Transport and assembly of gag proteins into Moloney murine leukemia virus. J Virol. 1990 Nov;64(11):5306–5316. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.11.5306-5316.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Karacostas V., Nagashima K., Gonda M. A., Moss B. Human immunodeficiency virus-like particles produced by a vaccinia virus expression vector. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Nov;86(22):8964–8967. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.22.8964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Moscufo N., Simons J., Chow M. Myristoylation is important at multiple stages in poliovirus assembly. J Virol. 1991 May;65(5):2372–2380. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.5.2372-2380.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Méric C., Goff S. P. Characterization of Moloney murine leukemia virus mutants with single-amino-acid substitutions in the Cys-His box of the nucleocapsid protein. J Virol. 1989 Apr;63(4):1558–1568. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.4.1558-1568.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Méric C., Gouilloud E., Spahr P. F. Mutations in Rous sarcoma virus nucleocapsid protein p12 (NC): deletions of Cys-His boxes. J Virol. 1988 Sep;62(9):3328–3333. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.9.3328-3333.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Owens R. J., Dubay J. W., Hunter E., Compans R. W. Human immunodeficiency virus envelope protein determines the site of virus release in polarized epithelial cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 May 1;88(9):3987–3991. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.9.3987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pepinsky R. B., Vogt V. M. Identification of retrovirus matrix proteins by lipid-protein cross-linking. J Mol Biol. 1979 Jul 15;131(4):819–837. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(79)90203-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Ratner L., Fisher A., Jagodzinski L. L., Mitsuya H., Liou R. S., Gallo R. C., Wong-Staal F. Complete nucleotide sequences of functional clones of the AIDS virus. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1987 Spring;3(1):57–69. doi: 10.1089/aid.1987.3.57. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rein A., McClure M. R., Rice N. R., Luftig R. B., Schultz A. M. Myristylation site in Pr65gag is essential for virus particle formation by Moloney murine leukemia virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Oct;83(19):7246–7250. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.19.7246. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Resh M. D., Ling H. P. Identification of a 32K plasma membrane protein that binds to the myristylated amino-terminal sequence of p60v-src. Nature. 1990 Jul 5;346(6279):84–86. doi: 10.1038/346084a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rhee S. S., Hui H. X., Hunter E. Preassembled capsids of type D retroviruses contain a signal sufficient for targeting specifically to the plasma membrane. J Virol. 1990 Aug;64(8):3844–3852. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.8.3844-3852.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rhee S. S., Hunter E. A single amino acid substitution within the matrix protein of a type D retrovirus converts its morphogenesis to that of a type C retrovirus. Cell. 1990 Oct 5;63(1):77–86. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90289-q. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rhee S. S., Hunter E. Amino acid substitutions within the matrix protein of type D retroviruses affect assembly, transport and membrane association of a capsid. EMBO J. 1991 Mar;10(3):535–546. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1991.tb07980.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rhee S. S., Hunter E. Myristylation is required for intracellular transport but not for assembly of D-type retrovirus capsids. J Virol. 1987 Apr;61(4):1045–1053. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.4.1045-1053.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rhee S. S., Hunter E. Structural role of the matrix protein of type D retroviruses in gag polyprotein stability and capsid assembly. J Virol. 1990 Sep;64(9):4383–4389. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.9.4383-4389.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Scheele C. M., Hanafusa H. Proteins of helper-dependent RSV. Virology. 1971 Aug;45(2):401–410. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(71)90341-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Schultz A. M., Henderson L. E., Oroszlan S. Fatty acylation of proteins. Annu Rev Cell Biol. 1988;4:611–647. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cb.04.110188.003143. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Schultz A. M., Rein A. Unmyristylated Moloney murine leukemia virus Pr65gag is excluded from virus assembly and maturation events. J Virol. 1989 May;63(5):2370–2373. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.5.2370-2373.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Schwartzberg P., Colicelli J., Gordon M. L., Goff S. P. Mutations in the gag gene of Moloney murine leukemia virus: effects on production of virions and reverse transcriptase. J Virol. 1984 Mar;49(3):918–924. doi: 10.1128/jvi.49.3.918-924.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Shioda T., Shibuta H. Production of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-like particles from cells infected with recombinant vaccinia viruses carrying the gag gene of HIV. Virology. 1990 Mar;175(1):139–148. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(90)90194-v. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Smith A. J., Cho M. I., Hammarskjöld M. L., Rekosh D. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Pr55gag and Pr160gag-pol expressed from a simian virus 40 late replacement vector are efficiently processed and assembled into viruslike particles. J Virol. 1990 Jun;64(6):2743–2750. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.6.2743-2750.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Stephens E. B., Compans R. W. Assembly of animal viruses at cellular membranes. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1988;42:489–516. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.42.100188.002421. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Trono D., Feinberg M. B., Baltimore D. HIV-1 Gag mutants can dominantly interfere with the replication of the wild-type virus. Cell. 1989 Oct 6;59(1):113–120. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90874-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Viglianti G. A., Mullins J. I. Functional comparison of transactivation by simian immunodeficiency virus from rhesus macaques and human immunodeficiency virus type 1. J Virol. 1988 Dec;62(12):4523–4532. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.12.4523-4532.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Weaver T. A., Panganiban A. T. N myristoylation of the spleen necrosis virus matrix protein is required for correct association of the Gag polyprotein with intracellular membranes and for particle formation. J Virol. 1990 Aug;64(8):3995–4001. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.8.3995-4001.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Wills J. W., Craven R. C., Achacoso J. A. Creation and expression of myristylated forms of Rous sarcoma virus gag protein in mammalian cells. J Virol. 1989 Oct;63(10):4331–4343. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.10.4331-4343.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Wills J. W., Craven R. C., Weldon R. A., Jr, Nelle T. D., Erdie C. R. Suppression of retroviral MA deletions by the amino-terminal membrane-binding domain of p60src. J Virol. 1991 Jul;65(7):3804–3812. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.7.3804-3812.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Young J. A., Bates P., Willert K., Varmus H. E. Efficient incorporation of human CD4 protein into avian leukosis virus particles. Science. 1990 Dec 7;250(4986):1421–1423. doi: 10.1126/science.2175047. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Yu X. F., Matsuda M., Essex M., Lee T. H. Open reading frame vpr of simian immunodeficiency virus encodes a virion-associated protein. J Virol. 1990 Nov;64(11):5688–5693. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.11.5688-5693.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Yuan X., Matsuda Z., Matsuda M., Essex M., Lee T. H. Human immunodeficiency virus vpr gene encodes a virion-associated protein. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1990 Nov;6(11):1265–1271. doi: 10.1089/aid.1990.6.1265. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES