TY - JOUR
T1 - A Twin-Cysteine Motif in the V2 Region of gp120 Is Associated with SIV Envelope Trimer Stabilization
AU - Bohl, Christopher
AU - Bowder, Dane
AU - Thompson, Jesse
AU - Abrahamyan, Levon
AU - Gonzalez-Ramirez, Sandra
AU - Mao, Youdong
AU - Sodroski, Joseph
AU - Wood, Charles
AU - Xiang, Shi hua
PY - 2013/7/23
Y1 - 2013/7/23
N2 - The V1 and V2 variable regions of the primate immunodeficiency viruses contribute to the trimer association domain of the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein. A pair of V2 cysteine residues at 183 and 191 ("twin cysteines") is present in several simian immunodeficiency viruses, human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) and some SIVcpz lineages, but not in HIV-1. To examine the role of this potentially disulfide-bonded twin-cysteine motif, the cysteine residues in the SIVmac239 envelope glycoproteins were individually and pairwise substituted by alanine residues. All of the twin-cysteine mutants exhibited decreases in gp120 association with the Env trimer, membrane-fusing activity, and ability to support virus entry. Thus, the twin-cysteine motif plays a role in Env trimer stabilization in SIV and may do so in HIV-2 and some SIVcpz as well. This implies that HIV-1 lost the twin-cysteines, and may have relatively unstable Env trimers compared to SIV and HIV-2.
AB - The V1 and V2 variable regions of the primate immunodeficiency viruses contribute to the trimer association domain of the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein. A pair of V2 cysteine residues at 183 and 191 ("twin cysteines") is present in several simian immunodeficiency viruses, human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) and some SIVcpz lineages, but not in HIV-1. To examine the role of this potentially disulfide-bonded twin-cysteine motif, the cysteine residues in the SIVmac239 envelope glycoproteins were individually and pairwise substituted by alanine residues. All of the twin-cysteine mutants exhibited decreases in gp120 association with the Env trimer, membrane-fusing activity, and ability to support virus entry. Thus, the twin-cysteine motif plays a role in Env trimer stabilization in SIV and may do so in HIV-2 and some SIVcpz as well. This implies that HIV-1 lost the twin-cysteines, and may have relatively unstable Env trimers compared to SIV and HIV-2.
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U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0069406
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0069406
M3 - Article
C2 - 23936006
AN - SCOPUS:84880710594
VL - 8
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 7
M1 - e69406
ER -