Correlative In Situ Cryo-ET Reveals Cellular and Viral Remodeling Associated with Selective HIV-1 Core Nuclear Import.

ABSTRACT: Lentiviruses like HIV-1 infect non-dividing cells by traversing the nuclear pore, but studying this process has been challenging due to its scarcity and dynamic nature in infected cells. Here, we developed a robust cell-permeabilization system that recapitulates HIV-1 nuclear import and established an integrated cryo-correlative workflow combining cryo-CLEM, cryo-FIB, and cryo-ET for targeted imaging of this process. These advancements enabled the successful capture of 1,899 HIV-1 cores at various stages of nuclear import. Statistical and structural analyses of native wild-type and mutant cores revealed that HIV-1 nuclear import depends on both capsid elasticity and nuclear pore adaptability, as well as nuclear factors such as CPSF6. Brittle cores fail to enter the nuclear pore complex (NP

SUBMITTER: Hou Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11908238 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature