Role of the SP2 domain and its proteolytic cleavage in HIV-1 structural maturation and infectivity.

ABSTRACT: HIV-1 buds as an immature, noninfectious virion. Proteolysis of its main structural component, Gag, is required for morphological maturation and infectivity and leads to release of four functional domains and the spacer peptides SP1 and SP2. The N-terminal cleavages of Gag and the separation of SP1 from CA are all essential for viral infectivity, while the roles of the two C-terminal cleavages and the role of SP2, separating the NC and p6 domains, are less well defined. We have analyzed HIV-1 variants with defective cleavage at either or both sites flanking SP2, or largely lacking SP2, regarding virus production, infectivity, and structural maturation. Neither the presence nor the proteolytic processing of SP2 was required for particle release. Viral infectivity was almost abolished when b

SUBMITTER: de Marco A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3503038 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature