Distinct functions for the membrane-proximal ectodomain region (MPER) of HIV-1 gp41 in cell-free and cell-cell viral transmission and cell-cell fusion.

ABSTRACT: HIV-1 is spread by cell-free virions and by cell-cell viral transfer. We asked whether the structure and function of a broad neutralizing antibody (bNAb) epitope, the membrane-proximal ectodomain region (MPER) of the viral gp41 transmembrane glycoprotein, differ in cell-free and cell-cell-transmitted viruses and whether this difference could be related to Ab neutralization sensitivity. Whereas cell-free viruses bearing W666A and I675A substitutions in the MPER lacked infectivity, cell-associated mutant viruses were able to initiate robust spreading infection. Infectivity was restored to cell-free viruses by additional substitutions in the cytoplasmic tail (CT) of gp41 known to disrupt interactions with the viral matrix protein. We observed contrasting effects on cell-free virus infectivity

SUBMITTER: Narasimhulu VGS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5912456 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature