Cell-cell and virus-cell fusion assay-based analyses of alanine insertion mutants in the distal α9 portion of the JRFL gp41 subunit from HIV-1.

ABSTRACT: Membrane fusion is the first essential step in HIV-1 replication. The gp41 subunit of HIV-1 envelope protein (Env), a class I fusion protein, achieves membrane fusion by forming a structure called a six-helix bundle composed of N- and C-terminal heptad repeats. We have recently shown that the distal portion of the α9 helix in the C-terminal heptad repeat of X4-tropic HXB2 Env plays a critical role in the late-stage membrane fusion and viral infection. Here, we used R5-tropic JRFL Env and constructed six alanine insertion mutants, 641+A to 646+A, in the further distal portion of α9 where several glutamine residues are conserved (the number corresponds to the position of the inserted alanine in JRFL Env). 644+A showed the most severe defect in syncytia formation. Decreased fusion pore format

SUBMITTER: Yamamoto M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6462516 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature