Tetherin downmodulation by SIVmac Nef lost with the H196Q escape variant is restored by an upstream variant.

ABSTRACT: The H196 residue in SIVmac239 Nef is conserved across the majority of HIV and SIV isolates, lies immediately adjacent to the AP-2 (adaptor protein 2) binding di-leucine domain (ExxxLM195), and is critical for several described AP-2 dependent Nef functions, including the downregulation of tetherin (BST-2/CD317), CD4, and others. Surprisingly, many stocks of the closely related SIVmac251 swarm virus harbor a nef allele encoding a Q196. In SIVmac239, this variant is associated with loss of multiple AP-2 dependent functions. Publicly available sequences for SIVmac251 stocks were mined for variants linked to Q196 that might compensate for functional defects associated with this residue. Variants were engineered into the SIVmac239 backbone and in Nef expression plasmids and flow cytometry was us

SUBMITTER: Schouest B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7413475 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature