title: Role of conserved gp41 cysteine residues in the processing of human immunodeficiency virus envelope precursor and viral infectivity.
abstract: All animal retroviruses whose nucleotide sequences have been determined contain two or three closely spaced cysteine residues in the extracellular domain of the env-encoded transmembrane protein. Using human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp41 as a working model, the functional significance of these highly conserved cysteines was investigated. We report here that substituting the two conserved cysteine residues in this domain of gp41 with glycine residues resulted in the loss of viral infectivity, which could be attributed to severe impairment in the processing of gp160 precursor to gp120.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Syu
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Q C
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Essex
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D003545:Cysteine; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D015752:Genes, env; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000235:genetics*; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D003545:Cysteine