title: Production of a non-functional nef protein in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected CEM cells.
abstract: The nef gene product of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is suggested to be a negative factor involved in down-regulating viral expression by a mechanism in which the correct conformation of the nef protein is essential. The nef protein expressed by vaccinia virus recombinants is phosphorylated by protein kinase C. We investigated the synthesis of the nef protein and its state of phosphorylation during HIV-1 infection of a T4 cell line (CEM cells). Maximum synthesis of viral proteins occurred 3 days after infection, when more than 90% of cells were producing viral proteins. The synthesis of the nef protein was detected in parallel with the env and gag proteins. As expected, the nef protein was myristylated but not phosphorylated, and its half-life was less than 1 h. By the use of the polymerase chain reaction technique, we isolated and sequenced the nef gene of this HIV-1 stock. Two significant mutations were observed. Firstly, threonine, at amino acid number 15, the site of phosphorylation by protein kinase C, was mutated into an alanine, and secondly aspartic acid of the tetrapeptide WRFD, which is probably involved in GTP binding, was mutated into an asparagine. The mutated nef gene was expressed in a vaccinia virus system, in which it was not phosphorylated and its half-life was dramatically reduced compared to the wild-type nef gene product. Furthermore, down-regulation of CD4 cell surface expression was no longer affected by the mutated nef gene. These results emphasize that phosphorylation of the nef protein provides an efficient test to monitor its biological activity.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Oncologie Virale (URA CNRS 1157), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hovanessian
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rivière
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krust
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Regnault
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montagnier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Findeli
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kieny
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guy
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D015870:Gene Expression; D015693:Gene Products, nef / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D019814:Myristic Acid; D009227:Myristic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014616:Vaccinia virus; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015693:Gene Products, nef; D009227:Myristic Acids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D019814:Myristic Acid