title: Identification of functional regions in the human T-cell leukemia virus type I SU glycoprotein.
abstract: Single conservative and nonconservative amino acid substitutions were introduced into the gp45 external envelope protein (SU) of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I). The mutated amino acids were those identified as being conserved in HTLV-I, HTLV-II, and simian T-cell leukemia virus type I (but not in bovine leukemia virus). The mutated envelopes were tested for intracellular maturation and for function. Mutants with three major phenotypes could be defined: (i) 9 mutants with a wild-type phenotype, which included most of the conservative amino acid changes (five of seven) distributed throughout the SU protein; (ii) 8 mutants with affected intracellular maturation, 6 of which define a region in the central part of the SU protein essential for correct folding of the protein; and (iii) 13 mutants with normal intracellular maturation but impaired syncytium formation. These mutations likely affect the receptor binding step or postbinding events required for fusion. Five of these mutations are located between amino acids 75 and 101 of the SU protein, in the amino-terminal third of the molecule. The other mutations involve positions 170, 181, 195, 197, 208, 233, and 286, suggesting that two other domains, one central and one carboxy terminal, are involved in HTLV-I envelope functions.
authors.affiliation: CNRS URA 1156, Institut G. Roussy, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delamarre
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pique
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tursz
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dokhélar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D015726:Giant Cells; D006367:HeLa Cells; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D017354:Point Mutation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C066797:transmembrane envelope glycoprotein gp45, retrovirus