title: Effects of Vpu expression on Xenopus oocyte membrane conductance.
abstract: The HIV-1-specific vpu gene encodes an integral membrane phosphoprotein which affects three aspects of the HIV-1 infectious cycle: it enhances virion release from infected cells; it causes degradation of the CD4 protein in the endoplasmic reticulum; and it delays syncytia formation in HIV-1-infected CD4+ T-cells. Although little is known about how Vpu mediates these effects, it has been proposed to function as a nonspecific cation channel. In this report, voltage clamp measurements of Xenopus oocytes show that Vpu expression is not associated with increased transmembrane currents. Instead, Vpu expression diminishes membrane conductance. Injection of 4.6 ng of Vpu mRNA into these cells reduces endogenous potassium conductance by 50%. Only Vpu mutants which retain the ability to degrade CD4 can diminish K+ conductance. Inhibition by Vpu is not unique to K+ channels as it is also observed on several coexpressed membrane proteins but not on a coexpressed cytoplasmic protein. These results indicate that the CD4 degradative capability of Vpu and the Vpu-mediated modulation of membrane protein expression are mechanistically coupled and that Vpu may contribute to HIV pathogenesis by altering plasma membrane protein expression at the cell surface.
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche en Transport Membranaire, Département de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, succursale Centre-ville, Canada. coady@ere.umontreal.ca
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Coady
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tiganos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allain
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Friborg
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lapointe
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D015870:Gene Expression; D015497:HIV-1; D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009865:Oocytes; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins
chemical_list: D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; D015221:Potassium Channels; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C514859:vpu protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins