title: Membrane interactions and alignment of structures within the HIV-1 Vpu cytoplasmic domain: effect of phosphorylation of serines 52 and 56.
abstract: The cytoplasmic domain of the HIV-1 accessory protein Vpu is involved in the binding and degradation of the viral receptor CD4. In order to analyze previous structural models in the context of membrane environments, regions of Vpu(CYTO) incorporating particular conformational features have been synthesized and labelled with (15)N at selected backbone amides. Well-oriented proton-decoupled (15)N solid-state NMR spectra with (15)N chemical shifts at the most upfield position indicate that the amphipathic helix within [(15)N-Leu 45]-Vpu(27-57) strongly interacts with mechanically aligned POPC bilayers and adopts an orientation parallel to the membrane surface. No major changes in the topology of this membrane-associated amphipathic helix were observed upon phosphorylation of serine residues 52 and 56, although this modification regulates biological function of Vpu. In contrast, [(15)N-Ala 62]-Vpu(51-81) exhibits a pronounced (15)N chemical shift anisotropy.
authors.affiliation: Humboldt Universität, Institut für Biochemie, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henklein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kinder
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bechinger
mesh_terms: D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins
chemical_list: D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D012694:Serine; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C514859:vpu protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins