title: Ion channel activation by SPC3, a peptide derived from the HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop.
abstract: SPC3 is a multibranched peptide containing eight identical GPGRAF motifs which are derived from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 gp120 V3 loop consensus sequence. This molecule was reported to prevent the infection of CD4+ cells by various HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains. However, the molecular mode of action of SPC3 remains unclear. Here, we investigated the possibility that SPC3 could interact with alpha/beta-chemokine receptors following observations that, first, the V3 loop is likely to be involved in alpha/beta-chemokine receptor-dependent HIV entry and, second, natural ligands of these receptors are potent inhibitors of cell infection. To address this point, we examined the effects of SPC3 on Xenopus oocytes either uninjected or expressing exogenous human CXCR4 alpha-chemokine receptors. Extracellular applications of micromolar concentrations of SPC3 onto Xenopus oocytes trigger potent inward chloride currents which can be inhibited by increasing extracellular Ca2+ concentration. This effect can be blocked by chloride channel antagonists and is highly specific to SPC3 as it is not triggered by structural analogs of SPC3. The SPC3-induced chloride conductance in oocytes is alpha/beta-chemokine receptor dependent because: (i) SPC3 alters the sensitivity of this channel to external applications of human recombinant MIP-1alpha, a natural ligand of human CCR5 receptor, and (ii) the amplitude of the inward current could be increased by the expression of exogenous human CXCR4 chemokine receptor. The effect of SPC3 appears to rely on the activation of a phospholipase A2 signaling pathway, but is not affected by changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, or by alterations in Gi/Go protein, adenylate cyclase, phospholipase C or protein kinase C activity. Altogether, the data indicate that SPC3 is capable of activating a surface alpha/beta-chemokine-like receptor-mediated signaling pathway in competent cells, thereby triggering, either directly or indirectly, a Ca2+-inactivated chloride conductance.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U464, Laboratoire de Neurobiologie des Canaux Ioniques, Faculté de Médicine Nord, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carlier
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mabrouk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moulard
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fajloun
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rochat
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Waard
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sabatier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018925:Chemokines / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry*; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000378:metabolism; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D011188:Potassium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018075:RNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000737:chemistry; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D018925:Chemokines; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D007473:Ion Channels; D007477:Ions; D010455:Peptides; D018075:RNA, Complementary; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D010741:Phospholipases A; D054467:Phospholipases A2; C106171:SPC3 protein, S cerevisiae; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium