Covalent bonded Gag multimers in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 particles.
The oligomerization of HIV-1 Gag and Gag-Pol proteins, which are assembled at the plasma membrane, leads to viral budding. The budding generally places the viral components under non-reducing conditions. Here the effects of non-reducing conditions on Gag structures and viral RNA protection were examined. Using different reducing conditions and SDS-PAGE, it was shown that oligomerized Gag possesses intermolecular covalent bonds under non-reducing conditions. In addition, it was demonstrated that the mature viral core contains a large amount of covalent bonded Gag multimers, as does the immature core. Viral genomic RNA becomes sensitive to ribonuclease in reducing conditions. These results suggest that, under non-reducing conditions, covalent bonded Gag multimers are formed within the viral particles and play a role in protection of the viral genome.
Kitagawa
Yoshinori
Y
Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
Maeda-Sato
Masae
M
Tanaka
Keiko
K
Tobiume
Minoru
M
Sawa
Hirofumi
H
Hasegawa
Hideki
H
Kojima
Asato
A
Hall
William W
WW
Kurata
Takeshi
T
Sata
Tetsutaro
T
Takahashi
Hidehiro
H
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011487:Protein Conformation; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / Q000378:metabolism; D014771:Virion / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
D012367:RNA, Viral; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic