title: HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein localizes efficiently to the nucleus and nucleolus.
abstract: The HIV-1 nucleocapsid (NC) is an essential viral protein containing two highly conserved retroviral-type zinc finger (ZF) motifs, which functions in multiple stages of the HIV-1 life cycle. Although a number of functions for NC either in its mature form or as a domain of Gag have been revealed, little is known about the intracellular localization of NC and, moreover, its role in Gag protein trafficking. Here, we have investigated various forms of HIV-1 NC protein for its cellular localization and found that the NC has a strong nuclear and nucleolar localization activity. The linker region, composed of a stretch of basic amino acids between the two ZF motifs, was necessary and sufficient for the activity.
authors.affiliation: National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seocho-gu Banpo-dong 505, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Lee
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seocho-gu Banpo-dong 505, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seocho-gu Banpo-dong 505, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Soo
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seocho-gu Banpo-dong 505, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jiyou@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Ji Chang
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: You
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D037281:Calnexin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology*; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006367:HeLa Cells; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000235:genetics; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016335:Zinc Fingers; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D037281:Calnexin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C076751:TIAL1 protein, human; C117108:cytochrome C oxidase subunit II; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Gag; HIV-1; Nucleocapsid; Nucleus localization; Zinc fingers