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PH-triggered, activated-state conformations of the influenza hemagglutinin fusion peptide revealed by NMR.

ABSTRACT: The highly conserved first 23 residues of the influenza hemagglutinin HA2 subunit constitute the fusion domain, which plays a pivotal role in fusing viral and host-cell membranes. At neutral pH, this peptide adopts a tight helical hairpin wedge structure, stabilized by aliphatic hydrogen bonding and charge-dipole interactions. We demonstrate that at low pH, where the fusion process is triggered, the native peptide transiently visits activated states that are very similar to those sampled by a G8A mutant. This mutant retains a small fraction of helical hairpin conformation, in rapid equilibrium with at least two open structures. The exchange rate between the closed and open conformations of the wild-type fusion peptide is ~40 kHz, with a total open-state population of ~20%. Transitions to these activated states are likely to play a crucial role in formation of the fusion pore, an essential structure required in the final stage of membrane fusion.

SUBMITTER: Lorieau JL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3523815 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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pH-triggered, activated-state conformations of the influenza hemagglutinin fusion peptide revealed by NMR.

Lorieau Justin L JL Louis John M JM Schwieters Charles D CD Bax Adriaan A

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20121119 49

The highly conserved first 23 residues of the influenza hemagglutinin HA2 subunit constitute the fusion domain, which plays a pivotal role in fusing viral and host-cell membranes. At neutral pH, this peptide adopts a tight helical hairpin wedge structure, stabilized by aliphatic hydrogen bonding and charge-dipole interactions. We demonstrate that at low pH, where the fusion process is triggered, the native peptide transiently visits activated states that are very similar to those sampled by a G8 ...[more]

PMID: 23169643

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Project description:The replication and pathogenicity of influenza A viruses (IAVs) critically depend on their ability to tolerate the antiviral interferon (IFN) response. To determine a potential role for the IAV hemagglutinin (HA) in viral sensitivity to IFN, we studied the restriction of IAV infection in IFN-?-treated human epithelial cells by using 2:6 recombinant IAVs that shared six gene segments of A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 virus (PR8) and contained HAs and neuraminidases of representative avian, human, and zoonotic H5N1 and H7N9 viruses. In A549 and Calu-3 cells, viruses displaying a higher pH optimum of HA-mediated membrane fusion, H5N1-PR8 and H7N9-PR8, were less sensitive to the IFN-induced antiviral state than their counterparts with HAs from duck and human viruses, which fused at a lower pH. The association between a high pH optimum of fusion and reduced IFN sensitivity was confirmed by using HA point mutants of A/Hong Kong/1/1968-PR8 that differed solely by their fusion properties. Furthermore, similar effects of the viral fusion pH on IFN sensitivity were observed in experiments with (i) primary human type II alveolar epithelial cells and differentiated cultures of human airway epithelial cells, (ii) nonrecombinant zoonotic and pandemic IAVs, and (iii) preparations of IFN-? and IFN-?1. A higher pH of membrane fusion and reduced sensitivity to IFN correlated with lower restriction of the viruses in MDCK cells stably expressing the IFN-inducible transmembrane proteins IFITM2 and IFITM3, which are known to inhibit viral fusion. Our results reveal that the pH optimum of HA-driven membrane fusion of IAVs is a determinant of their sensitivity to IFN and IFITM proteins.IMPORTANCE The IFN system constitutes an important innate defense against viral infection. Substantial information is available on how IAVs avoid detection by sensors of the IFN system and disable IFN signaling pathways. Much less is known about the ability of IAVs to tolerate the antiviral activity of IFN-induced cellular proteins. The IFN-induced proteins of the IFITM family block IAV entry into target cells and can restrict viral spread and pathogenicity. Here we show for the first time that the sensitivity of IAVs to the IFN-induced antiviral state and IFITM2 and IFITM3 proteins depends on the pH value at which the viral HA undergoes a conformational transition and mediates membrane fusion. Our data imply that the high pH optimum of membrane fusion typical of zoonotic IAVs of gallinaceous poultry, such as H5N1 and H7N9, may contribute to their enhanced virulence in humans.

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PH-triggered, activated-state conformations of the influenza hemagglutinin fusion peptide revealed by NMR.

Publications

pH-triggered, activated-state conformations of the influenza hemagglutinin fusion peptide revealed by NMR.

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