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Contributions of Charged Residues in Structurally Dynamic Capsid Surface Loops to Rous Sarcoma Virus Assembly.

ABSTRACT: UNLABELLED:Extensive studies of orthoretroviral capsids have shown that many regions of the CA protein play unique roles at different points in the virus life cycle. The N-terminal domain (NTD) flexible-loop (FL) region is one such example: exposed on the outer capsid surface, it has been implicated in Gag-mediated particle assembly, capsid maturation, and early replication events. We have now defined the contributions of charged residues in the FL region of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) CA to particle assembly. Effects of mutations on assembly were assessed in vivo and in vitro and analyzed in light of new RSV Gag lattice models. Virus replication was strongly dependent on the preservation of charge at a few critical positions in Gag-Gag interfaces. In particular, a cluster of charges at the beginning of FL contributes to an extensive electrostatic network that is important for robust Gag assembly and subsequent capsid maturation. Second-site suppressor analysis suggests that one of these charged residues, D87, has distal influence on interhexamer interactions involving helix ?7. Overall, the tolerance of FL to most mutations is consistent with current models of Gag lattice structures. However, the results support the interpretation that virus evolution has achieved a charge distribution across the capsid surface that (i) permits the packing of NTD domains in the outer layer of the Gag shell, (ii) directs the maturational rearrangements of the NTDs that yield a functional core structure, and (iii) supports capsid function during the early stages of virus infection. IMPORTANCE:The production of infectious retrovirus particles is a complex process, a choreography of protein and nucleic acid that occurs in two distinct stages: formation and release from the cell of an immature particle followed by an extracellular maturation phase during which the virion proteins and nucleic acids undergo major rearrangements that activate the infectious potential of the virion. This study examines the contributions of charged amino acids on the surface of the Rous sarcoma virus capsid protein in the assembly of appropriately formed immature particles and the maturational transitions that create a functional virion. The results provide important biological evidence in support of recent structural models of the RSV immature virions and further suggest that immature particle assembly and virion maturation are controlled by an extensive network of electrostatic interactions and long-range communication across the capsid surface.

SUBMITTER: Heyrana KJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4886791 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Contributions of Charged Residues in Structurally Dynamic Capsid Surface Loops to Rous Sarcoma Virus Assembly.

Heyrana Katrina J KJ Goh Boon Chong BC Perilla Juan R JR Nguyen Tam-Linh N TN England Matthew R MR Bewley Maria C MC Schulten Klaus K Craven Rebecca C RC

Journal of virology 20160527 12

<h4>Unlabelled</h4>Extensive studies of orthoretroviral capsids have shown that many regions of the CA protein play unique roles at different points in the virus life cycle. The N-terminal domain (NTD) flexible-loop (FL) region is one such example: exposed on the outer capsid surface, it has been implicated in Gag-mediated particle assembly, capsid maturation, and early replication events. We have now defined the contributions of charged residues in the FL region of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) ...[more]

PMID: 27053549

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Project description:UnlabelledPurified retroviral Gag proteins can assemble in vitro to form immature virus-like particles (VLPs). By cryoelectron tomography, Rous sarcoma virus VLPs show an organized hexameric lattice consisting chiefly of the capsid (CA) domain, with periodic stalk-like densities below the lattice. We hypothesize that the structure represented by these densities is formed by amino acid residues immediately downstream of the folded CA, namely, the short spacer peptide SP, along with a dozen flanking residues. These 24 residues comprise the SP assembly (SPA) domain, and we propose that neighboring SPA units in a Gag hexamer coalesce to form a six-helix bundle. Using in vitro assembly, alanine scanning mutagenesis, and biophysical analyses, we have further characterized the structure and function of SPA. Most of the amino acid residues in SPA could not be mutated individually without abrogating assembly, with the exception of a few residues near the N and C termini, as well as three hydrophilic residues within SPA. We interpret these results to mean that the amino acids that do not tolerate mutations contribute to higher-order structures in VLPs. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange analyses of unassembled Gag compared that of assembled VLPs showed strong protection at the SPA region, consistent with a higher-order structure. Circular dichroism revealed that a 29mer SPA peptide shifts from a random coil to a helix in a concentration-dependent manner. Analytical ultracentrifugation showed concentration-dependent self-association of the peptide into a hexamer. Taken together, these results provide strong evidence for the formation of a critical six-helix bundle in Gag assembly.ImportanceThe structure of a retrovirus like HIV is created by several thousand molecules of the viral Gag protein, which assemble to form the known hexagonal protein lattice in the virus particle. How the Gag proteins pack together in the lattice is incompletely understood. A short segment of Gag known to be critical for proper assembly has been hypothesized to form a six-helix bundle, which may be the nucleating event that leads to lattice formation. The experiments reported here, using the avian Rous sarcoma virus as a model system, further define the nature of this segment of Gag, show that it is in a higher-order structure in the virus particle, and provide the first direct evidence that it forms a six-helix bundle in retrovirus assembly. Such knowledge may provide underpinnings for the development of antiretroviral drugs that interfere with virus assembly.

Project description:Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a positive-stranded RNA virus, is the major cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in children, which can cause severe central nervous system disease and death. The capsids of EV71 consist of 60 copies of each of four viral structural proteins (VP1 to VP4), with VP1, VP2, and VP3 exposed on the surface and VP4 arranged internally. VP1 plays a central role in particle assembly and cell entry. To gain insight into the role of positively charged residues in VP1 function in these processes, a charged-to-alanine scanning analysis was performed using an infectious cDNA clone of EV71. Twenty-seven mutants containing single charged-to-alanine changes were tested. Sixteen of them were not viable, seven mutants were replication defective, and the remaining four mutants were replication competent. By selecting revertants, second-site mutations which could at least partially restore viral infectivity were identified within VP1 for four defective mutations and two lethal mutations. The resulting residue pairs represent a network of intra- and intermolecular interactions of the VP1 protein which could serve as a potential novel drug target. Interestingly, mutation K215A in the VP1 GH loop led to a significant increase in thermal stability, demonstrating that conditional thermostable mutants can be generated by altering the charge characteristics of VP1. Moreover, all mutants were sensitive to the EV71 entry inhibitor suramin, which binds to the virus particle via the negatively charged naphthalenetrisulfonic acid group, suggesting that single charged-to-alanine mutation is not sufficient for suramin resistance. Taken together, these data highlight the importance of positively charged residues in VP1 for production of infectious particles.Infection with EV71 is more often associated with neurological complications in children and is responsible for the majority of fatalities. No licensed vaccines or antiviral therapies are currently available for the prevention or treatment of EV71 infection. Understanding the determinants of virion assembly and entry will facilitate vaccine development and drug discovery. Here, we identified 23 out of 27 positively charged residues in VP1 which impaired or blocked the production of infectious particles. The defect could be rescued by second-site mutations within the VP1 protein. Our findings highlight the importance of positively charged residues in VP1 during infectious particle production and reveal a potential strategy for blocking EV71 infections by inhibiting intra- or intermolecular interactions of the VP1 protein.

Dataset Information

Contributions of Charged Residues in Structurally Dynamic Capsid Surface Loops to Rous Sarcoma Virus Assembly.

Publications

Contributions of Charged Residues in Structurally Dynamic Capsid Surface Loops to Rous Sarcoma Virus Assembly.

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