Diversity of HIV-1 Vpr interactions involves usage of the WXXF motif of host cell proteins

J Biol Chem. 1998 Apr 3;273(14):8009-16. doi: 10.1074/jbc.273.14.8009.

Abstract

Targeting protein or RNA moieties to specific cellular compartments may enhance their desired functions and specificities. Human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) encodes proteins in addition to Gag, Pol, and Env that are packaged into virus particles. One such retroviral-incorporated protein is Vpr, which is present in all primate lentiviruses. Vpr has been implicated in different roles within the HIV-1 life cycle. In testing a new hypothesis in which viral proteins are utilized as docking sites to incorporate protein moieties into virions, we used the peptide phage display approach to search for Vpr-specific binding peptides. In the present studies, we demonstrate that most of the peptides that bind to Vpr have a common motif, WXXF. More importantly, we demonstrate that the WXXF motif of uracil DNA glycosylase is implicated in the interaction of uracil DNA glycosylase with Vpr intracellularly. Finally, a dimer of the WXXF motif was fused to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene, and it was demonstrated that the WXXF dimer-CAT fusion protein construct produces CAT activity within virions in the presence of Vpr as a docking protein. This study provides a novel potential strategy in the targeting of anti-viral agents to interfere with HIV-1 replication.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Gene Products, vpr / physiology*
  • HIV-1 / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Binding
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Sequence Analysis
  • Virus Replication
  • vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Substances

  • Gene Products, vpr
  • Proteins
  • vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus