Type D retrovirus Gag polyprotein interacts with the cytosolic chaperonin TRiC

Molecular biology of jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is the causative agent of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), a contagious lung cancer of sheep. Until recently, research on JSRV/OPA was hampered by the lack of a tissue culture system for the propagation of the virus. Historically, pathological samples (lung fluid) collected from sheep affected by OPA were the only source of infectious JSRV. Thus studies on the JSRV/OPA system were conducted only where field isolates of OPA cases were readily available. In the past 10 years, the deduction of the JSRV sequence (York et al. 1991; York 1992), the isolation of an infectious and oncogenic JSRV molecular clone (JSRV21) (Palmarini et al. 1999a) and the establishment of a rapid method to produce infectious virus in vitro (Palmarini et al. 1999a) sparked many studies at the molecular level that strengthened past observations and revealed new properties of this unique virus. Here, we will review the data accumulated so far on the molecular biology of JSRV using the infectious and oncogenic JSRV21 molecular clone as virus of reference.

Function and regulation of cytosolic molecular chaperone CCT

Molecular chaperones are a group of proteins that assists in the folding of newly synthesized proteins or in the refolding of denatured proteins. The cytosolic chaperonin-containing t-complex polypeptide 1 (CCT) is a molecular chaperone that plays an important role in the folding of proteins in the eukaryotic cytosol. Actin, tubulin, and several other proteins are known to be folded by CCT, and an estimated 15% of newly translated proteins in mammalian cells are folded with the assistance of CCT. CCT differs from other chaperonin family proteins in its subunit composition, which consists of eight subunit species comprising the CCT 16-mer double-ring-like complex. CCT preferentially recognizes quasinative (or partially folded) intermediates, whereas its Escherichia coli homologue GroEL recognizes more unfolded intermediates, especially those displaying hydrophobic surfaces. Molecular evolutionary analyses have suggested that each subunit species has a specific function in addition to contributing to a common ATPase activity. Consistent with this view, it has been suggested that each subunit recognizes specific substrate proteins (or their parts) and that they collectively modulate the ATPase activity of the complex. The overall expression of CCT in mammalian cells is primarily dependent on cell growth, but each subunit exhibits an individual patterns of expression. Recent progress in CCT research is reviewed, focusing particularly on CCT function and expression. From these observations, the possible roles of the distinct subunits in CCT-assisted folding in the eukaryotic cytosol are discussed.

Interaction of HIV-1 gag and membranes in a cell-free system

A coupled transcription-translation (TNT) reticulocyte lysate system was used to examine posttranslational alterations in HIV-1 Gag upon addition of Jurkat T cell membranes. Incubation of the Gag precursor protein, Pr55gag, with membranes resulted in a time-dependent alteration in Gag resulting in partial resistance to trypsin treatment. Treatment of membranes and TNT extract with apyrase or pretreatment of membranes with trypsin prevented this posttranslational alteration of Gag. In contrast, this activity was not disrupted by pretreatment of membranes with Triton X-100 at 4 degrees C, under conditions which do not solubilize raft-associated proteins. Flotation studies revealed that acquisition of trypsin-resistance was accompanied by Gag binding to membranes. The myristylation signal and nucleocapsid domain were found to mediate Gag binding to membranes. The posttranslational alteration of Gag accompanying membrane interaction may represent a conformational change, oligomerization, and/or association with or envelopment by membranes. These findings provide new clues to the stepwise process of HIV-1 assembly.

Specific incorporation of heat shock protein 70 family members into primate lentiviral virions

To determine if any heat shock proteins are incorporated into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions in a manner similar to that of the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase cyclophilin A, we probed purified virions with antibodies against heat shock proteins Hsp27, Hsp40, Hsp60, Hsp70, Hsc70, and Hsp90. Of these proteins, Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsc70 associated with virions purified based on either particle density or size and were shown to be incorporated within the virion membrane, where they were protected from digestion by exogenous protease. Virion incorporation of Hsp70 was also observed with HIV-2 and with simian immunodeficiency viruses SIV(MAC) and SIV(AGM), but it appears to be specific for primate lentiviruses, since Hsp70 was not detected in association with Moloney murine leukemia virus virions. Of the HIV-1 genes, gag was found to be sufficient for Hsp70 incorporation, though Hsp70 was roughly equimolar with pol-encoded proteins in virions.