The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vif protein reduces intracellular expression and inhibits packaging of APOBEC3G (CEM15), a cellular inhibitor of virus infectivity

Apobec-Mediated Retroviral Hypermutation In Vivo is Dependent on Mouse Strain

Replication of the complex retrovirus mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is antagonized by murine Apobec3 (mA3), a member of the Apobec family of cytidine deaminases. We have shown that MMTV-encoded Rem protein inhibits proviral mutagenesis by the Apobec enzyme, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) during viral replication in BALB/c mice. To further study the role of Rem in vivo , we have infected C57BL/6 (B6) mice with a superantigen-independent lymphomagenic strain of MMTV (TBLV-WT) or a mutant strain (TBLV-SD) that is defective in Rem and its cleavage product Rem-CT. Unlike MMTV, TBLV induced T-cell tumors in µMT mice, indicating that mature B cells, which express the highest AID levels, are not required for TBLV replication. Compared to BALB/c, B6 mice were more susceptible to TBLV infection and tumorigenesis. The lack of Rem expression accelerated B6 tumorigenesis at limiting doses compared to TBLV-WT in either wild-type B6 or AID-deficient mice. However, unlike proviruses from BALB/c mice, high-throughput sequencing indicated that proviral G-to-A or C-to-T changes did not significantly differ in the presence and absence of Rem expression. Ex vivo stimulation showed higher levels of mA3 relative to AID in B6 compared to BALB/c splenocytes, but effects of agonists differed in the two strains. RNA-Seq revealed increased transcripts related to growth factor and cytokine signaling in TBLV-SD-induced tumors relative to those from TBLV-WT, consistent with a third Rem function. Thus, Rem-mediated effects on tumorigenesis in B6 mice are independent of Apobec-mediated proviral hypermutation.

E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Gammaherpesviruses and HIV: A Review of Virus Adaptation and Exploitation

For productive infection and replication to occur, viruses must control cellular machinery and counteract restriction factors and antiviral proteins. Viruses can accomplish this, in part, via the regulation of cellular gene expression and post-transcriptional and post-translational control. Many viruses co-opt and counteract cellular processes via modulation of the host post-translational modification machinery and encoding or hijacking kinases, SUMO ligases, deubiquitinases, and ubiquitin ligases, in addition to other modifiers. In this review, we focus on three oncoviruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and their interactions with the ubiquitin-proteasome system via viral-encoded or cellular E3 ubiquitin ligase activity.

DNAJB8 facilitates autophagic-lysosomal degradation of viral Vif protein and restricts HIV-1 virion infectivity by rescuing APOBEC3G expression in host cells

HSP40/DNAJ family of proteins is the most diverse chaperone family, comprising about 49 isoforms in humans. Several reports have demonstrated the functional role of a few of these isoforms in the pathogenesis of various viruses, including HIV-1. Our earlier study has shown that several isoforms of HSP40 get significantly modulated at the mRNA level during HIV-1 infection in T cells. To explore the biological role of these significantly modulated isoforms, we analyzed their effect on HIV-1 gene expression and virus production using knockdown and overexpression studies. Among these isoforms, DNAJA3, DNAJB1, DNAJB7, DNAJC4, DNAJC5B, DNAJC5G, DNAJC6, DNAJC22, and DNAJC30 seem to positively regulate virus replication, whereas DNAJB3, DNAJB6, DNAJB8, and DNAJC5 negatively regulate virus replication. Further investigation on the infectivity of the progeny virion demonstrated that only DNAJB8 negatively regulates the progeny virion infectivity. It was further identified that DNAJB8 protein is involved in the downregulation of Vif protein, required for the infectivity of HIV-1 virions. DNAJB8 seems to direct Vif protein for autophagic-lysosomal degradation, leading to rescue of the cellular restriction factor APOBEC3G from Vif-mediated proteasomal degradation, resulting in enhanced packaging of APOBEC3G in budding virions and release of less infective progeny virion particles. Finally, our results also indicate that during the early stage of HIV-1 infection, enhanced expression of DNAJB8 promotes the production of less infective progeny virions, but at the later stage or at the peak of infection, reduced expression of DNJAB8 protein allows the HIV-1 to replicate and produce more infective progeny virion particles.

APOBEC3, TRIM5α, and BST2 polymorphisms in healthy individuals of various populations with special references to its impact on HIV transmission

AIDS restriction genes (ARGs) like APOBEC3, TRIM5α, and BST2 can act as immunological detectors of the innate protective mechanism of the body. ARGs influence the course of viral pathogenesis and progression of the disease. The infection caused by different viruses including HIV activates the innate immune receptors leading to production of proinflammatory cytokines, interferons and signals that recruit and activate cells involved in the process of inflammation following induction of adaptive immunity. Differential expression of genes involved in viral infection decide the fate and subsequent susceptibility to infection and its clinical outcome. Nevertheless, comprehensive reports on the incidence of genetic polymorphism of APOBEC3s, TRIM5α, and BST-2 in the general population and its association with pathological conditions have not been described well. Therefore, the occurrence of APOBEC3, TRIM5α, and BST2 polymorphism in healthy individuals and its impact on HIV transmission was analyzed. We conducted an extensive search using the several databases including, EMBASE, PubMed (Medline), and Google Scholar. APOBEC3-D, -F, -G, and -H out of the seven human APOBEC3s, help in the control of viral infection. Amongst various restriction factors, TRIM5α and BST-2 also restrict the viral infection followed by the development of the disease. In the current review, a brief account of the polymorphism in the APOBEC3G, TRIM5α, and BST2 genes are explored among different populations along with the interaction of APOBEC3G with Vif protein. Furthermore, this review specifically focus on ARGs polymorphism (APOBEC3G, TRIM5α, and BST2) associated with HIV transmission.

A Conserved uORF Regulates APOBEC3G Translation and Is Targeted by HIV-1 Vif Protein to Repress the Antiviral Factor

The HIV-1 Vif protein is essential for viral fitness and pathogenicity. Vif decreases expression of cellular restriction factors APOBEC3G (A3G), A3F, A3D and A3H, which inhibit HIV-1 replication by inducing hypermutation during reverse transcription. Vif counteracts A3G at several levels (transcription, translation, and protein degradation) that altogether reduce the levels of A3G in cells and prevent its incorporation into viral particles. How Vif affects A3G translation remains unclear. Here, we uncovered the importance of a short conserved uORF (upstream ORF) located within two critical stem-loop structures of the 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) of A3G mRNA for this process. A3G translation occurs through a combination of leaky scanning and translation re-initiation and the presence of an intact uORF decreases the extent of global A3G translation under normal conditions. Interestingly, the uORF is also absolutely required for Vif-mediated translation inhibition and redirection of A3G mRNA into stress granules. Overall, we discovered that A3G translation is regulated by a small uORF conserved in the human population and that Vif uses this specific feature to repress its translation.

APOBEC3B Potently Restricts HIV-2 but Not HIV-1 in a Vif-Dependent Manner

Vif is a lentiviral accessory protein that counteracts the antiviral activity of cellular APOBEC3 (A3) cytidine deaminases in infected cells. The exact contribution of each member of the A3 family for the restriction of HIV-2 is still unclear. Thus, the aim of this work was to identify the A3s with anti-HIV-2 activity and compare their restriction potential for HIV-2 and HIV-1. We found that A3G is a strong restriction factor of both types of viruses and A3C restricts neither HIV-1 nor HIV-2. Importantly, A3B exhibited potent antiviral activity against HIV-2, but its effect was negligible against HIV-1. Whereas A3B is packaged with similar efficiency into both viruses in the absence of Vif, HIV-2 and HIV-1 differ in their sensitivity to A3B. HIV-2 Vif targets A3B by reducing its cellular levels and inhibiting its packaging into virions, whereas HIV-1 Vif did not evolve to antagonize A3B. Our observations support the hypothesis that during wild-type HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections, both viruses are able to replicate in host cells expressing A3B but using different mechanisms, probably resulting from a Vif functional adaptation over evolutionary time. Our findings provide new insights into the differences between Vif protein and their cellular partners in the two human viruses. Of note, A3B is highly expressed in some cancer cells and may cause deamination-induced mutations in these cancers. Thus, A3B may represent an important therapeutic target. As such, the ability of HIV-2 Vif to induce A3B degradation could be an effective tool for cancer therapy. IMPORTANCE Primate lentiviruses encode a series of accessory genes that facilitate virus adaptation to its host. Among those, the vif-encoded protein functions primarily by targeting the APOBEC3 (A3) family of cytidine deaminases. All lentiviral Vif proteins have the ability to antagonize A3G; however, antagonizing other members of the A3 family is variable. Here, we report that HIV-2 Vif, unlike HIV-1 Vif, can induce degradation of A3B. Consequently, HIV-2 Vif but not HIV-1 Vif can inhibit the packaging of A3B. Interestingly, while A3B is packaged efficiently into the core of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 virions in the absence of Vif, it only affects the infectivity of HIV-2 particles. Thus, HIV-1 and HIV-2 have evolved two distinct mechanisms to antagonize the antiviral activity of A3B. Aside from its antiviral activity, A3B has been associated with mutations in some cancers. Degradation of A3B by HIV-2 Vif may be useful for cancer therapies.

Dodging the Host Interferon-Stimulated Gene Mediated Innate Immunity by HIV-1: A Brief Update on Intrinsic Mechanisms and Counter-Mechanisms

Host restriction factors affect different phases of a viral life cycle, contributing to innate immunity as the first line of defense against viruses, including HIV-1. These restriction factors are constitutively expressed, but triggered upon infection by interferons. Both pre-integration and post-integration events of the HIV-1 life cycle appear to play distinct roles in the induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), many of which encode antiviral restriction factors. However, HIV-1 counteracts the mechanisms mediated by these restriction factors through its encoded components. Here, we review the recent findings of pathways that lead to the induction of ISGs, and the mechanisms employed by the restriction factors such as IFITMs, APOBEC3s, MX2, and ISG15 in preventing HIV-1 replication. We also reflect on the current understanding of the counter-mechanisms employed by HIV-1 to evade innate immune responses and overcome host restriction factors. Overall, this mini-review provides recent insights into the HIV-1-host cross talk bridging the understanding between intracellular immunity and research avenues in the field of therapeutic interventions against HIV-1.

Human Beta-Defensin 2 and 3 Inhibit HIV-1 Replication in Macrophages

Human beta-defensins (hBDs) are broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides, secreted by epithelial cells of the skin and mucosae, and astrocytes, which we and others have shown to inhibit HIV-1 in primary CD4⁺ T cells. Although loss of CD4⁺ T cells contributes to mucosal immune dysfunction, macrophages are a major source of persistence and spread of HIV and also contribute to the development of various HIV-associated complications. We hypothesized that, besides T cells, hBDs could protect macrophages from HIV. Our data in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) in vitro show that hBD2 and hBD3 inhibit HIV replication in a dose-dependent manner. We determined that hBD2 neither alters surface expression of HIV receptors nor induces expression of anti-HIV cytokines or beta-chemokines in MDM. Studies using a G-protein signaling antagonist in a single-cycle reporter virus system showed that hBD2 suppresses HIV at an early post-entry stage via G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated signaling. We find that MDM express the shared chemokine-hBD receptors CCR2 and CCR6, albeit at variable levels among donors. However, cell surface expression analyses show that neither of these receptors is necessary for hBD2-mediated HIV inhibition, suggesting that hBD2 can signal via additional receptor(s). Our data also illustrate that hBD2 treatment was associated with increased expression of APOBEC3A and 3G antiretroviral restriction factors in MDM. These findings suggest that hBD2 inhibits HIV in MDM via more than one CCR thus adding to the potential of using β-defensins in preventive and therapeutic approaches.

Multifaceted HIV-1 Vif interactions with human E3 ubiquitin ligase and APOBEC3s

APOBEC3 (A3) proteins are a family of host antiviral restriction factors that potently inhibit various retroviral infections, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1. To overcome this restriction, HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif) recruits the cellular cofactor CBFβ to assist in targeting A3 proteins to a host E3 ligase complex for polyubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Intervention of the Vif-A3 interactions could be a promising therapeutic strategy to facilitate A3-mediated suppression of HIV-1 in patients. In this structural snapshot, we review the structural features of the recently determined structure of human A3F in complex with HIV-1 Vif and its cofactor CBFβ, discuss insights into the molecular principles of Vif-A3 interplay during the arms race between the virus and host, and highlight the therapeutic implications.

Degradation-Independent Inhibition of APOBEC3G by the HIV-1 Vif Protein

The ubiquitin–proteasome system plays an important role in the cell under normal physiological conditions but also during viral infections. Indeed, many auxiliary proteins from the (HIV-1) divert this system to its own advantage, notably to induce the degradation of cellular restriction factors. For instance, the HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) has been shown to specifically counteract several cellular deaminases belonging to the apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC3 or A3) family (A3A to A3H) by recruiting an E3-ubiquitin ligase complex and inducing their polyubiquitination and degradation through the proteasome. Although this pathway has been extensively characterized so far, Vif has also been shown to impede A3s through degradation-independent processes, but research on this matter remains limited. In this review, we describe our current knowledge regarding the degradation-independent inhibition of A3s, and A3G in particular, by the HIV-1 Vif protein, the molecular mechanisms involved, and highlight important properties of this small viral protein.

Foamy Viruses, Bet, and APOBEC3 Restriction

Non-human primates (NHP) are an important source of viruses that can spillover to humans and, after adaptation, spread through the host population. Whereas HIV-1 and HTLV-1 emerged as retroviral pathogens in humans, a unique class of retroviruses called foamy viruses (FV) with zoonotic potential are occasionally detected in bushmeat hunters or zookeepers. Various FVs are endemic in numerous mammalian natural hosts, such as primates, felines, bovines, and equines, and other animals, but not in humans. They are apathogenic, and significant differences exist between the viral life cycles of FV and other retroviruses. Importantly, FVs replicate in the presence of many well-defined retroviral restriction factors such as TRIM5α, BST2 (Tetherin), MX2, and APOBEC3 (A3). While the interaction of A3s with HIV-1 is well studied, the escape mechanisms of FVs from restriction by A3 is much less explored. Here we review the current knowledge of FV biology, host restriction factors, and FV-host interactions with an emphasis on the consequences of FV regulatory protein Bet binding to A3s and outline crucial open questions for future studies.

Potential APOBEC-mediated RNA editing of the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses and its impact on their longer term evolution

Members of the APOBEC family of cytidine deaminases show antiviral activities in mammalian cells through lethal editing in the genomes of small DNA viruses, herpesviruses and retroviruses, and potentially those of RNA viruses such as coronaviruses. Consistent with the latter, APOBEC-like directional C→U transitions of genomic plus-strand RNA are greatly overrepresented in SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences of variants emerging during the COVID-19 pandemic. A C→U mutational process may leave evolutionary imprints on coronavirus genomes, including extensive homoplasy from editing and reversion at targeted sites and the occurrence of driven amino acid sequence changes in viral proteins. If sustained over longer periods, this process may account for the previously reported marked global depletion of C and excess of U bases in human seasonal coronavirus genomes. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on APOBEC evolution and function and the evidence of their role in APOBEC-mediated genome editing of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.

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SARS-CoV-2 sequence variants contain an overabundance of C- > U transitions

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C- > U transitions are the hallmark of the activity of APOBEC cytosine deaminases

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Further work is needed to determine APOBEC's role in coronavirus evolution

The Role of APOBECs in Viral Replication

Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) proteins are a diverse and evolutionarily conserved family of cytidine deaminases that provide a variety of functions from tissue-specific gene expression and immunoglobulin diversity to control of viruses and retrotransposons. APOBEC family expansion has been documented among mammalian species, suggesting a powerful selection for their activity. Enzymes with a duplicated zinc-binding domain often have catalytically active and inactive domains, yet both have antiviral function. Although APOBEC antiviral function was discovered through hypermutation of HIV-1 genomes lacking an active Vif protein, much evidence indicates that APOBECs also inhibit virus replication through mechanisms other than mutagenesis. Multiple steps of the viral replication cycle may be affected, although nucleic acid replication is a primary target. Packaging of APOBECs into virions was first noted with HIV-1, yet is not a prerequisite for viral inhibition. APOBEC antagonism may occur in viral producer and recipient cells. Signatures of APOBEC activity include G-to-A and C-to-T mutations in a particular sequence context. The importance of APOBEC activity for viral inhibition is reflected in the identification of numerous viral factors, including HIV-1 Vif, which are dedicated to antagonism of these deaminases. Such viral antagonists often are only partially successful, leading to APOBEC selection for viral variants that enhance replication or avoid immune elimination.

Crystal Structure of a Soluble APOBEC3G Variant Suggests ssDNA to Bind in a Channel that Extends between the Two Domains

APOBEC3G (A3G) is a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) cytosine deaminase that can restrict HIV-1 infection by mutating the viral genome. A3G consists of a non-catalytic N-terminal domain (NTD) and a catalytic C-terminal domain (CTD) connected by a short linker. While the CTD catalyzes cytosine deamination, the NTD is believed to provide additional affinity for ssDNA. Structures of both A3G domains have been solved individually; however, a full-length A3G structure has been challenging. Recently, crystal structures of full-length rhesus macaque A3G variants were solved which suggested dimerization mechanisms and RNA binding surfaces, whereas the dimerization appeared to compromise catalytic activity. We determined the crystal structure of a soluble variant of human A3G (sA3G) at 2.5 Å and from these data generated a model structure of wild-type A3G. This model demonstrated that the NTD was rotated 90° relative to the CTD along the major axis of the molecule, an orientation that forms a positively charged channel connected to the CTD catalytic site, consisting of NTD loop-1 and CTD loop-3. Structure-based mutations, in vitro deamination and DNA binding assays, and HIV-1 restriction assays identify R24, located in the NTD loop-1, as essential to a critical interaction with ssDNA. Furthermore, sA3G was shown to bind a deoxy-cytidine dinucleotide near the catalytic Zn²⁺, yet not in the catalytic position, where the interactions between deoxy-cytidines and CTD loop-1 and loop-7 residues were different from those formed with substrate. These new interactions suggest a mechanism explaining why A3G exhibits a 3' to 5' directional preference in processive deamination.

Post-translational modifications inducing proteasomal degradation to counter HIV-1 infection

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are integral to regulating a wide variety of cellular processes in eukaryotic cells, such as regulation of protein stability, alteration of celluar location, protein activity modulation, and regulation of protein interactions. HIV-1, like other eukaryotic viruses, and its infected host exploit the proteasomal degradation system for their respective proliferation and survival, using various PTMs, including but not limited to ubiquitination, SUMOylation, NEDDylation, interferon-stimulated gene (ISG)ylation. Essentially all viral proteins within the virions -- and in the HIV-1-infected cells -- interact with their cellular counterparts for this degradation, utilizing ubiquitin (Ub), and the Ub-like (Ubl) modifiers less frequently, to eliminate the involved proteins throughout the virus life cycle, from the entry step to release of the assembled virus particles. Such interplay is pivotal for, on the one hand, the cell to restrict proliferation of the infecting virus, and on the other, for molecular counteraction by the virus to overcome this cellular protein-imposed restriction. Recent reports indicate that not only viral/cellular proteins but also viral/viral protein interactions play vital roles in regulating viral protein stability. We hence give an overview of the molecular processes of PTMs involved in proteasomal degradation of the viral and cellular proteins, and the viral/viral and viral/cellular protein interplay in restriction and competition for HIV-1 vs. host cell survival. Insights in this realm could open new avenues for developing therapeutics against HIV-1 via targeting specific steps of the proteasome degradation pathway during the HIV-1 life cycle.

Inhibition of Vif-Mediated Degradation of APOBEC3G through Competitive Binding of Core-Binding Factor Beta

Vif counteracts the host restriction factor APOBEC3G (A3G) and other APOBEC3s by preventing the incorporation of A3G into progeny virions. We previously identified Vif mutants with a dominant-negative (D/N) phenotype that interfered with the function of wild-type Vif, inhibited the degradation of A3G, and reduced the infectivity of viral particles by increased packaging of A3G. However, the mechanism of interference remained unclear, in particular since all D/N Vif mutants were unable to bind Cul5 and some mutants additionally failed to bind A3G, ruling out competitive binding to A3G or the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex as the sole mechanism. The goal of the current study was to revisit the mechanism of D/N interference by Vif mutants and analyze the possible involvement of core binding factor beta (CBFβ) in this process. We found a clear correlation of D/N properties of Vif mutants with their ability to engage CBFβ. Only mutants that retained the ability to bind CBFβ exhibited the D/N phenotype. Competition studies revealed that D/N Vif mutants directly interfered with the association of CBFβ and wild-type Vif. Furthermore, overexpression of CBFβ counteracted the interference of D/N Vif mutants with A3G degradation by wild-type Vif. Finally, overexpression of Runx1 mimicked the effect of D/N Vif mutants and inhibited the degradation of A3G by wild-type Vif. Taken together, we identified CBFβ as the key player involved in D/N interference by Vif.IMPORTANCE Of all the accessory proteins encoded by HIV-1 and other primate lentiviruses, Vif has arguably the strongest potential as a target for antiviral therapy. This conclusion is based on the observation that replication of HIV-1 in vivo is critically dependent on Vif. Thus, inhibiting the function of Vif via small-molecule inhibitors or other approaches has significant therapeutic potential. We previously identified dominant-negative (D/N) Vif variants whose expression interferes with the function of virus-encoded wild-type Vif. We now show that D/N interference involves competitive binding of D/N Vif variants to the transcriptional cofactor core binding factor beta (CBFβ), which is expressed in cells in limiting quantities. Overexpression of CBFβ neutralized the D/N phenotype of Vif. In contrast, overexpression of Runx1, a cellular binding partner of CBFβ, phenocopied the D/N Vif phenotype by sequestering endogenous CBFβ. Thus, our results provide proof of principle that D/N Vif variants could have therapeutic potential.

Mouse APOBEC3 interferes with autocatalytic cleavage of murine leukemia virus Pr180gag-pol precursor and inhibits Pr65gag processing

Mouse APOBEC3 (mA3) inhibits murine leukemia virus (MuLV) replication by a deamination-independent mechanism in which the reverse transcription is considered the main target process. However, other steps in virus replication that can be targeted by mA3 have not been examined. We have investigated the possible effect of mA3 on MuLV protease-mediated processes and found that mA3 binds both mature viral protease and Pr180gag-pol precursor polyprotein. Using replication-competent MuLVs, we also show that mA3 inhibits the processing of Pr65 Gag precursor. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the autoprocessing of Pr180gag-pol is impeded by mA3, resulting in reduced production of mature viral protease. This reduction appears to link with the above inefficient Pr65gag processing in the presence of mA3. Two major isoforms of mA3, exon 5-containing and -lacking ones, equally exhibit this antiviral activity. Importantly, physiologically expressed levels of mA3 impedes both Pr180gag-pol autocatalysis and Pr65gag processing. This blockade is independent of the deaminase activity and requires the C-terminal region of mA3. These results suggest that the above impairment of Pr180gag-pol autoprocessing may significantly contribute to the deaminase-independent antiretroviral activity exerted by mA3.

Soon after the identification of the polynucleotide cytidine deaminase APOBEC3 as a host restriction factor against vif-deficient HIV, it was noticed that deamination-independent mechanisms are involved in the inhibition of viral replication in addition to the deaminase-dependent mechanism. We previously showed that mouse APOBEC3 (mA3) physiologically restricted mouse retrovirus replication in their natural hosts without causing significant G-to-A hypermutations. Inhibition of reverse transcription is reported to be the most plausible mechanism for the deamination-independent antiretroviral function. However, it remains unknown whether the inhibition of reverse transcription is the only way to explain the whole picture of deamination-independent antiviral activity exerted by APOBEC3. Here we show that mA3 targets the autoprocessing of Pr180gag-pol polyprotein. This activity does not require the deaminase catalytic center and mainly exerted by the C-terminal half of mA3. mA3 physically interacts with murine retroviral protease and its precursor Pr180gag-pol. mA3-induced disruption of the autocatalytic Pr180gag-pol cleavage leads to a significant reduction of mature viral protease, resulting in the inhibition of Pr65gag processing to mature Gag proteins. As the Pr180gag-pol autoprocessing is necessary for the maturation of other viral enzymes including the reverse transcriptase, its inhibition by host APOBEC3 may precede the previously described impairment of reverse transcription. Our discovery may lead to the development of novel antiretroviral drugs through the future identification of detailed molecular interfaces between retroviral Gag-Pol polyprotein and APOBEC3.

A Protein Antagonist of Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase Encoded by a Complex Mouse Retrovirus

Complex human-pathogenic retroviruses cause high morbidity and mortality worldwide, but resist antiviral drugs and vaccine development due to evasion of the immune response. A complex retrovirus, mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), requires replication in B and T lymphocytes for mammary gland transmission and is antagonized by the innate immune restriction factor murine Apobec3 (mA3). To determine whether the regulatory/accessory protein Rem affects innate responses to MMTV, a splice-donor mutant (MMTV-SD) lacking Rem expression was injected into BALB/c mice. Mammary tumors induced by MMTV-SD had a lower proviral load, lower incidence, and longer latency than mammary tumors induced by wild-type MMTV (MMTV-WT). MMTV-SD proviruses had many G-to-A mutations on the proviral plus strand, but also C-to-T transitions within WRC motifs. Similarly, a lymphomagenic MMTV variant lacking Rem expression showed decreased proviral loads and increased WRC motif mutations relative to those in wild-type-virus-induced tumors, consistent with activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) mutagenesis in lymphoid cells. These mutations are typical of the Apobec family member AID, a B-cell-specific mutagenic protein involved in antibody variable region hypermutation. In contrast, mutations in WRC motifs and proviral loads were similar in MMTV-WT and MMTV-SD proviruses from tumors in AID-insufficient mice. AID was not packaged in MMTV virions. Rem coexpression in transfection experiments led to AID proteasomal degradation. Our data suggest that rem specifies a human-pathogenic immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vif-like protein that inhibits AID and antagonizes innate immunity during MMTV replication in lymphocytes.IMPORTANCE Complex retroviruses, such as human-pathogenic immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), cause many human deaths. These retroviruses produce lifelong infections through viral proteins that interfere with host immunity. The complex retrovirus mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) allows for studies of host-pathogen interactions not possible in humans. A mutation preventing expression of the MMTV Rem protein in two different MMTV strains decreased proviral loads in tumors and increased viral genome mutations typical of an evolutionarily ancient enzyme, AID. Although the presence of AID generally improves antibody-based immunity, it may contribute to human cancer progression. We observed that coexpression of MMTV Rem and AID led to AID destruction. Our results suggest that Rem is the first known protein inhibitor of AID and that further experiments could lead to new disease treatments.

USP49 potently stabilizes APOBEC3G protein by removing ubiquitin and inhibits HIV-1 replication

The antiviral activity of host factor apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G, A3G) and its degradation mediated by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vif protein are important topics. Although accumulating evidence indicates the importance of deubiquitination enzymes (DUBs) in innate immunity, it is unknown if they participate in A3G stability. Here, we found that USP49 directly interacts with A3G and efficiently removes ubiquitin, consequently increasing A3G protein expression and significantly enhancing its anti-HIV-1 activity. Unexpectedly, A3G degradation was also mediated by a Vif- and cullin-ring-independent pathway, which was effectively counteracted by USP49. Furthermore, clinical data suggested that USP49 is correlated with A3G protein expression and hypermutations in Vif-positive proviruses, and inversely with the intact provirus ratio in the HIV-1 latent reservoir. Our studies demonstrated a mechanism to effectively stabilize A3G expression, which could comprise a target to control HIV-1 infection and eradicate the latent reservoir.

A high rate of polymerization during synthesis of mouse mammary tumor virus DNA alleviates hypermutation by APOBEC3 proteins

Retroviruses have evolved multiple means to counteract host restriction factors such as single-stranded DNA-specific deoxycytidine deaminases (APOBEC3s, A3s). These include exclusion of A3s from virions by an A3-unreactive nucleocapsid or expression of an A3-neutralizing protein (Vif, Bet). However, a number of retroviruses package A3s and do not encode apparent vif- or bet-like genes, yet they replicate in the presence of A3s. The mode by which they overcome deleterious restriction remains largely unknown. Here we show that the prototypic betaretrovirus, mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), packages similar amounts of A3s as HIV-1ΔVif, yet its proviruses carry a significantly lower level of A3-mediated deamination events than the lentivirus. The G-to-A mutation rate increases when the kinetics of reverse transcription is reduced by introducing a mutation (F120L) to the DNA polymerase domain of the MMTV reverse transcriptase (RT). A similar A3-sensitizing effect was observed when the exposure time of single-stranded DNA intermediates to A3s during reverse transcription was lengthened by reducing the dNTP concentration or by adding suboptimal concentrations of an RT inhibitor to infected cells. Thus, the MMTV RT has evolved to impede access of A3s to transiently exposed minus DNA strands during reverse transcription, thereby alleviating inhibition by A3 family members. A similar mechanism may be used by other retroviruses and retrotransposons to reduce deleterious effects of A3 proteins.

APOBEC3G Regulation of the Evolutionary Race Between Adaptive Immunity and Viral Immune Escape Is Deeply Imprinted in the HIV Genome

APOBEC3G (A3G) is a host enzyme that mutates the genomes of retroviruses like HIV. Since A3G is expressed pre-infection, it has classically been considered an agent of innate immunity. We and others previously showed that the impact of A3G-induced mutations on the HIV genome extends to adaptive immunity also, by generating cytotoxic T cell (CTL) escape mutations. Accordingly, HIV genomic sequences encoding CTL epitopes often contain A3G-mutable “hotspot” sequence motifs, presumably to channel A3G action toward CTL escape. Here, we studied the depths and consequences of this apparent viral genome co-evolution with A3G. We identified all potential CTL epitopes in Gag, Pol, Env, and Nef restricted to several HLA class I alleles. We simulated A3G-induced mutations within CTL epitope-encoding sequences, and flanking regions. From the immune recognition perspective, we analyzed how A3G-driven mutations are predicted to impact CTL-epitope generation through modulating proteasomal processing and HLA class I binding. We found that A3G mutations were most often predicted to result in diminishing/abolishing HLA-binding affinity of peptide epitopes. From the viral genome evolution perspective, we evaluated enrichment of A3G hotspots at sequences encoding CTL epitopes and included control sequences in which the HIV genome was randomly shuffled. We found that sequences encoding immunogenic epitopes exhibited a selective enrichment of A3G hotspots, which were strongly biased to translate to non-synonymous amino acid substitutions. When superimposed on the known mutational gradient across the entire length of the HIV genome, we observed a gradient of A3G hotspot enrichment, and an HLA-specific pattern of the potential of A3G hotspots to lead to CTL escape mutations. These data illuminate the depths and extent of the co-evolution of the viral genome to subvert the host mutator A3G.

Polymorphisms of the cytidine deaminase APOBEC3F have different HIV-1 restriction efficiencies

The APOBEC3 enzyme family are host restriction factors that induce mutagenesis of HIV-1 proviral genomes through the deamination of cytosine to form uracil in nascent single-stranded (-)DNA. HIV-1 suppresses APOBEC3 activity through the HIV-1 protein Vif that induces APOBEC3 degradation. Here we compared two common polymorphisms of APOBEC3F. We found that although both polymorphisms have HIV-1 restriction activity, APOBEC3F 108 A/231V can restrict HIV-1 ΔVif up to 4-fold more than APOBEC3F 108 S/231I and is partially protected from Vif-mediated degradation. This resulted from higher levels of steady state expression of APOBEC3F 108 A/231 V. Individuals are commonly heterozygous for the APOBEC3F polymorphisms and these polymorphisms formed in cells, independent of RNA, hetero-oligomers between each other and with APOBEC3G. Hetero-oligomerization with APOBEC3F 108 A/231V resulted in partial stabilization of APOBEC3F 108 S/231I and APOBEC3G in the presence of Vif. These data demonstrate functional outcomes of APOBEC3 polymorphisms and hetero-oligomerization that affect HIV-1 restriction.

Post-translational Modification-Based Regulation of HIV Replication

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) relies heavily on the host cellular machinery for production of viral progeny. To exploit cellular proteins for replication and to overcome host factors with antiviral activity, HIV has evolved a set of regulatory and accessory proteins to shape an optimized environment for its replication and to facilitate evasion from the immune system. Several cellular pathways are hijacked by the virus to modulate critical steps during the viral life cycle. Thereby, post-translational modifications (PTMs) of viral and cellular proteins gain increasingly attention as modifying enzymes regulate virtually every step of the viral replication cycle. This review summarizes the current knowledge of HIV-host interactions influenced by PTMs with a special focus on acetylation, ubiquitination, and phosphorylation of proteins linked to cellular signaling and viral replication. Insights into these interactions are surmised to aid development of new intervention strategies.

APOBEC3B Activity Is Prevalent in Urothelial Carcinoma Cells and Only Slightly Affected by LINE-1 Expression

The most common mutational signature in urothelial carcinoma (UC), the most common type of urinary bladder cancer is assumed to be caused by the misdirected activity of APOBEC3 (A3) cytidine deaminases, especially A3A or A3B, which are known to normally restrict the propagation of exogenous viruses and endogenous retroelements such as LINE-1 (L1). The involvement of A3 proteins in urothelial carcinogenesis is unexpected because, to date, UC is thought to be caused by chemical carcinogens rather than viral activity. Therefore, we explored the relationship between A3 expression and L1 activity, which is generally upregulated in UC. We found that UC cell lines highly express A3B and in some cases A3G, but not A3A, and exhibit corresponding cytidine deamination activity in vitro. While we observed evidence suggesting that L1 expression has a weak positive effect on A3B and A3G expression and A3B promoter activity, neither efficient siRNA-mediated knockdown nor overexpression of functional L1 elements affected catalytic activity of A3 proteins consistently. However, L1 knockdown diminished proliferation of a UC cell line exhibiting robust endogenous L1 expression, but had little impact on a cell line with low L1 expression levels. Our results indicate that UC cells express A3B at levels exceeding A3A levels by far, making A3B the prime candidate for causing genomic mutations. Our data provide evidence that L1 activation constitutes only a minor and negligible factor involved in induction or upregulation of endogenous A3 expression in UC.

Viral subversion of APOBEC3s: Lessons for anti-tumor immunity and tumor immunotherapy

APOBEC3s (A3) are endogenous DNA-editing enzymes that are expressed in immune cells including T lymphocytes. A3s target and mutate the genomes of retroviruses that infect immune tissues such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Therefore, A3s were classically defined as host anti-viral innate immune factors. In contrast, we and others showed that A3s can also benefit the virus by mediating escape from adaptive immune recognition and drugs. Crucially, whether A3-mediated mutations help or hinder HIV, is not up to chance. Rather, the virus has evolved multiple mechanisms to actively and maximally subvert A3 activity. More recently, extensive A3 mutational footprints in tumor genomes have been observed in many different cancers. This suggests a role for A3s in cancer initiation and progression. On the other hand, multiple anti-tumor activities of A3s have also come to light, including impact on immune checkpoint molecules and possible generation of tumor neo-antigens. Here, we review the studies that reshaped the view of A3s from anti-viral innate immune agents to host factors exploited by HIV to escape from immune recognition. Viruses and tumors share many attributes, including rapid evolution and adeptness at exploiting mutations. Given this parallel, we then discuss the pro- and anti-tumor roles of A3s, and suggest that lessons learned from studying A3s in the context of anti-viral immunity can be applied to tumor immunotherapy.

Human-APOBEC3G-dependent restriction of porcine endogenous retrovirus replication is mediated by cytidine deamination and inhibition of DNA strand transfer during reverse transcription

Although human apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G, hA3G)-mediated deamination is the major mechanism used to restrict the infectivity of a broad range of retroviruses, it is unclear whether porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) is affected by hA3G or porcine A3F (poA3F). To determine whether DNA deamination is required for hA3G- and poA3F-dependent inhibition of PERV transmission, we developed VSV-pseudotype PERV-B expressing hA3G, mutant hA3G-E67Q (encapsidation and RNA binding activity-deficient), mutant hA3G-E259Q (deaminase-deficient), or poA3F. hA3G-E67Q decreased virus infectivity by ~ 93% compared to the ~ 99% decrease of viral infectivity by wild-type hA3G, while hA3G-E259Q decreased the infectivity of PERV-B by ~ 35%. These data suggest that cytidine deamination activity is crucial for efficient restriction of PERV by hA3G, but cytidine deamination cannot fully explain the inactivation of PERV by hA3G. Furthermore, differential DNA denaturation PCR (3D-PCR) products from 293T cells infected with PERV-B expressing hA3G mutants were sequenced. G-to-A hypermutation was detected at a frequency of 4.1% for hA3G, 3.4% for hA3G-E67Q, and 4.7% for poA3F. These results also suggest that hA3G and poA3F inhibit PERV by a deamination-dependent mechanism. To examine the effect of hA3G on the production of PERV DNA, genomic DNA was extracted from 293T cells 12 h after infection with PERV expressing hA3G, and this DNA was used as template for real-time PCR. A 50% decrease in minus strand strong stop (-sss) DNA synthesis/transfer was observed in the presence of hA3G. Based on these results, we conclude that hA3G may restrict PERV by both deamination-dependent mechanisms and inhibition of DNA strand transfer during PERV reverse transcription.

Multiple Inhibitory Factors Act in the Late Phase of HIV-1 Replication: a Systematic Review of the Literature

The use of lentiviral vectors for therapeutic purposes has shown promising results in clinical trials. The ability to produce a clinical-grade vector at high yields remains a critical issue. One possible obstacle could be cellular factors known to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). To date, five HIV restriction factors have been identified, although it is likely that more factors are involved in the complex HIV-cell interaction. Inhibitory factors that have an adverse effect but do not abolish virus production are much less well described. Therefore, a gap exists in the knowledge of inhibitory factors acting late in the HIV life cycle (from transcription to infection of a new cell), which are relevant to the lentiviral vector production process. The objective was to review the HIV literature to identify cellular factors previously implicated as inhibitors of the late stages of lentivirus production. A search for publications was conducted on MEDLINE via the PubMed interface, using the keyword sequence "HIV restriction factor" or "HIV restriction" or "inhibit HIV" or "repress HIV" or "restrict HIV" or "suppress HIV" or "block HIV," with a publication date up to 31 December 2016. Cited papers from the identified records were investigated, and additional database searches were performed. A total of 260 candidate inhibitory factors were identified. These factors have been identified in the literature as having a negative impact on HIV replication. This study identified hundreds of candidate inhibitory factors for which the impact of modulating their expression in lentiviral vector production could be beneficial.

Stably expressed APOBEC3H forms a barrier for cross-species transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus of chimpanzee to humans

APOBEC3s (A3s) are potent restriction factors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1/simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1/SIV), and can repress cross-species transmissions of lentiviruses. HIV-1 originated from a zoonotic infection of SIV of chimpanzee (SIVcpz) to humans. However, the impact of human A3s on the replication of SIVcpz remains unclear. By using novel SIVcpz reporter viruses, we identified that human APOBEC3B (A3B) and APOBEC3H (A3H) haplotype II strongly reduced the infectivity of SIVcpz, because both of them are resistant to SIVcpz Vifs. We further demonstrated that human A3H inhibited SIVcpz by deaminase dependent as well independent mechanisms. In addition, other stably expressed human A3H haplotypes and splice variants showed strong antiviral activity against SIVcpz. Moreover, most SIV and HIV lineage Vif proteins could degrade chimpanzee A3H, but no Vifs from SIVcpz and SIV of gorilla (SIVgor) lineages antagonized human A3H haplotype II. Expression of human A3H hapII in human T cells efficiently blocked the spreading replication of SIVcpz. The spreading replication of SIVcpz was also restricted by stable A3H in human PBMCs. Thus, we speculate that stably expressed human A3H protects humans against the cross-species transmission of SIVcpz and that SIVcpz spillover to humans may have started in individuals that harbor haplotypes of unstable A3H proteins.

Cytidine deaminase efficiency of the lentiviral viral restriction factor APOBEC3C correlates with dimerization

The seven APOBEC3 (A3) enzymes in primates restrict HIV/SIV replication to differing degrees by deaminating cytosine in viral (−)DNA, which forms promutagenic uracils that inactivate the virus. A polymorphism in human APOBEC3C (A3C) that encodes an S188I mutation increases the enzymatic activity of the protein and its ability to restrict HIV-1, and correlates with increased propensity to form dimers. However, other hominid A3C proteins only have an S188, suggesting they should be less active like the common form of human A3C. Nonetheless, here we demonstrate that chimpanzee and gorilla A3C have approximately equivalent activity to human A3C I188 and that chimpanzee and gorilla A3C form dimers at the same interface as human A3C S188I, but through different amino acids. For each of these hominid A3C enzymes, dimerization enables processivity on single-stranded DNA and results in higher levels of mutagenesis during reverse transcription in vitro and in cells. For increased mutagenic activity, formation of a dimer was more important than specific amino acids and the dimer interface is unique from other A3 enzymes. We propose that dimerization is a predictor of A3C enzyme activity.

Impairment of the type I interferon response by HIV-1: Potential targets for HIV eradication

By interfering with the type I interferon (IFN1) response, human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) can circumvent host antiviral signalling and establish persistent viral reservoirs. HIV-1-mediated defects in the IFN pathway are numerous, and include the impairment of protein receptors involved in pathogen detection, downstream signalling cascades required for IFN1 upregulation, and expression or function of key IFN1-inducible, antiviral proteins. Despite this, the activation of IFN1-inducible, antiviral proteins has been shown to facilitate the killing of latently HIV-infected cells in vitro. Understanding how IFN1 signalling is blocked in physiologically-relevant models of HIV-1 infection, and whether these defects can be reversed, is therefore of great importance for the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at eradicating the HIV-1 reservoir.

Mapping Region of Human Restriction Factor APOBEC3H Critical for Interaction with HIV-1 Vif

The APOBEC3 (A3) family of cellular cytidine deaminases comprises seven members (A, B, C, D, F, G, and H) that potently inhibit retroviral replication. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vif is a small pleiotropic protein that specifically inactivates these enzymes, targeting them for ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation. A3 Vif-interaction sites are presumed to fall into three distinct types: A3C/D/F, A3G, and A3H. To date, two types of A3G and A3C/D/F sites have been well characterized, whereas the A3H Vif-binding site remains poorly defined. Here, we explore the residues critical for the A3H-type Vif interaction. To avoid technical difficulties in performing experiments with human A3H haplotype II (hapII), which is relatively resistant to HIV-1 Vif, we employed its ortholog chimpanzee A3H (cA3H), which displays high Vif sensitivity, for a comparison of sensitivity with that of A3H hapII. The Vif susceptibility of A3H hapII-cA3H chimeras and their substitution mutants revealed a single residue at position 97 as a major determinant for the difference in their Vif sensitivities. We further surveyed critical residues by structure-guided mutagenesis using an A3H structural model and thus identified eight additional residues important for Vif sensitivity, which mapped to the α3 and α4 helices of A3H. Interestingly, this area is located on a surface adjacent to the A3G and A3C/D/F interfaces and is composed of negatively charged and hydrophobic patches. These findings suggest that HIV-1 Vif has evolved to utilize three dispersed surfaces for recognizing three types of interfaces on A3 proteins under certain structural constraints.

Long-term passage of Vif-null HIV-1 in CD4+ T cells expressing sub-lethal levels of APOBEC proteins fails to develop APOBEC resistance

APOBEC3G (A3G) is a cytidine deaminase with potent antiviral activity that is antagonized by Vif. A3G is expressed in a cell type-specific manner and some semi-permissive cells, including A3.01, express A3G but fail to block replication of Vif-null HIV-1. Here we explored the semi-permissive nature of A3.01 cells and found it to be defined exclusively by the levels of A3G. Indeed, minor changes in A3G levels rendered A3.01 cells either fully permissive or non-permissive for Vif-null HIV-1. Our data indicate that A3.01 cells express sub-lethal levels of catalytically active A3G that affects Vif-null HIV-1 at the proviral level but does not completely block virus replication due to purifying selection. Attempts to use the selective pressure exerted by such sub-lethal levels of A3G to select for APOBEC-resistant Vif-null virus capable of replicating in H9 cells failed despite passaging virus for five months, demonstrating that Vif is a critical viral accessory protein.

Translational regulation of APOBEC3G mRNA by Vif requires its 5'UTR and contributes to restoring HIV-1 infectivity

The essential HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) allows productive infection of non-permissive cells expressing cytidine deaminases APOBEC3G (A3G) and A3F by decreasing their cellular level, and preventing their incorporation into virions. Unlike the Vif-induced degradation of A3G, the functional role of the inhibition of A3G translation by Vif remained unclear. Here, we show that two stem-loop structures within the 5′-untranslated region of A3G mRNA are crucial for translation inhibition by Vif in cells, and most Vif alleles neutralize A3G translation efficiently. Interestingly, K26R mutation in Vif abolishes degradation of A3G by the proteasome but has no effect at the translational level, indicating these two pathways are independent. These two mechanisms, proteasomal degradation and translational inhibition, similarly contribute to decrease the cellular level of A3G by Vif and to prevent its incorporation into virions. Importantly, inhibition of A3G translation is sufficient to partially restore viral infectivity in the absence of proteosomal degradation. These findings demonstrate that HIV-1 has evolved redundant mechanisms to specifically inhibit the potent antiviral activity of A3G.

A recombinant chimeric protein specifically induces mutant KRAS degradation and potently inhibits pancreatic tumor growth

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal human diseases, with an all-stage 5-year survival rate below 5%. To date, no effective and specific therapy is available for this disease. Mutations in KRAS are frequently reported in pancreatic and many other cancers; thus, KRAS is an attractive therapeutic target. Our objective was to specifically eliminate mutant KRAS and induce cell death of tumors expressing this mutant protein. We thus constructed several chimeric proteins by connecting the C-terminal domains of several adaptor proteins of E3 ubiquitin ligases such as CBL, CHIP, E6AP, and VHL, as well as VIF encoded by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), to the Ras binding domain (RBD) of Raf. Although all of these chimeric proteins caused the degradation of mutant KRAS and the death of KRAS-mutant-tumor cell lines, the RBD-VIF with a protein transduction domain (PTD), named PTD-RBD-VIF, had the strongest tumor-killing effect. Intraperitoneally administered recombinant PTD-RBD-VIF potently inhibited the growth of xenografted KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer cells. Our findings indicate that recombinant PTD-RBD-VIF, a chimeric protein with a combined cellular-viral origin, could be further developed for the treatment of various tumors harboring mutant or over-activated KRAS, especially for cases presenting with pancreatic cancer recurrence after surgery.

Structural Insights into HIV-1 Vif-APOBEC3F Interaction

The HIV-1 Vif protein inactivates the cellular antiviral cytidine deaminase APOBEC3F (A3F) in virus-infected cells by specifically targeting it for proteasomal degradation. Several studies identified Vif sequence motifs involved in A3F interaction, whereas a Vif-binding A3F interface was proposed based on our analysis of highly similar APOBEC3C (A3C). However, the structural mechanism of specific Vif-A3F recognition is still poorly understood. Here we report structural features of interaction interfaces for both HIV-1 Vif and A3F molecules. Alanine-scanning analysis of Vif revealed that six residues located within the conserved Vif F1-, F2-, and F3-box motifs are essential for both A3C and A3F degradation, and an additional four residues are uniquely required for A3F degradation. Modeling of the Vif structure on an HIV-1 Vif crystal structure revealed that three discontinuous flexible loops of Vif F1-, F2-, and F3-box motifs sterically cluster to form a flexible A3F interaction interface, which represents hydrophobic and positively charged surfaces. We found that the basic Vif interface patch (R17, E171, and R173) involved in the interactions with A3C and A3F differs. Furthermore, our crystal structure determination and extensive mutational analysis of the A3F C-terminal domain demonstrated that the A3F interface includes a unique acidic stretch (L291, A292, R293, and E324) crucial for Vif interaction, suggesting additional electrostatic complementarity to the Vif interface compared with the A3C interface. Taken together, these findings provide structural insights into the A3F-Vif interaction mechanism, which will provide an important basis for development of novel anti-HIV-1 drugs using cellular cytidine deaminases.

IMPORTANCE

HIV-1 Vif targets cellular antiviral APOBEC3F (A3F) enzyme for degradation. However, the details on the structural mechanism for specific A3F recognition remain unclear. This study reports structural features of interaction interfaces for both HIV-1 Vif and A3F molecules. Three discontinuous sequence motifs of Vif, F1, F2, and F3 boxes, assemble to form an A3F interaction interface. In addition, we determined a crystal structure of the wild-type A3F C-terminal domain responsible for the Vif interaction. These results demonstrated that both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions are the key force driving Vif-A3F binding and that the Vif-A3F interfaces are larger than the Vif-A3C interfaces. These findings will allow us to determine the configurations of the Vif-A3F complex and to construct a structural model of the complex, which will provide an important basis for inhibitor development.

Natural Polymorphisms and Oligomerization of Human APOBEC3H Contribute to Single-stranded DNA Scanning Ability

APOBEC3H is a deoxycytidine deaminase that can restrict the replication of HIV-1 in the absence of the viral protein Vif that induces APOBEC3H degradation in cells. APOBEC3H exists in humans as seven haplotypes (I-VII) with different cellular stabilities. Of the three stable APOBEC3H haplotypes (II, V, and VII), haplotypes II and V occur most frequently in the population. Despite APOBEC3H being a bona fide restriction factor, there has been no comparative biochemical characterization of APOBEC3H haplotypes. We characterized the ssDNA scanning mechanisms that haplotypes II and V use to search their ssDNA substrate for cytosine-containing deamination motifs. APOBEC3H haplotype II was able to processively deaminate multiple cytosines in a single enzyme-substrate encounter by using sliding, jumping, and intersegmental transfer movements. In contrast, APOBEC3H haplotype V exhibited diminished sliding and intersegmental transfer abilities but was able to jump along ssDNA. Due to an Asp or Glu at amino acid 178 differentiating these APOBEC3H haplotypes, the data indicated that this amino acid on helix 6 contributes to processivity. The diminished processivity of APOBEC3H haplotype V did not result in a reduced efficiency to restrict HIV-1 replication in single-cycle infectivity assays, suggesting a redundancy in the contributions of jumping and intersegmental transfer to mutagenic efficiency. Optimal processivity on ssDNA also required dimerization of APOBEC3H through the β2 strands. The findings support a model in which jumping can compensate for deficiencies in intersegmental transfer and suggest that APOBEC3H haplotypes II and V induce HIV-1 mutagenesis efficiently but by different mechanisms.

Pokeweed antiviral protein restores levels of cellular APOBEC3G during HIV-1 infection by depurinating Vif mRNA

Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) is an RNA glycosidase that inhibits production of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) when expressed in human culture cells. Previously, we showed that the expression of PAP reduced the levels of several viral proteins, including virion infectivity factor (Vif). However, the mechanism causing Vif reduction and the consequences of the inhibition were not determined. Here we show that the Vif mRNA is directly depurinated by PAP. Because of depurination at two specific sites within the Vif ORF, Vif levels decrease during infections and the progeny viruses that are generated are ∼ 10-fold less infectious and compromised for proviral integration. These results are consistent with PAP activity inhibiting translation of Vif, which in turn reduces the effect of Vif to inactivate the host restriction factor APOBEC3G (apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like editing complex 3G). Our findings identify Vif mRNA as a new substrate for PAP and demonstrate that derepression of innate immunity against HIV-1 contributes to its antiviral activity.

Incomplete APOBEC3G/F Neutralization by HIV-1 Vif Mutants Facilitates the Genetic Evolution from CCR5 to CXCR4 Usage

Incomplete APOBEC3G/F neutralization by a defective HIV-1Vif protein can promote genetic diversification by inducing G-to-A mutations in the HIV-1 genome. The HIV-1 Env V3 loop, critical for coreceptor usage, contains several putative APOBEC3G/F target sites. Here, we determined if APOBEC3G/F, in the presence of Vif-defective HIV-1 virus, can induce G-to-A mutations at V3 positions critical to modulation of CXCR4 usage. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from 2 HIV-1-negative donors were infected with CCR5-using 81.A-VifWT virus (i.e., with wild-type [WT] Vif protein), 81.A-VifE45G, or 81.A-VifK22E (known to incompletely/partially neutralize APOBEC3G/F). The rate of G-toA mutations was zero or extremely low in 81.A-VifWT- and 81.A-VifE45G-infected PBMC from both donors. Conversely, G-to-A enrichment was detected in 81.A-VifK22E-infected PBMC (prevalence ranging from 2.18% at 7 days postinfection [dpi] to 3.07% at 21 dpi in donor 1 and from 10.49% at 7 dpi to 8.69% at 21 dpi in donor 2). A similar scenario was found in MDM. G-to-A mutations occurred at 8 V3 positions, resulting in nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions. Of them, G24E and E25K strongly correlated with phenotypically/genotypically defined CXCR4-using viruses (P = 0.04 and 5.5e-7, respectively) and increased the CXCR4 N-terminal binding affinity for V3 (WT, -40.1 kcal/mol; G24E, -510 kcal/mol; E25K, -522 kcal/mol). The analysis of paired V3 and Vif DNA sequences from 84 HIV-1-infected patients showed that the presence of a Vif-defective virus correlated with CXCR4 usage in proviral DNA (P = 0.04). In conclusion, incomplete APOBEC3G/F neutralization by a single Vif amino acid substitution seeds a CXCR4-using proviral reservoir. This can have implications for the success of CCR5 antagonist-based therapy, as well as for the risk of disease progression.

Redoxal, an inhibitor of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, augments APOBEC3G antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1

APOBEC3G (A3G) is a cytidine deaminase that restricts HIV-1 replication by inducing G-to-A hypermutation in viral DNA; deamination-independent mechanisms are also implicated. HIV-1 Vif protein counteracts A3G by inducing its proteasomal degradation. Thus, the Vif-A3G axis is a potential therapeutic target. To identify compounds that inhibit Vif:A3G interaction, a 307,520 compound library was tested in a TR-FRET screen. Two identified compounds, redoxal and lomofungin, inhibited HIV-1 replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Lomofungin activity was linked to A3G, but not pursued further due to cytotoxicity. Redoxal displayed A3G-dependent restriction, inhibiting viral replication by stabilizing A3G protein levels and increasing A3G in virions. A3G-independent activity was also detected. Treatment with uridine or orotate, intermediates of pyrimidine synthesis, diminished redoxal-induced stabilization of A3G and antiviral activity. These results identify redoxal as an inhibitor of HIV-1 replication and suggest its ability to inhibit pyrimidine biosynthesis suppresses viral replication by augmenting A3G antiviral activity.

The HDAC6/APOBEC3G complex regulates HIV-1 infectiveness by inducing Vif autophagic degradation

BACKGROUND

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has evolved a complex strategy to overcome the immune barriers it encounters throughout an organism thanks to its viral infectivity factor (Vif), a key protein for HIV-1 infectivity and in vivo pathogenesis. Vif interacts with and promotes "apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme-catalytic, polypeptide-like 3G" (A3G) ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome, thus eluding A3G restriction activity against HIV-1.

RESULTS

We found that cellular histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) directly interacts with A3G through its C-terminal BUZ domain (residues 841-1,215) to undergo a cellular co-distribution along microtubules and cytoplasm. The HDAC6/A3G complex occurs in the absence or presence of Vif, competes for Vif-mediated A3G degradation, and accounts for A3G steady-state expression level. In fact, HDAC6 directly interacts with and promotes Vif autophagic clearance, thanks to its C-terminal BUZ domain, a process requiring the deacetylase activity of HDAC6. HDAC6 degrades Vif without affecting the core binding factor β (CBF-β), a Vif-associated partner reported to be key for Vif- mediated A3G degradation. Thus HDAC6 antagonizes the proviral activity of Vif/CBF-β-associated complex by targeting Vif and stabilizing A3G. Finally, in cells producing virions, we observed a clear-cut correlation between the ability of HDAC6 to degrade Vif and to restore A3G expression, suggesting that HDAC6 controls the amount of Vif incorporated into nascent virions and the ability of HIV-1 particles of being infectious. This effect seems independent on the presence of A3G inside virions and on viral tropism.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identifies for the first time a new cellular complex, HDAC6/A3G, involved in the autophagic degradation of Vif, and suggests that HDAC6 represents a new antiviral factor capable of controlling HIV-1 infectiveness by counteracting Vif and its functions.

Structure of the Vif-binding domain of the antiviral enzyme APOBEC3G

The human APOBEC3G (A3G) DNA cytosine deaminase restricts and hypermutates DNA-based parasites including HIV-1. The viral infectivity factor (Vif) prevents restriction by triggering A3G degradation. While the structure of the A3G catalytic domain is known, the structure of the N-terminal Vif-binding domain has proven more elusive. Here, evolution- and structure-guided mutagenesis was used to solubilize the Vif-binding domain of A3G permitting structural determination by NMR spectroscopy. A smaller zinc-coordinating pocket and altered helical packing distinguish it from catalytic domain structures, and help explain the reported inactivity of this domain. This soluble A3G N-terminal domain is bound by Vif, which enabled mutagenesis and biochemical experiments to identify a unique Vif-interacting surface formed by α1-β1, β2-α2, and β4-α4 loops. This structure sheds new light on the Vif-A3G interaction and provides critical information for future drug development.

APOBECs and virus restriction

The APOBEC family of single-stranded DNA cytosine deaminases comprises a formidable arm of the vertebrate innate immune system. Pre-vertebrates express a single APOBEC, whereas some mammals produce as many as 11 enzymes. The APOBEC3 subfamily displays both copy number variation and polymorphisms, consistent with ongoing pathogenic pressures. These enzymes restrict the replication of many DNA-based parasites, such as exogenous viruses and endogenous transposable elements. APOBEC1 and activation-induced cytosine deaminase (AID) have specialized functions in RNA editing and antibody gene diversification, respectively, whereas APOBEC2 and APOBEC4 appear to have different functions. Nevertheless, the APOBEC family protects against both periodic viral zoonoses as well as exogenous and endogenous parasite replication. This review highlights viral pathogens that are restricted by APOBEC enzymes, but manage to escape through unique mechanisms. The sensitivity of viruses that lack counterdefense measures highlights the need to develop APOBEC-enabling small molecules as a new class of anti-viral drugs.

Identification of a novel HIV-1 inhibitor targeting Vif-dependent degradation of human APOBEC3G protein

APOBEC3G (A3G) is a cellular cytidine deaminase that restricts HIV-1 replication by inducing G-to-A hypermutation in viral DNA and by deamination-independent mechanisms. HIV-1 Vif binds to A3G, resulting in its degradation via the 26 S proteasome. Therefore, this interaction represents a potential therapeutic target. To identify compounds that inhibit interaction between A3G and HIV-1 Vif in a high throughput format, we developed a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. A 307,520 compound library from the NIH Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository was screened. Secondary screens to evaluate dose-response performance and off-target effects, cell-based assays to identify compounds that attenuate Vif-dependent degradation of A3G, and assays testing antiviral activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T cells were employed. One compound, N.41, showed potent antiviral activity in A3G(+) but not in A3G(-) T cells and had an IC50 as low as 8.4 μM and a TC50 of >100 μM when tested against HIV-1Ba-L replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. N.41 inhibited the Vif-A3G interaction and increased cellular A3G levels and incorporation of A3G into virions, thereby attenuating virus infectivity in a Vif-dependent manner. N.41 activity was also species- and Vif-dependent. Preliminary structure-activity relationship studies suggest that a hydroxyl moiety located at a phenylamino group is critical for N.41 anti-HIV activity and identified N.41 analogs with better potency (IC50 as low as 4.2 μM). These findings identify a new lead compound that attenuates HIV replication by liberating A3G from Vif regulation and increasing its innate antiviral activity.

HIV-1 replication and the cellular eukaryotic translation apparatus

Eukaryotic translation is a complex process composed of three main steps: initiation, elongation, and termination. During infections by RNA- and DNA-viruses, the eukaryotic translation machinery is used to assure optimal viral protein synthesis. Human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) uses several non-canonical pathways to translate its own proteins, such as leaky scanning, frameshifting, shunt, and cap-independent mechanisms. Moreover, HIV-1 modulates the host translation machinery by targeting key translation factors and overcomes different cellular obstacles that affect protein translation. In this review, we describe how HIV-1 proteins target several components of the eukaryotic translation machinery, which consequently improves viral translation and replication.

Determinants of efficient degradation of APOBEC3 restriction factors by HIV-1 Vif

The APOBEC3 deoxycytidine deaminases can restrict the replication of HIV-1 in cell culture to differing degrees. The effects of APOBEC3 enzymes are largely suppressed by HIV-1 Vif that interacts with host proteins to form a Cullin5-Ring E3 ubiquitin ligase that induces (48)K-linked polyubiquitination (poly-Ub) and proteasomal degradation of APOBEC3 enzymes. Vif variants have differing abilities to induce degradation of APOBEC3 enzymes and the underlying biochemical mechanisms for these differences is not fully understood. We hypothesized that by characterizing the interaction of multiple APOBEC3 enzymes and Vif variants we could identify common features that resulted in Vif-mediated degradation and further define the determinants required for efficient Vif-mediated degradation of APOBEC3 enzymes. We used Vifs from HIV-1 NL4-3 (IIIB) and HXB2 to characterize their induced degradation of and interaction with APOBEC3G, APOBEC3G D128K, APOBEC3H, and APOBEC3B in 293T cells. We quantified the APOBEC3G-Vif and APOBEC3H-Vif interaction strengths in vitro using rotational anisotropy. Our biochemical and cellular analyses of the interactions support a model in which the degradation efficiency of VifIIIB and VifHXB2 correlated with both the binding strength of the APOBEC3-Vif interaction and the APOBEC3-Vif interface, which differs for APOBEC3G and APOBEC3H. Notably, Vif bound to APOBEC3H and APOBEC3B in the natural absence of Vif-induced degradation and the interaction resulted in (63)K-linked poly-Ub of APOBEC3H and APOBEC3B, demonstrating additional functionality of the APOBEC3-Vif interaction apart from induction of proteasomal degradation.

IMPORTANCE

APOBEC3 enzymes can potently restrict the replication of HIV-1 in the absence of HIV-1 Vif. Vif suppresses APOBEC3 action by inducing their degradation through a direct interaction with APOBEC3 enzymes and other host proteins. Vif variants from different HIV-1 strains have different effects on APOBEC3 enzymes. We used differing Vif degradation capacities of two Vif variants and various APOBEC3 enzymes with differential sensitivities to Vif to delineate determinants of the APOBEC3-Vif interaction that are required for inducing efficient degradation. Using a combined biochemical and cellular approach we identified that the strength of the APOBEC3-Vif binding interaction and the APOBEC3-Vif interface are determinants for degradation efficiency. Our results highlight the importance of using Vif variants with different degradation potential when delineating mechanisms of Vif-induced APOBEC3 degradation and identify features important for consideration in the development of HIV-1 therapies that disrupt the APOBEC3-Vif interaction.

APOBEC3G exerts tumor suppressive effects in human hepatocellular carcinoma

In this study, we collected 44 hepatitis B virus surface antigen positivity HBsAg (+) tumor and nontumor hepatocellular tissues from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients during hepatectomy, and quantified the APOBEC3G (A3G) mRNA by using a real-time PCR. Our results showed higher expression of A3G mRNA in the nontumor tissues than in the tumor tissues of the HBsAg (+) HCC patients. To further investigate this phenomenon, we constructed a pLV-A3G vector and transfected it into the human HCC cell line, Hep 3B. The results of an immunofluorescence analysis showed the overexpression of A3G in the cytoplasm. We then evaluated A3G cytotoxicity by using a cell viability assay (MTS assay), the results of which showed that Hep 3B cell viability was 88 and 58% after the transfection of pLV and pLV-A3G, respectively, indicating the growth inhibitory effects of A3G on Hep 3B cells. To further evaluate the tumor suppressive effects of A3G, we used a plastic pipette tip to scratch Hep 3B cells grown on a culture dish (to 70-80% confluence) after transfection with pLV-A3G. Our data indicated a ratio of wound closure of 100% in the control cells and in the pLV-expressing cells, compared with 43% in the pLV-A3G-overexpressing cells, 72 h after the wound scratch, as observed using phase-contrast microscopy. These results indicated that A3G inhibits wound healing in Hep 3B cells. Overall, our results suggest that A3G inhibits the growth of human hepatoma cells.

HIV-1 Vif inhibits G to A hypermutations catalyzed by virus-encapsidated APOBEC3G to maintain HIV-1 infectivity

Background

HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) is an essential accessory protein for HIV-1 replication. The predominant function of Vif is to counteract Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme-catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G, A3G), a potent host restriction factor that inhibits HIV-1 replication. Vif mediates the proteasomal degradation of A3G and inhibits A3G translation, thus diminishing the pool of A3G that is available to be packaged into budding virion. Although Vif is robust in degrading A3G, the protection provided against A3G is not absolute. Clinical and laboratory evidence have shown that A3G is not completely excluded from HIV-1 viral particles during HIV-1 replication. It remains unclear why the viral samples are still infectious when A3G has been packaged into the virions.

Results

In this study, we provide evidence that Vif continues to protect HIV-1 from the deleterious effects of A3G, even after packaging of A3G has occurred. When equal amounts of A3G were packaged into budding virions, the virus expressing functional Vif was more infectious and incurred fewer G to A hypermutations in the second round of infection compared to Vif-deficient virus. A Vif mutant with a defect in viral packaging showed a reduced ability to protect the HIV-1 genome from G to A hypermutations.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that even packaged A3G is still under the tyranny of Vif. Our work brings to light an additional caveat for any therapy that hopes to exploit the Vif-A3G axis. The ideal strategy would not only enhance A3G viral packaging, but also reduce HIV-1 Vif viral encapsidation.

Suppression of APOBEC3-mediated restriction of HIV-1 by Vif

The APOBEC3 restriction factors are a family of deoxycytidine deaminases that are able to suppress replication of viruses with a single-stranded DNA intermediate by inducing mutagenesis and functional inactivation of the virus. Of the seven human APOBEC3 enzymes, only APOBEC3-D, -F, -G, and -H appear relevant to restriction of HIV-1 in CD4+ T cells and will be the focus of this review. The restriction of HIV-1 occurs most potently in the absence of HIV-1 Vif that induces polyubiquitination and degradation of APOBEC3 enzymes through the proteasome pathway. To restrict HIV-1, APOBEC3 enzymes must be encapsidated into budding virions. Upon infection of the target cell during reverse transcription of the HIV-1 RNA into (-)DNA, APOBEC3 enzymes deaminate cytosines to form uracils in single-stranded (-)DNA regions. Upon replication of the (-)DNA to (+)DNA, the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase incorporates adenines opposite to the uracils thereby inducing C/G to T/A mutations that can functionally inactivate HIV-1. APOBEC3G is the most studied APOBEC3 enzyme and it is known that Vif attempts to thwart APOBEC3 function not only by inducing its proteasomal degradation but also by several degradation-independent mechanisms, such as inhibiting APOBEC3G virion encapsidation, mRNA translation, and for those APOBEC3G molecules that still become virion encapsidated, Vif can inhibit APOBEC3G mutagenic activity. Although most Vif variants can induce efficient degradation of APOBEC3-D, -F, and -G, there appears to be differential sensitivity to Vif-mediated degradation for APOBEC3H. This review examines APOBEC3-mediated HIV restriction mechanisms, how Vif acts as a substrate receptor for a Cullin5 ubiquitin ligase complex to induce degradation of APOBEC3s, and the determinants and functional consequences of the APOBEC3 and Vif interaction from a biological and biochemical perspective.

Characterization of RNA binding and chaperoning activities of HIV-1 Vif protein. Importance of the C-terminal unstructured tail

The viral infectivity factor (Vif) is essential for the productive infection and dissemination of HIV-1 in non-permissive cells, containing the cellular anti-HIV defense cytosine deaminases APOBEC3 (A3G and A3F). Vif neutralizes the antiviral activities of the APOBEC3G/F by diverse mechanisms including their degradation through the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway and their translational inhibition. In addition, Vif appears to be an active partner of the late steps of viral replication by interacting with Pr55(Gag), reverse transcriptase and genomic RNA. Here, we expressed and purified full-length and truncated Vif proteins, and analyzed their RNA binding and chaperone properties. First, we showed by CD and NMR spectroscopies that the N-terminal domain of Vif is highly structured in solution, whereas the C-terminal domain remains mainly unfolded. Both domains exhibited substantial RNA binding capacities with dissociation constants in the nanomolar range, whereas the basic unfolded C-terminal domain of Vif was responsible in part for its RNA chaperone activity. Second, we showed by NMR chemical shift mapping that Vif and NCp7 share the same binding sites on tRNA(Lys) 3, the primer of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. Finally, our results indicate that Vif has potent RNA chaperone activity and provide direct evidence for an important role of the unstructured C-terminal domain of Vif in this capacity.