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McCaul N, Quandte M, Bontjer I, van Zadelhoff G, Land A, Crooks ET, Binley JM, Sanders RW, Braakman I. Intramolecular quality control: HIV-1 envelope gp160 signal-peptide cleavage as a functional folding checkpoint. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109646. [PMID: 34469718 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Removal of the membrane-tethering signal peptides that target secretory proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum is a prerequisite for proper folding. While generally thought to be removed co-translationally, we report two additional post-targeting functions for the HIV-1 gp120 signal peptide, which remains attached until gp120 folding triggers its removal. First, the signal peptide improves folding fidelity by enhancing conformational plasticity of gp120 by driving disulfide isomerization through a redox-active cysteine. Simultaneously, the signal peptide delays folding by tethering the N terminus to the membrane, until assembly with the C terminus. Second, its carefully timed cleavage represents intramolecular quality control and ensures release of (only) natively folded gp120. Postponed cleavage and the redox-active cysteine are both highly conserved and important for viral fitness. Considering the ∼15% proteins with signal peptides and the frequency of N-to-C contacts in protein structures, these regulatory roles of signal peptides are bound to be more common in secretory-protein biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas McCaul
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Science4Life, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Matthias Quandte
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Science4Life, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ilja Bontjer
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, 1105 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Guus van Zadelhoff
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Science4Life, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Aafke Land
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Science4Life, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ema T Crooks
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 10865 Road to the Cure #100, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - James M Binley
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 10865 Road to the Cure #100, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rogier W Sanders
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, 1105 Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Ineke Braakman
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Science4Life, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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