1
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Levintov L, Vashisth H. Structural and computational studies of HIV-1 RNA. RNA Biol 2024; 21:1-32. [PMID: 38100535 PMCID: PMC10730233 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2289709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses remain a global threat to animals, plants, and humans. The type 1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) is a member of the retrovirus family and carries an RNA genome, which is reverse transcribed into viral DNA and further integrated into the host-cell DNA for viral replication and proliferation. The RNA structures from the HIV-1 genome provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the viral replication cycle. Moreover, these structures serve as models for designing novel therapeutic approaches. Here, we review structural data on RNA from the HIV-1 genome as well as computational studies based on these structural data. The review is organized according to the type of structured RNA element which contributes to different steps in the viral replication cycle. This is followed by an overview of the HIV-1 transactivation response element (TAR) RNA as a model system for understanding dynamics and interactions in the viral RNA systems. The review concludes with a description of computational studies, highlighting the impact of biomolecular simulations in elucidating the mechanistic details of various steps in the HIV-1's replication cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lev Levintov
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, USA
| | - Harish Vashisth
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, USA
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2
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Rodik RV, Cherenok SO, Postupalenko VY, Oncul S, Brusianska V, Borysko P, Kalchenko VI, Mely Y, Klymchenko AS. Anionic amphiphilic calixarenes for peptide assembly and delivery. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 624:270-278. [PMID: 35660896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.05.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Shape-persistent macrocycles enable superior control on molecular self-assembly, allowing the preparation of well-defined nanostructures with new functions. Here, we report on anionic amphiphilic calixarenes of conic shape and their self-assembly behavior in aqueous media for application in intracellular delivery of peptides. Newly synthesized calixarenes bearing four phosphonate groups and two or four long alkyl chains were found to form micelles of ∼ 10 nm diameter, in contrast to an analogue with short alkyl chains. These amphiphilic calixarenes are able to complex model (oligo-lysine) and biologically relevant (HIV-1 nucleocapsid peptide) cationic peptides into small nanoparticles (20-40 nm). By contrast, a control anionic calixarene with short alkyl chains fails to form small nanoparticles with peptides, highlighting the importance of micellar assembly of amphiphilic calixarenes for peptide complexation. Cellular studies reveal that anionic amphiphilic calixarenes exhibit low cytotoxicity and enable internalization of fluorescently labelled peptides into live cells. These findings suggest anionic amphiphilic macrocycles as promising building blocks for the preparation of peptide delivery vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman V Rodik
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 02660 Kyiv, Ukraine.
| | - Sergiy O Cherenok
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 02660 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Viktoriia Y Postupalenko
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 ILLKIRCH Cedex, France
| | - Sule Oncul
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 ILLKIRCH Cedex, France; İstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Petro Borysko
- Enamine Ltd, Chervonotkatska 78, 02094 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Vitaly I Kalchenko
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 02660 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Yves Mely
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 ILLKIRCH Cedex, France
| | - Andrey S Klymchenko
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 ILLKIRCH Cedex, France.
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3
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Durand S, Seigneuret F, Burlaud-Gaillard J, Lemoine R, Tassi MF, Moreau A, Mougel M, Roingeard P, Tauber C, de Rocquigny H. Quantitative analysis of the formation of nucleoprotein complexes between HIV-1 Gag protein and genomic RNA using transmission electron microscopy. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101500. [PMID: 34929171 PMCID: PMC8760521 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In HIV, the polyprotein precursor Gag orchestrates the formation of the viral capsid. In the current view of this viral assembly, Gag forms low-order oligomers that bind to the viral genomic RNA triggering the formation of high-ordered ribonucleoprotein complexes. However, this assembly model was established using biochemical or imaging methods that do not describe the cellular location hosting Gag-gRNA complex nor distinguish gRNA packaging in single particles. Here, we studied the intracellular localization of these complexes by electron microscopy and monitored the distances between the two partners by morphometric analysis of gold beads specifically labeling Gag and gRNA. We found that formation of these viral clusters occurred shortly after the nuclear export of the gRNA. During their transport to the plasma membrane, the distance between Gag and gRNA decreases together with an increase of gRNA packaging. Point mutations in the zinc finger patterns of the nucleocapsid domain of Gag caused an increase in the distance between Gag and gRNA as well as a sharp decrease of gRNA packaged into virions. Finally, we show that removal of stem loop 1 of the 5'-untranslated region does not interfere with gRNA packaging, whereas combined with the removal of stem loop 3 is sufficient to decrease but not abolish Gag-gRNA cluster formation and gRNA packaging. In conclusion, this morphometric analysis of Gag-gRNA cluster formation sheds new light on HIV-1 assembly that can be used to describe at nanoscale resolution other viral assembly steps involving RNA or protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Durand
- Morphogenesis and Antigenicity of HIV and Hepatitis Viruses, Inserm - U1259 MAVIVH, Bretonneau Hospital, Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Florian Seigneuret
- Morphogenesis and Antigenicity of HIV and Hepatitis Viruses, Inserm - U1259 MAVIVH, Bretonneau Hospital, Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Julien Burlaud-Gaillard
- Microscopy IBiSA Platform, PPF ASB, University of Tours and CHRU of Tours, Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Roxane Lemoine
- B Cell Ressources Platform, EA4245 "Transplantation, Immunology and Inflammation", University of Tours, Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Marc-Florent Tassi
- Morphogenesis and Antigenicity of HIV and Hepatitis Viruses, Inserm - U1259 MAVIVH, Bretonneau Hospital, Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Alain Moreau
- Morphogenesis and Antigenicity of HIV and Hepatitis Viruses, Inserm - U1259 MAVIVH, Bretonneau Hospital, Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Marylène Mougel
- Équipe R2D2 Retroviral RNA Dynamics and Delivery, IRIM, CNRS UMR9004, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Roingeard
- Morphogenesis and Antigenicity of HIV and Hepatitis Viruses, Inserm - U1259 MAVIVH, Bretonneau Hospital, Tours Cedex 1, France; Microscopy IBiSA Platform, PPF ASB, University of Tours and CHRU of Tours, Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Clovis Tauber
- UMR U1253 iBrain, Inserm, University of Tours, Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Hugues de Rocquigny
- Morphogenesis and Antigenicity of HIV and Hepatitis Viruses, Inserm - U1259 MAVIVH, Bretonneau Hospital, Tours Cedex 1, France.
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4
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Dziuba D, Didier P, Ciaco S, Barth A, Seidel CAM, Mély Y. Fundamental photophysics of isomorphic and expanded fluorescent nucleoside analogues. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:7062-7107. [PMID: 33956014 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00194a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescent nucleoside analogues (FNAs) are structurally diverse mimics of the natural essentially non-fluorescent nucleosides which have found numerous applications in probing the structure and dynamics of nucleic acids as well as their interactions with various biomolecules. In order to minimize disturbance in the labelled nucleic acid sequences, the FNA chromophoric groups should resemble the natural nucleobases in size and hydrogen-bonding patterns. Isomorphic and expanded FNAs are the two groups that best meet the criteria of non-perturbing fluorescent labels for DNA and RNA. Significant progress has been made over the past decades in understanding the fundamental photophysics that governs the spectroscopic and environmentally sensitive properties of these FNAs. Herein, we review recent advances in the spectroscopic and computational studies of selected isomorphic and expanded FNAs. We also show how this information can be used as a rational basis to design new FNAs, select appropriate sequences for optimal spectroscopic response and interpret fluorescence data in FNA applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmytro Dziuba
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France.
| | - Pascal Didier
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France.
| | - Stefano Ciaco
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France. and Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Anders Barth
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claus A M Seidel
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France.
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5
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Jiang K, Humbert N, K K S, Rouzina I, Mely Y, Westerlund F. The HIV-1 nucleocapsid chaperone protein forms locally compacted globules on long double-stranded DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:4550-4563. [PMID: 33872352 PMCID: PMC8096146 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleocapsid (NC) protein plays key roles in Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) replication, notably by condensing and protecting the viral RNA genome and by chaperoning its reverse transcription into double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Recent findings suggest that integration of viral dsDNA into the host genome, and hence productive infection, is linked to a small subpopulation of viral complexes where reverse transcription was completed within the intact capsid. Therefore, the synthesized dsDNA has to be tightly compacted, most likely by NC, to prevent breaking of the capsid in these complexes. To investigate NC’s ability to compact viral dsDNA, we here characterize the compaction of single dsDNA molecules under unsaturated NC binding conditions using nanofluidic channels. Compaction is shown to result from accumulation of NC at one or few compaction sites, which leads to small dsDNA condensates. NC preferentially initiates compaction at flexible regions along the dsDNA, such as AT-rich regions and DNA ends. Upon further NC binding, these condensates develop into a globular state containing the whole dsDNA molecule. These findings support NC’s role in viral dsDNA compaction within the mature HIV-1 capsid and suggest a possible scenario for the gradual dsDNA decondensation upon capsid uncoating and NC loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Jiang
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg SE 412 96, Sweden
| | - Nicolas Humbert
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch F 67401, France
| | - Sriram K K
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg SE 412 96, Sweden
| | - Ioulia Rouzina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Center for Retroviral Research, and Center for RNA Biology, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yves Mely
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch F 67401, France
| | - Fredrik Westerlund
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg SE 412 96, Sweden
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6
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Mouhand A, Pasi M, Catala M, Zargarian L, Belfetmi A, Barraud P, Mauffret O, Tisné C. Overview of the Nucleic-Acid Binding Properties of the HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein in Its Different Maturation States. Viruses 2020; 12:v12101109. [PMID: 33003650 PMCID: PMC7601788 DOI: 10.3390/v12101109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 Gag polyprotein orchestrates the assembly of viral particles. Its C-terminus consists of the nucleocapsid (NC) domain that interacts with nucleic acids, and p1 and p6, two unstructured regions, p6 containing the motifs to bind ALIX, the cellular ESCRT factor TSG101 and the viral protein Vpr. The processing of Gag by the viral protease subsequently liberates NCp15 (NC-p1-p6), NCp9 (NC-p1) and NCp7, NCp7 displaying the optimal chaperone activity of nucleic acids. This review focuses on the nucleic acid binding properties of the NC domain in the different maturation states during the HIV-1 viral cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assia Mouhand
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), 75005 Paris, France; (A.M.); (M.C.); (P.B.)
| | - Marco Pasi
- Laboratoire de Biologie et de Pharmacologie Appliquée (LBPA), UMR 8113 CNRS, Institut D’Alembert, École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, 4, Avenue des Sciences, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France; (M.P.); (L.Z.); (A.B.)
| | - Marjorie Catala
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), 75005 Paris, France; (A.M.); (M.C.); (P.B.)
| | - Loussiné Zargarian
- Laboratoire de Biologie et de Pharmacologie Appliquée (LBPA), UMR 8113 CNRS, Institut D’Alembert, École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, 4, Avenue des Sciences, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France; (M.P.); (L.Z.); (A.B.)
| | - Anissa Belfetmi
- Laboratoire de Biologie et de Pharmacologie Appliquée (LBPA), UMR 8113 CNRS, Institut D’Alembert, École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, 4, Avenue des Sciences, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France; (M.P.); (L.Z.); (A.B.)
| | - Pierre Barraud
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), 75005 Paris, France; (A.M.); (M.C.); (P.B.)
| | - Olivier Mauffret
- Laboratoire de Biologie et de Pharmacologie Appliquée (LBPA), UMR 8113 CNRS, Institut D’Alembert, École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, 4, Avenue des Sciences, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France; (M.P.); (L.Z.); (A.B.)
- Correspondence: (O.M.); (C.T.)
| | - Carine Tisné
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), 75005 Paris, France; (A.M.); (M.C.); (P.B.)
- Correspondence: (O.M.); (C.T.)
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7
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Nucleocapsid Protein Precursors NCp9 and NCp15 Suppress ATP-Mediated Rescue of AZT-Terminated Primers by HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.00958-20. [PMID: 32747359 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00958-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In HIV-1, development of resistance to AZT (3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine) is mediated by the acquisition of thymidine analogue resistance mutations (TAMs) (i.e., M41L, D67N, K70R, L210W, T215F/Y, and K219E/Q) in the viral reverse transcriptase (RT). Clinically relevant combinations of TAMs, such as M41L/T215Y or D67N/K70R/T215F/K219Q, enhance the ATP-mediated excision of AZT monophosphate (AZTMP) from the 3' end of the primer, allowing DNA synthesis to continue. Additionally, during HIV-1 maturation, the Gag polyprotein is cleaved to release a mature nucleocapsid protein (NCp7) and two intermediate precursors (NCp9 and NCp15). NC proteins interact with the viral genome and facilitate the reverse transcription process. Using wild-type and TAM-containing RTs, we showed that both NCp9 and NCp15 inhibited ATP-mediated rescue of AZTMP-terminated primers annealed to RNA templates but not DNA templates, while NCp7 had no effect on rescue activity. RNase H inactivation by introducing the active-site mutation E478Q led to the loss of the inhibitory effect shown by NCp9. NCp15 had a stimulatory effect on the RT's RNase H activity not observed with NCp7 and NCp9. However, analysis of RNase H cleavage patterns revealed that in the presence of NCp9, RNA/DNA complexes containing duplexes of 12 bp had reduced stability in comparison with those obtained in the absence of NC or with NCp7 or NCp15. These effects are expected to have a strong influence on the inhibitory action of NCp9 and NCp15 by affecting the efficiency of RNA-dependent DNA polymerization after unblocking DNA primers terminated with AZTMP and other nucleotide analogues.
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8
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Karnib H, Nadeem MF, Humbert N, Sharma KK, Grytsyk N, Tisné C, Boutant E, Lequeu T, Réal E, Boudier C, de Rocquigny H, Mély Y. The nucleic acid chaperone activity of the HIV-1 Gag polyprotein is boosted by its cellular partner RPL7: a kinetic study. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:9218-9234. [PMID: 32797159 PMCID: PMC7498347 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 Gag protein playing a key role in HIV-1 viral assembly has recently been shown to interact through its nucleocapsid domain with the ribosomal protein L7 (RPL7) that acts as a cellular co-factor promoting Gag's nucleic acid (NA) chaperone activity. To further understand how the two proteins act together, we examined their mechanism individually and in concert to promote the annealing between dTAR, the DNA version of the viral transactivation element and its complementary cTAR sequence, taken as model HIV-1 sequences. Gag alone or complexed with RPL7 was found to act as a NA chaperone that destabilizes cTAR stem-loop and promotes its annealing with dTAR through the stem ends via a two-step pathway. In contrast, RPL7 alone acts as a NA annealer that through its NA aggregating properties promotes cTAR/dTAR annealing via two parallel pathways. Remarkably, in contrast to the isolated proteins, their complex promoted efficiently the annealing of cTAR with highly stable dTAR mutants. This was confirmed by the RPL7-promoted boost of the physiologically relevant Gag-chaperoned annealing of (+)PBS RNA to the highly stable tRNALys3 primer, favoring the notion that Gag recruits RPL7 to overcome major roadblocks in viral assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Karnib
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Muhammad F Nadeem
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Nicolas Humbert
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Kamal K Sharma
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Natalia Grytsyk
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Carine Tisné
- Expression génétique microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de biologie physico-chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Boutant
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Thiebault Lequeu
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Eleonore Réal
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Christian Boudier
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Hugues de Rocquigny
- Inserm – U1259 Morphogenesis and Antigenicity of HIV and Hepatitis Viruses (MAVIVH), 10 boulevard Tonnellé, BP 3223, 37032 Tours Cedex 1, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (LBP), UMR 7021, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
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9
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Boutant E, Bonzi J, Anton H, Nasim MB, Cathagne R, Réal E, Dujardin D, Carl P, Didier P, Paillart JC, Marquet R, Mély Y, de Rocquigny H, Bernacchi S. Zinc Fingers in HIV-1 Gag Precursor Are Not Equivalent for gRNA Recruitment at the Plasma Membrane. Biophys J 2020; 119:419-433. [PMID: 32574557 PMCID: PMC7376094 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag precursor specifically selects the unspliced viral genomic RNA (gRNA) from the bulk of cellular and spliced viral RNAs via its nucleocapsid (NC) domain and drives gRNA encapsidation at the plasma membrane (PM). To further identify the determinants governing the intracellular trafficking of Gag-gRNA complexes and their accumulation at the PM, we compared, in living and fixed cells, the interactions between gRNA and wild-type Gag or Gag mutants carrying deletions in NC zinc fingers (ZFs) or a nonmyristoylated version of Gag. Our data showed that the deletion of both ZFs simultaneously or the complete NC domain completely abolished intracytoplasmic Gag-gRNA interactions. Deletion of either ZF delayed the delivery of gRNA to the PM but did not prevent Gag-gRNA interactions in the cytoplasm, indicating that the two ZFs display redundant roles in this respect. However, ZF2 played a more prominent role than ZF1 in the accumulation of the ribonucleoprotein complexes at the PM. Finally, the myristate group, which is mandatory for anchoring the complexes at the PM, was found to be dispensable for the association of Gag with the gRNA in the cytosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Boutant
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.
| | - Jeremy Bonzi
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR9002, Strasbourg, France
| | - Halina Anton
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Maaz Bin Nasim
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Raphael Cathagne
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Eléonore Réal
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Denis Dujardin
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Philippe Carl
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Pascal Didier
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Paillart
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR9002, Strasbourg, France
| | - Roland Marquet
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR9002, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Hugues de Rocquigny
- Morphogenèse et Antigénicité du VIH et des Virus des Hépatites, Inserm - U1259 MAVIVH, Tours, France.
| | - Serena Bernacchi
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR9002, Strasbourg, France.
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10
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Ciaco S, Humbert N, Real E, Boudier C, Francesconi O, Roelens S, Nativi C, Seguin-Devaux C, Mori M, Mély Y. A Class of Potent Inhibitors of the HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein Based on Aminopyrrolic Scaffolds. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:698-705. [PMID: 32435373 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein 7 (NC) is a potential target for effective antiretroviral therapy due to its central role in virus replication, mainly linked to nucleic acid (NA) chaperone activity, and low susceptibility to drug resistance. By screening a compounds library, we identified the aminopyrrolic compound CN14_17, a known carbohydrate binding agent, that inhibits the NC chaperone activity in the low micromolar range. Different from most of available NC inhibitors, CN14_17 fully prevents the NC-induced annealing of complementary NA sequences. Using fluorescence assays and isothermal titration calorimetry, we found that CN14_17 competes with NC for the binding to NAs, preferentially targeting single-stranded sequences. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that binding to cTAR occurs preferably within the guanosine-rich single stranded sequence. Finally, CN14_17 exhibited antiretroviral activity in the low micromolar range, although with a moderate therapeutic index. Overall, CN14_17 might be the progenitor of a new promising class of NC inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Ciaco
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022 Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
| | - Nicolas Humbert
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Eléonore Real
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Christian Boudier
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Oscar Francesconi
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Ugo Schiff” and INSTM, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia, 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Stefano Roelens
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Ugo Schiff” and INSTM, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia, 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Cristina Nativi
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Ugo Schiff” and INSTM, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia, 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Carole Seguin-Devaux
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29 rue Henri Koch, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022 Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
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11
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Humbert N, Kovalenko L, Saladini F, Giannini A, Pires M, Botzanowski T, Cherenok S, Boudier C, Sharma KK, Real E, Zaporozhets OA, Cianférani S, Seguin-Devaux C, Poggialini F, Botta M, Zazzi M, Kalchenko VI, Mori M, Mély Y. (Thia)calixarenephosphonic Acids as Potent Inhibitors of the Nucleic Acid Chaperone Activity of the HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein with a New Binding Mode and Multitarget Antiviral Activity. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:687-702. [PMID: 32045204 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The nucleocapsid protein (NC) is a highly conserved protein that plays key roles in HIV-1 replication through its nucleic acid chaperone properties mediated by its two zinc fingers and basic residues. NC is a promising target for antiviral therapy, particularly to control viral strains resistant to currently available drugs. Since calixarenes with antiviral properties have been described, we explored the ability of calixarene hydroxymethylphosphonic or sulfonic acids to inhibit NC chaperone properties and exhibit antiviral activity. By using fluorescence-based assays, we selected four calixarenes inhibiting NC chaperone activity with submicromolar IC50 values. These compounds were further shown by mass spectrometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, and fluorescence anisotropy to bind NC with no zinc ejection and to compete with nucleic acids for the binding to NC. Molecular dynamic simulations further indicated that these compounds interact via their phosphonate or sulfonate groups with the basic surface of NC but not with the hydrophobic plateau at the top of the folded fingers. Cellular studies showed that the most soluble compound CIP201 inhibited the infectivity of wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1 strains at low micromolar concentrations, primarily targeting the early steps of HIV-1 replication. Moreover, CIP201 was also found to inhibit the flipping and polymerization activity of reverse transcriptase. Calixarenes thus form a class of noncovalent NC inhibitors, endowed with a new binding mode and multitarget antiviral activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Humbert
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Lesia Kovalenko
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
- Department of Chemistry, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Francesco Saladini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, viale Mario Bracci no. 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Alessia Giannini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, viale Mario Bracci no. 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Manuel Pires
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Thomas Botzanowski
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, IPHC UMR 7178 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sergiy Cherenok
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Murmanska str. 5, Kyiv 02660, Ukraine
| | - Christian Boudier
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Kamal K. Sharma
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Eleonore Real
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Olga A. Zaporozhets
- Department of Chemistry, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Sarah Cianférani
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, IPHC UMR 7178 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Carole Seguin-Devaux
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29 rue Henri Koch, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Federica Poggialini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022 Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
| | - Maurizio Botta
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022 Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
| | - Maurizio Zazzi
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, viale Mario Bracci no. 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Vitaly I. Kalchenko
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Murmanska str. 5, Kyiv 02660, Ukraine
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022 Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
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12
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Mori M, Dasso Lang MC, Saladini F, Palombi N, Kovalenko L, De Forni D, Poddesu B, Friggeri L, Giannini A, Malancona S, Summa V, Zazzi M, Mely Y, Botta M. Synthesis and Evaluation of Bifunctional Aminothiazoles as Antiretrovirals Targeting the HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:463-468. [PMID: 30996780 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Small molecule inhibitors of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) are considered as promising agents in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. In an effort to exploit the privileged 2-amino-4-phenylthiazole moiety in NC inhibition, here we conceived, synthesized, and tested in vitro 18 NC inhibitors (NCIs) bearing a double functionalization. In these NCIs, one part of the molecule is deputed to interact noncovalently with the NC hydrophobic pocket, while the second portion is designed to interact with the N-terminal domain of NC. This binding hypothesis was verified by molecular dynamics simulations, while the linkage between these two pharmacophores was found to enhance antiretroviral activity both on the wild-type virus and on HIV-1 strains with resistance to currently licensed drugs. The two most interesting compounds 6 and 13 showed no cytotoxicity, thus becoming valuable leads for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, “Department of Excellence 2018-2022”, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Dasso Lang
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, “Department of Excellence 2018-2022”, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Saladini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Mario Bracci, 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Nastasja Palombi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, “Department of Excellence 2018-2022”, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lesia Kovalenko
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021, Faculté
de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Davide De Forni
- ViroStatics S.r.l., Viale Umberto I 46, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Barbara Poddesu
- ViroStatics S.r.l., Viale Umberto I 46, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Laura Friggeri
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, “Department of Excellence 2018-2022”, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Alessia Giannini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Mario Bracci, 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Savina Malancona
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Maurizio Zazzi
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Mario Bracci, 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Yves Mely
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021, Faculté
de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Maurizio Botta
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, “Department of Excellence 2018-2022”, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, BioLife Science Bldg., Suite
333, 1900 N 12th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
- Lead Discovery Siena s.r.l., Via Vittorio Alfieri 31, 53019 Castelnuovo, Berardenga, Italy
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13
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Annealing of ssDNA and compaction of dsDNA by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid and Gag proteins visualized using nanofluidic channels. Q Rev Biophys 2019; 52:e2. [DOI: 10.1017/s0033583518000124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The nucleocapsid protein NC is a crucial component in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 life cycle. It functions both in its processed mature form and as part of the polyprotein Gag that plays a key role in the formation of new viruses. NC can protect nucleic acids (NAs) from degradation by compacting them to a dense coil. Moreover, through its NA chaperone activity, NC can also promote the most stable conformation of NAs. Here, we explore the balance between these activities for NC and Gag by confining DNA–protein complexes in nanochannels. The chaperone activity is visualized as concatemerization and circularization of long DNA via annealing of short single-stranded DNA overhangs. The first ten amino acids of NC are important for the chaperone activity that is almost completely absent for Gag. Gag condenses DNA more efficiently than mature NC, suggesting that additional residues of Gag are involved. Importantly, this is the first single DNA molecule study of full-length Gag and we reveal important differences to the truncated Δ-p6 Gag that has been used before. In addition, the study also highlights how nanochannels can be used to study reactions on ends of long single DNA molecules, which is not trivial with competing single DNA molecule techniques.
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14
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Sholokh M, Sharma R, Grytsyk N, Zaghzi L, Postupalenko VY, Dziuba D, Barthes NPF, Michel BY, Boudier C, Zaporozhets OA, Tor Y, Burger A, Mély Y. Environmentally Sensitive Fluorescent Nucleoside Analogues for Surveying Dynamic Interconversions of Nucleic Acid Structures. Chemistry 2018; 24:13850-13861. [PMID: 29989220 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201802297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acids are characterized by a variety of dynamically interconverting structures that play a major role in transcriptional and translational regulation as well as recombination and repair. To monitor these interconversions, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based techniques can be used, but require two fluorophores that are typically large and can alter the DNA/RNA structure and protein binding. Additionally, events that do not alter the donor/acceptor distance and/or angular relationship are frequently left undetected. A more benign approach relies on fluorescent nucleobases that can substitute their native counterparts with minimal perturbation, such as the recently developed 2-thienyl-3-hydroxychromone (3HCnt) and thienoguanosine (th G). To demonstrate the potency of 3HCnt and th G in deciphering interconversion mechanisms, we used the conversion of the (-)DNA copy of the HIV-1 primer binding site (-)PBS stem-loop into (+)/(-)PBS duplex, as a model system. When incorporated into the (-)PBS loop, the two probes were found to be highly sensitive to the individual steps both in the absence and the presence of a nucleic acid chaperone, providing the first complete mechanistic description of this critical process in HIV-1 replication. The combination of the two distinct probes appears to be instrumental for characterizing structural transitions of nucleic acids under various stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Sholokh
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401, Illkirch, France.,Department of Chemistry, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, 60 Volodymyrska street, 01033, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Rajhans Sharma
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401, Illkirch, France
| | - Natalia Grytsyk
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401, Illkirch, France
| | - Lyes Zaghzi
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401, Illkirch, France
| | - Viktoriia Y Postupalenko
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401, Illkirch, France
| | - Dmytro Dziuba
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Nicolas P F Barthes
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Benoît Y Michel
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Christian Boudier
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401, Illkirch, France
| | - Olga A Zaporozhets
- Department of Chemistry, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, 60 Volodymyrska street, 01033, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Yitzhak Tor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0358, USA
| | - Alain Burger
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401, Illkirch, France
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15
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Shvadchak V, Zgheib S, Basta B, Humbert N, Langedijk J, Morris MC, Ciaco S, Maskri O, Darlix JL, Mauffret O, Fossé P, Réal E, Mély Y. Rationally Designed Peptides as Efficient Inhibitors of Nucleic Acid Chaperone Activity of HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein. Biochemistry 2018; 57:4562-4573. [PMID: 30019894 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Due to its essential roles in the viral replication cycle and to its highly conserved sequence, the nucleocapsid protein (NCp7) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is a target of choice for inhibiting replication of the virus. Most NCp7 inhibitors identified so far are small molecules. A small number of short peptides also act as NCp7 inhibitors by competing with its nucleic acid (NA) binding and chaperone activities but exhibit antiviral activity only at relatively high concentrations. In this work, in order to obtain more potent NCp7 competitors, we designed a library of longer peptides (10-17 amino acids) whose sequences include most of the NCp7 structural determinants responsible for its specific NA binding and destabilizing activities. Using an in vitro assay, the most active peptide (pE) was found to inhibit the NCp7 destabilizing activity, with a 50% inhibitory concentration in the nanomolar range, by competing with NCp7 for binding to its NA substrates. Formulated with a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), pE was found to accumulate into HeLa cells, with low cytotoxicity. However, either formulated with a CPP or overexpressed in cells, pE did not show any antiviral activity. In vitro competition experiments revealed that its poor antiviral activity may be partly due to its sequestration by cellular RNAs. The selected peptide pE therefore appears to be a useful tool for investigating NCp7 properties and functions in vitro, but further work will be needed to design pE-derived peptides with antiviral activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volodymyr Shvadchak
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS , Université de Strasbourg , 74 route du Rhin , 67401 Illkirch , France
| | - Sarwat Zgheib
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS , Université de Strasbourg , 74 route du Rhin , 67401 Illkirch , France
| | - Beata Basta
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS , Université de Strasbourg , 74 route du Rhin , 67401 Illkirch , France
| | - Nicolas Humbert
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS , Université de Strasbourg , 74 route du Rhin , 67401 Illkirch , France
| | | | - May C Morris
- Institut des biomolécules Max Mousseron, CNRS, UMR 5247 , Université de Montpellier Faculté de Pharmacie , 15 av Charles Flahault 34093 Montpellier , France
| | - Stefano Ciaco
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS , Université de Strasbourg , 74 route du Rhin , 67401 Illkirch , France
| | - Ouerdia Maskri
- LBPA, ENS Paris Saclay, CNRS , Université Paris-Saclay , 94235 , Cachan Cedex , France
| | - Jean-Luc Darlix
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS , Université de Strasbourg , 74 route du Rhin , 67401 Illkirch , France
| | - Olivier Mauffret
- LBPA, ENS Paris Saclay, CNRS , Université Paris-Saclay , 94235 , Cachan Cedex , France
| | - Philippe Fossé
- LBPA, ENS Paris Saclay, CNRS , Université Paris-Saclay , 94235 , Cachan Cedex , France
| | - Eléonore Réal
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS , Université de Strasbourg , 74 route du Rhin , 67401 Illkirch , France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies, UMR 7021 CNRS , Université de Strasbourg , 74 route du Rhin , 67401 Illkirch , France
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16
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Mori M, Kovalenko L, Malancona S, Saladini F, De Forni D, Pires M, Humbert N, Real E, Botzanowski T, Cianférani S, Giannini A, Dasso Lang MC, Cugia G, Poddesu B, Lori F, Zazzi M, Harper S, Summa V, Mely Y, Botta M. Structure-Based Identification of HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein Inhibitors Active against Wild-Type and Drug-Resistant HIV-1 Strains. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:253-266. [PMID: 29235845 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
HIV/AIDS is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Current drugs that target the canonical steps of the HIV-1 life cycle are efficient in blocking viral replication but are unable to eradicate HIV-1 from infected patients. Moreover, drug resistance (DR) is often associated with the clinical use of these molecules, thus raising the need for novel drug candidates as well as novel putative drug targets. In this respect, pharmacological inhibition of the highly conserved and multifunctional nucleocapsid protein (NC) of HIV-1 is considered a promising alternative to current drugs, particularly to overcome DR. Here, using a multidisciplinary approach combining in silico screening, fluorescence-based molecular assays, and cellular antiviral assays, we identified nordihydroguaiaretic acid (6), as a novel natural product inhibitor of NC. By using NMR, mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular modeling, 6 was found to act through a dual mechanism of action never highlighted before for NC inhibitors (NCIs). First, the molecule recognizes and binds NC noncovalently, which results in the inhibition of the nucleic acid chaperone properties of NC. In a second step, chemical oxidation of 6 induces a potent chemical inactivation of the protein. Overall, 6 inhibits NC and the replication of wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1 strains in the low micromolar range with moderate cytotoxicity that makes it a profitable tool compound as well as a good starting point for the development of pharmacologically relevant NCIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Mori
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lesia Kovalenko
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
- Department
of Chemistry, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, 01033 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Savina Malancona
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Francesco Saladini
- Department
of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Mario Bracci,
16, 50100 Siena, Italy
| | | | - Manuel Pires
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Nicolas Humbert
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Eleonore Real
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Thomas Botzanowski
- Laboratoire
de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sarah Cianférani
- Laboratoire
de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Alessia Giannini
- Department
of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Mario Bracci,
16, 50100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Dasso Lang
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giulia Cugia
- ViroStatics S.r.l, Viale Umberto
I 46, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Franco Lori
- ViroStatics S.r.l, Viale Umberto
I 46, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Maurizio Zazzi
- Department
of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Mario Bracci,
16, 50100 Siena, Italy
| | - Steven Harper
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Yves Mely
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Maurizio Botta
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
- Sbarro
Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology,
College of Science and Technology, Temple University, BioLife Science
Bldg., Suite 333, 1900 N 12th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
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17
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Identification of novel 2-benzoxazolinone derivatives with specific inhibitory activity against the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 145:154-164. [PMID: 29324338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.12.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In this report, we present a new benzoxazole derivative endowed with inhibitory activity against the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC). NC is a 55-residue basic protein with nucleic acid chaperone properties, which has emerged as a novel and potential pharmacological target against HIV-1. In the pursuit of novel NC-inhibitor chemotypes, we performed virtual screening and in vitro biological evaluation of a large library of chemical entities. We found that compounds sharing a benzoxazolinone moiety displayed putative inhibitory properties, which we further investigated by considering a series of chemical analogues. This approach provided valuable information on the structure-activity relationships of these compounds and, in the process, demonstrated that their anti-NC activity could be finely tuned by the addition of specific substituents to the initial benzoxazolinone scaffold. This study represents the starting point for the possible development of a new class of antiretroviral agents targeting the HIV-1 NC protein.
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18
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The multiple roles of the nucleocapsid in retroviral RNA conversion into proviral DNA by reverse transcriptase. Biochem Soc Trans 2017; 44:1427-1440. [PMID: 27911725 DOI: 10.1042/bst20160101-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Retroviruses are enveloped plus-strand RNA viruses that can cause cancer, immunodeficiency and neurological disorder in human and animals. Retroviruses have several unique properties, such as a genomic RNA in a dimeric form found in the virus, and a replication strategy called 'copy-and-paste' during which the plus-strand genomic RNA is converted into a double-stranded DNA, subsequently integrated into the cellular genome. Two essential viral enzymes, reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase (IN), direct this 'copy-and-paste' replication. RT copies the genomic RNA generating the double-stranded proviral DNA, while IN catalyzes proviral DNA integration into the cellular DNA, then called the provirus. In that context, a major component of the virion core, the nucleocapsid protein (NC), was found to be a potent nucleic-acid chaperone that assists RT during the conversion of the genomic RNA into proviral DNA. Here we briefly review the interplay of NC with viral nucleic-acids, which enables rapid and faithful folding and hybridization of complementary sequences, and with active RT thus providing assistance to the synthesis of the complete proviral DNA. Because of its multiple roles in retrovirus replication, NC could be viewed as a two-faced Janus-chaperone acting on viral nucleic-acids and enzymes.
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19
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Ghose A, Maltsev OV, Humbert N, Hintermann L, Arntz Y, Naumov P, Mély Y, Didier P. Oxyluciferin Derivatives: A Toolbox of Environment-Sensitive Fluorescence Probes for Molecular and Cellular Applications. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:1566-1575. [PMID: 28118001 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b12616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we used firefly oxyluciferin (OxyLH2) and its polarity-dependent fluorescence mechanism as a sensitive tool to monitor biomolecular interactions. The chromophores, OxyLH2, and its two analogues, 4-MeOxyLH and 4,6'-DMeOxyL, were modified trough carboxylic functionalization and then coupled to the N-terminus part of Tat and NCp7 peptides of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). The photophysical properties of the labeled peptides were studied in live cells as well as in complex with different oligonucleotides in solution. By monitoring the emission properties of these derivatives we were able, for the first time, to study in vitro biomolecular interactions using oxyluciferin as a sensor. As an additional application, cyclopropyl-oxyluciferin (5,5-Cpr-OxyLH) was site-specifically conjugated to the thiol group (Cys-232) of the human protein α-1 antytripsin to investigate its interaction with porcine pancreatic elastase. Our data demonstrate that OxyLH2 and its derivatives can be used as fluorescence reporters for monitoring biomolecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avisek Ghose
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 du CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg , 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Oleg V Maltsev
- Department Chemie, Technische Universität München , Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
| | - Nicolas Humbert
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 du CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg , 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Lukas Hintermann
- Department Chemie, Technische Universität München , Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
| | - Youri Arntz
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 du CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg , 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Panče Naumov
- New York University Abu Dhabi , P.O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 du CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg , 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Pascal Didier
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 du CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg , 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
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20
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Belfetmi A, Zargarian L, Tisné C, Sleiman D, Morellet N, Lescop E, Maskri O, René B, Mély Y, Fossé P, Mauffret O. Insights into the mechanisms of RNA secondary structure destabilization by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2016; 22:506-517. [PMID: 26826129 PMCID: PMC4793207 DOI: 10.1261/rna.054445.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The mature HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein NCp7 (NC) plays a key role in reverse transcription facilitating the two obligatory strand transfers. Several properties contribute to its efficient chaperon activity: preferential binding to single-stranded regions, nucleic acid aggregation, helix destabilization, and rapid dissociation from nucleic acids. However, little is known about the relationships between these different properties, which are complicated by the ability of the protein to recognize particular HIV-1 stem-loops, such as SL1, SL2, and SL3, with high affinity and without destabilizing them. These latter properties are important in the context of genome packaging, during which NC is part of the Gag precursor. We used NMR to investigate destabilization of the full-length TAR (trans activating response element) RNA by NC, which is involved in the first strand transfer step of reverse transcription. NC was used at a low protein:nucleotide (nt) ratio of 1:59 in these experiments. NMR data for the imino protons of TAR identified most of the base pairs destabilized by NC. These base pairs were adjacent to the loops in the upper part of the TAR hairpin rather than randomly distributed. Gel retardation assays showed that conversion from the initial TAR-cTAR complex to the fully annealed form occurred much more slowly at the 1:59 ratio than at the higher ratios classically used. Nevertheless, NC significantly accelerated the formation of the initial complex at a ratio of 1:59.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Belfetmi
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Loussiné Zargarian
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Carine Tisné
- Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN biologiques, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8015, 75006 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Dona Sleiman
- Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN biologiques, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8015, 75006 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Nelly Morellet
- Centre de Recherches de Gif, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR 2301, 91190 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Ewen Lescop
- Centre de Recherches de Gif, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR 2301, 91190 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Ouerdia Maskri
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Brigitte René
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, CNRS UMR 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Philippe Fossé
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Olivier Mauffret
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
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21
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Sharma KK, Przybilla F, Restle T, Godet J, Mély Y. FRET-based assay to screen inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and nucleocapsid protein. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:e74. [PMID: 26762982 PMCID: PMC4856972 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During HIV-1 reverse transcription, the single-stranded RNA genome is converted into proviral double stranded DNA by Reverse Transcriptase (RT) within a reverse transcription complex composed of the genomic RNA and a number of HIV-1 encoded proteins, including the nucleocapsid protein NCp7. Here, we developed a one-step and one-pot RT polymerization assay. In this in vitro assay, RT polymerization is monitored in real-time by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) using a commercially available doubly-labeled primer/template DNA. The assay can monitor and quantify RT polymerization activity as well as its promotion by NCp7. Z-factor values as high as 0.89 were obtained, indicating that the assay is suitable for high-throughput drug screening. Using Nevirapine and AZT as prototypical RT inhibitors, reliable IC50 values were obtained from the changes in the RT polymerization kinetics. Interestingly, the assay can also detect NCp7 inhibitors, making it suitable for high-throughput screening of drugs targeting RT, NCp7 or simultaneously, both proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal K Sharma
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Frédéric Przybilla
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Tobias Restle
- Institute für Molekulare Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Universität zu Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Julien Godet
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France Département d'Information Médicale et de Biostatistiques, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, 1, pl de l'Hôpital, 67400 Strasbourg, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
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22
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Kim MJ, Kim SH, Park JA, Yu KL, Jang SI, Kim BS, Lee ES, You JC. Identification and characterization of a new type of inhibitor against the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 nucleocapsid protein. Retrovirology 2015; 12:90. [PMID: 26545586 PMCID: PMC4636002 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-015-0218-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) nucleocapsid protein (NC) is an essential and multifunctional protein involved in multiple stages of the viral life cycle such as reverse transcription, integration of proviral DNA, and especially genome RNA packaging. For this reason, it has been considered as an attractive target for the development of new anti-HIV drugs. Although a number of inhibitors of NC have been reported thus far, the search for NC-specific and functional inhibitor(s) with a good antiviral activity continues. Results In this study, we report the identification of A1752, a small molecule with inhibitory action against HIV-1 NC, which shows a strong antiviral efficacy and an IC50 around 1 μM. A1752 binds directly to HIV-1 NC, thereby inhibiting specific chaperone functions of NC including Psi RNA dimerization and complementary trans-activation response element (cTAR) DNA destabilization, and it also disrupts the proper Gag processing. Further analysis of the mechanisms of action of A1752 also showed that it generates noninfectious viral particles with defects in uncoating and reverse transcription in the infected cells. Conclusions These results demonstrate that A1752 is a specific and functional inhibitor of NC with a novel mode of action and good antiviral efficacy. Thus, this agent provides a new type of anti-HIV NC inhibitor candidate for further drug development. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12977-015-0218-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Seon Hee Kim
- Avixgen Inc., Seoul, 137-701, Korea. .,National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701, Korea.
| | | | - Kyung Lee Yu
- National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701, Korea.
| | - Soo In Jang
- National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701, Korea.
| | | | - Eun Soo Lee
- National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701, Korea.
| | - Ji Chang You
- Avixgen Inc., Seoul, 137-701, Korea. .,National Research Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701, Korea.
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23
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Mori M, Kovalenko L, Lyonnais S, Antaki D, Torbett BE, Botta M, Mirambeau G, Mély Y. Nucleocapsid Protein: A Desirable Target for Future Therapies Against HIV-1. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2015; 389:53-92. [PMID: 25749978 PMCID: PMC7122173 DOI: 10.1007/82_2015_433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The currently available anti-HIV-1 therapeutics is highly beneficial to infected patients. However, clinical failures occur as a result of the ability of HIV-1 to rapidly mutate. One approach to overcome drug resistance is to target HIV-1 proteins that are highly conserved among phylogenetically distant viral strains and currently not targeted by available therapies. In this respect, the nucleocapsid (NC) protein, a zinc finger protein, is particularly attractive, as it is highly conserved and plays a central role in virus replication, mainly by interacting with nucleic acids. The compelling rationale for considering NC as a viable drug target is illustrated by the fact that point mutants of this protein lead to noninfectious viruses and by the inability to select viruses resistant to a first generation of anti-NC drugs. In our review, we discuss the most relevant properties and functions of NC, as well as recent developments of small molecules targeting NC. Zinc ejectors show strong antiviral activity, but are endowed with a low therapeutic index due to their lack of specificity, which has resulted in toxicity. Currently, they are mainly being investigated for use as topical microbicides. Greater specificity may be achieved by using non-covalent NC inhibitors (NCIs) targeting the hydrophobic platform at the top of the zinc fingers or key nucleic acid partners of NC. Within the last few years, innovative methodologies have been developed to identify NCIs. Though the antiviral activity of the identified NCIs needs still to be improved, these compounds strongly support the druggability of NC and pave the way for future structure-based design and optimization of efficient NCIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Mori
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, via A. Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
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24
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Nishida Y, Pachulska-Wieczorek K, Błaszczyk L, Saha A, Gumna J, Garfinkel DJ, Purzycka KJ. Ty1 retrovirus-like element Gag contains overlapping restriction factor and nucleic acid chaperone functions. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:7414-31. [PMID: 26160887 PMCID: PMC4551931 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ty1 Gag comprises the capsid of virus-like particles and provides nucleic acid chaperone (NAC) functions during retrotransposition in budding yeast. A subgenomic Ty1 mRNA encodes a truncated Gag protein (p22) that is cleaved by Ty1 protease to form p18. p22/p18 strongly inhibits transposition and can be considered an element-encoded restriction factor. Here, we show that only p22 and its short derivatives restrict Ty1 mobility whereas other regions of GAG inhibit mobility weakly if at all. Mutational analyses suggest that p22/p18 is synthesized from either of two closely spaced AUG codons. Interestingly, AUG1p18 and AUG2p18 proteins display different properties, even though both contain a region crucial for RNA binding and NAC activity. AUG1p18 shows highly reduced NAC activity but specific binding to Ty1 RNA, whereas AUG2p18 shows the converse behavior. p22/p18 affects RNA encapsidation and a mutant derivative defective for RNA binding inhibits the RNA chaperone activity of the C-terminal region (CTR) of Gag-p45. Moreover, affinity pulldowns show that p18 and the CTR interact. These results support the idea that one aspect of Ty1 restriction involves inhibition of Gag-p45 NAC functions by p22/p18-Gag interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Nishida
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Katarzyna Pachulska-Wieczorek
- Department of Structural Chemistry and Biology of Nucleic Acids, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Leszek Błaszczyk
- Institute of Computing Science, Poznan University of Technology, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
| | - Agniva Saha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Julita Gumna
- Department of Structural Chemistry and Biology of Nucleic Acids, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - David J Garfinkel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Katarzyna J Purzycka
- Department of Structural Chemistry and Biology of Nucleic Acids, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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25
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Qualley DF, Sokolove VL, Ross JL. Bovine leukemia virus nucleocapsid protein is an efficient nucleic acid chaperone. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 458:687-692. [PMID: 25686502 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Nucleocapsid proteins (NCs) direct the rearrangement of nucleic acids to form the most thermodynamically stable structure, and facilitate many steps throughout the life cycle of retroviruses. NCs bind strongly to nucleic acids (NAs) and promote NA aggregation by virtue of their cationic nature; they also destabilize the NA duplex via highly structured zinc-binding motifs. Thus, they are considered to be NA chaperones. While most retroviral NCs are structurally similar, differences are observed both within and between retroviral genera. In this work, we compare the NA binding and chaperone activity of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) NC to that of two other retroviral NCs: human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) NC, which is structurally similar to BLV NC but from a different retrovirus genus, and human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) NC, which possesses several key structural differences from BLV NC but is from the same genus. Our data show that BLV and HIV-1 NCs bind to NAs with stronger affinity in relation to HTLV-1 NC, and that they also accelerate the annealing of complementary stem-loop structures to a greater extent. Analysis of kinetic parameters derived from the annealing data suggests that while all three NCs stimulate annealing by a two-step mechanism as previously reported, the relative contributions of each step to the overall annealing equilibrium are conserved between BLV and HIV-1 NCs but are different for HTLV-1 NC. It is concluded that while BLV and HTLV-1 belong to the same genus of retroviruses, processes that rely on NC may not be directly comparable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic F Qualley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mt. Berry, GA, USA.
| | | | - James L Ross
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mt. Berry, GA, USA
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26
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Sosic A, Cappellini M, Scalabrin M, Gatto B. Nucleocapsid Annealing-Mediated Electrophoresis (NAME) assay allows the rapid identification of HIV-1 nucleocapsid inhibitors. J Vis Exp 2015:52474. [PMID: 25650789 PMCID: PMC4354545 DOI: 10.3791/52474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA or DNA folded in stable tridimensional folding are interesting targets in the development of antitumor or antiviral drugs. In the case of HIV-1, viral proteins involved in the regulation of the virus activity recognize several nucleic acids. The nucleocapsid protein NCp7 (NC) is a key protein regulating several processes during virus replication. NC is in fact a chaperone destabilizing the secondary structures of RNA and DNA and facilitating their annealing. The inactivation of NC is a new approach and an interesting target for anti-HIV therapy. The Nucleocapsid Annealing-Mediated Electrophoresis (NAME) assay was developed to identify molecules able to inhibit the melting and annealing of RNA and DNA folded in thermodynamically stable tridimensional conformations, such as hairpin structures of TAR and cTAR elements of HIV, by the nucleocapsid protein of HIV-1. The new assay employs either the recombinant or the synthetic protein, and oligonucleotides without the need of their previous labeling. The analysis of the results is achieved by standard polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by conventional nucleic acid staining. The protocol reported in this work describes how to perform the NAME assay with the full-length protein or its truncated version lacking the basic N-terminal domain, both competent as nucleic acids chaperones, and how to assess the inhibition of NC chaperone activity by a threading intercalator. Moreover, NAME can be performed in two different modes, useful to obtain indications on the putative mechanism of action of the identified NC inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Sosic
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova
| | - Marta Cappellini
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova
| | | | - Barbara Gatto
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova;
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27
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The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein recruits negatively charged lipids to ensure its optimal binding to lipid membranes. J Virol 2014; 89:1756-67. [PMID: 25410868 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02931-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The HIV-1 Gag polyprotein precursor composed of the matrix (MA), capsid (CA), nucleocapsid (NC), and p6 domains orchestrates virus assembly via interactions between MA and the cell plasma membrane (PM) on one hand and NC and the genomic RNA on the other hand. As the Gag precursor can adopt a bent conformation, a potential interaction of the NC domain with the PM cannot be excluded during Gag assembly at the PM. To investigate the possible interaction of NC with lipid membranes in the absence of any interference from the other domains of Gag, we quantitatively characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy the binding of the mature NC protein to large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) used as membrane models. We found that NC, either in its free form or bound to an oligonucleotide, was binding with high affinity (∼ 10(7) M(-1)) to negatively charged LUVs. The number of NC binding sites, but not the binding constant, was observed to decrease with the percentage of negatively charged lipids in the LUV composition, suggesting that NC and NC/oligonucleotide complexes were able to recruit negatively charged lipids to ensure optimal binding. However, in contrast to MA, NC did not exhibit a preference for phosphatidylinositol-(4,5)-bisphosphate. These results lead us to propose a modified Gag assembly model where the NC domain contributes to the initial binding of the bent form of Gag to the PM. IMPORTANCE The NC protein is a highly conserved nucleic acid binding protein that plays numerous key roles in HIV-1 replication. While accumulating evidence shows that NC either as a mature protein or as a domain of the Gag precursor also interacts with host proteins, only a few data are available on the possible interaction of NC with lipid membranes. Interestingly, during HIV-1 assembly, the Gag precursor is thought to adopt a bent conformation where the NC domain may interact with the plasma membrane. In this context, we quantitatively characterized the binding of NC, as a free protein or as a complex with nucleic acids, to lipid membranes and showed that the latter constitute a binding platform for NC. Taken together, our data suggest that the NC domain may play a role in the initial binding events of Gag to the plasma membrane during HIV-1 assembly.
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28
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Sholokh M, Zamotaiev OM, Das R, Postupalenko VY, Richert L, Dujardin D, Zaporozhets OA, Pivovarenko VG, Klymchenko AS, Mély Y. Fluorescent Amino Acid Undergoing Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer for Site-Specific Probing and Imaging of Peptide Interactions. J Phys Chem B 2014; 119:2585-95. [DOI: 10.1021/jp508748e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Sholokh
- Laboratoire de
Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de
Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
- Department
of Chemistry, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, 01033 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | - Ranjan Das
- Department
of Chemistry, West Bengal State University, Barasat, Kolkata 700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Viktoriia Y. Postupalenko
- Laboratoire de
Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de
Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Ludovic Richert
- Laboratoire de
Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de
Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Denis Dujardin
- Laboratoire de
Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de
Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Olga A. Zaporozhets
- Department
of Chemistry, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, 01033 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Vasyl G. Pivovarenko
- Department
of Chemistry, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, 01033 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Andrey S. Klymchenko
- Laboratoire de
Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de
Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de
Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de
Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74, Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
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29
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Mori M, Nucci A, Lang MCD, Humbert N, Boudier C, Debaene F, Sanglier-Cianferani S, Catala M, Schult-Dietrich P, Dietrich U, Tisné C, Mely Y, Botta M. Functional and structural characterization of 2-amino-4-phenylthiazole inhibitors of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein with antiviral activity. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:1950-5. [PMID: 24988251 DOI: 10.1021/cb500316h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The nucleocapsid protein (NC) is a highly conserved protein in diverse HIV-1 subtypes that plays a central role in virus replication, mainly by interacting with conserved nucleic acid sequences. NC is considered a highly profitable drug target to inhibit multiple steps in the HIV-1 life cycle with just one compound, a unique property not shown by any of the other antiretroviral classes. However, most of NC inhibitors developed so far act through an unspecific and potentially toxic mechanism (zinc ejection) and are mainly being investigated as topical microbicides. In an effort to provide specific NC inhibitors that compete for the binding of nucleic acids to NC, here we combined molecular modeling, organic synthesis, biophysical studies, NMR spectroscopy, and antiviral assays to design, synthesize, and characterize an efficient NC inhibitor endowed with antiviral activity in vitro, a desirable property for the development of efficient antiretroviral lead compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Mori
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
| | - Alessandro Nucci
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Dasso Lang
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
| | - Nicolas Humbert
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7213 CNRS, 74 route du Rhin, F-67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Christian Boudier
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7213 CNRS, 74 route du Rhin, F-67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Francois Debaene
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7213 CNRS, 74 route du Rhin, F-67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Sarah Sanglier-Cianferani
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7213 CNRS, 74 route du Rhin, F-67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Marjorie Catala
- Laboratoire
de Cristallographie et RMN Biologiques, CNRS, Paris Sorbonne Cité, 4 avenue de l’Observatoire, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Patricia Schult-Dietrich
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 42-44, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ursula Dietrich
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 42-44, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Carine Tisné
- Laboratoire
de Cristallographie et RMN Biologiques, CNRS, Paris Sorbonne Cité, 4 avenue de l’Observatoire, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Yves Mely
- Laboratoire
de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7213 CNRS, 74 route du Rhin, F-67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Maurizio Botta
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Università degli Studi di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53019 Siena, Italy
- Sbarro
Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, BioLife Science Bldg.,
Suite 333, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
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30
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Zargarian L, Tisné C, Barraud P, Xu X, Morellet N, René B, Mély Y, Fossé P, Mauffret O. Dynamics of linker residues modulate the nucleic acid binding properties of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein zinc fingers. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102150. [PMID: 25029439 PMCID: PMC4100767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) is a small basic protein containing two zinc fingers (ZF) separated by a short linker. It is involved in several steps of the replication cycle and acts as a nucleic acid chaperone protein in facilitating nucleic acid strand transfers occurring during reverse transcription. Recent analysis of three-dimensional structures of NC-nucleic acids complexes established a new property: the unpaired guanines targeted by NC are more often inserted in the C-terminal zinc finger (ZF2) than in the N-terminal zinc finger (ZF1). Although previous NMR dynamic studies were performed with NC, the dynamic behavior of the linker residues connecting the two ZF domains remains unclear. This prompted us to investigate the dynamic behavior of the linker residues. Here, we collected 15N NMR relaxation data and used for the first time data at several fields to probe the protein dynamics. The analysis at two fields allows us to detect a slow motion occurring between the two domains around a hinge located in the linker at the G35 position. However, the amplitude of motion appears limited in our conditions. In addition, we showed that the neighboring linker residues R29, A30, P31, R32, K33 displayed restricted motion and numerous contacts with residues of ZF1. Our results are fully consistent with a model in which the ZF1-linker contacts prevent the ZF1 domain to interact with unpaired guanines, whereas the ZF2 domain is more accessible and competent to interact with unpaired guanines. In contrast, ZF1 with its large hydrophobic plateau is able to destabilize the double-stranded regions adjacent to the guanines bound by ZF2. The linker residues and the internal dynamics of NC regulate therefore the different functions of the two zinc fingers that are required for an optimal chaperone activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loussiné Zargarian
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8113, Cachan, France
| | - Carine Tisné
- Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN Biologiques, Université Paris Descartes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8015, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Barraud
- Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN Biologiques, Université Paris Descartes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8015, Paris, France
| | - Xiaoqian Xu
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8113, Cachan, France
- Department of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Nelly Morellet
- Centre de Recherches de Gif, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Brigitte René
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8113, Cachan, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Philippe Fossé
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8113, Cachan, France
| | - Olivier Mauffret
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8113, Cachan, France
- * E-mail:
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Pachulska-Wieczorek K, Stefaniak AK, Purzycka KJ. Similarities and differences in the nucleic acid chaperone activity of HIV-2 and HIV-1 nucleocapsid proteins in vitro. Retrovirology 2014; 11:54. [PMID: 24992971 PMCID: PMC4227088 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-11-54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The nucleocapsid domain of Gag and mature nucleocapsid protein (NC) act as nucleic acid chaperones and facilitate folding of nucleic acids at critical steps of retroviral replication cycle. The basic N-terminus of HIV-1 NC protein was shown most important for the chaperone activity. The HIV-2 NC (NCp8) and HIV-1 NC (NCp7) proteins possess two highly conserved zinc fingers, flanked by basic residues. However, the NCp8 N-terminal domain is significantly shorter and contains less positively charged residues. This study characterizes previously unknown, nucleic acid chaperone activity of the HIV-2 NC protein. Results We have comparatively investigated the in vitro nucleic acid chaperone properties of the HIV-2 and HIV-1 NC proteins. Using substrates derived from the HIV-1 and HIV-2 genomes, we determined the ability of both proteins to chaperone nucleic acid aggregation, annealing and strand exchange in duplex structures. Both NC proteins displayed comparable, high annealing activity of HIV-1 TAR DNA and its complementary nucleic acid. Interesting differences between the two NC proteins were discovered when longer HIV substrates, particularly those derived from the HIV-2 genome, were used in chaperone assays. In contrast to NCp7, NCp8 weakly facilitates annealing of HIV-2 TAR RNA to its complementary TAR (−) DNA. NCp8 is also unable to efficiently stimulate tRNALys3 annealing to its respective HIV-2 PBS motif. Using truncated NCp8 peptide, we demonstrated that despite the fact that the N-terminus of NCp8 differs from that of NCp7, this domain is essential for NCp8 activity. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that the HIV-2 NC protein displays reduced nucleic acid chaperone activity compared to that of HIV-1 NC. We found that NCp8 activity is limited by substrate length and stability to a greater degree than that of NCp7. This is especially interesting in light of the fact that the HIV-2 5′UTR is more structured than that of HIV-1. The reduced chaperone activity observed with NCp8 may influence the efficiency of reverse transcription and other key steps of the HIV-2 replication cycle.
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Retrospective on the all-in-one retroviral nucleocapsid protein. Virus Res 2014; 193:2-15. [PMID: 24907482 PMCID: PMC7114435 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2014.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Revised: 05/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
This retrospective reviews 30 years of research on the retroviral nucleocapsid protein (NC) focusing on HIV-1 NC. Originally considered as a non-specific nucleic-acid binding protein, NC has seminal functions in virus replication. Indeed NC turns out to be a all-in-one viral protein that chaperones viral DNA synthesis and integration, and virus formation. As a chaperone NC provides assistance to genetic recombination thus allowing the virus to escape the immune response and antiretroviral therapies against HIV-1.
This review aims at briefly presenting a retrospect on the retroviral nucleocapsid protein (NC), from an unspecific nucleic acid binding protein (NABP) to an all-in-one viral protein with multiple key functions in the early and late phases of the retrovirus replication cycle, notably reverse transcription of the genomic RNA and viral DNA integration into the host genome, and selection of the genomic RNA together with the initial steps of virus morphogenesis. In this context we will discuss the notion that NC protein has a flexible conformation and is thus a member of the growing family of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) where disorder may account, at least in part, for its function as a nucleic acid (NA) chaperone and possibly as a protein chaperone vis-à-vis the viral DNA polymerase during reverse transcription. Lastly, we will briefly review the development of new anti-retroviral/AIDS compounds targeting HIV-1 NC because it represents an ideal target due to its multiple roles in the early and late phases of virus replication and its high degree of conservation.
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Wu H, Mitra M, Naufer MN, McCauley MJ, Gorelick RJ, Rouzina I, Musier-Forsyth K, Williams MC. Differential contribution of basic residues to HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein's nucleic acid chaperone function and retroviral replication. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 42:2525-37. [PMID: 24293648 PMCID: PMC3936775 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt1227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) nucleocapsid (NC) protein contains 15 basic residues located throughout its 55-amino acid sequence, as well as one aromatic residue in each of its two CCHC-type zinc finger motifs. NC facilitates nucleic acid (NA) rearrangements via its chaperone activity, but the structural basis for this activity and its consequences in vivo are not completely understood. Here, we investigate the role played by basic residues in the N-terminal domain, the N-terminal zinc finger and the linker region between the two zinc fingers. We use in vitro ensemble and single-molecule DNA stretching experiments to measure the characteristics of wild-type and mutant HIV-1 NC proteins, and correlate these results with cell-based HIV-1 replication assays. All of the cationic residue mutations lead to NA interaction defects, as well as reduced HIV-1 infectivity, and these effects are most pronounced on neutralizing all five N-terminal cationic residues. HIV-1 infectivity in cells is correlated most strongly with NC’s NA annealing capabilities as well as its ability to intercalate the DNA duplex. Although NC’s aromatic residues participate directly in DNA intercalation, our findings suggest that specific basic residues enhance these interactions, resulting in optimal NA chaperone activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, and Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA, AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA and Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Mitra M, Wang W, Vo MN, Rouzina I, Barany G, Musier-Forsyth K. The N-terminal zinc finger and flanking basic domains represent the minimal region of the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 nucleocapsid protein for targeting chaperone function. Biochemistry 2013; 52:8226-36. [PMID: 24144434 DOI: 10.1021/bi401250a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) nucleocapsid (NC) protein is a chaperone that facilitates nucleic acid conformational changes to produce the most thermodynamically stable arrangement. The critical role of NC in many steps of the viral life cycle makes it an attractive therapeutic target. The chaperone activity of NC depends on its nucleic acid aggregating ability, duplex destabilizing activity, and rapid on-off binding kinetics. During the minus-strand transfer step of reverse transcription, NC chaperones the annealing of highly structured transactivation response region (TAR) RNA to the complementary TAR DNA. In this work, the role of different functional domains of NC in facilitating 59-nucleotide TAR RNA-DNA annealing was probed by using chemically synthesized peptides derived from full-length (55 amino acids) HIV-1 NC: NC(1-14), NC(15-35), NC(1-28), NC(1-35), NC(29-55), NC(36-55), and NC(11-55). Most of these peptides displayed significantly reduced annealing kinetics, even when present at concentrations much higher than that of wild-type (WT) NC. In addition, these truncated NC constructs generally bind more weakly to single-stranded DNA and are less effective nucleic acid aggregating agents than full-length NC, consistent with the loss of both electrostatic and hydrophobic contacts. However, NC(1-35) displayed annealing kinetics, nucleic acid binding, and aggregation activity that were very similar to those of WT NC. Thus, we conclude that the N-terminal zinc finger, flanked by the N-terminus and linker domains, represents the minimal sequence that is necessary and sufficient for chaperone function in vitro. In addition, covalent continuity of the 35 N-terminal amino acids of NC is critical for full activity. Thus, although the hydrophobic pocket formed by residues proximal to the C-terminal zinc finger has been a major focus of recent anti-NC therapeutic strategies, NC(1-35) represents an alternative target for therapeutics aimed at disrupting NC's chaperone function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mithun Mitra
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, and Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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35
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Boudier C, Humbert N, Chaminade F, Chen Y, de Rocquigny H, Godet J, Mauffret O, Fossé P, Mély Y. Dynamic interactions of the HIV-1 Tat with nucleic acids are critical for Tat activity in reverse transcription. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 42:1065-78. [PMID: 24153111 PMCID: PMC3902927 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein is thought to stimulate reverse transcription (RTion). The Tat protein and, more specifically, its (44–61) domain were recently shown to promote the annealing of complementary DNA sequences representing the HIV-1 transactivation response element TAR, named dTAR and cTAR, that plays a key role in RTion. Moreover, the kinetic mechanism of the basic Tat(44–61) peptide in this annealing further revealed that this peptide constitutes a representative nucleic acid annealer. To further understand the structure–activity relationships of this highly conserved domain, we investigated by electrophoresis and fluorescence approaches the binding and annealing properties of various Tat(44–61) mutants. Our data showed that the Tyr47 and basic residues of the Tat(44–61) domain were instrumental for binding to cTAR through stacking and electrostatic interactions, respectively, and promoting its annealing with dTAR. Furthermore, the annealing efficiency of the mutants clearly correlates with their ability to rapidly associate and dissociate the complementary oligonucleotides and to promote RTion. Thus, transient and dynamic nucleic acid interactions likely constitute a key mechanistic component of annealers and the role of Tat in the late steps of RTion. Finally, our data suggest that Lys50 and Lys51 acetylation regulates Tat activity in RTion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Boudier
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR-CNRS 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67401, France and Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, UMR-CNRS 8113, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Cachan 94235, France
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Godet J, Kenfack C, Przybilla F, Richert L, Duportail G, Mély Y. Site-selective probing of cTAR destabilization highlights the necessary plasticity of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein to chaperone the first strand transfer. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:5036-48. [PMID: 23511968 PMCID: PMC3643577 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NCp7) is a nucleic acid chaperone required during reverse transcription. During the first strand transfer, NCp7 is thought to destabilize cTAR, the (−)DNA copy of the TAR RNA hairpin, and subsequently direct the TAR/cTAR annealing through the zipping of their destabilized stem ends. To further characterize the destabilizing activity of NCp7, we locally probe the structure and dynamics of cTAR by steady-state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. NC(11–55), a truncated NCp7 version corresponding to its zinc-finger domain, was found to bind all over the sequence and to preferentially destabilize the penultimate double-stranded segment in the lower part of the cTAR stem. This destabilization is achieved through zinc-finger–dependent binding of NC to the G10 and G50 residues. Sequence comparison further revealed that C•A mismatches close to the two G residues were critical for fine tuning the stability of the lower part of the cTAR stem and conferring to G10 and G50 the appropriate mobility and accessibility for specific recognition by NC. Our data also highlight the necessary plasticity of NCp7 to adapt to the sequence and structure variability of cTAR to chaperone its annealing with TAR through a specific pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Godet
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch, France
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Wu H, Mitra M, McCauley MJ, Thomas JA, Rouzina I, Musier-Forsyth K, Williams MC, Gorelick RJ. Aromatic residue mutations reveal direct correlation between HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein's nucleic acid chaperone activity and retroviral replication. Virus Res 2013; 171:263-77. [PMID: 22814429 PMCID: PMC3745225 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2012.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2012] [Revised: 07/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/07/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) nucleocapsid (NC) protein plays an essential role in several stages of HIV-1 replication. One important function of HIV-1 NC is to act as a nucleic acid chaperone, in which the protein facilitates nucleic acid rearrangements important for reverse transcription and recombination. NC contains only 55 amino acids, with 15 basic residues and two zinc fingers, each having a single aromatic residue (Phe16 and Trp37). Despite its simple structure, HIV-1 NC appears to have optimal chaperone activity, including the ability to strongly aggregate nucleic acids, destabilize nucleic acid secondary structure, and facilitate rapid nucleic acid annealing. Here we combine single molecule DNA stretching experiments with ensemble solution studies of protein-nucleic acid binding affinity, oligonucleotide annealing, and nucleic acid aggregation to measure the characteristics of wild-type (WT) and aromatic residue mutants of HIV-1 NC that are important for nucleic acid chaperone activity. These in vitro results are compared to in vivo HIV-1 replication for viruses containing the same mutations. This work allows us to directly relate HIV-1 NC structure with its function as a nucleic acid chaperone in vitro and in vivo. We show that replacement of either aromatic residue with another aromatic residue results in a protein that strongly resembles WT NC. In contrast, single amino acid substitutions of either Phe16Ala or Trp37Ala significantly slow down NC's DNA interaction kinetics, while retaining some helix-destabilization capability. A double Phe16Ala/Trp37Ala substitution further reduces the latter activity. Surprisingly, the ensemble nucleic acid binding, annealing, and aggregation properties are not significantly altered for any mutant except the double aromatic substitution with Ala. Thus, elimination of a single aromatic residue from either zinc finger strongly reduces NC's chaperone activity as determined by single molecule DNA stretching experiments without significantly altering its ensemble-averaged biochemical properties. Importantly, the substitution of aromatic residues with Ala progressively decreases NC's nucleic acid chaperone activity while also progressively inhibiting viral replication. Taken together, these data support the critical role of HIV-1 NC's aromatic residues, and establish a direct and statistically significant correlation between nucleic acid chaperone activity and viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- Northeastern University, Department of Physics, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mithun Mitra
- The Ohio State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Retrovirus Research, Center for RNA Biology, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Micah J. McCauley
- Northeastern University, Department of Physics, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James A. Thomas
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ioulia Rouzina
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Karin Musier-Forsyth
- The Ohio State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Retrovirus Research, Center for RNA Biology, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Mark C. Williams
- Northeastern University, Department of Physics, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert J. Gorelick
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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Hergott CB, Mitra M, Guo J, Wu T, Miller JT, Iwatani Y, Gorelick RJ, Levin JG. Zinc finger function of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein is required for removal of 5'-terminal genomic RNA fragments: a paradigm for RNA removal reactions in HIV-1 reverse transcription. Virus Res 2013; 171:346-55. [PMID: 23149014 PMCID: PMC3578084 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2012.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2012] [Revised: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
During (-) strong-stop DNA [(-) SSDNA] synthesis, RNase H cleavage of genomic viral RNA generates small 5'-terminal RNA fragments (14-18 nt) that remain annealed to the DNA. Unless these fragments are removed, the minus-strand transfer reaction, required for (-) SSDNA elongation, cannot occur. Here, we describe the mechanism of 5'-terminal RNA removal and the roles of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) and RNase H cleavage in this process. Using an NC-dependent system that models minus-strand transfer, we show that the presence of short terminal fragments pre-annealed to (-) SSDNA has no impact on strand transfer, implying efficient fragment removal. Moreover, in reactions with an RNase H(-) reverse transcriptase mutant, NC alone is able to facilitate fragment removal, albeit less efficiently than in the presence of both RNase H activity and NC. Results obtained from novel electrophoretic gel mobility shift and Förster Resonance Energy Transfer assays, which each directly measure RNA fragment release from a duplex in the absence of DNA synthesis, demonstrate for the first time that the architectural integrity of NC's zinc finger (ZF) domains is absolutely required for this reaction. This suggests that NC's helix destabilizing activity (associated with the ZFs) facilitates strand exchange through the displacement of these short terminal RNAs by the longer 3' acceptor RNA, which forms a more stable duplex with (-) SSDNA. Taken together with previously published results, we conclude that NC-mediated fragment removal is linked mechanistically with selection of the correct primer for plus-strand DNA synthesis and tRNA removal step prior to plus-strand transfer. Thus, HIV-1 has evolved a single mechanism for these RNA removal reactions that are critical for successful reverse transcription.
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MESH Headings
- DNA, Viral/chemistry
- DNA, Viral/genetics
- DNA, Viral/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
- HIV-1/chemistry
- HIV-1/genetics
- HIV-1/metabolism
- RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional
- RNA, Viral/chemistry
- RNA, Viral/genetics
- RNA, Viral/metabolism
- Reverse Transcription
- Zinc Fingers
- gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/chemistry
- gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/genetics
- gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Hergott
- Section on Viral Gene Regulation, Program on Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2780, USA
| | - Mithun Mitra
- Section on Viral Gene Regulation, Program on Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2780, USA
| | - Jianhui Guo
- Section on Viral Gene Regulation, Program on Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2780, USA
| | - Tiyun Wu
- Section on Viral Gene Regulation, Program on Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2780, USA
| | - Jennifer T. Miller
- Reverse Transcriptase Biochemistry Section, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
| | - Yasumasa Iwatani
- Section on Viral Gene Regulation, Program on Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2780, USA
| | - Robert J. Gorelick
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
| | - Judith G. Levin
- Section on Viral Gene Regulation, Program on Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2780, USA
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Sosic A, Frecentese F, Perissutti E, Sinigaglia L, Santagada V, Caliendo G, Magli E, Ciano A, Zagotto G, Parolin C, Gatto B. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of TAR and cTAR binders as HIV-1 nucleocapsid inhibitors. MEDCHEMCOMM 2013. [DOI: 10.1039/c3md00212h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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40
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Strizhak AV, Postupalenko VY, Shvadchak VV, Morellet N, Guittet E, Pivovarenko VG, Klymchenko AS, Mély Y. Two-color fluorescent l-amino acid mimic of tryptophan for probing peptide-nucleic acid complexes. Bioconjug Chem 2012; 23:2434-43. [PMID: 23153224 DOI: 10.1021/bc300464u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-natural amino acids are important tools for site-selective probing of peptide properties and interactions. Here, for the first time a fluorescent l-amino acid, exhibiting excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and hydration-sensitive dual emission, was synthesized. It is an analogue of l-tryptophan bearing a slightly larger 2-(2-furyl)-3-hydroxychromone aromatic moiety instead of indole. This new amino acid was incorporated through solid-phase synthesis into NC(11-55), the zinc finger domain of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein, that exhibits potent nucleic acid chaperone properties. It was substituted for the Trp37 and Ala30 residues, located in the distal finger motif and the linker between the fingers of NC(11-55), respectively. Though the highly conserved Trp37 residue plays a key role in NC(11-55) structure and activity, its substitution for the new fluorescent analogue preserved the folding, the nucleic acid binding and chaperone activity of the peptide, indicating that the new amino acid can conservatively substitute Trp residues. In the presence of oligonucleotides, the Trp37-substituted peptide, but not the Ala30 variant, showed strong changes of the dual emission corresponding to local dehydration. The results are in line with NMR data, suggesting that the fluorescent amino acid interacts similarly to Trp37 with the nucleobases and is thus screened from water. Due to the exceptional sensitivity of its ESIPT fluorophore to hydration in highly polar environment, the new amino acid appears as a promising tool for substituting Trp residues and site-selectively investigating peptide-nucleic acid complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandr V Strizhak
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 67401 Illkirch, France
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41
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Vercruysse T, Basta B, Dehaen W, Humbert N, Balzarini J, Debaene F, Sanglier-Cianférani S, Pannecouque C, Mély Y, Daelemans D. A phenyl-thiadiazolylidene-amine derivative ejects zinc from retroviral nucleocapsid zinc fingers and inactivates HIV virions. Retrovirology 2012; 9:95. [PMID: 23146561 PMCID: PMC3542062 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-9-95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual acquisition of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through mucosal transmission may be prevented by using topically applied agents that block HIV transmission from one individual to another. Therefore, virucidal agents that inactivate HIV virions may be used as a component in topical microbicides. Results Here, we have identified 2-methyl-3-phenyl-2H-[1,2,4]thiadiazol-5-ylideneamine (WDO-217) as a low-molecular-weight molecule that inactivates HIV particles. Both HIV-1 and HIV-2 virions pretreated with this compound were unable to infect permissive cells. Moreover, WDO-217 was able to inhibit infections of a wide spectrum of wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1, including clinical isolates, HIV-2 and SIV strains. Whereas the capture of virus by DC-SIGN was unaffected by the compound, it efficiently prevented the transmission of DC-SIGN-captured virus to CD4+ T-lymphocytes. Interestingly, exposure of virions to WDO-217 reduced the amount of virion-associated genomic RNA as measured by real-time RT-qPCR. Further mechanism-of-action studies demonstrated that WDO-217 efficiently ejects zinc from the zinc fingers of the retroviral nucleocapsid protein NCp7 and inhibits the cTAR destabilization properties of this protein. Importantly, WDO-217 was able to eject zinc from both zinc fingers, even when NCp7 was bound to oligonucleotides, while no covalent interaction between NCp7 and WDO-217 could be observed. Conclusion This compound is a new lead structure that can be used for the development of a new series of NCp7 zinc ejectors as candidate topical microbicide agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Vercruysse
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory for Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium
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42
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Godet J, Boudier C, Humbert N, Ivanyi-Nagy R, Darlix JL, Mély Y. Comparative nucleic acid chaperone properties of the nucleocapsid protein NCp7 and Tat protein of HIV-1. Virus Res 2012; 169:349-60. [PMID: 22743066 PMCID: PMC7114403 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2012.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Revised: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
RNA chaperones are proteins able to rearrange nucleic acid structures towards their most stable conformations. In retroviruses, the reverse transcription of the viral RNA requires multiple and complex nucleic acid rearrangements that need to be chaperoned. HIV-1 has evolved different viral-encoded proteins with chaperone activity, notably Tat and the well described nucleocapsid protein NCp7. We propose here an overview of the recent reports that examine and compare the nucleic acid chaperone properties of Tat and NCp7 during reverse transcription to illustrate the variety of mechanisms of action of the nucleic acid chaperone proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Godet
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch, France
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43
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Bazzi A, Zargarian L, Chaminade F, De Rocquigny H, René B, Mély Y, Fossé P, Mauffret O. Intrinsic nucleic acid dynamics modulates HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein binding to its targets. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38905. [PMID: 22745685 PMCID: PMC3380039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) is involved in the rearrangement of nucleic acids occurring in key steps of reverse transcription. The protein, through its two zinc fingers, interacts preferentially with unpaired guanines in single-stranded sequences. In mini-cTAR stem-loop, which corresponds to the top half of the cDNA copy of the transactivation response element of the HIV-1 genome, NC was found to exhibit a clear preference for the TGG sequence at the bottom of mini-cTAR stem. To further understand how this site was selected among several potential binding sites containing unpaired guanines, we probed the intrinsic dynamics of mini-cTAR using (13)C relaxation measurements. Results of spin relaxation time measurements have been analyzed using the model-free formalism and completed by dispersion relaxation measurements. Our data indicate that the preferentially recognized guanine in the lower part of the stem is exempt of conformational exchange and highly mobile. In contrast, the unrecognized unpaired guanines of mini-cTAR are involved in conformational exchange, probably related to transient base-pairs. These findings support the notion that NC preferentially recognizes unpaired guanines exhibiting a high degree of mobility. The ability of NC to discriminate between close sequences through their dynamic properties contributes to understanding how NC recognizes specific sites within the HIV genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Bazzi
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Cachan, France
| | - Loussiné Zargarian
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Cachan, France
| | - Françoise Chaminade
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Cachan, France
| | - Hugues De Rocquigny
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité mixte de Recherche 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Brigitte René
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Cachan, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité mixte de Recherche 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Philippe Fossé
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Cachan, France
| | - Olivier Mauffret
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Cachan, France
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Mori M, Schult-Dietrich P, Szafarowicz B, Humbert N, Debaene F, Sanglier-Cianferani S, Dietrich U, Mély Y, Botta M. Use of virtual screening for discovering antiretroviral compounds interacting with the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein. Virus Res 2012; 169:377-87. [PMID: 22634301 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2012.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2012] [Revised: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 05/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) is considered as an emerging drug target for the therapy of AIDS. Several studies have highlighted the crucial role of NC within the viral replication cycle. However, although NC inhibition has provided in vitro and in vivo antiretroviral activity, drug-candidates which interfere with NC functions are still missing in the therapeutic arsenal against HIV. Based on previous studies, where the dynamic behavior of NC and its ligand binding properties have been investigated by means of computational methods, here we used a virtual screening protocol for discovering novel antiretroviral compounds which interact with NC. The antiretroviral activity of virtual hits was tested in vitro, whereas biophysical studies elucidated the direct interaction of most active compounds with NC(11-55), a peptide corresponding to the zinc finger domain of NC. Two novel antiretroviral small molecules capable of interacting with NC are presented here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Mori
- Università di Roma La Sapienza, Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, piazzale A. Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy
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45
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Characterization of the inhibition mechanism of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein chaperone activities by methylated oligoribonucleotides. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2011; 56:1010-8. [PMID: 22083480 DOI: 10.1128/aac.05614-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Since currently available therapies against HIV/AIDS still show important drawbacks, the development of novel anti-HIV treatments is a key issue. We recently characterized methylated oligoribonucleotides (mONs) that extensively inhibit HIV-1 replication in primary T cells at nanomolar concentrations. The mONs were shown to target both HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and the nucleocapsid protein (NC), which is an essential partner of RT during viral DNA synthesis. To further understand the mechanism of such mONs, we studied by isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence-based techniques their NC binding properties and ability to inhibit the nucleic acid chaperone properties of NC. Notably, we investigated the ability of mONs to inhibit the NC-induced destabilization of the HIV-1 cTAR (complementary DNA sequence to TAR [transactivation response element]) stem-loop and the NC-promoted cTAR annealing to its complementary sequence, required at the early stage of HIV-1 viral DNA synthesis. Moreover, we compared the activity of the mONs to that of a number of modified and nonmodified oligonucleotides. Results show that the mONs inhibit NC by a competitive mechanism whereby the mONs tightly bind the NC peptide, mainly through nonelectrostatic interactions with the hydrophobic platform at the top of the NC zinc fingers. Taken together, these results favor the notion that the mONs impair the process of the RT-directed viral DNA synthesis by sequestering NC molecules, thus preventing the chaperoning of viral DNA synthesis by NC. These findings contribute to the understanding of the molecular basis for NC inhibition by mONs, which could be used for the rational design of antiretroviral compounds targeting HIV-1 NC protein.
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Flexible nature and specific functions of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein. J Mol Biol 2011; 410:565-81. [PMID: 21762801 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2011] [Revised: 03/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/17/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
One salient feature of reverse transcription in retroviruses, notably in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1, is that it requires the homologous nucleocapsid (NC) protein acting as a chaperoning partner of the genomic RNA template and the reverse transcriptase, from the initiation to the completion of viral DNA synthesis. This short review on the NC protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 aims at briefly presenting the flexible nature of NC protein, how it interacts with nucleic acids via its invariant zinc fingers and flanking basic residues, and the possible mechanisms that account for its multiple functions in the early steps of virus replication, notably in the obligatory strand transfer reactions during viral DNA synthesis by the reverse transcriptase enzyme.
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Kanevsky I, Chaminade F, Chen Y, Godet J, René B, Darlix JL, Mély Y, Mauffret O, Fossé P. Structural determinants of TAR RNA-DNA annealing in the absence and presence of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 39:8148-62. [PMID: 21724607 PMCID: PMC3185427 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Annealing of the TAR RNA hairpin to the cTAR DNA hairpin is required for the minus-strand transfer step of HIV-1 reverse transcription. HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) plays a crucial role by facilitating annealing of the complementary hairpins. To gain insight into the mechanism of NC-mediated TAR RNA–DNA annealing, we used structural probes (nucleases and potassium permanganate), gel retardation assays, fluorescence anisotropy and cTAR mutants under conditions allowing strand transfer. In the absence of NC, cTAR DNA-TAR RNA annealing depends on nucleation through the apical loops. We show that the annealing intermediate of the kissing pathway is a loop–loop kissing complex involving six base-pairs and that the apical stems are not destabilized by this loop–loop interaction. Our data support a dynamic structure of the cTAR hairpin in the absence of NC, involving equilibrium between both the closed conformation and the partially open ‘Y’ conformation. This study is the first to show that the apical and internal loops of cTAR are weak and strong binding sites for NC, respectively. NC slightly destabilizes the lower stem that is adjacent to the internal loop and shifts the equilibrium toward the ‘Y’ conformation exhibiting at least 12 unpaired nucleotides in its lower part.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Kanevsky
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, 61 avenue du Président Wilson, 94235 Cachan, France
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48
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Godet J, Ramalanjaona N, Sharma KK, Richert L, de Rocquigny H, Darlix JL, Duportail G, Mély Y. Specific implications of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid zinc fingers in the annealing of the primer binding site complementary sequences during the obligatory plus strand transfer. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 39:6633-45. [PMID: 21543454 PMCID: PMC3159456 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthesis of the HIV-1 viral DNA by reverse transcriptase involves two obligatory strand transfer reactions. The second strand transfer corresponds to the annealing of the (−) and (+) DNA copies of the primer binding site (PBS) sequence which is chaperoned by the nucleocapsid protein (NCp7). NCp7 modifies the (+)/(−)PBS annealing mechanism by activating a loop–loop kissing pathway that is negligible without NCp7. To characterize in depth the dynamics of the loop in the NCp7/PBS nucleoprotein complexes, we investigated the time-resolved fluorescence parameters of a (−)PBS derivative containing the fluorescent nucleoside analogue 2-aminopurine at positions 6, 8 or 10. The NCp7-directed switch of (+)/(−)PBS annealing towards the loop pathway was associated to a drastic restriction of the local DNA dynamics, indicating that NCp7 can ‘freeze’ PBS conformations competent for annealing via the loops. Moreover, the modifications of the PBS loop structure and dynamics that govern the annealing reaction were found strictly dependent on the integrity of the zinc finger hydrophobic platform. Our data suggest that the two NCp7 zinc fingers are required to ensure the specificity and fidelity of the second strand transfer, further underlining the pivotal role played by NCp7 to control the faithful synthesis of viral HIV-1 DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Godet
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
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49
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Bazzi A, Zargarian L, Chaminade F, Boudier C, De Rocquigny H, René B, Mély Y, Fossé P, Mauffret O. Structural insights into the cTAR DNA recognition by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein: role of sugar deoxyriboses in the binding polarity of NC. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 39:3903-16. [PMID: 21227929 PMCID: PMC3089453 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq1290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
An essential step of the reverse transcription of the HIV-1 genome is the first strand transfer that requires the annealing of the TAR RNA hairpin to the cTAR DNA hairpin. HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) plays a crucial role by facilitating annealing of the complementary hairpins. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and gel retardation assays, we investigated the interaction between NC and the top half of the cTAR DNA (mini-cTAR). We show that NC(11-55) binds the TGG sequence in the lower stem that is destabilized by the adjacent internal loop. The 5′ thymine interacts with residues of the N-terminal zinc knuckle and the 3′ guanine is inserted in the hydrophobic plateau of the C-terminal zinc knuckle. The TGG sequence is preferred relative to the apical and internal loops containing unpaired guanines. Investigation of the DNA–protein contacts shows the major role of hydrophobic interactions involving nucleobases and deoxyribose sugars. A similar network of hydrophobic contacts is observed in the published NC:DNA complexes, whereas NC contacts ribose differently in NC:RNA complexes. We propose that the binding polarity of NC is related to these contacts that could be responsible for the preferential binding to single-stranded nucleic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Bazzi
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Cachan, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Illkirch, France
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50
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Levin JG, Mitra M, Mascarenhas A, Musier-Forsyth K. Role of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein in HIV-1 reverse transcription. RNA Biol 2010; 7:754-74. [PMID: 21160280 DOI: 10.4161/rna.7.6.14115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) is a nucleic acid chaperone, which remodels nucleic acid structures so that the most thermodynamically stable conformations are formed. This activity is essential for virus replication and has a critical role in mediating highly specific and efficient reverse transcription. NC's function in this process depends upon three properties: (1) ability to aggregate nucleic acids; (2) moderate duplex destabilization activity; and (3) rapid on-off binding kinetics. Here, we present a detailed molecular analysis of the individual events that occur during viral DNA synthesis and show how NC's properties are important for almost every step in the pathway. Finally, we also review biological aspects of reverse transcription during infection and the interplay between NC, reverse transcriptase, and human APOBEC3G, an HIV-1 restriction factor that inhibits reverse transcription and virus replication in the absence of the HIV-1 Vif protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith G Levin
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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