This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Li, M.
Right arrow Articles by Compans, R. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Li, M.
Right arrow Articles by Compans, R. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Virology, March 2001, p. 2337-2344, Vol. 75, No. 5
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.5.2337-2344.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Mutations in the Cytoplasmic Tail of Murine Leukemia Virus Envelope Protein Suppress Fusion Inhibition by R Peptide

Min Li, Chinglai Yang, and Richard W. Compans*

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322

Received Recieved 10 July 2000/Accepted 6 December 2000

During viral maturation, the cytoplasmic tail of the murine leukemia virus (MuLV) envelope (Env) protein undergoes proteolytic cleavage by the viral protease to release the 16-amino-acid R peptide, and this cleavage event activates the Env protein's fusion activity. We introduced Gly and/or Ser residues at different positions upstream of the R peptide in the cytoplasmic tail of the Friend MuLV Env protein and investigated their effects on fusion activity. Expression in HeLa T4 cells of a mutant Env protein with a single Gly insertion after I619, five amino acids upstream from the R peptide, induced syncytium formation with overlaid XC cells. Env proteins containing single or double Gly-Ser insertions after F614, 10 amino acids upstream from the R peptide, induced syncytium formation, and mutant proteins with multiple Gly insertions induced various levels of syncytium formation between HeLa T4 and XC cells. Immunoprecipitation and surface biotinylation assays showed that most of the mutants had surface expression levels comparable to those of the wild-type or R peptide-truncated Env proteins. Fluorescence dye redistribution assays also showed no hemifusion in the Env proteins which did not induce fusion. Our results indicate that insertion mutations in the cytoplasmic tail of the MuLV Env protein can suppress the inhibitory effect of the R peptide on membrane fusion and that there are differences in the effects of insertions in two regions in the cytoplasmic tail upstream of the R peptide.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322. Phone: (404) 727-5947. Fax: (404) 727-8250. E-mail: compans{at}microbio.emory.edu.


Journal of Virology, March 2001, p. 2337-2344, Vol. 75, No. 5
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.5.2337-2344.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Barry, C., Duncan, R. (2009). Multifaceted Sequence-Dependent and -Independent Roles for Reovirus FAST Protein Cytoplasmic Tails in Fusion Pore Formation and Syncytiogenesis. J. Virol. 83: 12185-12195 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Loving, R., Li, K., Wallin, M., Sjoberg, M., Garoff, H. (2008). R-Peptide Cleavage Potentiates Fusion-Controlling Isomerization of the Intersubunit Disulfide in Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Env. J. Virol. 82: 2594-2597 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Li, M., Li, Z.-N., Yao, Q., Yang, C., Steinhauer, D. A., Compans, R. W. (2006). Murine Leukemia Virus R Peptide Inhibits Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin-Induced Membrane Fusion.. J. Virol. 80: 6106-6114 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Merten, C. A., Stitz, J., Braun, G., Medvedovska, J., Cichutek, K., Buchholz, C. J. (2006). Fusoselect: cell-cell fusion activity engineered by directed evolution of a retroviral glycoprotein. Nucleic Acids Res 34: e41-e41 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Song, C., Micoli, K., Hunter, E. (2005). Activity of the Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus Fusion Protein Is Modulated by Single Amino Acids in the Cytoplasmic Tail. J. Virol. 79: 11569-11579 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Matsuyama, S., Delos, S. E., White, J. M. (2004). Sequential Roles of Receptor Binding and Low pH in Forming Prehairpin and Hairpin Conformations of a Retroviral Envelope Glycoprotein. J. Virol. 78: 8201-8209 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sandrin, V., Muriaux, D., Darlix, J.-L., Cosset, F.-L. (2004). Intracellular Trafficking of Gag and Env Proteins and Their Interactions Modulate Pseudotyping of Retroviruses. J. Virol. 78: 7153-7164 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kubo, Y., Amanuma, H. (2003). Mutational analysis of the R peptide cleavage site of Moloney murine leukaemia virus envelope protein. J. Gen. Virol. 84: 2253-2257 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Song, C., Dubay, S. R., Hunter, E. (2003). A Tyrosine Motif in the Cytoplasmic Domain of Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus Is Essential for the Incorporation of Glycoprotein into Virions. J. Virol. 77: 5192-5200 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Aguilar, H. C., Anderson, W. F., Cannon, P. M. (2002). Cytoplasmic Tail of Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Envelope Protein Influences the Conformation of the Extracellular Domain: Implications for Mechanism of Action of the R Peptide. J. Virol. 77: 1281-1291 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Seth, S., Vincent, A., Compans, R. W. (2002). Mutations in the Cytoplasmic Domain of a Paramyxovirus Fusion Glycoprotein Rescue Syncytium Formation and Eliminate the Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase Protein Requirement for Membrane Fusion. J. Virol. 77: 167-178 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Li, M., Yang, C., Tong, S., Weidmann, A., Compans, R. W. (2002). Palmitoylation of the Murine Leukemia Virus Envelope Protein Is Critical for Lipid Raft Association and Surface Expression. J. Virol. 76: 11845-11852 [Abstract] [Full Text]