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Journal of Virology, March 2005, p. 3557-3564, Vol. 79, No. 6
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.6.3557-3564.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Importin-{alpha} Promotes Passage through the Nuclear Pore Complex of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vpr

Masakazu Kamata,1 Yuko Nitahara-Kasahara,1 Yoichi Miyamoto,2 Yoshihiro Yoneda,2 and Yoko Aida1*

Retrovirus Research Unit, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama,1 Department of Frontier Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan2

Received 16 June 2004/ Accepted 3 November 2004

Viral protein R (Vpr) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 has potent karyophilic properties, but details of the mechanism by which it enters the nucleus remain to be clarified. We reported previously that two regions, located between residues 17 and 34 ({alpha}H1) and between residues 46 and 74 ({alpha}H2), are indispensable for the nuclear localization of Vpr. Here, we reveal that a chimeric protein composed of the nuclear localization signal of Vpr, glutathione S-transferase, and green fluorescent protein was localized at the nuclear envelope and then entered the nucleus upon addition of importin-{alpha}. An in vitro transport assay using a series of derivatives of importin-{alpha} demonstrated that the carboxyl terminus was required for this nuclear import process. We also showed that Vpr interacts with importin-{alpha} through {alpha}H1 and {alpha}H2; only the interaction via {alpha}H1 is indispensable for the nuclear entry of Vpr. These observations indicate that importin-{alpha} functions as a mediator for the nuclear entry of Vpr.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Retrovirus Research Unit, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. Phone: 81 48 462 4408. Fax: 81 48 462 4399. E-mail: aida{at}riken.jp.

Journal of Virology, March 2005, p. 3557-3564, Vol. 79, No. 6
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.6.3557-3564.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Kamata, M., Watanabe, N., Nagaoka, Y., Chen, I. S. Y. (2008). Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vpr Binds to the N Lobe of the Wee1 Kinase Domain and Enhances Kinase Activity for Cdc2. J. Virol. 82: 5672-5682 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Isegawa, Y., Miyamoto, Y., Yasuda, Y., Semi, K., Tsujimura, K., Fukunaga, R., Ohshima, A., Horiguchi, Y., Yoneda, Y., Sugimoto, N. (2008). Characterization of the Human Herpesvirus 6 U69 Gene Product and Identification of Its Nuclear Localization Signal. J. Virol. 82: 710-718 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nitahara-Kasahara, Y., Kamata, M., Yamamoto, T., Zhang, X., Miyamoto, Y., Muneta, K., Iijima, S., Yoneda, Y., Tsunetsugu-Yokota, Y., Aida, Y. (2007). Novel Nuclear Import of Vpr Promoted by Importin {alpha} Is Crucial for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication in Macrophages. J. Virol. 81: 5284-5293 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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