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Journal of Virology, January 2007, p. 125-140, Vol. 81, No. 1
0022-538X/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.01659-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Impact of Natural Polymorphism within the gp41 Cytoplasmic Tail of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 on the Intracellular Distribution of Envelope Glycoproteins and Viral Assembly

Université François Rabelais, Tours, France,¹ INSERM ERI 19, Tours, France,² INSERM U552 Recherche Antivirale, Paris, France,³ Université Denis Diderot Paris 7, Paris, France,⁴ UMR 2714 CNRS-bioMerieux, Lyon, France⁵

Received 2 August 2006/ Accepted 9 October 2006

The motifs involved in the various functions of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp41 cytoplasmic tail (CT), particularly those related to the intracellular trafficking and assembly of envelope glycoproteins (Env) onto core particles, have generally been assessed with a restricted panel of T-cell laboratory-adapted virus strains. Here, we investigated gp41 CT sequences derived from individuals infected with HIV-1 viruses of various subtypes. We identified four patients harboring HIV variants with a natural polymorphism in the membrane-proximal tyrosine-based signal Y₇₁₂SPL or the Y₈₀₂W₈₀₃ diaromatic motif, which are two major determinants of Env intracellular trafficking. Confocal microscopy showed that the intracellular distribution of Env with a mutation in the tyrosine or diaromatic motif differed from that of Env with no mutation in these motifs. Surprisingly, the gp41 CTs of the primary viruses also had differential effects on the intracellular distribution of Env, independently of mutations in the tyrosine or diaromatic motifs, suggesting the involvement of additional determinants. Furthermore, analyses of virus replication kinetics indicated that the effects of mutations in the tyrosine or diaromatic motifs on viral replication depended on the gp41 CT context. These effects were at least partly due to differences in the efficiency of Env incorporation into virions. Thus, polymorphisms in primary HIV-1 gp41 CTs at the quasispecies or subtype level can influence the intracellular distribution of Env, its incorporation into virions, and viral replication capacity.

Published ahead of print on 18 October 2006.

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