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Journal of Virology, October 2008, p. 9789-9794, Vol. 82, No. 19
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.02696-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Spontaneous Heteromerization of Gammaretrovirus Envelope Proteins: a Possible Novel Mechanism of Retrovirus Restriction{triangledown}

Marie Dewannieux* and Mary K. Collins

Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Windeyer Building, 46 Cleveland St., London W1T 4JF, United Kingdom

Received 19 December 2007/ Accepted 21 July 2008

The env gene of gammaretroviruses encodes a glycoprotein conserved among diverse retroviruses, except for the domains involved in receptor binding. Here we show that pairs of gammaretrovirus envelope proteins (from Friend virus and GALV or xenotropic viruses) assemble into heteromers when coexpressed. This assembly results in a strong inhibition of infectivity. An unrelated envelope protein does not assemble in heteromers with the gammaretrovirus glycoproteins tested and does not affect their infectivity, demonstrating the specificity of the mechanism we describe. We propose that the numerous copies of endogenous retroviral env genes conserved within mammalian genomes act as restriction factors against infectious retroviruses.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Windeyer Building, 46 Cleveland St., London W1T 4JF, United Kingdom. Phone: 44-207-679-9354. Fax: 44-207-679-9301. E-mail: m.dewannieux{at}ucl.ac.uk

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 30 July 2008.

Journal of Virology, October 2008, p. 9789-9794, Vol. 82, No. 19
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.02696-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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