HIV-1 GAG PROTEIN ASSOCIATES WITH F-ACTIN PRESENT IN MICROFILAMENTS

Several studies have provided evidence that the cellular cytoskeleton may be involved in the assembly and budding of retroviruses. In fracti onation studies of HIV-1-infected CEM cells, the majority of the unpro cessed Gag polyprotein cofractionated with the cellular cytoskeleton. In vivo and in vitro analyses of this interaction indicated that the u nprocessed Gag polyprotein is capable of association with polymerized actin (F-actin). Binding of Gag to F-actin may be involved in the asse mbly or budding of HIV-1. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.