Xy. Wu et al., TARGETING FOREIGN PROTEINS TO HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS PARTICLES VIA FUSION WITH VPR AND VPX, Journal of virology, 69(6), 1995, pp. 3389-3398
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2 Vpr and Vpx
proteins are packaged into virions through virus type-specific interac
tions with the Gag polyprotein precursor, To examine whether HIV-1 Vpr
(Vpr1) and HIV-2 Vpx (Vpx2) could be used to target foreign proteins
to the HIV particle, their open reading frames were fused in frame wit
h genes encoding the bacterial staphylococcal nuclease (SN), an enzyma
tically inactive mutant of SN (SN), and chloramphenicol acetyltransfe
rase (CAT), Transient expression in a T7-based vaccinia virus system d
emonstrated the synthesis of appropriately sized Vpr1-SN/SN and Vpx2-
SN/SN fusion proteins which, when coexpressed with their cognate p55(
Gag) protein, were efficiently incorporated into virus-like particles,
Packaging of the fusion proteins was dependent on virus type-specific
determinants, as previously seen with wild-type Vpr and Vpx proteins.
Particle-associated Vpr1-SN and Vpx-SN fusion proteins were enzymatic
ally active, as determined by in vitro digestion of lambda phage DNA,
To determine whether functional Vpr1 and Vpx2 fusion proteins could be
targeted to HIV particles, the gene fusions were cloned into an HIV-2
long terminal repeat/Rev response element-regulated expression vector
and cotransfected with wild-type HIV-1 and HIV-2 proviruses. Western
blot (immunoblot) analysis of sucrose gradient-purified virions reveal
ed that both Vpr1 and Vpx2 fusion proteins were efficiently packaged r
egardless of whether SN, SN, or CAT was used as the C-terminal fusion
partner, Moreover, the fusion proteins remained enzymatically active
and were packaged in the presence of wild-type Vpr and Vpx proteins. I
nterestingly, virions also contained smaller proteins that reacted wit
h antibodies specific for the accessory proteins as well as SN and CAT
fusion partners. Since similar proteins were absent from Gag-derived
virus-like particles and from virions propagated in the presence of an
HN protease inhibitor, they must represent cleavage products produced
by the viral protease, Taken together, these results demonstrate that
Vpr and Vpx can be used to target functional proteins, including pote
ntially deleterious enzymes, to the human or simian immunodeficiency v
irus particle. These properties may be exploitable for studies of HIV
particle assembly and maturation and for the development of novel anti
viral strategies.