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Full-Text Articles in Virology
Analysis Of Hiv-2 Vpx By Modeling And Insertional Mutagenesis, Lisa A. Mahnke, Michael Belshan, Lee Ratner
Analysis Of Hiv-2 Vpx By Modeling And Insertional Mutagenesis, Lisa A. Mahnke, Michael Belshan, Lee Ratner
Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications
Vpx facilitates HIV-2 nuclear localization by a poorly understood mechanism. We have compared Vpx to an NMR structure HIV- 1 Vpr in a central helical domain and probed regions of Vpx by insertional mutagenesis. A predicted loop between helices two and three appears to be unique, overlapping with a known novel nuclear localization signal. Overall, Vpx was found to be surprisingly flexible, tolerating a series of large insertions. We found that insertion within the polyproline-containing C-terminus destabilizes nuclear localization, whereas mutating a second helix in the central domain disrupts viral packaging. Other insertional mutants in the predicted loop and in …
Conserved Amino Acids Of The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 Vpx Nuclear Localization Signal Are Critical For Nuclear Targeting Of The Viral Preintegration Complex In Non-Dividing Cells, Michael Belshan, Lisa A. Mahnke, Lee Ratner
Conserved Amino Acids Of The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 Vpx Nuclear Localization Signal Are Critical For Nuclear Targeting Of The Viral Preintegration Complex In Non-Dividing Cells, Michael Belshan, Lisa A. Mahnke, Lee Ratner
Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications
The HIV-2 viral accessory protein Vpx is related to, but distinct from the Vpr protein of HIV-1. Vpx is packaged into virions and as a component of the viral preintegration complex (PIC) is required for efficient virus replication in non-dividing cells. We have previously reported that the minimal transferable region of Vpx that contained karyophilic properties was aa 65 to 72. Analysis of Vpx sequences from various HIV-2/SIV strains reveals that this region contains highly conserved amino acids, including two basic residues (K68, R70) and three tyrosines (Y66, Y69, Y71). Here, we demonstrate that mutation of the basic or tyrosine …