Identification of Two APOBEC3F Splice Variants Displaying HIV-1 Antiviral Activity and Contrasting Sensitivity to Vif

Approximately half of all human genes undergo alternative mRNA splicing. This process often yields homologous gene products exhibiting diverse functions. Alternative splicing of APOBEC3G (A3G) and APOBEC3F (A3F), the major host resistance factors targeted by the HIV-1 protein Vif, has not been explored. We investigated the effects of alternative splicing on A3G/A3F gene expression and antiviral activity. Three alternatively spliced A3G mRNAs and two alternatively spliced A3F mRNAs were detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in each of 10 uninfected, healthy donors. Expression of these splice variants was altered in different cell subsets and in response to cellular stimulation. Alternatively spliced A3G variants were insensitive to degradation by Vif but displayed no antiviral activity against HIV-1. Conversely, alternative splicing of A3F produced a 37-kDa variant lacking exon 2 (A3FΔ2) that was prominently expressed in macrophages and monocytes and was resistant to Vif-mediated degradation. Alternative splicing also produced a 24-kDa variant of A3F lacking exons 2–4 (A3FΔ2–4) that was highly sensitive to Vif. Both A3FΔ2 and A3FΔ2–4 displayed reduced cytidine deaminase activity and moderate antiviral activity. These alternatively spliced A3F gene products, particularly A3FΔ2, were incorporated into HIV virions, albeit at levels less than wild-type A3F. Thus, alternative splicing of A3F mRNA generates truncated antiviral proteins that differ sharply in their sensitivity to Vif.     

HIV-1 Replication and APOBEC3 Antiviral Activity Are Not Regulated by P Bodies

The APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases play a critical role in host-mediated defense against exogenous viruses, most notably, human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) and endogenous transposable elements. APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F interact with numerous proteins that regulate cellular RNA metabolism, including components of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), and colocalize with a subset of these proteins to mRNA processing bodies (P bodies), which are sites of mRNA translational repression and decay. We sought to determine the role of P bodies and associated proteins in HIV-1 replication and APOBEC3 antiviral activity. While we established a positive correlation between APOBEC3 protein incorporation into virions and localization to P bodies, depletion of the P-body components DDX6 or Lsm1 did not affect HIV-1 replication, APOBEC3 packaging into virions or APOBEC3 protein mediated inhibition of HIV-1 infectivity. In addition, neither HIV-1 genomic RNA nor Gag colocalized with P-body proteins. However, simultaneous depletion of multiple Argonaute family members, the effector proteins of RISC, could modestly increase viral infectivity. Because some APOBEC3 proteins interact with several Argonaute proteins, we also tested whether they could modulate microRNA (miRNA) activity. We found no evidence for the specific regulation of miRNA function by the APOBEC3 proteins, though more general effects on transfected gene expression were observed. In sum, our results indicate that P bodies and certain associated proteins do not regulate HIV-1 replication or APOBEC3 protein antiviral activity. Localization to P bodies may therefore provide a means of sequestering APOBEC3 enzymatic activity away from cellular DNA or may be linked to as yet unidentified cellular functions.     

APOBEC3G Variants and Protection against HIV-1 Infection in Burkina Faso

Studies on host factors, particularly the APOBEC3G gene, have previously found an association with AIDS progression in some populations and against some HIV-1 strains but not others. Our study had two main objectives: firstly, to screen a population from Burkina Faso for three variants of APOBEC3G previously described, and secondly to analyze the effect of these three variants and their haplotypes on HIV-1 infection with Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRFs) present in Burkina Faso. This case control study involved 708 seropositive and seronegative individuals. Genotyping was done by the TaqMan allelic discrimination method. Minor allele frequencies of rs6001417 (p<0.05), rs8177832 (P<0.05), and rs35228531 (P<0.001) were higher in seronegative subjects. The rs6001417 and rs8177832 SNPs were associated with HIV-1 infection in an additive model (P<0.01). Furthermore the SNP rs35228531 was also associated with HIV-1 infection in a dominant model (P<0.001). Odds ratio analysis of genotypes and alleles of the different APOBEC3G variants showed that there is a strong association between the minor genetic variants, genotype of the three SNPs, and HIV-1 status. Haplotype analysis demonstrated that rs6001417, rs8177832, and rs35228531 are in linkage disequilibrium. The haplotype GGT from the rs6001417, rs8177832 and rs35228531 respectively has a protective effect OR = 0.54 [0.43–0.68] with P<0.001. There was also associations between the haplotypes GGC OR = 1.6 [1.1;-2.3] P<0.05, and CGC OR = 5.21 [2.4–11.3] P<0.001, which increase the risk of infection by HIV-1 from almost two (2) to five (5) fold. This study demonstrates an association of rs6001417, rs8177832, and rs35228531 of APOBEC3G with HIV-1 infection in a population from Burkina Faso.     

The activity spectrum of Vif from multiple HIV-1 subtypes against APOBEC3G, APOBEC3F, and APOBEC3H

The APOBEC3 family comprises seven cytidine deaminases (APOBEC3A [A3A] to A3H), which are expressed to various degrees in HIV-1 susceptible cells. The HIV-1 Vif protein counteracts APOBEC3 restriction by mediating its degradation by the proteasome. We hypothesized that Vif proteins from various HIV-1 subtypes differ in their abilities to counteract different APOBEC3 proteins. Seventeen Vif alleles from seven HIV-1 subtypes were tested for their abilities to degrade and counteract A3G, A3F, and A3H haplotype II (hapII). We show that most Vif alleles neutralize A3G and A3F efficiently but display differences with respect to the inhibition of A3H hapII. The majority of non-subtype B Vif alleles tested presented some activity against A3H hapII, with two subtype F Vif variants being highly effective in counteracting A3H hapII. The residues required for activity were mapped to two residues in the amino-terminal region of Vif (positions 39F and 48H). Coimmunoprecipitations showed that these two amino acids were necessary for association of Vif with A3H hapII. These findings suggest that the A3H hapII binding site in Vif is distinct from the regions important for A3G and A3F recognition and that it requires specific amino acids at positions 39 and 48. The differential Vif activity spectra, especially against A3H hapII, suggest adaptation to APOBEC3 repertoires representative of different human ancestries. Phenotypic assessment of anti-APOBEC3 activity of Vif variants against several cytidine deaminases will help reveal the requirement for successful replication in vivo and ultimately point to interventions targeting the Vif-APOBEC3 interface.     

Human cytidine deaminase APOBEC3H restricts HIV-1 replication

The human genome encodes seven APOBEC3 (A3) cytidine deaminases with potential antiretroviral activity: A3A, A3B, A3C, A3DE, A3F, A3G, and A3H. A3G was the first identified to block replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and many other retroviruses. A3F, A3B, and A3DE were shown later to have similar activities. HIV-1 produces a protein called Vif that is able to neutralize the antiretroviral activities of A3DE, A3F, and A3G, but not A3B. Only the antiretroviral activity of A3H remains to be defined due to its poor expression in cell culture. Here, we studied the mechanism impairing A3H expression. When primate A3H sequences were compared, a premature termination codon was identified on the fifth exon of the human and chimpanzee A3H genes, which significantly decreased their protein expression. It causes a 29-residue deletion from the C terminus, and this truncation did not reduce human A3H protein stability. However, the mRNA levels of the truncated gene were significantly decreased. Human A3H protein expression could be restored to a normal level either by repairing this truncation or through expression from a vector containing an intron from human cytomegalovirus. Once expression was optimized, human A3H could reduce HIV-1 infectivity up to 150-fold. Importantly, HIV-1 Vif failed to neutralize A3H activity. Nevertheless, extensive sequence analysis could not detect any significant levels of G-to-A mutation in the HIV-1 genome by human A3H. Thus, A3H inhibits HIV-1 replication potently by a cytidine deamination-independent mechanism, and optimizing A3H expression in vivo should represent a novel therapeutic strategy for HIV-1 treatment.     

The Roles of APOBEC3G Complexes in the Incorporation of APOBEC3G into HIV-1

Background

The incorporation of human APOBEC3G (hA3G) into HIV is required for exerting its antiviral activity, therefore the mechanism underlying hA3G virion encapsidation has been investigated extensively. hA3G was shown to form low-molecular-mass (LMM) and high-molecular-mass (HMM) complexes. The function of different forms of hA3G in its viral incorporation remains unclear.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, we investigated the subcellular distribution and lipid raft association of hA3G using subcellular fractionation, membrane floatation assay and pulse-chase radiolabeling experiments respectively, and studied the correlation between the ability of hA3G to form the different complex and its viral incorporation. Our work herein provides evidence that the majority of newly-synthesized hA3G interacts with membrane lipid raft domains to form Lipid raft-associated hA3G (RA hA3G), which serve as the precursor of mature HMM hA3G complex, while a minority of newly-synthesized hA3G remains in the cytoplasm as a soluble LMM form. The distribution of hA3G among the soluble LMM form, the RA LMM form and the mature forms of HMM is regulated by a mechanism involving the N-terminal part of the linker region and the C-terminus of hA3G. Mutagenesis studies reveal a direct correlation between the ability of hA3G to form the RA LMM complex and its viral incorporation.

Conclusions/Significance

Together these data suggest that the Lipid raft-associated LMM A3G complex functions as the cellular source of viral hA3G.     

Human and rhesus APOBEC3D, APOBEC3F, APOBEC3G, and APOBEC3H demonstrate a conserved capacity to restrict Vif-deficient HIV-1

Successful intracellular pathogens must evade or neutralize the innate immune defenses of their host cells and render the cellular environment permissive for replication. For example, to replicate efficiently in CD4(+) T lymphocytes, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encodes a protein called viral infectivity factor (Vif) that promotes pathogenesis by triggering the degradation of the retrovirus restriction factor APOBEC3G. Other APOBEC3 proteins have been implicated in HIV-1 restriction, but the relevant repertoire remains ambiguous. Here we present the first comprehensive analysis of the complete, seven-member human and rhesus APOBEC3 families in HIV-1 restriction. In addition to APOBEC3G, we find that three other human APOBEC3 proteins, APOBEC3D, APOBEC3F, and APOBEC3H, are all potent HIV-1 restriction factors. These four proteins are expressed in CD4(+) T lymphocytes, are packaged into and restrict Vif-deficient HIV-1 when stably expressed in T cells, mutate proviral DNA, and are counteracted by HIV-1 Vif. Furthermore, APOBEC3D, APOBEC3F, APOBEC3G, and APOBEC3H of the rhesus macaque also are packaged into and restrict Vif-deficient HIV-1 when stably expressed in T cells, and they are all neutralized by the simian immunodeficiency virus Vif protein. On the other hand, neither human nor rhesus APOBEC3A, APOBEC3B, nor APOBEC3C had a significant impact on HIV-1 replication. These data strongly implicate a combination of four APOBEC3 proteins--APOBEC3D, APOBEC3F, APOBEC3G, and APOBEC3H--in HIV-1 restriction.     

Mov10 and APOBEC3G Localization to Processing Bodies Is Not Required for Virion Incorporation and Antiviral Activity

Mov10 and APOBEC3G (A3G) localize to cytoplasmic granules called processing bodies (P bodies), incorporate into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions, and inhibit viral replication. The functional relevance of Mov10/A3G P-body localization to virion incorporation and antiviral activity has not been fully explored. We found that a helicase V mutant of Mov10 exhibits significantly reduced localization to P bodies but still efficiently inhibits viral infectivity via virion incorporation. Disruption of the P bodies by DDX6 knockdown also confirmed Mov10 antiviral activity without P-body localization. In addition, overexpression of SRP19, which binds to 7SL RNA, depleted A3G from P bodies but did not affect its virion incorporation. Sucrose gradient sedimentation assays revealed that the majority of Mov10, A3G, HIV-1 RNA, and Gag formed high-molecular-mass (HMM) complexes that are converted to low-molecular-mass (LMM) complexes after RNase A treatment. In contrast, the P-body markers DCP2, LSM1, eIF4e, DDX6, and AGO1 were in LMM complexes, whereas AGO2, an effector protein of the RNA-induced silencing complex that localizes to P bodies, was present in both LMM and HMM complexes. Depletion of AGO2 indicated that RNA-induced silencing function is required for Mov10''s ability to reduce Gag expression upon overexpression, but not its virion incorporation or effect on virus infectivity. We conclude that the majority of Mov10 and A3G are in HMM complexes, whereas most of the P-body markers are in LMM complexes, and that virion incorporation and the antiviral activities of Mov10 and A3G do not require their localization to P bodies.     

APOBEC3G与Vif在HIV-1感染中的作用

载脂蛋白B mRNA编辑催化多肽样（apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing catalytic polypeptide-like,APOBEC）蛋白是一组胞嘧啶脱氨基酶,具有天然的抗病毒活性,对多种病毒具有抑制作用,特别是逆转录病毒. APOBEC3蛋白能够抑制人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV-1)的感染,其中APOBEC3G和APOBEC3F的作用最强. APOBEC3G能够通过胞嘧啶脱氨基作用和非胞嘧啶脱氨基作用抑制病毒感染. HIV-1病毒感染因子(Vif) 蛋白主要经泛素-蛋白酶体途径介导APOBEC3G降解,从而拮抗其抗病毒作用. APOBEC3G和Vif之间相互作用的研究对于寻求新的抗HIV治疗靶点具有重要意义.     

APOBEC3F Determinants of HIV-1 Vif Sensitivity

HIV-1 Vif counteracts restrictive APOBEC3 proteins by targeting them for proteasomal degradation. To determine the regions mediating sensitivity to Vif, we compared human APOBEC3F, which is HIV-1 Vif sensitive, with rhesus APOBEC3F, which is HIV-1 Vif resistant. Rhesus-human APOBEC3F chimeras and amino acid substitution mutants were tested for sensitivity to HIV-1 Vif. This approach identified the α3 and α4 helices of human APOBEC3F as important determinants of the interaction with HIV-1 Vif.     

Characterization of conserved motifs in HIV-1 Vif required for APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F interaction

Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G, or A3G) and related cytidine deaminases such as apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing catalytic polypeptide-like 3F (APOBEC3F, or A3F) are potent inhibitors of retroviruses. Formation of infectious human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 requires suppression of multiple cytidine deaminases by Vif. HIV-1 Vif suppresses various APOBEC3 proteins through a common mechanism by recruiting Cullin5, ElonginB, and ElonginC E3 ubiquitin ligase to induce target protein polyubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation. Domains in Vif that mediate APOBEC3 recognition have not been fully characterized. In the present study, we identified a VxIPLx_4-5LxΦx₂YWxL motif in HIV-1 Vif, which is required for efficient interaction between Vif and A3G, Vif-mediated A3G degradation and virion exclusion, and functional suppression of the A3G antiviral activity. Amino acids 52 to 72 of HIV-1 Vif (including the VxIPLx_4-5LxΦx₂YWxL motif) alone could mediate interaction with A3G, and this interaction was abolished by mutations of two hydrophobic amino acids in this region. We have also observed that a Vif mutant was ineffective against A3G, yet it retained the ability to interact with Cullin5-E3 ubiquitin complex and A3G, suggesting that interaction with A3G is necessary but not sufficient to inhibit its antiviral function. Unlike the previously identified motif of HIV-1 Vif amino acids 40 to 44, which is only important for A3G suppression, the VxIPLx_4-5LxΦx₂YWxL motif is also required for efficient A3F interaction and suppression. On the other hand, another motif, TGERxW, of HIV-1 Vif amino acids 74 to 79 was found to be mainly important for A3F interaction and inhibition. Both the VxIPLx_4-5LxΦx₂YWxL and TGERxW motifs are highly conserved among HIV-1, HIV-2, and various simian immunodeficiency virus Vif proteins. Our data suggest that primate lentiviral Vif molecules recognize their autologous APOBEC3 proteins through conserved structural features that represent attractive targets for the development of novel inhibitors.     

APOBEC3D and APOBEC3F Potently Promote HIV-1 Diversification and Evolution in Humanized Mouse Model

Several APOBEC3 proteins, particularly APOBEC3D, APOBEC3F, and APOBEC3G, induce G-to-A hypermutations in HIV-1 genome, and abrogate viral replication in experimental systems, but their relative contributions to controlling viral replication and viral genetic variation in vivo have not been elucidated. On the other hand, an HIV-1-encoded protein, Vif, can degrade these APOBEC3 proteins via a ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. Although APOBEC3 proteins have been widely considered as potent restriction factors against HIV-1, it remains unclear which endogenous APOBEC3 protein(s) affect HIV-1 propagation in vivo. Here we use a humanized mouse model and HIV-1 with mutations in Vif motifs that are responsible for specific APOBEC3 interactions, DRMR/AAAA (4A) or YRHHY/AAAAA (5A), and demonstrate that endogenous APOBEC3D/F and APOBEC3G exert strong anti-HIV-1 activity in vivo. We also show that the growth kinetics of 4A HIV-1 negatively correlated with the expression level of APOBEC3F. Moreover, single genome sequencing analyses of viral RNA in plasma of infected mice reveal that 4A HIV-1 is specifically and significantly diversified. Furthermore, a mutated virus that is capable of using both CCR5 and CXCR4 as entry coreceptor is specifically detected in 4A HIV-1-infected mice. Taken together, our results demonstrate that APOBEC3D/F and APOBEC3G fundamentally work as restriction factors against HIV-1 in vivo, but at the same time, that APOBEC3D and APOBEC3F are capable of promoting viral diversification and evolution in vivo.