Ubiquitination of APOBEC3G by an HIV-1 Vif-Cullin5-Elongin B-Elongin C complex is essential for Vif function

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virion infectivity factor (Vif) overcomes the antiviral activity of APOBEC3G to protect HIV-1 DNA from G-to-A hypermutation. Vif targets APOBEC3G for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation by forming an SCF-like E3 ubiquitin ligase complex composed of Cullin5, Elongin B, and Elongin C (Vif-BC-Cul5) through a novel SOCS-box motif. In this paper, we have established an in vitro ubiquitin conjugation assay with purified Vif-BC-Cul5 complex and reported that the Vif-BC-Cul5 complex could function as an E3 ligase for APOBEC3G in vitro. A Vif-BC-Cul5 complex promotes the in vitro ubiquitination of the wild type, APOBEC3G but not that of D128K mutant, which does not interact with Vif. We have also investigated several loss-of-function Vif mutants. One mutant, SLQ144/146AAA, lost its activity on APOBEC3G because it could not form a complex due to mutations in SOCS-box motif. Other mutants, C114S and C133S, also lost their activity because of loss of the E3 ligase activity of a Vif-BC-Cul5 complex, although these mutants retained the ability to bind to APOBEC3G as well as Cul5 complex. These findings suggest that the E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of the Vif-BC-Cul5 complex is essential for Vif function against APOBEC3G.     

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.     

Regulation of Apobec3F and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vif by Vif-Cul5-ElonB/C E3 ubiquitin ligase

The human cytidine deaminase Apobec3F (h-A3F), a protein related to the previously recognized antiviral factor Apobec3G (h-A3G), has antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) that is suppressed by the viral protein Vif. The mechanism of HIV-1 Vif-mediated suppression of h-A3F is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that while h-A3F, like h-A3G, was able to suppress primate lentiviruses other than HIV-1 (simian immunodeficiency virus from African green monkeys [SIVagm] and Rhesus macaques [SIVmac]), the interaction between Vif proteins and h-A3F appeared to differ from that with h-A3G. H-A3F showed no change in its species specificity against HIV-1 or SIVagm Vif when a negatively charged amino acid was replaced with a lysine at position 128, a residue critical for h-A3G recognition by HIV-1 Vif. However, HIV-1 Vif, but not SIVagm Vif, was able to bind h-A3F and induce its polyubiquitination and degradation through the Cul5-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase. Interference with Cul5-E3 ligase function by depletion of Cul5, through RNA interference or overexpression of Cul5 mutants, blocked the ability of HIV-1 Vif to suppress h-A3F. A BC-box mutant of HIV-1 Vif that failed to recruit Cul5-E3 ligase but was still able to interact with h-A3F failed to suppress h-A3F. Interestingly, interference with Cul5-E3 ligase function or overexpression of h-A3F or h-A3G also increased the stability of HIV-1 Vif, suggesting that like the substrate molecules h-A3F and h-A3G, the substrate receptor protein Vif is itself also regulated by Cul5-E3 ligase. Our results indicate that Cul5-E3 ligase appears to be a common pathway hijacked by HIV-1 Vif to defeat both h-A3F and h-A3G. Developing inhibitors to disrupt the interaction between Vif and Cul5-E3 ligase could be therapeutically useful, allowing multiple host antiviral factors to suppress HIV-1.     

Structural insight into the human immunodeficiency virus Vif SOCS box and its role in human E3 ubiquitin ligase assembly

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) virion infectivity factor (Vif) causes the proteasome-mediated destruction of human antiviral protein APOBEC3G by tethering it to a cellular E3 ubiquitin ligase composed of ElonginB, ElonginC, Cullin5, and Rbx2. It has been proposed that HIV Vif hijacks the E3 ligase through two regions within its C-terminal domain: a BC box region that interacts with ElonginC and a novel zinc finger motif that interacts with Cullin5. We have determined the crystal structure of the HIV Vif BC box in complex with human ElonginB and ElonginC. This complex presents direct structural evidence of the recruitment of a human ubiquitin ligase by a viral BC box protein that mimics the conserved interactions of cellular ubiquitin ligases. We further mutated conserved hydrophobic residues in a region downstream of the Vif BC box. These mutations demonstrate that this region, the Vif Cullin box, composes a third E3-ligase recruiting site critical for interaction between Vif and Cullin5. Furthermore, our homology modeling reveals that the Vif Cullin box and zinc finger motif may be positioned adjacent to the N terminus of Cullin5 for interaction with loop regions in the first cullin repeat of Cullin5.     

A zinc-binding region in Vif binds Cul5 and determines cullin selection

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) Vif overcomes the anti-viral activity of APOBEC3G by targeting it for ubiquitination via a Cullin 5-ElonginB-ElonginC (Cul5-EloBC) E3 ligase. Vif associates with Cul5-EloBC through a BC-box motif that binds EloC, but the mechanism by which Vif selectively recruits Cul5 is poorly understood. Here we report that a region of Vif (residues 100-142) upstream of the BC-box binds selectively to Cul5 in the absence of EloC. This region contains a zinc coordination site HX5CX17-18CX3-5H (HCCH), with His/Cys residues at positions 108, 114, 133, and 139 coordinating one zinc ion. The HCCH zinc coordination site, which is conserved among primate lentivirus Vif proteins, does not correspond to any known class of zinc-binding motif. Mutations of His/Cys residues in the HCCH motif impair zinc coordination, Cul5 binding, and APOBEC3G degradation. Mutations of conserved hydrophobic residues (Ile-120, Ala-123, and Leu-124) located between the two Cys residues in the HCCH motif disrupt binding of the zinc-coordinating region to Cul5 and inhibit APOBEC3G degradation. The Vif binding site maps to the first cullin repeat in the N terminus of Cul5. These data suggest that the zinc-binding region in Vif is a novel cullin interaction domain that mediates selective binding to Cul5. We propose that the HCCH zinc-binding motif facilitates Vif-Cul5 binding by playing a structural role in positioning hydrophobic residues for direct contact with Cul5.     

The SOCS-Box of HIV-1 Vif Interacts with ElonginBC by Induced-Folding to Recruit Its Cul5-Containing Ubiquitin Ligase Complex

The HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) protein recruits an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, comprising the cellular proteins elongin B and C (EloBC), cullin 5 (Cul5) and RING-box 2 (Rbx2), to the anti-viral proteins APOBEC3G (A3G) and APOBEC3F (A3F) and induces their polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. In this study, we used purified proteins and direct in vitro binding assays, isothermal titration calorimetry and NMR spectroscopy to describe the molecular mechanism for assembly of the Vif-EloBC ternary complex. We demonstrate that Vif binds to EloBC in two locations, and that both interactions induce structural changes in the SOCS box of Vif as well as EloBC. In particular, in addition to the previously established binding of Vif''s BC box to EloC, we report a novel interaction between the conserved Pro-Pro-Leu-Pro motif of Vif and the C-terminal domain of EloB. Using cell-based assays, we further show that this interaction is necessary for the formation of a functional ligase complex, thus establishing a role of this motif. We conclude that HIV-1 Vif engages EloBC via an induced-folding mechanism that does not require additional co-factors, and speculate that these features distinguish Vif from other EloBC specificity factors such as cellular SOCS proteins, and may enhance the prospects of obtaining therapeutic inhibitors of Vif function.     

Characterization of a novel Cullin5 binding domain in HIV-1 Vif

Human immunodeficiency virus tyoe 1 (HIV-1) Vif counteracts host restriction cytidine deaminase (APOBEC3G) A3G by co-opting the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome machinery. Vif utilizes a viral-specific BC-box to recruit ElonginB-ElonginC and a novel zinc-binding HCCH motif to recruit Cullin5 (Cul5) to form an E3 ubiquitin ligase targeting A3G for polyubiquitination and subsequently proteasomal degradation. To determine the structural requirements in HIV-1 Vif HCCH motif for Cul5 binding and Vif function, we investigated the arrangement of the His and Cys residues, the role of the spacing between them, and the requirement for the conserved residues. Our data demonstrate that exchanging Cys for His and vice versa in the highly conserved Zn-coordinating HCCH motif disrupted Vif function and interaction with Cul5. Moreover, the maintenance of both conserved residues and spacing within the HCCH motif is critical for Vif function. We have identified a "viral Cul5 box" with consensus Hx2YFxCFx4Phix2APhix7-8Cx5H that is required for Cul5 selection and subsequent A3G degradation. This novel motif may represent a potential new target for anti-viral drug development.     

Molecular characterization of feline immunodeficiency virus budding

Infection of domestic cats with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is an important model system for studying human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection due to numerous similarities in pathogenesis induced by these two lentiviruses. However, many molecular aspects of FIV replication remain poorly understood. It is well established that retroviruses use short peptide motifs in Gag, known as late domains, to usurp cellular endosomal sorting machinery and promote virus release from infected cells. For example, the Pro-Thr/Ser-Ala-Pro [P(T/S)AP] motif of HIV-1 Gag interacts directly with Tsg101, a component of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport I (ESCRT-I). A Tyr-Pro-Asp-Leu (YPDL) motif in equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), and a related sequence in HIV-1, bind the endosomal sorting factor Alix. In this study we sought to identify and characterize FIV late domain(s) and elucidate cellular machinery involved in FIV release. We determined that mutagenesis of a PSAP motif in FIV Gag, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of Tsg101 expression, and overexpression of a P(T/S)AP-binding fragment of Tsg101 (TSG-5′) each inhibited FIV release. We also observed direct binding of FIV Gag peptides to Tsg101. In contrast, mutagenesis of a potential Alix-binding motif in FIV Gag did not affect FIV release. Similarly, expression of the HIV-1/EIAV Gag-binding domain of Alix (Alix-V) did not disrupt FIV budding, and FIV Gag peptides showed no affinity for Alix-V. Our data demonstrate that FIV relies predominantly on a Tsg101-binding PSAP motif in the C terminus of Gag to promote virus release in HeLa cells, and this budding mechanism is highly conserved in feline cells.     

Species‐specific differences in the ability of feline lentiviral Vif to degrade feline APOBEC3 proteins

How host–virus co‐evolutionary relationships manifest is one of the most intriguing issues in virology. To address this topic, the mammal–lentivirus relationship can be considered as an interplay of cellular and viral proteins, particularly apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide‐like 3 (APOBEC3) and viral infectivity factor (Vif). APOBEC3s enzymatically restrict lentivirus replication, whereas Vif antagonizes the host anti‐viral action mediated by APOBEC3. In this study, the focus was on the interplay between feline APOBEC3 proteins and two feline immunodeficiency viruses in cats and pumas. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence of non‐primate lentiviral Vif being incapable of counteracting a natural host's anti‐viral activity mediated via APOBEC3 protein.     

Insight into the HIV-1 Vif SOCS-box–ElonginBC interaction

The HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) neutralizes cell-encoded antiviral APOBEC3 proteins by recruiting a cellular ElonginB (EloB)/ElonginC (EloC)/Cullin5-containing ubiquitin ligase complex, resulting in APOBEC3 ubiquitination and proteolysis. The suppressors-of-cytokine-signalling-like domain (SOCS-box) of HIV-1 Vif is essential for E3 ligase engagement, and contains a BC box as well as an unusual proline-rich motif. Here, we report the NMR solution structure of the Vif SOCS–ElonginBC (EloBC) complex. In contrast to SOCS-boxes described in other proteins, the HIV-1 Vif SOCS-box contains only one α-helical domain followed by a β-sheet fold. The SOCS-box of Vif binds primarily to EloC by hydrophobic interactions. The functionally essential proline-rich motif mediates a direct but weak interaction with residues 101–104 of EloB, inducing a conformational change from an unstructured state to a structured state. The structure of the complex and biophysical studies provide detailed insight into the function of Vif''s proline-rich motif and reveal novel dynamic information on the Vif–EloBC interaction.     

Cullin-based ubiquitin ligases: Cul3-BTB complexes join the family

Cullin-based E3 ligases target substrates for ubiquitin-dependent degradation by the 26S proteasome. The SCF (Skp1-Cul1-F-box) and ECS (ElonginC-Cul2-SOCS box) complexes are so far the best-characterized cullin-based ligases. Their atomic structure has been solved recently, and several substrates have been described in different organisms. In addition to Cul1 and Cul2, higher eucaryotic genomes encode for three other cullins: Cul3, Cul4, and Cul5. Recent results have shed light on the molecular composition and function of Cul3-based E3 ligases. In these complexes, BTB-domain-containing proteins may bridge the cullin to the substrate in a single polypeptide, while Skp1/F-box or ElonginC/SOCS heterodimers fulfill this function in the SCF and ECS complexes. BTB-containing proteins are evolutionary conserved and involved in diverse biological processes, but their function has not previously been linked to ubiquitin-dependent degradation. In this review, we present these new findings and compare the composition of Cul3-based ligases to the well-defined SCF and ECS ligases.     

Restriction of feline immunodeficiency virus by Ref1, Lv1, and primate TRIM5alpha proteins

The Ref1 and Lv1 postentry restrictions in human and monkey cells have been analyzed for lentiviruses in the primate and ungulate groups, but no data exist for the third (feline) group. We compared feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) to other restricted (human immunodeficiency virus type 1 [HIV-1], equine infectious anemia virus [EIAV]) and unrestricted (NB-tropic murine leukemia virus [NB-MLV]) retroviruses across wide ranges of viral inputs in cells from multiple primate and nonprimate species. We also characterized restrictions conferred to permissive feline and canine cells engineered to express rhesus and human TRIM5alpha proteins and performed RNA interference (RNAi) against endogenous TRIM5alpha. We find that expression of rhesus or human TRIM5alpha proteins in feline cells restricts FIV, impairing pseudotyped vector transduction and viral replication, but rhesus TRIM5alpha is more restricting than human TRIM5alpha. Notably, however, canine cells did not support restriction by human TRIM5alpha and supported minimal restriction by rhesus TRIM5alpha, suggesting that these proteins may not function autonomously or that a canine factor interferes. Stable RNAi knockdown of endogenous rhesus TRIM5alpha resulted in marked increases in FIV and HIV-1 infectivities while having no effect on NB-MLV. A panel of nonprimate cell lines varied widely in susceptibility to lentiviral vector transduction, but normalized FIV and HIV-1 vectors varied concordantly. In contrast, in human and monkey cells, relative restriction of FIV compared to HIV-1 varied from none to substantial, with the greatest relative infectivity deficit for FIV vectors observed in human T-cell lines. Endogenous and introduced TRIM5alpha restrictions of FIV could be titrated by coinfections with FIV, HIV-1, or EIAV virus-like particles. Arsenic trioxide had complex and TRIM5alpha-independent enhancing effects on lentiviral but not NB-MLV infection. Implications for human gene therapy are discussed.     

Vif overcomes the innate antiviral activity of APOBEC3G by promoting its degradation in the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway

Viruses must overcome diverse intracellular defense mechanisms to establish infection. The Vif (virion infectivity factor) protein of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) acts by overcoming the antiviral activity of APOBEC3G (CEM15), a cytidine deaminase that induces G to A hypermutation in newly synthesized viral DNA. In the absence of Vif, APOBEC3G incorporation into virions renders HIV-1 non-infectious. We report here that Vif counteracts the antiviral activity of APOBEC3G by targeting it for destruction by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Vif forms a complex with APOBEC3G and enhances APOBEC3G ubiquitination, resulting in reduced steady-state APOBEC3G levels and a decrease in protein half-life. Furthermore, Vif-dependent degradation of APOBEC3G is blocked by proteasome inhibitors or ubiquitin mutant K48R. A mutation of highly conserved cysteines or the deletion of a conserved SLQ(Y/F)LA motif in Vif results in mutants that fail to induce APOBEC3G degradation and produce non-infectious HIV-1; however, mutations of conserved phosphorylation sites in Vif that impair viral replication do not affect APOBEC3G degradation, suggesting that Vif is important for other functions in addition to inducing proteasomal degradation of APOBEC3G. Vif is monoubiquitinated in the absence of APOBEC3G but is polyubiquitinated and rapidly degraded when APOBEC3G is coexpressed, suggesting that coexpression accelerates the degradation of both proteins. These results suggest that Vif functions by targeting APOBEC3G for degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and implicate the proteasome as a site of dynamic interplay between microbial and cellular defenses.     

Upregulation of surface feline CXCR4 expression following ectopic expression of CCR5: implications for studies of the cell tropism of feline immunodeficiency virus

Feline CXCR4 and CCR5 were expressed in feline cells as fusion proteins with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Expression of the EGFP fusion proteins was localized to the cell membrane, and surface expression of CXCR4 was confirmed by using a cross-species-reactive anti-CXCR4 monoclonal antibody. Ectopic expression of feline CCR5 enhanced expression of either endogenous feline CXCR4 or exogenous feline or human CXCR4 expressed from a retrovirus vector, indicating that experiments investigating the effect of CCR5 expression on feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection must be interpreted with caution. Susceptibility to infection with cell culture-adapted strains of FIV or to syncytium formation following transfection with a eukaryotic vector expressing an env gene from a cell culture-adapted strain of virus correlated with expression of either human or feline CXCR4, whereas feline CCR5 had no effect. In contrast, neither CXCR4 nor CCR5 rendered cells permissive to either productive infection with primary strains of FIV or syncytium formation following transfection with primary env gene expression vectors. Screening a panel of Ghost cell lines expressing diverse human chemokine receptors confirmed that CXCR4 alone supported fusion mediated by the FIV Env from cell culture-adapted viruses. CXCR4 expression was upregulated in Ghost cells coexpressing CXCR4 and CCR5 or CXCR4, CCR5, and CCR3, and susceptibility to FIV infection could be correlated with the level of CXCR4 expression. The data suggest that beta-chemokine receptors may influence FIV infection by modulating the expression of CXCR4.     

Subcellular localization of feline immunodeficiency virus integrase and mapping of its karyophilic determinant

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), like other members of the lentivirus subfamily, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), can infect nondividing and terminally differentiated cells. The transport of the preintegration complex into the nucleus is cell cycle-independent, but the mechanism is not well understood. Integrase is a key component of the complex and has been suggested to play a role in nuclear import during HIV-1 replication. To determine its karyophilic property, FIV integrase fused with glutathione S-transferase and enhanced green fluorescent protein was expressed in various feline and human cells and the subcellular localization was visualized by fluorescence microscopy. Wild-type FIV integrase was karyophilic in all cell lines tested and capable of targeting the fusion protein to the nuclei of transfected cells. Analysis of deletion and point mutation variants of FIV integrase failed to reveal any canonical nuclear localization signal, and the karyophilic determinant was mapped to the highly conserved N-terminal zinc-binding HHCC motif. A region near the C-terminal domain enriched with basic amino acid residues also affected the nuclear import of integrase. However, the role of this region is only modulatory in comparison to that of the zinc-binding domain. The N-terminal zinc-binding domain does not bind DNA and instead is essential in integrase multimerization. We therefore postulate that the karyophilic property of FIV integrase requires subunit multimerization promoted by the HHCC motif. Alternatively, the HHCC motif may directly promote interaction between FIV integrase and cellular proteins involved in nuclear import.     

Identification of amino acid residues in HIV-1 Vif critical for binding and exclusion of APOBEC3G/F

To define a region(s) in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vif that involves binding to its target APOBEC3G (A3G), we have generated a series of site-specific proviral vif mutants. Of 30 mutants examined, 15 did not grow at all or grew more poorly than wild-type virus in non-permissive cells. Eight clones with N-terminal mutations located outside of the HCCH motif and BC-box, which are known to be directly crucial for the degradation of A3G, were chosen from these growth-defective mutants and mainly analyzed in detail for functional activity of their mutant Vif proteins. By single-cycle replication and immunoprecipitation/immunoblotting analyses, mutants designated W21A, S32A, W38A, Y40A, and H43A were demonstrated to hardly or poorly bind to and neutralize A3G. Upon transfection, these mutants produced progeny virions containing much more A3G than wild-type clone. Interestingly, while mutants designated E76A and W79A acted normally to inactivate A3G, they were found to exhibit a Vif-defective phenotype against A3F. Another unique mutant designated Y69A incompetent against both of A3G/F was also identified. Our results here have indicated that at least two distinct regions in the N-terminal half of HIV-1 Vif are critical for binding and exclusion of A3G/F.     

Characterization of the interaction of full-length HIV-1 Vif protein with its key regulator CBFβ and CRL5 E3 ubiquitin ligase components

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) viral infectivity factor (Vif) is essential for viral replication because of its ability to eliminate the host's antiviral response to HIV-1 that is mediated by the APOBEC3 family of cellular cytidine deaminases. Vif targets these proteins, including APOBEC3G, for polyubiquitination and subsequent proteasome-mediated degradation via the formation of a Cullin5-ElonginB/C-based E3 ubiquitin ligase. Determining how the cellular components of this E3 ligase complex interact with Vif is critical to the intelligent design of new antiviral drugs. However, structural studies of Vif, both alone and in complex with cellular partners, have been hampered by an inability to express soluble full-length Vif protein. Here we demonstrate that a newly identified host regulator of Vif, core-binding factor-beta (CBFβ), interacts directly with Vif, including various isoforms and a truncated form of this regulator. In addition, carboxyl-terminal truncations of Vif lacking the BC-box and cullin box motifs were sufficient for CBFβ interaction. Furthermore, association of Vif with CBFβ, alone or in combination with Elongin B/C (EloB/C), greatly increased the solubility of full-length Vif. Finally, a stable complex containing Vif-CBFβ-EloB/C was purified in large quantity and shown to bind purified Cullin5 (Cul5). This efficient strategy for purifying Vif-Cul5-CBFβ-EloB/C complexes will facilitate future structural and biochemical studies of Vif function and may provide the basis for useful screening approaches for identifying novel anti-HIV drug candidates.     

Small-molecule inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication by targeting the interaction between Vif and ElonginC

The HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) protein is essential for viral replication. Vif recruits cellular ElonginB/C-Cullin5 E3 ubiquitin ligase to target the host antiviral protein APOBEC3G (A3G) for proteasomal degradation. In the absence of Vif, A3G is packaged into budding HIV-1 virions and introduces multiple mutations in the newly synthesized minus-strand viral DNA to restrict virus replication. Thus, the A3G-Vif-E3 complex represents an attractive target for development of novel anti-HIV drugs. In this study, we identified a potent small molecular compound (VEC-5) by virtual screening and validated its anti-Vif activity through biochemical analysis. We show that VEC-5 inhibits virus replication only in A3G-positive cells. Treatment with VEC-5 increased cellular A3G levels when Vif was coexpressed and enhanced A3G incorporation into HIV-1 virions to reduce viral infectivity. Coimmunoprecipitation and computational analysis further attributed the anti-Vif activity of VEC-5 to the inhibition of Vif from direct binding to the ElonginC protein. These findings support the notion that suppressing Vif function can liberate A3G to carry out its antiviral activity and demonstrate that regulation of the Vif-ElonginC interaction is a novel target for small-molecule inhibitors of HIV-1.