Joanne F. Berson

Regions in β-Chemokine Receptors CCR5 and CCR2b That Determine HIV-1 Cofactor Specificity

Macrophage-tropic (M-tropic) HIV-1 strains use the beta-chemokine receptor CCR5, but not CCR2b, as a cofactor for membrane fusion and infection, while the dual-tropic strain 89.6 uses both. CCR5/2b chimeras and mutants were used to map regions of CCR5 important for cofactor function and specificity. M-tropic strains required either the amino-terminal domain or the first extracellular loop of CCR5. A CCR2b chimera containing the first 20 N-terminal residues of CCR5 supported M-tropic envelope protein fusion. Amino-terminal truncations of CCR5/CCR2b chimeras indicated that residues 2-5 are important for M-tropic viruses, while 89.6 is dependent on residues 6-9. The identification of multiple functionally important regions in CCR5, coupled with differences in how CCR5 is used by M- and dual-tropic viruses, suggests that interactions between HIV-1 and entry cofactors are conformationally complex.

Proprotein convertase cleavage liberates a fibrillogenic fragment of a resident glycoprotein to initiate melanosome biogenesis

Lysosome-related organelles are cell type–specific intracellular compartments with distinct morphologies and functions. The molecular mechanisms governing the formation of their unique structural features are not known. Melanosomes and their precursors are lysosome-related organelles that are characterized morphologically by intralumenal fibrous striations upon which melanins are polymerized. The integral membrane protein Pmel17 is a component of the fibrils and can nucleate their formation in the absence of other pigment cell–specific proteins. Here, we show that formation of intralumenal fibrils requires cleavage of Pmel17 by a furin-like proprotein convertase (PC). As in the generation of amyloid, proper cleavage of Pmel17 liberates a lumenal domain fragment that becomes incorporated into the fibrils; longer Pmel17 fragments generated in the absence of PC activity are unable to form organized fibrils. Our results demonstrate that PC-dependent cleavage regulates melanosome biogenesis by controlling the fibrillogenic activity of a resident protein. Like the pathologic process of amyloidogenesis, the formation of other tissue-specific organelle structures may be similarly dependent on proteolytic activation of physiological fibrillogenic substrates.

A Cytoplasmic Sequence in Human Tyrosinase Defines a Second Class of Di-leucine-based Sorting Signals for Late Endosomal and Lysosomal Delivery

Distinct cytoplasmic sorting signals target integral membrane proteins to late endosomal compartments, but it is not known whether different signals direct targeting by different pathways. The availability of multiple pathways may permit some cell types to divert proteins to specialized compartments, such as the melanosome of pigmented cells. To address this issue, we characterized sorting determinants of tyrosinase, a tissue-specific resident protein of the melanosome. The cytoplasmic domain of tyrosinase was both necessary and sufficient for internalization and steady state localization to late endosomes and lysosomes in HeLa cells. Mutagenesis of two leucine residues within a conventional di-leucine motif ablated late endosomal localization. However, the properties of this di-leucine-based signal were distinguished from that of CD3γ by overexpression studies; overexpression of the tyrosinase signal, but not the well characterized CD3γ signal, induced a 4-fold enlargement of late endosomes and lysosomes and interfered with endosomal sorting mediated by both tyrosine- and other di-leucine-based signals. These properties suggest that the tyrosinase and CD3γ di-leucine signals are distinctly recognized and sorted by distinct pathways to late endosomes in non-pigmented cells. We speculate that melanocytic cells utilize the second pathway to divert proteins to the melanosome.

Chemokine receptors as fusion cofactors for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)

CD4 is the primary cellular receptor for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), but is not sufficient for entry of HIV-1 into cells. After a decade-long search, the cellular coreceptors that HIV-1 requires in conjunction with CD4 have been identified as members of the chemokine receptor family of seven-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors. The discovery of distinct chemokine receptors that support entry of T-cell tropic (CXCR-4) and macrophage tropic HIV-1 strains (CCR-5) explains the differences in cell tropism between viral strains, the inability of HIV-1 to infect most nonprimate cells, and the resistance of a small percentage of the population to HIV-1 infection. Further understanding of the role of chemokine receptors in viral entry may also help explain the evolution of more pathogenic forms of the virus, viral transmission, and HIV-induced pathogenesis. These recent discoveries will aid the development of strategies for combating HIV-1 transmission and spread, the understanding of HIV-1 fusion mechanisms, and the possible development of small animal models for HIV-1 drug and vaccine testing.

CD4-independent utilization of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor by HIV-1 and HIV-2

HIV entry is mediated by an interaction between CD4 and members of the chemokine receptor family of proteins. It is likely that CD4 induces conformational changes in the viral envelope glycoproteins that facilitate a subsequent interaction with the chemokine receptor. To understand these events, variants of HIV-2 and HIV-1 have been derived that are able to interact directly with CXCR4 in the absence of CD4. One HIV-2 variant. termed HIV-2/vcp, has an expanded host range that includes CXCR4+/CD4- lymphoid and nonlymphoid cell lines. In contrast to T-tropic isolates of HIV-1, HIV-2/vcp was shown to induce > 95% downregulation of CXCR4 on chronically infected cells and was able to superinfect HIV-1-infected cells. A variant of HIV-1/IIIB termed HIV-1/IIIBx was also derived that is both replication competent and fusogenic for a CD4-negative subclone of SupT1 cells, termed BC7. Infection of BC7 cells by HIV-1/IIIBx was resistant to anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies but inhibited by the anti-CXCR4 mAb, 12G5. HIV-1/IIIBx was highly fusogenic on 3T3 cells expressing CXCR4 in the absence of CD4. In contrast to HIV-2/vcp, the host range of HIV-1/IIIBx was highly restricted and replication in several CD4+/CXCR4+ lymphoid cell lines was reduced compared to HIV-1/IIIB. In addition, HIV-1/IIIBx failed to downregulate CXCR4 on chronically infected cells. These studies indicate that HIV-1 and HIV-2 variants can be derived in vitro that utilize CXCR4 in the absence of CD4. Although the mechanism(s) for these changes remain unclear, possibilities include an increased avidity of the viral envelope glycoprotein for CXCR4 and/or the increased exposure of the chemokine receptor binding site. Further biochemical and molecular analysis of the envelope glycoproteins from these viruses should be helpful in addressing these and other possibilities.

CXCR4 Sequences Involved in Coreceptor Determination of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Tropism UNMASKING OF ACTIVITY WITH M-TROPIC Env GLYCOPROTEINS

The interaction of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with CD4 and one of a cadre of chemokine receptors triggers conformational changes in the HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein that lead to membrane fusion. The coreceptor activity of the second extracellular loop of CXCR4, which is restricted to dual tropic and T-tropic strains, was insensitive to the removal of charged residues either singly or in combinations by alanine scanning mutagenesis or to the conversion of acidic residues to lysine. Conversion of Asp-187 to a neutral residue exclusively unmasked activity with M-tropic Env in fusion and infection experiments. Insertion of the D187V mutation into chimeras containing extracellular loop 2 of CXCR4 in a CXCR2 framework also resulted in the acquisition of M-tropic coreceptor activity. The independence of CXCR4 coreceptor activity from charged residues and the extension of its repertoire by removing Asp-187 suggest that this interaction is not electrostatic and that coreceptors have the potential to be utilized by a spectrum of Env, which may be masked by charged amino acids in extracellular domains. These findings indicate that the primary structural determinants of coreceptors that program reactivity with M-, dual, and T-tropic Env are surprisingly subtle and that relatively insignificant changes in CXCR4 can dramatically alter utilization by Env of varying tropism.

Interaction of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope protein with liposomes containing galactosylceramide

The glycosphingolipid galactosylceramide (GalCer) has been identified as an alternate receptor for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Here we review a liposome flotation assay used to study the interaction of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (env) with artificial membrane vesicles containing GalCer. The properties of binding, the nature of the env binding site for GalCer, and the implications of this interaction for HIV-1 infection are discussed.