A general model for retroviral capsid pattern recognition by TRIM5 proteins

Journal Article · Wed Nov 29 00:00:00 EST 2017 · Journal of Virology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01563-17· OSTI ID:1464823

Wagner, Jonathan M.; Christensen, Devin E.; Bhattacharya, Akash; Dawidziak, Daria M.; Roganowicz, Marcin D.; Wan, Yueping; Pumroy, Ruth A.; Demeler, Borries; Ivanov, Dmitri N.; Ganser-Pornillos, Barbie K.; Sundquist, Wesley I.; Pornillos, Owen

Restriction factors are intrinsic cellular defense proteins that have evolved to block microbial infections. Retroviruses such as HIV-1 are restricted by TRIM5 proteins, which recognize the viral capsid shell that surrounds, organizes, and protects the viral genome. TRIM5α uses a SPRY domain to bind capsids with low intrinsic affinity (K_D>1 mM), and therefore requires higher-order assembly into a hexagonal lattice to generate sufficient avidity for productive capsid recognition. TRIMCyp, on the other hand, binds HIV-1 capsids through a cyclophilin A domain, which has a well-defined binding site and higher (K_D~10 μM) affinity for isolated capsid subunits. It has therefore been argued that TRIMCyp proteins may have dispensed with the need for higher-order assembly to function as antiviral factors. Here, we show that, consistent with its high degree of sequence similarity with TRIM5α, the TRIMCyp B-box 2 domain shares the same ability to self-associate and facilitate assembly of a TRIMCyp hexagonal lattice that can wrap about the HIV-1 capsid. We also show that under stringent experimental conditions, TRIMCyp-mediated restriction of HIV-1 is indeed dependent on higher-order assembly. Both forms of TRIM5 therefore use the same mechanism of avidity-driven capsid pattern recognition. IMPORTANCERhesus macaques and owl monkeys are highly resistant to HIV-1 infection due to the activity of TRIM5 restriction factors. The rhesus macaque TRIM5α protein blocks HIV-1 through a mechanism that requires self-assembly of a hexagonal TRIM5α lattice around the invading viral core. Lattice assembly amplifies very weak interactions between the TRIM5α SPRY domain and the HIV-1 capsid. Assembly also promotes dimerization of the TRIM5α RING E3 ligase domain, resulting in synthesis of polyubiquitin chains that mediate downstream steps of restriction. In contrast to rhesus TRIM5α, the owl monkey TRIM5 homolog, TRIMCyp, binds isolated HIV-1 CA subunits more tightly through its cyclophilin A domain, and was therefore thought to act independent of higher-order assembly. Here, we show that TRIMCyp shares the assembly properties of TRIM5α and that both forms of TRIM5 use the same mechanism of hexagonal lattice formation to promote viral recognition and restriction.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• OSTI ID: 1464823
• Journal Information: Journal of Virology, Vol. 92, Issue (4) ; 02, 2018; ISSN 0022-538X
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH