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Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme-catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (A3G) is a host restriction factor that impedes HIV-1 replication. Viral integrity is salvaged by HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif), which mediates A3G polyubiquitination and subsequent cellular depletion. Previous studies have implied that A3G polyubiquitination is essential for Vif-induced degradation. However, the contribution of polyubiquitination to the rate of A3G degradation remains unclear. Here, we show that A3G polyubiquitination is essential for degradation. Inhibition of ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 by PYR-41 or blocking the formation of ubiquitin chains by over-expressing the lysine to arginine mutation of ubiquitin K48 (K48R) inhibited A3G degradation. Our A3G mutagenesis study showed that lysine residues 297, 301, 303, and 334 were not sufficient to render lysine-free A3G sensitive to Vif-mediated degradation. Our data also confirm that Vif could induce ubiquitin chain formation on lysine residues interspersed throughout A3G. Notably, A3G degradation relied on the lysine residues involved in polyubiquitination. Although A3G and the A3G C-terminal mutant interacted with Vif and were modified by ubiquitin chains, the latter remained more resistant to Vif-induced degradation. Furthermore, the A3G C-terminal mutant, but not the N-terminal mutant, maintained potent antiviral activity in the presence of Vif. Taken together, our results suggest that the location of A3G ubiquitin modification is a determinant for Vif-mediated degradation, implying that in addition to polyubiquitination, other factors may play a key role in the rate of A3G degradation.

APOBEC3G, a potent HIV-1 host restriction factor, is overcome by HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif), which induces its polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Here we show that lysine-deficient APOBEC3G with an N-terminal hemagglutinin (HA) tag fusion (HA-A3G20K/R) was resistant to HIV-1 Vif-induced proteasomal degradation. HA-A3G20K/R molecules were packaged into wild-type HIV-1 particles, and HA-A3G20K/R drastically decreased wild-type HIV-1 reverse transcription products and infectivity. We also showed that the N terminus of A3G was a target of polyubiquitination induced by HIV-1 Vif. Thus, fusion of the HA tag to the N terminus of A3G20K/R reduced its polyubiquitination, the likely mechanism for the resistance of this protein to HIV-1 Vif-induced proteasomal degradation. Finding such ways to induce resistance of A3G to Vif may provide new approaches to anti-HIV/AIDS therapy.

Proteasomal degradation of APOBEC3G is a critical step for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. However, the necessity for polyubiquitination of APOBEC3G in this process is still controversial. In this study, we showed that although macaque simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac) Vif is more stable than HIV-1 Vif in human cells, SIVmac Vif induces degradation of APBOEC3G as efficiently as HIV-1 Vif. Overexpression of APOBEC3G or lysine-free APOBEC3G stabilized HIV-1 Vif, indicating that APOBEC3G degradation is independent of the degradation of Vif. Furthermore, an in vivo polyubiquitination assay showed that lysine-free APOBEC3G was also polyubiquitinated. These data suggest that polyubiquitination of APOBEC3G, not that of HIV-1 Vif, is crucial for APOBEC3G degradation.

Human APOBEC3G and other APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases inhibit a variety of retroviruses, including Vif-deficient HIV-1. These host proteins are packaged into viral particles and inhibit the replication of virus in new target cells. A3G and A3F are known to be efficiently packaged into HIV-1 virions by binding to 7SL RNA through the Gag NC domain; however, the packaging mechanisms of other APOBEC3 proteins are poorly defined. We have now demonstrated that APOBEC3C (A3C) can be efficiently packaged into HIV-1 virions that are deficient for viral genomic RNA. Inhibition of the encapsidation of 7SL RNA into HIV-1 virions blocked the packaging of A3G, but not A3C. While the NC domain is required for efficient packaging of A3G, deletion of this domain had little effect on A3C packaging into HIV-1 Gag particles. A3C interacted with HIV-1 Gag which was MA domain-dependent and RNA-dependent. Deletion of the MA domain of HIV-1 Gag inhibited A3C but not A3G packaging into HIV-1 Gag particles. Thus, A3G and A3C have evolved to use distinct mechanisms for targeting retroviruses.

Cullin–Ring E3 ubiquitin ligases target substrates for ubiquitin-dependent, proteasome-mediated degradation and regulate critical cellular processes. These cullins assemble with cellular substrate receptor proteins through specific adaptor molecules. F-box- and BC-box-containing receptors use Skp1, ElonginB, and ElonginC as adaptors to recruit Cul1/Cul7 and Cul2/Cul5, respectively. At present, the determinants of Cul2 vs. Cul5 specificity for the BC-box-containing receptors are poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that primate lentiviral Vif (virion infectivity factor) proteins represent previously uncharacterized substrate receptor proteins that contain divergent BC-box motifs. These molecules selectively assemble with a Cul5–E3 ligase to suppress the antiviral activity of autologous cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G. A previously unrecognized Hx 5 Cx 17-18 Cx 3-5 H motif that is highly conserved among all primate lentiviral Vif proteins was found to be critical for the selective assembly and activity of Vif–Cul5–E3 ligase. Non-primate lentiviral Vif proteins, which lack this HCCH motif, displayed reduced interaction with Cul5. These data suggest that in addition to target protein specificity, substrate receptor proteins play important roles in cullin selection and functional assembly of cullin-Ring E3 ligases. The discovery of these viral substrate receptor molecules that recruit Cul5 through distinct mechanisms from cellular proteins may facilitate the identification of additional cellular factors that regulate cellular functions through Cul5–E3 ligase. Motifs in Vif that are absent from cellular proteins could also be targets for the development of innovative therapeutics.

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.

Background HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) is an essential accessory protein for HIV-1 replication. The predominant function of Vif is to counteract Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme-catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G, A3G), a potent host restriction factor that inhibits HIV-1 replication. Vif mediates the proteasomal degradation of A3G and inhibits A3G translation, thus diminishing the pool of A3G that is available to be packaged into budding virion. Although Vif is robust in degrading A3G, the protection provided against A3G is not absolute. Clinical and laboratory evidence have shown that A3G is not completely excluded from HIV-1 viral particles during HIV-1 replication. It remains unclear why the viral samples are still infectious when A3G has been packaged into the virions. Results In this study, we provide evidence that Vif continues to protect HIV-1 from the deleterious effects of A3G, even after packaging of A3G has occurred. When equal amounts of A3G were packaged into budding virions, the virus expressing functional Vif was more infectious and incurred fewer G to A hypermutations in the second round of infection compared to Vif-deficient virus. A Vif mutant with a defect in viral packaging showed a reduced ability to protect the HIV-1 genome from G to A hypermutations. Conclusion Our data suggest that even packaged A3G is still under the tyranny of Vif. Our work brings to light an additional caveat for any therapy that hopes to exploit the Vif-A3G axis. The ideal strategy would not only enhance A3G viral packaging, but also reduce HIV-1 Vif viral encapsidation.

APOBEC3G (A3G) is a single-stranded DNA cytidine deaminase that targets retroviral minus-strand DNA and has potent antiviral activity against diverse retroviruses. However, the mechanisms of A3G antiviral functions are incompletely understood. Here we demonstrate that A3G, A3F, and, to a lesser extent, the noncatalytic A3GC291S block human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by interfering with proviral DNA formation. In HIV-1 virions, A3G interacted with HIV-1 integrase and nucleocapsid, key viral factors for reverse transcription and integration. Unlike A3G, the weak antiviral A3C cytidine deaminase did not interact with either of these factors and did not affect viral reverse transcription or proviral DNA formation. Thus, multiple steps of the HIV-1 replication cycle, most noticeably the formation of proviral DNA, are inhibited by both cytidine deamination-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

APOBEC3G exerts its antiviral activity by targeting to retroviral particles and inducing viral DNA hypermutations in the absence of Vif. However, the mechanism by which APOBEC3G is packaged into virions remains unclear. We now report that viral genomic RNA enhances but is not essential for human APOBEC3G packaging into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions. Packaging of APOBEC3G was also detected in HIV-1 Gag virus-like particles (VLP) that lacked all the viral genomic RNA packaging signals. Human APOBEC3G could be packaged efficiently into a divergent subtype HIV-1, as well as simian immunodeficiency virus, strain mac, and murine leukemia virus Gag VLP. Cosedimentation of human APOBEC3G and intracellular Gag complexes was detected by equilibrium density and velocity sucrose gradient analysis. Interaction between human APOBEC3G and HIV-1 Gag was also detected by coimmunoprecipitation experiments. This interaction did not require p6, p1, or the C-terminal region of NCp7. However, the N-terminal region, especially the first 11 amino acids, of HIV-1 NCp7 was critical for HIV-1 Gag and APOBEC3G interaction and virion packaging. The linker region flanked by the two active sites of human APOBEC3G was also important for efficient packaging into HIV-1 Gag VLP. Association of human APOBEC3G with RNA-containing intracellular complexes was observed. These results suggest that the N-terminal region of HIV-1 NC, which is critical for binding to RNA and mediating Gag-Gag oligomerization, plays an important role in APOBEC3G binding and virion packaging.

The Vif protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is essential for viral evasion of the host antiviral protein APOBEC3G, also known as CEM15. Vif mutant but not wild-type HIV-1 viruses produced in the presence of APOBEC3G have been shown to undergo hypermutations in newly synthesized viral DNA upon infection of target cells, presumably resulting from C-to-U modification during minus-strand viral DNA synthesis. We now report that HIV-1 Vif could induce rapid degradation of human APOBEC3G that was blocked by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. The efficiency of Vif-induced downregulation of APOBEC3G expression depended on the level of Vif expression. A single amino acid substitution in the conserved SLQXLA motif reduced Vif function. Vif proteins from distantly related primate lentiviruses such as SIVagm were unable to suppress the antiviral activity of human APOBEC3G or the packaging of APOBEC3G into HIV-1 Vif mutant virions, due to a lack of interaction with human APOBEC3G. In the presence of the proteasome inhibitor MG132, virion-associated Vif increased dramatically. However, increased virion packaging of Vif did not prevent virion packaging of APOBEC3G when proteasome function was impaired, and the infectivity of these virions was significantly reduced. These results suggest that Vif function is required during virus assembly to remove APOBEC3G from packaging into released virions. Once packaged, virion-associated Vif could not efficiently block the antiviral activity of APOBEC3G.

Human immunodeficiency virus–1 (HIV-1) Vif is essential for viral evasion of host antiviral factor CEM15/APOBEC3G. We report that Vif interacts with cellular proteins Cul5, elongins B and C, and Rbx1 to form an Skp1-cullin-F-box (SCF)–like complex. The ability of Vif to suppress antiviral activity of APOBEC3G was specifically dependent on Cul5-SCF function, allowing Vif to interact with APOBEC3G and induce its ubiquitination and degradation. A Vif mutant that interacted with APOBEC3G but not with Cul5-SCF was functionally inactive. The Cul5-SCF was also required for Vif function in distantly related simian immunodeficiency virus mac. These results indicate that the conserved Cul5-SCF pathway used by Vif is a potential target for antiviral development.

Although most human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) cases worldwide are transmitted through mucosal surfaces, transmission through the oral mucosal surface is a rare event. More than 700 bacterial species have been detected in the oral cavity. Despite great efforts to discover oral inhibitors of HIV, little information is available concerning the anti-HIV activity of oral bacterial components. Here we show that a molecule from an oral commensal bacterium, Streptococcus cristatus CC5A can induce expression of APOBEC3G (A3G) and APOBEC3F (A3F) and inhibit HIV-1 replication in THP-1 cells. We show by qRT-PCR that expression levels of A3G and A3F increase in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of a CC5A extract, as does A3G protein levels by Western blot assay. In addition, when the human monocytic cell line THP-1 was treated with CC5A extract, the replication of HIV-1 IIIB was significantly suppressed compared with IIIB replication in untreated THP-1 cells. Knock down of A3G expression in THP-1 cells compromised the ability of CC5A to inhibit HIV-1 IIIB infectivity. Furthermore, SupT1 cells infected with virus produced from CC5A extract-treated THP-1 cells replicated virus with a higher G to A hypermutation rate (a known consequence of A3G activity) than virus used from untreated THP-1 cells. This suggests that S. cristatus CC5A contains a molecule that induces A3G/F expression and thereby inhibits HIV replication. These findings might lead to the discovery of a novel anti-HIV/AIDS therapeutic.

Background Xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV) is a gammaretrovirus that was discovered in prostate cancer tissues. Recently, it has been proposed that XMRV is a laboratory contaminant and may have originated via a rare recombination event. Host restriction factor APOBEC3G (A3G) has been reported to severely restrict XMRV replication in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Interestingly, XMRV infects and replicates efficiently in prostate cancer cells of epithelial origin. It has been proposed that due to lack off or very low levels of A3G protein XMRV is able to productively replicate in these cells. Findings This report builds on and challenges the published data on the absence of A3G protein in prostate epithelial cells lines. We demonstrate the presence of A3G in prostate epithelial cell lines (LNCaP and DU145) by western blot and mass spectrometry. We believe the discrepancy in A3G detection is may be due to selection and sensitivity of A3G antibodies employed in the prior studies. Our results also indicate that XMRV produced from A3G expressing LNCaP cells can infect and replicate in target cells. Most importantly our data reveal downregulation of A3G in XMRV infected LNCaP and DU145 cells. Conclusions We propose that XMRV replicates efficiently in prostate epithelial cells by downregulating A3G expression. Given that XMRV lacks accessory proteins such as HIV-1 Vif that are known to counteract A3G function in human cells, our data suggest a novel mechanism by which retroviruses can counteract the antiviral effects of A3G proteins.