The structural basis for HIV-1 Vif antagonism of human APOBEC3G.

The APOBEC3 (A3) proteins are host antiviral cellular proteins that hypermutate the viral genome of diverse viral families. In retroviruses, this process requires A3 packaging into viral particles1-4. The lentiviruses encode a protein, Vif, that antagonizes A3 family members by targeting them for degradation. Diversification of A3 allows host escape from Vif whereas adaptations in Vif enable cross-species transmission of primate lentiviruses. How this 'molecular arms race' plays out at the structural level is unknown. Here, we report the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of human APOBEC3G (A3G) bound to HIV-1 Vif, and the hijacked cellular proteins that promote ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. A small surface explains the molecular arms race, including a cross-species transmission event that led to the birth of HIV-1. Unexpectedly, we find that RNA is a molecular glue for the Vif-A3G interaction, enabling Vif to repress A3G by ubiquitin-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Our results suggest a model in which Vif antagonizes A3G by intercepting it in its most dangerous form for the virus-when bound to RNA and on the pathway to packaging-to prevent viral restriction. By engaging essential surfaces required for restriction, Vif exploits a vulnerability in A3G, suggesting a general mechanism by which RNA binding helps to position key residues necessary for viral antagonism of a host antiviral gene.

CryoEM and AI reveal a structure of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2, a multifunctional protein involved in key host processes.

The SARS-CoV-2 protein Nsp2 has been implicated in a wide range of viral processes, but its exact functions, and the structural basis of those functions, remain unknown. Here, we report an atomic model for full-length Nsp2 obtained by combining cryo-electron microscopy with deep learning-based structure prediction from AlphaFold2. The resulting structure reveals a highly-conserved zinc ion-binding site, suggesting a role for Nsp2 in RNA binding. Mapping emerging mutations from variants of SARS-CoV-2 on the resulting structure shows potential host-Nsp2 interaction regions. Using structural analysis together with affinity tagged purification mass spectrometry experiments, we identify Nsp2 mutants that are unable to interact with the actin-nucleation-promoting WASH protein complex or with GIGYF2, an inhibitor of translation initiation and modulator of ribosome-associated quality control. Our work suggests a potential role of Nsp2 in linking viral transcription within the viral replication-transcription complexes (RTC) to the translation initiation of the viral message. Collectively, the structure reported here, combined with mutant interaction mapping, provides a foundation for functional studies of this evolutionary conserved coronavirus protein and may assist future drug design.

CryoEM and AI reveal a structure of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2, a multifunctional protein involved in key host processes.

The SARS-CoV-2 protein Nsp2 has been implicated in a wide range of viral processes, but its exact functions, and the structural basis of those functions, remain unknown. Here, we report an atomic model for full-length Nsp2 obtained by combining cryo-electron microscopy with deep learning-based structure prediction from AlphaFold2. The resulting structure reveals a highly-conserved zinc ion-binding site, suggesting a role for Nsp2 in RNA binding. Mapping emerging mutations from variants of SARS-CoV-2 on the resulting structure shows potential host-Nsp2 interaction regions. Using structural analysis together with affinity tagged purification mass spectrometry experiments, we identify Nsp2 mutants that are unable to interact with the actin-nucleation-promoting WASH protein complex or with GIGYF2, an inhibitor of translation initiation and modulator of ribosome-associated quality control. Our work suggests a potential role of Nsp2 in linking viral transcription within the viral replication-transcription complexes (RTC) to the translation initiation of the viral message. Collectively, the structure reported here, combined with mutant interaction mapping, provides a foundation for functional studies of this evolutionary conserved coronavirus protein and may assist future drug design.

Primate TRIM5 proteins form hexagonal nets on HIV-1 capsids.

TRIM5 proteins are restriction factors that block retroviral infections by binding viral capsids and preventing reverse transcription. Capsid recognition is mediated by C-terminal domains on TRIM5α (SPRY) or TRIMCyp (cyclophilin A), which interact weakly with capsids. Efficient capsid recognition also requires the conserved N-terminal tripartite motifs (TRIM), which mediate oligomerization and create avidity effects. To characterize how TRIM5 proteins recognize viral capsids, we developed methods for isolating native recombinant TRIM5 proteins and purifying stable HIV-1 capsids. Biochemical and EM analyses revealed that TRIM5 proteins assembled into hexagonal nets, both alone and on capsid surfaces. These nets comprised open hexameric rings, with the SPRY domains centered on the edges and the B-box and RING domains at the vertices. Thus, the principles of hexagonal TRIM5 assembly and capsid pattern recognition are conserved across primates, allowing TRIM5 assemblies to maintain the conformational plasticity necessary to recognize divergent and pleomorphic retroviral capsids.

DNIC-mediated analgesia produced by a supramaximal electrical or a high-dose formalin conditioning stimulus: roles of opioid and alpha2-adrenergic receptors.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) can be produced by different types of conditioning stimuli, but the analgesic properties and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to differentiate the induction of DNIC analgesia between noxious electrical and inflammatory conditioning stimuli. METHODS: First, rats subjected to either a supramaximal electrical stimulation or an injection of high-dose formalin in the hind limb were identified to have pain responses with behavioral evidence and spinal Fos-immunoreactive profiles. Second, suppression of tail-flick latencies by the two noxious stimuli was assessed to confirm the presence of DNIC. Third, an opioid receptor antagonist (naloxone) and an alpha2-adrenoreceptor antagonist (yohimbine) were injected, intraperitoneally and intrathecally respectively, before conditioning noxious stimuli to test the involvement of descending inhibitory pathways in DNIC-mediated analgesia. RESULTS: An intramuscular injection of 100 microl of 5% formalin produced noxious behaviors with cumulative pain scores similar to those of 50 microl of 2% formalin in the paw. Both electrical and chemical stimulation significantly increased Fos expression in the superficial dorsal horns, but possessed characteristic distribution patterns individually. Both conditioning stimuli prolonged the tail-flick latencies indicating a DNIC response. However, the electrical stimulation-induced DNIC was reversed by yohimbine, but not by naloxone; whereas noxious formalin-induced analgesia was both naloxone- and yohimbine-reversible. CONCLUSIONS: It is demonstrated that DNIC produced by different types of conditioning stimuli can be mediated by different descending inhibitory controls, indicating the organization within the central nervous circuit is complex and possibly exhibits particular clinical manifestations.