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Effects of signal peptide exchange on HIV‐1 glycoprotein expression and viral infectivity in mammalian cells
Author(s) -
Pfeiffer Tanya,
Pisch Thorsten,
Devitt Gerard,
Holtkotte Denise,
Bosch Valerie
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.05.070
Subject(s) - infectivity , heterologous , signal peptide , glycoprotein , biology , virology , heterologous expression , context (archaeology) , peptide , secretion , microbiology and biotechnology , virus , peptide sequence , gene , recombinant dna , biochemistry , paleontology
In certain cell systems, exchange of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Env signal peptide (SP) sequence with that of heterologous SPs has been shown to increase gp120 transport and secretion. Here we demonstrate that exchange of the HIV‐Env‐SP with those from erythropoietin or tissue plasminogen activator in the proviral context does not increase wild‐type membrane‐bound Env expression or incorporation into released virions. In fact, virion infectivities were decreased. These infectivity decreases were largely due to effects on Env transport and/or function and only to a minor extent to cis effects as a result of the sequence exchanges themselves. Thus, in fact, it is not advantageous to employ heterologous SPs to achieve high‐level expression of functional cell surface membrane‐ or virion‐associated HIV‐Env.