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Electron cryotomography of immature HIV‐1 virions reveals the structure of the CA and SP1 Gag shells
Author(s) -
Wright Elizabeth R,
Schooler Jordan B,
Ding H Jane,
Kieffer Collin,
Fillmore Christopher,
Sundquist Wesley I,
Jensen Grant J
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1038/sj.emboj.7601664
Subject(s) - random hexamer , biology , cleavage (geology) , group specific antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , electron microscope , capsid , virology , biophysics , virus , physics , paleontology , fracture (geology) , optics
The major structural elements of retroviruses are contained in a single polyprotein, Gag, which in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) comprises the MA, CA, spacer peptide 1 (SP1), NC, SP2, and p6 polypeptides. In the immature HIV‐1 virion, the domains of Gag are arranged radially with the N‐terminal MA domain at the membrane and C‐terminal NC‐SP2‐p6 region nearest to the center. Here, we report the three‐dimensional structures of individual immature HIV‐1 virions, as obtained by electron cryotomography. The concentric shells of the Gag polyprotein are clearly visible, and radial projections of the different Gag layers reveal patches of hexagonal order within the CA and SP1 shells. Averaging well‐ordered unit cells leads to a model in which each CA hexamer is stabilized by a bundle of six SP1 helices. This model suggests why the SP1 spacer is essential for assembly of the Gag lattice and how cleavage between SP1 and CA acts as a structural switch controlling maturation.