Shortly after entering the cell, HIV-1 copies its genomic RNA into double-stranded DNA in a process known as reverse transcription. This process starts inside a core consisting of an enclosed lattice of capsid proteins that protect the viral RNA from cytosolic sensors and degradation pathways. To accomplish reverse transcription and integrate cDNA into the host cell genome, the capsid shell needs to be disassembled, or uncoated. Premature or delayed uncoating attenuates reverse transcription and blocks HIV-1 infectivity. Small molecules that bind to the capsid lattice of the HIV-1 core and either destabilize or stabilize its structure could thus function as effective HIV-1 inhibitors. To screen for such compounds, we modified our recently developed FAITH assay to allow direct assessment of the stability of in vitro preassembled HIV-1 capsid-nucleocapsid (CANC) tubular particles. This new assay is a high-throughput fluorescence method based on measuring the amount of nucleic acid released from CANC complexes under disassembly conditions. The amount of disassembled CANC particles and released nucleic acid is proportional to the fluorescence signal, from which the relative percentage of CANC stability can be calculated. We consider our assay a potentially powerful tool for in vitro screening for compounds that alter HIV disassembly.

• MeSH
• HIV infekce farmakoterapie   MeSH
• HIV-1 účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• látky proti HIV chemie   izolace a purifikace   farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nukleokapsida analýza   účinky léků   MeSH
• proteiny virového jádra chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA virová genetika   MeSH
• rychlé screeningové testy MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
• svlékání virového obalu účinky léků   genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Viruses from the genus Enterovirus are important human pathogens. Receptor binding or exposure to acidic pH in endosomes converts enterovirus particles to an activated state that is required for genome release. However, the mechanism of enterovirus uncoating is not well understood. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy to visualize virions of human echovirus 18 in the process of genome release. We discover that the exit of the RNA from the particle of echovirus 18 results in a loss of one, two, or three adjacent capsid-protein pentamers. The opening in the capsid, which is more than 120 Å in diameter, enables the release of the genome without the need to unwind its putative double-stranded RNA segments. We also detect capsids lacking pentamers during genome release from echovirus 30. Thus, our findings uncover a mechanism of enterovirus genome release that could become target for antiviral drugs.

• MeSH
• Cercopithecus aethiops MeSH
• dvouvláknová RNA chemie   genetika   MeSH
• elektronová kryomikroskopie MeSH
• enterovirus B lidský genetika   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• epitelové buňky ultrastruktura   virologie   MeSH
• genom virový * MeSH
• kapsida chemie   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• RNA virová chemie   genetika   MeSH
• simulace molekulární dynamiky MeSH
• svlékání virového obalu genetika   MeSH
• virion genetika   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH