The Ebola virus glycoprotein and HIV-1 Vpu employ different strategies to counteract the antiviral factor tetherin

J Infect Dis. 2011 Nov;204 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S850-60. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jir378.

Abstract

The antiviral protein tetherin/BST2/CD317/HM1.24 restricts cellular egress of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and of particles mimicking the Ebola virus (EBOV), a hemorrhagic fever virus. The HIV-1 viral protein U (Vpu) and the EBOV-glycoprotein (EBOV-GP) both inhibit tetherin. Here, we compared tetherin counteraction by EBOV-GP and Vpu. We found that EBOV-GP but not Vpu counteracted tetherin from different primate species, indicating that EBOV-GP and Vpu target tetherin differentially. Tetherin interacted with the GP2 subunit of EBOV-GP, which might encode the determinants for tetherin counteraction. Vpu reduced cell surface expression of tetherin while EBOV-GP did not, suggesting that both proteins employ different mechanisms to counteract tetherin. Finally, Marburg virus (MARV)-GP also inhibited tetherin and downregulated tetherin in a cell type-dependent fashion, indicating that tetherin antagonism depends on the cellular source of tetherin. Collectively, our results indicate that EBOV-GP counteracts tetherin by a novel mechanism and that tetherin inhibition is conserved between EBOV-GP and MARV-GP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / genetics
  • Antigens, CD / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell-Free System
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Ebolavirus / metabolism*
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / genetics
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
  • Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Gorilla gorilla
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins / genetics
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Marburgvirus
  • Protein Subunits
  • Species Specificity
  • Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • BST2 protein, human
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Glycoproteins
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins
  • Protein Subunits
  • Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
  • vpu protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1