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High-resolution structure of a retroviral capsid hexameric amino-terminal domain

Nature volume 431, pages 481–485 (2004)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 21 October 2004

Abstract

Retroviruses are the aetiological agents of a range of human diseases including AIDS and T-cell leukaemias. They follow complex life cycles, which are still only partly understood at the molecular level. Maturation of newly formed retroviral particles is an essential step in production of infectious virions, and requires proteolytic cleavage of Gag polyproteins in the immature particle to form the matrix, capsid and nucleocapsid proteins present in the mature virion1. Capsid proteins associate to form a dense viral core2 that may be spherical, cylindrical or conical depending on the genus of the virus3. Nonetheless, these assemblies all appear to be composed of a lattice formed from hexagonal rings, each containing six capsid monomers2,4,5. Here, we describe the X-ray structure of an individual hexagonal assembly from N-tropic murine leukaemia virus (N-MLV). The interface between capsid monomers is generally polar, consistent with weak interactions within the hexamer. Similar architectures are probably crucial for the regulation of capsid assembly and disassembly in all retroviruses. Together, these observations provide new insights into retroviral uncoating and how cellular restriction factors may interfere with viral replication.

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Figure 1: The structure of the NTD of N-MLV capsid.
Figure 2: The structure of N-MLV NTD hexameric assembly.
Figure 3: Details of the molecular interactions between monomers at the interface.
Figure 4: Interactions mediated by residues located on or around the β1–β2 hairpin.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Gamblin for assistance in crystal handling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Protein Structure, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK

    Gulnahar B. Mortuza, Lesley F. Haire, Stephen J. Smerdon & Ian A. Taylor

  2. Division of Virology, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK

    Anthony Stevens & Jonathan P. Stoye

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  1. Gulnahar B. Mortuza
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Correspondence to Ian A. Taylor.

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Mortuza, G., Haire, L., Stevens, A. et al. High-resolution structure of a retroviral capsid hexameric amino-terminal domain. Nature 431, 481–485 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02915

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