Title: HIV-1 Assembly and Spread — Roles Played by Plasma Membrane Acidic Phospholipids and tRNAs
Description: HIV-1 particle assembly, driven by the viral structural polyprotein Gag, occurs specifically at the plasma membrane (PM). Localization of Gag to the PM is regulated by two negatively charged molecules, a PM phospholipid PI(4,5)P2 and tRNA, both of which bind the same region of Gag. In this seminar, I will discuss the mechanism by which the Gag-lipid interaction modulates the spread of progeny virions through incorporation of T cell transmembrane proteins such as CD43, CD44, and PSGL-1. In addition, I plan to discuss our recent findings on Gag binding to different classes of tRNAs, which also modulates the virion infectivity. Since the interactions of viral proteins with negatively charged molecules are commonly seen in assembly of a range of viruses, better understanding of these interactions may inform new and broad antiviral strategies.
Amelia Crowe
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