Publication Abstract from PubMed
The carboxyl-terminal domain, residues 146 to 231, of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) capsid protein [CA(146-231)] is required for capsid dimerization and viral assembly. This domain contains a stretch of 20 residues, called the major homology region (MHR), which is conserved across retroviruses and is essential for viral assembly, maturation, and infectivity. The crystal structures of CA(146-231) and CA(151-231) reveal that the globular domain is composed of four helices and an extended amino-terminal strand. CA(146-231) dimerizes through parallel packing of helix 2 across a dyad. The MHR is distinct from the dimer interface and instead forms an intricate hydrogen-bonding network that interconnects strand 1 and helices 1 and 2. Alignment of the CA(146-231) dimer with the crystal structure of the capsid amino-terminal domain provides a model for the intact protein and extends models for assembly of the central conical core of HIV-1.
Structure of the carboxyl-terminal dimerization domain of the HIV-1 capsid protein.,Gamble TR, Yoo S, Vajdos FF, von Schwedler UK, Worthylake DK, Wang H, McCutcheon JP, Sundquist WI, Hill CP Science. 1997 Oct 31;278(5339):849-53. PMID:9346481[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
