Isolation of an active Lv1 gene from cattle indicates that tripartite motif protein-mediated innate immunity to retroviral infection is widespread among mammals

J Virol. 2006 Aug;80(15):7332-8. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00516-06.

Abstract

Lv1/TRIM5alpha (tripartite motif 5alpha) has recently emerged as an important factor influencing species-specific permissivity to retroviral infection in a range of primates, including humans. Old World monkey TRIM5alpha blocks human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infectivity, and the human and New World monkey TRIM5alpha proteins are inactive against HIV-1 but active against divergent murine (N-tropic murine leukemia virus [MLV-N]) and simian (simian immunodeficiency virus from rhesus macaque [SIVmac]) retroviruses, respectively. Here we demonstrate antiviral activity of the first nonprimate TRIM protein, from cattle, active against divergent retroviruses, including HIV-1. The number of closely related human TRIM sequences makes assignment of the bovine sequence as a TRIM5alpha ortholog uncertain, and we therefore refer to it as bovine Lv1. Bovine Lv1 is closely related to primate TRIM5alpha proteins in the N-terminal RING and B-box 2 domains but significantly less homologous in the C-terminal B30.2 domain, particularly in the region shown to influence antiviral specificity. Intriguingly, some viruses restricted by bovine Lv1, including HIV-1 and MLV-N, are unable to synthesize viral DNA by reverse transcription, whereas restricted HIV-2 makes normal amounts of DNA. The data support the conclusion that TRIM protein-mediated restriction of retroviral infection is a more common attribute of mammals than previously appreciated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Anti-Retroviral Agents / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Retroviral Agents / metabolism*
  • Antiviral Restriction Factors
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cattle
  • Cell Line
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • HIV-1 / physiology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Kidney / cytology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Platyrrhini
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism
  • Retroviridae / physiology*
  • Retroviridae Infections / immunology
  • Retroviridae Infections / prevention & control*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / physiology
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases

Substances

  • Anti-Retroviral Agents
  • Antiviral Restriction Factors
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Viral
  • Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • RNA, Viral
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins
  • TRIM5 protein, human
  • TRIM5(alpha) protein, rhesus monkey
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/DQ380509