A Retrovirus Stiffness Switch

描述（由申请人提供）：逆转录病毒（如HIV）从细胞出芽后，经历一个复杂的自发过程，称为成熟，这是其感染性所必需的。在成熟过程中，逆转录病毒经历剧烈的内部重组。这些变化已被广泛的特点，在艾滋病毒的生化和电子显微镜方法。 最近，原子力显微镜（AFM）测量已经揭示了病毒体在成熟过程中刚度的显著降低（“刚度转换”）。有趣的是，这种刚度转换在很大程度上是由病毒包膜（Env）蛋白控制的，它也介导病毒粒子进入靶细胞的能力。拟议的研究将剖析HIV刚度开关的机制，并确定Env如何调节这种开关。目前的数据表明病毒体硬度和进入活性之间的相关性。拟议的研究还将确定病毒机械特性是否直接控制病毒进入活性。这种新的调节机制将揭示逆转录病毒生命周期中以前未被认识到的复杂性，并将对其他复杂生物系统的机械调节产生更广泛的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): After budding from the cell, retroviruses (such as HIV) undergo a complex spontaneous process called maturation that is required for their infectivity. During maturation retroviruses undergo dramatic internal reorganization. These changes have been extensively characterized in HIV by biochemical and electron microscopy methods. Very recently, atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements have revealed a dramatic decrease in virion stiffness during maturation ("stiffness switch"). Interestingly, this stiffness switch is largely controlled by the viral envelope (Env) protein, which also mediates the ability of virions to enter target cells. The proposed studies will dissect the mechanism of the HIV stiffness switch and determine how Env regulates this switch. Current data suggests a correlation between virion stiffness and entry activity. The proposed studies will also determine if viral mechanical properties directly control viral entry activity. Such a novel regulatory mechanism would reveal a previously unappreciated layer of complexity in the retrovirus life-cycle and will have broader implications for mechanical regulation of other complex biological systems.