Architecture and dynamics of immature HIV lattice

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Project Summary: Our long-term goal is to gain a molecular understanding of the machinery that regulates the assembly, release, and maturation of infectious HIV virions. Newly released HIV virions are immature and have a lattice of proteins (mainly the Gag polyprotein) that underpins their viral membrane. Through proteolysis, HIV enzymes help transform this lattice into a conical mature core, after which the virus becomes infectious. Maturation Inhibitors, a new class of antiviral drugs, are designed to bind to the immature lattice and interfere with this transformation. During the previous award period, we showed that the stability of the immature lattice is dependent on other HIV components aside from the Gag polyprotein. The small size of HIV virions makes studying their lattice dynamics challenging, therefore, we developed biophysical, imaging, and computational methods to enable these measurements. We have two main aims for this award period. Our first aim is to investigate the specific effects of different non-Gag components on the stability of the immature lattice and determine the nature of biomolecular forces stabilizing it. Our second aim is to determine how dynamics within the lattice drive the activation of HIV enzymes and kick start the maturation process. By advancing our understanding of the biomechanical principles governing the immature lattice of HIV and its maturation, our studies will inform both the design of next- generation antivirals as well as future lentiviral systems.