Human immunodeficiency virus vpr gene encodes a virion-associated protein

• Published in: AIDS research and human retroviruses Vol. 6; no. 11; p. 1265
• Main Authors: Yuan, X, Matsuda, Z, Matsuda, M, Essex, M, Lee, T H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.1990
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Cell Line; Centrifugation, Density Gradient; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; Gene Products, vpr - genetics; Genes, Viral; HIV Infections - microbiology; HIV-1 - genetics; HIV-1 - physiology; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Viral Proteins - biosynthesis; Viral Proteins - genetics; Virion - genetics; Virus Replication; vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• ISSN: 0889-2229
• DOI: 10.1089/aid.1990.6.1265

The vpr gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is one of the seven accessory genes that are believed to have roles in the virus replication cycle. We report here the detection of a 13 kD vpr protein in sucrose gradient-purified HIV-1. This protein was not detected in cells infected with a virus having a truncated vpr gene that lacks the potential to encode for 26 C-terminal amino acid residues. These findings raise the possibility that virion-associated vpr proteins may be involved in the early life cycle of HIV-1 replication and suggest that the C-terminal region of the vpr gene is essential for its expression.