Complete inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus Gag myristoylation is necessary for inhibition of particle budding.

Myristoylation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Gag protein is essential for virus particle budding. Two reactions are involved; activation of free myristate to myristoyl-CoA and transfer of the myristoyl residue to the Gag N-terminal glycine. We have investigated the effects of triacsin C, an inhibitor of long chain acyl-CoA synthetase, on release of HIV Gag virus-like particle (VLP) produced using the recombinant baculovirus system. First, inhibition of acyl-CoA formation by triacsin C was confirmed using the membrane fractions of insect Sf9 cells as an enzyme source. Second, when HIV Gag protein was expressed in the presence of triacsin C (0-48 microM), Gag myristoylation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Budding of Gag VLP, however, did not follow similar inhibition kinetics but appeared unaffected up to 24 microM, yet was completely abolished at 48 microM when the myristoylation of Gag protein was also completely inhibited. The "all-or-none" inhibition of Gag VLP budding suggests that although inhibition of acyl-CoA synthetase blocks the production of myristoylated Gag protein, only complete inhibition of Gag myristoylation prevents VLP budding. Thus, relatively few myristoylated Gag molecules are sufficient for plasma membrane targeting and VLP budding.

Reversible palmitoylation of the protein-tyrosine kinase p56lck.

The myristoylated protein-tyrosine kinase, p56lck, is expressed predominantly in T cells where it is believed to play a role in T cell activation. We observed a 56-kDa protein that became metabolically labeled in intact T lymphoid cells that were incubated with either [3H]myristate or [3H]palmitate. This protein was identified as p56lck based on its specific immunoprecipitation with polyclonal antisera to p56lck, by induction of a shift in its electrophoretic mobility following treatment of cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and by co-chromatography with p56lck on protamine-agarose. Characterization of the two acylation events revealed that, in contrast to the p56lck-associated radioactivity from [3H]myristate-labeled cells, the p56lck-associated radioactivity from [3H]palmitate-labeled cells was susceptible to cleavage by neutral hydroxylamine and was not blocked by inhibitors of protein synthesis. Pulse-chase analyses revealed that the labeling of p56lck with [3H]palmitate, but not [3H]myristate, was reversible. The presence of covalently attached palmitate on p56lck from [3H]palmitate-labeled cells was verified by thin-layer chromatography following acid hydrolysis of the acylated protein. 2-Hydroxymyristate, which is metabolically activated to form a potent inhibitor of protein myristoylation, specifically inhibited the acylation of p56lck with [3H]myristate without affecting its labeling with [3H]palmitate. These studies indicate that p56lck is both a cotranslationally myristoylated and post-translationally palmitoylated protein.