Peptides Released by Physiological Cleavage of Semen Coagulum Proteins Form Amyloids that Enhance HIV Infection

Semen serves as a vehicle for HIV and promotes sexual transmission of the virus, which accounts for the majority of new HIV cases. The major component of semen is the coagulum, a viscous structure composed predominantly of spermatozoa and semenogelin proteins. Due to the activity of the semen protea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cell host & microbe 2011-12, Vol.10 (6), p.541-550
Main Authors: Roan, Nadia R., Müller, Janis A., Liu, Haichuan, Chu, Simon, Arnold, Franziska, Stürzel, Christina M., Walther, Paul, Dong, Ming, Witkowska, H. Ewa, Kirchhoff, Frank, Münch, Jan, Greene, Warner C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amyloid - chemistry
Amyloid - metabolism
Cell Line
HIV Infections - metabolism
HIV Infections - virology
HIV-1 - physiology
Humans
Peptides - metabolism
Protein Processing, Post-Translational
Semen - chemistry
Semen - metabolism
Seminal Vesicle Secretory Proteins - chemistry
Seminal Vesicle Secretory Proteins - metabolism
Virus Attachment
Virus Internalization
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Summary:Semen serves as a vehicle for HIV and promotes sexual transmission of the virus, which accounts for the majority of new HIV cases. The major component of semen is the coagulum, a viscous structure composed predominantly of spermatozoa and semenogelin proteins. Due to the activity of the semen protease PSA, the coagulum is liquefied and semenogelins are cleaved into smaller fragments. Here, we report that a subset of these semenogelin fragments form amyloid fibrils that greatly enhance HIV infection. Like SEVI, another amyloid fibril previously identified in semen, the semenogelin fibrils exhibit a cationic surface and enhance HIV virion attachment and entry. Whereas semen samples from healthy individuals greatly enhance HIV infection, semenogelin-deficient semen samples from patients with ejaculatory duct obstruction are completely deficient in enhancing activity. Semen thus harbors distinct amyloidogenic peptides derived from different precursor proteins that commonly enhance HIV infection and likely contribute to HIV transmission. ► Peptides from semenogelins, major semen coagulum components, form amyloid fibrils ► Semenogelin-derived amyloid fibrils enhance HIV infection ► Ability of semen to enhance HIV infection correlates with semenogelin levels ► Semen samples naturally deficient in semenogelins fail to enhance HIV infection
ISSN:1931-3128
1934-6069
DOI:10.1016/j.chom.2011.10.010