The Conserved Process of TCR/CD3 Complex Down-Modulation by SIV Nef Is Mediated by the Central Core, Not Endocytic Motifs

The Nef protein of Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) associates with multiple T lymphocyte signaling proteins, including the T cell receptor (TCR) ζ chain. We demonstrate here that these interactions are conserved and highly specific. Nefs derived from genetically diverse strains of SIV (SIV mac239, SIV smmPBj, and SIV smmΔB670) all interacted with TCR ζ on two separate domains, referred to as SIV Nef interaction domains (SNIDs), as examined in both yeast two-hybrid and glutathione- S-transferase (GST) fusion protein pull-down assays. Multiple HIV-1 Nefs were examined and none interacted with TCR ζ. In contrast, HIV-2 UC1 Nef, similar to SIV Nef, interacted with TCR ζ on two domains, although only the SIV Nefs potently reduced cell-surface expression of the TCR/CD3 complex in T cells. In addition, we examined the abilities of SIV, HIV-2, and HIV-1 Nefs to interact with the cytoplasmic domains of other signaling molecules including CD3ϵ, CD3γ, and FcϵRIγ, which also contain YxxL motifs, and determined that SIV and HIV-2 Nefs interacted only with TCR ζ, whereas HIV-1 Nef did not interact with any signal-transducing cytoplasmic domain examined. Last, to gain further insight into the mechanism by which Nef down-modulates the TCR/CD3 complex, we mutated or deleted regions on Nef involved in endocytosis, localization of Nef to the plasma membrane, interaction with cellular kinases, or that were conserved among multiple strains of SIV. Mutation of the myristoylation site and a conserved region surrounding a putative PKC phosphorylation site were the only mutations that abrogated Nef-mediated down-modulation of the TCR/CD3 complex. These findings demonstrate there is a spectrum of associations between SIV, HIV-2, and HIV-1 Nefs, and the TCR/CD3 complex, and suggest that down-modulation of the TCR/CD3 complex occurs via association with subsets of cellular proteins that are different from those involved in CD4 and CD28 down-modulation.