Phosphorylation-dependent C-terminal binding of 14-3-3 proteins promotes cell surface expression of HIV co-receptor GPR15.

Membrane trafficking is dictated by dynamic molecular interactions involving discrete determinants in the cargo proteins and the intracellular transport machineries. We have previously reported that cell surface expression of GPR15, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that serves as a co-receptor for HIV, is correlated with the mode III binding of 14-3-3 proteins to the receptor C terminus. Here we provide a mechanistic basis for the role of 14-3-3 in promoting the cell surface expression of GPR15. The Ala mutation of penultimate phospho-Ser (S359A) that abolishes 14-3-3 binding resulted in substantially reduced O-glycosylation and the cell surface expression of GPR15. The surface membrane protein CD8 fused with the C-terminal tail of GPR15(S359A) mutant was re-localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In the context of S359A mutation, the additional mutations in the upstream stretch of basic residues (RXR motif) restored O-glycosylation and the cell surface expression. The RXR motif was responsible for the interaction with coatomer protein I (COPI), which was inversely correlated with the 14-3-3 binding and cell surface expression. These results suggest that 14-3-3 binding promotes cell surface expression of GPR15 by releasing the receptor from ER retrieval/retention pathway that is mediated by the interaction of RXR motif and COPI. Moreover, 14-3-3 binding substantially increased the stability of GPR15 protein. Thus 14-3-3 proteins play multiple roles in biogenesis and trafficking of an HIV co-receptor GPR15 to control its cell surface density in response to the phosphorylation signal.