Separate cellular localizations of human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) Env and glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT1) are required for HTLV-1 Env-mediated fusion and infection.

UNLABELLED: Interaction of the envelope glycoprotein (Env) of human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) with the glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT1) expressed in target cells is essential for viral entry. This study found that the expression level of GLUT1 in virus-producing 293T cells was inversely correlated with HTLV-1 Env-mediated fusion activity and infectivity. Chimeric studies between GLUT1 and GLUT3 indicated that the extracellular loop 6 (ECL6) of GLUT1 is important for the inhibition of cell-cell fusion mediated by Env. When GLUT1 was translocated into the plasma membrane from intracellular storage sites by bafilomycin A1 (BFLA1) treatment in 293T cells, HTLV-1 Env-mediated cell fusion and infection also were inhibited without the overexpression of GLUT1, indicating that the localization of GLUT1 in intracellular compartments rather than in the plasma membrane is crucial for the fusion activity of HTLV-1 Env. Immunoprecipitation and laser scanning confocal microscopic analyses indicated that under normal conditions, HTLV-1 Env and GLUT1 do not colocalize or interact. BFLA1 treatment induced this colocalization and interaction, indicating that GLUT1 normally accumulates in intracellular compartments separate from that of Env. Western blot analyses of FLAG-tagged HTLV-1 Env in virus-producing cells and the incorporation of HTLV-1 Env in virus-like particles (VLPs) indicate that the processing of Env is inhibited by either overexpression of GLUT1 or BFLA1 treatment in virus-producing 293T cells. This inhibition probably is due to the interaction of the Env with GLUT1 in intracellular compartments. Taken together, separate intracellular localizations of GLUT1 and HTLV-1 Env are required for the fusion activity and infectivity of HTLV-1 Env. IMPORTANCE: The deltaretrovirus HTLV-1 is a causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Although HTLV-1 is a complex retrovirus that has accessory genes, no HTLV-1 gene product has yet been shown to regulate its receptor GLUT1 in virus-producing cells. In this study, we found that a large amount of GLUT1 or translocation of GLUT1 to the plasma membrane from intracellular compartments in virus-producing cells enhances the colocalization and interaction of GLUT1 with HTLV-1 Env, leading to the inhibition of cell fusion activity and infectivity. The results of our study suggest that GLUT1 normally accumulates in separate intracellular compartments from Env, which is indeed required for the proper processing of Env.