HIV-1 Gag Blocks Selenite-Induced Stress Granule Assembly by Altering the mRNA Cap-Binding Complex

Stress granules (SGs) are dynamic accumulations of stalled preinitiation complexes and translational machinery that assemble under stressful conditions. Sodium selenite (Se) induces the assembly of noncanonical type II SGs that differ in morphology, composition, and mechanism of assembly from canonical SGs. Se inhibits translation initiation by altering the cap-binding activity of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-binding protein 1 (4EBP1). In this work, we show that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag is able to block the assembly of type II noncanonical SGs to facilitate continued Gag protein synthesis. We demonstrate that expression of Gag reduces the amount of hypophosphorylated 4EBP1 associated with the 5' cap potentially through an interaction with its target, eIF4E. These results suggest that the assembly of SGs is an important host antiviral defense that HIV-1 has evolved for inhibition through several distinct mechanisms. IMPORTANCE The antiviral stress response is an important host defense that many viruses, including HIV-1, have evolved to evade. Selenite induces a block in translation and leads to stress granule assembly through the sequestration of eIF4E by binding hypophosphorylated 4EBP1. In this work, we demonstrate that in the face of selenite-induced stress, HIV-1 is able to maintain Gag mRNA translation and to elicit a blockade to selenite-induced stress granule assembly by altering the amount of hypophosphorylated 4EBP1 on the 5' cap.