# Delineating a role for CA in HIV-1 nuclear transport to sites of integration

> **NIH NIH R21** · FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $231,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
HIV-1 capsid protein (CA) determines the virus nuclear entry and integration site preference. By developing
novel tools to track single viral complexes that establish infection, we have recently found that point mutations
in CA (N74D) influence the targeting of viral integration to the periphery as opposed to interior of the nucleus
preferred by wild-type virus. A nuclear role for CA, which remains poorly appreciated, is potentially derived from
the subset of CA molecules that remain associated with nuclear pre-integration complexes (PICs). We
hypothesize that interaction between PIC-associated CA molecules and cellular co-factor CPSF6 directs the
transport of HIV-1 to nuclear speckle regions that are rich in actively transcribing genes for integration. The
scientific premise of this proposal is to characterize the CA/CPSF6 dependent nuclear HIV-1 transport to the
sites of integration. We will, (1) apply live-cell imaging in combination with photoactivation techniques to visualize
CPSF6 interaction with fluorescent CA-labeled PICs and their transport to sites of integration. (2) Determine a
role for CPSF6/PICs interaction in the HIV-1 nuclear transport by determining diffusion coefficients of single
particles in the presence of drugs and CA mutants that abrogate CA/CPSF6 interactions. (3) Develop a live-cell
imaging assay to visualize the integrated vDNA, and correlate the location of PICs disappearance to integration.
(4) Determine the amino acid residues in CA involved in its interaction with viral RNA or proteins in PICs and
identify the binding partner of CA in vRNPs. This new direction of research will delineate a role for CA in
interactions and intra-nuclear trafficking of PICs to locations of HIV-1 integration, an important step in viral life
cycle that remains poorly appreciated.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10342316
- **Project number:** 7R21AI145541-02
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ashwanth Christopher Francis
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $231,000
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2021-03-01 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10342316

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10342316, Delineating a role for CA in HIV-1 nuclear transport to sites of integration (7R21AI145541-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10342316. Licensed CC0.

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