Ecotropic murine leukemia virus envelope protein affects interaction of cationic amino acid transporter 1 with clathrin adaptor protein complexes, leading to receptor downregulation.

Mouse cationic amino acid transporter 1 (mCAT1) serves as the receptor for ecotropic murine leukemia virus (eMuLV). It has been shown that mCAT1 is expressed on the basolateral surface of polarized epithelial MDCK cells. However, little is known about the mechanisms involved in the intracellular trafficking of mCAT1. Using the green fluorescent protein-tagged mCAT1 expressed in MDCK cells, we report here that mCAT1 is physically associated with clathrin adaptor protein complex 1 (AP-1) implicated in protein trafficking from trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the basolateral surface. When the cells were infected with eMuLV, reduction of cell surface mCAT1, as well as a concomitant decrease in mCAT1-AP-1 association, was observed while association of mCAT1 with AP-3 involved in the TGN-to-lysosome trafficking was increased. Similar results were obtained when eMuLV envelope protein alone was expressed. The results may provide useful insights into the mechanism by which a simple retrovirus downregulates its receptor.