Divergence in Dimerization and Activity of Primate APOBEC3C

The APOBEC3 (A3) family of single-stranded DNA cytidine deaminases are host restriction factors that inhibit lentiviruses, such as HIV-1, in the absence of the Vif protein that causes their degradation. Deamination of cytidine in HIV-1 (−)DNA forms uracil that causes inactivating mutations when uracil is used as a template for (+)DNA synthesis. For APOBEC3C (A3C), the chimpanzee and gorilla orthologues are more active than human A3C, and we determined that Old World Monkey A3C from rhesus macaque (rh) is not active against HIV-1. Biochemical, virological, and coevolutionary analyses combined with molecular dynamics simulations showed that the key amino acids needed to promote rhA3C antiviral activity, 44, 45, and 144, also promoted dimerization and changes to the dynamics of loop 1, near the enzyme active site. Although forced evolution of rhA3C resulted in a similar dimer interface with hominid A3C, the key amino acid contacts were different. Overall, our results determine the basis for why rhA3C is less active than human A3C and establish the amino acid network for dimerization and increased activity. Based on identification of the key amino acids determining Old World Monkey antiviral activity we predict that other Old World Monkey A3Cs did not impart anti-lentiviral activity, despite fixation of a key residue needed for hominid A3C activity. Overall, the coevolutionary analysis of the A3C dimerization interface presented also provides a basis from which to analyze dimerization interfaces of other A3 family members.