Legitimate and illegitimate cleavage of human immunodeficiency virus glycoproteins by furin

Abstract

Coexpression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 glycoproteins with the subtilisin-like protease furin leads to processing of gp160 and gp140, a truncated form of gp160, to gp120. In addition, we show that gp120 itself is further cleaved by furin at sites near the primary cleavage site and within the V3 loop.