Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
3424761 Virology 2010 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

The cross-species transmission of retroviruses is limited by host restriction factors that exhibit inter-species diversity. For example, the TRIM5α proteins of Old World monkeys block the early, post-entry steps in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection. We adapted an HIV-1 isolate to replicate in cells expressing TRIM5αrh from rhesus monkeys, an Old World species. A single amino acid change in the cyclophilin-binding loop of the HIV-1 capsid protein allowed virus replication in cells expressing TRIM5αrh. The capsid of the escape virus exhibited a reduced affinity for TRIM5αrh, but retained the ability to bind cyclophilin A efficiently. Thus, a preferred HIV-1 escape pathway involves decreased binding to TRIM5α, a capsid-destabilizing factor, and retention of binding to cyclophilin A, a capsid-stabilizing factor.

Related Topics
Life Sciences Immunology and Microbiology Virology
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