Coevolution of Lentiviral Vif with Host A3F and A3G: Insights from Computational Modelling and Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction.

ABSTRACT: The evolutionary arms race between host restriction factors and viral antagonists provides crucial insights into immune system evolution and viral adaptation. This study investigates the structural and evolutionary dynamics of the double-domain restriction factors A3F and A3G and their viral inhibitor, Vif, across diverse primate species. By constructing 3D structural homology models and integrating ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR), we identified patterns of sequence diversity, structural conservation, and functional adaptation. Inactive CD1 (Catalytic Domain 1) domains displayed greater sequence diversity and more positive surface charges than active CD2 domains, aiding nucleotide chain binding and intersegmental transfer. Despite variability, the CD2 DNA-binding grooves remained s

SUBMITTER: Huebert DNG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11946711 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature