Virus evolution reveals an exclusive role for LEDGF/p75 in chromosomal tethering of HIV.

ABSTRACT: Retroviruses by definition insert their viral genome into the host cell chromosome. Although the key player of retroviral integration is viral integrase, a role for cellular cofactors has been proposed. Lentiviral integrases use the cellular protein LEDGF/p75 to tether the preintegration complex to the chromosome, although the existence of alternative host proteins substituting for the function of LEDGF/p75 in integration has been proposed. Truncation mutants of LEDGF/p75 lacking the chromosome attachment site strongly inhibit HIV replication by competition for the interaction with integrase. In an attempt to select HIV strains that can overcome the inhibition, we now have used T-cell lines that stably express a C-terminal fragment of LEDGF/p75. Despite resistance development, the affinity

SUBMITTER: Hombrouck A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1839165 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature