The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vif protein reduces intracellular expression and inhibits packaging of APOBEC3G (CEM15), a cellular inhibitor of virus infectivity.

ABSTRACT: Replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in most primary cells and some immortalized T-cell lines depends on the activity of the viral infectivity factor (Vif). Vif has the ability to counteract a cellular inhibitor, recently identified as CEM15, that blocks infectivity of Vif-defective HIV-1 variants. CEM15 is identical to APOBEC3G and belongs to a family of proteins involved in RNA and DNA deamination. We cloned APOBEC3G from a human kidney cDNA library and confirmed that the protein acts as a potent inhibitor of HIV replication and is sensitive to the activity of Vif. We found that wild-type Vif inhibits packaging of APOBEC3G into virus particles in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, biologically inactive variants carrying in-frame deletions in various regions of Vi

SUBMITTER: Kao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC229358 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature