Gag cytotoxic T lymphocyte escape mutations can increase sensitivity of HIV-1 to human TRIM5alpha, linking intrinsic and acquired immunity.

ABSTRACT: Although laboratory-adapted HIV-1 strains are largely resistant to the human restriction factor TRIM5α (hTRIM5α), we have recently shown that some viruses carrying capsid (CA) sequences from clinical isolates can be more sensitive to this restriction factor. In this study we evaluated the contribution to this phenotype of CA mutations known to be associated with escape from cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. Recombinant viruses carrying HIV-1 CA sequences from NL4-3 and three different clinical isolates were prepared, along with variants in which mutations associated with CTL resistance were modified by site-directed mutagenesis, and the infectivities of these viruses in target cells expressing hTRIM5α and cells in which TRIM5α activity had been inhibited by overexpression of TRIM5γ w

SUBMITTER: Battivelli E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3209307 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature