PIWIL4 Maintains HIV-1 Latency by Enforcing Epigenetically Suppressive Modifications on the 5' Long Terminal Repeat.

ABSTRACT: Although substantial progress has been made in depicting the molecular pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, the comprehensive mechanism of HIV-1 latency and the most promising therapeutic strategies to effectively reactivate the HIV-1 latent reservoir to achieve a functional cure for AIDS remain to be systematically illuminated. Here, we demonstrated that piwi (P element-induced Wimpy)-like RNA-mediated gene silencing 4 (PIWIL4) played an important role in suppressing HIV-1 transcription and contributed to the latency state in HIV-1-infected cells through its recruitment of various suppressive factors, including heterochromatin protein 1α/β/γ, SETDB1, and HDAC4. The knockdown of PIWIL4 enhanced HIV-1 transcription and reversed HIV-1 latency in both HIV-1 l

SUBMITTER: He Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7199406 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature