Reversal of Epigenetic Silencing Allows Robust HIV-1 Replication in the Absence of Integrase Function.

ABSTRACT: Integration of the proviral DNA intermediate into the host cell genome normally represents an essential step in the retroviral life cycle. While the reason(s) for this requirement remains unclear, it is known that unintegrated proviral DNA is epigenetically silenced. Here, we demonstrate that human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) mutants lacking a functional integrase (IN) can mount a robust, spreading infection in cells expressing the Tax transcription factor encoded by human T-cell leukemia virus 1 (HTLV-1). In these cells, HIV-1 forms episomal DNA circles, analogous to hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNAs (cccDNAs), that are transcriptionally active and fully capable of supporting viral replication. In the presence of Tax, induced NF-κB proteins are recruited to the

SUBMITTER: Irwan ID 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7267885 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature