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Evidence for a newly discovered cellular anti-HIV-1 phenotype

Nature Medicine volume 4, pages 1397–1400 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

Animal cells have developed many ways to suppress viral replication, and viruses have evolved diverse strategies to resist these. Here we provide evidence that the virion infectivity factor protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) functions to counteract a newly discovered activity in human cells that otherwise inhibits virus replication. This anti-viral phenotype is shown by human T cells, the principal in vivo targets for HIV-1, and, based on our present understanding of virion infectivity factor action, is presumed to act by interfering with a late step(s) in the virus life cycle. These observations indicate that the inhibition of virion infectivity factor function in vivo may prevent HIV-1 replication by 'unmasking' an innate anti-viral phenotype.

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Figure 1: Vif is required for HIV-1 infectivity in HUT78 cells, but not in CEM-SS or 293T cells.
Figure 2: Strategy for the production of HIV-1 from transient T cell-293T heterokaryons.
Figure 3: Infectivities of HIV-1/Δvif and HIV-1 produced from heterokaryons.
Figure 4: Effects of time and cell ratio on Vif function in heterokaryons.

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Acknowledgements

We thank P. Bates, T. Kadesch, V. Pollard and A. Sheehy for discussions, and L. Zimmerman for secretarial support. N.C.G. is a National Science Foundation pre-doctoral fellow. This work was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and US Public Service grant AI38715 from NIAID.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19104-6148, Pennsylvania, USA

    James H.M. Simon & Michael H. Malim

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19104-6148, Pennsylvania, USA

    Michael H. Malim

  3. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19104-6148, Pennsylvania, USA

    Nathan C. Gaddis

  4. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19104-6148, Pennsylvania, USA

    Ron A.M. Fouchier & Michael H. Malim

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  1. James H.M. Simon
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Correspondence to Michael H. Malim.

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Simon, J., Gaddis, N., Fouchier, R. et al. Evidence for a newly discovered cellular anti-HIV-1 phenotype. Nat Med 4, 1397–1400 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/3987

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