Open AccessTetherin/BST-2: Restriction Factor or Immunomodulator?
Author(s) -
Sam X. Li,
Bradley S. Barrett,
Kejun Guo,
Mario L. Santiago
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
current hiv research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.561
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1873-4251
pISSN - 1570-162X
DOI - 10.2174/1570162x14999160224102752
Subject(s) - tetherin , endocytosis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , in vivo , innate immune system , in vitro , retrovirus , cell , immune system , viral replication , virus , immunology , genetics
Cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses are critical for the control of HIV-1 infection and their importance was highlighted by the existence of viral proteins, particularly Vpu and Nef, that antagonize these responses. Pandemic HIV-1 Vpu counteracts Tetherin/BST-2, a host factor that could prevent the release of HIV-1 virions by tethering virions on the cell surface, but a link between Tetherin and HIV-1 CMI responses has not yet been demonstrated in vivo. In vitro, the virological and immunological impact of Tetherin-mediated accumulation of virions ranged from enhanced or diminished cell-to-cell spread to enhanced recognition by virus-specific antibodies for natural killer cellmediated lysis. However, Tetherin-restricted virions could be internalized through an endocytosis motif in the Tetherin cytoplasmic tail.