title: Functional role of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vpu.
abstract: To investigate the role of vpu in the replication and cytopathicity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), infectious proviruses were constructed that were isogenic except for the ability to produce the protein product of vpu. The vpu-encoded protein is shown to decrease the rate of syncytium formation and cell killing in infected CD4+ human T cells, to increase greatly the export of virus particles from infected cells, and to reduce the rate of accumulation of cell-associated viral proteins. The vpu protein complements in trans the defect in a vpu- HIV-1 provirus but does not affect the simian immunodeficiency virus, which lacks vpu. These observations suggest that vpu may contribute to the AIDS epidemic by increasing the transmission efficiency of the virus.
authors: Department of Human Retrovirology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115.
authors: E F
authors: EF
authors: Terwilliger
authors: E A
authors: EA
authors: Cohen
authors: Y C
authors: YC
authors: Lu
authors: J G
authors: JG
authors: Sodroski
authors: W A
authors: WA
authors: Haseltine
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; D014779:Virus Replication; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins
chemical_list: D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C514859:vpu protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins