The HIV-1 nef gene acts as a positive viral infectivity factor.
The gene product of the nef gene of HIV-1 acts both to increase the infectivity of viral particles and to reduce the expression of the CD4 receptor molecule on the cell surface. These two functions of Nef may be related, in that downregulation of CD4 may promote the production of HIV that has greater infectivity.
Miller
M D
MD
Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94141.
Feinberg
M B
MB
Greene
W C
WC
D000818:Animals; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015754:Genes, nef / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D014779:Virus Replication
D015704:CD4 Antigens