Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vif supports efficient primate lentivirus replication in rhesus monkey cells.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Vif share limited homology and display species-specific activity, leading to speculation that Vif sequences could determine the block in HIV-1 replication in rhesus monkeys. To address this issue, we engineered a novel SIV recombinant in which HIV-1 vif replaced SIV vif in a SIVmac239 background. Insertion of HIV-1 vif into the SIV vif locus did not produce a replication-competent virus. Therefore, we inserted HIV-1 vif sequences into the SIV nef locus, which produced a recombinant that, in the absence of SIV vif sequences, replicated similarly to wild-type SIVmac239 in rhesus monkey PBMC. From these studies we conclude that the HIV-1 replication block in rhesus monkeys is almost certainly not Vif determined. These studies also suggest that SHIV/NVif or derivative sequences could be utilized for structure/function studies of HIV-1 Vif in experimentally infected rhesus monkeys.
Kar
Sujata
S
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Cummings
Phoebe
P
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Alexander
Louis
L
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D016341:Genes, vif / Q000502:physiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D016865:Reassortant Viruses; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity