title: HIV Nef: role in pathogenesis and viral fitness.
abstract: Conserved in all primate lentivirus genomes, Nef promotes viral replication and infectivity, influences the trafficking of a large number of surface receptors and interferes with TCR signalling, consequently modulating T-cell activation. In vivo observations with Long Term Non-Progressors harbouring a Nef-defective HIV and vaccination studies with Nef-deleted SIV in Rhesus macaques have shown a prominent role for Nef in lentiviral pathogenesis. Here we review the functions of Nef involved in viral replication and infectivity and speculate on a possible role for Nef in HIV fitness.
authors.affiliation: HIVLab, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 4blokA, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. kevin.arien@ugent.be
authors.forename: Kevin K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ariën
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Verhasselt
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015728:Receptors, HIV; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015728:Receptors, HIV; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus