title: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr: functions and molecular interactions.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral protein R (Vpr) is an accessory protein that interacts with a number of cellular and viral proteins. The functions of many of these interactions in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 have been identified. Deletion of the vpr gene reduces the virulence of HIV-1 dramatically, indicating the importance of this protein for the virus. This review describes the current findings on several established functions of HIV-1 Vpr and some possible roles proposed for this protein. Because Vpr exploits cellular proteins and pathways to influence the biology of HIV-1, understanding the functions of Vpr usually involves the study of cellular pathways. Several functions of Vpr are attributed to the virion-incorporated protein, but some of them are attributed to the expression of Vpr in HIV-1-infected cells. The structure of Vpr may be key to understanding the variety of its interactions. Due to the critical role of Vpr in HIV-1 pathogenicity, study of the interactions between Vpr and cellular proteins may help us to understand the mechanism(s) of HIV-1 pathogenicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
authors.forename: Bizhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.affiliation: National Health Laboratory Services, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.|Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Engelbrecht
mesh_terms: D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011485:Protein Binding; D014481:United States; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D054325:vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors; D054325:vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C514912:vpr protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1