title: Antiviral activity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte targeting is not necessarily intrinsically superior to envelope targeting.
abstract: Across several cohorts, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag- and Env-specific CD8(+) T lymphocyte (CTL) responses have demonstrated inverse and positive correlations, respectively, to viremia. The mechanism has been proposed to be superior antiviral activity of Gag-specific CTLs in general. Addressing this hypothesis, we created two HIV-1 constructs with an epitope translocated from Gag (SLYNTVATL, SL9) to Env, thereby switching the protein source of the epitope. A virus expressing SL9 in Env was similar to the original virus in susceptibility to SL9-specific CTLS. This finding suggests that Env targeting is not intrinsically inferior to Gag targeting for CTL antiviral activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Diana Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Arumugam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balamurugan
authors.forename: Hwee L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Otto O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus