title: Various plus unique: Viral protein U as a plurifunctional protein for HIV-1 replication.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, encodes four accessory genes, one of which is viral protein U (Vpu). Recently, the study of Vpu has been of great interest. For instance, various cellular proteins are degraded (e.g. CD4) and down-modulated (e.g. tetherin) by Vpu. Vpu also antagonizes the function of tetherin and inhibits NF-κB. Moreover, Vpu is a viroporin forming ion channels and may represent a promising target for anti-HIV-1 drugs. In this review, we summarize the domains/residues that are responsible for Vpu's functions, describe the current understanding of the role of Vpu in HIV-1-infected cells, and review the effect of Vpu on HIV-1 in replication and pathogenesis. Future investigations that simultaneously assess a combination of Vpu functions are required to clearly delineate the most important functions for viral replication. Impact statement Viral protein U (Vpu) is a unique protein encoded by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and related lentiviruses, playing multiple roles in viral replication and pathogenesis. In this review, we briefly summarize the most up-to-date knowledge of HIV-1 Vpu.
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Systems Virology, Department of Biosystems Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soper
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Systems Virology, Department of Biosystems Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Juarez-Fernandez
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Systems Virology, Department of Biosystems Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan.|2 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068501, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aso
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Systems Virology, Department of Biosystems Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan.|3 Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068315, Japan.
authors.forename: Miyu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriwaki
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Systems Virology, Department of Biosystems Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan.
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Systems Virology, Department of Biosystems Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Systems Virology, Department of Biosystems Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Systems Virology, Department of Biosystems Science, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan.|4 CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 3220012, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D014779:Virus Replication; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins
chemical_list: D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C514859:vpu protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins
keywords: Viral protein U; accessory protein; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; human immunodeficiency virus type 1; simian immunodeficiency virus; virus