The Disassociation of A3G-Related HIV-1 cDNA G-to-A Hypermutation to Viral Infectivity.

APOBEC3G (A3G) restricts HIV-1 replication primarily by reducing viral cDNA and inducing G-to-A hypermutations in viral cDNA. HIV-1 encodes virion infectivity factor (Vif) to counteract A3G primarily by excluding A3G viral encapsidation. Even though the Vif-induced exclusion is robust, studies suggest that A3G is still detectable in the virion.

Interferon Epsilon Signaling Confers Attenuated Zika Replication in Human Vaginal Epithelial Cells.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging flavivirus that causes congenital birth defects and neurological compilations in the human host. Although ZIKV is primarily transmitted through infected mosquitos, recent studies reveal sexual contact as a potential transmission route. In vagina-bearing individuals, the vaginal epithelium constitutes the first line of defense against viruses.

Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA) Enhances HIV-1 Accumulation and Release in Primary Cervical Epithelial Cells by Inhibiting Lysosomal Activity.

Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is one of the most widely used contraceptives in the world. Epidemiologic studies have uncovered a possible link between the use of MPA and an increased risk of HIV-1 transmission. However, the understanding of the mechanism is still limited.

Neurog3-Independent Methylation Is the Earliest Detectable Mark Distinguishing Pancreatic Progenitor Identity.

In the developing pancreas, transient Neurog3-expressing progenitors give rise to four major islet cell types: α, β, δ, and γ; when and how the Neurog3 cells choose cell fate is unknown. Using single-cell RNA-seq, trajectory analysis, and combinatorial lineage tracing, we showed here that the Neurog3 cells co-expressing Myt1 (i.e.

Role of Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicles in oral mucosal transmission of HIV.

The association between mucosal microbiota and HIV-1 infection has garnered great attention in the field of HIV-1 research. Previously, we reported a receptor-independent HIV-1 entry into epithelial cells mediated by a Gram-negative invasive bacterium, Porphyromonas gingivalis. Here, we present evidence showing that P.

Differential Contributions of Ubiquitin-Modified APOBEC3G Lysine Residues to HIV-1 Vif-Induced Degradation.

Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme-catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (A3G) is a host restriction factor that impedes HIV-1 replication. Viral integrity is salvaged by HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif), which mediates A3G polyubiquitination and subsequent cellular depletion. Previous studies have implied that A3G polyubiquitination is essential for Vif-induced degradation.

GB virus type C E2 protein inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag assembly by downregulating human ADP-ribosylation factor 1.

GB virus type C (GBV-C) glycoprotein E2 protein disrupts HIV-1 assembly and release by inhibiting Gag plasma membrane targeting, however the mechanism by which the GBV-C E2 inhibits Gag trafficking remains unclear. In the present study, we identified ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) contributed to the inhibitory effect of GBV-C E2 on HIV-1 Gag membrane targeting. Expression of GBV-C E2 decreased ARF1 expression in a proteasomal degradation-dependent manner.

HIV-1 Vif inhibits G to A hypermutations catalyzed by virus-encapsidated APOBEC3G to maintain HIV-1 infectivity.

Background: HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) is an essential accessory protein for HIV-1 replication. The predominant function of Vif is to counteract Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme-catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G, A3G), a potent host restriction factor that inhibits HIV-1 replication. Vif mediates the proteasomal degradation of A3G and inhibits A3G translation, thus diminishing the pool of A3G that is available to be packaged into budding virion.

Heat-stable molecule derived from Streptococcus cristatus induces APOBEC3 expression and inhibits HIV-1 replication.

Although most human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) cases worldwide are transmitted through mucosal surfaces, transmission through the oral mucosal surface is a rare event. More than 700 bacterial species have been detected in the oral cavity. Despite great efforts to discover oral inhibitors of HIV, little information is available concerning the anti-HIV activity of oral bacterial components.

Transcytosis of HIV-1 through vaginal epithelial cells is dependent on trafficking to the endocytic recycling pathway.

Background: While it is accepted that viruses can enter epithelial cells by endocytosis, the lack of an established biological mechanism for the trafficking of infectious virions through vaginal epithelial cells and their release from the plasma membrane has contributed to ongoing controversy about whether endocytosis is a mere artifact of some cell culture systems and whether squamous vaginal epithelial cells are even relevant as it pertains to HIV-1 transmission.

Methodology/principal Findings: In this study, we investigated the intracellular trafficking pathway that HIV-1 exploits to transcytose vaginal epithelial cells. The reduction of endosome tubulation by recycling endosome inhibitors blocked transcytosis of HIV-1 in a cell culture and transwell system.

PTEN loss increases PD-L1 protein expression and affects the correlation between PD-L1 expression and clinical parameters in colorectal cancer.

Background: Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has been identified as a factor associated with poor prognosis in a range of cancers, and was reported to be mainly induced by PTEN loss in gliomas. However, the clinical effect of PD-L1 and its regulation by PTEN has not yet been determined in colorectal cancer (CRC). In the present study, we verified the regulation of PTEN on PD-L1 and further determined the effect of PTEN on the correlation between PD-L1 expression and clinical parameters in CRC.

GB virus type C E2 protein inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 assembly through interference with HIV-1 gag plasma membrane targeting.

GB virus type C (GBV-C) is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus classified in the Flaviviridae family. Persistent coinfection with GBV-C is associated with lower human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) load, higher CD4(+) T-cell count, and prolonged survival in HIV-1 coinfected patients. The GBV-C envelope glycoprotein E2 has been reported to interfere with HIV-1 entry.

Downregulation of APOBEC3G by xenotropic murine leukemia-virus related virus (XMRV) in prostate cancer cells.

Background: Xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV) is a gammaretrovirus that was discovered in prostate cancer tissues. Recently, it has been proposed that XMRV is a laboratory contaminant and may have originated via a rare recombination event. Host restriction factor APOBEC3G (A3G) has been reported to severely restrict XMRV replication in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

N-terminal hemagglutinin tag renders lysine-deficient APOBEC3G resistant to HIV-1 Vif-induced degradation by reduced polyubiquitination.

APOBEC3G, a potent HIV-1 host restriction factor, is overcome by HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif), which induces its polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Here we show that lysine-deficient APOBEC3G with an N-terminal hemagglutinin (HA) tag fusion (HA-A3G20K/R) was resistant to HIV-1 Vif-induced proteasomal degradation. HA-A3G20K/R molecules were packaged into wild-type HIV-1 particles, and HA-A3G20K/R drastically decreased wild-type HIV-1 reverse transcription products and infectivity.

Polyubiquitination of APOBEC3G is essential for its degradation by HIV-1 Vif.

Proteasomal degradation of APOBEC3G is a critical step for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. However, the necessity for polyubiquitination of APOBEC3G in this process is still controversial. In this study, we showed that although macaque simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac) Vif is more stable than HIV-1 Vif in human cells, SIVmac Vif induces degradation of APBOEC3G as efficiently as HIV-1 Vif.

Circulating miRNA and cancer diagnosis.

miRNAs are a class of small RNA molecules with regulatory function, and play an important role in tumor development and progression. It has been demonstrated that tumor-derived miRNAs exist in the circulating nucleic acids of cancer patients. This phenomenon implies that detection of the circulating miRNA may be an effective method for non-invasive diagnosis of cancer.

HIV-1 gp120 primes lymphocytes for opioid-induced, beta-arrestin 2-dependent apoptosis.

The mechanisms by which opioids affect progression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are not well-defined. HIV-1 gp120 is important in the apoptotic death of uninfected, bystander T cells. In this study, we show that co-treatment of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with HIV-1 gp120/morphine synergistically induces apoptosis in PBMC.

Distinct viral determinants for the packaging of human cytidine deaminases APOBEC3G and APOBEC3C.

Human APOBEC3G and other APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases inhibit a variety of retroviruses, including Vif-deficient HIV-1. These host proteins are packaged into viral particles and inhibit the replication of virus in new target cells. A3G and A3F are known to be efficiently packaged into HIV-1 virions by binding to 7SL RNA through the Gag NC domain; however, the packaging mechanisms of other APOBEC3 proteins are poorly defined.

Cre reconstitution allows for DNA recombination selectively in dual-marker-expressing cells in transgenic mice.

Cre/LoxP-based DNA recombination has been used to introduce desired DNA rearrangements in various organisms, having for example, greatly assisted genetic analyses in mice. For most applications, single gene promoters are used to drive Cre production for conditional gene activation/inactivation or lineage-tracing experiments. Such a manipulation introduces Cre in all cells in which the utilized promoter is active.

7SL RNA mediates virion packaging of the antiviral cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G.

Cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G (A3G) has broad antiviral activity against diverse retroviruses and/or retrotransposons, and its antiviral functions are believed to rely on its encapsidation into virions in an RNA-dependent fashion. However, the cofactors of A3G virion packaging have not yet been identified. We demonstrate here that A3G selectively interacts with certain polymerase III (Pol III)-derived RNAs, including Y3 and 7SL RNAs.

Cytidine deaminases APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F interact with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase and inhibit proviral DNA formation.

APOBEC3G (A3G) is a single-stranded DNA cytidine deaminase that targets retroviral minus-strand DNA and has potent antiviral activity against diverse retroviruses. However, the mechanisms of A3G antiviral functions are incompletely understood. Here we demonstrate that A3G, A3F, and, to a lesser extent, the noncatalytic A3GC291S block human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by interfering with proviral DNA formation.

The Vif accessory protein alters the cell cycle of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infected cells.

The viral infectivity factor gene (vif) of HIV-1 increases the infectivity of viral particles by inactivation of cellular anti-viral factors, and supports productive viral replication in primary human CD4 T cells and in certain non-permissive T cell lines. Here, we demonstrate that Vif also contributes to the arrest of HIV-1 infected cells in the G(2) phase of the cell cycle. Viruses deleted in Vif or Vpr induce less cell cycle arrest than wild-type virus, while cells infected with HIV-1 deleted in both Vif and Vpr have a cell cycle profile equivalent to that of uninfected cells.

Primate lentiviral virion infectivity factors are substrate receptors that assemble with cullin 5-E3 ligase through a HCCH motif to suppress APOBEC3G.

Cullin-Ring E3 ubiquitin ligases target substrates for ubiquitin-dependent, proteasome-mediated degradation and regulate critical cellular processes. These cullins assemble with cellular substrate receptor proteins through specific adaptor molecules. F-box- and BC-box-containing receptors use Skp1, ElonginB, and ElonginC as adaptors to recruit Cul1/Cul7 and Cul2/Cul5, respectively.

Regulation of Apobec3F and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vif by Vif-Cul5-ElonB/C E3 ubiquitin ligase.

The human cytidine deaminase Apobec3F (h-A3F), a protein related to the previously recognized antiviral factor Apobec3G (h-A3G), has antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) that is suppressed by the viral protein Vif. The mechanism of HIV-1 Vif-mediated suppression of h-A3F is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that while h-A3F, like h-A3G, was able to suppress primate lentiviruses other than HIV-1 (simian immunodeficiency virus from African green monkeys [SIVagm] and Rhesus macaques [SIVmac]), the interaction between Vif proteins and h-A3F appeared to differ from that with h-A3G.

Amino-terminal region of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 nucleocapsid is required for human APOBEC3G packaging.

APOBEC3G exerts its antiviral activity by targeting to retroviral particles and inducing viral DNA hypermutations in the absence of Vif. However, the mechanism by which APOBEC3G is packaged into virions remains unclear. We now report that viral genomic RNA enhances but is not essential for human APOBEC3G packaging into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions.