Comprehensive Investigation on the Interplay between Feline APOBEC3Z3 Proteins and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Vif Proteins.

As the hosts of lentiviruses, almost 40 species of felids (family ) are distributed around the world, and more than 20 feline species test positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a lineage of lentiviruses. These observations suggest that FIVs globally infected a variety of feline species through multiple cross-species transmission events during a million-year history. Cellular restriction factors potentially inhibit lentiviral replication and limit cross-species lentiviral transmission, and cellular APOBEC3 deaminases are known as a potent restriction factor.

Multiomics Investigation Revealing the Characteristics of HIV-1-Infected Cells In Vivo.

For eradication of HIV-1 infection, it is important to elucidate the detailed features and heterogeneity of HIV-1-infected cells in vivo. To reveal multiple characteristics of HIV-1-producing cells in vivo, we use a hematopoietic-stem-cell-transplanted humanized mouse model infected with GFP-encoding replication-competent HIV-1. We perform multiomics experiments using recently developed technology to identify the features of HIV-1-infected cells.

New World feline APOBEC3 potently controls inter-genus lentiviral transmission.

Background: The apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3 (APOBEC3; A3) gene family appears only in mammalian genomes. Some A3 proteins can be incorporated into progeny virions and inhibit lentiviral replication. In turn, the lentiviral viral infectivity factor (Vif) counteracts the A3-mediated antiviral effect by degrading A3 proteins.

A naturally occurring feline APOBEC3 variant that loses anti-lentiviral activity by lacking two amino acid residues.

Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3 (APOBEC3) is a mammalian protein that restricts lentiviral replication. Various polymorphisms of mammalian genes have been observed in humans, Old World monkeys and domestic cats; however, the genetic diversity of genes in other mammals remains unaddressed. Here we identify a novel haplotype of the feline gene, an gene that restricts feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) replication, in a Eurasian lynx ().

Type I Interferon Responses by HIV-1 Infection: Association with Disease Progression and Control.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and its infection leads to the onset of several disorders such as the depletion of peripheral CD4 T cells and immune activation. HIV-1 is recognized by innate immune sensors that then trigger the production of type I interferons (IFN-Is). IFN-Is are well-known cytokines eliciting broad anti-viral effects by inducing the expression of anti-viral genes called interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs).

Experimental Adaptive Evolution of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVcpz to Pandemic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 by Using a Humanized Mouse Model.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the causative agent of AIDS, originated from simian immunodeficiency virus from chimpanzees (SIVcpz), the precursor of the human virus, approximately 100 years ago. This indicates that HIV-1 has emerged through the cross-species transmission of SIVcpz from chimpanzees to humans. However, it remains unclear how SIVcpz has evolved into pandemic HIV-1 in humans.