HIV immune evasion disruption of antigen presentation by the HIV Nef protein.

Abstract

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Nef protein is necessary for high viral loads and for timely progression to AIDS. Nef plays a number of roles, but its effect on antigen presentation and immune evasion are among the best characterized. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize and lyse virally infected cells by detecting viral antigens in complex with host major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules on the infected cell surface. The HIV Nef protein disrupts antigen presentation at the cell surface by interfering with the normal trafficking pathway of MHC-I and thus reduces CTL recognition and lysis of infected cells. The molecular mechanism by which Nef causes MHC-I downmodulation is becoming more clear, but some questions remain. A better understanding of how Nef disrupts antigen presentation may lead to the development of drugs that enhance the ability of the anti-HIV CTLs to control HIV disease.

• Authors: Elizabeth R Wonderlich, Jolie A Leonard, Kathleen L Collins
• Journal: Advances in virus research (Adv Virus Res) Vol. 80 Pg. 103-27 ( 2011) ISSN: 1557-8399 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21762823 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antigens, Surface
• nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• ADP-Ribosylation Factors

Topics

• ADP-Ribosylation Factors (genetics, metabolism)
• Antigen Presentation
• Antigens, Surface (metabolism)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
• Genes, MHC Class I
• HIV Infections (immunology, virology)
• HIV-1 (genetics, immunology)
• Humans
• Immune Evasion
• Signal Transduction
• nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (genetics, metabolism)