Retroviral Life Cycle Research Articles

A helical LC3-interacting region mediates the interaction between the retroviral restriction factor Trim5α and mammalian autophagy-related ATG8 proteins

The retroviral restriction factor tripartite motif–containing 5α (Trim5α) acts during the early postentry stages of the retroviral life cycle to block infection by a broad range of retroviruses, disrupting reverse transcription and integration. The mechanism of this restriction is poorly understood, but it has recently been suggested to involve recruitment of components of the autophagy machinery, including members of the mammalian autophagy-related 8 (ATG8) family involved in targeting proteins to the autophagosome. To better understand the molecular details of this interaction, here we utilized analytical ultracentrifugation to characterize the binding of six ATG8 isoforms and determined the crystal structure of the Trim5α Bbox coiled-coil region in complex with one member of the mammalian ATG8 proteins, autophagy-related protein LC3 B (LC3B). We found that Trim5α binds all mammalian ATG8s and that, unlike the typical LC3-interacting region (LIR) that binds to mammalian ATG8s through a β-strand motif comprising approximately six residues, LC3B binds to Trim5α via the α-helical coiled-coil region. The orientation of the structure demonstrated that LC3B could be accommodated within a Trim5α assembly that can bind the retroviral capsid. However, mutation of the binding interface does not affect retroviral restriction. Comparison of the typical linear β-strand LIR with our atypical helical LIR reveals a conservation of the presentation of residues that are required for the interaction with LC3B. This observation expands the range of LC3B-binding proteins to include helical binding motifs and demonstrates a link between Trim5α and components of the autophagosome.

Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Cycling and Its Vesicular Co-Transport with Immature Particles.

The envelope glycoprotein (Env) plays a crucial role in the retroviral life cycle by mediating primary interactions with the host cell. As described previously and expanded on in this paper, Env mediates the trafficking of immature Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV) particles to the plasma membrane (PM). Using a panel of labeled RabGTPases as endosomal markers, we identified Env mostly in Rab7a- and Rab9a-positive endosomes. Based on an analysis of the transport of recombinant fluorescently labeled M-PMV Gag and Env proteins, we propose a putative mechanism of the intracellular trafficking of M-PMV Env and immature particles. According to this model, a portion of Env is targeted from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to Rab7a-positive endosomes. It is then transported to Rab9a-positive endosomes and back to the TGN. It is at the Rab9a vesicles where the immature particles may anchor to the membranes of the Env-containing vesicles, preventing Env recycling to the TGN. These Gag-associated vesicles are then transported to the plasma membrane.

Human Endogenous Retroviruses Are Ancient Acquired Elements Still Shaping Innate Immune Responses.

About 8% of our genome is composed of sequences with viral origin, namely human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs). HERVs are relics of ancient infections that affected the primates' germ line along the last 100 million of years, and became stable elements at the interface between self and foreign DNA. Intriguingly, HERV co-evolution with the host led to the domestication of activities previously devoted to the retrovirus life cycle, providing novel cellular functions. For example, selected HERV envelope proteins have been coopted for pregnancy-related purposes, and proviral Long Terminal Repeats participate in the transcriptional regulation of various cellular genes. Given the HERV persistence in the host genome and its basal expression in most healthy tissues, it is reasonable that human defenses should prevent HERV-mediated immune activation. Despite this, HERVs and their products (including RNA, cytosolic DNA, and proteins) are still able to modulate and be influenced by the host immune system, fascinatingly suggesting a central role in the evolution and functioning of the human innate immunity. Indeed, HERV sequences had been major contributors in shaping and expanding the interferon network, dispersing inducible genes that have been occasionally domesticated in various mammalian lineages. Also the HERV integration within or near to genes encoding for critical immune factors has been shown to influence their activity, or to be responsible for their polymorphic variation in the human population, such as in the case of an HERV-K(HML10) provirus in the major histocompatibility complex region. In addition, HERV expressed products have been shown to modulate innate immunity effectors, being therefore often related on the one side to inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, while on the other side to the control of excessive immune activation through their immunosuppressive properties. Finally, HERVs have been proposed to establish a protective effect against exogenous infections. The present review summarizes the involvement of HERVs and their products in innate immune responses, describing how their intricate interplay with the first line of human defenses can actively contribute either to the host protection or to his damage, implying a subtle balance between the persistence of HERV expression and the maintenance of a basal immune alert.

Gene expression of host restriction factors in HIV‐1 infected monocyte‐derived macrophages

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV‐1) replication cycle has been one of the world's most significant research topics up to date. Although HIV‐1 is capable to infect CD4+ T cells, such as lymphocytes and monocytes, previous studies had demonstrated that cells can inhibit this infection using host restriction factors. Restriction factors, like SAMHD1 and SLFN11, have been shown to interfere with many stages of the retroviral life cycle. Macrophages are able to resist HIV‐1 infection much better than CD4+ T cells. A possible explanation for this is that some of the host restriction factors (SAMHD1 and SLFN11) are strongly expressed in cells of the myeloid lineage. Therefore, the overall aim of this project is to determine gene and protein expression changes of host restriction factors SAMHD1 and SLFN11 between undifferentiated and differentiated monocytes. A monocyte cell line (THP‐1) was chemically differentiated to macrophages using phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) and infected with a macrophage‐tropic HIV‐1 strain. Total proteins and RNA from undifferentiated and differentiated monocytes were isolated. Relative SAMHD1 and SLFN11 mRNA expression was quantified by RT‐qPCR and the mean change in expression was calculated using the comparative Ct method using GAPDH as a housekeeping gene. To assess differences in protein expression, western blot analysis was performed using anti‐SAMHD1 and anti‐SLFN11 antibodies. Intriguingly, mRNA expression of SAMHD1 was higher in undifferentiated monocytes when compared to monocyte‐derived macrophages (MDM). Hence, the gene expression of SLFN11 was lower in MDM than undifferentiated monocytes. Assessment of protein expression changes is currently ongoing. Our data shows that differentiation of monocytes to macrophages can alter the expression of these restriction factors. Consequently, these changes might affect the cell permissiveness to infection which may lead to involving restriction factors in anti‐retroviral therapies.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by NIGMS‐NIH grants: 5SC3GM088032‐08 (MH), UPR‐Ponce Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (R25GM096955). The author also acknowledges the support from the Molecular and Genomics Core (MAGIC) at Ponce Health Sciences University (NIMHD Grant MD007579).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Assembly and Purification of Prototype Foamy Virus Intasomes

A defining feature and necessary step of the retrovirus life cycle is the integration of the viral genome into the host genome. All retroviruses encode an integrase (IN) enzyme that catalyzes the covalent joining of viral to host DNA, which is known as strand transfer. Integration may be modeled in vitro with recombinant retroviral IN and DNA oligomers mimicking the ends of the viral genome. In order to more closely recapitulate the integration reaction that occurs in vivo, integration complexes are assembled from recombinant IN and synthetic oligomers by dialysis in a reduced salt concentration buffer. The integration complex, called an intasome, may be purified by size exclusion chromatography. In the case of prototype foamy virus (PFV), the intasome is a tetramer of IN and two DNA oligomers and is readily separated from monomeric IN and free oligomer DNA. The integration efficiency of PFV intasomes may be assayed under a variety of experimental conditions to better understand the dynamics and mechanics of retroviral integration.

Assembly and Purification of Prototype Foamy Virus Intasomes.

A defining feature and necessary step of the retrovirus life cycle is the integration of the viral genome into the host genome. All retroviruses encode an integrase (IN) enzyme that catalyzes the covalent joining of viral to host DNA, which is known as strand transfer. Integration may be modeled in vitro with recombinant retroviral IN and DNA oligomers mimicking the ends of the viral genome. In order to more closely recapitulate the integration reaction that occurs in vivo, integration complexes are assembled from recombinant IN and synthetic oligomers by dialysis in a reduced salt concentration buffer. The integration complex, called an intasome, may be purified by size exclusion chromatography. In the case of prototype foamy virus (PFV), the intasome is a tetramer of IN and two DNA oligomers and is readily separated from monomeric IN and free oligomer DNA. The integration efficiency of PFV intasomes may be assayed under a variety of experimental conditions to better understand the dynamics and mechanics of retroviral integration.

Integrase C-terminal residues determine the efficiency of feline foamy viral DNA integration

Integrase (IN) is an essential enzyme in retroviral life cycle. It mediates viral cDNA integration into host cellular DNA. Feline foamy virus (FFV) is a member of the Spumavirus subfamily of Retroviridae. Recently, its life cycle has been proposed to be different from other retroviruses. Despite this important finding, FFV IN is not understood clearly. Here, we constructed point mutations in FFV IN C-terminal domain (CTD) to obtain a clear understanding of its integration mechanism. Mutation of the amino acid residues in FFV IN CTD interacting with target DNA reduced both IN enzymatic activities in vitro and viral productions in infected cells. Especially, the mutants, R307 and K340, made viral DNA integration less efficient and allowed accumulation of more unintegrated viral DNA, thereby suppressing viral replication. Therefore, we suggest that the CTD residues interacting with the target DNA play a significant role in viral DNA integration and replication.

Contribution of Syncytins and Other Endogenous Retroviral Envelopes to Human Placenta Pathologies.

Fusion, proliferation, angiogenesis, immune tolerance, and tissue survival are some of the critical functions involved in the physiological and pathological processes of placenta development. Strikingly, some of these properties are shared by envelope glycoproteins of retroviruses. Part of the overall retroviral world, the human retroviral heritage consists of hundred thousands of elements representing a huge amount of genetic material as compared to our 25,000 genes, whereas only a few tenths of retroviral loci still contain envelope genes exhibiting large open reading frames. Some of these envelopes, namely Syncytin-1, Syncytin-2, and ERV-3 Env, were shown to support essential functions in placenta development. First, in order to understand where these envelope genes originate and what are the critical mechanisms involved in transcription regulation and protein basic functions such as recognition of cellular receptor by viral envelopes, we will describe the retroviral life cycle and how repeated infections during species evolution led to the formation of retroviral families. We will emphasize how many envelope genes remain in our genome and in which organs they were found to be expressed. Second, Syncytin-1 will be used as a model to decipher essentially in placental context (i) the detailed modalities of transcriptional control including repressive histone marks and CpG methylation epigenetic mechanisms, involvement of tissue-specific transcription factors, and control of mRNA splicing, as well as (ii) the multiple steps required for protein maturation finally leading to a functional trimeric glycosylated protein. The extraordinary versatility of Syncytin-1 will permit to demonstrate that such proteins are likely involved in physiological processes not only in placenta but also in other organs, based on evidence of fusion/differentiation, immunomodulation, apoptosis, and proliferation properties. Third, we will describe extensively the altered behavior of the various levels of transcriptional control or of protein functions/localization/maturation displayed by Syncytins and other endogenous retroviral envelopes. We will exemplify how such altered states may contribute to human placenta pathologies, including Down syndrome, preeclampsia/hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome/intrauterine growth restriction, and gestational trophoblastic diseases including mole and choriocarcinoma. Similar deregulations will be respectively mentioned on this target of fetal invasion that is the endometrium, the reproductive organs that are the testis and the ovary, and in the breast nourisher of the newborn child. All these observations draw outlines of the symbiotic and conflicting mechanisms at work where the retrovirus world and the human world have converged.

Retrovirus Integration: Some Assembly Required?

Integration is a key feature of the retroviral life cycle. This process involves packaging of the viral genome into chromatin, which is often assumed to occur as a post-integration step. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Wang and colleagues (Wang etal., 2016) show that chromatinization occurs before integration, raising new questions about the role of histones in retroviral integration and transcription.

Crystal structure of the Trim5α Bbox2 domain from rhesus macaques describes a plastic oligomerisation interface.

Retroviral pathogens have been an evolutionary pressure for many primate species, driving the development of an intrinsic cellular response to retroviruses and antiretroviral proteins. One such antiretroviral protein is the restriction factor Trim5α, that blocks HIV-1 infection in rhesus macaques at an early post-entry stage in the retroviral lifecycle. Trim5α self-assembles into a large hexagonal array, complimentary to the retroviral capsid. Assembly is mediated by the conserved N-terminal architecture comprising a RING domain, a Bbox domain, and a coiled coil. Recently we have shown that the Bbox domain and elements of the coiled coil form a trimer in solution, and that the Bbox domain drives assembly. During crystallisation experiments using the trimer forming construct, we determined the structure of a dimeric Bbox domain to a resolution of 1.8Å. Interface analysis reveals that residues previously shown to be required for assembly and restriction, Glu120 and Arg121, are central to the interface. Comparison to a mutant Trim5α dimer interface shows a translation of the Bbox dimerisation interface removing interactions important in the wildtype protein.

Restriction of HIV-1-based lentiviral vectors in adult primary marrow-derived and peripheral mobilized human CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells occurs prior to viral DNA integration.

BackgroundGene therapy is currently being attempted using a number of delivery vehicles including lentiviral-based vectors. The delivery and insertion of a gene using lentiviral-based vectors involves multiple discrete steps, including reverse transcription of viral RNA into DNA, nuclear entry, integration of viral DNA into the host genome and expression of integrated genes. Transduction of murine stem cells by the murine leukemia viruses is inefficient because the expression of the integrated DNA is profoundly blocked. Transduction of human stem cells by lentivirus vectors is also inefficient, but the cause and specific part of the retroviral lifecycle where this block occurs is unknown.ResultsHere we demonstrate that the dominant point of restriction of an HIV-1-based lentiviral vector in adult human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from bone marrow and also those obtained following peripheral mobilization is prior to viral DNA integration. We specifically show that restriction of HSPCs to an HIV-1-based lentiviral vector is prior to formation of nuclear DNA forms.ConclusionsMurine restriction of MLV and human cellular restriction of HIV-1 are fundamentally different. While murine restriction of MLV occurs post integration, human restriction of HIV-1 occurs before integration.

Host RNA Packaging by Retroviruses: A Newly Synthesized Story.

ABSTRACTA fascinating aspect of retroviruses is their tendency to nonrandomly incorporate host cell RNAs into virions. In addition to the specific tRNAs that prime reverse transcription, all examined retroviruses selectively package multiple host cell noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). Many of these ncRNAs appear to be encapsidated shortly after synthesis, before assembling with their normal protein partners. Remarkably, although some packaged ncRNAs, such as pre-tRNAs and the spliceosomal U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA), were believed to reside exclusively within mammalian nuclei, it was demonstrated recently that the model retrovirus murine leukemia virus (MLV) packages these ncRNAs from a novel pathway in which unneeded nascent ncRNAs are exported to the cytoplasm for degradation. The finding that retroviruses package forms of ncRNAs that are rare in cells suggests several hypotheses for how these RNAs could assist retrovirus assembly and infectivity. Moreover, recent experiments in several laboratories have identified additional ways in which cellular ncRNAs may contribute to the retrovirus life cycle. This review focuses on the ncRNAs that are packaged by retroviruses and the ways in which both encapsidated ncRNAs and other cellular ncRNAs may contribute to retrovirus replication.

Crystal structure of the Rous sarcoma virus intasome.

Integration of the reverse-transcribed viral DNA into the host genome is an essential step in the lifecycle of retroviruses. Retrovirus integrase (IN) catalyzes insertions of both ends of the linear viral DNA into a host chromosome 1. IN from HIV-1 and closely related retroviruses share the three-domain organization, consisting of a catalytic core domain flanked by N- and C-terminal domains essential for the concerted integration reaction. Although structures of the tetrameric IN-DNA complexes have been reported for IN from prototype foamy virus (PFV) featuring an additional DNA-binding domain and longer interdomain linkers 2–5, the architecture of a canonical three-domain IN bound to DNA remained elusive. Here we report a crystal structure of the three-domain IN from Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) in complex with viral and target DNAs. The structure shows an octameric assembly of IN, in which a pair of IN dimers engage viral DNA ends for catalysis while another pair of non-catalytic IN dimers bridge between the two viral DNA molecules and help capture target DNA. The individual domains of the eight IN molecules play varying roles to hold the complex together, making an extensive network of protein-DNA and protein-protein contacts that show both conserved and distinct features compared to those observed for PFV IN. Our work highlights diversity of retrovirus intasome assembly and provides insights into the mechanisms of integration by HIV-1 and related retroviruses.

HIV-1 Gag as an Antiviral Target: Development of Assembly and Maturation Inhibitors.

HIV-1 Gag is the master orchestrator of particle assembly. The central role of Gag at multiple stages of the HIV lifecycle has led to efforts to develop drugs that directly target Gag and prevent the formation and release of infectious particles. Until recently, however, only the catalytic site protease inhibitors have been available to inhibit late stages of HIV replication. This review summarizes the current state of development of antivirals that target Gag or disrupt late events in the retrovirus lifecycle such as maturation of the viral capsid. Maturation inhibitors represent an exciting new series of antiviral compounds, including those that specifically target CA-SP1 cleavage and the allosteric integrase inhibitors that inhibit maturation by a completely different mechanism. Numerous small molecules and peptides targeting CA have been studied in attempts to disrupt steps in assembly. Efforts to target CA have recently gained considerable momentum from the development of small molecules that bind CA and alter capsid stability at the post-entry stage of the lifecycle. Efforts to develop antivirals that inhibit incorporation of genomic RNA or to inhibit late budding events remain in preliminary stages of development. Overall, the development of novel antivirals targeting Gag and the late stages in HIV replication appears much closer to success than ever, with the new maturation inhibitors leading the way.

Analysis of the interaction between host factor Sam68 and viral elements during foot-and-mouth disease virus infections.

BackgroundThe nuclear protein Src-associated protein of 68 kDa in mitosis (Sam68) is known to bind RNA and be involved in cellular processes triggered in response to environmental stresses, including virus infection. Interestingly, Sam68 is a multi-functional protein implicated in the life cycle of retroviruses and picornaviruses and is also considered a marker of virus-induced stress granules (SGs). Recently, we demonstrated the partial redistribution of Sam68 to the cytoplasm in FMDV infected cells, its interaction with viral protease 3Cpro, and found a significant reduction in viral titers as consequence of Sam68-specific siRNA knockdowns. Despite of that, details of how it benefits FMDV remains to be elucidated.MethodsSam68 cytoplasmic localization was examined by immunofluorescent microscopy, counterstaining with antibodies against Sam68, a viral capsid protein and markers of SGs. The relevance of RAAA motifs in the IRES was investigated using electromobility shift assays with Sam68 protein and parental and mutant FMDV RNAs. In addition, full genome WT and mutant or G-luc replicon RNAs were tested following transfection in mammalian cells. The impact of Sam68 depletion to virus protein and RNA synthesis was investigated in a cell-free system. Lastly, through co-immunoprecipitation, structural modeling, and subcellular fractionation, viral protein interactions with Sam68 were explored.ResultsFMDV-induced cytoplasmic redistribution of Sam68 resulted in it temporarily co-localizing with SG marker: TIA-1. Mutations that disrupted FMDV IRES RAAA motifs, with putative affinity to Sam68 in domain 3 and 4 cause a reduction on the formation of ribonucleoprotein complexes with this protein and resulted in non-viable progeny viruses and replication-impaired replicons. Furthermore, depletion of Sam68 in cell-free extracts greatly diminished FMDV RNA replication, which was restored by addition of recombinant Sam68. The results here demonstrated that Sam68 specifically co-precipitates with both FMDV 3Dpol and 3Cpro consistent with early observations of FMDV 3Cpro-induced cleavage of Sam68.ConclusionWe have found that Sam68 is a specific binding partner for FMDV non-structural proteins 3Cpro and 3Dpol and showed that mutations at RAAA motifs in IRES domains 3 and 4 cause a decrease in Sam68 affinity to these RNA elements and rendered the mutant RNA non-viable. Interestingly, in FMDV infected cells re-localized Sam68 was transiently detected along with SG markers in the cytoplasm. These results support the importance of Sam68 as a host factor co-opted by FMDV during infection and demonstrate that Sam68 interact with both, FMDV RNA motifs in the IRES and viral non-structural proteins 3Cpro and 3Dpol.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12985-015-0452-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

FAITH – Fast Assembly Inhibitor Test for HIV

Due to the high number of drug-resistant HIV-1 mutants generated by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), there is continuing demand for new types of inhibitors. Both the assembly of the Gag polyprotein into immature and mature HIV-1 particles are attractive candidates for the blocking of the retroviral life cycle. Currently, no therapeutically-used assembly inhibitor is available. One possible explanation is the lack of a reliable and simple assembly inhibitor screening method.To identify compounds potentially inhibiting the formation of both types of HIV-1 particles, we developed a new fluorescent high-throughput screening assay. This assay is based on the quantification of the assembly efficiency in vitro in a 96-well plate format. The key components of the assay are HIV-1 Gag-derived proteins and a dual-labelled oligonucleotide, which emits fluorescence only when the assembly of retroviral particles is inhibited. The method was validated using three (CAI, BM2, PF74) reported assembly inhibitors.

DUTPase: the frequently overlooked enzyme encoded by many retroviruses.

Retroviruses are among the best studied viruses in last decades due to their pivotal involvement in cellular processes and, most importantly, in causing human diseases, most notably—acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that is triggered by human immunodeficiency viruses types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2, respectively). Numerous studied were conducted to understand the involvement of the three cardinal retroviral enzymes, reverse transcriptase, integrase and protease, in the life cycle of the viruses. These studies have led to the development of many inhibitors of these enzymes as anti-retroviral specific drugs that are used for routine treatments of HIV/AIDS patients. Interestingly, a fourth virus-encoded enzyme, the deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) is also found in several major retroviral groups. The presence and the importance of this enzyme to the life cycle of retroviruses were usually overlooked by most retrovirologists, although the occurrence of dUTPases, particularly in beta-retroviruses and in non-primate retroviruses, is known for more than 20 years. Only more recently, retroviral dUTPases were brought into the limelight and were shown in several cases to be essential for viral replication. Therefore, it is likely that future studies on this enzyme will advance our knowledge to a level that will allow designing novel, specific and potent anti-dUTPase drugs that are effective in combating retroviral diseases. The aim of this review is to give concise background information on dUTPases in general and to summarize the most relevant data on retroviral dUTPases and their involvement in the replication processes and pathogenicity of the viruses, as well as in possibly-associated human diseases.

The Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Protein ZAP Restricts Human Retrotransposition.

Intrinsic immunity describes the set of recently discovered but poorly understood cellular mechanisms that specifically target viral pathogens. Their discovery derives in large part from intensive studies of HIV and SIV that revealed restriction factors acting at various stages of the retroviral life cycle. Recent studies indicate that some factors restrict both retroviruses and retrotransposons but surprisingly in ways that may differ. We screened known interferon-stimulated antiviral proteins previously untested for their effects on cell culture retrotransposition. Several factors, including BST2, ISG20, MAVS, MX2, and ZAP, showed strong L1 inhibition. We focused on ZAP (PARP13/ZC3HAV1), a zinc-finger protein that targets viruses of several families, including Retroviridae, Tiloviridae, and Togaviridae, and show that ZAP expression also strongly restricts retrotransposition in cell culture through loss of L1 RNA and ribonucleoprotein particle integrity. Association of ZAP with the L1 ribonucleoprotein particle is supported by co-immunoprecipitation and co-localization with ORF1p in cytoplasmic stress granules. We also used mass spectrometry to determine the protein components of the ZAP interactome, and identified many proteins that directly interact and colocalize with ZAP, including MOV10, an RNA helicase previously shown to suppress retrotransposons. The detection of a chaperonin complex, RNA degradation proteins, helicases, post-translational modifiers, and components of chromatin modifying complexes suggest mechanisms of ZAP anti-retroelement activity that function in the cytoplasm and perhaps also in the nucleus. The association of the ZAP ribonucleoprotein particle with many interferon-stimulated gene products indicates it may be a key player in the interferon response.

156 Molecular dynamics studies of HTLV-1 Rex responsive element aptamer recognition

Rex protein recognition of the Rex responsive element (RxRE) is a critical step in the retroviral lifecycle of human T-cell leukemia type 1. The Rex peptide is known to have a higher binding affini...

Cellular innate immunity and restriction of viral infection: implications for lentiviral gene therapy in human hematopoietic cells.

Hematopoietic gene therapy has tremendous potential to treat human disease. Nevertheless, for gene therapy to be efficacious, effective gene transfer into target cells must be reached without inducing detrimental effects on their biological properties. This remains a great challenge for the field as high vector doses and prolonged ex vivo culture conditions are still required to reach significant transduction levels of clinically relevant human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), while other potential target cells such as primary macrophages can hardly be transduced. The reasons behind poor permissiveness of primary human hematopoietic cells to gene transfer partly reside in the retroviral origin of lentiviral vectors (LVs). In particular, host antiviral factors referred to as restriction factors targeting the retroviral life cycle can hamper LV transduction efficiency. Furthermore, LVs may activate innate immune sensors not only in differentiated hematopoietic cells but also in HSPCs, with potential consequences on transduction efficiency as well as their biological properties. Therefore, better understanding of the vector-host interactions in the context of hematopoietic gene transfer is important for the development of safer and more efficient gene therapy strategies. In this review, we briefly summarize the current knowledge regarding innate immune recognition of lentiviruses in primary human hematopoietic cells as well as discuss its relevance for LV-based ex vivo gene therapy approaches.