Role of Viral Protein U (Vpu) in HIV-1 Infection and Pathogenesis

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 13; no. 8; p. 1466
• Main Authors: Khan, Nabab, Geiger, Jonathan D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 27.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Animals; bone marrow stromal antigen 2; CD4 antigen; Disease transmission; endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation pathway; HIV; HIV Infections - transmission; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1 - genetics; HIV-1 - metabolism; HIV-1 - pathogenicity; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins - genetics; Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins - metabolism; human immunodeficiency virus-1 and -2; Humans; Kinases; mRNA; Pandemics; Review; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - transmission; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - virology; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus - genetics; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus - metabolism; simian immunodeficiency viruses; transmembrane domain; viral protein U (Vpu); Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins - genetics; Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins - metabolism; Viroporin Proteins - genetics; Viroporin Proteins - metabolism; Virulence; Viruses; Cameroon; bone marrow stromal antigen 2; endolysosomes; human immunodeficiency virus-1 and -2; autophagy; simian immunodeficiency viruses; endosomal sorting complexes required for transport; transmembrane domain; viral protein U (Vpu); endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation pathway
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v13081466

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and HIV-2 originated from cross-species transmission of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs). Most of these transfers resulted in limited spread of these viruses to humans. However, one transmission event involving SIVcpz from chimpanzees gave rise to group M HIV-1, with M being the principal strain of HIV-1 responsible for the AIDS pandemic. Vpu is an HIV-1 accessory protein generated from / encoded bicistronic mRNA and localized in cytosolic and membrane regions of cells capable of being infected by HIV-1 and that regulate HIV-1 infection and transmission by downregulating BST-2, CD4 proteins levels, and immune evasion. This review will focus of critical aspects of Vpu including its zoonosis, the adaptive hurdles to cross-species transmission, and future perspectives and broad implications of Vpu in HIV-1 infection and dissemination.