Courtesy of Michael Malim
During viral assembly, APOBEC proteins(orange) are packaged into progeny viral particles and are transferred to target cells. Here, viral RNA(red) is first copied into viral DNA(blue) by reverse transcriptase. Minus strand DNA(light blue) is the substrate for cytidine deamination which results in the appearance of uridine in the DNA. This results in guanosine-to-adenosine hypermutation of viral plus stranded DNA (dark blue).
Viruses are masters of disguise when it comes to slipping past host-mediated defenses. But one disguise in particular, which HIV uses, appears a particularly vulnerable target that renders the virus harmless in some cells. Virion infectivity protein (Vif), found in primate and human immunodeficiency viruses such as HIV-1, is required during the late stages of virus production for replication and establishing infection in vivo. It promotes infection by suppressing an innate cellular defense mechanism in human T lymphocytes.
This issue's Hot Papers identified and subsequently ...
