AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, August 1, 2005
Staff Medical Writers

According to a recent review from India, "The accessory Nef protein is expressed by all primate lentiviruses - HIV-1, HIV-2 and simian immune deficiency virus (SIV).

"Its expression in the early stages of the viral life cycle ensures two basic attributes of HIV infection. These are T-cell activation and the establishment of a persistent state of infection."

"Nef has a positive effect on viral infection and replication by promoting the survival of infected cells. Its role in HIV persistence is based largely on the ability of Nef to downmodulate the surface levels of important molecules at the immune synapse.

"These include major histocompatibility complex-1 (MHC 1) and (MHC 11) present on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and target cells, and CD4 and CD28 present on helper T cells," said S.R. Das and colleagues at ICGEB in New Delhi.

The authors concluded, "In this review we present these biological properties of Nef from a mechanistic point of view, and relate them to the structural attributes and interactions of the Nef protein.

"A brief outline of the limited studies on Nef from Indian subtype C HIV-1 isolates is also presented," add Das.

Das and colleagues published the results of their research in Indian Journal of Medical Research (Biology of the HIV Nef protein. Indian J Med Res. 2005 Apr;121(4):315-32.

For additional information, contact S.R. Das, ICGEB, Virology Group, New Delhi 110067, India.

The publisher of the Indian Journal of Medical Research can be contacted at: Indian Council Medical Research, PO Box 4911 Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.

Keywords: New Delhi, India, HIV/AIDS, HIV Nef Protein, Tcell activation, Viral Pathogenesis, Viral Replication.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Das SR, Jameel S. Biology of the HIV Nef protein., Indian J Med Res. 2005 Apr;121(4):315-32.

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