HIV accessory proteins: Leading roles for the supporting cast

HIV accessory proteins: Leading roles for the supporting cast

Considering that a set of three genes is sufficient for the replication of most retroviruses, the human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV) exhibit a surprising degree of genomic complexity. HIV-1 contains no less than six open reading frames in addition to the prototypic gag, pol, and env coding sequences (see Figure 1). Two of these supplementary genes, tat and rev, are absolute...

In Praise of the Supporting Cast

Species tropism of HIV-1 modulated by viral accessory proteins

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is tropic and pathogenic only for humans, and does not replicate in macaque monkeys routinely used for experimental infections. This specially narrow host range (species tropism) has impeded much the progress of HIV-1/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) basic research. Extensive studies on the underlying mechanism have revealed that Vif, one of ...

Neurotrophins: New roles for a seasoned cast

Recent studies suggest that endogenous neurotrophins play a central role in the patterning of cortical connections and in cortical synaptic physiology. Do these effects of neurotrophids reflect independent cellular events, or are they manifestations of a single cellular mechanism central to developmental plasticity?

Accessory proteins for heterotrimeric G-proteins in the kidney

Heterotrimeric G-proteins play a fundamentally important role in regulating signal transduction pathways in the kidney. Accessory proteins are being identified as direct binding partners for heterotrimeric G-protein α or βγ subunits to promote more diverse mechanisms by which G-protein signaling is controlled. In some instances, accessory proteins can modulate the signaling magnitude, localizat...