APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon.

The rapid evolution of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) allows studies of ongoing host-pathogen interactions. One key selective host factor is APOBEC3G (hA3G) that can cause extensive and inactivating Guanosine-to-Adenosine (G-to-A) mutation on HIV plus-strand DNA (termed hypermutation). HIV can...

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Main Authors: Andrew E Armitage, Koen Deforche, Chih-Hao Chang, Edmund Wee, Beatrice Kramer, John J Welch, Jan Gerstoft, Lars Fugger, Andrew McMichael, Andrew Rambaut, Astrid K N Iversen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS Genetics
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002550&type=printable
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author Andrew E Armitage
Koen Deforche
Chih-Hao Chang
Edmund Wee
Beatrice Kramer
John J Welch
Jan Gerstoft
Lars Fugger
Andrew McMichael
Andrew Rambaut
Astrid K N Iversen
author_facet Andrew E Armitage
Koen Deforche
Chih-Hao Chang
Edmund Wee
Beatrice Kramer
John J Welch
Jan Gerstoft
Lars Fugger
Andrew McMichael
Andrew Rambaut
Astrid K N Iversen
author_sort Andrew E Armitage
collection DOAJ
description The rapid evolution of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) allows studies of ongoing host-pathogen interactions. One key selective host factor is APOBEC3G (hA3G) that can cause extensive and inactivating Guanosine-to-Adenosine (G-to-A) mutation on HIV plus-strand DNA (termed hypermutation). HIV can inhibit this innate anti-viral defense through binding of the viral protein Vif to hA3G, but binding efficiency varies and hypermutation frequencies fluctuate in patients. A pivotal question is whether hA3G-induced G-to-A mutation is always lethal to the virus or if it may occur at sub-lethal frequencies that could increase viral diversification. We show in vitro that limiting-levels of hA3G-activity (i.e. when only a single hA3G-unit is likely to act on HIV) produce hypermutation frequencies similar to those in patients and demonstrate in silico that potentially non-lethal G-to-A mutation rates are ∼10-fold lower than the lowest observed hypermutation levels in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that even a single incorporated hA3G-unit is likely to cause extensive and inactivating levels of HIV hypermutation and that hypermutation therefore is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon. Thus, therapeutic measures that inhibit the interaction between Vif and hA3G will likely not increase virus diversification but expand the fraction of hypermutated proviruses within the infected host.
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spelling doaj-art-6f45eb3791ca4b24bad496dec70d31c22025-08-20T02:05:36ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042012-01-0183e100255010.1371/journal.pgen.1002550APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon.Andrew E ArmitageKoen DeforcheChih-Hao ChangEdmund WeeBeatrice KramerJohn J WelchJan GerstoftLars FuggerAndrew McMichaelAndrew RambautAstrid K N IversenThe rapid evolution of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) allows studies of ongoing host-pathogen interactions. One key selective host factor is APOBEC3G (hA3G) that can cause extensive and inactivating Guanosine-to-Adenosine (G-to-A) mutation on HIV plus-strand DNA (termed hypermutation). HIV can inhibit this innate anti-viral defense through binding of the viral protein Vif to hA3G, but binding efficiency varies and hypermutation frequencies fluctuate in patients. A pivotal question is whether hA3G-induced G-to-A mutation is always lethal to the virus or if it may occur at sub-lethal frequencies that could increase viral diversification. We show in vitro that limiting-levels of hA3G-activity (i.e. when only a single hA3G-unit is likely to act on HIV) produce hypermutation frequencies similar to those in patients and demonstrate in silico that potentially non-lethal G-to-A mutation rates are ∼10-fold lower than the lowest observed hypermutation levels in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that even a single incorporated hA3G-unit is likely to cause extensive and inactivating levels of HIV hypermutation and that hypermutation therefore is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon. Thus, therapeutic measures that inhibit the interaction between Vif and hA3G will likely not increase virus diversification but expand the fraction of hypermutated proviruses within the infected host.https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002550&type=printable
spellingShingle Andrew E Armitage
Koen Deforche
Chih-Hao Chang
Edmund Wee
Beatrice Kramer
John J Welch
Jan Gerstoft
Lars Fugger
Andrew McMichael
Andrew Rambaut
Astrid K N Iversen
APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon.
PLoS Genetics
title APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon.
title_full APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon.
title_fullStr APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon.
title_full_unstemmed APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon.
title_short APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 is typically a discrete "all or nothing" phenomenon.
title_sort apobec3g induced hypermutation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is typically a discrete all or nothing phenomenon
url https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002550&type=printable
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