HIV-1 capsid stability and reverse transcription are finely balanced to minimize sensing of reverse transcription products via the cGAS-STING pathway.
Jenna E EschbachMaritza Puray-ChavezShawn MohammedQiankun WangMing XiaLin-Chen HuangLiang ShanSebla B KutluayPublished in: mBio (2024)
In HIV-1 particles, the dimeric RNA genome and associated viral proteins and enzymes are encased in a proteinaceous lattice composed of the viral capsid protein. Herein, we assessed how altering the stability of this capsid lattice through orthogonal genetic and chemical approaches impacts the induction of innate immune responses. Specifically, we found that decreasing capsid lattice stability results in more potent sensing of viral reverse transcription products, but not the genomic RNA, in a cGAS-STING-dependent manner. The recently developed capsid inhibitors lenacapavir and GS-CA1 enhanced the innate immune sensing of HIV-1. Unexpectedly, due to increased levels of reverse transcription and cytosolic accumulation of the resulting viral cDNA, capsid mutants with hyperstable cores also resulted in the potent induction of type I interferon-mediated innate immunity. Our findings suggest that HIV-1 capsid lattice stability and reverse transcription are finely balanced to minimize exposure of reverse transcription products in the cytosol of host cells.
Keyphrases
- antiretroviral therapy
- hiv positive
- hiv infected
- hiv testing
- human immunodeficiency virus
- transcription factor
- immune response
- sars cov
- hepatitis c virus
- hiv aids
- men who have sex with men
- innate immune
- south africa
- genome wide
- gene expression
- dna methylation
- cell death
- inflammatory response
- signaling pathway
- protein protein
- amino acid