Restriction of an extinct retrovirus by the human TRIM5alpha antiviral protein.

Bibliographic Collection: 
MOCA Reference, APE
Publication Type: Journal Article
Authors: Kaiser, Shari M; Malik, Harmit S; Emerman, Michael
Year of Publication: 2007
Journal: Science
Volume: 316
Issue: 5832
Pagination: 1756-8
Date Published: 2007 Jun 22
Publication Language: eng
ISSN: 1095-9203
Keywords: Animals, Base Sequence, Biological Evolution, Carrier Proteins, Cats, Cell Line, Disease Susceptibility, DNA, Endogenous Retroviruses, Evolution, Molecular, Gorilla gorilla, HIV Infections, HIV-1, Humans, Immunity, Innate, Macaca mulatta, Molecular Sequence Data, Pan troglodytes, Retroviridae Infections
Abstract:

Primate genomes contain a large number of endogenous retroviruses and encode evolutionarily dynamic proteins that provide intrinsic immunity to retroviral infections. We report here the resurrection of the core protein of a 4-million-year-old endogenous virus from the chimpanzee genome and show that the human variant of the intrinsic immune protein TRIM5alpha can actively prevent infection by this virus. However, we suggest that selective changes that have occurred in the human lineage during the acquisition of resistance to this virus, and perhaps similar viruses, may have left our species more susceptible to infection by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).

DOI: 10.1126/science.1140579
Alternate Journal: Science