The TRIM family protein KAP1 inhibits HIV-1 integration.

Awatef Allouch, Cristina Di Primio, Emanuele Alpi, Marina Lusic, Daniele Arosio, Mauro Giacca, Anna Cereseto

Molecular Biology Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa 56126, Italy.

Cell host & microbe 2011 Jun 16

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The integration of viral cDNA into the host genome is a critical step in the life cycle of HIV-1. This step is catalyzed by integrase (IN), a viral enzyme that is positively regulated by acetylation via the cellular histone acetyl transferase (HAT) p300. To investigate the relevance of IN acetylation, we searched for cellular proteins that selectively bind acetylated IN and identified KAP1, a protein belonging to the TRIM family of antiviral proteins. KAP1 binds acetylated IN and induces its deacetylation through the formation of a protein complex which includes the deacetylase HDAC1. Modulation of intracellular KAP1 levels in different cell types including T cells, the primary HIV-1 target, revealed that KAP1 curtails viral infectivity by selectively affecting HIV-1 integration. This study identifies KAP1 as a cellular factor restricting HIV-1 infection and underscores the relevance of IN acetylation as a crucial step in the viral infectious cycle. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Awatef Allouch, Cristina Di Primio, Emanuele Alpi, Marina Lusic, Daniele Arosio, Mauro Giacca, Anna Cereseto. The TRIM family protein KAP1 inhibits HIV-1 integration. Cell host & microbe. 2011 Jun 16;9(6):484-95