{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Genomic Evidence for the Nonpathogenic State in HIV-1-Infected Northern Pig-Tailed Macaques.
{Author}: Pang W;Shao Y;Zhuang XL;Lu Y;He WQ;Zheng HY;Xin R;Zhang MX;Zhang XL;Song JH;Tian RR;Shen F;Li YH;Zhao ZJ;Wu DD;Zheng YT;
{Journal}: Mol Biol Evol
{Volume}: 40
{Issue}: 5
{Year}: 2023 05 2
{Factor}: 8.8
{DOI}: 10.1093/molbev/msad101
{Abstract}: HIV-1 is a highly host-specific retrovirus that infects humans but not most nonhuman primates. Thus, the lack of a suitable primate model that can be directly infected with HIV-1 hinders HIV-1/AIDS research. In the previous study, we have found that the northern pig-tailed macaques (NPMs) are susceptible to HIV-1 infection but show a nonpathogenic state. In this study, to understand this macaque-HIV-1 interaction, we assembled a de novo genome and longitudinal transcriptome for this species during the course of HIV-1 infection. Using comparative genomic analysis, a positively selected gene, Toll-like receptor 8, was identified with a weak ability to induce an inflammatory response in this macaque. In addition, an interferon-stimulated gene, interferon alpha inducible protein 27, was upregulated in acute HIV-1 infection and acquired an enhanced ability to inhibit HIV-1 replication compared with its human ortholog. These findings coincide with the observation of persistently downregulated immune activation and low viral replication and can partially explain the AIDS-free state in this macaque following HIV-1 infection. This study identified a number of unexplored host genes that may hamper HIV-1 replication and pathogenicity in NPMs and provided new insights into the host defense mechanisms in cross-species infection of HIV-1. This work will facilitate the adoption of NPM as a feasible animal model for HIV-1/AIDS research.