{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: HIV-2 inhibits HIV-1 gene expression via two independent mechanisms during cellular co-infection.
{Author}: Yapo V;Majumder K;Tedbury PR;Wen X;Ong YT;Johnson MC;Sarafianos SG;
{Journal}: J Virol
{Volume}: 97
{Issue}: 12
{Year}: 2023 Dec 21
{Factor}: 6.549
{DOI}: 10.1128/jvi.01870-22
{Abstract}: <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>Twenty-five years after the first report that HIV-2 infection can reduce HIV-1-associated pathogenesis in dual-infected patients, the mechanisms are still not well understood. We explored these mechanisms in cell culture and showed first that these viruses can co-infect individual cells. Under specific conditions, HIV-2 inhibits HIV-1 through two distinct mechanisms, a broad-spectrum interferon response and an HIV-1-specific inhibition conferred by the HIV-2 TAR. The former could play a prominent role in dually infected individuals, whereas the latter targets HIV-1 promoter activity through competition for HIV-1 Tat binding when the same target cell is dually infected. That mechanism suppresses HIV-1 transcription by stalling RNA polymerase II complexes at the promoter through a minimal inhibitory region within the HIV-2 TAR. This work delineates the sequence of appearance and the modus operandi of each mechanism.