Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Nef mediates activation of STAT3 in immature dendritic cells

Replication of immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and SIV) in immature dendritic cell (DC)-T cell cocultures is dependent on Nef. In contrast, mature DCs promote the replication of wild-type and nef-defective SIV in concert with CD4(+) T cells. Transcription factor activation occurs on DC maturation and this study aimed to investigate whether Nef triggers similar events in immature DCs, rendering them more like mature DCs. Recombinant HIV nef-expressing adenovirus was used to selectively introduce nef into immature human or macaque DCs. These data provide the first evidence that the expression of HIV nef in immature DCs induced selective activation of STAT3 and, to a lesser extent, NF-kappaB. This highlights how Nef can signal primary immature DCs, suggesting one way in which Nef may modulate immature DCs to drive virus replication in the DC-T cell milieu.