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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Peptide-based Identification of Functional Motifs and their Binding Partners
Published on: June 30, 2013
Selective restriction of Nef-defective human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by a proteasome-dependent mechanism
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-2363, USA.
Abstract:
The Nef protein enhances human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infectivity by facilitating an early postentry step in the virus life cycle. We report here that the addition of MG132 or lactacystin, each a specific inhibitor of cellular proteasome activity, preferentially enhances cellular permissiveness to infection by Nef-defective versus wild-type HIV-1. Pseudotyping by the glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus rendered Nef-defective HIV-1 particles minimally responsive to the enhancing effects of proteasome inhibitors. These results suggest that Nef enhances the infectivity of HIV-1 particles by reducing their susceptibility to proteasomal degradation in target cells.
