The Road Less Traveled: HIV's Use of Alternative Routes through Cellular Pathways

Pathogens such as HIV-1, with their minimalist genomes, must navigate cellular networks and rely on hijacking and manipulating the host machinery for successful replication. Limited overlap of host factors identified as vital for pathogen replication may be explained by considering that pathogens target, rather than specific cellular factors, crucial cellular pathways by targeting different, functionally equivalent, protein-protein interactions within that pathway. The ability to utilize alternative routes through cellular pathways may be essential for pathogen survival when restricted and provide flexibility depending on the viral replication stage and the environment in the infected host. In this minireview, we evaluate evidence supporting this notion, discuss specific HIV-1 examples, and consider the molecular mechanisms which allow pathogens to flexibly exploit different routes.