The SET Complex Acts as a Barrier to Autointegration of HIV-1
2009

The SET Complex and Its Role in HIV-1 Autointegration

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Author Information

Author(s): Yan Nan, Cherepanov Peter, Daigle Janet E., Engelman Alan, Lieberman Judy

Primary Institution: Immune Disease Institute and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Hypothesis

How does the SET complex protect HIV-1 from autointegration?

Conclusion

The SET complex facilitates HIV-1 infection by preventing autointegration.

Supporting Evidence

  • Knocking down SET complex proteins reduced HIV-1 infectivity by 3 to 4-fold.
  • SET complex proteins were shown to bind to HIV-1 DNA in the cytoplasm.
  • Autointegration increased 2.5-fold in cells with knocked down SET complex proteins.

Takeaway

The SET complex helps HIV-1 by stopping it from accidentally integrating into itself, which would end the infection.

Methodology

The study involved knocking down components of the SET complex in HeLaCD4 cells and measuring the effects on HIV-1 infection and integration.

Limitations

The study primarily used HeLaCD4 cells, which may not fully represent the behavior of HIV-1 in primary immune cells.

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.ppat.1000327

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