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Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3G: a possible role in the resistance to HIV of HIV-exposed seronegative individuals.

Biasin M, Piacentini L, Lo Caputo S, Kanari Y, Magri G, Trabattoni D, Naddeo V, Lopalco L, Clivio A, Cesana E, Fasano F, Bergamaschi C, Mazzotta F, Miyazawa M, Clerici M

Department of Immunology, Dipartimento di Scienze Precliniche Laboratorio Interdisciplinare Tecnologie Avanzate Vialba, Milano University Medical School, Milano, Italy.

Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G), a human cytidine deaminase, is a potent inhibitor of HIV replication. To explore a possible role of this protein in modulating in vivo susceptibility to HIV infection, we analyzed APOBEC3G expression in HIV-exposed seronegative individuals, HIV-seropositive patients, and healthy control subjects. The results showed that the expression of APOBEC3G is significantly increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)--mainly CD14(+) cells--and in cervical tissues of HIV-exposed seronegative individuals. Higher APOBEC3G expression correlated with a reduced susceptibility of PBMCs to in vitro infection with the HIV-1(Ba-L) R5 strain. APOBEC3G could be important in modulating in vivo susceptibility to sexually transmitted HIV infection.

Published 2 March 2007 in J Infect Dis, 195(7): 960-4.
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