- 著者
-
Iwami Shingo
Sato Kei
Morita Satoru
Inaba Hisashi
Kobayashi Tomoko
Takeuchi Junko S.
Kimura Yuichi
Misawa Naoko
Ren Fengrong
Iwasa Yoh
Aihara Kazuyuki
Koyanagi Yoshio
- 出版者
- Nature Publishing Group
- 雑誌
- Scientific Reports (ISSN:20452322)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.5, 2015-07-17
- 被引用文献数
-
14
Among the four groups of HIV-1 (M ,N, O, and P), HIV-1M alone is pandemic and has rapidly expanded across the world. However, why HIV-1M has caused a devastating pandemic while the other groups remain contained is unclear. Interestingly, only HIV-1M Vpu, a viral protein, can robustly counteract human tetherin, which tethers budding virions. Therefore, we hypothesize that this property of HIV-1M Vpu facilitates human-to-human viral transmission. Adopting a multilayered experimental-mathematical approach, we demonstrate that HIV-1M Vpu confers a 2.38-fold increase in the prevalence of HIV-1 transmission. When Vpu activity is lost, protected human populations emerge (i.e., intrinsic herd immunity develops) through the anti-viral effect of tetherin. We also reveal that all Vpus of transmitted/founder HIV-1M viruses maintain anti-tetherin activity. These findings indicate that tetherin plays the role of a host restriction factor, providing 'intrinsic herd immunity', whereas Vpu has evolved in HIV-1M as a tetherin antagonist.