AP-1/c-Fos supports SIV and HIV-1 latency in CD4 T cells infected in vivo

Author:

Cobos Jiménez, Viviana

Geretz, Aviva

Tokarev, Andrey

Ehrenberg, Philip K

Deletsu, Selase

Machmach, Kawthar

Mudvari, Prakriti

Howard, J Natalie

Zelkoski, Amanda

Paquin-Proulx, Dominic

Del Prete,Greg

Subra, Caroline

Boritz, Eli A

Bosque, Alberto

Thomas, Rasmi

Bolton, Diane L
Author Address

US Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA., The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA., George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA., Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA., AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.,

Abstract:

Persistent HIV-1 reservoirs of infected CD4 T cells are a major barrier to HIV-1 cure, although the mechanisms by which they are established and maintained in vivo remain poorly characterized. To elucidate host cell gene expression patterns that govern virus gene expression, we analyzed viral RNA+ (vRNA) CD4 T cells of untreated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques by single-cell RNA sequencing. A subset of vRNA+ cells distinguished by spliced and high total vRNA (7-10% of reads) expressed diminished FOS, a component of the Activator protein 1 (AP-1) transcription factor, relative to vRNA-low and -negative cells. Conversely, FOS and JUN, another AP-1 component, were upregulated in HIV DNA+ infected cells compared to uninfected cells from people with HIV-1 on suppressive therapy. Inhibiting c-Fos in latently infected primary cells augmented reactivatable HIV-1 infection. These findings implicate AP-1 in latency establishment and maintenance and as a potential therapeutic target to limit HIV-1 reservoirs. © 2023 The Author(s).

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