Identifying membrane protein surface markers of HIV-1 infection

Abstract

HIV-1 is the cause of AIDS, a destructive disease of the immune system. The ability of HIV-1 to induce selective apoptosis in certain CD4+ T lymphocytes, while establishing a persistent viral reservoir in a small population of CD4+ T cells, is a critical element for understanding the ability of HIV-1 to evade the immune system and designing new therapeutic approaches. Current therapies for HIV, such as HAART, promote resistant strains of the virus, and, therefore, there is a need for new therapeutic targets that will not develop resistance. As the plasma membrane plays an essential role in multiple steps in the HIV infection process, a thorough understanding of the membrane proteome is warranted. Proteomic studies have recently begun to identify potentially important cell-surface markers of HIV-1-infected cells. Elucidating the role of these plasma membrane proteins in HIV-1 infection may provide critically needed new therapeutic targets.