Gene Knockout Shows That PML (TRIM19) Does Not Restrict the Early Stages of HIV-1 Infection in Human Cell Lines

Abstract

PML is involved in innate immune mechanisms against both DNA and RNA viruses. Although the mechanism by which PML inhibits highly divergent viruses is unclear, it was recently found that it can increase the transcription of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). However, whether human PML inhibits HIV-1 has been debated. Here we provide unambiguous, knockout-based evidence that PML does not restrict the early postentry stages of HIV-1 infection in a variety of human cell types and does not participate in the inhibition of HIV-1 by IFN-I. Although this study does not exclude the possibility of other mechanisms by which PML may interfere with HIV-1, we nonetheless demonstrate that PML does not generally act as an HIV-1 restriction factor in human cells and that its presence is not required for IFN-I to stimulate the expression of anti-HIV-1 genes. These results contribute to uncovering the landscape of HIV-1 inhibition by ISGs in human cells.