Unbiased omics method finds in vivo host restriction factors for HIV-1

Research led by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Maryland, has confirmed previous research findings of host restriction factors that target HIV-1. In a paper, "Single-cell transcriptomics identifies prothymosin α restriction of HIV-1 in vivo," published in Science Translational Medicine, the authors detail how omics can uncover correlations in the search for cure strategies.

Single-cell transcriptomics was used to identify proteins active in the cells of 14 patients with HIV-1 infection. The team narrowed down a potential list of antiviral proteins called host restriction factors by correlating the patient gene expression with viral RNA (vRNA) quantities within individual cells. These proteins, part of the body's innate immune system, recognize and interfere with specific steps of the replication cycle of viruses, thereby blocking infection.

The team also compared the sequencing of a participant with the highest plasma viral load, which revealed vRNA transcription to be inversely correlated with the expression of the gene PTMA, which encodes prothymosin αlpha (ProTα .

This association was then validated in 28 additional participants outside the initial study. Overexpression of prothymosin α in vitro confirmed that this cellular factor inhibits HIV-1 transcription and infectious virus production.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-08-unbiased-omics-method-vivo-host.html