HIV lab
Department of
Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Retrovirology Lab
People Publications iNEF symposium September 23rd 2011 HIV Workshops Rome
Functions of
Nef
Our lab
studies retroviruses, infectious agents but also tools for research. We focus
on HIV in its interplay with the infected host.
In recent
years we have been studying the HIV Nef protein. Nef is an accessory HIV
protein that acts as a adaptor protein
to alter
cellular signalling and protein trafficking. Functionality of this protein was
shown to be important in AIDS progression.
We
could show that this protein hampers human T cell development when expressed
in human
thymocytes. The domains in Nef important for this effect were identified.
Moreover, we
discovered that Nef downmodulates the CD8 T-cell co-receptor, like
it does so
with CD4, and described a protein domain
essential for almost all Nef functions.
