Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, remains a major global health issue because it can escape the body's natural defense system. One way HIV does this is through a protein called Viral Infectivity Factor (Vif), which targets and neutralizes certain enzymes in the human body, known as APOBEC3 enzymes. These A3 enzymes help stop HIV from replicating by modifying and mutating the virus's genetic material during infection. Vif prevents APOBEC3 restriction activity by marking them for destruction and degradation. Some of these APOBEC3 enzymes, like APOBEC3F and APOBEC3G, can work together in pairs, which makes them more effective at fighting HIV and helps A3F resist being destroyed by Vif. This study looks at how APOBEC3F and APOBEC3G interact and how this protects APOBEC3F from Vif. We found that, contrary to what was previously thought, a part of APOBEC3F known as the N-terminal domain plays a key role in both pairing with APOBEC3G and interacting with Vif. These findings offer new insights into how the body's defense systems work together to suppress HIV, and they could help guide the development of new treatments that block the ability of HIV to evade the immune system.