HIV: master of the host cell.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular Pathogenesis Program, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA. littman@saturn.med.nyu.edu

The human immunodeficiency virus has evolved various mechanisms to exploit its host cells, including the interruption and augmentation of signal transduction pathways. Recently, two DNA microarray studies have illustrated a remarkably broad-based perturbation in host transcriptional responses, which is in part mediated by the HIV-encoded Nef protein. HIV therefore seems to function as a 'master regulator' of cellular gene expression.

PMID: 11737949 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC138982