During a viral infection, our cells produce immunity mediators, called interferons, which trigger the production of cellular factors to fight against pathogens. A new mechanism for bypassing cellular defenses has just been identified: the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) presents chemical modifications of its genome called methylations. These protect the viral genome and delay its degradation by one of the cellular defense factors, the nuclease ISG20. This discovery, published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, opens the possibility of better controlling the infection by acting on these modifications of the viral genome.
Published on November 10, 2022