A New Role for the HTLV-1 p8 Protein: Increasing Intercellular Conduits and Viral Cell-to-Cell Transmission

Marine Malbec (1) , Ferdinand Roesch (1) , Olivier Schwartz (1)

1 Virus et Immunité

Retroviruses like HIV-1 and HTLV-1 can be transmitted efficiently by direct contact between infected and target cells. For HIV-1, various modes of cell-to-cell transfer have been reported, including virological synapses, polysynapses, filopodial bridges, and nanotube-like structures. So far, only synapses and biofilms have been described for HTLV-1 transmission. Recently, Van Prooyen et al. [1] identified an additional mode of HTLV-1 transmission through cellular conduits induced by the viral accessory protein p8.

Keywords: HTLV-1; HIV-1; cell-to-cell transfer; virological synapses; cellular conduits; p8; p12; Nef

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]

Marine Malbec, Ferdinand Roesch, Olivier Schwartz. A New Role for the HTLV-1 p8 Protein: Increasing Intercellular Conduits and Viral Cell-to-Cell Transmission. Viruses, 2011, 3 (3), pp.254 - 259. ⟨10.3390/v3030254⟩. ⟨pasteur-01372495⟩