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Role Of Hiv-1 Nef Lysine Residues 4 And 7 In The Interaction With Calnexin And Inhibition Of Abca1 Activity, Valeria Kaufman, Michael Burkinsky, Md, Phd, Ruth Hunegnaw, Msc, Phd Candidate

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Patients infected with HIV are at increased risk of developing atherosclerosis, a result due partly to the functional impairment of cellular cholesterol transporter, ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1). This transporter mediates efflux of cholesterol from cells to high density lipoprotein, thus allowing cells to maintain normal levels of cholesterol. When ABCA1 function is inhibited, cells, and in particular macrophages, accumulate cholesterol, resulting in formation of atherosclerotic plaques. The HIV-1 protein, Nef downregulates ABCA1 and inhibits the activity of this protein, thereby reducing cholesterol efflux and promoting atherosclerosis, but the molecular mechanism by which Nef inhibits ABCA1 is unknown.

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