Review

What does the structure-function relationship of the HIV-1 Tat protein teach us about developing an AIDS vaccine?

Grant R Campbell¹ and Erwann P Loret²

¹  Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0672, USA

²  Unité Mixte de Recherche Université de la Méditérranée/Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U911, Faculté de Pharmacie, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France

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Retrovirology 2009, 6:50doi:10.1186/1742-4690-6-50

Published:	25 May 2009

Abstract

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) trans-activator of transcription protein Tat is an important factor in viral pathogenesis. In addition to its function as the key trans-activator of viral transcription, Tat is also secreted by the infected cell and taken up by neighboring cells where it has an effect both on infected and uninfected cells. In this review we will focus on the relationship between the structure of the Tat protein and its function as a secreted factor. To this end we will summarize some of the exogenous functions of Tat that have been implicated in HIV-1 pathogenesis and the impact of structural variations and viral subtype variants of Tat on those functions. Finally, since in some patients the presence of Tat-specific antibodies or CTL frequencies are associated with slow or non-progression to AIDS, we will also discuss the role of Tat as a potential vaccine candidate, the advances made in this field, and the importance of using a Tat protein capable of eliciting a protective or therapeutic immune response to viral challenge.