Viral proteomics: The emerging cutting-edge of virus research

Zhou, ShengTao; Liu, Rui; Zhao, Xia; Huang, CanHua; Wei, YuQuan

HIV jeopardizes the host immune system by specifically attacking macrophages and CD4 + T cells, and multiple groups have defined a robust number of host cell proteins in HIV virions. One group used LC MS/MS on whole virions to gain an overview of the HIV-1 proteome. All known viral and host-cellular proteins, as well as novel components of HIV-1, were identified and further confirmed by traditional biochemical methods [21] . In another study, highly purified HIV-1 virions produced from human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were analyzed [22] . Liquid chromatography-linked tandem mass spectrometry identified a plethora of cellular proteins, including 33 previously annotated proteins in HIV-1 preparations from other cell types. These proteins were involved in such cellular structures and functions as the cytoskeleton, adhesion, signaling, intracellular trafficking, chaperoning, metabolism, ubiquitin/proteasome, and immune response systems. Other identified proteins included annexins, annexin-binding proteins, Rab proteins, and proteins involved in membrane organization, vesicular trafficking, and late endosomal function, Apolipoprotein E, which participates in cholesterol transport, immunoregulation, and modulation of cell growth and differentiation, was also identified. These results provide significant leads for follow-up experiments on HIV-1 assembly, infection, and pathogenesis.