Nef enhances HIV-1 replication and infectivity independently of SERINC5 in CEM T cells

A primary function of HIV-1 Nef is the enhancement of viral infectivity and replication. Whether counteraction of the antiretroviral proteins SERINC3 and SERINC5 is the cause of this positive influence on viral growth-rate and infectivity remains unclear. Here, we utilized CRISPR/Cas9 to knockout SERINC3 and SERINC5 in a leukemic CD4-positive T cell line (CEM) that displays nef-related infectivity and growth-rate phenotypes. Viral replication was attenuated in CEM cells infected with HIV-1 lacking Nef (HIV-1 Delta Nef). This attenuated growth-rate phenotype was observed regardless of whether the coding regions of the serinc3 or serinc5 genes were intact. Moreover, knockout of serinc5 alone or of both serinc5 and serinc3 together failed to restore the infectivity of HIV1 Delta Nef virions produced from infected CEM cells. Our results corroborate a similar study using another T-lymphoid cell line (MOLT-3) and indicate that the antagonism of SERINC3 and SERINC5 does not fully explain the virology of HIV-1 lacking Nef.

Automated summary

The primary role of HIV-1 Nef is to enhance viral infectivity and replication. However, the counteraction of SERINC3 and SERINC5 does not fully explain the increased growth-rate and infectivity of HIV-1 Delta Nef. Knockout experiments using CRISPR/Cas9 technology in a leukemic CD4-positive T cell line (CEM) showed that viral replication was attenuated regardless of the intactness of the coding regions of the serinc3 or serinc5 genes.