IFI16 knockdown in primary HIV-1 target cells

IFI16 is an important player of the host intrinsic immune response. Among others, it has been reported to sense intermediate products of HIV-1 reverse transcrip-tion in the cytosol and to sequester the transcription factor Sp1 in the nucleus to attenuate viral gene expression. Here, we present three different methods to reduce IFI16 protein expression levels in HIV-1 primary target cells. These techniques can be adapted for the investigation of other cellular factors in pri-mary macrophages and CD4+ T lymphocytes.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hotter et al. (2019) and Bosso et al. (2020).

Automated summary

IFI16 is a crucial player in the host intrinsic immune response, capable of sensing intermediate products of HIV-1 reverse transcription and regulating viral gene expression. Three different methods have been presented to reduce IFI16 protein levels in primary HIV-1 target cells, with potential applications for studying other cellular factors in primary macrophages and CD4+ T lymphocytes.