Date of Graduation

Winter 2024

Degree

Master of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology

Department

Biomedical Sciences

Committee Chair

Hulme Amy

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) is a lentivirus that infects CD4+ cells, causing a

weakened immune system that leads to the development of Acquired Immunodeficiency

Syndrome (AIDS). HIV utilizes host proteins to replicate. A genome wide screen by Brass has

shown that the molecular scaffolding protein, SPTBN1, is essential for HIV-1 infection.

However, the viral replication steps that SPTBN1 impacts are not known. Previous work in the

Hulme Lab has shown that SPTBN1 knockdown delays HIV capsid uncoating but does not

impact viral fusion kinetics. Uncoating and reverse transcription of HIV-1 occur simultaneously.

Therefore, the goal for this study was to analyze the impact of SPTBN1 on reverse transcription

of HIV-1 in microglial cells. Previous results indicating SPTBN1 as one of the host factors for

HIV-1 infection were confirmed in this research. SPTBN1 knockdown appeared to delay early

and intermediate reverse transcription, whereas late steps and completion of reverse

transcription did not seem to be affected. Future studies using the methods outlined in this

research would give insight into the host factors used in the infection process and could aid in

the development of future therapeutical targets for HIV-1.

Keywords

HIV-1, SPTBN1, reverse transcription, AIDS, microglial cells

Subject Categories

Medicine and Health Sciences

Copyright

© Jeanette Drecker

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