Cellular restriction factors affecting the early stages of HIV replication.

Several innate immune mechanisms exist in mammalian cells that prevent the replication of viruses. These cellular factors influence the tropism of retroviruses in mammalian cells by inducing a dominant restriction that acts after viral entry but before integration into the host genome. The identification of several cellular factors involved with the post entry block of HIV has recently been revealed. These recent advances identified the tripartite motif protein 5alpha (Trim5alpha) and the apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G), which work to inactivate several retroviruses including HIV-1. The mechanism of restriction by these cellular proteins is unknown. Therefore, this review highlights recent advances in understanding the function of Trim5alpha and APOBEC3G.