Constitutively-active MAVS inhibits HIV-1 replication via type I interferon secretion and induction of HIV-1 restriction factors

Type I interferon plays a critical role in the control of viral infections, including HIV-1. Interferon induces a number of restriction factors that block HIV-1 entry, replication and release from the host cell. Currently, systemic treatment of HIV-1 infection with interferon has little efficacy in the clinic due to side effects including fatigue and flu-like symptoms. However, understanding the role of interferon in HIV-1 restriction, and developing molecular tools to generate type I interferons locally, provide an opportunity to inhibit HIV-1 replication while avoiding the side effects associated with systemic administration. Here, we tested a constitutively active inducer of high levels of interferon beta (dLMP1-MAVS). Supernatant from cell transfected with dLMP1-MAVS inhibited HIV-1 replication in both culture cells and primary human CD4+ T cells. CD4+ T cells upregulated a number of known HIV-1 restriction factors, including Viperin, Tetherin, MxB, and ISG56 in response to dLMP1-MAVS. In addition, dLMP1-MAVS activated human dendritic and acted as a molecular adjuvant in a mouse HIV-1 vaccine model. Our study generates new insights into the role of type I interferon in HIV-1 restriction, and provides a novel strategy to induce both type I interferon and anti-HIV-1 immune responses at sites of ongoing viral replication. T cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1 plasmid and cultured in DMEM media plus 10% fetal bovine serum