Role of Cellular DNA Repair Systems in HIV-1 Replication

Abstract

A serious problem in the treatment of HIV infection is the emergence of drug-resistant forms of the virus. One promising approach to solving this problem is the development of inhibitors of the interaction between viral proteins with cellular co-factors. However, the development of this approach is hampered due to the lack of knowledge about the involvement of cellular proteins in the pathogenesis of HIV infection. In particular, it is known that the integration of viral DNA into the host genome generates numerous lesions in the cellular DNA, the repair of which is absolutely necessary for successful replication of the virus. However, it is still unknown which cellular proteins are involved in repairing this damage. In this review, we summarize what is known to date about the role of cellular repair systems in the replication of HIV-1 in general, and in the repair of damage that occurs during the integration of viral DNA into a cell’s genome, in particular.