Cleavage, a real turn off? HIV-mediated proteolysis of PABP1

In this issue of the Biochemical Journal, Alvarez and colleagues have identified PABP1 [poly(A)-binding protein 1] as a target of protease cleavage during HIV infection. The study shows that HIV-1, HIV-2 and mouse mammary tumour virus, but not other retroviruses, target PABP1 for cleavage and identifies cleavage sites within the RNA-recognition motifs and C-terminal region of the protein. This suggests that PABP1 cleavage may be important in the shut-off of host translation during HIV infection. This extends the viral families that are known to target PABP1 to include Retroviridae, suggesting that PABP1 may be a central target of viral infection.