PLOS Science Wednesday: Hi Reddit, we’re Michael Emerman and Lucie Etienne, and our PLOS Pathogens research looks at the role of host genes in preventing (or not) cross-species transmission of viruses related to HIV – Ask Us Anything!

See the source article by following the link below:

Hi Reddit,

We are Michael Emerman and Lucie Etienne. Michael is a Full Member at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, and Lucie is an Assistant Professor at the International Center of Infectiology Research in Lyon, France. Our research focuses on the evolutionary battle between viruses and their hosts with an emphasis on viruses such as HIV. We study how viruses evolve to infect new hosts by neutralizing some of the host defense proteins.

We recently published a paper in PLOS Pathogens entitled “The Role of the Antiviral APOBEC3 Gene Family in Protecting Chimpanzees against Lentiviruses from Monkeys”. In this study, we wondered why chimpanzees are not infected by more viruses like HIV since they eat many monkeys that harbor similar viruses, called SIVs. We found that a protein in the chimpanzee called APOBEC3G may protect them from infection because the SIVs from monkeys are not capable of overcoming its antiviral effects. The actions of APOBEC3G and its interactions with the viral proteins also help understand better the ancient origins of HIV.

We will be answering your questions at 1pm ET -- Ask Us Anything!

">PLOS Science Wednesday: Hi Reddit, we’re Michael Emerman and Lucie Etienne, and our PLOS Pathogens research looks at the role of host genes in preventing (or not) cross-species transmission of viruses related to HIV – Ask Us Anything!