Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr protein (Vpr)

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr (Viral Protein R) is a 96-amino acid accessory protein that is critical for viral pathogenesis and the establishment of infection in non-dividing cells. It is incorporated into mature virions and facilitates the nuclear import of the viral pre-integration complex (PIC), a function particularly vital for infecting macrophages [1, 5, 11]. Vpr is most notably characterized by its ability to induce G2/M cell cycle arrest, which enhances viral transcription from the long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter [1, 6, 10]. Beyond its role in replication, Vpr induces apoptosis in both infected and bystander T cells, contributing significantly to the depletion of CD4+ T cells and immune dysfunction [1, 14]. It also modulates host cell environments by degrading cellular proteins through the recruitment of the CUL4-DDB1-DCAF1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex [10, 12, 20]. Although no Vpr-targeted drugs have reached clinical approval, experimental inhibitors like vipirinin and fumagillin have been studied for their ability to block Vpr-mediated cell cycle arrest and nuclear transport [9]. Targeting Vpr remains a promising strategy for addressing viral reservoirs and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders [1, 5].

Other names

Viral protein RR ORF proteinp14

Inhibition of Vpr-mediated G2/M cell cycle arrest and blocking of the nuclear import of the viral pre-integration complex.