Innate, non-cytolytic CD8(+) T cell-mediated suppression of HIV replication by MHC-independent inhibition of virus transcription

MHC-I-restricted, virus-specific cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells (CTLs) may control human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) replication via the recognition and killing of productively infected CD4(+) T cells. Several studies in SIV-infected macaques suggest that CD8(+) T cells may also decrease virus production by suppressing viral transcription. Here, we show that non-HIV-specific, TCR-activated non-cytolytic CD8(+) T cells suppress HIV transcription via a virus- and MHC-independent immunoregulatory mechanism that modulates CD4(+) T cell proliferation and activation. We also demonstrate that this CD8(+) T cell-mediated effect promotes the survival of infected CD4(+) T cells harboring integrated, inducible virus. Finally, we used RNA sequencing and secretome analyses to identify candidate cellular pathways that are involved in the virus-silencing mediated by these CD8(+) T cells. This study characterizes a previously undescribed mechanism of immune-mediated HIV silencing that may be involved in the establishment and maintenance of the reservoir under antiretroviral therapy and therefore represent a major obstacle to HIV eradication.