Figure 2.

Mechanism of retroviral restriction by tripartite motif (TRIM)5α: (a) after viral entry TRIM5α monomers binds to the capsid and oligomerize with additional TRIM5α molecules. (b) These are then poly‐ubiquitinated via TRIM’s E3 ligase activity. This prematurely uncoats the capsid, disrupting the reverse transcription/capsid complex (RTC). (c) The RTC is then recruited to the cellular proteasome for degradation. (d) We hypothesize that enhanced proteasomal processing selects for epitopes which are associated with protective gag‐specific CD8⁺ T cell responses presented on human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules 32, 33.