HIV-1 structural gene expression requires binding of the Rev trans-activator to its RNA target sequence.
Expression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 structural proteins requires both the viral Rev trans-activator and its cis-acting RNA target sequence, the Rev response element (RRE). The RRE has been mapped to a conserved region of the HIV-1 env gene and is predicted to form a complex, highly stable RNA stem-loop structure. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to define a small subdomain of the RRE, termed stem-loop II, that is essential for biological activity. Gel retardation assays demonstrated that the Rev trans-activator is a sequence-specific RNA binding protein. The RRE stem-loop II subdomain was found to be both necessary and sufficient for the binding of Rev by the RRE. We propose that the HIV-1 Rev trans-activator belongs to a new class of sequence-specific RNA binding proteins characterized by the presence of an arginine-rich binding motif.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
M H
MH
Malim
L S
LS
Tiley
D F
DF
McCarn
J R
JR
Rusche
J
J
Hauber
B R
BR
Cullen
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015694:Gene Products, rev / Q000378:metabolism*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014779:Virus Replication; D054321:rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015694:Gene Products, rev; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015534:Trans-Activators; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; D054321:rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus