5' regions of HIV-1 RNAs are not sufficient for encapsidation: implications for the HIV-1 packaging signal.
The location and nature of the HIV-1 packaging signal are largely unknown, despite several genetic and biochemical mutational analyses. In this report we present our attempts to define a minimal HIV-1 packaging signal through the generation of test RNAs containing small blocks of HIV-1 sequences. We constructed RNAs differing in the position and identity of the HIV-1 sequence and the segments of heterologous sequences. However, none of the vectors were efficiently, encapsidated by wild-type HIV-1 virions. These results contrast those of Moloney murine leukemia virus and Rous sarcoma virus, where small viral segments mediate the efficient encapsidation of heterologous RNAs. The results suggest that the HIV-1 packaging signal may be extremely dispersed or heavily context-dependent.
Berkowitz
R D
RD
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
Hammarskjöld
M L
ML
Helga-Maria
C
C
Rekosh
D
D
Goff
S P
SP
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000821:virology; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D014771:Virion / Q000737:chemistry; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000235:genetics*
D012367:RNA, Viral