The HIV-1 Rev trans-activator shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm.
The HIV-1 Rev protein is a nuclear trans-activator essential for the transport of unspliced viral transcripts to the cytoplasm. In this paper we demonstrate that Rev, rather than being confined to the nucleus, is constantly shuttling between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. We also show that inactivation of Rev's leucine-rich activation domain generates mutant proteins that not only fail to induce the nuclear export of viral transcripts but are also unable to enter the cytoplasm. On the basis of this correlation, we propose that Rev activates viral mRNA transport by directly binding to these RNAs and translocating, with them, to the cytoplasm. In addition, these results also identify, for the first time, a peptide sequence that is important for nuclear export.
Meyer
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BE
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104-6148.
Malim
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MH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D015694:Gene Products, rev / Q000378:metabolism*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D007739:L Cells; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D017354:Point Mutation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D054321:rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D015694:Gene Products, rev; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054321:rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus