title: A hairpin ribozyme inhibits expression of diverse strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
abstract: Ribozymes have enormous potential as antiviral agents. We have previously reported that a hairpin ribozyme expressed under the control of the beta-actin promoter that cleaves human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA in the leader sequence can inhibit HIV-1 (pHXB2gpt) expression. For such a ribozyme in a retroviral vector delivery system to be useful in gene therapy for the treatment of HIV-1 infection, it must be able to inhibit the expression of multiple HIV-1 strains. We have now cloned this ribozyme into various regular expression vectors (including retroviral vectors) by using various gene expression control strategies. Here we show by transient transfection that inhibition of expression of diverse strains of HIV-1 can be achieved by this ribozyme expressed in the proper vectors. These data further support the potential of this hairpin ribozyme as a therapeutic agent for HIV-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0665.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ojwang
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hampel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rapapport
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Looney
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wong-Staal
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000235:genetics; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012320:RNA Polymerase III