Intragenic HIV-1 env sequences that enhance gag expression.
Expression of HIV-1 genes is regulated at multiple levels including the complex RNA splicing and transport mechanisms. Multiple cis-acting elements involved in these regulations have been previously identified in various regions of HIV-1 genome. Here we show that another cis-acting element was present in HIV-1 env region. This element enhanced the expression of Gag when inserted together with Rev response element (RRE) into a truncated HIV-1 genome in the presence of Rev. The enhancing activity was mapped to a 263-bp fragment in the gp41 region downstream to RRE. RNA analysis showed that it might function by promoting RNA stability and Rev-dependent RNA export. The enhancement was specific to Rev-dependent expression, since it did not enhance Gag expression driven by Sam68, a cellular protein that has been shown to be able to substitute for Rev in RNA export function.
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand.
Ornpreya
O
Suptawiwat
Ruengpung
R
Sutthent
Tun-Hou
TH
Lee
Prasert
P
Auewarakul
D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D015752:Genes, env; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral