Role of RNA structure and protein factors in the control of HIV-1 splicing.
Alternative splicing plays a key role in the production of numerous proteins by complex lentiviruses such as HIV-1. The study of HIV-1 RNA splicing has provided useful information not only about the physiology of the virus, but also about the general mechanisms that regulate mammalian pre-mRNA alternative splicing. Like all retroviruses, a fraction of HIV-1 transcripts remains intact to serve as genomic RNA and to code for Gag and Gag-Pol protein precursors. In addition, splicing is important for controlling the production of some viral proteins, which could otherwise have a negative effect on the infected cell. Here, we summarize how the utilization of HIV-1 splicing sites is limited by the binding of nuclear factors to cis-acting silencer elements, taking into account the role of RNA secondary structure in these mechanisms. We also describe how the poorly efficient HIV-1 acceptor sites are nevertheless activated by serine/arginine-rich proteins. Finally, we discuss how nuclear factors that interact with both the transcription and splicing machineries also participate in the control of HIV-1 RNA splicing.
Saliou
Jean-Michel
JM
MAEM, UMR 7567 CNRS-UHP, Nancy Universite, Faculte des sciences et techniques, BP239, Vandoeuvre Les Nancy CEDEX, France.
Bourgeois
Cyril F
CF
Ayadi-Ben Mena
Lilia
L
Ropers
Delphine
D
Jacquenet
Sandrine
S
Marchand
Virginie
V
Stevenin
James
J
Branlant
Christiane
C
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D005091:Exons; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins