title: Minor Contribution of Chimeric Host-HIV Readthrough Transcripts to the Level of HIV Cell-Associated gag RNA.
abstract: Cell-associated HIV unspliced RNA is an important marker of the viral reservoir. HIV gag RNA-specific assays are frequently used to monitor reservoir activation. Because HIV preferentially integrates into actively transcribed genes, some of the transcripts detected by these assays may not represent genuine HIV RNA but rather chimeric host-HIV readthrough transcripts. Here, we demonstrate that in HIV-infected patients on suppressive combination antiretroviral therapy, such host-derived transcripts do not significantly contribute to the HIV gag RNA level.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands a.o.pasternak@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Alexander O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Pasternak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Laura K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: DeMaster
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Neeltje A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Kootstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Stichting HIV Monitoring, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Una
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: O'Doherty
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berkhout
mesh_terms: D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral