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Studies conducted at University of Regensburg on HIV/AIDS recently published
2009 AUG 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to a study from Regensburg, Germany, "Apart from its regulatory role in protease ( PR) activation, little is known about the function of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transframe protein p6* in the virus life cycle. p6* is located between the nucleocapsid and PR domains in the Gag-Pol polyprotein precursor and is cleaved by PR during viral maturation. We have recently reported that the central region of p6* can be extensively mutated without abolishing viral infectivity and replication in vitro." "However, mutagenesis of the entire p6*-coding sequence in the proviral context is not feasible without affecting the superimposed frameshift signal or the overlapping p1-p6(gag) sequences. To overcome these limitations, we created a novel NL4-3-derived provirus by displacing the original frameshift signal to the 3' end of the gag gene, thereby uncoupling the p6* gene sequence from the p1-p6(gag) reading frame. The resulting virus (AL) proved to be replication competent in different cell cultures and thus represents an elegant tool for detailed analysis of p6* function. Hence, extensive deletions or substitutions were introduced into the p6* gene sequence of the AL provirus, and effects on particle release, protein processing, and viral infectivity were evaluated. Interestingly, neither the deletion of 63% of all p6* residues nor the partial substitution by a heterologous sequence affected virus growth and infectivity, suggesting that p6* is widely dispensable for viral in vitro replication," wrote A. Leiherer and colleagues, University of Regensburg. The researchers concluded: "However, the insertion of a larger reporter sequence interfered with virus production and maturation, implying that the length or conformation of this spacer region might be critical for p6* function.." Leiherer and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Virology (Uncoupling Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gag and pol Reading Frames: Role of the Transframe Protein p6*in Viral Replication. Journal of Virology, 2009;83(14):7210-7220). For more information, contact R. Wagner, University of Regensburg, Molecular Microbiology & Gene Therapy Unit, Institute Med Microbiology & Hyg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany. Publisher contact information for the Journal of Virology is: American Society Microbiology, 1752 N St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-2904, USA. Keywords: Germany, Regensburg, HIV/AIDS, AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Enzymology, HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Immunology, Mutagenesis, Nucleocapsid, Protease, Provirus, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Viral Research, Virology, University of Regensburg. This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, AIDS Weekly via NewsRx.com.
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