Abstract
The rate of HIV-1 gene expression is a key step that determines the kinetics of virus spread and AIDS progression. Viral entry and gene expression were described to be the key determinants for cell permissiveness to HIV. Recent reports highlighted the involvement of miRNA in regulating HIV-1 replication post-transcriptionally. In this study we explored the role of cellular factors required for miRNA-mediated mRNA translational inhibition in regulating HIV-1 gene expression. Here we show that HIV-1 mRNAs associate and co-localize with components of the RNA Induced Silencing Complex (RISC), and we characterize some of the proteins required for miRNA-mediated silencing (miRNA effectors). RCK/p54, GW182, LSm-1 and XRN1 negatively regulate HIV-1 gene expression by preventing viral mRNA association with polysomes. Interestingly, knockdown of RCK/p54 or DGCR8 resulted in virus reactivation in PBMCs isolated from HIV infected patients treated with suppressive HAART.
Highlights
RNA silencing (RNAi) is a new gene regulatory mechanism conserved from plants to humans
As we have previously shown, knockdown of Drosha [21] and DGCR8 (Figure 1b), the two subunits of the microprocessor complex, increased virus production while knockdown of the CDK9 subunit of the PTEFb complex that is required for viral gene expression, reduced HIV-1 production (Figure 1b)
Analysis of HIV-1 cytoplasmic mRNA distribution on glycerol gradient showed that knockdown of RCK/p54 shifted HIV-1 mRNA from the non-polysomal fraction to polysomes as compared to control siRNA transfected cells (Figure 2, upper panel)
Summary
RNA silencing (RNAi) is a new gene regulatory mechanism conserved from plants to humans. RNAi mediators are small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) that function through sequence specific mRNA targeting to either induce their degradation and/or inhibit translation [1,2]. RNAi is mediated by different classes of small non-coding RNAs including piRNAs, microRNAs and siRNAs [3,4,5]. MicroRNAs are produced from a primary transcript (pri-miRNA) which is processed in the nucleus by the microprocessor complex containing RNase Drosha and DGCR8. The resulting product or pre-miRNA is exported to the cytoplasm through the exportin-5 pathway. Cytoplasmic pre-miRNA is processed by typeIII RNase Dicer to miRNA/miRNA* duplex of 19 to 25 nucleotides. Cytoplasmic pre-miRNA is processed by typeIII RNase Dicer to miRNA/miRNA* duplex of 19 to 25 nucleotides. miRNA/miRNA* is incorporated into the RNA-
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