A new Houdini act: multiple routes for HIV-1 escape from RNAi-mediated inhibition. (March 2009)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berkhout, Ben
• Is Part Of: Future microbiology. Volume 4:Number 2(2009)
• Page Start: 151
• Page End: 154
• Publication Date: 2009-03
• Subjects: Microbiology -- Research -- Periodicals; 616.9041
• DOI: 10.2217/17460913.4.2.151
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1746-0913

Abstract

Evaluation of: Leonard JN, Shah PS, Burnett JC, Schaffer DV: HIV evades RNA interference directed at TAR by an indirect compensatory mechanism. Cell Host Microbe 4, 484––494 (2008). RNAi can be used to induce the silencing of messenger RNAs in a sequence-specific manner. Several therapeutic RNAi applications are actively being pursued, including the targeting of the RNA genome of human pathogenic viruses such as HIV-1. Viruses are able to escape from RNAi attack by mutation of the targeted sequence. In this report, Leonard and co-workers present evidence of a more indirect viral escape route by selection of up-mutations in the promoter that boosts viral gene expression. This indirect route may serve as a general viral evasion mechanism.