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Journal of Virology, May 2000, p. 4621-4633, Vol. 74, No. 10
HIV Clinical Interface
Laboratory1 and Laboratory of Cell and
Molecular Structure,3 SAIC-Frederick,
NCI-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Frederick,
Maryland 21702; Experimental Retrovirology Section,
National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
208922; and Department of Internal
Medicine II, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Kumamoto,
Japan4
Received 10 November 1999/Accepted 17 February 2000
Although the full sequence of the human immunodeficiency virus type
1 (HIV-1) genome has been known for more than a decade, effective
genetic antivirals have yet to be developed. Here we show that, of 22 regions examined, one highly conserved sequence (ACTCTTTGGCAACGA)
near the 3' end of the HIV-1 gag-pol
transframe region, encoding viral protease residues 4 to 8 and a
C-terminal Vpr-binding motif of p6Gag protein in two
different reading frames, can be successfully targeted by an antisense
peptide nucleic acid oligomer named PNAPR2. A disrupted
translation of gag-pol mRNA induced at the
PNAPR2-annealing site resulted in a decreased
synthesis of Pr160Gag-Pol polyprotein, hence the viral
protease, a predominant expression of Pr55Gag devoid of a
fully functional p6Gag protein, and the excessive
intracellular cleavage of Gag precursor proteins, hindering the
processes of virion assembly. Treatment with PNAPR2
abolished virion production by up to 99% in chronically HIV-1-infected
H9 cells and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with
clinical HIV-1 isolates with the multidrug-resistant phenotype. This
particular segment of the gag-pol transframe gene appears to offer a distinctive advantage over other regions in invading
viral structural genes and restraining HIV-1 replication in infected
cells and may potentially be exploited as a novel antiviral genetic target.
0022-538X/00/$04.00+0
Identification of a Key Target Sequence To Block
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication within the
gag-pol Transframe Domain

*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: HIV Clinical
Interface Laboratory, SAIC Frederick, NCI-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Bldg. 322, Rm. 27B, P.O. Box B, Frederick, MD
21702. Phone: (301) 846-1780. Fax: (301) 846-6067. E-mail: SEI{at}dtpax2.ncifcrf.gov.
Present address: Division of Clinical Retrovirology and Infectious
Diseases, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
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