HIV-1 VprB and C RNA cleavage by potent 10-23 DNAzymes that also cause reversal of G2 cell cycle arrest mediated by Vpr genes

Oligonucleotides. 2007 Winter;17(4):465-72. doi: 10.1089/oli.2007.0091.

Abstract

Accessory Vpr protein of HIV-1 is known to influence several key cellular functions that also impacts on the HIV-1 replication cycle. Besides other activities, it alone causes cell cycle arrest at the G2 phase and thus potentially contribute to the overall pathology. We designed several 10-23 catalytic motifs containing DNAzymes (Dzs) against the full-length Vpr gene from subtype B and checked its activity against VprC gene from one of the Indian HIV-1 isolates. Among several Dzs that showed sequence-specific cleavage activities, Dz-94 was very potent and equally efficient in its ability to cleave full-length VprB and C RNA to completion under standard conditions of cleavage. Although Dz-90 target sequence was fully conserved between VprB and C genes, it was more effective on latter genes, suggesting that spatial structures of RNA at other regions of Vpr can also influence the cleavage activity for this Dz. HIV-1 VprB and C encoding genes under the powerful CMV promoter, when cotransfected into mammalian cells with Dz-94, a potent intracellular inhibition, was observed, which also resulted in reversing the G2 cell cycle arrest mediated by VprB and C proteins. Thus, Dz-94 could potentially be developed to prevent Vpr-mediated cytopathic effects caused by HIV-1 subtype B and C isolates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • DNA, Catalytic / metabolism*
  • G2 Phase*
  • Gene Products, vpr / metabolism*
  • Genes, vpr*
  • HIV-1 / genetics*
  • HIV-1 / physiology
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • DNA, Catalytic
  • Gene Products, vpr
  • RNA, Viral