The Splice of Life: Does RNA Processing Have a Role in HIV-1 Persistence?

Alexander O Pasternak; Ben Berkhout

doi:10.3390/v13091751

The Splice of Life: Does RNA Processing Have a Role in HIV-1 Persistence?

Viruses. 2021 Sep 2;13(9):1751. doi: 10.3390/v13091751.

Authors

Alexander O Pasternak¹, Ben Berkhout¹

Affiliation

¹ Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses HIV-1 replication but does not eradicate the virus. Persistence of HIV-1 latent reservoirs in ART-treated individuals is considered the main obstacle to achieving an HIV-1 cure. However, these HIV-1 reservoirs are not transcriptionally silent, and viral transcripts can be detected in most ART-treated individuals. HIV-1 latency is regulated at the transcriptional and at multiple post-transcriptional levels. Here, we review recent insights into the possible contribution of viral RNA processing to the persistence of HIV-1 reservoirs, and discuss the clinical implications of persistence of viral RNA species in ART-treated individuals.

Keywords: HIV-1 latency; HIV-1 persistence; HIV-1 reservoir; RNA processing; splicing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Anti-Retroviral Agents / therapeutic use
Disease Reservoirs / virology*
HIV Infections / drug therapy
HIV Infections / genetics*
HIV Infections / virology
HIV-1 / genetics*
Persistent Infection / genetics*
RNA Splicing / genetics*
Virus Latency / genetics
Virus Replication

Substances

Anti-Retroviral Agents