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The chromosomal protein HMG‐D binds to the TAR and RBE RNA of HIV‐1
Author(s) -
Arimondo Paola B.,
Gelus Nathalie,
Hamy François,
Payet Dominique,
Travers Andrew,
Bailly Christian
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(00)02183-9
Subject(s) - rna , electrophoretic mobility shift assay , biology , dna , microbiology and biotechnology , high mobility group , hiv long terminal repeat , biochemistry , transcription factor , gene expression , long terminal repeat , gene
The high mobility group protein HMG‐D is known to bind preferentially to DNA of irregular structures with little or no sequence specificity. Upon binding to DNA, this HMG‐box protein widens the minor groove of the double helix and induces a significant bending of the helix. We show here that HMG‐D can strongly bind to double‐stranded RNA. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays show that HMG‐D100 interacts with the transactivation response region (TAR) RNA from HIV‐1. Strong interaction with a high affinity Rev protein binding element (RBE) RNA was also characterized. Gel shift experiments performed with several TAR RNA constructs lacking the lateral pyrimidine bulge or with modified apical loop regions indicate that the protein does not recognize the single‐strand domains of the RNA but apparently interacts directly with the double‐stranded stem regions. No protein–RNA complexes could be detected when using single‐stranded oligoribonucleotides. HMG‐D protein could bind to the wide minor groove of the A‐form TAR RNA. The comparison of the amino acid sequence of HMG‐D with that of known RNA binding proteins suggests that the interaction of the protein with a double‐stranded RNA implicates the basic region of HMG‐D as well as its HMG‐box domain. From the in vitro data reported here, we propose a novel functional role for proteins of the HMG‐1 family. The results suggest that architectural HMG proteins can be recruited by double‐stranded RNA for the development of HIV‐1 in the host cell.