Open AccessSpecies-specific KRAB-ZFPs function as repressors of retroviruses by targeting PBS regions
Author(s) -
Bo Yang,
Lu Fang,
Qianqian Gao,
Ce Xu,
Junqin Xu,
Zhenxia Chen,
Yixuan Wang,
Peng Yang
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2119415119
Subject(s) - biology , endogenous retrovirus , primer binding site , genetics , reverse transcriptase , repressor , zinc finger , genome , transcription (linguistics) , group specific antigen , viral replication , transcription factor , rna , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , gene , virus , linguistics , philosophy
Significance Hosts often target the relatively conserved regions in rapidly mutating retroviruses to inhibit their replication. One of these regions is called a primer binding site (PBS), which has to be complementary to the host tRNA to initiate reverse transcription. By analyzing endogenous retroviral elements, we found that host cells use this sequence as a target in efforts to block the expression of viral elements. A specific type of zinc finger protein targets the PBS in a host genome, which not only inhibits the transcription of endogenous viruses but also inhibits the replication of exogenous retroviruses with the same PBS. Thus, our study sheds light on a strategy for searching for host restriction factors targeting retroviruses.