Open AccessA Short Hairpin Loop-Structured Oligodeoxynucleotide Targeting the Virion-Associated RNase H of HIV Inhibits HIV Production in Cell Culture and in huPBL-SCID Mice
Author(s) -
Jochen Heinrich,
Dominique Schols,
Karin Moelling
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
intervirology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.641
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1423-0100
pISSN - 0300-5526
DOI - 10.1159/000324544
Subject(s) - retrovirus , reverse transcriptase , rnase h , virology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , rnase p , cell culture , infectivity , foscarnet , rna , virus , gene , biochemistry , genetics , viral disease , herpesviridae
We have recently demonstrated that an oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) can enter HIV particles and form a local hybrid at the highly conserved polypurine tract (PPT), the target site of the ODN. This hybrid is recognized by the retrovirus-specific RNase H, which is a virion-associated enzyme. It cleaves the RNA at local hybrids and thereby destroys viral infectivity. This mechanism has been described previously in a mouse model using an oncogenic retrovirus and was commented as driving HIV into suicide. The RNase H is one of four retrovirus-specific enzymes and not yet targeted by antiviral drugs.