scholarly journals The Exon Splicing Silencer in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Tat Exon 3 Is Bipartite and Acts Early in Spliceosome Assembly

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 5404-5413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-hai Si ◽  
Dan Rauch ◽  
C. Martin Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Splice Site ◽  
Early Step ◽  
Exon 2 ◽  
Exon Splicing ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Inefficient splicing of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA is necessary to preserve unspliced and singly spliced viral RNAs for transport to the cytoplasm by the Rev-dependent pathway. Signals within the HIV-1 genome that control the rate of splicing include weak 3′ splice sites, exon splicing enhancers (ESE), and exon splicing silencers (ESS). We have previously shown that an ESS present withintat exon 2 (ESS2) and a suboptimal 3′ splice site together act to inhibit splicing at the 3′ splice site flanking tatexon 2. This occurs at an early step in spliceosome assembly. Splicing at the 3′ splice site flanking tat exon 3 is regulated by a bipartite element composed of an ESE and an ESS (ESS3). Here we show that ESS3 is composed of two smaller elements (AGAUCC and UUAG) that can inhibit splicing independently. We also show that ESS3 is more active in the context of a heterologous suboptimal splice site than of an optimal 3′ splice site. ESS3 inhibits splicing by blocking the formation of a functional spliceosome at an early step, since A complexes are not detected in the presence of ESS3. Competitor RNAs containing either ESS2 or ESS3 relieve inhibition of splicing of substrates containing ESS3 or ESS2. This suggests that a common cellular factor(s) may be required for the inhibition oftat mRNA splicing mediated by ESS2 and ESS3.

scholarly journals Presence of exon splicing silencers within human immunodeficiency virus type 1 tat exon 2 and tat-rev exon 3: evidence for inhibition mediated by cellular factors.

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 4606-4615 ◽  
Author(s):  
B A Amendt ◽  
Z H Si ◽  
C M Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Splice Site ◽  
Exon 2 ◽  
Exon Splicing ◽  
Cellular Factors ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pre-mRNA splicing is regulated in order to maintain pools of unspliced and partially spliced viral RNAs as well as the appropriate levels of multiply spliced mRNAs during virus infection. We have previously described an element in tat exon 2 that negatively regulates splicing at the upstream tat 3' splice site 3 (B. A. Amendt, D. Hesslein, L.-J. Chang, and C. M. Stoltzfus, Mol. Cell. Biol. 14:3960-3970, 1994). In this study, we further defined the element to a 20-nucleotide (nt) region which spans the C-terminal vpr and N-terminal tat coding sequences. By analogy with exon splicing enhancer (ESE) elements, we have termed this element an exon splicing silencer (ESS). We show evidence for another negative cis-acting region within tat-rev exon 3 of HIV-1 RNA that has sequence motifs in common with a 20-nt ESS element in tat exon 2. This sequence is juxtaposed to a purine-rich ESE element to form a bipartite element regulating splicing at the upstream tat-rev 3' splice site. Inhibition of the splicing of substrates containing the ESS element in tat exon 2 occurs at an early stage of spliceosome assembly. The inhibition of splicing mediated by the ESS can be specifically abrogated by the addition of competitor RNA. Our results suggest that HIV-1 RNA splicing is regulated by cellular factors that bind to positive and negative cis elements in tat exon 2 and tat-rev exon 3.

scholarly journals Negative and Positive mRNA Splicing Elements Act Competitively To Regulate Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vif Gene Expression

2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 3921-3931 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Exline ◽  
Z. Feng ◽  
C. M. Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Mrna Splicing ◽  
Viral Mrnas ◽  
Exon 2 ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Over 40 different human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mRNAs are produced by alternative splicing of the primary HIV-1 RNA transcripts. In addition, approximately half of the viral RNA remains unspliced and is used as genomic RNA and as mRNA for the Gag and Pol gene products. Regulation of splicing at the HIV-1 3′ splice sites (3′ss) requires suboptimal polypyrimidine tracts, and positive or negative regulation occurs through the binding of cellular factors to cis-acting splicing regulatory elements. We have previously shown that splicing at HIV-1 3′ss A1, which produces single-spliced vif mRNA and promotes the inclusion of HIV exon 2 into both completely and incompletely spliced viral mRNAs, is increased by optimizing the 5′ splice site (5′ss) downstream of exon 2 (5′ss D2). Here we show that the mutations within 5′ss D2 that are predicted to lower or increase the affinity of the 5′ss for U1 snRNP result in reduced or increased Vif expression, respectively. Splicing at 5′ss D2 was not necessary for the effect of 5′ss D2 on Vif expression. In addition, we have found that mutations of the GGGG motif proximal to the 5′ss D2 increase exon 2 inclusion and Vif expression. Finally, we report the presence of a novel exonic splicing enhancer (ESE) element within the 5′-proximal region of exon 2 that facilitates both exon inclusion and Vif expression. This ESE binds specifically to the cellular SR protein SRp75. Our results suggest that the 5′ss D2, the proximal GGGG silencer, and the ESE act competitively to determine the level of vif mRNA splicing and Vif expression. We propose that these positive and negative splicing elements act together to allow the accumulation of vif mRNA and unspliced HIV-1 mRNA, compatible with optimal virus replication.

scholarly journals Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 hnRNP A/B-Dependent Exonic Splicing Silencer ESSV Antagonizes Binding of U2AF65 to Viral Polypyrimidine Tracts

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (23) ◽  
pp. 8762-8772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey K. Domsic ◽  
Yibin Wang ◽  
Akila Mayeda ◽  
Adrian R. Krainer ◽  
C. Martin Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Splice Site ◽  
Independent Functions ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
U1 Snrnp ◽  
Precursor Rna ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exonic splicing silencers (ESSs) inhibit production of certain spliced viral RNAs by repressing alternative splicing of the viral precursor RNA. Several HIV-1 ESSs interfere with spliceosome assembly by binding cellular hnRNP A/B proteins. Here, we have further characterized the mechanism of splicing repression using a representative HIV-1 hnRNP A/B-dependent ESS, ESSV, which regulates splicing at the vpr 3′ splice site. We show that hnRNP A/B proteins bound to ESSV are necessary to inhibit E complex assembly by competing with the binding of U2AF65 to the polypyrimidine tracts of repressed 3′ splice sites. We further show evidence suggesting that U1 snRNP binds the 5′ splice site despite an almost complete block of splicing by ESSV. Possible splicing-independent functions of U1 snRNP-5′ splice site interactions during virus replication are discussed.

scholarly journals Regulation of vif mRNA Splicing by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Requires 5′ Splice Site D2 and an Exonic Splicing Enhancer To Counteract Cellular Restriction Factor APOBEC3G

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (12) ◽  
pp. 6067-6078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dibyakanti Mandal ◽  
Colin M. Exline ◽  
Zehua Feng ◽  
C. Martin Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Splice Site ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Exonic Splicing Enhancer ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Splicing Enhancer ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) accessory protein Vif is encoded by an incompletely spliced mRNA resulting from splicing of the major splice donor in the HIV-1 genome, 5′ splice site (5′ss) D1, to the first splice acceptor, 3′ss A1. We have shown previously that splicing of HIV-1 vif mRNA is tightly regulated by suboptimal 5′ss D2, which is 50 nucleotides downstream of 3′ss A1; a GGGG silencer motif proximal to 5′ss D2; and an SRp75-dependent exonic splicing enhancer (ESEVif). In agreement with the exon definition hypothesis, mutations within 5′ss D2 that are predicted to increase or decrease U1 snRNP binding affinity increase or decrease the usage of 3′ss A1 (D2-up and D2-down mutants, respectively). In this report, the importance of 5′ss D2 and ESEVif for avoiding restriction of HIV-1 by APOBEC3G (A3G) was determined by testing the infectivities of a panel of mutant viruses expressing different levels of Vif. The replication of D2-down and ESEVif mutants in permissive CEM-SS cells was not significantly different from that of wild-type HIV-1. Mutants that expressed Vif in 293T cells at levels greater than 10% of that of the wild type replicated similarly to the wild type in H9 cells, and Vif levels as low as 4% were affected only modestly in H9 cells. This is in contrast to Vif-deleted HIV-1, whose replication in H9 cells was completely inhibited. To test whether elevated levels of A3G inhibit replication of D2-down and ESEVif mutants relative to wild-type virus replication, a Tet-off Jurkat T-cell line that expressed approximately 15-fold-higher levels of A3G than control Tet-off cells was generated. Under these conditions, the fitness of all D2-down mutant viruses was reduced relative to that of wild-type HIV-1, and the extent of inhibition was correlated with the level of Vif expression. The replication of an ESEVif mutant was also inhibited only at higher levels of A3G. Thus, wild-type 5′ss D2 and ESEVif are required for production of sufficient Vif to allow efficient HIV-1 replication in cells expressing relatively high levels of A3G.

scholarly journals A Bidirectional SF2/ASF- and SRp40-Dependent Splicing Enhancer Regulates Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 rev, env, vpu, and nef Gene Expression

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (12) ◽  
pp. 6517-6526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Caputi ◽  
Marcel Freund ◽  
Susanne Kammler ◽  
Corinna Asang ◽  
Heiner Schaal
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Splice Site ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
U1 Snrnp ◽  
Viral Subtypes ◽  
Splicing Enhancer ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT The integrated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome is transcribed in a single pre-mRNA that is alternatively spliced into more than 40 mRNAs. We characterized a novel bidirectional exonic splicing enhancer (ESE) that regulates the expression of the HIV-1 env, vpu, rev, and nef mRNAs. The ESE is localized downstream of the vpu-, env-, and nef-specific 3′ splice site no. 5. SF2/ASF and SRp40 activate the ESE and are required for efficient 3′ splice site usage and binding of the U1 snRNP to the downstream 5′ splice site no. 4. U1 snRNP binding to the 5′ splice site no. 4 is required for splicing of the rev and nef mRNAs and to increase expression of the partially spliced env mRNA. Finally, our results indicate that this ESE is necessary for the recruitment of the U1 snRNP to the 5′ splice site no. 4, even when the 5′ splice site and the U1 snRNA have been mutated to obtain a perfect complementary match. The ESE characterized here is highly conserved in most viral subtypes.

scholarly journals Splicing Regulatory Elements within tat Exon 2 of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Are Characteristic of Group M but Not Group O HIV-1 Strains

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 9764-9772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia S. Bilodeau ◽  
Jeffrey K. Domsic ◽  
C. Martin Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Splice Site ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Splice Sites ◽  
Exon 2 ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Splicing Regulatory Elements ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT In the NL4-3 strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), regulatory elements responsible for the relative efficiencies of alternative splicing at the tat, rev, and theenv/nef 3′ splice sites (A3 through A5) are contained within the region of tat exon 2 and its flanking sequences. Two elements affecting splicing of tat, rev, and env/nef mRNAs have been localized to this region. First, an exon splicing silencer (ESS2) in NL4-3, located approximately 70 nucleotides downstream from the 3′ splice site used to generatetat mRNA, acts specifically to inhibit splicing at this splice site. Second, the A4b 3′ splice site, which is the most downstream of the three rev 3′ splice sites, also serves as an element inhibiting splicing at the env/nef 3′ splice site A5. These elements are conserved in some but not all HIV-1 strains, and the effects of these sequence changes on splicing have been investigated in cell transfection and in vitro splicing assays. SF2, another clade B virus and member of the major (group M) viruses, has several sequence changes within ESS2 and uses a differentrev 3′ splice site. However, splicing is inhibited by the two elements similarly to NL4-3. As with the NL4-3 strain, the SF2 A4b AG dinucleotide overlaps an A5 branchpoint, and thus the inhibitory effect may result from competition of the same site for two different splicing factors. The sequence changes in ANT70C, a member of the highly divergent outlier (group O) viruses, are more extensive, and ESS2 activity in tat exon 2 is not present. Group O viruses also lack the rev 3′ splice site A4b, which is conserved in all group M viruses. Mutagenesis of the most downstream rev3′ splice site of ANT70C does not increase splicing at A5, and all of the branchpoints are upstream of the two rev 3′ splice sites. Thus, splicing regulatory elements in tat exon 2 which are characteristic of most group M HIV-1 strains are not present in group O HIV-1 strains.

scholarly journals Presence of negative and positive cis-acting RNA splicing elements within and flanking the first tat coding exon of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 3960-3970 ◽  
Author(s):  
B A Amendt ◽  
D Hesslein ◽  
L J Chang ◽  
C M Stoltzfus
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Splice Site ◽  
Rna Splicing ◽  
Regulatory Element ◽  
Cis Acting ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA follows a complex splicing pathway in which a single primary transcript either remains unspliced or is alternatively spliced to more than 30 different singly and multiply spliced mRNAs. We have used an in vitro splicing assay to identify cis elements within the viral genome that regulate HIV-1 RNA splicing. A novel splicing regulatory element (SRE) within the first tat coding exon has been detected. This element specifically inhibits splicing at the upstream 3' splice site flanking this tat exon. The element only functions when in the sense orientation and is position dependent when inserted downstream of a heterologous 3' splice site. In vivo, an HIV-1 SRE mutant demonstrated a decrease in unspliced viral RNA, increased levels of single- and double-spliced tat mRNA, and reduced levels of env and rev mRNAs. In addition to the negative cis-acting SRE, the flanking 5' splice site downstream of the first tat coding exon acts positively to increase splicing at the upstream 3' splice sites. These results are consistent with hypotheses of bridging interactions between cellular factors that bind to the 5' splice site and those that bind at the upstream 3' splice site.

scholarly journals The Immunosuppressant Rapamycin Represses Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 3447-3455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelyn Roy ◽  
Jean-Sébastien Paquette ◽  
Jean-François Fortin ◽  
Michel J. Tremblay
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Lymphoid Cells ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Exon 2 ◽  
Rapamycin Treatment ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT The immunosuppressive macrolide rapamycin is used in humans to prevent graft rejection. This drug acts by selectively repressing the translation of proteins that are encoded by an mRNA bearing a 5′-polypyrimidine tract (e.g., ribosomal proteins, elongation factors). The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) carries a polypyrimidine motif that is located within the tat exon 2. Treatment of human T lymphoid cells with rapamycin resulted in a marked diminution of HIV-1 transcription when infection was performed with luciferase reporter T-tropic and macrophage-tropic viruses. Replication of fully infectious HIV-1 particles was abolished by rapamycin treatment. The rapamycin-mediated inhibitory effect on HIV-1 production was reversed by FK506. The anti-HIV-1 effect of rapamycin was also seen in primary human cells (i.e., peripheral blood lymphocytes) from different healthy donors. Rapamycin was shown to diminish basal HIV-1 long terminal repeat gene expression, and the observed effect of rapamycin on HIV-1 replication seems to be independent of the virus-specific transactivating Tat protein. A constitutive β-actin promoter-based reporter gene vector was unaffected by rapamycin treatment. Kinetic virus infection studies and exposure to reporter viruses pseudotyped with heterologous envelope proteins (i.e., amphotropic murine leukemia virus and vesicular stomatitis virus G) suggested that rapamycin is primarily affecting the life cycle of HIV-1 at a transcriptional level. Northern blot analysis confirmed that this compound is selectively targeting HIV-1 mRNA synthesis.

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