Roy BB, Hu J, Guo X, Russell RS, Guo F, Kleiman L, Liang C

McGill AIDS Centre, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T 1E2.

RNA helicase A (RHA) belongs to the DEAH family of proteins that are capable of unwinding double-stranded RNA structure. In addition to its involvement in the metabolism of cellular RNA, RHA has been shown to stimulate RNA transcription from the long terminal repeat promoter of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as well as to enhance Rev/Rev response element-mediated gene expression. In this study, we provide evidence that RHA associates with HIV-1 Gag in an RNA-dependent manner. This interaction results in specific incorporation of RHA into HIV-1 particles. Knockdown of endogenous RHA in virus producer cells leads to generation of HIV-1 particles that are less infectious in part as a result of restricted reverse transcription. Therefore, RHA represents the first example of cellular RNA helicases that participate in HIV-1 particle production and promote viral reverse transcription.

Mesh Terms:
Autoantigens, Cell Line, DEAD-box RNA Helicases, DNA, Complementary, Dimerization, Gene Products, gag, HIV-1, Humans, Neoplasm Proteins, Plasmids, Protein Structure, Tertiary, RNA Helicases, RNA, Double-Stranded, RNA, Small Interfering, Response Elements, Spliceosomes

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