Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International (09.07.06) - Friday, September 08, 2006
Astara March
HIV enters a chromosome using the integrase protein, said Dr. Eric Poeschla, who led the Mayo Clinic researchers involved in the study. Connected to integrase is protein LEDGF/p75 (p75), which forms a bond that keeps HIV's genetic information safely anchored in its host's DNA forever.
When p75 was cut from the human chromosome invaded by HIV in cell culture, HIV could not function and T-cells became resistant to it, the team discovered. Furthermore, when researchers added a "dominant-negative" piece of p75 to the culture, it impaired HIV by 500-fold. But there are two "knots," one at both ends of the p75 tether; both were essential for HIV to remain in place, which potentially provides another therapeutic target.
Surprisingly little p75 was needed for HIV to latch onto the chromosome, which Poeschla said should be taken into consideration in studies searching for key cellular proteins that HIV uses in the integration process. "Quite a few likely exist," he said. "The challenge is to use the right methods to find them."
The full report, "An Essential Role for LEDGF/p75 in HIV Integration," was published online Sept. 7 in Science Express (2006;doi:10.1126/science.1132319).
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