Acquisition of HIV-1 resistance in T lymphocytes using an ACA-specific E. coli mRNA interferase.

Abstract Transcriptional activation of gene expression directed by the long terminal repeat (LTR) of HIV-1 requires both the transactivation response element (TAR) and Tat protein. HIV-1 mutants lacking a functional tat gene are not able to proliferate. Here we take a genetic approach to suppress HIV-1 replication based on Tat-dependent production of MazF, an ACA-specific endoribonuclease (mRNA interferase) from Escherichia coli. When induced, MazF is known to cause Bak- and NBK-dependent apoptotic cell death in mammalian cells. We first constructed a retroviral vector, in which the mazF (ACA-less) gene was inserted under the control of the HIV-1 LTR, which was then transduced into CD4+ T-lymphoid CEM-SS cells in such a way that, upon HIV-1 infection, the mazF gene is induced to destroy the infecting HIV-1 mRNA, preventing HIV-1 replication. Indeed, when the transduced cells were infected with HIV-1 IIIB, the viral replication was effectively inhibited, as HIV-1 IIIB p24 could not be detected in the cultu...