Human retroviral antisense mRNAs are retained in the nuclei of infected cells for viral persistence

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014783118
• Publication Date: 2021-04-19T20:53:45Z
• Authors: Guangyong Ma; Jun-ichirou Yasunaga; Kazuya Shimura; Keiko Takemoto; Miho Watanabe; Masayuki Amano; Hirotomo Nakata; Benquan Liu; Xiaorui Zuo; Masao Matsuoka
• Keywords: Persistence (discontinuity)

Significance Two deadly human retroviruses, T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HIV (HIV-1), enter latency in vivo, rendering viral countermeasures ineffective. Recently, novel retroviral genes have been discovered to be expressed from the antisense strand of retroviruses even during latency; they are called genes, including HBZ gene for HTLV-1 ASP HIV-1. We employed RNA-fluorescence situ hybridization technology that messenger RNAs (mRNAs) predominantly localized nucleus infected cells, despite their coding function. Moreover, mRNAs constantly latent retained support persistence; this may allow them become feasible targets retrovirus elimination.