Binding of dimeric aminoglycosides to the HIV-1 rev responsive element (RRE) RNA construct

Through a series of elegant fluorescence measurements, particularly through stopped-flow kinetic measurements, it was recently demonstrated that aminoglycoside antibiotics are able to bind to the HIV-1 Rev responsive element (RRE) RNA construct in more than a 1:1 stoichiometry (Lacourciere, K. A.; Stivers, J. T.; Marino, J. P. Biocheminstry 2000, 39, 5630). Here, we present the binding study results of dimeric neomycin ligands through fluorescence anisotropy studies, to the HIV-1 RRE RNA construct. The dimeric neomycin molecules are observed to be able to bind the HIV-1 RRE RNA construct approximately 17-fold higher when compared to the monomeric neomycin, lending evidence that there are indeed two or more neomycin binding sites within the HIV-1 RRE construct.