Alterations in the expression of DEAD-box and other RNA binding proteins during HIV-1 replication

Recent results showed that certain DEAD box protein RNA helicases, DDX3 and DDX1, play an important role in the HIV infection cycle by facilitating the export of long, singly spliced or unspliced HIV RNAs from the nucleus via the CRM1-Rev pathway. Close examination of an extensive microarray expression profiling dataset obtained from cells latently infected with HIV induced to undergo lytic viral replication indicated that additional DEAD box proteins, beyond DDX3 and DDX1, exhibit differential expression during lytic HIV replication, and in latently infected cells prior to induction into active replication. This finding provides additional evidence that the involvement of DEAD box proteins and other RNA-binding proteins may play roles in active HIV replication and in the control of viral latency. Agents targeting these functions may offer new approaches to antiretroviral therapy and the therapeutic manipulation of HIV latency.