Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Analysis of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-specific CD8+ T-cells in Rhesus Macaques by Peptide-MHC-I Tetramer Staining
Published on: December 23, 2016
Molecular mechanisms of simian immunodeficiency virus SIV(agm) RNA encapsidation
William Fu1, V V S P Prasad, Jianbo Chen
1HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, 1 Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Abstract:
Primate lentiviruses are composed of several distinct lineages, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus SIVagm. HIV-1 and HIV-2 have significant differences in the mechanisms of viral RNA encapsidation. Therefore, the RNA packaging mechanisms of SIVagm cannot be predicted from the studies of HIV-1 and HIV-2. We examined the roles of the nucleocapsid (NC) zinc finger motifs on RNA packaging by mutating the conserved zinc finger (CCHC) motifs, and whether SIVagm has a preference to package RNA in cis by comparing the RNA packaging efficiencies of gag mutants in the presence of a wild-type vector. Our results indicate that the SIVagm NC domain plays an important role in Gag-RNA recognition; furthermore SIVagm is distinct from the other currently known primate lentiviruses as destroying either zinc finger motif in the NC causes very drastic RNA packaging defects. Additionally, trans-packaging is a major mechanism for SIVagm RNA encapsidation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...
Viruses with RNA Genomes
Inhibitors Of Virion Release
Subviral Agents

