Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

10:12
Measuring Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Unfolded Protein Response in HIV-1 Infected T-Cells and Analyzing its Role in HIV-1 Replication
Published on: June 14, 2024
In vitro translation to study HIV protease activity.
Zene Matsuda1, Mutsunori Iga, Kosuke Miyauchi
1Research Center for Asian Infectious Diseases, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|July 20, 2007
Summary
A new in vitro method rapidly phenotypes HIV-1 protease (PR) activity. This assay aids in evaluating drug resistance and discovering new HIV-1 therapies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- HIV-1 protease (PR) is a critical enzyme for viral replication and a key target of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
- Phenotypic assays are essential for assessing HIV-1 PR activity and guiding treatment decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and describe a novel in vitro transcription/translation-based method for phenotyping HIV-1 PR.
- To establish a rapid, safe, and accessible assay for evaluating HIV-1 PR activity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an in vitro transcription/translation system to generate both substrate and HIV-1 PR.
- Assessed protease activity by measuring substrate cleavage using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
- The method requires no specialized laboratory facilities.
Main Results:
- Successfully established a functional in vitro transcription/translation-based assay for HIV-1 PR phenotyping.
- The assay demonstrated safety, speed, and ease of implementation.
- The method allows for direct measurement of protease activity through substrate cleavage.
Conclusions:
- This rapid phenotyping method for HIV-1 PR can aid in evaluating drug resistance.
- The assay facilitates the selection of appropriate therapeutic regimens for HIV-1 patients.
- The developed method has the potential to accelerate the discovery of new anti-HIV-1 drugs targeting PR.
Related Concept Videos
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly
As part of their replication cycle, certain viruses synthesize long precursor proteins called polyproteins within infected host cells. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), two major polyproteins are produced: Gag and Gag-Pol. The Gag polyprotein supplies the structural components of the virus, while Gag-Pol includes essential viral enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease. After synthesis, these polyproteins move to the host cell membrane, where they assemble into an...
Initiation of Translation
Initiating translation is complex because it involves multiple molecules. Initiator tRNA, ribosomal subunits, and eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) are all required to assemble on the initiation codon of mRNA. This process consists of several steps that are mediated by different eIFs.
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...
Leaky Scanning
During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA. Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R stands for...

