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08:01
Detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Antisense Protein (ASP) RNA Transcripts in Patients by Strand-Specific RT-PCR
Published on: November 27, 2019
Antisense transcription in the human cytomegalovirus transcriptome
Guojuan Zhang1, Bindu Raghavan, Mark Kotur
1The Ohio State University, Department of Pathology, 4162 Graves Hall, 333 West 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Journal of Virology
|August 10, 2007
Summary
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) gene discovery is complex. Analysis reveals many noncoding and antisense transcripts, suggesting current genomic maps underestimate viral gene products and highlighting new therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections pose significant health risks, particularly to immunocompromised individuals.
- The HCMV genome is large and complex, with the exact number of viral genes remaining uncertain despite available sequence data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the HCMV transcriptome to identify and characterize viral gene products.
- To investigate the complexity of viral gene expression beyond traditional open-reading-frame predictions.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of transcripts from HCMV-infected fibroblasts at various time points.
- Generation of cDNA libraries representing different temporal classes of viral gene expression.
- Sequence analysis of cDNA clones to identify viral sequences and their orientation.
Main Results:
- 45% of analyzed cDNA clones originated from predicted noncoding genomic regions.
- At least 55% of cDNA clones were antisense to known or predicted HCMV genes.
- Significant accumulation of antisense transcripts during HCMV infection was observed.
Conclusions:
- Current HCMV genomic maps may underestimate the true complexity of viral gene products.
- Antisense transcription likely influences HCMV life cycle and genome organization.
- Noncoding and antisense transcripts represent potential targets for novel antiviral therapies.
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