Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Identification of Nucleolar Factors During HIV-1 Replication Through Rev Immunoprecipitation and Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 26, 2019
Identification of a cellular factor that modulates HIV-1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting
Yoshifumi Kobayashi1, Jianling Zhuang, Stuart Peltz
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
Eukaryotic release factor 1 (eRF1) down-regulation enhances programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) in HIV-1. This discovery identifies eRF1 as a key factor in viral replication and a potential antiviral target.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Virology
- Genetics
Background:
- Programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting (-1 PRF) enables viruses like HIV-1 to express multiple proteins from one mRNA.
- Efficient -1 PRF is critical for HIV-1 replication, balancing Gag and Gag-Pol protein synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of eukaryotic release factor 1 (eRF1) in HIV-1 programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting.
- To determine if eRF1 modulates HIV-1 replication through its effect on -1 PRF.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a dual luciferase reporter system to assess HIV-1 PRF efficiency.
- Depleted or inhibited eRF1 in various cell systems (yeast, rabbit reticulocyte lysates, mammalian cells).
- Analyzed Gag-Pol to Gag protein ratios in HIV-1 infected cells with altered eRF1 levels.
Main Results:
- Depletion or inhibition of eRF1 significantly enhanced -1 PRF in all tested systems.
- Reduced eRF1 levels increased the Gag-Pol to Gag protein ratio in HIV-1 infected cells.
- The observed increase in PRF was independent of proximal termination codons or ribosomal pausing.
Conclusions:
- Eukaryotic release factor 1 (eRF1) is the first identified cellular factor that promotes HIV-1 -1 PRF.
- Modulating eRF1 levels impacts HIV-1 replication by altering Gag-Pol to Gag ratios.
- HIV-1 PRF represents a promising, yet under-exploited, target for antiviral drug development.
Related Concept Videos
Leaky Scanning
Ribosome Profiling
Applications of ribosome profiling
Ribosome profiling has many applications, including in vivo monitoring of translation inside a particular organ or tissue type and quantifying new protein synthesis levels.
The technique helps...
Translational Regulation
Ribosomal RNA Synthesis
Ribosome biogenesis begins with the synthesis of 5S and 45S pre-rRNAs by distinct RNA polymerases. The primary transcripts are extensively processed and modified before they are bound and folded by ribosomal proteins and assembly factors,...
Ribosomal RNA Synthesis
Ribosome biogenesis begins with the synthesis of 5S and 45S pre-rRNAs by distinct RNA polymerases. The primary transcripts are extensively processed and modified before they are bound and folded by ribosomal proteins and assembly factors,...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...

