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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Evaluation of the Efficacy And Toxicity of RNAs Targeting HIV-1 Production for Use in Gene or Drug Therapy
Published on: September 5, 2016
ADAR2 editing enzyme is a novel human immunodeficiency virus-1 proviral factor
Margherita Doria1, Sara Tomaselli2, Francesca Neri1
1Laboratory of Immunoinfectivology, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, 00165 Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
The adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes catalyse conversion of adenosine to inosine in dsRNA. A positive effect of ADAR1 on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication has recently been reported. Here, we show that another ADAR enzyme, ADAR2, positively affects the replication process of HIV-1. We found that, analogously to ADAR1, ADAR2 enhances the release of progeny virions by an editing-dependent mechanism. However, differently from the ADAR1 enzyme, ADAR2 does not increase the infectious potential of the virus. Importantly, downregulation of ADAR2 in Jurkat cells significantly impairs viral replication. Therefore, ADAR2 shares some but not all proviral functions of ADAR1. These results suggest a novel role of ADAR2 as a viral regulator.
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