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Updated: Apr 17, 2026

High Throughput In Vitro Assessment of Latency Reversing Agents on HIV Transcription and Splicing
Published on: January 22, 2019
Does chronic infection in retroviruses have a sense?
Benoit Barbeau1, Jean-Michel Mesnard2
1Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, 2080 Saint-Urbain, Montréal, QC H2X 3X8, Canada; Centre de Recherche BioMed, Université du Québec à Montréal, 2080 Saint-Urbain, Montréal, QC H2X 3X8, Canada.
Abstract:
Over recent years, retroviral gene expression has been shown to depend on a promoter that is bidirectional. This promoter activity is likely to occur at either end of the retroviral genome and has important consequences at the level of retroviral gene expression. This review focuses on the recent discovery of retroviral antisense genes termed HBZ [in human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)] and ASP (in HIV-1) in terms of their function and the regulation of their expression, both of which are interconnected with the expression and function of other viral proteins. Emphasis is also given to the potential implication of these proteins in the maintenance of chronic infection in infected individuals. In light of recent findings, the discovery of these new genes opens a new avenue for the future treatment of HTLV-1- and HIV-1-infected individuals.
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