Milestones
Lessons learned by study at the retrovirus-host interface
-
- Discovered translation control mechanism conferred by retroviruses
- Elucidated the cellular effector protein and cognate cis-acting responsive elements in the 5' UTR
- Solved the secondary structure of the cognate viral RNA element and cellular paralog
- Defined the molecular basis is DHX9/RNA helicase tethered to cognate viral and cellular mRNAs
- Quantified DICER suppresses synthesis of HIV-1 virion proteins
- Defined HIV-1 antagonizes DICER activity and requires the arginine-rich RNA binding domain in Tat
- Revealed HIV-1 downregulates host protein synthesis due to activating eIF4E inhibitory binding protein
- Characterized Vpr is necessary and sufficient for downregulation of host translation
- Discovered the retention of nuclear cap-binding protein provides HIV-1 resistance to eIF4E inhibition
- Distinguished distinct components of HIV-1 RNPs for protein synthesis and virion biogenesis
- Revealed unique capacity for reinitiation of translation by the translation RNP of human retroviruses
- Defined specific nuclear interactions that distinguish a viral RNP for virion biogenesis
- By usurping the cell’s gene expression machineries, retroviruses produce a dozen gene products from a single RNA.
- Distinctions in the viral RNPs are expected to reveal selectivity to pulling its Achilles' heel.
Patents
- US 5554524 A: More complex type retroviruses having mixed type LTR, and uses thereof
- US 5770428 A: Chimeric retrovial expression vectors and particles containing a simple retroviral long terminal repeat, BLV or HIV coding regions and cis-acting regulatory sequences, and an RNA translational enhancer with internal ribosome entry site
Animal Science Veterinary Medicine (AS/VM) Building
Location