{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.022845953002610966, 'fraction_numerical': 0.016318537859007835, 'mean_word_length': 5.308641975308642, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Identification of a Key Target Sequence To Block Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication within thegag-pol Transframe Domain

ABSTRACT Although the full sequence of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome has been known for more than a decade, effective genetic antivirals have yet to be developed. Here we show that, of 22 regions examined, one highly conserved sequence (ACTCTTTGGCAACGA) near the 3′ end of the HIV-1 gag-poltransframe region, encoding viral protease residues 4 to 8 and a C-terminal Vpr-binding motif of p6Gag protein in two different reading frames, can be successfully targeted by an antisense peptide nucleic acid oligomer named PNAPR2. A disrupted translation of gag-pol mRNA induced at the PNAPR2-annealing site resulted in a decreased synthesis of Pr160Gag-Pol polyprotein, hence the viral protease, a predominant expression of Pr55Gag devoid of a fully functional p6Gag protein, and the excessive intracellular cleavage of Gag precursor proteins, hindering the processes of virion assembly. Treatment with PNAPR2abolished virion production by up to 99% in chronically HIV-1-infected H9 cells and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with clinical HIV-1 isolates with the multidrug-resistant phenotype. This particular segment of the gag-pol transframe gene appears to offer a distinctive advantage over other regions in invading viral structural genes and restraining HIV-1 replication in infected cells and may potentially be exploited as a novel antiviral genetic target.