Abstract.
Site-specific cleavage of the HIV-1 viral Rev responsive element by copper aminoglycosides is reported under physiological conditions. This bubble and stem-loop RNA structure is efficiently targeted at micromolar concentrations of complex. The specificity of cleavage of structured viral RNA relative to a non-cognate tRNAPhe of well-defined secondary and tertiary structure is demonstrated. Cleavage products from simpler substrates [diribonucleotide (ApA) and 2′,3′-cyclic monophosphate ester (cAMP)] were analyzed by 31P NMR and demonstrate a hydrolytic mechanism in the absence of external redox agents. These results demonstrate copper aminoglycosides to be highly efficient chemical nucleases with a targeting capability for viral RNA and suggest a novel methodology to counter RNA viruses.
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Sreedhara, A., Cowan, J. Targeted site-specific cleavage of HIV-1 viral Rev responsive element by copper aminoglycosides. J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 6, 166–172 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007750000187
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007750000187