Competition between HIV-1-encoded RRE RNA and miRNA-TRBP interactions alters RNA interference activity and gene expression

Aim RNA interference (RNAi) is a mechanism by which small double-stranded RNAs called micro(mi) or small interfering(si) RNAs bind messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to inhibit their expression. The mechanism involves the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) composed of Dicer, TRBP and Ago2 proteins in which TRBP loads miRNAs into the active complex [1]. Several mammalian viruses interfere with RNAi activity. Changes in miRNA and mRNA expression have been observed in patients infected by HIV-1, but the mechanisms are not understood. To explain part of the relationship between RNAi and HIV-1, we investigated the ability and the mechanism of the HIV-1-encoded RNA Rev-Response Element (RRE) to suppress RNAi.