[afro-nets] Scientists Unlock More Secrets Of HIV And SARS When They Replicate

["Leela McCullough" <leela@healthnet.org>]

Scientists Unlock More Secrets Of HIV And SARS When They Replicate
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http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=43272
14 May, 2006

UK scientists have cracked one of the key biological processes used by 
viruses such as HIV and SARS when they replicate according to a paper 
published in the journal Nature tomorrow (11 May). Viruses are able to 
interfere with the host cell processes that our bodies use to replicate 
cells, and protein synthesis is often one of their targets. For the 
first time, researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford 
have witnessed virus-induced "frameshifting" in action and have been 
able to identify the crucial role of particular elements.

The research, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences 
Research Council (BBSRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), The Royal 
Society and The Wellcome Trust, brings us another step closer to 
understanding the fundamental workings of these devastating viruses.

The scientists have revealed the workings of the process known as 
'ribosomal frameshifting' that forces a mis-reading of the genetic code 
during protein synthesis. The correct expression of most genes depends 
upon accurate translation of the 'frame' of the genetic code, which has 
a three nucleotide periodicity. Viruses such as HIV and SARS bring into 
the cell a special signal that forces the ribosome to back up by one 
nucleotide, pushing it into another 'frame' and allowing synthesis of 
different viral proteins. These are exploited by viruses and help them 
to survive and multiply.

The British researchers successfully imaged frameshifting in action and 
for the first time observed how a virus encoded element called an RNA 
pseudoknot interferes with the translation of the genetic code to allow 
viruses like HIV and SARS to express their own enzymes of replication.

Dr Ian Brierley, the project leader at the University of Cambridge, 
said: "This collaborative project was set up with Dr Robert Gilbert's 
team in Oxford to investigate the structure of a frameshifting ribosome 
using electron microscopy. The images we obtained give us an insight 
into how a virus-encoded RNA pseudoknot can induce frameshifting and 
may be useful in designing new ways to combat virus pathogens that use 
this process."

Professor Julia Goodfellow, Chief Executive of the Biotechnology and 
Biological Sciences Research Council, which was one of the main 
funders, said: "This is exciting and valuable research and demonstrates 
clearly why investment in fundamental science is so important. The 
treatments and therapies that we now take for granted are based on 
decades of work by scientists furthering our understanding of natural 
processes. The work to explore fundamental biology today is laying the 
foundation for potential medical applications over the next twenty 
years."

This research appears in Nature, 11 May 2006 - 'A mechanical 
explanation of RNA psuedoknot function in programmed ribosomal 
frameshifting'.

The research was supported by grants from the Biotechnology and 
Biological Sciences Research Council, the Medical Research Council, the 
Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society.

About BBSRC

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is 
the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by 
Government, BBSRC annually invests around £336 million in a wide range 
of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of 
life for UK citizens and supports a number of important industrial 
stakeholders including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and 
pharmaceutical sectors. http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk

About MRC

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a national organisation funded by 
the UK tax-payer. Its business is medical research aimed at improving 
human health; everyone stands to benefit from the outputs. The research 
it supports and the scientists it trains meet the needs of the health 
services, the pharmaceutical and other health-related industries and 
the academic world. MRC has funded work which has led to some of the 
most significant discoveries and achievements in medicine in the UK. 
About half of the MRC's expenditure of approximately £500 million is 
invested in its 40 Institutes, Units and Centres. The remaining half 
goes in the form of grant support and training awards to individuals 
and teams in universities and medical schools.

About The Royal Society

The Royal Society is an independent academy promoting the natural and 
applied sciences. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles, as the 
UK academy of science, as a learned Society, and as a funding agency. 
It responds to individual demand with selection by merit, not by field. 
The Society's objectives are to:

- strengthen UK science by providing support to excellent individuals
- fund excellent research to push back the frontiers of knowledge
- attract and retain the best scientists
- ensure the UK engages with the best science around the world
- support science communication and education; and communicate and 
encourage dialogue with the public
- provide the best independent advice nationally and internationally
- promote scholarship and encourage research into the history of 
science

About The Wellcome Trust

The Wellcome Trust is the most diverse biomedical research charity in 
the world, spending about £450 million every year both in the UK and 
internationally to support and promote research that will improve the 
health of humans and animals. The Trust was established under the will 
of Sir Henry Wellcome, and is funded from a private endowment, which is 
managed with long-term stability and growth in mind.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk 

--
Leela McCullough, Ed.D.
Director of Information Services

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