Gag–Pol bearing a reverse transcriptase drug-resistant mutation influences viral genomic RNA incorporation into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 particles

Abstract

The unspliced human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA is both the messenger for Gag and Gag–Pol and the viral genomic RNA (vRNA) that is packaged into the virion. Although Gag alone is sufficient for the incorporation of vRNA into virus particles, Gag–Pol molecules play an important role in vRNA dimerization and virion maturation. Here, a cis model for vRNA packaging was demonstrated, in which nascent Gag–Pol molecules were preferentially co-encapsulated with their cognate RNA used as the template. Genome-incorporation frequencies were evaluated for two distinct HIV-1 proviral clones differing in their ability to respond to nevirapine (NVP) treatment in one round of infection. It was shown that, under NVP selection, there was a twofold-higher incorporation of vRNAs and integration of provirus genome carrying NVP resistance when compared with the wild-type counterpart. Although cis incorporation has been already demonstrated for Gag, the novelty of these findings is that newly acquired resistant mutations in Gag–Pol will select their specific genomic RNA during virus replication, thus rapidly increasing the chance of the emergence of resistant viruses during the course of anti-retroviral treatment.