MOLECULES WHICH BIND TO THE DIMERIZATION INITIATION SITE (DIS) OF HIV RNA, THEIR SYNTHESIS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS AS DRUGS

摘要

The dimerization of HIV RNA is a key step in the virus replication cycle. Based on RNA DIS crystal structures, a novel kind of compounds, dimeric or not, based on neamine was designed and synthesized. Biological studies showed that such compounds bind and interfere with the targeted RNA sequence, opening a new anti-HIV approach. The crystal structures and biochemical experiments showed that the DIS of HIV-I genomic RNA is a target for new anti-HIV drugs and that those drugs could be derived from aminoglycosides. The results revealed that binding of aminoglycosides to the DIS is specific regarding both the aminoglycoside family and the RNA subtype.