RNA RECOGNITION BY THE HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TAT-PROTEIN AND REV-PROTEIN

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) regulatory proteins, Tat and Rev, are important potential targets for the development of new drug t herapies against HIV infection. Both proteins are highly specific RNA- binding proteins that recognize cis-acting regulatory elements in the viral mRNAs. These interactions are fascinating paradigms of a new pri nciple of RNA recognition in which the protein makes contact with func tional groups displayed in a distorted major groove of an RNA duplex.