Discovery in Plant Virus to Aid Prevention of HIV and Similar Viruses

Purdue University researchers have been able to genetically modify a plant to halt reproduction of a virus related to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) attacks the Brassicas, a group of plants that includes cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages, turnips, canola and many types of mustard.

The retrovirus HIV and CaMV both use reverse transcription to recruit the host's proteins in order to reproduce and spread infection. The researchers found that in Arabidopsis, the virus recruits a protein complex essential for infection CDKC, which is the same protein complex that HIV uses. “In Arabidopsis there are two genes for the CDKC protein complexes that trigger the transcription process”, said Zhixiang Chen, Purdue professor of botany and plant pathology. "If we knock out one of these genes, the plants become resistant to CaMV and the plant is still growing." The key question for researchers is to determine how blocking the function of one protein inhibits transcription and replication of the viruses. Discovering the answer could mean major advances for prevention of retroviruses and treatment of the diseases they cause in plants and animals.

Read the full news story at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/b/070730ChenMosaicvirus.html.