Abstract
HTLV-I, II, HIV-1, 2 and other retroviruses possess genes for the transcriptional
activators, tax and tat, the expression of which is closely related with the pathogenesis of leukemia and
human immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and induced by the virus infection. The effects
of these activators on the expression of host cell genes, however, are still largely
unknown. Recently the authors have discovered that infection with HIV or Mo-MuLV causes
a specific acceleration of the synthesis of an UAG suppressor glutamine tRNA in the
host cell; they could demonstrate that this phenomenon is based on transcriptional
promotion of tRNA genes which is due to a new transcriptional activator synthesized
as a function of viral infection and/or increased virus levels. The present paper
discusses the significance of the suppressor tRNA and explains the role of the virus
in the regulation of its expression.
Key words
HIV-1 - AIDS - Avarol - human immunodeficiency virus
