2025/01/01 by Kamil Więcek, Janusz Wiśniewski, Heng‐Chang Chen · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Immunology and Microbiology · #Evolution and Genetic Dynamics #Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics #HIV Research and Treatment
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2025.08.003
openalex publication_date 2025/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
In this study, we established dozens of single provirus-infected cellular clones offering various transcriptional phenotypes of HIV. We proposed that stochastic fluctuations in HIV transcription can appear at, at least, two levels: (1) the chromosomal landscape and (2) the in situ HIV integration site. In the former case, proviruses integrating at different genomic locations demonstrated a variety of transcriptional bursting and can be classified in noise space constructed based on the parameters associated with the coefficient of variation and using a mathematical model fitting a curve of exponential decay. In the latter case, stochastic HIV transcription can be unveiled through its phenotypic bifurcation and tended to be a pure epigenetic phenomenon: the identical provirus demonstrated fluctuations in its transcription with an elevated frequency. We observed similar expression patterns between sense and antisense RNA transcripts. Notably, both HIV long terminal repeats reacted to drug stimulation and may reveal distinct behaviors. Overall, our data suggest that HIV antisense transcripts could be involved in the stochastic nature of HIV transcription.