Resource Logo  Liposome-mediated transfection of circular TAR
RNA decoys into human cells.   HIV Pathog Treat Conf. 1998 Mar
13-19;:42 (abstract no. 1014). Unique  The HIV-1 TAR RNA element
is a 59 nucleotide stem-bulge-loop structure that forms the 5'
end of all HIV-1 transcripts and is an important regulator of
HIV-1 transcription. A small circular TAR RNA decoy was prepared
using the self-splicing activity of a group I permuted intron-
exon. Unspliced linear precursor RNA was synthesized in vitro
using T7 RNA polymerase. This precursor RNA self-spliced to form
a circular product and two linear products. The nucleotide
sequence of the precursor RNA was modified such that the
circular product contained stem, bulge, and loop sequences from
the HIV-1 TAR RNA element. The autocatalytic splicing reaction
was very efficient, converting greater than 95 percent of the
precursor RNA into products. Gel filtration chromatography was
used to purify milligram quantities of circular TAR decoys for
biochemical and cellular