Cellular, as well as, viral factors may have a role in controlling HIV replication, and represent a site of therapeutic intervention in the life cycle of HIV. Since binding sites for nuclear factors are contained in HIV genome, the possible involvement of cellular oncogenes is being evaluated. Synthesis of the early response genes, c-fos and c-myc are being evaluated in T-cell extracts following infection by HIV-111B. Oncogene proteins have been identified on Western blots of T-cell lysates. Oncogene RNA are being identified by hybridization with c-fos and c-myc riboprobes to Northern blots throughout 1-2 cycles of viral replication. Results of northern blots hybridized with control riboprobes clearly show that newly synthesized RNA species in T-cells dramatically changes after infection, while the RNA pattern of chronically infected cells is intermediate. Work is in progress to correlate changes in viral RNA and oncogene RNA, as well as, determine if altered RNA species represents useful and reliable marker of HIV infection.
