Comparison of viral genomic RNA sorting mechanisms in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and moloney murine leukemia virus

Genomic RNA sorting between translation and packaging was examined for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2 using actinomycin D and leptomycin B treatment. Both viruses behaved differently from a simple retrovirus under actinomycin D treatment. With leptomycin B, the lack of apparent functional separation between translation and packaging functions in lentiviruses was confirmed. HIV-2 RNA levels were more stable, but reverse transcriptase production declined similarly to HIV-1.