HIV-1 Tat: coping with negative elongation factors

The intrinsic processivity of RNA polymerase II complexes arises from a complex interplay between the recently identified positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) and negative transcription elongation factors, DSIF (5, 6-dichloro-1-β-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole [DRB]-sensitivitγ-inducing factor) and the negative elongation factor complex (NELF). Elements in nascent HIV-1 RNA function in concert with these factors and the HIV-1 Tat protein to ensure that viral transcription is induced strongly in activated T cells. Studies in the past year have elucidated key aspects of the Tat trans-activation mechanism that help to define this important paradigm for RNA-mediated control of transcription elongation.