A ribozyme derived from the catalytic subunit of RNase P from Escherichia coli is highly effective in inhibiting replication of herpes simplex virus 1

A sequence-specific ribozyme (M1GS RNA) derived from the catalytic RNA subunit of RNase P from Escherichia coli was used to target the mRNA encoding human herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) major transcription activator, ICP4. A reduction of more than 80 % in the expression level of ICP4 and a reduction of about 1000-fold in viral growth were observed in cells that stably expressed the ribozyme. In contrast, a reduction of less than 10 % in ICP4 expression and viral growth was observed in cells that either did not express the ribozyme or produced a catalytically inactive ribozyme mutant. Thus, M1GS ribozyme is highly effective in inhibiting HSV-1 growth and can be used as a general gene-targeting agent for anti-HSV applications.