FIG. 1.

Organization of the antiviral transgene and mode of action. (A) Structure of the hCMV-gag-SN transgene. The gag-SN transgene was constructed as described in Materials and Methods. hCMV, hCMV-P/E element; box, gag-SN open reading frame (SN sequences depicted in red); SV40, simian virus 40 polyadenylation signal; wavy line, mRNA. (B) Mechanism of viral inactivation (see text for further detail). Gag-SN protein (left) is incorporated into assembling virions via Gag-Gag interactions. Assembled virions are shed from the cell and undergo proteolytic processing and exposure to high Ca²⁺ concentrations, leading to viral RNA degradation (right). Blue line, viral RNA; lollipops, viral Env proteins; large triangles, Gag precursor proteins; red portions, SN.