scholarly journals In vitro analysis of the effects of mutations in the G-tract of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 polypurine tract on RNase H cleavage specificity

Virology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 360 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatima D. Jones ◽  
Stephen H. Hughes
2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (20) ◽  
pp. 11150-11157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Jane McWilliams ◽  
John G. Julias ◽  
Stefan G. Sarafianos ◽  
W. Gregory Alvord ◽  
Edward Arnold ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The RNase H activity of retroviral reverse transcriptases (RTs) degrades viral genomic RNA after it has been copied into DNA, removes the tRNA used to initiate negative-strand DNA synthesis, and generates and removes the polypurine tract (PPT) primer used to initiate positive-strand DNA synthesis. The cleavages that remove the tRNA and that generate and remove the PPT primer must be specific to generate linear viral DNAs with ends that are appropriate for integration into the host cell genome. The crystal structure of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RT in a complex with an RNA/DNA duplex derived from the PPT revealed that the 5′ end of the PPT deviates from traditional Watson-Crick base pairing. This unusual structure may play a role in the proper recognition of the PPT by HIV-1 RT. We made substitution mutations in the 5′ end of the PPT and determined their effects on virus titer. The results indicated that single and double mutations in the 5′ end of the PPT had modest effects on virus replication in a single-cycle assay. More complex mutations had stronger effects on virus titer. Analysis of the two-long-terminal-repeat circle junctions derived from infecting cells with the mutant viruses indicated that the mutations affected RNase H activity, resulting in the retention of PPT sequences on viral DNA. The mutants tested preferentially retained specific segments of the PPT, suggesting an effect on cleavage specificity. These results suggest that structural features of the PPT are important for its recognition and cleavage in vivo.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (23) ◽  
pp. 13315-13324 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G. Julias ◽  
Mary Jane McWilliams ◽  
Stefan G. Sarafianos ◽  
W. Gregory Alvord ◽  
Eddy Arnold ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The RNase H cleavages that generate and remove the polypurine tract (PPT) primer during retroviral reverse transcription must be specific in order to create a linear viral DNA that is suitable for integration. Lentiviruses contain a highly conserved sequence consisting of six guanine residues at the 3′ end of the PPT (hereafter referred to as the G tract). We introduced mutations into the G tract of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1-based vector and determined the effects on the virus titer and RNase H cleavage specificity. Most mutations in the G tract had little or no effect on the virus titer. Mutations at the second and fifth positions of the G tract increased the proportion of two-long-terminal-repeat (2-LTR) circle junctions with one or two nucleotide insertions. The second and fifth positions of the G tract make specific contacts with amino acids in the RNase H domain that are important for RNase H cleavage specificity. These complementary data define protein-nucleic acid interactions that help control the specificity of RNase H cleavage. When the G-tract mutants were analyzed in a viral background that was deficient in integrase, in most cases the proportion of consensus 2-LTR circle junctions increased. However, in the case of a mutant with Ts at the second and fifth positions of the G tract, the proportion of 2-LTR circle junctions containing the one-nucleotide insertion increased, suggesting that linear viral DNAs containing an extra base are substrates for integration. This result is consistent with the idea that the 3′ end-processing reactions of retroviral integrases may help to generate defined ends from a heterogenous population of linear viral DNAs.


1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
SW Baertschi ◽  
AS Cantrell ◽  
MT Kuhfeld ◽  
U Lorenz ◽  
DB Boyd ◽  
...  

Previous work by Hafkemeyer et al. (1991) [ Nucleic Acids Research19: 4059–4065] indicated that a degradation product of ceftazidime, termed HP 0.35, was active against the RNase H activity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) reverse transcriptase (RT) in vitro. Attempting to repeat these results, we isolated HP 0.35 from an aqueous degradation of ceftazidime and, after careful purification, we found HP 0.35 to be essentially inactive against both the polymerase and RNase H domains of HIV-1 RT (IC50 of >100 μg mL−1). During the investigation we discovered that polymeric degradation products of ceftazidime inhibited both the polymerase and, to a greater extent, the RNase H activities of HIV-1 RT in vitro (IC50 approximately 0.1 and 0.01 μg mL−1, respectively). Subjecting HP 0.35 to conditions under which it could polymerize induced inhibitory activity similar to that of the polymeric ceftazidime degradation products. It is proposed that the previously reported activity of HP 0.35 may have resulted from the presence of low levels of polymeric material either from incomplete purification or from polymerization of HP 0.35 during storage or in vitro testing.


2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (11) ◽  
pp. 3861-3869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Ntemgwa ◽  
Mark A. Wainberg ◽  
Maureen Oliveira ◽  
Daniela Moisi ◽  
Richard Lalonde ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mutations in the RNase H domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RT have been reported to cause resistance to zidovudine (ZDV) in vitro. However, very limited data on the in vivo relevance of these mutations in patients exist to date. This study was designed to determine the relationship between mutations in the RNase H domain and viral susceptibility to nucleoside analogues. Viruses harboring complex thymidine analogue mutation (TAM) and nucleoside analogue mutation (NAM) profiles were evaluated for their phenotypic susceptibilities to ZDV, tenofovir (TNF), and the nonapproved nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) β-2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxy-5-fluorocytidine (Reverset), β-d-5-fluorodioxolane-cytosine, and apricitabine. As controls, viruses from NRTI-naïve patients were also studied. The pol RT region (codons 21 to 250) of the viruses were sequenced and evaluated for mutations in the RNase H domain (codons 441 to 560) and the connection domain (codons 289 to 400). The results showed that viruses from patients failing multiple NRTI-containing regimens had distinct TAM and NAM profiles that conferred various degrees of resistance to ZDV (0.9- to >300-fold). Sequencing of the RNase H domain identified five positions (positions 460,468, 483, 512, and 519) at which extensive amino acid polymorphisms common in both wild-type viruses and viruses from treated patients were identified. No mutations were observed at positions 539 and 549, which have previously been associated with ZDV resistance. Mutations in the RNase H domain did not appear to correlate with the levels of phenotypic resistance to ZDV. Although some mutations were also observed in the connection domain, the simultaneous presence of the L74V and M184V mutations was the most significant determinant of phenotypic resistance to ZDV in patients infected with viruses with TAMs.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (23) ◽  
pp. 11874-11880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Qiang Gao ◽  
Stefan G. Sarafianos ◽  
Edward Arnold ◽  
Stephen H. Hughes

ABSTRACT The synthesis of retroviral DNA is initiated near the 5′ end of the RNA. DNA synthesis is transferred from the 5′ end to the 3′ end of viral RNA in an RNase H-dependent step. In the case of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) (and certain other retroviruses that have complex secondary structures at the ends of the viral RNA), there is the possibility that DNA synthesis can lead to a self-priming event that would block viral replication. The extent of RNase H cleavage must be sufficient to allow the strand transfer reaction to occur, but not so extensive that self-priming occurs. We have used a series of model RNA substrates, with and without a 5′ cap, to investigate the rules governing RNase H cleavage at the 5′ end of the HIV-1 genome. These in vitro RNase H cleavage reactions produce an RNA fragment of the size needed to block self-priming but still allow strand transfer. The cleavages seen in vitro can be understood in light of the structure of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in a complex with an RNA/DNA substrate.


2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 917-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobo Lopez-Abente ◽  
Adrián Prieto-Sanchez ◽  
Maria-Ángeles Muñoz-Fernandez ◽  
Rafael Correa-Rocha ◽  
Marjorie Pion

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document