scholarly journals Conformational Changes in the 5′ End of the HIV-1 Genome Dependent on the Debranching Enzyme DBR1 during Early Stages of Infection

2017 ◽  
Vol 91 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro E. Galvis ◽  
Hugh E. Fisher ◽  
Hung Fan ◽  
David Camerini
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
Hiv Replication ◽  
Debranching Enzyme ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Previous studies in our laboratory showed that the RNA debranching enzyme (DBR1) is not required for early steps in HIV cDNA formation but is necessary for synthesis of intermediate and late cDNA products. To further characterize this effect, we evaluated the topology of the 5′ end of the HIV-1 RNA genome during early infection with and without inhibition of DBR1 synthesis. Cells were transfected with DBR1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) followed 48 h later by infection with an HIV-1-derived vector containing an RNase H-deficient reverse transcriptase (RT). RNA was isolated at several times postinfection and treated with various RNA-modifying enzymes prior to rapid amplification of 5′ cDNA ends (5′ RACE) for HIV-1 RNA and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). In infected cells, DBR1 knockdown inhibited detection of free HIV-1 RNA 5′ ends at all time points. The difference in detection of free HIV-1 RNA 5′ ends in infected DBR1 knockdown versus control cells was eliminated by in vitro incubation of infected cell RNAs with yeast or human DBR1 enzyme prior to 5′ RACE and qRT-PCR. This was dependent on the 2′-5′ phosphatase activity of DBR1, since it did not occur when we used the catalytically inactive DBR1(N85A) mutant. Finally, HIV-1 RNA from infected DBR1 knockdown cells was resistant to RNase R that degrades linear RNAs but not RNAs in circular or lariat-like conformations. These results provide evidence for formation of a lariat-like structure involving the 5′ end of HIV-1 RNA during an early step in infection and the involvement of DBR1 in resolving it. IMPORTANCE Our findings support a new view of the early steps in HIV genome replication. We show that the HIV genomic RNA is rapidly decapped and forms a lariat-like structure after entering a cell. The lariat-like structure is subsequently resolved by the cellular enzyme DBR1, leaving a 5′ phosphate. This pathway is similar to the formation and resolution of pre-mRNA intron lariats and therefore suggests that similar mechanisms may be used by HIV. Our work therefore opens a new area of investigation in HIV replication and may ultimately uncover new targets for inhibiting HIV replication and for preventing the development of AIDS.

scholarly journals A Novel Leu92 Mutant of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase with a Selective Deficiency in Strand Transfer Causes a Loss of Viral Replication

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (16) ◽  
pp. 8119-8129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eytan Herzig ◽  
Nickolay Voronin ◽  
Nataly Kucherenko ◽  
Amnon Hizi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Viral Replication ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Reverse Transcription ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Strand Transfer ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTThe process of reverse transcription (RTN) in retroviruses is essential to the viral life cycle. This key process is catalyzed exclusively by the viral reverse transcriptase (RT) that copies the viral RNA into DNA by its DNA polymerase activity, while concomitantly removing the original RNA template by its RNase H activity. During RTN, the combination between DNA synthesis and RNA hydrolysis leads to strand transfers (or template switches) that are critical for the completion of RTN. The balance between these RT-driven activities was considered to be the sole reason for strand transfers. Nevertheless, we show here that a specific mutation in HIV-1 RT (L92P) that does not affect the DNA polymerase and RNase H activities abolishes strand transfer. There is also a good correlation between this complete loss of the RT's strand transfer to the loss of the DNA clamp activity of the RT, discovered recently by us. This finding indicates a mechanistic linkage between these two functions and that they are both direct and unique functions of the RT (apart from DNA synthesis and RNA degradation). Furthermore, when the RT's L92P mutant was introduced into an infectious HIV-1 clone, it lost viral replication, due to inefficient intracellular strand transfers during RTN, thus supporting thein vitrodata. As far as we know, this is the first report on RT mutants that specifically and directly impair RT-associated strand transfers. Therefore, targeting residue Leu92 may be helpful in selectively blocking this RT activity and consequently HIV-1 infectivity and pathogenesis.IMPORTANCEReverse transcription in retroviruses is essential for the viral life cycle. This multistep process is catalyzed by viral reverse transcriptase, which copies the viral RNA into DNA by its DNA polymerase activity (while concomitantly removing the RNA template by its RNase H activity). The combination and balance between synthesis and hydrolysis lead to strand transfers that are critical for reverse transcription completion. We show here for the first time that a single mutation in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (L92P) selectively abolishes strand transfers without affecting the enzyme's DNA polymerase and RNase H functions. When this mutation was introduced into an infectious HIV-1 clone, viral replication was lost due to an impaired intracellular strand transfer, thus supporting thein vitrodata. Therefore, finding novel drugs that target HIV-1 reverse transcriptase Leu92 may be beneficial for developing new potent and selective inhibitors of retroviral reverse transcription that will obstruct HIV-1 infectivity.

scholarly journals Selection of Mutations in the Connection and RNase H Domains of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reverse Transcriptase That Increase Resistance to 3′-Azido-3′-Dideoxythymidine

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (15) ◽  
pp. 7852-7859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica H. Brehm ◽  
Dianna Koontz ◽  
Jeffrey D. Meteer ◽  
Vinay Pathak ◽  
Nicolas Sluis-Cremer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Polymerase Domain ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Azt Resistance ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Recent work indicates that mutations in the C-terminal domains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) increase 3′-azido-3′-dideoxythymidine (AZT) resistance. Because it is not known whether AZT selects for mutations outside of the polymerase domain of RT, we carried out in vitro experiments in which HIV-1LAI or AZT-resistant HIV-1LAI (M41L/L210W/T215Y) was passaged in MT-2 cells in increasing concentrations of AZT. The first resistance mutations to appear in HIV-1LAI were two polymerase domain thymidine analog mutations (TAMs), D67N and K70R, and two novel mutations, A371V in the connection domain and Q509L in the RNase H domain, that together conferred up to 90-fold AZT resistance. Thereafter, the T215I mutation appeared but was later replaced by T215F, resulting in a large increase in AZT resistance (∼16,000-fold). Mutations in the connection and RNase H domains were not selected starting with AZT-resistant virus (M41L/L210W/T215Y). The roles of A371V and Q509L in AZT resistance were confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis: A371V and Q509L together increased AZT resistance ∼10- to 50-fold in combination with TAMs (M41L/L210W/T215Y or D67N/K70R/T215F) but had a minimal effect without TAMs (1.7-fold). A371V and Q509L also increased cross-resistance with TAMs to lamivudine and abacavir, but not stavudine or didanosine. These results provide the first evidence that mutations in the connection and RNase H domains of RT can be selected in vitro by AZT and confer greater AZT resistance and cross-resistance to nucleoside RT inhibitors in combination with TAMs in the polymerase domain.

Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reverse Transcriptase by Degradation Products of Ceftazidime

1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
SW Baertschi ◽  
AS Cantrell ◽  
MT Kuhfeld ◽  
U Lorenz ◽  
DB Boyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

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.

scholarly journals Mapping of the Hepatitis B Virus Reverse Transcriptase TP and RT Domains by Transcomplementation for Nucleotide Priming and by Protein-Protein Interaction

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 1885-1893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Lanford ◽  
Young-Ho Kim ◽  
Helen Lee ◽  
Lena Notvall ◽  
Burton Beames
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Protein Interaction ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Stem Loop ◽  
Protein Protein Interaction

ABSTRACT Hepadnavirus polymerases initiate reverse transcription in a protein-primed reaction. We previously described a complementation assay for analysis of the roles of the TP and RT domains of HBV reverse transcriptase (pol) in the priming reaction. Independently expressed TP and RT domains form a complex functional for in vitro priming reactions. To map the minimal functional TP and RT domains, we prepared baculoviruses expressing amino- and carboxyl-terminal deletions of both the TP and RT domains and analyzed the proteins for the ability to participate in transcomplementation for the priming reaction. The minimal TP domain spanned amino acids 20 to 175; however, very little activity was observed without a TP domain spanning amino acids 1 to 199. The minimal RT domain spanned amino acids 300 to 775; however, little activity was observed unless the carboxyl end of the RT domain extended to amino acid 800. Thus, most of the RNase H domain was required. In previous studies, we observed a TP inhibitory domain between amino acids 199 and 344. The current analysis narrowed this domain to residues 300 to 334, which is a portion of the minimal RT domain. In addition, the ability of TP and RT deletion mutants to form stable TP-RT complexes was examined in coimmunoprecipitation assays. The minimal TP and RT domains capable of protein-protein interaction were considerably smaller than the domains required for functional interaction in the transcomplementation assays, and unlike priming activity, TP-RT interaction did not require the epsilon RNA stem-loop. These studies help to further define the complex protein-protein interactions required in HBV genome replication.

scholarly journals Developing and Evaluating Inhibitors against the RNase H Active Site of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul L. Boyer ◽  
Steven J. Smith ◽  
Xue Zhi Zhao ◽  
Kalyan Das ◽  
Kevin Gruber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Nucleoside Analogs ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Strand Transfer ◽  
Hiv Replication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rnase Hi ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT We tested three compounds for their ability to inhibit the RNase H (RH) and polymerase activities of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). A high-resolution crystal structure (2.2 Å) of one of the compounds showed that it chelates the two magnesium ions at the RH active site; this prevents the RH active site from interacting with, and cleaving, the RNA strand of an RNA-DNA heteroduplex. The compounds were tested using a variety of substrates: all three compounds inhibited the polymerase-independent RH activity of HIV-1 RT. Time-of-addition experiments showed that the compounds were more potent if they were bound to RT before the nucleic acid substrate was added. The compounds significantly inhibited the site-specific cleavage required to generate the polypurine tract (PPT) RNA primer that initiates the second strand of viral DNA synthesis. The compounds also reduced the polymerase activity of RT; this ability was a result of the compounds binding to the RH active site. These compounds appear to be relatively specific; they do not inhibit either Escherichia coli RNase HI or human RNase H2. The compounds inhibit the replication of an HIV-1-based vector in a one-round assay, and their potencies were only modestly decreased by mutations that confer resistance to integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), nucleoside analogs, or nonnucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs), suggesting that their ability to block HIV replication is related to their ability to block RH cleavage. These compounds appear to be useful leads that can be used to develop more potent and specific compounds. IMPORTANCE Despite advances in HIV-1 treatment, drug resistance is still a problem. Of the four enzymatic activities found in HIV-1 proteins (protease, RT polymerase, RT RNase H, and integrase), only RNase H has no approved therapeutics directed against it. This new target could be used to design and develop new classes of inhibitors that would suppress the replication of the drug-resistant variants that have been selected by the current therapeutics.

scholarly journals The Base Component of 3′-Azido-2′,3′-Dideoxynucleosides Influences Resistance Mutations Selected in HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 3758-3764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Meteer ◽  
Dianna Koontz ◽  
Ghazia Asif ◽  
Hong-wang Zhang ◽  
Mervi Detorio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Nucleoside Analogs ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Major Determinant ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Resistance Mutations ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTWe recently reported that HIV-1 resistant to 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) is not cross-resistant to 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxypurines. This finding suggested that the nucleoside base is a major determinant of HIV-1 resistance to nucleoside analogs. To further explore this hypothesis, we conductedin vitroselection experiments by serial passage of HIV-1LAIin MT-2 cells in increasing concentrations of 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxyguanosine (3′-azido-ddG), 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (3′-azido-ddC), or 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine (3′-azido-ddA). 3′-Azido-ddG selected for virus that was 5.3-fold resistant to 3′-azido-ddG compared to wild-type HIV-1LAIpassaged in the absence of drug. Population sequencing of the entire reverse transcriptase (RT) gene identified L74V, F77L, and L214F mutations in the polymerase domain and K476N and V518I mutations in the RNase H domain. However, when introduced into HIV-1 by site-directed mutagenesis, these 5 mutations only conferred ∼2.0-fold resistance. Single-genome sequencing analyses of the selected virus revealed a complex population of mutants that all contained L74V and L214F linked to other mutations, including ones not identified during population sequencing. Recombinant HIV-1 clones containing RT derived from single sequences exhibited 3.2- to 4.0-fold 3′-azido-ddG resistance. In contrast to 3′-azido-ddG, 3′-azido-ddC selected for the V75I mutation in HIV-1 RT that conferred 5.9-fold resistance, compared to the wild-type virus. Interestingly, we were unable to select HIV-1 that was resistant to 3′-azido-ddA, even at concentrations of 3′-azido-ddA that yielded high intracellular levels of 3′-azido-ddA-5′-triphosphate. Taken together, these findings show that the nucleoside base is a major determinant of HIV-1 resistance mechanisms that can be exploited in the design of novel nucleoside RT inhibitors.

Cleavage of the HIV-1 p66 reverse transcriptase/RNase H by the p9 protease in vitro generates active p15 RNase H

1991 ◽  
Vol 118 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 179-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Schulze ◽  
M. Nawrath ◽  
Karin Moelling
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Hiv 1

scholarly journals HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Promotes Tumor Growth and Metastasis Formation via ROS-Dependent Upregulation of Twist

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Bayurova ◽  
Juris Jansons ◽  
Dace Skrastina ◽  
Olga Smirnova ◽  
Dzeina Mezale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Immune Suppression ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Kaposi Sarcoma ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Hiv 1

HIV-induced immune suppression results in the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS-associated malignancies including Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cervical cancer. HIV-infected people are also at an increased risk of “non-AIDS-defining” malignancies not directly linked to immune suppression but associated with viral infections. Their incidence is increasing despite successful antiretroviral therapy. The mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unclear. Here, we obtained daughter clones of murine mammary gland adenocarcinoma 4T1luc2 cells expressing consensus reverse transcriptase of HIV-1 subtype A FSU_A strain (RT_A) with and without primary mutations of drug resistance. In in vitro tests, mutations of resistance to nucleoside inhibitors K65R/M184V reduced the polymerase, and to nonnucleoside inhibitors K103N/G190S, the RNase H activities of RT_A. Expression of these RT_A variants in 4T1luc2 cells led to increased production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, enhanced cell motility in the wound healing assay, and upregulation of expression of Vimentin and Twist. These properties, particularly, the expression of Twist, correlated with the levels of expression RT_A and/or the production of ROS. When implanted into syngeneic BALB/C mice, 4T1luc2 cells expressing nonmutated RT_A demonstrated enhanced rate of tumor growth and increased metastatic activity, dependent on the level of expression of RT_A and Twist. No enhancement was observed for the clones expressing mutated RT_A variants. Plausible mechanisms are discussed involving differential interactions of mutated and nonmutated RTs with its cellular partners involved in the regulation of ROS. This study establishes links between the expression of HIV-1 RT, production of ROS, induction of EMT, and enhanced propagation of RT-expressing tumor cells. Such scenario can be proposed as one of the mechanisms of HIV-induced/enhanced carcinogenesis not associated with immune suppression.

scholarly journals The Nature of the N-Terminal Amino Acid Residue of HIV-1 RNase H Is Critical for the Stability of Reverse Transcriptase in Viral Particles

2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 1286-1297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guney Boso ◽  
Claes Örvell ◽  
Nikunj V. Somia
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Virus Particle ◽  
Amino Acid Residue ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Terminal Amino Acid ◽  
Viral Protease ◽  
Terminal Amino ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTReverse transcriptase (RT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is synthesized and packaged into the virion as a part of the GagPol polyprotein. Mature RT is released by the action of viral protease. However, unlike other viral proteins, RT is subject to an internal cleavage event leading to the formation of two subunits in the virion: a p66 subunit and a p51 subunit that lacks the RNase H domain. We have previously identified RNase H to be an HIV-1 protein that has the potential to be a substrate for the N-end rule pathway, which is an ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic system in which the identity of the N-terminal amino acid determines the half-life of a protein. Here we examined the importance of the N-terminal amino acid residue of RNase H in the early life cycle of HIV-1. We show that changing this residue to an amino acid structurally different from the conserved residue leads to the degradation of RT and, in some cases, integrase in the virus particle and this abolishes infectivity. Using intravirion complementation andin vitroprotease cleavage assays, we show that degradation of RT in RNase H N-terminal mutants occurs in the absence of active viral protease in the virion. Our results also indicate the importance of the RNase H N-terminal residue in the dimerization of RT subunits.IMPORTANCEHIV-1 proteins are initially made as part of a polyprotein that is cleaved by the viral protease into the proteins that form the virus particle. We were interested in one particular protein, RNase H, that is cleaved from reverse transcriptase. In particular, we found that the first amino acid of RNase H never varied in over 1,850 isolates of HIV-1 that we compared. When we changed the first amino acid, we found that the reverse transcriptase in the virus was degraded. While other studies have implied that the viral protease can degrade mutant RT proteins, we show here that this may not be the case for our mutants. Our results suggest that the presence of active viral protease is not required for the degradation of RT in RNase H N-terminal mutants, suggesting a role for a cellular protease in this process.

Development of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1Starting with Wild-Type or Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Resistant-Strains

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria E. Cilento ◽  
Aaron B. Reeve ◽  
Eleftherios Michailidis ◽  
Tatiana V. Ilina ◽  
Eva Nagy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Transcriptase Inhibitor ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Resistance Mutations ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
Hiv 1

4’-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2’-deoxyadenosine (EFdA, MK-8591, islatravir) is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (NRTTI) with exceptional potency against WT and drug-resistant HIV-1, in Phase III clinical trials. EFdA resistance is not well characterized. To study EFdA-resistance patterns as it may emerge in naïve or tenofovir- (TFV), emtricitabine/lamivudine- (FTC/3TC), or zidovudine- (AZT) treated patients we performed viral passaging experiments starting with wild-type, K65R, M184V, or D67N/K70R/T215F/K219Q HIV-1. Regardless the starting viral sequence, all selected EFdA-resistant variants included the M184V RT mutation. Using recombinant viruses, we validated the role for M184V as the primary determinant of EFdA resistance; none of the observed connection subdomain (R358K and E399K) or RNase H domain (A502V) mutations significantly contributed to EFdA resistance. A novel EFdA resistance mutational pattern that included A114S was identified in the background of M184V. A114S/M184V exhibited higher EFdA resistance (∼24-fold) than M184V (∼8-fold) or A114S alone (∼2-fold). Remarkably, A114S/M184V and A114S/M184V/A502V resistance mutations were up to 50-fold more sensitive to tenofovir than WT HIV-1. These mutants also had significantly lower specific infectivity than WT. Biochemical experiments confirmed decreases in the enzymatic efficiency (k cat /K m ) of WT vs. A114S (2.1-fold) and A114S/M184V/A502V (6.5-fold) RTs, with no effect of A502V on enzymatic efficiency or specific infectivity. The rather modest EFdA resistance of M184V or A114S/M184V (8- and 24-fold), their hypersusceptibility to tenofovir, and strong published in vitro and in vivo data, suggest that EFdA is an excellent therapeutic candidate for naïve, AZT-, FTC/3TC, and especially tenofovir-treated patients.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document