Molecular analysis of the second template switch during reverse transcription of the HIV RNA template.

The molecular events leading to the second template switch during reverse transcription of the HIV genome were studied in a defined in-vitro system. In order to investigate displacement of the tRNA(lys) primer from the primer binding site (PBS) of the viral genomic RNA, following DNA synthesis, we produced an HIV RNA/DNA substrate that resembles the intermediate reverse transcription complex formed prior to the second template switch. Partial tRNA(lys) primer displacement was observed during plus (+) strand DNA synthesis and during minus (-) strand DNA elongation. We found two determinants that may serve as a stop signal for (+) DNA strong stop synthesis, the A(m) at position 19 of the natural tRNA(lys) and the secondary structure at the PBS sequence. The later signal appears to constitute a stronger terminator in-vitro. The 3' end of the nascent (-) DNA strand prior to the second template switch was also determined. It was mapped to the U5-PBS junction at the site for the first endonucleolytic cut introduced by the RNase H activity of the HIV reverse transcriptase (RT). Thus, different signals dictate the arrest of (-) and (+) nascent DNA synthesis. These stop signals appear to be required for the subsequent second template switch. However, an excess of (-) DNA "acceptor" molecules, having a 18-base sequence complementary to the (+) DNA "donor" template, was required to demonstrate the actual template switch in the in-vitro system. Taken together these results indicate that the reverse transcriptase can catalyze all the steps leading to the second template switch and auxiliary viral proteins may act to enhance the efficiency of this step during the reverse transcription process.

RNase H activity of reverse transcriptases on substrates derived from the 5' end of retroviral genome.

RNA/DNA substrates derived from the 5' ends of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMuLV) genomes were used to study the specificity of the RNase H activities of HIV, AMV (avian myeloblastosis virus), and MMuLV reverse transcriptases. These substrates were selected because they represent the site for the first template switch during proviral DNA synthesis. Variability of cleavage was observed depending on the origin of the enzyme as well as the sequence of the RNA/DNA substrate. The minimal size of hybrid recognized by the RNase H activity of reverse transcriptase was also affected by the same parameters, namely, the enzyme and the substrate origin. Moreover, the size of the residual 5'-undigested RNA after completion of the RNase H reaction depended on the position of the DNA annealed to the genomic RNA. When the hybrid was located at the 5' R region of the viral genome, stable hybrids with RNAs of 13-18 nucleotides remained following digestion by HIV reverse transcriptase, and 21-24 nucleotides following digestion by AMV reverse transcriptase and MMuLV reverse transcriptase. On the other hand, with all three enzymes, smaller sized hybrids remained when the DNA was hybridized to internal U5 or R sequences. The reason for this variance in size appears to be the inability of RNase H to efficiently digest at the 5' end of hybrid structures. Surprisingly, hybridization to the RNA template, of a DNA oligomer that extended 15 nucleotides beyond the 5' end of the RNA R region sequences, resulted in further digestion of the RNA. This unexpected mode of action of RNase H at the 5' end of the genomic RNA should be taken in consideration in studies of the first template switch.

Characterization of the double stranded RNA dependent RNase activity associated with recombinant reverse transcriptases.

An in situ gel assay was applied to the study of double stranded RNA dependent RNase activity associated with reverse transcriptase (RT) of HIV-1 and murine leukemia virus. Polyacrylamide gels containing [32P] RNA/RNA substrate were used for electrophoresis of proteins under denaturing conditions. The proteins were renatured and in situ enzymatic degradation of 32P-RNA/RNA was followed. E. coli RNaseIII, but not E. coli RNaseH, was active in this in situ gel assay, indicating specificity of the assay to RNA/RNA dependent nucleases. Analysis of purified preparations of HIV-1 RT p66/p51 expressed in E. coli demonstrated an RNA/RNA dependent RNase activity comigrating with the large subunit (p66) of the enzyme. In addition, this activity of the RT was often accompanied by a contaminating RNA/RNA dependent RNase, with a molecular weight approximately 30,000 dalton identical to that of E. coli RNaseIII. As the p51 small subunit of HIV-1 RT and a mutant of RT p66/p51, at Glutamic acid #478, did not exhibit RNA/RNA dependent RNase activity, at least part of the active site of the RNA/RNA dependent RNase activity appeared to reside at the carboxy end of the molecule. As these RT proteins are also deficient of RNaseH, our results suggest overlapping or identical catalytic sites for degradation of the substrates RNA/DNA and RNA/RNA.

Comparative analysis of native and cysteine-deficient HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

To study the subunit structure and the active site of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase (RT), the enzyme was expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity in large quantities. The recombinant enzyme consists of two major polypeptides of 66,000 and 53,000 Da in equimolar amounts and a minor species of 51,000 Da. Amino acid sequence analysis of the recombinant proteins revealed that the amino termini of the two major subunits are identical to that of the virion-derived enzyme. The two cysteinyl residues at positions 38 and 280 in the RT amino acid sequence were replaced by alanine in an attempt to elucidate the role of the sulfhydryl groups in RT enzyme activities, heterodimer formation, and intrasubunit linkage. The results reported here show that the two cysteinyls are dispensable and their absence in the amino acid sequence of the reverse transcriptase does not affect DNA polymerase or ribonuclease H enzyme activities or the formation of heterodimer structures. Furthermore, inhibitors of polymerase activity such as 3-azidothymidine triphosphate, dideoxythymidine triphosphate, and tetrahydroimidazo[4,5,1-JK][1,4]benzodiazepens (1H)-one are equally effective on the mutant containing no cysteinyl residues and the wild-type enzyme.

Double-stranded RNA-dependent RNase activity associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase.

Early events in the retroviral replication cycle include the conversion of viral genomic RNA into linear double-stranded DNA. This process is mediated by the reverse transcriptase (RT), a multifunctional enzyme that possesses RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, DNA-dependent DNA polymerase, and RNase H activities. In the course of studies of a recombinant RT of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), we observed an additional, unexpected activity of the enzyme. The purified RT catalyzes a specific cleavage in HIV-1 RNA hybridized to tRNALys, the primer for HIV-1 reverse transcription. The cleavage at the primer binding site (PBS) of HIV RNA is dependent on the double-stranded structure of the HIV RNA-tRNALys complex. This RNase activity appears to be distinct from the RNase H activity of HIV-1 RT, as the substrate specificity and the products of the two activities are different. Moreover, Escherichia coli RNase H and avian myeloblastosis virus RT are unable to cleave the HIV RNA-tRNALys complex. We refer to this unusual activity as RNase D. Two lines of evidence indicate that the specific RNase D activity is an integral part of recombinant HIV RT. The specific RNase D activity comigrates with the other RT activities, DNA polymerase, and RNase H upon filtration on a Superose 6 gel column or chromatography on a phosphocellulose column. Moreover, three recombinant HIV-1 RT preparations expressed and purified in different laboratories by various procedures exhibit RNase D activity. Sequence analysis indicated that RNase D activity cleaves the substrate HIV-1 RNA-tRNALys at two distinct sites within the PBS sequence 5'-UGGCGCCCGA decreases ACAG decreases GGAC-3'. The sequence specificity of RNase D activity suggests that it might be involved in two stages during the reverse transcription process: displacement of the PBS to enable copying of tRNALys sequences into plus-strand DNA or to facilitate the second template switch, which was postulated to occur at the PBS sequence.

Human apolipoprotein E expression in Escherichia coli: structural and functional identity of the bacterially produced protein with plasma apolipoprotein E.

Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) was produced in Escherichia coli by transforming cells with an expression vector containing a reconstructed apoE cDNA, a lambda PL promoter regulated by the thermolabile cI repressor, and a ribosomal binding site derived from the lambda cII or the E. coli beta-lactamase gene. Transformed cells induced at 42 degrees C for short periods of time (less than 20 min) produced apoE, which accumulated in the cells at levels of approximately equal to 1% of the total soluble cellular protein. Longer induction periods resulted in cell lysis and the proteolytic destruction of apoE. The bacterially produced apoE was purified by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration, and preparative Immobiline isoelectric focusing. The final yield was approximately equal to 20% of the initial apoE present in the cells. Except for an additional methionine at the amino terminus, the bacterially produced apoE was indistinguishable from authentic human plasma apoE as determined by NaDodSO4 and isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis, amino acid composition of the total protein as well as its cyanogen bromide fragments, and partial amino acid sequence analysis (residues 1-17 and 109-164). Both the bacterially produced and authentic plasma apoE bound similarly to apolipoprotein B,E(low density lipoprotein) receptors of human fibroblasts and to hepatic apoE receptors. Intravenous injection resulted in similar rates of clearance for both the bacterially produced and authentic apoE from rabbit and rat plasma (approximately equal to 50% removed in 20 min). The ability to synthesize a bacterially produced human apolipoprotein with biological properties indistinguishable from those of the native protein will allow the production of large quantities of apoE for use in further investigations of the biological and physiological properties of this apolipoprotein.