Analysis of HIV type 1 reverse transcriptase: comparing sequences of viral isolates with mutational data.

A result of the high level of mutagenesis during HIV-1 viral replication is that many, if not most, HIV-1 virions and proviruses are defective and are not infectious. There is a vast amount of HIV-1 sequence data available. Unless any particular sequence is shown to be from a stable DNA clone (e.g., lambda) that can transfect cells and produce virions, then it is not known if that sequence was from an infectious HIV-1. Most sequences have not been shown to be from infectious clones. We have reported a saturation mutagenesis of a 109-amino acid region of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, in which we assayed the effects of 366 single-amino acid substitutions. We examined a set of sequences in the Los Alamos HIV-1 sequence database. We found that none of the sequences derived from stable infectious clones had substitutions that produce an inactive reverse transcriptase. However, we found that other sequences in this database had substitutions that inactivate the reverse transcriptase. We predict that these sequences are not from infectious clones. This method may also be useful for evaluating the sequences of other viruses.

A genetic approach for identifying critical residues in the fingers and palm subdomains of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

By using oligonucleotide-directed saturation mutagenesis, we collected 366 different single amino acid substitutions in a 109-aa segment (residues 95-203) in the fingers and palm subdomains of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), the enzyme that replicates the viral genome. After expression in Escherichia coli, two phenotypic assays were performed. The first assay tested for RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity. The other assay used Western blot analysis to estimate the stability of each mutant protein by measuring the processing of the RT into its mature heterodimeric form, consisting of a 66-kDa subunit and a 51-kDa subunit. The resulting phenotypic data provided a "genetic" means to identify amino acid side chains that are important for protein function or stability, as well as side chains located on the protein surface. Several HIV-1 RT crystal structures were used to evaluate the mutational analysis. Our genetic map correlates well with the crystal structures. Combining our phenotype data with crystallographic data allowed us to study the genetically defined critical residues. The important functional residues are found near the enzyme active site. Many residues important for the stability of the RT participate in potential hydrogen bonding or hydrophobic interactions in the protein interior. In addition to providing a better understanding of the HIV-1 RT, this work demonstrates the utility of saturation mutagenesis to study the function, structure, and stability of proteins in general. This strategy should be useful for studying proteins for which no crystallographic data are available.

A recombinagenic effect of strychnine in Salmonella typhimurium.

The aroC321 allele in Salmonella typhimurium permits a positive selection for genetic duplications. Bacteria that contain a large genetic duplication are detected as tryptophan prototrophs in aroC321 strains and occur at a spontaneous frequency greater than 1/10(4) cells plated on the selection medium. Duplications originate by a recombinational mechanism, and the induction of duplications by chemicals or radiation may therefore be considered to be a recombinagenic effect. We have found that strychnine is a potent recombinagen in this system; it causes a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of genetic duplications, and very high frequencies of duplications are recovered at high doses. In contrast, brucine, the 2,3-dimethoxy derivative of strychnine, caused no increase in duplication frequencies under the identical conditions.

The effects of anions, substrates, metal ions and sulfhydryl reagents on the proteolytic susceptibility of yeast phosphoglycerate kinase.

With the aim of confirming our previous spectrophotometric binding studies ((1978) Eur. J. Biochem. 85, 345-350 and (1980) Eur. J. Biochem. 104, 249-254) and of ascertaining the full physiological significance of ion binding, we investigated the effects of ions and thiol reagents on the proteolysis of yeast phosphoglycerate kinase (ATP: 3-phospho-D-glycerate 1-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.2.3). The single non-essential thiol of the enzyme was modified with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) or 2-chloromercuri-4-nitrophenol. Both modifications greatly increased the susceptibility of the kinase to inactivation by trypsin or yeast proteinase A, when compared with that of the native kinase. Electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) revealed that limited proteolysis had occurred. The time courses for the proteolysis and loss of catalytic activity were followed and the active and inactive fragments identified. The molecular masses of the major proteolytic fragments differed with the two endopeptidases. Substrate and non-substrate anions in a concentration-dependent fashion, protected the native and mercurial-labelled kinase from inactivation by trypsin or yeast proteinase A. However, Zn2+, in a concentration-dependent fashion, increased the susceptibility of the native kinase to inactivation by each endopeptidase. The time courses for the inactivation and for the proteolysis allowed the active and inactive fragments to be identified. Zn2+ decreased the rate of inactivation of the mercurial-labelled kinase by proteinase A. The effects of these ions were detected at concentrations compatible with occupancy of an anion binding site and a low affinity Zn2+ binding site, both of which have been indicated from our previous binding studies.

Anion binding to yeast phosphoglycerate kinase.

The single thiol of yeast phosphoglycerate kinase was labelled with the chromophoric sulfhydryl reagent, 2-chloromercuri-4-nitrophenol. Sequential additions of individual anions to this modified enzyme brought about a decrease in absorbance at 410 nm that reflected the degree of saturation of the enzyme with anion. The binding curves were analyzed to determine the dissociation constants of a number of anions with charges varying from--1 to--4.1. A linear relationship was found between the charge of the anion and the negative logarithm of the dissociation constant for the labelled enzyme-anion complex. The highly charged anions, such as ATP, bound more tightly than did anions with less charge, such as Cl-. The average number of binding sites for those anions for which accurate results could be obtained was 1.06 mol per 47000 g of enzyme. Several lines of evidence suggested that titration of the active center was not being monitored. Anions bound to phosphoglycerate kinase decreased the rate of reaction between the enzyme thiol and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The relationship between the degree of saturation of the anion binding site and the reaction rate constant was used to calculate the dissociation constant between anion and enzyme. Dissociation constants determined in this manner were in good agreement with those determined by titration of the enzyme-mercurial complex.