Reverse Transcriptase Polymerization Research Articles

FRET-based assay to screen inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and nucleocapsid protein.

During HIV-1 reverse transcription, the single-stranded RNA genome is converted into proviral double stranded DNA by Reverse Transcriptase (RT) within a reverse transcription complex composed of the genomic RNA and a number of HIV-1 encoded proteins, including the nucleocapsid protein NCp7. Here, we developed a one-step and one-pot RT polymerization assay. In this in vitro assay, RT polymerization is monitored in real-time by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) using a commercially available doubly-labeled primer/template DNA. The assay can monitor and quantify RT polymerization activity as well as its promotion by NCp7. Z-factor values as high as 0.89 were obtained, indicating that the assay is suitable for high-throughput drug screening. Using Nevirapine and AZT as prototypical RT inhibitors, reliable IC50 values were obtained from the changes in the RT polymerization kinetics. Interestingly, the assay can also detect NCp7 inhibitors, making it suitable for high-throughput screening of drugs targeting RT, NCp7 or simultaneously, both proteins.

Caspian White Fish (Rutilus frisii kutum) as a host for Spring Viraemia of Carp Virus

Rutilus frisii kutum is a fish of the Cyprinidae Family which is native in Caspian Sea and commercially cultured in Iran. This study was conducted to investigate susceptibility of Caspian White Fish to Spring Viraemia of Carp Virus (SVCV) infection and to evaluate influence of different challenge routes on virulence of the virus. Fingerlings were infected by immersion, intra-peritoneal (i.p.) injection, cohabitation and orally. Dead and surviving fish were collected for histological examination as well as for virus re-isolation by cell culture, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerization Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT) analysis. The results indicated that immersion was the best infectious route of transmission with the highest mortality, whereas oral transmission showed the lowest mortality. The virus was also re-isolated from dead fish and identified by IFAT. In addition, histopathological changes including branchial, hepatic and splenic necrosis as well as glomerulonephritis and necrosis in kidney were observed in diseased fish tissues but not in the survivors. RT-PCR on samples obtained from surviving fish tissues detected viral genome in the fish surviving from immersion, i.p. injection and cohabitation challenges but not in the fish infected orally. In conclusion, Caspian White Fish are susceptible to infection by SVCV and virulence of the virus could be influenced by route of transmission. In addition, SVCV could persist in surviving fish, which may serve as reservoirs of the virus, transmitting infection to healthy fish population.

Thermodynamics of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase in Action Elucidates the Mechanism of Action of Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) is a heterodimeric enzyme that converts the genomic viral RNA into proviral DNA. Despite intensive biochemical and structural studies, direct thermodynamic data regarding RT interactions with its substrates are still lacking. Here we addressed the mechanism of action of RT and of non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs) by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Using a new incremental-ITC approach, a step-by-step thermodynamic dissection of the RT polymerization activity showed that most of the driving force for DNA synthesis is provided by initial dNTP binding. Surprisingly, thermodynamic and kinetic data led to a reinterpretation of the mechanism of inhibition of NNRTIs. Binding of NNRTIs to preformed RT/DNA complexes is hindered by a kinetic barrier and NNRTIs mostly interact with free RT. Once formed, RT/NNRTI complexes bind DNA either in a seemingly polymerase-competent orientation or form high-affinity dead-end complexes, both RT/NNRTI/DNA complexes being unable to bind the incoming nucleotide substrate.

Structural Basis for the Role of the K65R Mutation in HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Polymerization, Excision Antagonism, and Tenofovir Resistance

K65R is a primary reverse transcriptase (RT) mutation selected in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients taking antiretroviral regimens containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or other nucleoside analog RT drugs. We determined the crystal structures of K65R mutant RT cross-linked to double-stranded DNA and in complexes with tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) or dATP. The crystals permit substitution of TFV-DP with dATP at the dNTP-binding site. The guanidinium planes of the arginines K65R and Arg72 were stacked to form a molecular platform that restricts the conformational adaptability of both of the residues, which explains the negative effects of the K65R mutation on nucleotide incorporation and on excision. Furthermore, the guanidinium planes of K65R and Arg72 were stacked in two different rotameric conformations in TFV-DP- and dATP-bound structures that may help explain how K65R RT discriminates the drug from substrates. These K65R-mediated effects on RT structure and function help us to visualize the complex interaction with other key nucleotide RT drug resistance mutations, such as M184V, L74V, and thymidine analog resistance mutations.

Comparison of Calcium and Silicate Cement and Mineral Trioxide Aggregate Biologic Effects and Bone Markers Expression in MG63 Cells

Bone cell (MG63) biocompatibility and bone marker expression were compared after calcium and silicate base cement (CS) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) treatment. X-ray diffraction was used to identify material surface structure, and tetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay was used to evaluate the cell viability. The relative mitogen activation protein kinase expression was compared with Western blot, and bone marker expression was evaluated with reverse transcriptase polymerization chain reaction. The results showed that CS and MTA are similar chemical structures and biocompatible with MG63 cells. CS and MTA cements showed good MG63 cell proliferation by high phosphor extracellular signal-regulated kinase expression levels. CS and MTA cements showed the evident type I collagen, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein, and osteopontin expression. Both MTA and CS cements are biocompatible and appear to have osetoconduction effects on bone cells.

Determination of Porcine Rotavirus Serotypes by RT-PCR and RFLP Analysis

G and P tying of group A porcine rotaviruses (PoRV) from field fecal samples were performed using reversetranscriptase polymerization chain reaction (RT-PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. After amplifying full length VP7 and partial length VP4 genes, restriction endonucleases were used to digest and analyze the cutting pattern of the gene products. After analysis of digests with restriction endonucleases, seven and six RFLP types were observed for VP7 and VP4, respectively. The G typing analysis of 50 fecal samples revealed that 68% (34/50) were G4, which included G4-like (22/50); 22% (11/50) were G5; 6% (3/50) were G4 and G5 mixed types. The P typing analysis of the same fecal samples revealed that 36% (18/50) were P2B, 52% (26/50) were P9, 1 sample (2%) was a mixture of P2B and P9. Combinations of G and P types, the G4P2B and G4P9 types including G4-like accounted for 26% (13/50) and 32% (16/50), respectively. The G5P2B and G5P9 type also represented 4% (2/50) and 18% (9/50) of the samples. No G3 and G11 or other new P types were identified from the samples tested. Information on the G and P types and G/P combinations in the field fecal samples is useful for developing more effective PoRV vaccines and understanding the epidemiology of PoRV infections in the field.

Insights into the Role of an Active Site Aspartate in Ty1 Reverse Transcriptase Polymerization

Long terminal repeat-containing retrotransposons encode reverse transcriptases (RTs) that replicate their RNA into integratable, double-stranded DNA. A mutant version of the RT from Saccharomyces cerevisiae retrotransposon Ty1, in which one of the three active site aspartates has been changed to asparagine (D211N), is still capable of in vitro polymerization, although it is blocked for in vivo transposition. We generated recombinant WT and D211N Ty1 RTs to study RT function and determine specific roles for the Asp(211) residue. Presteady-state kinetic analysis of the two enzymes shows that the D211N mutation has minimal effect on nucleotide binding but reduces the k(pol) by approximately 230-fold. The mutation reduces binding affinity for both Mn(2+) and Mg(2+), indicating that the Asp(211) side chain helps create a tight metal binding pocket. Although both enzymes are highly processive and tend to remain bound to their initial substrate, each shows distinctive patterns of pausing, attributable to interactions between metal ions and the active site residue. These results provide insights to specific roles for the Asp(211) residue during polymerization and indicate unusual enzymatic properties that bear on the Ty1 replication pathway.

Steered Molecular Dynamics Simulation on the Binding of NNRTI to HIV-1 RT

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) is the primary target for anti-AIDS chemotherapy. Nonnucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs) are very potent and most promising anti-AIDS drugs that specifically inhibit HIV-1 RT. The binding and unbinding processes of α-APA, an NNRTI, have been studied using nanosecond conventional molecular dynamics and steered molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results show that the unbinding process of α-APA consists of three phases based on the position of α-APA in relation to the entrance of the binding pocket. When α-APA is bound in the binding pocket, the hydrophobic interactions between HIV-1 RT and α-APA dominate the binding; however, the hydrophilic interactions (both direct and water-bridged hydrogen bonds) also contribute to the stabilizing forces. Whereas Tyr-181 makes significant hydrophobic interactions with α-APA, Tyr-188 forms a strong hydrogen bond with the acylamino group (N14) of α-APA. These two residues have very flexible side chains and appear to act as two “flexible clamps” discouraging α-APA to dissociate from the binding pocket. At the pocket entrance, two relatively inflexible residues, Val-179 and Leu-100, gauge the openness of the entrance and form the bottleneck of the inhibitor-unbinding pathway. Two special water molecules at the pocket entrance appear to play important roles in inhibitor recognition of binding and unbinding. These water molecules form water bridges between the polar groups of the inhibitor and the residues around the entrance, and between the polar groups of the inhibitor themselves. The water-bridged interactions not only induce the inhibitor to adopt an energetically favorable conformation so the inhibitor can pass through the pocket entrance, but also stabilize the binding of the inhibitor in the pocket to prevent the inhibitor’s dissociation. The complementary steered molecular dynamics and conventional molecular dynamics simulation results strongly support the hypothesis that NNRTIs inhibit HIV-1 RT polymerization activity by enlarging the DNA-binding cleft and restricting the flexibility and mobility of the p66 thumb subdomain that are believed to be essential during DNA translocation and polymerization.

Kinetic analysis of four HIV-1 reverse transcriptase enzymes mutated in the primer grip region of p66. Implications for DNA synthesis and dimerization.

The highly conserved primer grip region in the p66 subunit of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) is formed by the beta12-beta13 hairpin (residues 227-235). It has been proposed to play a role in aligning the 3'-OH end of the primer in a position for nucleophilic attack on an incoming dNTP. To analyze the importance of the primer grip for RT function, mutant RTs were used that contain single alanine substitutions of residues Trp229, Met230, Gly231, and Tyr232 in the p66 subunit of the heterodimeric p66/51 enzyme. Steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic analyses of the enzymes were performed. All mutant enzymes revealed reduced polymerase activity. Mutation of Y232A showed the smallest effect on polymerase function. Equilibrium fluorescence titrations demonstrated that the affinity of the mutants for tRNA was only slightly affected. However, the affinity for primer-template DNA was reduced 27-fold for mutant p66(W229A)/51 and 23-fold for mutant p66(G231A)/51, and the maximal pre-steady-state rate of nucleotide incorporation, kpol, was reduced 27-fold for p66(W229A)/51 and 70-fold for p66(G231A)/51, respectively. Mutant p66(M230A)/51 revealed no reduced affinity for primer-template but showed a 71-fold reduced affinity for dTTP. Additionally, the mutations Trp229 and Gly231 affected the stability of the RT heterodimer.

Deoxynucleotide polymerization by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase is terminated by site-specific styrene oxide adducts after translesion synthesis.

In an effort to integrate an understanding of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) structure with its function, the action of HIV-1 RT was examined in vitro on DNA templates modified with a model bulky DNA adduct. Styrene oxide was site-specifically and stereospecifically coupled to the N6 position of adenine to form six different adducted templates. Primer extension assays were conducted under conditions defining both single and multiple encounters between the polymerase and the damaged template-primer. The extent of polymerization observed for each adduct was found to depend on both the chirality of the damage and the lesion sequence context. When HIV-1 RT polymerization was limited by single encounters with damaged DNA, the SO lesions were readily bypassed as evidenced by minimal pausing at the adducted base. However, RT replication of all SO-modified templates was significantly terminated 3-5 nucleotides after translesion synthesis but before reaching the end of the template. These truncated products could be readily extended when additional encounters between enzyme and template-primer were permitted. A model is presented to explain these results in the context of HIV-1 RT structure during DNA replication.