AIDS virus reverse transcriptase defined by high level expression in Escherichia coli

The inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase by avarol and avarone derivatives

We have analyzed the effects of several natural compounds related to avarols and avarones on the catalytic functions of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT). The most potent substances, designated as avarone A,B and E and avarol F, inhibited indiscriminately the enzymatic activities of HIV-1 RT, namely the RNA-dependent and DNA-dependent DNA polymerase as well as the ribonuclease H. The inhibition of the DNA polymerase activity was found to be non-competitive with respect to either the template-primer or the deoxynucleotidetriphosphate. These studies suggest that the hydroxyl group at the ortho position to the carbonyl group at the quinone ring is involved in blocking the RT activity. The identification of the active site of the inhibitors will hopefully lead to the rational design of new potent anti-HIV drugs.

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase purified from a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli

A better understanding of the structure and biochemical properties of the replicative machinery of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) may be useful in the screening and design of drugs that could be used to treat AIDS. We have previously described a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli that produces HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). Fermentation conditions for the large-scale growth of the bacterial strain and a protocol for the purification of an enzymatically active 66-Kd form of the RT have been developed. The purified RT has all of the appropriate enzymatic functions and properties. The recombinant protein can be substituted for the viral enzyme in structural and biochemical studies and used in screens for drugs that could inhibit HIV replication.

Overproduction of human immunodeficiency virus type I reverse transcriptase in Escherichia coli and purification of the enzyme

Overexpression of the reverse transcriptase was designed in E. coli. For a high level of expression, HIV protein was expressed as a protein fusion with beta-galactosidase. When the proviral DNA fragment covering the 3' half of the gag gene and the entire pol gene was ligated to the 3' end of the lacZ gene to fuse the truncated gag to lacZ in frame, a small quantity of reverse transcriptase was produced, indicating that frameshifting and post-translational processing have occurred. Much more reverse transcriptase was produced when the entire pol region was directly fused to the lacZ gene. From a one liter culture of bacteria, 1 mg of highly purified reverse transcriptase consisting of approximately equimolar amounts of two species (p64 and p51) was obtained. These proteins had identical N-termini consistent with the deduced amino acid sequence and therefore, might be correctly processed from the fusion protein in E. coli by the protease encoded by the pol region. The purified reverse transcriptase was enzymatically as active as the enzyme purified from the virus particles, and immunoreactive to the sera of HIV carriers with high sensitivity and specificity.

Mutational analysis of the ribonuclease H activity of human immunodeficiency virus 1 reverse transcriptase

We have constructed a series of plasmids that, when introduced into Escherichia coli, induce the expression of high levels of either wild-type or mutated forms of the reverse transcriptase (RT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Mutant forms of RT that had been previously analyzed for their RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity were tested for RNase H activity using an in situ polyacrylamide gel assay. Mutations affecting the RNase H are not clustered in a single region of the 66-kDa RT molecule. With only few exceptions, mutations that affect the RNase H activity also cause a substantial decrease in the DNA polymerase function. This suggests that, unlike the RT from murine leukemia virus (MuLV), it is difficult to genetically separate the catalytic domains responsible for the RNase H and DNA polymerase functions of HIV-1 RT. Those few mutations that differentially affect the RNase H and the polymerase activities of HIV-1 RT suggest that, as in MuLV, the polymerase domain is in the amino-terminus and the RNase H domain is in the carboxy-terminus. We have also generated chimeric molecules that are composed of sequences from the RT of HIV-1 and MuLV and these hybrid RTs were analyzed for their enzymatic properties. Two of these chimeric RTs possess RNase H activity but lack detectable DNA polymerase activity.

Immunologic and proteolytic analysis of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase structure

HIV-1 virions contain two reverse transcriptase polypeptides that have apparent molecular weights of 66 and 51 kDa. The 51-kDa form lacks the carboxy-terminal sequences found in the 66-kDa form, and is believed to be a proteolytic digestion product. We have treated purified 66-kDa reverse transcriptase with viral and nonviral proteases. The digestion products were characterized by their ability to react with monoclonal antibodies known to recognize particular segments of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The approximate location of the segments recognized by the monoclonal antibodies was determined by testing the ability of the antibodies to recognize a series of amino- and carboxy-terminal-deleted forms of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The segments recognized are not uniformly distributed along the primary amino acid sequence of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. We suggest that these segments are probably on the surface of the properly folded form of reverse transcriptase. Of the tested proteases, only the viral protease was able to cleave the 66-kDa form to the 51-kDa form without producing additional cleavage products, suggesting that the viral protease cleaves the 66-kDa protein to the 51-kDa form in virions.

Denaturation/refolding of purified recombinant HIV reverse transcriptase yields monomeric enzyme with high enzymatic activity

We engineered a prokaryotic expression vector encoding the HIV reverse transcriptase (RT). We grew Escherichia coli JM109 carrying the vector in a 250-liter stirred tank fermentor and purified RT (p66) under native conditions to apparent homogeneity. Purified p66 (greater than or equal to 5 mg/ml) was not stable, and was rapidly processed to its 51 kD derivative (p51), until p66:p51 levels were approximately 1:1. These latter RT preparations were chromatographed as heterodimers and had approximately fivefold higher specific RT enzymatic activities compared with those containing predominantly p66. P66 purified under dilute concentrations (less than or equal to 0.5 mg/ml) was monomeric in solution, resistant to p51 processing for weeks at 4 degrees C, but also had low specific RT enzymatic activities. To attempt the preparation of homogeneous p66 with specific RT enzymatic activities equivalent to p66:p51 heterodimers, purified heterodimers were denatured and p66 was purified and refolded during extensive dialysis (refolded p66). Refolded p66 (less than or equal to 0.5 mg/ml) was monomeric in solution and had identical specific RT enzymatic activities, Km for dTTP, and inhibition by 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine triphosphate compared with heterodimeric p66:p51 RT. The data indicates that HIV RT obtained from recombinant E. coli under native conditions is extensively processed at concentrations promoting dimerization. Moreover, RT denaturation and refolding yields apparently homogeneous monomeric p66, with specific RT enzymatic activities equivalent to heterodimeric RT.

In vitro inhibition of HIV-1 proteinase by cerulenin

Retroviruses encode proteinases necessary for the proteolytic processing of the viral gag and gag-pol precursor proteins. These enzymes have been shown to be structurally and functionally related to aspartyl proteinases such as pepsin and renin. Cerulenin is a naturally occurring antibiotic, commonly used as an inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis. Cerulenin has been observed to inhibit production of Rous sarcoma virus and murine leukaemia virus by infected cells, possibly by interfering with proteolytic processing of viral precursor proteins. We show here that cerulenin inhibits the action of the HIV-1 proteinase in vitro, using 3 substrates: a synthetic heptapeptide (SQNYPIV) which corresponds to the sequence at the HIV-1 gag p17/p24 junction, a bacterially expressed gag precursor, and purified 66 kDa reverse transcriptase. Inhibition of cleavage by HIV-1 proteinase required preincubation with cerulenin. Cerulenin also inactivates endothiapepsin, a well-characterised fungal aspartyl proteinase, suggesting that the action of cerulenin is a function of the common active site structure of the retroviral and aspartic proteinases. Molecular modelling suggests that cerulenin possesses several of the necessary structural features of an inhibitor of aspartyl proteinases and retroviral proteinases. Although cerulenin itself is cytotoxic and inappropriate for clinical use, it may provide leads for the rational design of inhibitors of the HIV proteinase which could have application in the chemotherapy of AIDS.

Rapid purification of homodimer and heterodimer HIV-1 reverse transcriptase by metal chelate affinity chromatography

We have modified an Escherichia coli vector expressing 66-kDa HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (p66) so that it simultaneously expresses this and the pol-coded protease. The twin expression cassette yields high quantities of both reverse transcriptase and protease; however, under these conditions, 50% of the over-expressed p66 reverse transcriptase is processed, resulting in accumulation of large quantities of p66/p51 enzyme. Furthermore, addition of a poly(histidine) affinity label at the amino terminus of the reverse-transcriptase-coding sequence (His-p66) permits a simple, rapid purification of milligram quantities of either p66 or p66/p51 enzyme from a crude lysate by metal chelate affinity chromatography. Purified His-p66 and His-p66/His-p51 reverse transcriptase exhibit both reverse transcriptase and RNase H activity. Purification by metal chelate chromatography of a p66/p51 enzyme wherein only the p66 component is labelled strengthens the argument for the existence of a heterodimer.

Ribonucleases H of retroviral and cellular origin

Ribonucleases H (RNases H) are enzymes which catalyse the hydrolysis of the RNA-strand of an RNA-DNA hybrid. Retroviral reverse transcriptases possess RNase H activity in addition to their RNA- as well as DNA-dependent DNA-polymerizing activity. These enzymes transcribe the viral single stranded RNA-genome into double stranded DNA, which then can be handled by the host cell like one of its own genes. Various, sometimes highly repeated, sequences related to retroviruses and like these encompassing two separate domains, one of which potentially codes for a DNA polymerizing, the other for an RNase H activity, are found in genomes of uninfected cells. In addition proteins coded for by cellular genes (e.g. from E. coli and from yeast) are known, which exhibit RNase H activity, the biological function of which is not fully understood. In the light of these facts the question of whether retroviral RNases H could be promising targets for antiviral drugs is discussed.

Multiple mutations in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase confer high-level resistance to zidovudine (AZT)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) isolates with reduced sensitivity to zidovudine (3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine, AZT) from individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex were studied to determine the genetic basis of their resistance. Most were sequential isolates obtained at the initiation of and during therapy. Comparative nucleotide sequence analysis of the reverse transcriptase (RT) coding region from five pairs of sensitive and resistant isolates identified three predicted amino acid substitutions common to all the resistant strains (Asp67----Asn, Lys70----Arg, Thr215----Phe or Tyr) plus a fourth in three isolates (Lys219----Gln). Partially resistant isolates had combinations of these four changes. An infectious molecular clone constructed with these four mutations in RT yielded highly resistant HIV after transfection of T cells. The reproducible nature of these mutations should make it possible to develop rapid assays to predict zidovudine resistance by performing polymerase chain reaction amplification of nucleic acid from peripheral blood lymphocytes, thereby circumventing current lengthy HIV isolation and sensitivity testing.

Human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase expressed in transformed yeast cells. Biochemical properties and interactions with bovine tRNALys

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase has been purified from yeast transformed by an autoreplicating plasmid containing the retroviral DNA polymerase gene. The previously described purification procedure for the yeast-expressed reverse transcriptase [Barr, P.J., Power, M.D., Chun Ting Lee-Ng, Gibson, H. & Luciw, P. (1987) Bio/Technology 5, 486-489] has been substantially modified, leading to an increased yield and a higher degree of purity. Several biochemical properties of the enzyme are described (template specificity, effect of DNA synthesis inhibitors); interestingly, HIV reverse transcriptase is highly resistant to N-ethylmaleimide. A complex between the human retroviral enzyme and the bovine tRNALys was shown, using a direct approach, by glycerol gradient centrifugation, as well as by the protective and specific effect of the tRNALys against enzyme inactivation by thermal denaturation and trypsin digestion. A competitive type of inhibition of HIV reverse transcriptase by tRNALys, but not by tRNAVal, is observed when viral RNA or activated DNA are used as templates.

Recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase: purification, primary structure, and polymerase/ribonuclease H activities

Recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) was stably overproduced as a soluble protein in Escherichia coli using a double-plasmid expression system in which an RT precursor protein was expressed and processed in vivo by HIV-1 protease produced in trans. The RT thus produced consisted of an equimolar mixture of two polypeptides, p66 and p51, which were copurified to greater than 90% homogeneity and were found to share a common NH2 terminus as judged by sequence analysis of the polypeptide mixture. The observed sequence confirmed correct in vivo cleavage by protease at the protease-RT polyprotein junction to yield an NH2 terminus identical to that of genuine viral RT (M. M. Lightfoote et al. (1986) J. Virol. 60, 771-775; F. diMarzo Veronese et al. (1986) Science 231, 1289-1291). The bacterially expressed RT had a specific activity similar to that of viral RT and inhibition studies with phosphonoformate confirmed that it was indistinguishable from the viral enzyme with respect to sensitivity to this inhibitor. Polymerase activated gel analysis of the mixture indicated that p66 was associated with a higher level of RT activity than p51. RNase H activated gel analysis suggested that the purified preparation of recombinant RT was free of endogenous E. coli RNase H, and that the RNase H activity of RT was exclusively associated with the p66 polypeptide, supporting the hypothesis that the RNase H domain is located in the COOH-terminal region of the molecule.

Investigation of the stereochemical course of DNA synthesis catalysed by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase

The Sp-isomer of thymidine 5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) is used as substrate by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The absolute configuration of the internucleotide linkage in the oligonucleotide product was identified by 31p NMR spectroscopy to be the Rp-isomer, indicating that incorporation of dTTP alpha S into the oligonucleotide proceeded with inversion of configuration at the alpha-phosphorus. The mechanistic implications of these observations are discussed.

The protease and gag gene products of the human immunodeficiency virus: authentic cleavage and post-translational modification in an insect cell expression system

Three recombinant baculoviruses which are capable of expressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease, p55gag, and both products simultaneously in insect cell culture have been constructed. Upon co-infection of cells with the protease and p55gag-expressing viruses, authentic processing of the gag precursor is observed to take place. This processing could be reproduced in vitro using mixtures of cellular lysates containing the expressed proteins. When expressed alone, uncleaved p55gag precursor appears to form retroviral core-like particles within the cytoplasm of infected cells. Metabolic labeling studies of the baculovirus-expressed gag products have demonstrated that p17 is myristylated at its amino terminus, and that p24 is phosphorylated. In these respects, the insect cell system is evidently capable of carrying out post-translational processing resembling that which occurs in authentic HIV-1 replication.

Effects of small insertions on the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase

We have described a strain of Escherichia coli that expresses high levels of enzymatically active, soluble, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (A. Hizi, C. McGill, and S. H. Hughes, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 85, 1218-1222, 1988). The clone can be used as a source of the enzyme and to generate and characterize mutations in the reverse transcriptase. We have made a series of small in-frame insertions in the region that encodes the reverse transcriptase. When the mutant plasmids are reintroduced into E. coli, they induce the synthesis of mutant forms of the enzyme. With one interesting exception, the reduction in RNA-dependent DNA polymerizing activity seen in the mutants correlates well with the degree of sequence conservation among the various reverse transcriptases. Insertions into regions that are evolutionarily conserved have a more profound effect on RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity than do insertions into regions that are less conserved. The exception to this simple correlation is that a small insertion into the region encoding RNase H gives rise to a protein with essentially no RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity. We suggest that this mutation may affect the ability of the reverse transcriptase to fold properly, which might explain our previous observation that small carboxyl terminal deletions profoundly affect RNA-dependent NAD polymerase activity.

HIV with reduced sensitivity to zidovudine (AZT) isolated during prolonged therapy

The drug sensitivities of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) isolates from a group of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC) who were receiving zidovudine (3'-azido-3'-deoythymidine, AZT) therapy were tested by means of a newly developed plaque assay in CD4+ HeLa cells. Fifty percent inhibitory dose (ID50) values of 18 isolates from untreated individuals ranged between 0.01 microM and 0.05 microM. In contrast, most isolates from patients who had received zidovudine for 6 months or more exhibited decreased sensitivity characterized by changes in ID50 or ID95 values (or both), with isolates from several patients (5/15) showing 100-fold increases in ID50. The latter isolates were also insensitive to 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyuridine; however, the isolates were still sensitive to 2',3'-dideoxycytidine, 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine, or phosphonoformate. It cannot be determined from this small sample of patients whether development of a less sensitive virus phenotype results in clinical resistance. Appearance of such variants was not associated with a consistent increase in viral p24 concentrations in patient plasma and did not herald any sudden deterioration in clinical status. More extensive studies are required to determine the clinical significance. Thus, it would be premature to alter any treatment protocols for HIV-infected individuals at present.

Recombinant polypeptides from the human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase define three epitopes recognized by antibodies in sera from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Eight fragments derived from the HIV-1 pol gene were expressed as recombinant polypeptides in Escherichia coli. The fragments were from the portion of the pol gene that encodes the reverse transcriptase. The expressed peptides were analyzed immunologically with sera from HIV-1-infected individuals. Three distinct immunogenic epitopes were identified. These determinants are presumably located on the surface of the native reverse transcriptase. Each epitope was included in a fusion protein that was expressed at high levels in bacteria. These proteins may provide reagents of potential diagnostic value.

Functional organization of the murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase: characterization of a bacterially expressed AKR DNA polymerase deficient in RNase H activity

The functional organization of the murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase was investigated by expressing a molecular clone containing AKR MuLV reverse transcriptase-coding sequences in Escherichia coli. A purified preparation of the expressed enzyme (pRT250 reverse transcriptase) consisted primarily of a 69-kilodalton protein that has normal levels of murine leukemia virus polymerase activity but 10-fold-reduced levels of RNase H compared with the viral enzyme. The deficit in RNase H activity was correlated with the absence of 60 to 65 amino acids normally present at the carboxyl end of murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. The results provide additional experimental evidence for the localization of polymerase and RNase H domains to the N- and C-terminal regions of reverse transcriptase, respectively.

Functional expression of a sequence-specific endonuclease encoded by the retrotransposon R2Bm

A fraction of the 28S ribosomal genes in certain insect species is interrupted by the insertion elements R1 and R2. These two elements from the silkworm Bombyx mori (R1Bm and R2Bm) are retrotransposons capable of transposing in a highly sequence-specific manner. We report here the functional expression in E. coli of the entire single open reading frame of R2Bm and show that it encodes a double-stranded endo-nuclease (integrase) that can specifically cleave the 28S gene at the R2 insertion site. The resulting cleavage is a 4 bp staggered 5' overhang. Deletion analysis of the 28S gene revealed that the DNA sequence required for specific cleavage is asymmetric with respect to the actual insertion (cleavage) site, with fewer than 10 bp required at one side and at least 24 bp at the other side of the site. A model is proposed based on these and previous data to account for the sequence-specific integration of the R2 retrotransposon.

Characterization of human immunodeficiency virus gag/pol gene products expressed by recombinant vaccinia viruses

Recombinant vaccinia viruses containing either the entire gag/pol gene or the reverse transcriptase (RT) domain of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were constructed. In mammalian cells infected with the recombinant vaccinia virus containing the gag/pol gene, major and minor polypeptides of 55 and 41 kDa were made, but processed gag products (p24/p17/p15) were not detected. In addition, none of the products of the pol open-reading frame were seen. Both the 55- and 41-kDa gag proteins were post-translationally modified by addition of myristic acid residues in recombinant vaccinia-infected cells, and were immunoprecipitated by antiserum to p24 gag, as well as by antisera from HIV-infected patients. These results indicate that neither proteolytic processing nor other HIV proteins are required for myristilation, and suggest that the 55- and 41-kDa gag precursors share the same amino terminus as p17. Cells infected with a separate vaccinia recombinant containing a truncated piece of the gag/pol gene with added start and stop codons at the 5' and 3' ends of the RT reading frame synthesized a major 61-kDa and a minor 51-kDa protein product which reacted immunologically with both a monoclonal antibody to native HIV p66/51 and antisera from HIV-infected patients. These proteins were purified from recombinant vaccinia-infected mammalian cells, and their enzyme activity was found to be similar to that of authentic HIV RT. Cells infected with the vaccinia/RT vector contained approximately 200-fold more RT per milligram of protein than cells infected with HIV. Recombinant RT was inhibited by dideoxynucleoside triphosphates and should be useful in screening for specific inhibitors of this enzyme. Mice inoculated intradermally with 10(8) plaque-forming units of the vaccinia/RT vector developed specific antibodies to the p66/51 proteins of HIV, but anti-HIV antibodies were not detected in mice inoculated with the vaccinia/gag vector.

Characterization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase by using monoclonal antibodies: role of the C terminus in antibody reactivity and enzyme function

We describe the production of eight monoclonal antibodies reactive with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (RT) by immunization of mice with purified recombinant RT. These antibodies were found to react with one or the other of two regions of the enzyme and were found to be useful in immunodeficiency purification of large amounts of the enzyme. One epitope located at the C terminus of the enzyme was of particular interest, since it was present in only the larger, 66-kilodalton (kDa) RT species and not its smaller, 51-kDa counterpart. To define this epitope, a series of mutants was made which synthesized C-terminally truncated RT. These mutants indicated that the same region of the enzyme, when deleted, both removed the C-terminal epitope and drastically reduced RT activity, indicating the importance of this region in the function of the enzyme; however, even the 51-kDa enzyme component had demonstrable activity.

Biosynthesis and analysis of a genetically engineered HIV-1 reverse transcriptase/endonuclease polyprotein in Escherichia coli

Elimination of the protease domain from the polymerase open reading frame (pol) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) leads, in Escherichia coli, to synthesis and accumulation of a non-processed 98-kDa reverse transcriptase/endonuclease (RT/ENDO) polyprotein. A partially purified preparation of this reverse RT/ENDO polyprotein displays little or no RT activity. Introduction of the pol protease domain as a separate transcriptional unit on the same plasmid restores the processing program, generating correctly sized RT and ENDO polypeptides. Concomitant with restoration of processing is the reappearance of RT activity. These results suggest that for HIV-1 RT to be active, it must be matured from the pol polyprotein.

Structural requirements for bacterial expression of stable, enzymatically active fusion proteins containing the human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase

A collection of variant plasmids that express the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase as trpE fusion proteins were generated and scored for their ability to produce stable, active proteins. Trimming portions of the viral pol gene resulted in dramatic increases in yield over earlier constructs; the accumulation of high levels of enzymatically active protein in this system was increased by the retention of the trpE sequences at the amino terminus. A new in situ gel activity assay was used to demonstrate that the major induced protein, containing approximately 68 kD of viral sequences, was the active species.

Expression in Escherichia coli of a Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase whose structure closely resembles the viral enzyme

We have constructed an expression plasmid containing the portion of the Moloney murine leukemia virus genome encoding the reverse transcriptase (RT). When introduced into Escherichia coli this plasmid induces the synthesis of a 70-kDa protein. The RT made in E. coli differs from the viral protein only in that there are two new amino acids, methionine and glycine, substituted for the threonine found at the N terminus of the viral enzyme. Approximately half of the E. coli synthesized RT enzyme is soluble in cell extracts. This protein is active in an RT assay, and like the enzyme purified from virions, is more active in the presence of Mn2+ than Mg2+. We have also constructed a plasmid that induces the synthesis of an RT-integration protein fusion.