Reverse transcriptase from avian myeloblastosis virus: a zinc metalloenzyme

Conserved cysteine and histidine residues of the avian myeloblastosis virus nucleocapsid protein are essential for viral replication but are not "zinc-binding fingers"

The nucleocapsid protein from the Rous sarcoma virus has two regions of sequence with the motif Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Xaa-Gly-His-Xaa-Xaa-Xaa-Cys. All retrovirus nucleocapsid proteins contain one or two of these motifs, and they represent the only conserved sequences among these proteins. Sequence analysis of nucleocapsid from avian myeloblastosis virus shows that it also contains two Cys-His sequences and, in fact, differs from the Rous sarcoma nucleocapsid protein only in three residues near the carboxyl terminus. The hypothesized role of the conserved cysteines and histidines as zinc ligands was tested experimentally. No tightly bound metal ions were detected for avian myeloblastosis nucleocapsid protein, and the molar amount of zinc in virions was less by a factor of 50 than that of the nucleocapsid protein. Added Zn2+ did not significantly affect nucleocapsid binding to poly(ethenoadenylic acid) or its secondary structure, as determined from circular dichroism. Nevertheless, the conserved cysteine and histidine residues of the Rous sarcoma (Prague-C strain) nucleocapsid protein are essential for fully functional virus, as shown by the fact that single-site substitutions of five of the six conserved cysteines and either of the two histidine residues blocked viral replication.

Toxicity of zinc to fungi, bacteria, and coliphages: influence of chloride ions

A 10 mM concentration of Zn2+ decreased the survival of Escherichia coli; enhanced the survival of Bacillus cereus; did not significantly affect the survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Norcardia corallina, and T1, T7, P1, and phi80 coliphages; completely inhibited mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani; and reduced mycelial growth of Fusarium solani, Cunninghamella echinulata, Aspergillus niger, and Trichoderma viride. The toxicity of zinc to the fungi, bacteria, and coliphages was unaffected, lessened, or increased by the addition of high concentrations of NaCl. The increased toxicity of zinc in the presence of high concentrations of NaCl was not a result of a synergistic interaction between Zn2+ and elevated osmotic pressures but of the formation of complex anionic ZnCl species that exerted greater toxicities than did cationic Zn2+. Conversely, the decrease in zinc toxicity with increasing concentrations of NaCl probably reflected the decrease in the levels of Zn2+ due to the formation of Zn-Cl species, which was less inhibitory to these microbes than was Zn2+. A. niger tolerated higher concentrations of zinc in the presence of NaCl at 37 than at 25 degrees C.

Biochemistry of zinc

The biochemistry of zinc has come under intensive investigation at the molecular level during the past 20 years. More than 70 zinc metalloenzymes are now known, and they span a broad range of biologic activities. Substitution of zinc by cobalt, for example, serves to locate a paramagnetic probe at the active site of the enzyme which can then provide information regarding the coordination properties of the metal and the active site environment.

Reverse transcriptase: correlation of zinc content with activity

Evidence is presented that DNA polymerase of avian myeloblastosis virus has an obligatory zinc requirement for activity. Previous studies indicate that the purified polymerase contains zinc in a stoichiometry of about 1 g-atom/mole. We now find that the enzyme-bound zinc is exchangeable with radioactive (65)Zn; after isoelectric focusing, the radioactive (65)Zn is coincident with polymerase activity. Dialysis of the (65)Zn-labeled polymerase against the chelator, 1,10-phenanthroline, results in a progressive loss of radioactive (65)Zn and polymerase activity. Thereupon, incubation of the inactivated enzyme with Zn(2+) fully restores activity. Thus, the DNA polymerase present in an oncogenic RNA virus, like animal DNA polymerases, can be rigorously classified as a zinc metalloenzyme. DNA polymerase of avian myeloblastosis virus is inactivated by 1,10-phenanthroline at a much faster rate than the bacterial and animal DNA polymerases that have been tested. It may, therefore, be possible to inactivate selectively DNA polymerases from animal tumor viruses by brief exposure to appropriate metal chelators.

RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) from avian myeloblastosis virus: a zinc metalloenzyme

RNA tumor viruses contain a characteristic RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) which has been thought to be related to the induction of leukemia by this virus. A disturbance in a zinc-dependent enzyme system was first postulated to account for the demonstrated differences in zinc metabolism of normal and leukemic leukocytes [Vallee et al. in (1949) Acta Unio. Int. Contra Cancrum 6, 869 and (1950) Acta Unio. Int. Contra Cancrum 6, 1102]. In order to investigate the relationship between zinc and the initiation of leukemia in chickens by avian myeloblastosis virus, we have examined the metalloenzyme nature of its reverse transcriptase. The present data show that this protein is a zinc metalloenzyme demonstrating the postulated relationship between zinc and a leukemic process. Paucity of purified enzyme generated the design of a novel system of analysis incorporating microwave-induced emission spectrometry combined with gel exclusion chromatography. It provides precision, reproducibility, and remarkable limits of detection on mul samples containing 10(-12) to 10(-14) g-atoms of metal, and is thus orders of magnitude more sensitive than other methods. The chromatographic fraction with highest enzymatic activity contains 1.8 x 10(-11) g-atoms of zinc per 1.6 mug of protein, corresponding to either 1.8 or 2.0 g-atoms of zinc per mole of enzyme for a molecular weight previously determined either as 1.6 or 1.8 x 10(5). Copper, iron and manganese are absent, i.e., at or below the limits of detection, 10(-13) to 10(-14) g-atoms. Agents known to chelate zinc inhibit the enzyme, while their nonchelating isomers do not. The data underline the participation of zinc in nucleic acid metabolism and bear importantly upon the lesions that accompany leukemia and zinc deficiency.