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Romero EV, Feder AF. Elevated HIV Viral Load is Associated with Higher Recombination Rate In Vivo. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msad260. [PMID: 38197289 PMCID: PMC10777272 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
HIV's exceptionally high recombination rate drives its intrahost diversification, enabling immune escape and multidrug resistance within people living with HIV. While we know that HIV's recombination rate varies by genomic position, we have little understanding of how recombination varies throughout infection or between individuals as a function of the rate of cellular coinfection. We hypothesize that denser intrahost populations may have higher rates of coinfection and therefore recombination. To test this hypothesis, we develop a new approach (recombination analysis via time series linkage decay or RATS-LD) to quantify recombination using autocorrelation of linkage between mutations across time points. We validate RATS-LD on simulated data under short read sequencing conditions and then apply it to longitudinal, high-throughput intrahost viral sequencing data, stratifying populations by viral load (a proxy for density). Among sampled viral populations with the lowest viral loads (<26,800 copies/mL), we estimate a recombination rate of 1.5×10-5 events/bp/generation (95% CI: 7×10-6 to 2.9×10-5), similar to existing estimates. However, among samples with the highest viral loads (>82,000 copies/mL), our median estimate is approximately 6 times higher. In addition to co-varying across individuals, we also find that recombination rate and viral load are associated within single individuals across different time points. Our findings suggest that rather than acting as a constant, uniform force, recombination can vary dynamically and drastically across intrahost viral populations and within them over time. More broadly, we hypothesize that this phenomenon may affect other facultatively asexual populations where spatial co-localization varies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Romero
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison F Feder
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Herbold Computational Biology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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2
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Romero EV, Feder AF. Elevated HIV viral load is associated with higher recombination rate in vivo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.05.539643. [PMID: 37873119 PMCID: PMC10592651 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.05.539643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
HIV's exceptionally high recombination rate drives its intra-host diversification, enabling immune escape and multi-drug resistance within people living with HIV. While we know that HIV's recombination rate varies by genomic position, we have little understanding of how recombination varies throughout infection or between individuals as a function of the rate of cellular coinfection. We hypothesize that denser intra-host populations may have higher rates of coinfection and therefore recombination. To test this hypothesis, we develop a new approach (Recombination Analysis via Time Series Linkage Decay, or RATS-LD) to quantify recombination using autocorrelation of linkage between mutations across time points. We validate RATS-LD on simulated data under short read sequencing conditions and then apply it to longitudinal, high-throughput intra-host viral sequencing data, stratifying populations by viral load (a proxy for density). Among sampled viral populations with the lowest viral loads (< 26,800 copies/mL), we estimate a recombination rate of 1.5 × 10-5 events/bp/generation (95% CI: 7 × 10-6 - 2.9 × 10-5), similar to existing estimates. However, among samples with the highest viral loads (> 82,000 copies/mL), our median estimate is approximately 6 times higher. In addition to co-varying across individuals, we also find that recombination rate and viral load are associated within single individuals across different time points. Our findings suggest that rather than acting as a constant, uniform force, recombination can vary dynamically and drastically across intra-host viral populations and within them over time. More broadly, we hypothesize that this phenomenon may affect other facultatively asexual populations where spatial co-localization varies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V. Romero
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison F. Feder
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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3
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René B, Mauffret O, Fossé P. Retroviral nucleocapsid proteins and DNA strand transfers. BIOCHIMIE OPEN 2018; 7:10-25. [PMID: 30109196 PMCID: PMC6088434 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopen.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
An infectious retroviral particle contains 1000-1500 molecules of the nucleocapsid protein (NC) that cover the diploid RNA genome. NC is a small zinc finger protein that possesses nucleic acid chaperone activity that enables NC to rearrange DNA and RNA molecules into the most thermodynamically stable structures usually those containing the maximum number of base pairs. Thanks to the chaperone activity, NC plays an essential role in reverse transcription of the retroviral genome by facilitating the strand transfer reactions of this process. In addition, these reactions are involved in recombination events that can generate multiple drug resistance mutations in the presence of anti-HIV-1 drugs. The strand transfer reactions rely on base pairing of folded DNA/RNA structures. The molecular mechanisms responsible for NC-mediated strand transfer reactions are presented and discussed in this review. Antiretroviral strategies targeting the NC-mediated strand transfer events are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte René
- LBPA, ENS Paris-Saclay, UMR 8113, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 61 Avenue du Président Wilson, 94235, Cachan, France
| | - Olivier Mauffret
- LBPA, ENS Paris-Saclay, UMR 8113, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 61 Avenue du Président Wilson, 94235, Cachan, France
| | - Philippe Fossé
- LBPA, ENS Paris-Saclay, UMR 8113, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 61 Avenue du Président Wilson, 94235, Cachan, France
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4
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Dubois N, Marquet R, Paillart JC, Bernacchi S. Retroviral RNA Dimerization: From Structure to Functions. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:527. [PMID: 29623074 PMCID: PMC5874298 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The genome of the retroviruses is a dimer composed by two homologous copies of genomic RNA (gRNA) molecules of positive polarity. The dimerization process allows two gRNA molecules to be non-covalently linked together through intermolecular base-pairing. This step is critical for the viral life cycle and is highly conserved among retroviruses with the exception of spumaretroviruses. Furthermore, packaging of two gRNA copies into viral particles presents an important evolutionary advantage for immune system evasion and drug resistance. Recent studies reported RNA switches models regulating not only gRNA dimerization, but also translation and packaging, and a spatio-temporal characterization of viral gRNA dimerization within cells are now at hand. This review summarizes our current understanding on the structural features of the dimerization signals for a variety of retroviruses (HIVs, MLV, RSV, BLV, MMTV, MPMV…), the mechanisms of RNA dimer formation and functional implications in the retroviral cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noé Dubois
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, IBMC, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Roland Marquet
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, IBMC, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Paillart
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, IBMC, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Serena Bernacchi
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, IBMC, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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5
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Fate of HIV-1 cDNA intermediates during reverse transcription is dictated by transcription initiation site of virus genomic RNA. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17680. [PMID: 26631448 PMCID: PMC4668388 DOI: 10.1038/srep17680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Retroviral reverse transcription is accomplished by sequential strand-transfers of partial cDNA intermediates copied from viral genomic RNA. Here, we revealed an unprecedented role of 5′-end guanosine (G) of HIV-1 genomic RNA for reverse transcription. Based on current consensus for HIV-1 transcription initiation site, HIV-1 transcripts possess a single G at 5′-ends (G1-form). However, we found that HIV-1 transcripts with additional Gs at 5′-ends (G2- and G3-forms) were abundantly expressed in infected cells by using alternative transcription initiation sites. The G2- and G3-forms were also detected in the virus particle, although the G1-form predominated. To address biological impact of the 5′-G number, we generated HIV clone DNA to express the G1-form exclusively by deleting the alternative initiation sites. Virus produced from the clone showed significantly higher strand-transfer of minus strong-stop cDNA (-sscDNA). The in vitro assay using synthetic HIV-1 RNAs revealed that the abortive forms of -sscDNA were abundantly generated from the G3-form RNA, but dramatically reduced from the G1-form. Moreover, the strand-transfer of -sscDNA from the G1-form was prominently stimulated by HIV-1 nucleocapsid. Taken together, our results demonstrated that the 5′-G number that corresponds to HIV-1 transcription initiation site was critical for successful strand-transfer of -sscDNA during reverse transcription.
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Fifteen to twenty percent of HIV substitution mutations are associated with recombination. J Virol 2014; 88:3837-49. [PMID: 24453357 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.03136-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV undergoes high rates of mutation and recombination during reverse transcription, but it is not known whether these events occur independently or are linked mechanistically. Here we used a system of silent marker mutations in HIV and a single round of infection in primary T lymphocytes combined with a high-throughput sequencing and mathematical modeling approach to directly estimate the viral recombination and mutation rates. From >7 million nucleotides (nt) of sequences from HIV infection, we observed 4,801 recombination events and 859 substitution mutations (≈1.51 and 0.12 events per 1,000 nt, respectively). We used experimental controls to account for PCR-induced and transfection-induced recombination and sequencing error. We found that the single-cycle virus-induced mutation rate is 4.6 × 10(-5) mutations per nt after correction. By sorting of our data into recombined and nonrecombined sequences, we found a significantly higher mutation rate in recombined regions (P = 0.003 by Fisher's exact test). We used a permutation approach to eliminate a number of potential confounding factors and confirm that mutation occurs around the site of recombination and is not simply colocated in the genome. By comparing mutation rates in recombined and nonrecombined regions, we found that recombination-associated mutations account for 15 to 20% of all mutations occurring during reverse transcription.
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Piekna-Przybylska D, Sharma G, Bambara RA. Mechanism of HIV-1 RNA dimerization in the central region of the genome and significance for viral evolution. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:24140-50. [PMID: 23839990 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.477265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of HIV-1 consists of two identical or nearly identical RNA molecules. The RNA genomes are held in the same, parallel orientation by interactions at the dimer initiation site (DIS). Previous studies showed that in addition to interactions at DIS, sequences located 100 nucleotides downstream from the 5' splice site can dimerize in vitro through an intermolecular G-quartet structure. Here we report that the highly conserved G-rich sequence in the middle portion of the HIV-1 genome near the central polypurine tract (cPPT) dimerizes spontaneously under high ionic strength in the absence of protein. The antisense RNA does not dimerize, strongly indicating that RNA dimerization does not exclusively involve A:U and G:C base pairing. The cation-dependent reverse transcriptase pausing profile, CD spectra profile, and cation-dependent association and thermal dissociation characteristics indicate G-quartet structures. Different forms of G-quartets are formed including monomers and, significantly, intermolecular dimers. Our results indicate that RNA genome dimerization and parallel alignment initiated through interactions at DIS may be greatly expanded and stabilized by formation of an intermolecular G-quartet at a distant site near the cPPT. It is likely that formation of G-quartet structure near the cPPT in vivo keeps the RNA genomes in proximity over a long range, promoting genetic recombination in numerous hot spots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Piekna-Przybylska
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642 and
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Parkash B, Ranjan A, Tiwari V, Gupta SK, Kaur N, Tandon V. Inhibition of 5'-UTR RNA conformational switching in HIV-1 using antisense PNAs. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49310. [PMID: 23152893 PMCID: PMC3495914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genome of retroviruses, including HIV-1, is packaged as two homologous (+) strand RNA molecules, noncovalently associated close to their 5'-end in a region called dimer linkage structure (DLS). Retroviral HIV-1 genomic RNAs dimerize through complex interactions between dimerization initiation sites (DIS) within the (5'-UTR). Dimer formation is prevented by so calledLong Distance Interaction (LDI) conformation, whereas Branched Multiple Hairpin (BMH) conformation leads to spontaneous dimerization. METHODS AND RESULTS We evaluated the role of SL1 (DIS), PolyA Hairpin signal and a long distance U5-AUG interaction by in-vitro dimerization, conformer assay and coupled dimerization and template-switching assays using antisense PNAs. Our data suggests evidence that PNAs targeted against SL1 produced severe inhibitory effect on dimerization and template-switching processes while PNAs targeted against U5 region do not show significant effect on dimerization and template switching, while PNAs targeted against AUG region showed strong inhibition of dimerization and template switching processes. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that PNA can be used successfully as an antisense to inhibit dimerization and template switching process in HIV -1 and both of the processes are closely linked to each other. Different PNA oligomers have ability of switching between two thermodynamically stable forms. PNA targeted against DIS and SL1 switch, LDI conformer to more dimerization friendly BMH form. PNAs targeted against PolyA haipin configuration did not show a significant change in dimerization and template switching process. The PNA oligomer directed against the AUG strand of U5-AUG duplex structure also showed a significant reduction in RNA dimerization as well as template- switching efficiency.The antisense PNA oligomers can be used to regulate the shift in the LDI/BMH equilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braham Parkash
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Atul Ranjan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vinod Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Sharad Kumar Gupta
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Navrinder Kaur
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vibha Tandon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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9
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Purzycka KJ, Legiewicz M, Matsuda E, Eizentstat LD, Lusvarghi S, Saha A, Le Grice SFJ, Garfinkel DJ. Exploring Ty1 retrotransposon RNA structure within virus-like particles. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 41:463-73. [PMID: 23093595 PMCID: PMC3592414 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Ty1, a long terminal repeat retrotransposon of Saccharomyces, is structurally and functionally related to retroviruses. However, a differentiating aspect between these retroelements is the diversity of the replication strategies used by long terminal repeat retrotransposons. To understand the structural organization of cis-acting elements present on Ty1 genomic RNA from the GAG region that control reverse transcription, we applied chemoenzymatic probing to RNA/tRNA complexes assembled in vitro and to the RNA in virus-like particles. By comparing different RNA states, our analyses provide a comprehensive structure of the primer-binding site, a novel pseudoknot adjacent to the primer-binding sites, three regions containing palindromic sequences that may be involved in RNA dimerization or packaging and candidate protein interaction sites. In addition, we determined the impact of a novel form of transposon control based on Ty1 antisense transcripts that associate with virus-like particles. Our results support the idea that antisense RNAs inhibit retrotransposition by targeting Ty1 protein function rather than annealing with the RNA genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna J Purzycka
- RT Biochemistry Section, HIV Drug Resistance Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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Smyth RP, Davenport MP, Mak J. The origin of genetic diversity in HIV-1. Virus Res 2012; 169:415-29. [PMID: 22728444 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2012.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2012] [Revised: 06/10/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of HIV infection is the rapid development of a genetically complex population (quasispecies) from an initially limited number of infectious particles. Genetic diversity remains one of the major obstacles to eradication of HIV. The viral quasispecies can respond rapidly to selective pressures, such as that imposed by the immune system and antiretroviral therapy, and frustrates vaccine design efforts. Two unique features of retroviral replication are responsible for the unprecedented variation generated during infection. First, mutations are frequently introduced into the viral genome by the error prone viral reverse transcriptase and through the actions of host cellular factors, such as the APOBEC family of nucleic acid editing enzymes. Second, the HIV reverse transcriptase can utilize both copies of the co-packaged viral genome in a process termed retroviral recombination. When the co-packaged viral genomes are genetically different, retroviral recombination can lead to the shuffling of mutations between viral genomes in the quasispecies. This review outlines the stages of the retroviral life cycle where genetic variation is introduced, focusing on the principal mechanisms of mutation and recombination. Understanding the mechanistic origin of genetic diversity is essential to combating HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Redmond P Smyth
- Centre for Virology, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
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Altered strand transfer activity of a multiple-drug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase mutant with a dipeptide fingers domain insertion. J Mol Biol 2011; 415:248-62. [PMID: 22100453 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2011] [Revised: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 11/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Prolonged highly active anti-retroviral therapy with multiple nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors for the treatment of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can induce the development of an HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) harboring a dipeptide insertion at the RT fingers domain with a background thymidine analog mutation. This mutation renders viral resistance to multiple nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. We investigated the effect of the dipeptide fingers domain insertion mutation on strand transfer activity using two clinical RT variants isolated during the pre-treatment and post-treatment of an infected patient, termed pre-drug RT without dipeptide insertion and post-drug RT with Ser-Gly insertion, respectively. First, the post-drug RT displayed elevated strand transfer activity compared to the pre-drug RT, with two different RNA templates. Second, the post-drug RT exhibited less RNA template degradation than the pre-drug RT but higher polymerization-dependent RNase H activity. Third, the post-drug RT had a faster association rate (k(on)) for template binding and a lower equilibrium binding constant K(d) for the template, leading to a template binding affinity tighter than that of the pre-drug RT. The k(off) values for the pre-drug RT and the post-drug RT were similar. Finally, the removal of the dipeptide insertion from the post-drug RT abolished the elevated strand transfer activity and RNase H activity, in addition to the loss of azidothymidine resistance. These biochemical data suggest that the dipeptide insertion elevates strand transfer activity by increasing the interaction of the RT with the RNA donor template, promoting cleavage that generates more invasion sites for the acceptor template during DNA synthesis.
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12
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Delviks-Frankenberry K, Galli A, Nikolaitchik O, Mens H, Pathak VK, Hu WS. Mechanisms and factors that influence high frequency retroviral recombination. Viruses 2011; 3:1650-1680. [PMID: 21994801 PMCID: PMC3187697 DOI: 10.3390/v3091650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Revised: 08/18/2011] [Accepted: 08/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
With constantly changing environmental selection pressures, retroviruses rely upon recombination to reassort polymorphisms in their genomes and increase genetic diversity, which improves the chances for the survival of their population. Recombination occurs during DNA synthesis, whereby reverse transcriptase undergoes template switching events between the two copackaged RNAs, resulting in a viral recombinant with portions of the genetic information from each parental RNA. This review summarizes our current understanding of the factors and mechanisms influencing retroviral recombination, fidelity of the recombination process, and evaluates the subsequent viral diversity and fitness of the progeny recombinant. Specifically, the high mutation rates and high recombination frequencies of HIV-1 will be analyzed for their roles in influencing HIV-1 global diversity, as well as HIV-1 diagnosis, drug treatment, and vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista Delviks-Frankenberry
- Viral Mutation Section, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; E-Mails: (K.D.-F.); (V.K.P.)
| | - Andrea Galli
- Viral Recombination Section, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; E-Mails: (A.G.); (O.N.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program, Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre 2650, Denmark
| | - Olga Nikolaitchik
- Viral Recombination Section, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; E-Mails: (A.G.); (O.N.)
| | - Helene Mens
- Department of Epidemic Diseases, Rigshospitalet, København 2100, Denmark; E-Mail:
| | - Vinay K. Pathak
- Viral Mutation Section, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; E-Mails: (K.D.-F.); (V.K.P.)
| | - Wei-Shau Hu
- Viral Recombination Section, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; E-Mails: (A.G.); (O.N.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +1-301-846-1250; Fax: +1-301-846-6013
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Shen W, Gorelick RJ, Bambara RA. HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein increases strand transfer recombination by promoting dimeric G-quartet formation. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:29838-47. [PMID: 21737842 PMCID: PMC3191025 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.262352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2011] [Revised: 07/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A preferred site for HIV-1 recombination was identified in vivo and in vitro surrounding the beginning of the HIV-1 gag gene. This G-rich gag hotspot for recombination contains three evenly spaced G-runs that stalled reverse transcriptase. Disruption of the G-runs suppressed both the associated pausing and strand transfer in vitro. Significantly, this same gag sequence was able to fold into a G-quartet monomer, dimer, and tetramer, depending on the cations employed. The pause band at the G-run (nucleotide (nt) 405-409), which was predicted to be involved in forming a G-quartet monomer, diminished with increased HIV-1 nucleocapsid (NC) protein. More NC induced stronger pauses at other G-runs (nt 363-367 and nt 382-384), a region that forms a G-quartet dimer, adhering the two RNA templates. We hypothesized that NC induces the unfolding of the monomeric G-quartet but stabilizes the dimeric interaction. We tested this by inserting a known G-quartet formation sequence, 5'-(UGGGGU)(4)-3', into a relatively structure-free template from the HIV-1 pol gene. Strand transfer assays were performed with cations that either encourage (K(+)) or discourage (Li(+)) G-quartet formation with or without NC. Strikingly, a G-quartet monomer was observed without NC, whereas a G-quartet dimer was observed with NC, both only in the presence of K(+). Moreover, the transfer efficiency of the dimerized template (with K(+) and NC) reached about 90%, approximately 2.5-fold of that of the non-dimerized template. Evidently, template dimerization induced by NC creates a proximity effect, leading to the unique high peak of transfer at the gag recombination hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Shen
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642 and
| | - Robert J. Gorelick
- the AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc. NCI-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201
| | - Robert A. Bambara
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642 and
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Kennedy EM, Gavegnano C, Nguyen L, Slater R, Lucas A, Fromentin E, Schinazi RF, Kim B. Ribonucleoside triphosphates as substrate of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase in human macrophages. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:39380-91. [PMID: 20924117 PMCID: PMC2998149 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.178582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2010] [Revised: 10/04/2010] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We biochemically simulated HIV-1 DNA polymerization in physiological nucleotide pools found in two HIV-1 target cell types: terminally differentiated/non-dividing macrophages and activated/dividing CD4(+) T cells. Quantitative tandem mass spectrometry shows that macrophages harbor 22-320-fold lower dNTP concentrations and a greater disparity between ribonucleoside triphosphate (rNTP) and dNTP concentrations than dividing target cells. A biochemical simulation of HIV-1 reverse transcription revealed that rNTPs are efficiently incorporated into DNA in the macrophage but not in the T cell environment. This implies that HIV-1 incorporates rNTPs during viral replication in macrophages and also predicts that rNTP chain terminators lacking a 3'-OH should inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcription in macrophages. Indeed, 3'-deoxyadenosine inhibits HIV-1 proviral DNA synthesis in human macrophages more efficiently than in CD4(+) T cells. This study reveals that the biochemical landscape of HIV-1 replication in macrophages is unique and that ribonucleoside chain terminators may be a new class of anti-HIV-1 agents specifically targeting viral macrophage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward M. Kennedy
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, and
| | - Christina Gavegnano
- the Center for AIDS Research, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia 30033
| | - Laura Nguyen
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, and
| | - Rebecca Slater
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, and
| | - Amanda Lucas
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, and
| | - Emilie Fromentin
- the Center for AIDS Research, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia 30033
| | - Raymond F. Schinazi
- the Center for AIDS Research, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia 30033
| | - Baek Kim
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, and
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Levin JG, Mitra M, Mascarenhas A, Musier-Forsyth K. Role of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein in HIV-1 reverse transcription. RNA Biol 2010; 7:754-74. [PMID: 21160280 DOI: 10.4161/rna.7.6.14115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) is a nucleic acid chaperone, which remodels nucleic acid structures so that the most thermodynamically stable conformations are formed. This activity is essential for virus replication and has a critical role in mediating highly specific and efficient reverse transcription. NC's function in this process depends upon three properties: (1) ability to aggregate nucleic acids; (2) moderate duplex destabilization activity; and (3) rapid on-off binding kinetics. Here, we present a detailed molecular analysis of the individual events that occur during viral DNA synthesis and show how NC's properties are important for almost every step in the pathway. Finally, we also review biological aspects of reverse transcription during infection and the interplay between NC, reverse transcriptase, and human APOBEC3G, an HIV-1 restriction factor that inhibits reverse transcription and virus replication in the absence of the HIV-1 Vif protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith G Levin
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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16
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Song M, Balakrishnan M, Gorelick RJ, Bambara RA. A succession of mechanisms stimulate efficient reconstituted HIV-1 minus strand strong stop DNA transfer. Biochemistry 2010; 48:1810-9. [PMID: 19192967 DOI: 10.1021/bi802149j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Donor-acceptor template systems in vitro were designed to test mechanisms of minus strand transfer of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). Donor RNA D199, extending from the 5' end of the HIV-1 genome to the primer binding site (PBS), promoted transfer to only 35% with an acceptor RNA representing the 3' terminal 97 nucleotides, whereas donor RNA D520, including an additional 321 nucleotides 3' of PBS, exhibited 75% transfer. Both donors transferred through an invasion-driven pathway, but transfer was stimulated by the folding structure resulting from the extra segment in D520. In this study, the significance of interaction between the tRNA(lys3) primer and U3 was examined. Measurements utilizing acceptors having or lacking the U3 region complementary with tRNA(lys3) indicated that a tRNA(lys3)-U3 interaction compensated for inefficient acceptor invasion observed with D199. Stimulation presumably occurred because binding to tRNA(lys3) increased the proximity of the acceptor to elongated cDNA, improving transfer to 78% efficiency with D199, and even higher to 85% with D520. The stimulation did not require natural viral sequences but could be achieved by substituting the original U3 sequence with an equal length sequence that binds a different region of tRNA(lys3). Comparison between acceptors sharing the natural region for tRNA(lys3)-U3 interaction but having or lacking the acceptor invasion site demonstrated that tRNA(lys3)-U3 interaction and acceptor invasion cooperate for maximal stimulation. Overall, observations suggest that both proximity and invasion mechanisms are applied successively by HIV-1 for efficient minus strand transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
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17
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Beerens N, Kjems J. Circularization of the HIV-1 genome facilitates strand transfer during reverse transcription. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2010; 16:1226-35. [PMID: 20430859 PMCID: PMC2874174 DOI: 10.1261/rna.2039610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2009] [Accepted: 02/23/2010] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Two obligatory DNA strand transfers take place during reverse transcription of a retroviral RNA genome. The first strand transfer involves a jump from the 5' to the 3' terminal repeat (R) region positioned at each end of the viral genome. The process depends on base pairing between the cDNA synthesized from the 5' R region and the 3' R RNA. The tertiary conformation of the viral RNA genome may facilitate strand transfer by juxtaposing the 5' R and 3' R sequences that are 9 kb apart in the linear sequence. In this study, RNA sequences involved in an interaction between the 5' and 3' ends of the HIV-1 genome were mapped by mutational analysis. This interaction appears to be mediated mainly by a sequence in the extreme 3' end of the viral genome and in the gag open reading frame. Mutation of 3' R sequences was found to inhibit the 5'-3' interaction, which could be restored by a complementary mutation in the 5' gag region. Furthermore, we find that circularization of the HIV-1 genome does not affect the initiation of reverse transcription, but stimulates the first strand transfer during reverse transcription in vitro, underscoring the functional importance of the interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Beerens
- Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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18
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Schlub TE, Smyth RP, Grimm AJ, Mak J, Davenport MP. Accurately measuring recombination between closely related HIV-1 genomes. PLoS Comput Biol 2010; 6:e1000766. [PMID: 20442872 PMCID: PMC2861704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2009] [Accepted: 03/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Retroviral recombination is thought to play an important role in the generation of immune escape and multiple drug resistance by shuffling pre-existing mutations in the viral population. Current estimates of HIV-1 recombination rates are derived from measurements within reporter gene sequences or genetically divergent HIV sequences. These measurements do not mimic the recombination occurring in vivo, between closely related genomes. Additionally, the methods used to measure recombination make a variety of assumptions about the underlying process, and often fail to account adequately for issues such as co-infection of cells or the possibility of multiple template switches between recombination sites. We have developed a HIV-1 marker system by making a small number of codon modifications in gag which allow recombination to be measured over various lengths between closely related viral genomes. We have developed statistical tools to measure recombination rates that can compensate for the possibility of multiple template switches. Our results show that when multiple template switches are ignored the error is substantial, particularly when recombination rates are high, or the genomic distance is large. We demonstrate that this system is applicable to other studies to accurately measure the recombination rate and show that recombination does not occur randomly within the HIV genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy E. Schlub
- Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Redmond P. Smyth
- Centre for Virology, The Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew J. Grimm
- Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Johnson Mak
- Centre for Virology, The Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail: (JM); (MPD)
| | - Miles P. Davenport
- Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail: (JM); (MPD)
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19
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Sanabani SS, Pastena ERDS, Neto WK, Martinez VP, Sabino EC. Characterization and frequency of a newly identified HIV-1 BF1 intersubtype circulating recombinant form in São Paulo, Brazil. Virol J 2010; 7:74. [PMID: 20398371 PMCID: PMC2859377 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-7-74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2010] [Accepted: 04/16/2010] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background HIV circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) play an important role in the global and regional HIV epidemics, particularly in regions where multiple subtypes are circulating. To date, several (>40) CRFs are recognized worldwide with five currently circulating in Brazil. Here, we report the characterization of near full-length genome sequences (NFLG) of six phylogenetically related HIV-1 BF1 intersubtype recombinants (five from this study and one from other published sequences) representing CRF46_BF1. Methods Initially, we selected 36 samples from 888 adult patients residing in São Paulo who had previously been diagnosed as being infected with subclade F1 based on pol subgenomic fragment sequencing. Proviral DNA integrated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was amplified from the purified genomic DNA of all 36-blood samples by five overlapping PCR fragments followed by direct sequencing. Sequence data were obtained from the five fragments that showed identical genomic structure and phylogenetic trees were constructed and compared with previously published sequences. Genuine subclade F1 sequences and any other sequences that exhibited unique mosaic structures were omitted from further analysis Results Of the 36 samples analyzed, only six sequences, inferred from the pol region as subclade F1, displayed BF1 identical mosaic genomes with a single intersubtype breakpoint identified at the nef-U3 overlap (HXB2 position 9347-9365; LTR region). Five of these isolates formed a rigid cluster in phylogentic trees from different subclade F1 fragment regions, which we can now designate as CRF46_BF1. According to our estimate, the new CRF accounts for 0.56% of the HIV-1 circulating strains in São Paulo. Comparison with previously published sequences revealed an additional five isolates that share an identical mosaic structure with those reported in our study. Despite sharing a similar recombinant structure, only one sequence appeared to originate from the same CRF46_BF1 ancestor. Conclusion We identified a new circulating recombinant form with a single intersubtype breakpoint identified at the nef-LTR U3 overlap and designated CRF46_BF1. Given the biological importance of the LTR U3 region, intersubtype recombination in this region could play an important role in HIV evolution with critical consequences for the development of efficient genetic vaccines.
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20
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The remarkable frequency of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genetic recombination. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2009; 73:451-80, Table of Contents. [PMID: 19721086 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00012-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic diversity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) results from a combination of point mutations and genetic recombination, and rates of both processes are unusually high. This review focuses on the mechanisms and outcomes of HIV-1 genetic recombination and on the parameters that make recombination so remarkably frequent. Experimental work has demonstrated that the process that leads to recombination--a copy choice mechanism involving the migration of reverse transcriptase between viral RNA templates--occurs several times on average during every round of HIV-1 DNA synthesis. Key biological factors that lead to high recombination rates for all retroviruses are the recombination-prone nature of their reverse transcription machinery and their pseudodiploid RNA genomes. However, HIV-1 genes recombine even more frequently than do those of many other retroviruses. This reflects the way in which HIV-1 selects genomic RNAs for coencapsidation as well as cell-to-cell transmission properties that lead to unusually frequent associations between distinct viral genotypes. HIV-1 faces strong and changeable selective conditions during replication within patients. The mode of HIV-1 persistence as integrated proviruses and strong selection for defective proviruses in vivo provide conditions for archiving alleles, which can be resuscitated years after initial provirus establishment. Recombination can facilitate drug resistance and may allow superinfecting HIV-1 strains to evade preexisting immune responses, thus adding to challenges in vaccine development. These properties converge to provide HIV-1 with the means, motive, and opportunity to recombine its genetic material at an unprecedented high rate and to allow genetic recombination to serve as one of the highest barriers to HIV-1 eradication.
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21
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Shen W, Gao L, Balakrishnan M, Bambara RA. A recombination hot spot in HIV-1 contains guanosine runs that can form a G-quartet structure and promote strand transfer in vitro. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:33883-93. [PMID: 19822521 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.055368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The co-packaged RNA genomes of human immunodeficiency virus-1 recombine at a high rate. Recombination can mix mutations to generate viruses that escape immune response. A cell-culture-based system was designed previously to map recombination events in a 459-bp region spanning the primer binding site through a portion of the gag protein coding region. Strikingly, a strong preferential site for recombination in vivo was identified within a 112-nucleotide-long region near the beginning of gag. Strand transfer assays in vitro revealed that three pause bands in the gag hot spot each corresponded to a run of guanosine (G) residues. Pausing of reverse transcriptase is known to promote recombination by strand transfer both in vivo and in vitro. To assess the significance of the G runs, we altered them by base substitutions. Disruption of the G runs eliminated both the associated pausing and strand transfer. Some G-rich sequences can develop G-quartet structures, which were first proposed to form in telomeric DNA. G-quartet structure formation is highly dependent on the presence of specific cations. Incubation in cations discouraging G-quartets altered gel mobility of the gag template consistent with breakdown of G-quartet structure. The same cations faded G-run pauses but did not affect pauses caused by hairpins, indicating that quartet structure causes pausing. Moreover, gel analysis with cations favoring G-quartet structure indicated no structure in mutated templates. Overall, results point to reverse transcriptase pausing at G runs that can form quartets as a unique feature of the gag recombination hot spot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
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22
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A polymerase-site-jumping model for strand transfer during DNA synthesis by reverse transcriptase. Virus Res 2009; 144:65-73. [PMID: 19427048 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2009.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2009] [Revised: 03/27/2009] [Accepted: 03/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
During reverse transcription, besides the obligatory strand transfers associated with replication at the ends of the viral genome, multiple strand transfers often occur associated with replication within internal regions. Here, based on previous structural and biochemical studies, a model is proposed for processive DNA synthesis along a single template mediated by reverse transcriptase and, based on this model, the mechanism of inter- or intramolecular strand transfers during minus DNA synthesis is presented. A strand-transfer event involves two steps, with the first one being the annealing of the nascent DNA with acceptor RNA at the upstream position of the reverse transcriptase while the second one being the jumping of the polymerase active site to the acceptor. Using the model, the promotion of strand transfer by pausing and high frequent deletions induced by strand transfers can be well explained. We present analytical studies of the efficiency of single strand-transfer event and of the efficiency of multiple-strand-transfer events, with which the high negative interference can be well explained. The dependence of strand-transfer efficiency on the ratio between polymerase and RNase H rates, the role of the polymerase-dependent and polymerase-independent cleavages in strand transfers and the efficiency of nonhomologous strand transfer are analytically studied. The theoretical results are in agreement with the available experimental data. Moreover, some predicted results of the dependence of negative interference on the ratio of polymerase over RNase H rates are presented.
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23
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Mechanism analysis indicates that recombination events in HIV-1 initiate and complete over short distances, explaining why recombination frequencies are similar in different sections of the genome. J Mol Biol 2009; 388:30-47. [PMID: 19233203 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2008] [Revised: 02/09/2009] [Accepted: 02/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Strand transfer drives recombination between the co-packaged genomes of HIV-1, a process that allows rapid viral evolution. The proposed invasion-mediated mechanism of strand transfer during HIV-1 reverse transcription has three steps: (1) invasion of the initial or donor primer template by the second or acceptor template; (2) propagation of the primer-acceptor hybrid; and (3) primer terminus transfer. Invasion occurs at a site at which the reverse transcriptase ribonuclease H (RNase H) has created a nick or short gap in the donor template. We used biochemical reconstitution to determine the distance over which a single invasion site can promote transfer. The DNA-primed RNA donor template used had a single-stranded pre-created invasion site (PCIS). Results showed that the PCIS could influence transfer by 20 or more nucleotides in the direction of synthesis. This influence was augmented by viral nucleocapsid protein and additional reverse transcriptase-RNase H cleavage. Strand-exchange assays were performed specifically to assess the distance over which a hybrid interaction initiated at the PCIS could propagate to achieve transfer. Propagation by simple branch migration of strands was limited to 24-32 nt. Additional RNase H cuts in the donor RNA allowed propagation to a maximum distance of 32-64 nt. Overall, results indicate that a specific invasion site has a limited range of influence on strand transfer. Evidently, a series of invasion sites cannot collaborate over a long distance to promote transfer. This result explains why the frequency of recombination events does not increase with increasing distance from the start of synthesis, a characteristic that supports effective mixing of viral mutations.
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24
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Galli A, Lai A, Corvasce S, Saladini F, Riva C, Dehò L, Caramma I, Franzetti M, Romano L, Galli M, Zazzi M, Balotta C. Recombination analysis and structure prediction show correlation between breakpoint clusters and RNA hairpins in the pol gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 unique recombinant forms. J Gen Virol 2009; 89:3119-3125. [PMID: 19008401 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.2008/003418-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombination is recognized as a primary force in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) evolution, increasing viral diversity through reshuffling of genomic portions. The strand-switching activity of reverse transcriptase is required to complete HIV-1 replication and can occur randomly throughout the genome, leading to viral recombination. Some recombination hotspots have been identified and found to correlate with RNA structure or sequence features. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of recombination hotspots in the pol gene of HIV-1 and to assess their correlation with the underlying RNA structure. Analysis of the recombination pattern and breakpoint distribution in a group of unique recombinant forms (URFs) detected two recombination hotspots in the pol region. Two stable and conserved hairpins were consistently predicted corresponding to the identified hotspots using six different RNA-folding algorithms on the URF parental strains. These findings suggest that such hairpins may play a role in the higher recombination rates detected at these positions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Galli
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Lai
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Corvasce
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Riva
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Dehò
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Caramma
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Franzetti
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Romano
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Massimo Galli
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Zazzi
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Claudia Balotta
- Department of Clinical Sciences 'L. Sacco', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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25
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Strand transfer events during HIV-1 reverse transcription. Virus Res 2008; 134:19-38. [PMID: 18279992 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2007.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2007] [Revised: 12/19/2007] [Accepted: 12/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and other retroviruses replicate through reverse transcription, a process in which the single stranded RNA of the viral genome is converted to a double stranded DNA. The virally encoded reverse transcriptase (RT) mediates reverse transcription through DNA polymerase and RNase H activities. Conversion of the plus strand RNA to plus/minus strand RNA/DNA hybrid involves a transfer of the growing DNA strand from one site on the genomic RNA to another. This is called minus strong-stop DNA transfer. Later synthesis of the second or plus DNA strand involves a second strand transfer, involving a similar mechanism as the minus strand transfer. A basic feature of the strand transfer mechanism is the use of the RT RNase H to remove segments of the RNA template strand from the growing DNA strand, freeing a single stranded region to anneal to the second site. Viral nucleocapsid protein (NC) functions to promote transfer by facilitating this strand exchange process. Two copies of the RNA genomes, sometimes non-identical, are co-packaged in the genomes of retroviruses. The properties of the reverse transcriptase allow a transfer of the growing DNA strand between these genomes to occur occasionally at any point during reverse transcription, producing recombinant viral progeny. Recombination promotes structural diversity of the virus that helps it to survive host immunity and drug therapy. Recombination strand transfer can be forced by a break in the template, or can occur at sites where folding structure of the template pauses the RT, allowing a concentration of RNase H cleavages that promote transfers. Transfer can be a simple one-step process, or can proceed by a complex multi-step invasion mechanism. In this latter process, the second RNA template interacts with the growing DNA strand well behind the DNA 3'-terminus. The newly formed RNA-DNA hybrid expands by branch migration and eventually catches the elongating DNA primer 3'-terminus to complete the transfer. Transfers are also promoted by interactions between the two RNA templates, which accelerate transfer by a proximity effect. Other details of the role of strand transfers in reverse transcription and the biochemical features of the transfer reaction are discussed.
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26
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Song M, Basu VP, Hanson MN, Roques BP, Bambara RA. Proximity and branch migration mechanisms in HIV-1 minus strand strong stop DNA transfer. J Biol Chem 2007; 283:3141-3150. [PMID: 18073206 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m707343200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 minus strand transfer was measured using a genomic donor-acceptor template system in vitro. Donor RNA D199, having the minimum region required for minus strong stop DNA synthesis, was previously shown to transfer with 35% efficiency to an acceptor RNA representing the 3' repeat region. Donor D520, having an additional 321-nucleotide segment extending into gag, transferred at 75% efficiency. In this study each transfer step was analyzed to account for the difference. Measurement of terminal transfer indicated that the 3' terminus of the cDNA generated using D520 is more accessible for transfer than that of D199. Nevertheless, acceptor competition experiments demonstrated that D520 has a greater preference for invasion-driven versus terminal transfer than D199. Competition mapping showed that the base of the transactivation response element is the primary invasion site for D520, important for efficient acceptor invasion. Acceptors complementary to the invasion and terminal transfer sites, but not the region between, allowed assessment of the significance of hybrid propagation by branch migration. These bipartite acceptors showed that with D520, invasion raises the local concentration of the acceptor for efficient terminal transfer by a proximity effect. However, with D199, invasion is relatively inefficient, and the cDNA 3' terminus is not very accessible. For most transfers that occurred, the acceptor accessed the cDNA 3' end by branch migration. Results suggest that both proximity and branch migration mechanisms contribute to transfers, with the proportion determined by donor-cDNA structure. D520 transfers better because it has greater accessibility for both invasion and terminus transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Vandana P Basu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Mark N Hanson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Bernard P Roques
- Departement de Pharmacochimie Moleculaire et Structurale, INSERM U266, CNRS UMR 8600, Faculte de Pharmacie, 4, Avenue De l'Observatoire, 75270 Paris Cedex 06, France
| | - Robert A Bambara
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642.
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27
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Sinck L, Richer D, Howard J, Alexander M, Purcell DFJ, Marquet R, Paillart JC. In vitro dimerization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) spliced RNAs. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2007; 13:2141-2150. [PMID: 17925344 PMCID: PMC2080610 DOI: 10.1261/rna.678307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2007] [Accepted: 08/28/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) packages its genomic RNA as a dimer of homologous RNA molecules that has to be selected among a multitude of cellular and viral RNAs. Interestingly, spliced viral mRNAs are packaged into viral particles with a relatively low efficiency despite the fact that they contain most of the extended packaging signal found in the 5' untranslated region of the genomic RNA, including the dimerization initiation site (DIS). As a consequence, HIV-1 spliced viral RNAs can theoretically homodimerize and heterodimerize with the genomic RNA, and thus they should directly compete with genomic RNA for packaging. To shed light on this issue, we investigated for the first time the in vitro dimerization properties of spliced HIV-1 RNAs. We found that singly spliced (env, vpr) and multispliced (tat, rev, and nef) RNA fragments are able to dimerize in vitro, and to efficiently form heterodimers with genomic RNA. Chemical probing experiments and inhibition of RNA dimerization by an antisense oligonucleotide directed against the DIS indicated that the DIS is structurally functional in spliced HIV-1 RNA, and that RNA dimerization occurs through a loop-loop interaction. In addition, by combining in vitro transcription and dimerization assays, we show that heterodimers can be efficiently formed only when the two RNA fragments are synthesized simultaneously, in the same environment. Together, our results support a model in which RNA dimerization would occur during transcription in the nucleus and could thus play a major role in splicing, transport, and localization of HIV-1 RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Sinck
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université Louis Pasteur, CNRS, IBMC, 67084, Strasbourg cedex, France
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28
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Ali MB, Chaminade F, Kanevsky I, Ennifar E, Josset L, Ficheux D, Darlix JL, Fossé P. Structural requirements for nucleocapsid protein-mediated dimerization of avian leukosis virus RNA. J Mol Biol 2007; 372:1082-1096. [PMID: 17706668 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2007.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2007] [Revised: 07/06/2007] [Accepted: 07/09/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The avian leukosis virus (ALV) belongs to the alpha group of retroviruses that are widespread in nature. The 5'-untranslated region of ALV genome contains the L3 element that is important for virus infectivity and the formation of an unstable RNA dimer in vitro. The L3 sequence is predicted to fold into a long stem-loop structure with two internal loops and an apical one. Phylogenetic analysis predicts that the L3 stem-loop is conserved in alpharetroviruses. Furthermore, a significant selection mechanism maintains a palindrome in the apical loop. The nucleocapsid protein of the alpharetroviruses (NCp12) is required for RNA dimer formation and replication in vivo. It is not known whether L3 can be an NCp12-mediated RNA dimerization site able to bind NCp12 with high affinity. Here, we report that NCp12 chaperones formation of a stable ALV RNA dimer through L3. To investigate the NCp12-mediated L3 dimerization reaction, we performed site-directed mutagenesis, gel retardation and heterodimerization assays and analysis of thermostability of dimeric RNAs. We show that the affinity of NCp12 for L3 is lower than its affinity for the microPsi RNA packaging signal. Results show that conservation of a long stem-loop structure and a loop-loop interaction are not required for NCp12-mediated L3 dimerization. We show that the L3 apical stem-loop is sufficient to form an extended duplex and the whole stem-loop L3 cannot be converted by NCp12 into a duplex extending throughout L3. Three-dimensional modelling of the stable L3 dimer supports the notion that the extended duplex may represent the minimal dimer linkage structure found in the genomic RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moez Ben Ali
- CNRS UMR8113, LBPA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, 94235 Cachan cedex, France
| | - Françoise Chaminade
- CNRS UMR8113, LBPA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, 94235 Cachan cedex, France
| | - Igor Kanevsky
- CNRS UMR8113, LBPA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, 94235 Cachan cedex, France
| | - Eric Ennifar
- CNRS UPR9002, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67084 Strasbourg cedex, France
| | - Laurence Josset
- CNRS UMR8113, LBPA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, 94235 Cachan cedex, France
| | - Damien Ficheux
- CNRS UMR5086, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, 69367 Lyon cedex 07, France
| | - Jean-Luc Darlix
- Laboretro Unité de Virologie Humaine INSERM #758, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69364 Lyon cedex 07, France
| | - Philippe Fossé
- CNRS UMR8113, LBPA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, 94235 Cachan cedex, France.
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29
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Wu HY, Brian DA. 5'-proximal hot spot for an inducible positive-to-negative-strand template switch by coronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. J Virol 2007; 81:3206-15. [PMID: 17229702 PMCID: PMC1866079 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01817-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2006] [Accepted: 01/07/2007] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses have a positive-strand RNA genome and replicate through the use of a 3' nested set of subgenomic mRNAs each possessing a leader (65 to 90 nucleotides [nt] in length, depending on the viral species) identical to and derived from the genomic leader. One widely supported model for leader acquisition states that a template switch takes place during the generation of negative-strand antileader-containing templates used subsequently for subgenomic mRNA synthesis. In this process, the switch is largely driven by canonical heptameric donor sequences at intergenic sites on the genome that match an acceptor sequence at the 3' end of the genomic leader. With experimentally placed 22-nt-long donor sequences within a bovine coronavirus defective interfering (DI) RNA we have shown that matching sites occurring anywhere within a 65-nt-wide 5'-proximal genomic acceptor hot spot (nt 33 through 97) can be used for production of templates for subgenomic mRNA synthesis from the DI RNA. Here we report that with the same experimental approach, template switches can be induced in trans from an internal site in the DI RNA to the negative-strand antigenome of the helper virus. For these, a 3'-proximal 89-nt acceptor hot spot on the viral antigenome (nt 35 through 123), largely complementary to that described above, was found. Molecules resulting from these switches were not templates for subgenomic mRNA synthesis but, rather, ambisense chimeras potentially exceeding the viral genome in length. The results suggest the existence of a coronavirus 5'-proximal partially double-stranded template switch-facilitating structure of discrete width that contains both the viral genome and antigenome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Yi Wu
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0845, USA
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30
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Purohit V, Roques BP, Kim B, Bambara RA. Mechanisms that prevent template inactivation by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase RNase H cleavages. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:12598-609. [PMID: 17337733 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m700043200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNase H activity of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) cleaves the viral genome concomitant with minus strand synthesis. We previously analyzed RT-mediated pausing and RNase H cleavage on a hairpin-containing RNA template system and reported that RT generated 3' end-directed primary and secondary cuts while paused at the base of the hairpin during synthesis. Here, we report that all of the prominent cleavage products observed during primer extension on this template correlated with pause induced cuts. Products that persisted throughout the reaction corresponded to secondary cuts, about eight nucleotides in from the DNA primer terminus. This distance allows little overlap of intact template with the primer terminus. We considered whether secondary cuts could inactivate further synthesis by promoting dissociation of the primer from the template. As anticipated, 3' end-directed secondary cuts decreased primer extendibility. This provides a plausible mechanism to explain the persistence of secondary cut products in our hairpin template system. Improving the efficiency of synthesis by increasing the concentration of dNTPs or addition of nucleocapsid protein (NC) reduced pausing and the generation of pause related secondary cuts on this template. Further studies reveal that 3' end-directed primary and secondary cleavages were also generated when synthesis was stalled by the presence of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine at the primer terminus, possibly contributing to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine inhibition. Considered together, the data reveal a role for NC and other factors that enhance DNA synthesis in the prevention of RNase H cleavages that could be detrimental to viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vandana Purohit
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
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31
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Gao L, Balakrishnan M, Roques BP, Bambara RA. Insights into the multiple roles of pausing in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase-promoted strand transfers. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:6222-31. [PMID: 17204480 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m610056200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously analyzed the role of pausing induced by hairpin structures within RNA templates in facilitating strand transfer by HIV-1 RT (reverse transcriptase). We proposed a multistep transfer mechanism in which pause-induced RNase H cuts within the initial RNA template (donor) expose regions of cDNA. A second homologous RNA template (acceptor) can interact with the cDNA at such sites, initiating transfer. The acceptor-cDNA hybrid is thought to then propagate by branch-migration, eventually catching up with the primer terminus and completing the transfer. The prominent pause site in the template system facilitated acceptor invasion; however, very few of the transfers terminated at this pause. To examine the effects of homology on pause-promoted transfer, we increased template homology before the pause site, from 19 nucleotides (nt) in the initial template system to 52 nt in the new system. Significantly, the increased homology enhanced transfers 3-fold, with 32% of the transfers now terminating at the pause site. Additionally, the acceptor cleavage profile indicated the creation of a new invasion site in the added region of homology. NC (nucleocapsid) increased the strand transfer throughout the whole template. However, the prominent hot spot for internal transfer remained, which was still at the pause site. We interpret the new results to mean that pause sites can also serve to stall DNA synthesis, allowing acceptor invasions initiated earlier in the template to catch up with the primer terminus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Gao
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester, New York 14642, USA
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32
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Hanson MN, Balakrishnan M, Roques BP, Bambara RA. Evidence that creation of invasion sites determines the rate of strand transfer mediated by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. J Mol Biol 2006; 363:878-90. [PMID: 16997325 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2006.08.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2006] [Revised: 08/11/2006] [Accepted: 08/15/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Strand transfer during reverse transcription can produce genetic recombination in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) when two genomic RNAs, that are not identical, are co-packaged in the virus. Strand transfer was measured in vitro, in reactions involving primer switching from a donor to acceptor RNA template. The transfer product appeared with much slower kinetics than full-length synthesis on the donor template. The goal of this study was to learn more about the transfer mechanism by defining the steps that limit its rate. We previously proposed transfer to include the steps of acceptor invasion, hybrid propagation, terminus transfer, and re-initiation of synthesis on the acceptor template. Unexpectedly, with our templates increasing acceptor concentration increased the transfer efficiency but had no effect on the rate of transfer. Templates with a short region of homology limiting hybrid propagation exhibited a slow accumulation of transfer products, suggesting that for tested long homology templates hybrid propagation was not rate limiting. Substituting a DNA acceptor and adding Klenow polymerase accelerated re-initiation and extension exclusively on the DNA acceptor. This lead to a small rate increase due to faster extension on the acceptor, suggesting re-initiation of synthesis on the tested RNA acceptors was not rate limiting. A substrate was designed in which the 5' end of the primer was single stranded, and complimentary to the acceptor, i.e. having a pre-made invasion site. With this substrate, increasing concentrations of acceptor increased the rate of transfer. Together these data suggest that RNase H cleavage, and dissociation of RNA fragments creating an invasion site was rate limiting on most tested templates. When an accessible invasion site was present, acceptor interaction at that site influence the rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Nils Hanson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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33
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Operario DJ, Balakrishnan M, Bambara RA, Kim B. Reduced dNTP interaction of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase promotes strand transfer. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:32113-21. [PMID: 16926150 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m604665200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently demonstrated that HIV-1 RT mutants characterized by low dNTP binding affinity display significantly reduced dNTP incorporation kinetics in comparison to wild-type RT. This defect is particularly emphasized at low dNTP concentrations where WT RT remains capable of efficient synthesis. Kinetic interference in DNA synthesis can induce RT pausing and slow down the synthesis rate. RT stalling and slow synthesis rate can enhance RNA template cleavage by RT-RNase H, facilitating transfer of the primer to a homologous template. We therefore hypothesized that reduced dNTP binding RT mutants can promote template switching during minus strand synthesis more efficiently than WT HIV-1 RT at low dNTP concentrations. To test this hypothesis, we employed two dNTP binding HIV-1 RT mutants, Q151N and V148I. Indeed, as the dNTP concentration was decreased, the template switching frequency progressively increased for both WT and mutant RTs. However, as predicted, the RT mutants promoted more transfers compared with WT RT. The WT and mutant RTs were similar in their intrinsic RNase H activity, supporting that the elevated template switching efficiency of the mutants was not the result of the mutations enhancing RNase H activity. Rather, kinetic interference leading to stalled DNA synthesis likely enhanced transfers. These results suggest that the RT-dNTP substrate interaction mechanistically influences strand transfer and recombination of HIV-1 RT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darwin J Operario
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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34
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Lanciault C, Champoux JJ. Pausing during reverse transcription increases the rate of retroviral recombination. J Virol 2006; 80:2483-94. [PMID: 16474155 PMCID: PMC1369041 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.80.5.2483-2494.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Retroviruses package two copies of genomic RNA into viral particles. During the minus-sense DNA synthesis step of reverse transcription, the nascent DNA can transfer multiple times between the two copies of the genome, resulting in recombination. The mechanism for this process is similar to the process of obligate strand transfers mediated by the repeat and primer binding site sequences. The location at which the DNA 3' terminus completely transfers to the second RNA strand defines the point of crossover. Previous work in vitro demonstrated that reverse transcriptase pausing has a significant impact on the location of the crossover, with a proportion of complete transfer events occurring very close to pause sites. The role of pausing in vivo, however, is not clearly understood. By employing a murine leukemia virus-based single-cycle infection assay, strong pausing was shown to increase the probability of recombination, as reflected in the reconstitution of green fluorescent protein expression. The infection assay results were directly correlated with the presence of strong pause sites in reverse transcriptase primer extension assays in vitro. Conversely, when pausing was diminished in vitro, without changing the sequence of the RNA template involved in recombination, there was a significant reduction in recombination in vivo. Together, these data demonstrate that reverse transcriptase pausing, as observed in vitro, directly correlates with recombination during minus-sense DNA synthesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Lanciault
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-7242, USA
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35
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Levin JG, Guo J, Rouzina I, Musier-Forsyth K. Nucleic acid chaperone activity of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein: critical role in reverse transcription and molecular mechanism. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 80:217-86. [PMID: 16164976 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6603(05)80006-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Judith G Levin
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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36
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Galetto R, Giacomoni V, Véron M, Negroni M. Dissection of a circumscribed recombination hot spot in HIV-1 after a single infectious cycle. J Biol Chem 2005; 281:2711-20. [PMID: 16291743 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m505457200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombination is a major source of genetic heterogeneity in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) population. The main mechanism responsible for the generation of recombinant viruses is a process of copy choice between the two copies of genomic RNA during reverse transcription. We previously identified, after a single cycle of infection of cells in culture, a recombination hot spot within the gp120 gene, corresponding to the top portion of a RNA hairpin. Here, we determine that the hot region is circumscribed to 18 nucleotides located in the descending strand of the stem, following the sense of reverse transcription. Three factors appeared to be important, albeit at different extents, for the high rate of recombination observed in this region. The position of the hot sequence in the context of the RNA structure appears crucial, because changing its location within this structure triggered differences in recombination up to 20-fold. Another pivotal factor is the presence of a perfectly identical sequence between donor and acceptor RNA in the region of transfer, because single or double nucleotide differences in the hot spot were sufficient to almost completely abolish recombination in the region. Last, the primary structure of the hot region also influenced recombination, although with effects only in the 2-3-fold range. Altogether, these results provide the first molecular dissection of a hot spot in infected cells and indicate that several factors contribute to the generation of a site of preferential copy choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Román Galetto
- Unité de Régulation Enzymatique des Activités Cellulaires, CNRS-URA 2185, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris, France
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37
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Zhang CY, Wei JF, He SH. The key role for local base order in the generation of multiple forms of China HIV-1 B'/C intersubtype recombinants. BMC Evol Biol 2005; 5:53. [PMID: 16212658 PMCID: PMC1274309 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-5-53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2005] [Accepted: 10/07/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background HIV-1 is a retrovirus with high rate of recombination. Increasing experimental studies in vitro indicated that local hairpin structure of RNA was associated with recombination by favoring RT pausing and promoting strand transfer. A method to estimate the potential to form stem-loop structure by calculating the folding of randomized sequence difference (FORS-D) has been used to investigate the relationship between secondary structure and evolutionary pressure in some genome. It showed that gene regions under strong positive "Darwinian" selection were associated with positive FORS-D values. In the present study, the sequences of HIV-1 subtypes B' and C, both of which represent the parent strains of CRF07_BC, CRF08_BC and China URFs, were selected to investigate the relationship between natural recombination and secondary structure by calculating the FORS-D values. Results The apparent higher negative FORS-D value region appeared in the gag-pol gene region (nucleotide 0–3000) of HIV-1 subtypes B' and C. Thirteen (86.7 %) of 15 mosaic fragments and 17 (81 %) of 21 recombination breakpoints occurred in this higher negative FORS-D region. This strongly suggested that natural recombination did not occur randomly throughout the HIV genome, and that there might be preferred (or hot) regions or sites for recombination. The FORS-D analysis of breakpoints showed that most breakpoints of recombinants were located in regions with higher negative FORS-D values (P = 0.0053), and appeared to have a higher negative average FORS-D value than the whole genome (P = 0.0007). The regression analysis also indicated that FORS-D values correlated negatively with breakpoint overlap. Conclusion High negative FORS-D values represent high, base order determined stem-loop potentials and influence mainly the formation of stem-loop structures. Therefore, the present results suggested for the first time that occurrence of natural recombination was associated with high base order-determined stem-loop potential, and that local base order might play a key role in the initiation of natural recombination by favoring the formation of stable stem-loop structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Yu Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jiangsu University School of Medical Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China
- Allergy and Inflammation Research Institute, the Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515031, China
| | - Ji-Fu Wei
- Allergy and Inflammation Research Institute, the Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515031, China
| | - Shao-Heng He
- Allergy and Inflammation Research Institute, the Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515031, China
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38
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Hanson MN, Balakrishnan M, Roques BP, Bambara RA. Effects of donor and acceptor RNA structures on the mechanism of strand transfer by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. J Mol Biol 2005; 353:772-87. [PMID: 16216274 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.08.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2005] [Revised: 08/17/2005] [Accepted: 08/26/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Template switching during reverse transcription contributes to recombination in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Our recent studies suggest that the process can occur through a multi-step mechanism involving RNase H cleavage, acceptor invasion, branch migration, and finally primer terminus transfer. In this study, we analyzed the effects of reverse transcriptase (RT)-pausing, RNase H cleavages and template structure on the transfer process. We designed a series of donor and acceptor template pairs with either minimal pause sites or with pause sites at various locations along the template. Restriction sites within the region of homology allowed efficient mapping of the location of primer terminus transfer. Blocking oligomers were used to probe the acceptor invasion site. Introduction of strong pause sites in the donor increased transfer efficiency. However, the new pauses were not necessarily associated with effective invasion. In this system, the primary invasion occurred at a region of donor cleavage associated with weak pausing. These results together with acceptor structure predictions indicated that a potential invasion site is used only in conjunction with a favorable acceptor structure. Stabilizing acceptor structure at the predicted invasion region lowered the transfer efficiency, supporting this conclusion. Differing from previous studies, terminus transfer occurred at a short distance from the invasion site. Introduction of structure into the acceptor template shifted the location of terminus transfer. Nucleocapsid protein, which can improve cDNA-acceptor interactions, increased transfer efficiency with some shift of terminus transfer closer to the invasion site. Overall results support that the acceptor structure has a major influence on the efficiency and position of the invasion and terminus transfer steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Nils Hanson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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39
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Buxton P, Tachedjian G, Mak J. Analysis of the contribution of reverse transcriptase and integrase proteins to retroviral RNA dimer conformation. J Virol 2005; 79:6338-48. [PMID: 15858017 PMCID: PMC1091692 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.79.10.6338-6348.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
All retroviruses contain two copies of genomic RNA that are linked noncovalently. The dimeric RNA of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) undergoes rearrangement during virion maturation, whereby the dimeric RNA genome assumes a more stable conformation. Previously, we have shown that the packaging of the HIV-1 polymerase (Pol) proteins reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase (IN) is essential for the generation of the mature RNA dimer conformation. Analysis of HIV-1 mutants that are defective in processing of Pol showed that these mutant virions contained altered dimeric RNA conformation, indicating that the mature RNA dimer conformation in HIV-1 requires the correct proteolytic processing of Pol. The HIV-1 Pol proteins are multimeric in their mature enzymatically active forms; RT forms a heterodimer, and IN appears to form a homotetramer. Using RT and IN multimerization defective mutants, we have found that dimeric RNA from these mutant virions has the same stability and conformation as wild-type RNA dimers, showing that the mature enzymatically active RT and IN proteins are dispensable for the generation of mature RNA dimer conformation. This also indicated that formation of the mature RNA dimer structure occurs prior to RT or IN maturation. We have also investigated the requirement of Pol for RNA dimerization in both Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV) and Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) and found that in contrast to HIV-1, Pol is dispensable for RNA dimer maturation in M-PMV and MoMuLV, demonstrating that the requirement of Pol in retroviral RNA dimer maturation is not conserved among all retroviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope Buxton
- The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Cnr Punt & Commercial Rds, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004.
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40
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Heath MJ, Destefano JJ. A complementary single-stranded docking site is required for enhancement of strand exchange by human immunodeficiency virus nucleocapsid protein on substrates that model viral recombination. Biochemistry 2005; 44:3915-25. [PMID: 15751967 DOI: 10.1021/bi0477945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Enhancement of strand exchange by nucleocapsid protein (NC) is proposed to occur during retroviral recombination. The mechanism was examined using an RNA (donor)-DNA hybrid that mimicked a retrovirus replication intermediate. This consisted of a 25 base pair hybrid region flanked on each side by single-stranded RNA or DNA. A second set of acceptor RNAs that could bind to the 25-base hybrid region and to various lengths of additional bases on the DNA was used to displace the donor by hybridizing with the DNA. Displacement required a complementary single-stranded DNA region outside the donor-DNA 25-nucleotide hybrid region. NC enhanced displacement slightly when the acceptor could bind 10 nucleotides and significantly when binding 22 or more nucleotides in the single-stranded region. Two mutated acceptors that bound over 47 total nucleotides on the DNA (22 in the single-stranded region plus 25 in the hybrid region) were constructed. One had three mismatches in the hybrid region; the other, three in the single-stranded region and one in the hybrid region. Each acceptor bound the DNA with approximately equal thermodynamic stability, yet NC stimulated exchange with the former and actually inhibited with the latter. This emphasized the importance of the single-stranded region in NC stimulation. The results support a mechanism where NC enhances the docking of the acceptor to the single-stranded region and then the acceptor "zippers" through the hybrid and displaces the donor. Results with the mutated acceptors indicate that NC may actually inhibit strand exchange between genomes in nonhomologous regions.
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MESH Headings
- Base Pairing/genetics
- DNA, Complementary/chemistry
- DNA, Complementary/genetics
- DNA, Single-Stranded/chemistry
- DNA, Single-Stranded/genetics
- DNA, Single-Stranded/metabolism
- DNA, Viral/chemistry
- DNA, Viral/genetics
- DNA, Viral/metabolism
- HIV-1/chemistry
- HIV-1/genetics
- Models, Chemical
- Nucleic Acid Hybridization
- Nucleocapsid Proteins/chemistry
- Nucleocapsid Proteins/genetics
- Nucleocapsid Proteins/metabolism
- Point Mutation
- RNA, Viral/chemistry
- RNA, Viral/genetics
- RNA, Viral/metabolism
- Recombination, Genetic
- Thermodynamics
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Heath
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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41
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Rhodes TD, Nikolaitchik O, Chen J, Powell D, Hu WS. Genetic recombination of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in one round of viral replication: effects of genetic distance, target cells, accessory genes, and lack of high negative interference in crossover events. J Virol 2005; 79:1666-77. [PMID: 15650192 PMCID: PMC544095 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.79.3.1666-1677.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombination is a major mechanism that generates variation in populations of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Mutations that confer replication advantages, such as drug resistance, often cluster within regions of the HIV-1 genome. To explore how efficiently HIV-1 can assort markers separated by short distances, we developed a flow cytometry-based system to study recombination. Two HIV-1-based vectors were generated, one encoding the mouse heat-stable antigen gene and green fluorescent protein gene (GFP), and the other encoding the mouse Thy-1 gene and GFP. We generated derivatives of both vectors that contained nonfunctional GFP inactivated by different mutations. Recombination in the region between the two inactivating mutations during reverse transcription could yield a functional GFP. With this system, we determined that the recombination rates of markers separated by 588, 300, 288, and 103 bp in one round of viral replication are 56, 38, 31, and 12%, respectively, of the theoretical maximum measurable recombination rate. Statistical analyses revealed that at these intervals, recombination rates and marker distances have a near-linear relationship that is part of an overall quadratic fit. Additionally, we examined the segregation of three markers within 600 bp and concluded that HIV-1 crossover events do not exhibit high negative interference. We also examined the effects of target cells and viral accessory proteins on recombination rate. Similar recombination rates were observed when human primary CD4(+) T cells and a human T-cell line were used as target cells. We also found equivalent recombination rates in the presence and absence of accessory genes vif, vpr, vpu, and nef. These results illustrate the power of recombination in generating viral population variation and predict the rapid assortment of mutations in the HIV-1 genome in infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence D Rhodes
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, NCI-Frederick, PO Box B, Building 535, Room 336, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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42
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Lanciault C, Champoux JJ. Effects of unpaired nucleotides within HIV-1 genomic secondary structures on pausing and strand transfer. J Biol Chem 2004; 280:2413-23. [PMID: 15542863 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m410718200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcriptase-mediated RNA displacement synthesis is required for DNA polymerization through the base-paired stem portions of secondary structures present in retroviral genomes. These regions of RNA duplex often possess single unpaired nucleotides, or "bulges," that disrupt contiguous base pairing. By using well defined secondary structures from the human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1), genome, we demonstrate that removal of these bulges either by deletion or by introducing a complementary base on the opposing strand results in increased pausing at specific positions within the RNA duplex. We also show that the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein can increase synthesis through the pause sites but not as efficiently as when a bulge residue is present. Finally, we demonstrate that removing a bulge increases the proportion of strand transfer events to an acceptor template that occur prior to complete replication of a donor template secondary structure. Together our data suggest a role for bulge nucleotides in enhancing synthesis through stable secondary structures and reducing strand transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Lanciault
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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43
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Dykes C, Balakrishnan M, Planelles V, Zhu Y, Bambara RA, Demeter LM. Identification of a preferred region for recombination and mutation in HIV-1 gag. Virology 2004; 326:262-79. [PMID: 15302212 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2004.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2003] [Revised: 10/10/2003] [Accepted: 02/24/2004] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We designed a cell culture-based system to test the hypothesis that recombination events during HIV-1 replication would be more frequent near the dimerization initiation sequence (DIS). A 459-bp region spanning the DIS through the 5'-end of gag was sequenced and analyzed to determine the frequency and distribution of crossover sites. We found a strong preference for recombination events occurring within a 112-nt-long region encompassing the gag AUG (64% of crossovers occurred in this region, compared to 10-14% in surrounding regions with similar lengths). Surprisingly, the region immediately surrounding the DIS was not a preferred site of recombination. Analysis of recombination events using RNA templates transcribed in vitro revealed a preference for crossover sites at the start of the gag coding region, similar to that observed in cell culture. This recombinogenic region was unusually G-rich and promoted extensive pausing by RT in vitro. Template features that induce RT pausing very likely contribute to the observed template switching events in gag during minus-strand synthesis. The region in gag that was a preferred site for recombination also had an approximately 2-fold higher mutation frequency compared to the rest of the region sequenced, but mutations were no more common in recombinant compared to non-recombinant clones, suggesting that recombination events were not mutagenic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Dykes
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY, USA
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44
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Diamond TL, Roshal M, Jamburuthugoda VK, Reynolds HM, Merriam AR, Lee KY, Balakrishnan M, Bambara RA, Planelles V, Dewhurst S, Kim B. Macrophage tropism of HIV-1 depends on efficient cellular dNTP utilization by reverse transcriptase. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:51545-53. [PMID: 15452123 PMCID: PMC1351161 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m408573200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Retroviruses utilize cellular dNTPs to perform proviral DNA synthesis in infected host cells. Unlike oncoretroviruses, which replicate in dividing cells, lentiviruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immunodeficiency virus, are capable of efficiently replicating in non-dividing cells (terminally differentiated macrophages) as well as dividing cells (i.e. activated CD4+ T cells). In general, non-dividing cells are likely to have low cellular dNTP content compared with dividing cells. Here, by employing a novel assay for cellular dNTP content, we determined the dNTP concentrations in two HIV-1 target cells, macrophages and activated CD4+ T cells. We found that human macrophages contained 130-250-fold lower dNTP concentrations than activated human CD4+ T cells. Biochemical analysis revealed that, unlike oncoretroviral reverse transcriptases (RTs), lentiviral RTs efficiently synthesize DNA even in the presence of the low dNTP concentrations equivalent to those found in macrophages. In keeping with this observation, HIV-1 vectors containing mutant HIV-1 RTs, which kinetically mimic oncoretroviral RTs, failed to transduce human macrophages despite retaining normal infectivity for activated CD4+ T cells and other dividing cells. These results suggest that the ability of HIV-1 to infect macrophages, which is essential to establishing the early pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection, depends, at least in part, on enzymatic adaptation of HIV-1 RT to efficiently catalyze DNA synthesis in limited cellular dNTP substrate environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Kwi Y. Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | | | - Robert A. Bambara
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and
- Cancer Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue Box 672, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Vicente Planelles
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, 30 N. 1900 East, SOM C210, Salt Lake City, UT 84132
| | - Stephen Dewhurst
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology
- Cancer Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue Box 672, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Baek Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology
- *Corresponding author Baek Kim, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue Box 672, Rochester, NY 14642, Tel: (585) 275-6916, Fax: (585) 473-9573,
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45
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Nikolenko GN, Svarovskaia ES, Delviks KA, Pathak VK. Antiretroviral drug resistance mutations in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase increase template-switching frequency. J Virol 2004; 78:8761-70. [PMID: 15280484 PMCID: PMC479068 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.78.16.8761-8770.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Template-switching events during reverse transcription are necessary for completion of retroviral replication and recombination. Structural determinants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) that influence its template-switching frequency are not known. To identify determinants of HIV-1 RT that affect the frequency of template switching, we developed an in vivo assay in which RT template-switching events during viral replication resulted in functional reconstitution of the green fluorescent protein gene. A survey of single amino acid substitutions near the polymerase active site or deoxynucleoside triphosphate-binding site of HIV-1 RT indicated that several substitutions increased the rate of RT template switching. Several mutations associated with resistance to antiviral nucleoside analogs (K65R, L74V, E89G, Q151N, and M184I) dramatically increased RT template-switching frequencies by two- to sixfold in a single replication cycle. In contrast, substitutions in the RNase H domain (H539N, D549N) decreased the frequency of RT template switching by twofold. Depletion of intracellular nucleotide pools by hydroxyurea treatment of cells used as targets for infection resulted in a 1.8-fold increase in the frequency of RT template switching. These results indicate that the dynamic steady state between polymerase and RNase H activities is an important determinant of HIV-1 RT template switching and establish that HIV-1 recombination occurs by the previously described dynamic copy choice mechanism. These results also indicate that mutations conferring resistance to antiviral drugs can increase the frequency of RT template switching and may influence the rate of retroviral recombination and viral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina N Nikolenko
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, NCI-Frederick, Bldg. 535, Rm. 334, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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46
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Russell RS, Liang C, Wainberg MA. Is HIV-1 RNA dimerization a prerequisite for packaging? Yes, no, probably? Retrovirology 2004; 1:23. [PMID: 15345057 PMCID: PMC516451 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-1-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2004] [Accepted: 09/02/2004] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
During virus assembly, all retroviruses specifically encapsidate two copies of full-length viral genomic RNA in the form of a non-covalently linked RNA dimer. The absolute conservation of this unique genome structure within the Retroviridae family is strong evidence that a dimerized genome is of critical importance to the viral life cycle. An obvious hypothesis is that retroviruses have evolved to preferentially package two copies of genomic RNA, and that dimerization ensures the proper packaging specificity for such a genome. However, this implies that dimerization must be a prerequisite for genome encapsidation, a notion that has been debated for many years. In this article, we review retroviral RNA dimerization and packaging, highlighting the research that has attempted to dissect the intricate relationship between these two processes in the context of HIV-1, and discuss the therapeutic potential of these putative antiretroviral targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney S Russell
- McGill AIDS Centre, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine Road Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T 1E2
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Chen Liang
- McGill AIDS Centre, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine Road Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T 1E2
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Mark A Wainberg
- McGill AIDS Centre, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine Road Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T 1E2
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B4
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B4
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47
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Greatorex J. The retroviral RNA dimer linkage: different structures may reflect different roles. Retrovirology 2004; 1:22. [PMID: 15317659 PMCID: PMC516450 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-1-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2004] [Accepted: 08/18/2004] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Retroviruses are unique among virus families in having dimeric genomes. The RNA sequences and structures that link the two RNA molecules vary, and these differences provide clues as to the role of this feature in the viral lifecycles. This review draws upon examples from different retroviral families. Differences and similarities in both secondary and tertiary structure are discussed. The implication of varying roles for the dimer linkage in related viruses is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Greatorex
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK.
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48
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Galetto R, Moumen A, Giacomoni V, Véron M, Charneau P, Negroni M. The structure of HIV-1 genomic RNA in the gp120 gene determines a recombination hot spot in vivo. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:36625-32. [PMID: 15218022 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m405476200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
By frequently rearranging large regions of the genome, genetic recombination is a major determinant in the plasticity of the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) population. In retroviruses, recombination mostly occurs by template switching during reverse transcription. The generation of retroviral vectors provides a means to study this process after a single cycle of infection of cells in culture. Using HIV-1-derived vectors, we present here the first characterization and estimate of the strength of a recombination hot spot in HIV-1 in vivo. In the hot spot region, located within the C2 portion of the gp120 envelope gene, the rate of recombination is up to ten times higher than in the surrounding regions. The hot region corresponds to a previously identified RNA hairpin structure. Although recombination breakpoints in vivo cluster in the top portion of the hairpin, the bias for template switching in this same region appears less marked in a cell-free system. By modulating the stability of this hairpin we were able to affect the local recombination rate both in vitro and in infected cells, indicating that the local folding of the genomic RNA is a major parameter in the recombination process. This characterization of reverse transcription products generated after a single cycle of infection provides insights in the understanding of the mechanism of recombination in vivo and suggests that specific regions of the genome might be prompted to yield different rates of evolution due to the presence of circumscribed recombination hot spots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Román Galetto
- Unité de Régulation Enzymatique des Activités Cellulaires CNRS-URA 2185 and Groupe de Virologie Moléculaire et Vectorologie, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris, France
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49
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Moriarty TJ, Marie-Egyptienne DT, Autexier C. Functional organization of repeat addition processivity and DNA synthesis determinants in the human telomerase multimer. Mol Cell Biol 2004; 24:3720-33. [PMID: 15082768 PMCID: PMC387747 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.24.9.3720-3733.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human telomerase is a multimer containing two human telomerase RNAs (hTRs) and most likely two human telomerase reverse transcriptases (hTERTs). Telomerase synthesizes multiple telomeric repeats using a unique repeat addition form of processivity. We investigated hTR and hTERT sequences that were essential for DNA synthesis and processivity using a direct primer extension telomerase assay. We found that hTERT consists of two physically separable functional domains, a polymerase domain containing RNA interaction domain 2 (RID2), reverse transcriptase (RT), and C-terminal sequences, and a major accessory domain, RNA interaction domain 1 (RID1). RID2 mutants defective in high-affinity hTR interactions and an RT catalytic mutant exhibited comparable DNA synthesis defects. The RID2-interacting hTR P6.1 helix was also essential for DNA synthesis. RID1 interacted with the hTR pseudoknot-template domain and hTERT's RT motifs and putative thumb and was essential for processivity, but not DNA synthesis. The hTR pseudoknot was essential for processivity, but not DNA synthesis, and processivity was reduced or abolished in dimerization-defective pseudoknot mutants. trans-acting hTERTs and hTRs complemented the processivity defects of RID1 and pseudoknot mutants, respectively. These data provide novel insight into the catalytic organization of the human telomerase complex and suggest that repeat addition processivity is one of the major catalytic properties conferred by telomerase multimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara J Moriarty
- Bloomfield Centre for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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50
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Paillart JC, Shehu-Xhilaga M, Marquet R, Mak J. Dimerization of retroviral RNA genomes: an inseparable pair. Nat Rev Microbiol 2004; 2:461-72. [PMID: 15152202 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Paillart
- UPR 9002 du CNRS affiliée à l'Université Louis Pasteur, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France
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