Role of DNA end distortion in catalysis by avian sarcoma virus integrase.

Retroviral integrase (IN) recognizes linear viral DNA ends and introduces nicks adjacent to a highly conserved CA dinucleotide usually located two base pairs from the 3'-ends of viral DNA (the "processing" reaction). In a second step, the same IN active site catalyzes the insertion of these ends into host DNA (the "joining" reaction). Both DNA sequence and DNA structure contribute to specific recognition of viral DNA ends by IN. Here we used potassium permanganate modification to show that the avian sarcoma virus IN catalytic domain is able to distort viral DNA ends in vitro. This distortion activity is consistent with both unpairing and unstacking of the three terminal base pairs, including the processing site adjacent to the conserved CA. Furthermore, the introduction of mismatch mutations that destabilize the viral DNA ends were found to stimulate the IN processing reaction as well as IN-mediated distortion. End-distortion activity was also observed with mutant or heterologous DNA substrates. However, further analyses showed that using Mn(2+) as a cofactor, processing site specificity of these substrates was also maintained. Our results support a model whereby unpairing and unstacking of the terminal base pairs is a required step in the processing reaction. Furthermore, these results are consistent with our previous observations indicating that unpairing of target DNA promotes the joining reaction.     

Loop202-208 in avian sarcoma virus integrase mediates tetramer assembly and processing activity

Integrase (IN) catalyzes insertion of the retroviral genome into the host via two sequential reactions. The processing activity cleaves the 3'-dinucleotides from the two ends of the viral DNA which are then inserted into the host DNA. Tetramers are required for the joining step. While dimers have been shown to catalyze processing, they do so inefficiently, and the oligomeric requirement for processing is unknown. We have replaced loop202-208 at the putative dimer-dimer interface of the avian sarcoma virus IN with its analogue, loop188-194, from human immunodeficiency virus IN. The mutation abolished disintegration activity and a 2 x 10(-2) s-1 fast phase during single-turnover processing. A 3 x 10(-4) s-1 slow processing phase was unaffected. Preincubation with a DNA substrate known to promote tetramerization increased products formed during the fast phase by 2.5-fold only for wild-type IN, correlating the fast and slow phases with processing by tetramers and dimers, respectively. We propose a novel tetramer model for coupling processing and integration based on efficient processing by the tetramer. We provide for the first time direct evidence of the functional relevance of a structural element, loop202-208, which appears to be required for mediating the interaction between dimer halves of the active tetramer.     

The methylation state of the proviruses in avian sarcoma virus transformed chick and rat cells

The endogenous viruses in the avian cells are not completely methylated, nor are the Schmidt-Ruppin RSV-D (SRD) proviruses in the infected cells completely unmethylated. Avian sarcoma proviruses integrated in rat transformed cloned cells are heavily methylated. In these cells, a region in the 3' end of the env gene is unmethylated in all the src-containing proviruses but not in the transformed defective (td) proviruses. A possible role for the hypomethylation of the 3' end of the env region is proposed.     

Polymorphism of avian sarcoma virus src proteins.

The src gene products of seven different avian sarcoma viruses were compared. In vitro translation of virion RNA yielded products identified unambiguously as p60src in the case of two stocks of the Schmidt-Ruppin strain, three stocks of the Prague strain, the Bryan strain, and the Bratislava 77 strain of avian sarcoma virus. Differences in the electrophoretic mobility of these seven p60src proteins in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, corresponding to variation in the apparent molecular weights ranging from 56,000 to 60,500, were observed. Antigenic variability was also found; only three of the seven viruses tested encoded a p60src, which was precipitated by antisera derived from rabbits bearing tumors induced by the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus. Examination of the methionine-containing tryptic peptides of the seven ;60src proteins by two-dimensional mapping revealed four common peptides but marked variability in the five to eight other peptides in each protein. Clear differences in the peptide maps of p60src were observed, both between different strains of virus and within strains. In the three cases examined, p60src synthesized in transformed cells was found to be essentially identical to that synthesized in vitro. We conclude that there is significant polymorphism in the p60src proteins of the avian sarcoma viruses.     

Transduction of interphase cells by avian sarcoma virus

It has been generally believed that oncoretroviruses are dependent on mitosis for efficient nuclear entry of viral DNA. We previously identified a nuclear localization signal in the integrase protein of an oncoretrovirus, avian sarcoma virus (ASV), suggesting an active import mechanism for the integrase-DNA complex (G. Kukolj, R. A. Katz, and A. M. Skalka, Gene 223:157-163, 1998). Here, we have evaluated the requirement for mitosis in nuclear import and integration of ASV DNA. Using a modified ASV encoding a murine leukemia virus amphotropic env gene and a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene, DNA nuclear import was measured in cell cycle-arrested avian (DF-1) as well as human (HeLa) and mouse cells. The results showed efficient accumulation of nuclear forms of ASV DNA in gamma-irradiation-arrested cells. Efficient transduction of a GFP reporter gene was also observed after infection of cells that were arrested with gamma-irradiation, mitomycin C, nocodazole, or aphidicolin, confirming that nuclear import and integration of ASV DNA can occur in the absence of mitosis. By monitoring GFP expression in individual cells, we also obtained evidence for nuclear import of viral DNA during interphase in cycling cells. Lastly, we observed that ASV can transduce postmitotic mouse neurons. These results support an active nuclear import mechanism for the oncoretrovirus ASV and suggest that this mechanism can operate in both nondividing and dividing cells.     

A crystal structure of the catalytic core domain of an avian sarcoma and leukemia virus integrase suggests an alternate dimeric assembly

Integrase (IN) is an important therapeutic target in the search for anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) inhibitors. This enzyme is composed of three domains and is hard to crystallize in its full form. First structural results on IN were obtained on the catalytic core domain (CCD) of the avian Rous and Sarcoma Virus strain Schmidt-Ruppin A (RSV-A) and on the CCD of HIV-1 IN. A ribonuclease-H like motif was revealed as well as a dimeric interface stabilized by two pairs of α-helices (α1/α5, α5/α1). These structural features have been validated in other structures of IN CCDs. We have determined the crystal structure of the Rous-associated virus type-1 (RAV-1) IN CCD to 1.8 Å resolution. RAV-1 IN shows a standard activity for integration and its CCD differs in sequence from that of RSV-A by a single accessible residue in position 182 (substitution A182T). Surprisingly, the CCD of RAV-1 IN associates itself with an unexpected dimeric interface characterized by three pairs of α-helices (α3/α5, α1/α1, α5/α3). A182 is not involved in this novel interface, which results from a rigid body rearrangement of the protein at its α1, α3, α5 surface. A new basic groove that is suitable for single-stranded nucleic acid binding is observed at the surface of the dimer. We have subsequently determined the structure of the mutant A182T of RAV-1 IN CCD and obtained a RSV-A IN CCD-like structure with two pairs of buried α-helices at the interface. Our results suggest that the CCD of avian INs can dimerize in more than one state. Such flexibility can further explain the multifunctionality of retroviral INs, which beside integration of dsDNA are implicated in different steps of the retroviral cycle in presence of viral ssRNA.     

Presteady-state analysis of avian sarcoma virus integrase. II. Reverse-polarity substrates identify preferential processing of the U3-U5 pair

The integrase-catalyzed insertion of the retroviral genome into the host chromosome involves two reactions in vivo: 1) the binding and endonucleolytic removal of the terminal dinucleotides of the viral DNA termini and 2) the recombination of the ends with the host DNA. Kukolj and Skalka (Kukolj, G., and Skalka, A. M. (1995) Genes Dev. 9, 2556-2567) have previously shown that tethering of the termini enhances the endonucleolytic activities of integrase. We have used 5'-5' phosphoramidites to design reverse-polarity tethers that allowed us to examine the reactivity of two viral long terminal repeat-derived sequences when concurrently bound to integrase and, additionally, developed presteady-state assays to analyze the initial exponential phase of the reaction, which is a measure of the amount of productive nucleoprotein complexes formed during preincubation of integrase and DNA. Furthermore, the reverse-polarity tether circumvents the integrase-catalyzed splicing reaction (Bao, K., Skalka, A. M., and Wong, I. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 12089-12098) that obscures accurate analysis of the reactivities of synapsed DNA substrates. Consequently, we were able to establish a lower limit of 0.2 s(-1) for the rate constant of the processing reaction. The analysis showed the physiologically relevant U3/U5 pair of viral ends to be the preferred substrate for integrase with the U3/U3 combination favored over the U5/U5 pair.     

Crystal structure of an active two-domain derivative of Rous sarcoma virus integrase

Integration of retroviral cDNA is a necessary step in viral replication. The virally encoded integrase protein and DNA sequences at the ends of the linear viral cDNA are required for this reaction. Previous studies revealed that truncated forms of Rous sarcoma virus integrase containing two of the three protein domains can carry out integration reactions in vitro. Here, we describe the crystal structure at 2.5 A resolution of a fragment of the integrase of Rous sarcoma virus (residues 49-286) containing both the conserved catalytic domain and a modulatory DNA-binding domain (C domain). The catalytic domains form a symmetric dimer, but the C domains associate asymmetrically with each other and together adopt a canted conformation relative to the catalytic domains. A binding path for the viral cDNA is evident spanning both domain surfaces, allowing modeling of the larger integration complexes that are known to be active in vivo. The modeling suggests that formation of an integrase tetramer (a dimer of dimers) is necessary and sufficient for joining both viral cDNA ends at neighboring sites in the target DNA. The observed asymmetric arrangement of C domains suggests that they could form a rotationally symmetric tetramer that may be important for bridging integrase complexes at each cDNA end.     

Effect of aphidicolin on avian sarcoma virus replication.

We studied the effect of aphidicolin, an inhibitor of eucaryotic DNA polymerase alpha, on viral DNA replication and integration during the first 24 h after infection of quail embryo fibroblasts with avian sarcoma virus. In drug-treated cells, the synthesis of unintegrated linear viral DNA species was not impaired; however, the subsequent accumulation of circular viral DNA species and integrated proviral DNA was reversibly inhibited. After removal of the drug, circular viral DNA species were derived from preexisting linear viral DNA species, instead of being derived by de novo synthesis.     

Transduction of terminally differentiated neurons by avian sarcoma virus

Recent studies have demonstrated that avian sarcoma virus (ASV) can transduce cycle-arrested cells. Here, we have assessed quantitatively the transduction efficiency of an ASV vector in naturally arrested mouse hippocampal neurons. This efficiency was determined by comparing the number of transduced cells after infection of differentiated neurons versus dividing progenitor cells. The results indicate that ASV is able to transduce these differentiated neurons efficiently and that this activity is not the result of infection of residual dividing cells. The transduction efficiency of the ASV vector was found to be intermediate between the relatively high and low efficiencies obtained with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and murine leukemia virus vectors, respectively.     

Monoclonal antibodies against Rous sarcoma virus integrase protein exert differential effects on integrase function in vitro.

We have prepared and characterized several monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the Rous sarcoma virus integrase protein (IN) with the aim of employing these specific reagents as tools for biochemical and biophysical studies. The interaction of IN with the purified MAbs and their Fab fragment derivatives was demonstrated by Western blot (immunoblot), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and size exclusion chromatography. A series of truncated IN proteins was used to determine regions in the protein important for recognition by the antibodies. The MAbs described here recognize epitopes that lie within the catalytic core region of IN (amino acids 50 to 207) and are likely to be conformational. A detailed functional analysis was carried out by investigating the effects of Fab fragments as well as of intact MAbs on the activities of IN in vitro. These studies revealed differential effects which fall into three categories. (i) One of the antibodies completely neutralized the processing as well as the joining activity and also reduced the DNA binding capacity as determined by a nitrocellulose filter binding assay. On the other hand, this MAb did not abolish the cleavage-ligation reaction on a disintegration substrate and the nonspecific cleavage of DNA by IN. The cleavage pattern generated by the IN-MAb complex on various DNA substrates closely resembled that produced by mutant IN proteins which show a deficiency in multimerization. Preincubation of IN with substrate protected the enzyme from inhibition by this antibody. (ii) Two other antibodies showed a general inhibition of all IN activities tested. (iii) In contrast, a fourth MAb stimulated the in vitro joining activity of IN. Size exclusion chromatography demonstrated that IN-Fab complexes from representatives of the three categories of MAbs exhibit different stoichiometric compositions that suggest possible explanations for their contrasting effects and may provide clues to the relationship between the structure and function of IN.     

Concerted integration of viral DNA termini by purified avian myeloblastosis virus integrase.

Concerted integration of retroviral DNA termini, which produces a characteristic duplication of sequences at the integration site and formation of the proviral state, is a necessary step of the retroviral life cycle. We investigated the pairwise integration reaction catalyzed by purified avian retrovirus integrase by measuring the response to solution parameters and how the sequences of the viral termini, which comprise the avian imperfect inverted repeat, affect the reaction. When we optimized the reaction, an efficiency was achieved which approached that measured in systems using cytoplasmic extracts from virus-infected cells. The response of purified avian integrase to solution parameters was similar to that of the integration activity derived from cellular extracts. For strand transfer, the U3 viral terminal sequences were preferred to those of the U5 termini, a result we previously showed for the trimming reaction. That the sequence preference was the same for trimming and strand transfer may be further evidence that only one catalytic site is used for both reactions. A significant number of integration sites were sequenced. Interesting trends were found for the fidelity of the host duplications to the avian 6-bp duplication size, the clustering of the integration sites in the nonessential region of the lambda host DNA, and the sequence characteristics of the duplication sites.     

Identification of amino acids in HIV-1 and avian sarcoma virus integrase subsites required for specific recognition of the long terminal repeat Ends

A tetramer model for HIV-1 integrase (IN) with DNA representing 20 bp of the U3 and U5 long terminal repeats (LTR) termini was assembled using structural and biochemical data and molecular dynamics simulations. It predicted amino acid residues on the enzyme surface that can interact with the LTR termini. A separate structural alignment of HIV-1, simian sarcoma virus (SIV), and avian sarcoma virus (ASV) INs predicted which of these residues were unique. To determine whether these residues were responsible for specific recognition of the LTR termini, the amino acids from ASV IN were substituted into the structurally equivalent positions of HIV-1 IN, and the ability of the chimeras to 3 ' process U5 HIV-1 or ASV duplex oligos was determined. This analysis demonstrated that there are multiple amino acid contacts with the LTRs and that substitution of ASV IN amino acids at many of the analogous positions in HIV-1 IN conferred partial ability to cleave ASV substrates with a concomitant loss in the ability to cleave the homologous HIV-1 substrate. HIV-1 IN residues that changed specificity include Val(72), Ser(153), Lys(160)-Ile(161), Gly(163)-Val(165), and His(171)-Leu(172). Because a chimera that combines several of these substitutions showed a specificity of cleavage of the U5 ASV substrate closer to wild type ASV IN compared with chimeras with individual amino acid substitutions, it appears that the sum of the IN interactions with the LTRs determines the specificity. Finally, residues Ser(153) and Val(72) in HIV-1 IN are among those that change in enzymes that develop resistance to naphthyridine carboxamide- and diketo acid-related inhibitors in cells. Thus, amino acid residues involved in recognition of the LTRs are among these positions that change in development of drug resistance.     

Molecular and genetic determinants of rous sarcoma virus integrase for concerted DNA integration

Site-directed mutagenesis of recombinant Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) integrase (IN) allowed us to gain insights into the protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions involved in reconstituted IN-viral DNA complexes capable of efficient concerted DNA integration (termed full-site). At 4 nM IN, wild-type (wt) RSV IN incorporates approximately 30% of the input donor into full-site integration products after 10 min of incubation at 37 degrees C, which is equivalent to isolated retrovirus preintegration complexes for full-site integration activity. DNase I protection analysis demonstrated that wt IN was able to protect the viral DNA ends, mapping approximately 20 bp from the end. We had previously mapped the replication capabilities of several RSV IN mutants (A48P and P115S) which appeared to affect viral DNA integration in vivo. Surprisingly, recombinant RSV A48P IN retained wt IN properties even though the virus carrying this mutation had significantly reduced integrated viral DNA in comparison to wt viral DNA in virus-infected cells. Recombinant RSV P115S IN also displayed all of the properties of wt RSV IN. Upon heating of dimeric P115S IN in solution at 57 degrees C, it became apparent that the mutation in the catalytic core of RSV IN exhibited the same thermolabile properties for 3' OH processing and strand transfer (half-site and full-site integration) activities consistent with the observed temperature-sensitive defect for integration in vivo. The average half-life for inactivation of the three activities were similar, ranging from 1.6 to 1.9 min independent of the IN concentrations in the assay mixtures. Wt IN was stable under the same heat treatment. DNase I protection analysis of several conservative and nonconservative substitutions at W233 (a highly conserved residue of the retrovirus C-terminal domain) suggests that this region is involved in protein-DNA interactions at the viral DNA attachment site. Our data suggest that the use of recombinant RSV IN to investigate efficient full-site integration in vitro with reference to integration in vivo is promising.