title: The avian retroviral IN protein is both necessary and sufficient for integrative recombination in vitro.
abstract: The integration of viral DNA into the host cell chromosome is an essential feature of the retroviral life cycle. The integration reaction requires cis-acting sequences at the ends of linear viral DNA and a trans-acting product of the pol gene, the integration protein (IN). Previously, we demonstrated that avian sarcoma-leukosis virus (ASLV) IN is able to carry out the first step in the integration process in vitro: nicking of the ends of linear viral DNA. In this paper, using two independent assays, we demonstrate that IN, alone, is sufficient to carry out the second step: cleavage and joining to the target DNA. These results demonstrate that the retroviral IN protein is an integrase.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Merkel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kulkosky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leis
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Skalka
mesh_terms: D001355:Alpharetrovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D019426:Integrases; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010957:Plasmids; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases; D019426:Integrases