Integration is not necessary for expression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protein products.
A common feature in the life cycle of cytocidal retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), is the accumulation of large amounts of unintegrated viral DNA. As yet, the role of unintegrated viral DNA in the cytopathogenesis of cytocidal retrovirus infections remains unresolved. HIV-1 mutants which were deleted in the integrase/endonuclease gene and which were unable to establish an integrated form of the virus were constructed. Despite an inability to integrate, these mutants were fully competent templates for HIV-1 core and envelope antigen production. HIV-1 antigen could be detected in the supernatants of lymphocyte cultures infected with HIV-1 integrase mutants. However, an inability to rescue infectious virus from these cultures indicated that HIV-1 integration was required for the production of infectious HIV-1. On the basis of the ability of unintegrated HIV-1 DNA to serve as a template for HIV-1 antigen production, it is plausible that unintegrated viral DNA can contribute to the HIV-1 antigen pool during HIV-1 replication.
Stevenson
M
M
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68105-1065.
Haggerty
S
S
Lamonica
C A
CA
Meier
C M
CM
Welch
S K
SK
Wasiak
A J
AJ
D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002460:Cell Line; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008242:Lysogeny; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins